Chapter 28 #3
She nodded with a contemplative smile and her tucked away wings seemed to droop lower somehow. I could see the slightest flash of disappointment cross her face.
“That’s a shame, sharing can be so…satisfying,” she said seductively with her eyes digging into my soul as she swirled the wine in her glass. She shifted her attention to Titus. “Though, I do understand of course.”
Titus cleared his throat and kept the meeting on track. “We are interested in any information on ancient lineage specifically in the mortal realm.” I exhaled a breath I must have been holding.
She raised a brow, “what an odd request, angels cannot procreate with mortals, so there shouldn’t be any ancient lineage in mortal blood lines” she replied.
“Yes, I am aware, do you have any texts that could suggest otherwise?” Titus retorted.
Her moth-like wings nearly expanded all the way in excitement. “Now you have my attention old friend, what need do you have for such bizarre information?” she asked slyly as her face lit up with intrigue.
“That is classified, but it is also a personal matter…old friend.” Titus responded with a polite fake smile.
She stopped and thought for a few moments.
“Excuse me for a moment,” Then she stood up and flitted out her office with her moth-like wings.
She returned shortly with a large book with solid gold bindings.
She set it on the desk and put on some soft white gloves.
She carefully opened the thick metallic cover and began to gently flip through the pages.
The book looked incredibly old. So old it looked foreign, like from another world, another planet even.
“Here at Coralis Falls we are lucky to have a translated copy of the book of Micheal, it is incredibly old, written during the great war, one of the few surviving texts from before the realm divided. Micheal, one of the four Archangels has an account I think you may find particularly interesting.” She began to read.
~It had been 709 years since the archangel Micheal had seen his brother, 709 years since his brother was exiled and banished to the lowest part of existence, and in 709 years the pain still remained.
He yearned deeply for his brother, missing him so intensely it brought him the sickness of immortal death.
Desperate, he pleaded with the creator for just one meeting, convinced that seeing his brother just once, would restore his health.
Moved by his plea, the creator showed mercy and created a special place—a neutral realm stripped of all magic—where they could reunite safely.
However, when Michael arrived, he did not recognize his brother; exiled to the strange lower existence had altered every part of his being, he was made into something new, leaving him unrecognizable and enveloped in darkness.
Yet, as soon as his brother spoke, Michael knew it was him.
They embraced, and Michael still sensed the spark of the Archangel within him, a gift once bestowed by the creator. ~
“I’m…lost,” I admitted embarrassingly.
She smiled at me graciously and replied, “Micheal describes his brother as being changed into something completely new, but at the end he still could sense the spark of the archangel within him, it’s just a theory but if archangels couldn’t breed with mortals, then what if this completely new version of a former archangel could? ”
I felt like I was going to throw up. My mind couldn’t even process what I was hearing.
Titus finished his wine and replied with one simple word, “Interesting,” then thanked the archivist for her time.
“Are you alright, love?—you look pale,” she asked genuinely.
“Yes, just nervous about traveling back through the channel.” I lied. I was surprised at how well… maybe Faerie wine had another ability.
“Oh, well, I assume you came in from below?” She looked to Titus for confirmation. He nodded.
“A hidden passageway is located in the basement here at the archives, offering direct access to the staircase inside the column through a tunnel. It was constructed as an emergency route to help evacuate and save the books if necessary, you have my permission to use it.” She nodded graciously.
“Thank you, that is so very kind of you.” I replied.
She took my hand and her eyes sparkled as she said, “I hope we meet again someday Delilah.”
I hope we did too.
Once we were safe below and halfway down the spiral stairs of the column, the air turned cooler and damp against my skin. Our footsteps echoed in the hollow stone.
Titus asked, “are you going to tell me what that was all about?”
“Which part?” A lot had happened in that office, and my mind still felt scrambled. I wasn’t sure which part of the roller coaster of emotions he was inquiring about.
“The part where your face turned pale and you got all quiet,” he replied sharply.
“It’s nothing, I don’t feel like talking about it.” I said defensively.
“After the blood binding ceremony, I’ll be able to hear your thoughts—feel your emotions—so you might as well get used to me seeing you,” he explained.
“Ugh, just leave it alone!” I snapped. I just couldn’t go there mentally, not right now.
He let out a long breath through his nose, controlled. “Fine, but you are telling me at dinner tonight, on the balcony, it will be just us, I have a little surprise for you that I think will cheer you up.” He replied sweetly.
Something in that sweetness landed wrong. Like he could smooth everything over with a gift and a smile, like my emotions had a schedule.
“Aren’t you going to remove my fire glamour? I could use a few more bruises from falling.” It was a low blow, but I didn’t care. I was in a sour mood.
In the next blink, he fast traveled—air snapping—and appeared on the steps in front of me, blocking my path. His shoulders filled the narrow stairwell.
“What’s with you!” He demanded, and I exploded.
“What’s with me? What’s with YOU, Titus?
You know I shouldn’t be surprised the shield projection didn’t work, because you have no problem risking my life as long as it gets you closer to your goals, tell me I’m wrong!
You damn near gave Drax and I a heart attack when you flew through the waterfall on a hunch we would be safe, then you nearly drown me in the channel so you can practice sending me into a volcano full of lava, and then you throat fuck me to the point of nearly passing out, right after!
! You don’t care if I fall or trip every time you change my glamour, or if I’m physically tired or sore, you don’t care that I slept alone after you marked me, you just don’t care Titus…
you only care about yourself and your kingdom.
Do you care about me or am I just a complicated convenience? ”
My voice ricocheted off the stone. I was shaking by the end— rage, fear, humiliation, all tangled together—and I hated that he could do that to me. That he could make me feel like my life was a tool.
He initially appeared displeased, like he was about to cut me down with a lecture. Then his expression shifted—something heavy settling into his eyes. He sighed and rubbed his brows with one hand, like the weight had finally found him too.
“I’m learning, Delilah, my entire life I have lived for myself and my kingdom, then one day you, my Pickles, rips through the gods damn sky and turn my entire world upside down, I have never had feelings like this for anyone before, and a lot of the time I don’t know what the fuck I am doing.”
His voice roughened near the end. He stepped closer, but slower this time—like he was asking permission without saying the words.
Then he grabbed my arms below my shoulders gently, “but you are right, you, deserve better, help me be better, make a mate out of a monster.”
“Tell me one thing Titus,” I asked sharply, refusing to let the tenderness distract me.
“Anything.” He pleaded softly.
“Are you still sending me into mount Orid?”
His loving gaze crumbled with shame, and I already knew his answer before he said a word.
“That’s what I thought.” I said coldly as I pushed past him, brushing his shoulder as I squeezed by.
“It’s not that simple, NOTHING IS SIMPLE!! You expect me to just let thousands of people die that I swore to protect, when all I have to do is risk one life?”
I spun back, fury flaring so hot it made my vision swim. “IT’S MY FUCKING LIFE TITUS!!!” I scolded, and it echoed down the stone stairwell.
“Think logically Delilah, be reasonable, I’m begging you!
!” His words reverberated down the stone stairwell, each echo carrying the same pain as the first. It was so hard to listen to that I almost caved, but I didn’t—because it wasn’t his life to risk.
It was mine and risking it was my choice and only my choice.
I turned and stood on my toes to try to even our heights and get as close to his face as possible, because I wanted him to look me in the eyes for what I said next.
“Don’t you see?...I am not the same person that I was when I came here and agreed to your deal.
That girl hated herself and didn’t care if she lived or not, but I’ve changed Titus, I VALUE MYSELF, I VALUE MY LIFE, I no longer need the God Dragon because I chose you, I chose to stay with you, Titus, if I risk my life getting the dagger now it would be only for you. ”
Tears began to burn my eyes as I glared into those amber depths trying to convey everything, trying to make him understand. He came close and stroked the side of my face.
“You don’t understand, If we don’t get the God Dragon, there will not be a “here” for us, or for anyone who lives in my kingdom.
They will come and kill us all.” He replied, his glare equally as burning as mine, but it wasn’t a look of anger or annoyance, it was pure fear.
The High Lord was scared of losing everything.
I had never seen him convey his vulnerability so openly.
He had a point. I chose him, but by doing so I chose to stay in a world on the path to destruction, what would that mean for Calpurnia, Cercies, Gleeda the dragons and the rest of the Fae?
I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut. “There has to be another way! A diplomatic solution of some sort? The Water Fae don’t seem unreasonable.”
Both his hands grabbed his hair. “Gahh, There is no other way!!! Don’t you think I’ve tried??” He shouted in frustration and fully formed flames rolled off his shoulders, but I didn’t even flinch. I was immune to their intimidating effect by now.
“How would I know? You don’t tell me anything!! I’m not even allowed in the war room because I’m a woman, yet I am the one risking my life for your entire kingdom!!! I don’t even know what this war is about! You just order me around like a pawn in a game, my life means nothing to you!”
He winced, and I could tell I was getting through to him from the obvious pain in his eyes. He took a deep breath to calm himself then turned to me and… knelt.
The gesture shocked me completely. I never in a thousand years would have thought the High Lord of the Kingdom of Flame would kneel before me. He gazed at me longingly, melting me with his bright amber eyes. He took my hand and placed it on his heart and held it there as he said,
“You’re right, you should know more about what you are risking your life for, and ultimately it should be your choice.
Don’t misunderstand, I am so grateful you chose me and chose to stay, but this isn’t your world Pickles, these aren’t your people or your problems, and I understand if you don’t want to be with me anymore, I can set you up somewhere safe outside the kingdom and you can live your life as you choose, but just know wherever you go, I will always hold a piece of you in here. ”
He professed while tapping my hand on his heart.
“So, you will change? You will treat me as your equal?” I asked with a stern voice, clinging onto my composure with an iron grip.
"The Kingdom of Flame is deeply rooted in tradition, but yes, I will. Change is going to take time so please be patient and trust me."
Trusting him fully was going to be difficult. I crossed my arms and turned from him.
“Just to be clear, If I choose to be with you, I will not retrieve the dagger until I feel that I am ready and I am confident in your shield projecting abilities.” I demanded.
He pressed his lips together, obviously flustered. "That's…inconvenient, but fair. Now, let's go home," he said with a gentle smile and warmth in his voice.
Then he turned his back to me and said, “hop on.” Taken aback I asked, “what?”
“If my legs are aching from these stairs then yours have to be burning, hop on I’ll carry you the rest of the way.” He instructed.
I smiled because this was a side of Titus that I wasn’t sure existed. I eagerly jumped onto his muscled back, and he carried me piggyback all the way to the cave where we left Draxxinar.