Her Archangel: Chapter 5

A D I O N A

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The human heart is a fragile thing, and is easily swayed.

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The wind was a refreshing change to the humid air as Adiona glided above the clouds. Her green orbs scanned the horizon, estimating how much longer it would take for her to reach her destination. And all the while, her thoughts kept drifting back to the beautiful brunette back at Braile's home. She had suspected something was wrong when she walked into the apartment building. The tattoo had begun appearing almost immediately, the lines etched on her skin painfully by the second. And when the door opened and golden honey eyes had connected with hers, she actually felt something; it was the first hint of emotion within Adiona in over a hundred years. When the singer had screamed, claiming she could see her wings, Adiona felt the dread settle in her stomach. She was her mate.

Sensing herself getting closer, she lowered herself until she felt the soft splashes of the ocean on her midnight wings. Ahead of her, an island materialized out of thin air. Any human sailor seeing that would have fainted at the sight, but Adiona knew it would only appear and was only visible to her and a few others. It took immense power to be able to do what angels do with their invicible wings on a scale of a whole island. It was an indication that who she was meeting was two ranks higher than her.

She pumped her wings a little bit more to go faster. She maybe an Ancient, but she was in dire need of advice at the moment. For the first time in thousands of years, she couldn't think straight. Maybe seeing her old friend would help.

A pristine, white, grand house came into view in the middle of the rather small island, and the dark-haired woman took landing on marbled floors, just inches away from a glass pool.

Azriel, she sent a message through her mind to the house and surrounding areas, knowing her voice would probably be hoarse from yelling if she did that. Her friend could be anywhere in the island, and Adiona was in no mood to shout for her.

Try walking in the house sometime, she could practically hear the eye-roll of her friend as she accepted her request. Her long strides brought her into the immaculate design of her dear friend's abode, and the spaciousness allowed her to find her friend almost immediately behind the glass doors of her living room.

"Hey Adi!" the exotic goddess stood up to greet her friend and Adiona bowed at the waist, a symbol of great respect towards the immortal.

"Oh, skip the formalities," Azriel waved her hand whilst rolling her sparkling chrome-blue eyes. "Why the sudden show?" She walked to her kitchen to offer Adiona some coffee.

"I found her," Adiona waited for her friend's reaction.

"Who did you find now?" Azriel poured her a cup of the steaming liquid and the black-winged woman accepted it. Being archangel and goddess, food and drinks weren't necessary to them, but that doesn't mean they can't enjoy the tastes and pleasures of what food can offer.

"My mate, Azzy, I found my mate," Adiona enunciated more clearly. "By the gods, you're the slowest goddess I've ever met."

"At least I am one," Azriel scoffed cockily and Adiona stiffened, remembering the pain her old friend had to go through to achieve such power. A few thousand years later, it didn't bother Azriel as much anymore since her mind was wiped of the memory anyway, but the events of that dark night were forever burned in Adiona's memory. The fear of almost losing her best friend that night was unquenchable.

"I'm sorry," Azriel looked down. "That was insensitive of me." She knew how that memory impacted her friend.

"It's alright," Adiona nodded once. She didn't feel anything. Her only link to having or feeling emotions is if she remembers something from before she progressed from angel to archangel. The moment she crossed the line, she realized that human emotions were insignificant to the vastness of the universe. And here she is now, about to ask her best friend for advice about her supposedly mate. And potential cause of death.

"What were you going to ask me?" Azriel walked back to the living room and sat indian-style on her plush white couch, her white sundress almost blending in. Where she was wearing white, Adiona wore all black. Persian black silk encased her strong legs and she wore a simple black linen shirt. No matter what she wore, she always looked sexy in them, and she knew it was mainly in her genes on her hybrid side. Adiona sat down as well, resting her palms on her knees.

"What am I to do with her?" Adiona asked, uncertain. She's never been uncertain, and she was a bit uneasy to see so many changes to her today. "I cannot stay close to her, and yet I feel the need to protect her. Perhaps this is a natural instinct of finding your mate?"

"Ah, my old friend," Azriel sighed, feeling deeply for her friend. She had never been an archangel, but even as a goddess she couldn't imagine not being able to feel any sort of emotion, not even fear. "I love that you put other people's feelings and well-being into consideration, even when you yourself don't have any. I see selflessness in you, and I feel your need to stay alive since you are an Archangel. Without you the people would die from enemy strikes," she held her hand in her own, her golden tan skin a clear contrast to the archangel's alabaster skin. "Have you not considered...the old ways?"

Adiona nodded slowly, her long lashes fanning her cheeks and enhancing her beauty against the outside sun. "I have. However, there's something about her that makes me allow her life. I'm curious to see what it is. Of course, she must not fall for me." Any other human listening in would scoff and say she sounded narcissistic, but this was a matter of life and death.

"What you're saying is good," Azriel mused. "It sounds like you already know what to do. You'll have to guard her like your own life if you choose to keep her alive. You know that." She paused, her face contorting in disdain for a split second at the thought of the her best friend's enemies. "But what you just said would be near impossible."

"What do you mean?" Adiona tilted her head to the side as she stroked her bottom lip, unable to see where her friend was getting at.

"Have you forgotten what it's like to be human, Adiona?" the goddess spoke softly, her eyes never leaving Adiona's. "The human heart is a fragile thing, and is easily swayed. The first fall they have in love is by the looks, which you so clearly have." She couldn't help but wink at her friend at this. "The second fall is when they get to know you. If you are to be around her a lot, she is sure to notice the little things you do that make you, you. And, let's not forget, that humans are lovers of mystery. Which you also are."

"I hate it when you're right," Adiona muttered. "Is there no way around this at all?"

"I don't think so," Azriel replied. "The best advice I can give now is to follow your original plan. If she falls for you, allow her. Allow her to be human."

"And if I break her heart?"

"You already know what to do."

"If I fall for her?"

Azriel looked at her sadly, "You also know the answer to that."

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"What the-" Cleo moaned, sitting up. "Where am I?"

"Good morning, princess," a voice whispered to her left.

Cleo screamed, "Who's there?"

"Who?" the voice chuckled again, this time to her right. It was pitch black, and she couldn't see anything. She was starting to panic.

"How did you do that?" she was scared beyond her wits, but she was fighting to stay calm. She looked down to see that her hands and feet weren't bound, and she was free to move as she pleased. So she stood up and shakily spread her hands to find anything she could in the dark, half-expecting to feel a dangling human body soon.

"Are you a serial killer?" she asked, her voice wavering. Her mind was in absolute panic.

"Maybe," the voice giggled. Cleo noticed that the voice was very deep, not in a manly way, but rather because of technology filter. It could very well be a man or a woman.

"Why did you kidnap me?" Cleo gave up swaying her arms around after finding nothing. This place must be huge.

"I need to leave a message to your consort," the voice said, albeit in a creepy way.

"I don't know what that word means," Cleo knew she sounded like a child, but she could care less. Her heart was pounding with the knowledge that whoever this is could murder her or torture her in unimaginable ways.

"Hey, if you kill me, could you please skip the torture part?" Her voice was getting shakier. She couldn't find the metal bed she was on just a few minutes ago and resolved to just standing there, her knees trembling and every crease in her body sweaty.

"How could I leave her a message when you're dead, little one?" the voice sounded above her. "But then again, that might not be so bad. I could draw it on your torso. With your blood." The voice cackled maniacally and Cleo slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. Instead, she let out a small whimper, fear gnawing at her heart.

"But no, I need you alive," the voice resumed speaking and Cleo almost sagged in relief at the stranger's words.

"It's too early to get rid of you."

Impossibly, Cleo's heart rate increased at that last sentence.

"I'll make you bleed."

She blacked out.

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Adiona felt piercing pain strike through her head and she groaned, clutching her head. Had she still been human, the impact would have killed her.

"Adi?" Azriel stood up quickly and knelt in front of her. "What's wrong?"

"Someone's trying to contact me," she replied through clenched teeth. "Let them in."

Azriel nodded quickly, giving whoever it was permission to her island. The moment she gave out the command, the pain in Adiona's head reduced to throbbing.

Adiona, she heard Blaire's voice; she sounded panicked, and exhausted. As if she had run a hundred miles. Cleo's gone.

Adiona stood up quickly, spreading her wings.

Where are you? Adiona assumed she was right outside Azriel's mansion and she strode outside, the goddess on her heels.

In my house, Blaire sounded weaker and Adiona frowned. If she was still in her house, how the hell was she able to contact her; across the country, and through Azriel's barrier?

Unless...

Hold on, Adiona gritted her teeth. Azriel will come for you. You fool, you could have died.

Before she even finished the thought, she had done a powerful vertical takeoff, with Azriel turning into mist behind her. Adiona knew she had heard their conversation and was already on her way to Blaire.

Where is she? Adiona projected that thought to Blaire.

Hellhounds, she sounded weaker. New York.

"Gods," Adiona cursed as she sped off to New York and to where she hoped her mate would be.

"You better stay alive, mortal."