Vincent hadn't moved to help Yorin.
And it was then that Adenar had walked in.
Now everyone stared at him in silence, and Aledyan couldn't miss the confused expression on Yorin's face. Yorin rubbed his cheek and straightened his back while he looked around. He seemed to wonder where the lightning and blinding light had gone. Aledyan grinned. He knew exactly where, and Yorin was up for a big surprise.
The time for revenge had finally come.
“Who are you?” Yorin asked as he looked Adenar over.
The black angel grinned and his golden eyes flashed, making even Yorin jump.
“My name is Adenar,” he answered before he pointed at Yorin, Vincent and Simon. “And you ... are dinner.”
The three warlocks were too stunned to see the danger. They just watched Adenar raise his arms with facial expressions Aledyan knew he would never forget. Those expressions would always make him laugh out loud every time he remembered this moment, but right now he needed to help Inez. She looked scared where she stood close to the cave wall. Her fear kicked Aledyan's defensive instincts into action. He knew what was coming, and it would frighten her even more if he wasn't there for her.
His wings sprang from his back at the exact moment he passed Simon, knocking the warlock to the ground a second time. Simon hadn't seen it coming. It made Aledyan smile when he heard the warlock curse.
Aledyan reached Inez in the same second Adenar's eyes started to glow so bright that it almost blinded him. Inez saw him coming toward her, and her arms closed around him in a desperate embrace.
“Don't look,” he said and raised his right wing in front of her head to shield her eyes, but she, of course, didn't listen and tried to push his wing away. She wanted to see.
“What's going on?” she asked.
“Adenar is going to teach the warlocks a big lesson.”
“What do you mean?”
“Adenar is every warlock's worst nightmare.”
Aledyan slowly turned his head to look at his friends, but he could only do that for a short second. The light was too bright, and his eyes watered. He was worried sick over Cerin who was gone. Vincent would pay for what he had done to Cerin, but Vorian seemed to put himself together again. He had backed away from the warlocks and was heading their way. He shielded his eyes with his hand.
“What exactly does that mean?” Inez asked.
Aledyan looked at her again and grinned. “Adenar has a very unique ability.”
“And that is?”
Aledyan remained silent for a while, but his grin grew wider. “He feeds on magic.”
Chapter 30
Inez couldn't believe what she had just heard. There were actually angels who fed on magic? That sounded so cool! Maybe not for the warlocks, but now she saw her way out of here, and that made her heart almost sing. A wide smile spread on her lips when she met Aledyan's hopeful gaze.
He held her tight with his wings spread wide behind him, blocking her from seeing what went on. From the place Adenar stood rose a bright light that spread out into the entire cave.
“Close your eyes,” Aledyan said.
She immediately obeyed, knowing that if she didn't she would be blind for hours once this was over. She leaned her head against Aledyan's chest. His arms closed even tighter around her, as if he prepared himself for what was to come, whatever that was.
“What the hell is going on?” Yorin yelled from somewhere behind Aledyan.
A swooshing sound came from nowhere and hit something with a boom. Inez heard Adenar moan. She assumed that Yorin had thrown something at him, but Adenar's moan didn't sound like she had expected it to. It actually sounded pleasurable.
“That tasted good, Warlock,” Adenar laughed. “Feed me some more of your magic.”
The light grew brighter, and she felt Adenar's powers wrap around her like an invisible field. Both she and Aledyan were dragged away from the wall toward him, but it wasn't them Adenar was after. It didn't take long before he let them go.
Aledyan exhaled, and his shoulders sank.
“What was that?” she asked and tried to calm herself, but her heart kept on racing. This was not over yet.
“Adenar stretched his powers,” Aledyan said. “You felt it, didn't you?”
She nodded.
The light disappeared suddenly. Aledyan lowered his wings and turned his head around. Vorian stood right next to them, but the three warlocks were on their butts, watching Adenar with huge and terrified eyes.
Aledyan, on the other hand, enjoyed this, she saw it in his wide grin. Something told her that Adenar would give Aledyan his revenge. Aledyan was not able to fight the powerful warlocks. Their magic would take him down fast, but Adenar could do it for him.
All Inez could do was watch the scene that took place in front of her.
Adenar watched the three men with disgust in his eyes. Inez couldn't help but wonder if he had something against warlocks in general. There was no mistake in what his facial expressions said. Anger and hate were written all over him.
“What's he going to do? Eat them?” she asked, not really sure if she meant it as a joke or not.
“No, Adenar just wants to mess with their minds. He's going to take their powers.”
“He can do that?”
“Oh yes, but it comes with a price.”
She gave him a worried look. “What do you mean?”
Aledyan opened his mouth to answer, but didn't get the chance when Adenar suddenly called for him.
“Aledyan, I think the honor is yours,” Adenar said.
Aledyan nodded and grabbed Inez's hand. He gave her a comforting gaze before he leaned down and gently kissed her. The touch of their lips together sent pleasant waves through her body.
“Please stay here.” He gazed at Vorian. “Vorian will defend you.” He looked at her again when Vorian came closer. “I need to do this.”
Inez gave him an unsure smile and caressed his cheek. “I know.”
He smiled back before releasing her and walked toward Adenar. Inez looked swiftly at Vorian. He nodded to assure her that he wouldn't let her down if something happened. Aledyan hadn't liked his flirting with her, but she saw that he trusted Vorian. It meant that she could too. Besides, she had seen what a great warrior he was. He had fought against the warlocks even if he had known that the chance of him winning was thin. Inez admired him for that.
But what had happened to Cerin, she could only speculate. It was obvious that Vorian and Cerin were close. Vorian had given his everything to save Cerin from Vincent, but it hadn't been enough.
Inez saw anger in Vorian's eyes. It barely overshadowed his worry and fear. She assumed it was because of Cerin's disappearance. She had just met Cerin, but when she had seen him vanish under Vincent's hands, fear had grabbed ahold of her. Vorian's desperate screams had pierced her ears. She was worried about the red angel. She doubted he was in a safe place, and the things Yorin would do to him made her shiver. She didn't want to think about it.
“We will find him,” Vorian said as if he had just read her mind. His gaze was serious. He meant business.
Inez swallowed and nodded.
She turned her head forward and looked at Aledyan who stood next to Adenar.
The three warlocks were still on the ground, and Inez couldn't help but wonder why. Why didn't they try to get away from Adenar? He was about to take their powers, and they just sat there, doing nothing. Not what she had expected from three powerful warlocks.
It was as if they were ... frozen.
Inez jumped when the thought hit her, and turned her gaze toward Vincent's hands. He sat with his legs in front of him, one hand in his lap and the other with the palm against the ground.
Then she saw it.
Small forced moves. Almost as ticks, as if he tried to pull, but nothing happened. He couldn't move, literally. Neither could Yorin or the other warlock. She had heard him introduce himself to Aledyan. Simon was his name. She would make sure to remembe
r that name. Something told her she needed to.
Inez didn't know what Aledyan would do to them. It was obvious that Adenar held them down somehow. She assumed that if he could “eat” their powers, then maybe he could control them by controlling their powers.
She didn't feel sorry for Yorin or Simon, but she was worried about Vincent. There was something about him, as if he didn't belong among the warlocks. It was as if he played his own game, behind Yorin's back. But why? Why did he want to save Aledyan, but then attack Cerin and Vorian? It didn't make sense.
Inez didn't get much time to think about it. When she saw Aledyan move closer to Yorin she tensed. A sword appeared from nowhere in Aledyan's right hand without him ever taking his gaze away from Yorin.
Aledyan looked like the deadly warrior he was. His wings were spread wide, his facial expression grim, but shifting sometimes into a vicious grin. It was clear that Aledyan enjoyed himself, even if he hadn't done anything yet, but the fear alone that he radiated into the three warlocks fed his revenge. They looked right into the eyes of danger itself.
Chapter 31
Aledyan wanted Yorin to suffer. He wanted to kill the warlock, slowly, but he knew he couldn't. He shouldn't do much to him at all because he held the others imprisoned somewhere. They needed Yorin to find them, but that didn't mean Aledyan couldn't shake the warlock up a little. While under Adenar's control, Yorin and the other warlocks were unable to do anything at all.
Aledyan studied Yorin and saw frustration in his eyes. He tried to move, but Adenar's powers kept him in place. When he realized it was pointless, he met Aledyan's gaze. It was the most pissed off gaze that he had ever seen.
“Kill me and you will never find the others,” Yorin snarled.
“Don't worry,” Aledyan answered. “I won't kill you, but you are going to wish for death long before I'm done with you.”
Aledyan had never in his life experienced such anger before. It filled his whole body, and all he wanted to do was throw himself over Yorin to teach him a lesson he would never forget. Holding back was the most difficult thing he had ever done.
“You punch me once, and I will order their deaths,” Yorin went on.
It was obvious that the warlock tried to stay strong, but he couldn't hide his uncertainty in front of Aledyan.
“Tell me,” Aledyan started and pointed the edge of his sword against Yorin's throat. “How are you going to do that once Adenar has taken your powers? Let me guess, warlock. Your powers are keeping you alive. Without them, you will slowly whither. They are as necessary to you as wings are for an angel.”
Yorin bit together his jaws and remained silent.
“Just as I thought,” Aledyan said and lowered his sword while he looked at the other two.
Simon was furious, ready to explode. Anger was written all over his face. He pulled with his limbs all the time, trying to get free. It was obvious what he would do once he was free from Adenar's grasp, but Aledyan wouldn't allow it. Maybe he couldn't hurt Yorin, but Simon on the other hand, he was new, and Aledyan doubted he had any power over the other angels that Yorin held imprisoned.
Aledyan turned his gaze toward Vincent. The warlock didn't fight and just gazed back at Aledyan. He couldn't tell what Vincent was thinking, at all. His face was emotionless, cold, as if he didn't worry at all.
But then he saw it, for just a split second, in the warlock's eyes. It couldn't have been, could it? Had he really glimpsed a flicker of hope for a fleeting second? It confused Aledyan. Why would the warlock feel hope in a moment like this? Maybe Inez was right, maybe there was more to him than Aledyan could see.
For a short second, he met her gaze. She stood near Vorian with a tense posture. Her eyes were big, and her chest moved fast up and down. It was as if she just waited for all hell to break loose again.
“What do you want to do with them?” Adenar asked.
Aledyan remained silent for a while. He needed time to think even if the answer was obvious. He knew exactly what he wanted to do, or more precisely, what he needed to do. He couldn't punish them all, but only one of them would pay, though not the right one. But Aledyan decided it was good enough.
“He will take my place,” Aledyan said and looked straight at Simon.
Simon's chin dropped and a surprised look spread on the young warlock's face. “You can't be serious!”
Aledyan's anger boiled up even more. “Watch me.”
He didn't need to tell Adenar anything. The angel knew exactly what do to. Aledyan remained where he stood and watched Adenar while he fulfilled Aledyan's revenge.
Adenar raised his hand. Simon flew up in a straight posture with his feet barely touching the ground. Aledyan didn't know how it worked, but where ever there was magic, Adenar could control it. He could make any living creature with magical powers obey him, whether they wanted to or not. Simon was nothing more than a rag doll in Adenar's hands. If Adenar wanted to he could send Simon on a not so pleasant trip inside the cave, make him spin in the air and hit the walls, and there wouldn't be anything Simon could do about it. He was in the angel's control, at least it looked like it. Aledyan couldn't see any fatigue or insecurity in Adenar's eyes. His face was like carved in stone, showing no emotions.
Simon pulled for all that he was worth, trying over and over again to set himself free from Adenar's grip, but in vain. He wasn't going anywhere.
Aledyan grinned.
“Inez,” he said and reached out for her. “Don't be afraid. Come to me and let Adenar remove the chains from your wrists.”
She bit her lip and hesitated for a while before she nodded, and found the strength she needed to move. It was obvious that she didn't want to be near the warlocks more than she needed to, but Aledyan was glad that she trusted him enough to approach him, or rather them.
“Don't worry. They can't do you any harm,” he assured her.
He grabbed her hand, and watched Adenar when he stepped forward. The dark angel didn't say anything. Instead he looked Inez over, but there was no interest in his eyes, just a determination that was all Adenar. Aledyan could barely remember seeing another facial expression on the angel's face.
“This won't hurt,” Adenar said when he grabbed Inez's other hand.
Inez jumped, but stood still. She hugged Aledyan's hand hard, making his heart sing. She searched for comfort in him, and he gladly gave it by hugging her hand back. Everything was still new to her, it had only been a few days since her life had changed. From believing that there was nothing else out there to being among angels and warlocks. And yet, here she stood, scared but brave enough to face the reality of her new world. He loved her for it, and always would.
It was quiet for what felt like minutes. Even the warlocks remained silent, which Aledyan hadn't expected. He realized that he had barely paid them any attention during those minutes because he was focused on Adenar and Inez. He really wanted those damn chains off her wrists.
An uncomfortable chill went through his body, and he turned his gaze at the warlocks.
Nothing.
They all kept looking at him, and Aledyan didn't like it. Then he heard something hit the ground with a loud sound, and he turned his gaze back. He looked down at Inez wrists.
The chains were no more.
Chapter 32
When the weight dropped from her wrists, Inez stared at the chains that laid on the ground, and not being able to believe it. They were gone. She was free, and so was Aledyan. For a moment, she stood stunned, didn't know what to feel.
She looked up at Adenar. He looked tired, but gave her a short smile followed by a nod. She smiled back with all the gratitude shining right through her. She wanted to give him a big hug, but something told her not to. He didn't seem like the type you hugged, or wanted to be hugged.
She didn't know how he had done it. She hadn't felt anything, well almost, just a gentle chill against her skin during the entire process, but she couldn't tell for sure if the chill had been his doing or not. In the end, it did
n't matter. After a short while the chains had dropped to the ground, just like that, as if they had become transparent and just slipped off her wrists. No key had been used to open them.
Adenar lowered his hands and took a step back, allowing Aledyan to come closer. When he did, she threw herself into his arms, laughing and crying from relief. He held her tight, and she felt all his love in the embrace. He seemed to be the happiest man on earth, and she was definitely the happiest woman.
But they weren't safe yet, and the celebration had to wait. All she wanted to do was keep on hugging and kissing Aledyan, but somehow she managed to control herself, and take a step back. She never stopped smiling though, and neither did Aledyan. Soon they'd have all the time in the world.
Aledyan opened his mouth to say something when Inez noticed a movement in the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw that it was the urn Yorin had brought with him the first time he had been here. She had forgotten about the urn, but now she looked straight at it. It was trembling.
“Simon, NOW!” Yorin yelled out.
From one second to the other the happy moment changed to chaos. Everything happened so fast that Inez barely kept up. One second she stood by Aledyan and stared at the trembling urn, and the next she was blinded by a bright light that appeared from nowhere. There was a loud humming sound followed by a blast wave that pushed her to the ground.
Someone landed right next to her, and when she heard a lot of cursing she realized that the voice belonged to Adenar.
Her heart was beating fast and the shock from the unexpected turn of events made her feel unsafe again. “Aledyan!” she yelled and looked around. She barely saw anything, only the stars in front of her eyes. It would take several minutes before they disappeared.
“I'm here,” she heard him answer to her left.
Angel in chains (Forever yours) Page 11