The Rise and Fall

9 - Right and Wrong

Being completely inexperienced in this field of affection, or most types of affection to be perfectly honest, Emiliana hadn't the slightest idea what she was supposed to do as Leo slid his arms around her waist, letting the palms lie flat against the small of her back just behind her hips. She noticed that his eyes were closed as though he was sleeping and so she repeated this and on instinct her arms reached up until her palms lay on the skin of the base of Leo's neck so that she could feel his racing pulse. 

Something kept telling her to stop. Something kept telling her that this was wrong but Emiliana didn't want to stop. The fact that she'd known this boy for about five minutes and had attempted to kill him numerous times, didn't quite register in her brain as a factor for negative circumstances though at the same time, she didn't understand why Leo was leading this display of endearment after he'd  been witness to brutal, merciless murders committed by yours truly. 

He didn't pull away with hesitation. Emiliana opened her eyes to see a little rose tint smudged onto Leo's cheeks but she couldn't quite understand why. His eyes looked straight down into hers without the normal degree of reservation that he usually did and his gaze of anger and hurt had vanished into thin air. Emiliana didn't know what to do as Leo lowered his forehead until the crest landed upon her own, though he kept his eyes firmly looking down at the ground. Both their lips were swollen with electricity and passion, both having taken a liking to the recent actions carried out though as Emiliana blinked a few times, Leo shook his head softly, moving hers a little too. 

He brought his hands up to her cheeks and stared deep into her eyes, never pulling his forehead away. 

"This isn't right," Leo whispered, his lips moving only a little in the low light. 

Emiliana realised instantly that he was right. However she suddenly felt for this boy, it was wrong and she was partially to blame. She lightly unhooked her head from his hands and stood back, standing awkwardly in front of him as he acknowledged that she accepted this relationship to be utterly forbidden. 

"I'll walk you to your room," he murmured and lifted a hand towards the door to guide her out. 

"Do you believe them?" Leo had whispered just as they finally reached Emiliana's bedroom door. The walk there had been exceptionally awkward, an odd silence swallowing them up whole into a world of awkward possiblities. 

Emiliana frowned at him a little. "Believe who?" 

"Mica and Angelo. Do you believe their story about you?"

"Well, it all adds up. And the vision. And my scars..."

"Scars?" Leo interrupted unwillingly, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "Your eye?"

"No!" Emiliana's mouth expanded into a smile as a little giggle escaped her lips. The sound filled Leo's ears and he felt compelled to return the sweet sound with a smile. Emiliana turned around so that her back was facing him and she adjusted her top so that the scar lines were visible once more. 

Leo's eyes bulged from his skull. The sight in front of him was like a gust of wind colliding with his stomach, knocking all of the air out of it as he gasped. Two thin lines of a slightly pinker coloured skin ran for about ten centimetres down two sides of her back just inside of her wings. The scars were very straight and precise, insinuating that this removal had been done professionally and surgically and most definitely was not the result of an execution. Leo's fingers brushed down the left side scar, feeling the depression where the flesh, or wings, had been removed. 

"How?" His voice was raspy with surprise, but Emiliana shrugged and turned around quickly, the skin on her back bubbling a little from his touch.