Grey Dawn

by K L Rymer

  I’m singing just like I used to in my grandparents living room, and I don’t stop, letting the words flow.

  The crowd cheers, clapping in a round of applause, but I carry on, letting my voice carry over the noise.

  I’ve found my voice at last.

  I hope you’re proud of me, Grandma, Grandpa.

  15. Eli

  My footsteps ricochet off the walls as I stalk down the alleyway, never taking my eyes off that creature’s back.

  I would recognise that self-righteous beard anywhere. Even across a busy street.

  A dark chuckle escapes my throat. “So, you finally kicked the bucket too, hey, White.”

  My voice carries over the wind, and then he stops, keeping his back to me.

  I smirk, summoning a fireball. “I’m going to enjoy putting a hole through your back, you fucking son of a—”

  White moves without warning, blasting me several feet in the air. I land on the asphalt, hissing in pain, and reach up, wiping the blood from my cheek.

  He grazed my face. The bastard.

  I jump back to my feet, tossing a fireball. He dodges, flipping back with a somersault, and it’s almost like fighting Misaki again.

  He moves like a bloody ninja, but I don’t give up, sending flames his way. Sooner or later he will tire out, and I can finally hit him.

  It won’t kill him but it sure as hell will hurt. Just like he’d hurt me and Crystal.

  My face drips like a faucet, going into my eyes, and I’m momentarily blinded. But I wipe my forehead, keeping my stance as I circle White.

  We calculate each other’s next move, never breaking our circle.

  His blue eyes watch me carefully as I match his gaze, letting him know he can’t defeat me.

  As fast as lightning, he stretches his hand and sends me back against the wall, and I’m cemented in place by his powers.

  Fuck. I did not predict that move.

  Seriously, how is he doing it? He never fought this well in the past. Something’s off.

  My eyes expand when I finally realise. It’s a trap. He’s not really White, but an imposter trying to keep me away from Crystal, and I curse.

  How could I be so foolish? After everything I’d gone through, searching all of space and heaven just to find her, I cave the last second, and give in to temptation.

  After all, it was always my desire to be the one to put an end to White. To see the light go out from his perfect eyes, just like he’d taken the life from my mother’s.

  Of course White hadn’t died. He’s still living on earth while Crystal and I rot in this disgusting place, and I roar, letting my voice carry over the city.

  My wings stretch from my back and now I pounce on that White imposter, pinning him to the ground as I close my claws around his neck.

  I will choke the bastard. Sure, he may not be the real White, but it’s close enough.

  White’s clone gazes at me in horror, his eyes protruding from their sockets as I draw the last breath from his lungs. His skin has turned purple and I chuckle, my red eyes reflecting in his sparkling blues.

  “Do it... kill me... taint your soul and give in to temptation, Eli Black. The streets are always hungry for more souls.”

  My fingers loosen around his neck as his words echo. A voice at the back of my mind tells me to stop, and it sounds a little like Crystal.

  White’s clone sneers, his eyes crazed as he nears the end of his life. “Do it. Kill me. Kill the man who killed your mother...”

  I gaze into his maddened eyes, Crystal’s voice becoming louder and clearer, and it’s like she’s singing inside my head now.

  No, it’s not coming from inside my head, but all around. It echoes through the city, breaking through the smog, and I pull away, letting her voice fill me with warmth and love.

  I’ve never heard a purer sound, and I fall back, my heart thumping against my chest.

  The smog breaks away, revealing cracks of blue sky. Beams of sunshine pierce the clouds, and I gaze in awe.

  Crystal’s voice is changing the climate of the city.

  When I sit up again, White’s clone has vanished. A black scorch mark takes his place as the sun beams down on the city.

  Her voice beckons to me like a siren call, and I jump back to my feet, dashing down the alley to get to my angel.

  The whole city has come to a standstill when I join the throngs on the street, and one by one I see the light returning to their soulless eyes.

  A group of thugs stop beating the shit out of a homeless man and listen. Two hookers stare with their mouths agape, tears dripping down their eyes as Crystal’s voice carries over the crowd.

  “What is that sound?” one asks.

  “I... I think it’s an angel,” the other whispers, digging her hand inside her tight shirt to reveal a crucifix.

  The smog has cleared away at last and sunshine fills the city, and it’s a bloody miracle. Birds even sing, perching on buildings and lampposts, and it’s like I’m inside a Disney movie. Rubbish turns into flowers, and soon the air smells like spring.

  Crystal has done the impossible. She has brought heaven to hell itself, and I weave through the still crowd, finding my way back to her.

  The sun shines the brightest over the theatre when I finally find it, and I pick up my pace, my heart inside my ears.

  The ticket warden sits in his booth as silent as the rest of the city, his mouth hanging open as Crystal’s voice rings.

  I barge through the doors, across the silent lobby, and up the red velvet stairs.

  Crystal just stands beyond those double gold doors, and I stop to savour the sweet moment before I gaze upon her beautiful face again.

  Finally, I open the doors, and my eyes fall on that glowing figure on stage.

  Crystal’s entire form is aglow, and my breath hitches.

  “Crystal...”

  I’ve finally found her.

  She stops at the sound of my voice and opens her eyes, and my heart skips a beat when I peer into those luminous blues.

  The crowd has fallen silent. If someone dropped a pin, it would clatter like thunder.

  Her eyes fill with tears, dripping down her perfect cheeks, and then she whispers just loud enough for me to hear. “Eli...”

  16. Crystal

  I know the moment my eyes land on him that he’s the real deal, and my heart flutters like a butterfly.

  Eli.

  His storm cloud grey eyes bore right into my soul, and I try to run to him, but my foot’s tied down.

  I’m still shackled to the stage, and I sigh, meeting his concerned eyes.

  My skin around the shackle still burns. Unfortunately, when I sing, it activates my powers, yet I have no choice but to belt out in song.

  But it was still one of the best experiences of my life.

  When Eli finally spots the shackle, his mood changes, and now he stretches his lips, revealing his canines. His eyes flash bright crimson, and then he lets out a roar. The crowd comes back to life, screaming when Eli spreads his wings and soars across the theatre.

  He drops by my side, yanking a hold of the chains. The theatre empties around us as he attempts to melt the iron with his hands, but it’s no use. The metal repels his magic but he holds on, his face dripping with sweat.

  “Eli..?”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll have you free in a moment.”

  “The... the iron... it repels magic. You can’t melt through.”

  He lets go, his face crumpling in defeat, and I gasp when I see his burnt hands. “Eli, your hands!”

  Eli ignores my warning and shoots up to his full height, and I gaze up into his crimson eyes.

  “Where’re the keys?!”

  I’m too spellbound by having him so close to me once again, I stop a moment to breathe him in, his spicy musk filling my senses.

  It’s so good to have him back by my side. Now I truly have died and gone to heaven.

  Wait.

  My eyes snap open, and my body star
ts to shake.

  “Eli... w-why... why are you here?”

  “Crystal, the keys, now. Where are they?!”

  The blood pumps hot through my veins, and I grit my teeth, every cell in my body burning with heavenly power. The chains buzz, repelling my magic, but I don’t care. All I see is red.

  “Eli... why are you here?” My voice reverberates through the now empty theatre, and Eli stops, staggering back.

  “Crystal...” he breathes.

  Tears drip from my eyes, but they’re angry tears. I feel as if I’m going to be sick, and all I can hear is my heart beating, but I don’t look away from Eli.

  His eyes have returned to normal as a sadness flickers inside the grey, and I choke back a sob.

  “Eli... are... are you... dead?”

  He shrinks before me now, and then he exhales deeply, hanging his head. “Your father... he... killed me... not long after he killed you. I’ve been searching all of limbo for you since.”

  His words shatter me to pieces, and I hold onto my sides, releasing heavy breaths. “No...”

  It’s strange, even though he stands right before me looking as handsome and alive as ever, the revelation still shocks me to my core, filling me with an empty blackness.

  It feels like genuine loss. The loss of my lover’s life.

  And guilt.

  Guilt because I was the reason Eli was dead.

  He... didn’t deserve to die.

  My selflessness at wanting him by my side again leaves me next, and I hope to God he’s just another copy like my horrible master. I wouldn’t want this life for Eli, no matter how much I yearned for him.

  “No... you can’t be dead...”

  Eli steps forward and takes my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. “It’s all right, Crystal. Because we have each other now. All for eternity. Just you and me...”

  He presses his lips softly to mine, and every atom in my body ignites as his taste fills me.

  “Just you and me... No one can keep us apart anymore...” he whispers.

  I’m too distracted by the feel of his sensuous breath on my cheeks, I forget myself and his horrible revelation.

  But then I push back, glaring at his handsome face, and Eli looks at me shocked and hurt.

  He thinks it’s a rejection, but it wasn’t.

  I want vengeance. Vengeance for his life...

  “No. It shouldn’t be this way. He took your life. I will make him pay, Eli.”

  His eyes enlarge as a light ripples over my form, brighter than before. The shackle sears my skin, yet I go on, glowing like a star.

  An evil snigger sounds across the stage, and Eli growls when my master finally makes an appearance.

  “Well, well, if this isn’t a small afterlife after all. The famous Eli Black. Right in the flesh. You’re a big star in her memories, hence why I was able to capture your essence so perfectly.”

  I scoff. Perfectly my butt.

  Eli’s eyes flash bright red, his wings extending from his back, but my hand shoots out to his chest, and he stops, snapping his head around to look at me.

  I don’t meet his gaze and keep my eyes on that vile beast. He’s not my father, but he’ll do...

  “Go, Eli.”

  He cocks his brow. “Crystal, what are you...?”

  “I said, go!”

  Suddenly, I push him away and he flies off the stage, and now I burst into a supernova, sending beams across the entire theatre.

  The humour leaves my master’s eyes when one beam shoots towards him, and then his scream cuts through the air as he bursts into a cloud of dust.

  My light goes out and I collapse, breathing into my hair as it lays in wisps around my face.

  I... I killed him... just like my father would have.

  Does that make me a murderer?

  A pale face peers over the stage, and I look up, meeting Eli’s petrified grey eyes.

  He flinches, hiding again. “C-Crystal... are... are you safe?”

  I smile, beckoning him forward. “Of course. You know I’d never hurt you, Eli. Now, come on. Come back up here.”

  Eli watches me warily a few moments longer, then shrugs, pulling himself up on stage. He steps towards me, kneeling down to place his fingers beneath my chin.

  “Are you all right?” he asks, a crease between his brows.

  I sigh, leaning closer to kiss him. “I am now.”

  He smirks, his eyes flashing bright red, and then he closes his hand around my shackle, crushing it beneath his fingers. It no longer hurts him anymore as my powers must have destroyed it.

  The minute the shackle snaps loose, I push him back on the stage, planting kisses up and down his face.

  I kiss those dimples, and then I kiss that handsome nose. Then I kiss that sculpted mouth, and he closes his eyes.

  I stop a moment, taking him in, this beautiful man who’s way out of my league.

  My kiss marks blotch his face, not a surface left untouched, and it’s as if I’ve claimed him as my very own. No one and absolutely no one can have him now but me.

  Eli’s all mine, and I won’t let go of him again.

  I place a hand over his chest. His heart thumps like a rabbit, never feeling more alive...

  Suddenly, I rip his shirt open, and the buttons snap loose, flying off in all directions, and now I gaze upon his bare chest, salivating.

  My mouth’s not the only orifice growing wet though, and I lean forward, running my tongue up his muscles. He gives a long, shuddery sigh, lost in pure ecstasy.

  Eli’s completely under my spell, and before long I’ve claimed the rest of his beautiful body. Kiss marks cover his chest while I brush a finger along those chiselled abs, stopping at that prominent erection.

  I squeeze tight hold. His breath snags, and then he opens one of those steel grey eyes. “You wicked little angel...”

  I giggle, undoing his belt as I toss it across the stage, and now I yank his pants down and place myself on top of his dick.

  Eli gasps as I slide slick down his length, stopping at the base, and I pause a moment, enjoying the feel of him inside me. I start to sweat as my heart bangs against my chest, and slowly I rock my hips.

  We move like an ocean current, our bodies grinding in perfect rhythm as we breathe as one.

  He puts his large hands on my waist, running them up and down until he cups my butt, and squeezes tight.

  I shudder at the touch and now my body starts to glow. I’m close, and he’s close too, and now I grind even harder, urging him on. He throbs rock hard inside me, shaking and covered in sweat.

  His body glistens and I move my gaze up his heavenly torso, stopping at his demonic red eyes. They burn with anticipation, and my heart beats faster, knowing what’s about to come.

  A roar escapes his lips at the same time an angelic moan bursts from mine, and then we release, drowning in each other’s orgasm.

  I’m just about whacked, ready to melt into him and rest my sweaty breasts against his gleaming muscles, but then he bolts upright, and I snap awake, meeting his maddened red eyes.

  “Eli...?”

  He smirks, showing me both rows of sharp teeth, and my heart jitters.

  “Ready to be fucked into oblivion?” he growls, his horns sprouting from his forehead.

  “I... um...”

  We’re both still attached at the hips, and then he rams into me hard, knocking the breath from my lungs.

  We move faster than the speed of light as our bodies travel through space and time, and that’s not a euphemism. We’re literally flying.

  How did he do that?

  Hyperspace rushes by, and then we crash land into a strange white desert. Coarse grains get stuck in my butt as he fucks me hard into the dirt (well, sand).

  I throw my head back and scream his name, gazing up at a sea of blinking stars and planets. A blue whale soars through the lights, and I close my eyes, biting down on my lip as he thrusts us into the next plane.

  We roll down a flowe
ry hill, the soft petals a welcome change on my naked skin after the harsh sand, but this time I land on top and thrust, my flapping wings giving me momentum, and now we teleport somewhere else.

  We fall into a mirrored room, dropping onto the glass as it cracks beneath our weight, and now we’re reflected everywhere. I smirk, deciding I like this place best.

  It’s intimate and kind of kinky, and as if reading my mind, Eli shoves me hard against the glass, pressing my butt against the cool surface.

  Somehow, we lost our clothes along the way. Maybe they’d burnt off our scorching bodies, who knows, but I don’t dwell as Eli plunges into me once again, drawing a moan from my lips.

  I throw my head back, meeting my glowing blue eyes in the ceiling. I sparkle like a Christmas tree angel as Eli... well, he’s darker than the darkest bats of hell, but our bodies encircle like yin and yang, and I wrap my legs around his waist, holding him closer.

  “Just to let you know... it’s two-way glass,” he whispers inches from my face. “We’re being watched like zoo animals.”

  My eyes open halfway, and I’m surprised with how little I care. Let whoever watches on the other side see us. Heaven or hell, I don’t care where I end up. So long as I’m with Eli.

  “Then... let’s fuck like animals,” I say.

  His pupils expand, finding their prey at last, and now he throws me around and fucks me up the ass.

  My breath fogs the glass. Holy moly... it’s a whole different kind of pleasure, yet I roll with it, letting him plough me like a bulldozer.

  My boobies are squashed against the glass, and now I’m on full display for whoever sits on the other side. But I forget about them, licking my lips, then meet the demonic red eyes of his reflection.

  His fingers enclose mine as we leave handprints in the steamy glass, and then he nestles his nose into my hair, breathing in my scent.

  “I could stay this way forever...”

  He’s still ramming into my behind, my cheek pressed against the two-way mirror, and I can feel myself coming.

  How many times are we going to orgasm?

  “M-me too...” I gasp.

  Eli plunges faster and faster, never tiring, and I see being dead gives us the kind of energy we could have only dreamed of when we were alive, Eli especially. He’s on fire.