Fallen

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Raziel

In all of his days he had never seen such a beautiful creature, he decided. Even when she was asleep her beauty shone brighter than a full moon on a starless night. Now that she had healed a bit, life had begun to slip back into her features. Even with the remains of dark circles under her eyes, her porcelain skin had developed a glow that was exclusive to angels. Ethereal beings had a beauty that was like no other. Otherworldly of nature, it was a majestic kind of allure. Her black satiny hair was a direct contrast to the paleness of her skin. 

"Yes, she was quite lovely."

Shaking himself out of the self-induced stupor, he refocused on the task at hand. Before he had become so distracted by the female lying on his bed at the moment, he had been attempting to get a solid plan down for their impending journey. Ideally, the simplest way to get to Haniel's location would be to take a plane. But since Ariel had no legal documents considering she had been on earth for about a day, they would have to go a slightly less simple route. It was definitely the only option for them now, but he wasn't looking forward to the hassle it would bring. 

Haniel resided in New York City. When he had fallen he had wanted to be in a place that was swarming with souls day and night. And so he had chosen NYC as his resting place; the city that never sleeps. 

A whimper from his bed jerked him from his musing. His gaze shot to where Ariel lay and he found her curled up in a ball shaking uncontrollably. Rising and moving to the side of the bed, he discovered that she was still asleep. A night terror had overtaken her in her sleep and she had positioned herself in a fetal position, curling her body around her knees almost as if she was attempting to ward off whatever was attacking her. Her hands gripped her knees so tightly that her naturally pale skin was turning a ghostly white. A single tear tracked its way down her cheek and he decided he'd had enough. 

He repositioned her until she was sitting with her back leaning against the headboard. He supported her there, keeping her upright with his hands. In her sleep a few more tears came and he broke a little inside. When she was like this, it was as if he experienced the pain just as much as she did. Her pain immediately became his. In some unknown way, they were connected. 

With a knee on the bed to support his weight, Raziel positioned himself in front of her. Placing one hand on the back of her head, he closed his eyes and tuned into her mental state. She was reliving the removal of her wings again; it was a painful and bloody ordeal. And it would take a while until she could get past it and finally come to terms with what had occurred. 

Reaching for his gift, he connected with her. And through that thread, he began to coax her subconscious away from the darkness and toward the light. He flooded her with peaceful feelings. You are ok. Everything is ok, you're safe and you are not alone. He spoke to her subconscious, filling her head with reassurances. He continued with that process for several minutes, never letting up. And he slowly felt her pain diminish until it was just a small simmering. Her panic lessened and her breathing evened out. 

In the process of coaxing her out of the night terror, he had shifted until he was kneeling before her, his hands resting on her shoulders. and now, so exhausted as she was, her body slumped into his her head fitting into the crook of his neck. She seemed to fit perfectly against him as if she was meant to be there. He couldn't resist the urge to pull her closer, so he shifted his arms until they were wrapped around her waist. 

She felt so good. Softness against his hard planes. She seemed to complete him. She was so small compared to him. He was nearly twice her size. This just increased the protectiveness he was already feeling for this little angel.