Rayne
I was warm, and it smelled like cinnamon. I didn't know what was happening, but I knew Azi was with me, and I knew I was safe.
He was carrying me, my head cradled against his chest. There was a radiating pain in my neck, kind of like the dull ache that follows a slap, but I could ignore it. I felt peaceful.
I became aware of movement, like we were flying. Sun shone on Azi's face, turning him into a golden contrast. Between his shoulder blades, there were -
No, that couldn't be right.
Azi did not have wings.
And yet, they were there. One brushed gently across my face. It was soft, not quite feathers. They didn't move as we ascended, for I had realized we were ascending, but gently quivered in the wind. The sun caught them and refracted, like diamonds.
"Azi?" I whispered. Or maybe I yelled. It was hard to tell if I even spoke at all.
I must have, because he looked down at me. His face, those features I had compared to an angel's only in my head before now, were anguished. Every line, every crease, every bit of him screamed agony. I reached up a hand to try and ease some of that pain away.
It was then that I realized that I was bleeding, and it all came rushing back. The graveyard, the smell of burnt hair, the genuine regret in his eyes as he told me he'd have to kill me. The razor sharp dagger pressed gently against my neck, and Sean, running, running, brandishing a sword and screaming. The split second in which I saw the sword sink between Azi's shoulders, and then nothing. And then . . . I was here.
I did not try to twist away, as perhaps I should have.
"Azi? Where are we going?"
He shook his head sadly. "I wish I knew."
I had more questions, ready to spring to my lips, but his voice quieted them. Before now, it had been sweet and smooth . . . Now it was deep, booming, and still ached with the gentleness that assured me he would never hurt me.
I tried to ask the questions, I really did.
"I . . ." My breath wouldn't come, though I tried. I couldn't force the words out. I tried difference variations of the same statement. It was like I could only speak if I discovered the right words. "I . . . I think I need you."
It was then when I noticed that the ascent had stopped, and we were now resting. Golden light filtered around us.
"Rayne? You . . . Remember, right? Everything?"
"Yeah. I think I do."
"I killed you."
"But Sean killed you."
He grimaced, but the agony was gone. "That was not supposed to happen. I mean, I would have died immediately after you, but . . . This puts a thorn in the plan. Do you really need me?"
"Yes." I didn't think about the answer. It just came. "You're an angel, aren't you?"
"So smart, Rayne. Yes. I am Azrael, the Angel of Death."
I thought I'd suppressed the fear, but, apparently, it had shown. "I'm not going to hurt you." He promised, and a wing brushed my face again, almost a caress. "I would never hurt you."
"You stabbed me." I pointed out. I was not resentful. It was a fact.
"I had to. You'll understand, I swear it."
I nodded.
"Rayne? I want you to know that you're . . . The only person I have ever loved. You're the best humanity had to offer and that is why I chose you. To love, and to sacrifice." I closed my eyes and held them closed for a moment. "This had to be. Understand that before we appear to the council."
"The council?"
He nodded. "The Angel's Court. They'll decide what to do with us."
"Will they hurt us?"
He smiled and set me on my feet. There was no solidity beneath them; it felt like I was hovering, gently cushioned by the air.
I was about to ask about this when Azi bent down and pressed his cheek to mine. I could hear his voice inside my head, as if he were speaking. "I will give my wings for you."
I turned my head, just a small portion of a turn. "I love you." I whispered, and pressed my lips to his. "That doesn't even begin to cover it. But it's true."
He smiled. "Thank you."
I repositioned myself so that I was standing next to him, grasping his hand in mine. It was warm.
We took a step forward. I did not have to quell the horror as I thought I would have to. They could banish me, confine me to Earth, they could eliminate me. For Azi, they could do worse. But now, in this moment, we were absolutely, completely content, because, for this moment, we had each other.
And that was more than enough.
