14. Arenwen
14
ARENWEN
T he afternoon sun streams through the windows as I move through Kai's townhouse, arranging items and tidying spaces that don't really need it. My fingers trail across the dark wooden surfaces, memorizing their texture.
The freedom to move unrestricted still surprises me - no watchful eyes following my every move, no guards hovering nearby. It's odd that Kai has never treated me like a prisoner - not that I want to be one. I have nowhere else I want to be anyway.
A knock at the door pulls me from my thoughts. I smooth down my simple dress and make my way to answer it, knowing the wards will allow a delivery person through.
The man on the other side clutches a wooden crate of supplies. His eyes widen when he sees me, recognition flickering across his weathered face. "Delivery," he says, voice low. As I reach for the crate, he leans closer. "Gabriel sent me. He's found a way out. He says be ready. He's coming for you soon and then we'll all run to freedom."
My hands freeze on the rough wood. The crate suddenly weighs a thousand pounds, my arms trembling. Gabriel. My protector, my brother in all but blood. He's still fighting for me.
But instead of hope blooming in my chest, acid churns in my stomach. The thought of running, of leaving Kai... Dark spots dance at the edges of my vision. My fingers dig into the crate until splinters bite into my skin.
"Miss?" The delivery man's concerned voice seems to come from far away.
I force myself to breathe, to nod. "Thank you for the delivery." The words scrape past my tight throat.
When the door closes, I sink to my knees on the cool stone floor. What's wrong with me? This is what I should want - freedom, escape from captivity. But the mere idea of leaving fills me with such visceral dread that bile rises in my throat.
I press my forehead against the door, letting its solid presence ground me. The truth hits like a physical blow - I don't want to leave. Despite everything, despite how this started, I've grown to need Kai's presence like I need air. His cruelty and his unexpected moments of gentleness. The way he calls me his little flame. Even sleeping at the foot of his bed has become a comfort rather than a humiliation.
Gabriel would never understand. How could he? I barely understand it myself.
But I force myself back up, trying to gather my thoughts and warring needs before Kai comes home. At least he's out for a while today.
The sun has begun to set when I hear heavy footsteps outside. The door swings open and Kai staggers in, one wing dragging at an awkward angle. Blood trickles down his arm, staining his leather training gear.
My heart lurches. I rush to his side without thinking, steadying him with my small frame. "What happened?" It's not that I'm not used to him coming home hurt, but each time it affects me more and more.
"Training accident." His violet eyes flash with pain as he straightens. "Some recruits got overzealous with their magic."
I guide him to sit on the edge of his bed, my hands hovering over his injured wing. The ash-gray feathers quiver under my touch. "Let me help."
He gives a short nod, jaw clenched. I gather supplies from his bathing chamber - clean cloths, healing salve, bandages. When I return, he's removed his shirt, revealing the map of scars across his muscled torso. New bruises bloom purple against his skin.
My fingers tremble as I clean the gash on his bicep. His skin burns hot beneath my touch. I find myself lingering on his skin, loving the way it feels when I touch him.
"Your touch is gentle, little flame." His voice rumbles through me once I move to his back.
I work the healing salve into his skin, tracing the defined muscles of his arm. "Does it hurt?"
"No." His wing shifts, bringing me closer. "Your hands are soothing."
The scent of leather and metal surrounds me as I move to his wing, carefully straightening the bent feathers. My fingers sink into their softness. Kai's breath catches when I find a tender spot.
"I'm sorry," I whisper, but he catches my wrist.
"Don't stop."
Heat floods my cheeks. I continue ministering to his wing, smoothing each feather with reverent care. My body aches to press closer, to trace every scar and learn their stories. When did this happen? When did my captor become someone I yearn to touch, to comfort, to...
His violet eyes lock onto mine, glowing in the dimming light. My hands still rest against his wing, caught in this moment between us.
"Maybe we should…get you in the bath," I say, my thoughts jumbled. "The salve is absorbing quickly."
He grunts as he nods, standing, and I follow him to his room, all too eager to see him undress. I won't ever get tired of looking at his cut frame, my eyes following him as he sinks into the water.
I kneel by Kai's bath, steam rising in wisps around us. The air is thick with tension, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. He leans back against the tub, his muscles loosening instantly. His violet eyes lock onto mine, an unspoken command in their depths.
"Strip." His voice is a low growl that hits me far too hard between the legs.
I rise, my fingers trembling slightly as I untie the laces of my simple dress. The fabric pools at my feet and I quickly pull off my bra and underwear, leaving me bare under his intense gaze.
I should feel vulnerable, exposed, but instead, a thrill courses through me. His eyes trace every curve, every line of my body, and I feel powerful, desired.
He doesn't look away as I step into the bath, water sloshing gently against the sides. The heat envelops me, but it's his gaze that truly sets my skin aflame.
I kneel between his legs, my breath hitching as I take in the sight of him - muscles taut, scars gleaming, and his desire evident. Gods, I hope that he's going to take out whatever happened on me.
"Bathe me." His voice is rough, strained.
I reach for the soap, lathering it between my hands before gliding them over his chest. His skin is hot, slick, the ridges of his scars rough beneath my palms. I trace the patterns of his muscles, feeling his heartbeat quicken under my touch. His breath hitches as I move lower, my fingers trailing over the defined lines of his abdomen.
His wings shift restlessly behind him, feathers ruffling softly. I can feel his desire pressing against me, hard and insistent, but neither of us moves to close the distance. The tension builds, a tangible force between us, charged with unspoken want.
I lean forward, my hands sliding up to his broad shoulders, water droplets clinging to his lashes. His breath is ragged, his violet eyes molten as they meet mine. My own body aches, a throbbing heat between my legs that begs for more. But we hold back, teetering on the edge of a precipice, unwilling to fall.
My hands glide down his arms, tracing the corded muscles, the battle-hardened skin. Every touch is a whisper of promise, a silent vow of what could be. His hands flex at his sides, as if restraining himself from reaching out, from pulling me closer.
The water laps gently against us, the only sound besides our ragged breaths. The air is thick with steam, with desire, with the weight of our unspoken words. I can feel his heart pounding beneath my palms, echoing the rhythm of my own. We're locked in this dance, this push and pull, this delicate balance of want and restraint.
And in this moment, I know I'm lost. Lost to his touch, his gaze, his silent commands. Lost to the dark dance we weave around each other, a dance of shadows and light, of captor and captive, of desire and denial. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
The last rays of sunset paint the courtyard in shades of crimson as I kneel on the cool stone. My dark hair falls like a curtain around my face as I bow my head, clasping my hands before me. The evening air carries the scent of night-blooming flowers, their sweet perfume mingling with incense from my prayer ritual.
"May the goddesses, hear my prayers," I begin, my voice clear and strong. "Guide this humble servant through darkness and light." The words echo off the courtyard walls, carried on the evening breeze. "I submit myself to higher powers, offering my devotion freely."
The hair on my neck rises. Kai's presence fills the space behind me, a tangible weight in the air. My pulse quickens, but I don't turn. Instead, I raise my voice slightly, letting each word ring with purpose.
"I embrace the path laid before me, accepting the bonds that bind me." My fingers tremble as I press them together more tightly. "Through submission, I find strength. Through service, I find purpose."
The rustle of feathers breaks the silence as Kai shifts closer. Heat radiates from his body, though he remains just out of reach. My skin prickles with awareness of him.
"Blessed shadows, wrap me in your embrace." The prayer spills from my lips, weighted with double meaning. "Let me be a vessel for your will, surrendering my own."
I arch my back slightly, knowing how the fading light plays across my form. "I offer myself completely, body and soul, to those who would claim me." The words catch in my throat, raw with truth. "Guide me in darkness, shape me in shadow, forge me in flame."
Kai's breath comes faster behind me. The air crackles with tension, with power, with possibility. Still, I remain kneeling, head bowed in supplication while my heart races beneath my ribs.
"Accept my submission," I whisper, the words heavy with intent. "Accept my devotion. Accept all that I am."
I can only pray that Kai will.