When Angels Sin

23. Drowning

Alina

Alina walked excitedly towards the stables. Bernard had left for the East early in the morning, along with Mikal, Hilda, Frederik, and Vilfred. With only a powerless Lucian and a harmless Lady Greta left behind to rule the castle, along with a few council members, Alina knew this would be her only opportunity to enjoy a few days of freedom. 

Her smile widened as she found Julian already outside, bathing the Pegasi, and her heart thumped at the sight of his lean shirtless form. It was a clear morning, and his dark locks shone in a deep reddish brown beneath the sun, swinging and teasing his bare shoulders. He was a dark angel, she thought, except that he did not have wings.

She smiled as she heard him talking to Nina, Lucian's black mare. His back was still turned to her and he seemed quite absorbed in his task, unaware of her presence. She approached him, her eyes admiring the taut muscles as his arms moved back and forth scrubbing Nina. But she stopped in her tracks as she spotted the whiplash scars on his back, and her heart twisted. That was her doing. Pangs of guilt came back to haunt her, and she longed to stretch out her hand and erase those scars. 

Julian must have sensed her presence, for he stopped moving and turned around, their eyes finally meeting.

"Hello Julian," she attempted a sweet smile as she walked up to him.

"My Lady," he smiled back.

"A perfect day to fly today, isn't it?" she said as she looked up towards the sun and closed her eyes, indulging in the warmth that bathed her face. She turned back to Julian with another sweet smile. "Will you bring me Achilles, please?"

Julian frowned at her unexpected request and remained still, apparently not willing to do as she told him.

"Don't worry. I will not let him escape again," she assured him.

"I'm sorry my lady. But I can't," he said as he turned back to Nina.

"Don't worry. Bernard will not find out," she said, knowing what he was thinking. "He is going to be thousands of miles away beyond the Eastern Demon Sea."

"I do know where Lord Bernard is going to be," Julian said as he stood in his place, not willing to comply. "That will still not change anything."

"Don't be so scared Julian."

"I am not scared!" Julian defended quickly. "Besides, you don't have an escort." 

"Then you be my escort," she beamed.

"Yes sure, why not!" he mocked, taking her words for a joke.

"But I'm serious. Fly with me."

"No."

"Then fetch me Achilles."

"No."

"You can't disobey me, I am your Mistress!" she teased.

"No."

"Fine, I will go fetch Achilles myself. Thank you very much," she said sulkily before she walked determinedly into the stable.

When Alina came back outside atop Achilles, Julian was still standing in his place. He frowned at her, yet he didn't seem to show any intention of stopping her. She smirked at him and raised her head high.

"See you Julian," she teased, before she nudged Achilles who instantly spread his wings and took to the sky.

Leaving the castle behind, she flew across the fields towards the eastern mountains where the winds whipped against her face and through her hair. She breathed deeply as the fresh morning air filled her chest, chasing away much of the bleakness it held. The fields beneath her started rising and falling into small hills where scattered small houses could be spotted, before a long uneven slope announced the approach of the main valley below. It was Alina's favorite place. The silver river sparkled beneath her as it cut through the valley snaking towards the north. A thick forest of pine trees lay across at the eastern bank, covering the other side of the valley in dense green and rising towards the great high mountains that stretched along the horizon, an endless dark wall with sharp white peaks.