Divinity: Transcendence: Book Two (The Divinity Saga) (44 page)

“I’ll tell you everything once you look through it.” He urged.

I licked my lips and stared down at the album. Then I scowled at the chains around my ankles.

“Take these off and I will, unless you wan
t me to do it myself…the same way I removed the gloves.” I told him.

He held out a hand and smirke
d, “You mean like this?” He quirked a brow, as a small ball of pure, white light began to manifest, floating above his palm. My eyes widened in confused shock. Either that was a trick of magic, or he had the ability to conjure white light too. That couldn’t be right. He was clearly a fallen, how could he be doing that? A small smile lifted the corner of his mouth at my surprise, and then the chains simultaneously unlocked, fell away, and disappeared altogether. He closed his fist and the white ball of light faded away.

             
              Though he was amused by my sudden shock, I noticed him stiffen, and brace himself when I moved. Was he afraid of me? He had the advantage here…to a degree. He had magic. Then again, he’s seen my fire and he knew just how deadly it was, which means I doubted that he’d try to touch me directly. I wasn’t sure which was deadlier, white light or fire, but I’m going to guess it was fire.

“There’s no need for your blades. You’re safe here.” He
then told me.

“I
don’t know what your definition of safe is, so I’ll keep them out.” I told him.

Trust no demon, especially their words. Everyone had pounded that in on my first day.

He pursed his lips in amusement, “You don’t even know how to use them.” He commented.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“I know how to light them up.” I defended with a hard glare.

He contemplated that, deciding to take me seriously. There was a cautious, yet playful look in his gorgeous eyes. He had no idea what I was going to do.

However, I was just as much of a target too. To me, magic was deadly, especially if it was black.

I pulled in just one blade,
keeping my eyes on him

as I bent to pick up the album.

The cover was a picture of a road marker with
Memory Lane
carved into it, and my entire name in silver marker: STARLING MARIE ROBERTS

Curiosity began to take over as I opened it to the first pages.

There were photos of me and two other people at various venues; most of what looked like the campus of a school. Photos of me and some, tall, thin white girl, with short reddish, auburn hair, and then some with a cute, caramel skinned guy, with dark curly hair and glasses, were pasted on the school themed pages.

The
names in the captions beneath each photo read:

‘
China and Joel’.

The longer I stared at e
ach image, the more they began to bring vivid images to the forefront of my mind. I began to see the same girl and the same guy, in a classroom, in an apartment or a house; walking down a school hallway; a football game, at some beach, a music concert. It was almost overwhelming, how much it all began to feel like a part of me.

I eyed him
again; he was watching me silently, as I continued to flip through the pages. Most of the next set of pictures had the same two people with me in them, and a bunch of other random girls and guys. Some were comical, and others invoked an automatic sentimental feeling in me that took me by surprise. It was definitely me in these pictures. How would he have acquired these?

There were
many pictures of a white man with blonde hair, standing with a brown-skinned, petite, curly haired, beautiful, young woman. They were both smiling, and he was proudly holding a baby girl. The next set of pages were photos of this family, and a little tanned skin girl, with curly, sandy brownish blonde hair.

She
was me.

There were
a lot of beach themed photos, birthdays and different holidays. Then, there were pictures of me with an elderly woman, who resembled an older version of the woman that I assumed was my mother, smiling and hugging me proudly.

I felt a spark of sadness mixed with joy and anxiety. Seeing the
se photos and remembering certain things felt, wrong. I wasn’t supposed to be remembering this stuff, and I was beginning to understand why now.

I did notice something strange though. In nearly all of the pictures of me, there was a distinct soft halo of light around me, from when I
was small, to the most recent ones.

Knowin
g what I know now, and what I am now —it all made sense.

Chosen from birth. That’s what Lorelei said.

I felt a tightening in my chest.

There was no
doubt that these were my pictures…my memories. They automatically tugged at my emotions. If this was a trick or a joke, it was a damned good one. What would be the purpose for him to do it?

When I got to the last page, I gasped softly.

It was a picture of us, standing close together, his arm around me, and mine around his waist. The height difference was prominently humorous, but it was definitely him—us.

I was wearing a purple, short silk dress
, lace stockings and boots, and he was just as gorgeous as he is now. There were images of spirits, angels and demons in the background. Where and when was this taken?

I thought back to seeing him during the fight. He did seem
familiar to me then. He purposefully left my favorite flower on the pillow, the same flower that was found in my hair, when my body had been retrieved from the fields behind the divine hall.

Some female shouted his name
when he had been injured.

I
nstantly, more images forcefully resurfaced from the recesses of the hidden parts of my brain.

He was wearing a police uniform. I was in the car with him. He was carrying me somewhere. We had burgers in a diner. We were stargazing, and then we were…flying.

He was the one who was with me when I died. The one who put the flower in my hair in the first place.

But why? How had I died? If he had been there, why didn’t he stop it?
Was he the one that killed me? It didn’t make sense but it wasn’t impossible.

His name is Cam`ael.

I gasped softly.

I remembered…kissing him
, and him holding me protectively.

W
as he why nearly everyone at the divine hall looked at me with suspicion?

He was a demon, a fallen.

A fallen that I had apparently fallen in love with. I looked over at him —into his gorgeous, indigo blue-green eyes, with gold flecks. Though I saw darkness there, I saw something else.

My breath caught and
my heart began to pound rapidly.

I swallowed hard, feeling
tears begin to burn my eyes.

I closed the album, staring down at the cover for a moment, unsure of what to say.

The sharp sting in my heart was
confliction tugging at my soul. He was a fallen and I was a divine warrior now. I was destined to be one all along and he knew that, but it didn’t stop him from falling in love with me.

T
his couldn’t happen for so many reasons, and it hurt to think about. I slowly set the album back down on the floor.

I had to know, I needed to know
if he was being deceitful, or if he was lying to me. If he was, what was his plan or purpose for doing it? Offering me up to Morning Star for a reward maybe?

Finally, I
slowly stood up —and so did he.             

XXVI: Cam`ael

H
ope began to take over, as I watched her slowly study each page in the album. It was hard enough to tear my eyes away from her. She glowed beyond just being a divine chosen; she absolutely emanated radiance that came from her essence.

It was her
hallowed fire.

She was lethal
, yet I would always see her as fragile in some sense.

I rem
embered what her fears were. It was one of the reasons why they weren’t supposed to remember their mortal lives.
I think I ruined that for her because her mounting sorrow was growing. She was remembering, which meant she was going to remember me.

That’s all I
wanted.

I watched her doll-like profile, wondering what was going through her mind right at this moment.

When she closed the album, she paused in deep thought, before finally placing it back on the floor.

It was hard to read her hyp
notizing, sapphire colored eyes, but I didn’t have to.

After she stood up, s
he was a blur. The only hint that I got, was seeing her wield her other blade once again, with a swift, metallic
shink
.

My shock
almost cost me a split second reaction, but I wielded my sword just in time, and brought it up to block both of her blades.

She definitely
needed training, but it wasn’t a completely miscalculated attack.

What was she doing?

H
ad Edanai been right?

I pushed her blades to the side
, but she held steady against my resistance.

She was fast, and much
stronger than I had assumed she would be. The force of resistance propelled her into mid-air twist, which didn’t slow her down one bit, once she landed on her feet again.

This fight was n
ot going to happen in my bedchambers. I had to do something fast, before the others tried to interfere and possibly hurt her.

Bringing
my palm forward, I used my power to force her to back up, driving her against the wall to keep her far enough away from me, just in case she decided to burst into her flames.

W
ith a quick twist and pulling motion of my hand, I swiftly transported us both outside. Instantly, we were in front of my domicile, where I held her pinned against a stone slab.

She was
bewildered, no doubt trying to figure out how we had gotten outside to begin with.

I didn’t know what to think. Her reaction was not what I expected in the least, however…if she really wanted to kill me, she could have.

She could have used her fire by now—but she hasn’t.

She struggled and writhed against the invisible
restraining hold that I had on her, but she still made no attempt to ignite her fire.

I approached her cautiously. M
y sword was still drawn, but I held it downward, relaxed.

She turned away from me. A
single tear ran down her smooth cheek.

“Cam`ael!” Edanai called from behind me.

Damn! She was going to ruin this!

“It’s alright. I don
’t need help! Go!” I said harshly over my shoulder.

They
had all rushed outside to my aid, and though I appreciated the loyalty, I found it aggravating right at this moment.

Starling
stiffened, lifting her blades defensively. The initial threat that flashed in her eyes, seeing all of these fallen suddenly rushing her, slowly changed. I paid close attention to the way that she looked at each one of them. I could swear that a hint of recognition glimmered in her eyes as she studied each of their faces.

“They’re all my frie
nds. They’re the ones that helped me rescue you too.” I assured her, hoping that she’d believe me.

“Cam…does she remember us?”
Rahab asked me telepathically.

“I don’t know.”
I told him.

“I’ve got this.” I verbally reiterated.

There was hesitancy on all of their parts, but they finally acquiesced. Of course, Edanai, Ry and Rahab lingered behind for a few moments longer, before finally ghosting away.

I slowly eased her down the stone wall, until her feet gently touched the ground
again. I then cautiously released my magical hold on her.

“What was all
that about?” I asked her softly.

She shook her head, wiping a
stray tear away quickly.

“Why didn’t you kill me
? Or throw some magic curse at me?” She asked softly.

“Is that what you wanted me to do?”

“I was expecting it.” She looked up at me.

“Ex
pecting it?” I furrowed my brow.

She bit her lip, looking down at the ground and then back up at me. “Sort of.”
She paused. Another single tear slowly trailed down her cheek.

Now I understood what she was trying to do.

I retracted my sword, reaching up to wipe the falling tear, gently from her face.

“I understand the tears but I don’t like seeing you cry.
” I said softly.

She sniffed and swallowed, looking up a
t me and studying my eyes. “I don’t think that you do.”

The
darkness wanted me to just grab and have my way with her. I could feel it fighting for control over my body and mind. I already wanted her, and had she not been so dangerous, I would have acted upon the dark remnants still slinking around in me. She was immortal now, but there were no rules. She was in my territory.

More
tears fell from her eyes, as much as she tried to fight them back. She turned away, but I held her chin and forced her to look at me.

T
hen, I knelt down in front of her.

I was vulnerable
now.

Though
I had pulled my weapon back in, she still held onto hers.

“I would stand still
and let you kill me in front of all the warriors and elders, so that you can maintain your duty, oath, and honor, before ever doing anything to hurt you. I felt something for you before you even knew that I existed. When we finally met, I fell in love with you. No matter what you are, or where you are —I’ll always love you. That will never change, even if you no longer…or are unable to love me back.” It hurt to hear myself say it, but I meant it.

I thought that would have brought on more tears, but it didn’t. She sniffed
once, and lunged forward at me.

I braced myself. M
y instinct for survival automatically kicked in, expecting to feel her blade pierce and slide deep into my chest or stomach.

She threw her arms over my shoulders, around my neck, pulling my face close to her
s, and— kissed me with intense fervor. It took me less than a second to respond, taking control and pulling her delicious lips into my own mouth, hungrily. I lifted her up into my arms, practically crushed her petite body against mine. I moaned into her mouth as a rush of both heat, desire, and darkness began to grow. The scent of her, the feel of her hair in my hands, her warmth, and the fiery passion in her kiss; told me all that I needed to know.

She remembered
me, meaning some part of her memory still existed, even without my hints and clues. Most importantly— she still loved me.

The darkness was forcing its way upwards, movi
ng into my arms, and my hands. I had to fight it. I had to get to the Eternal waters.

I pulled away first, holding her face in my hands in a g
entle embrace, and stroking loose curls away from her eyes. I hoped that seeing my eyes glowing right now wouldn’t turn her away from me. It couldn’t be helped— much like the hard as steel erection that was about to rip straight through my pants.

I kne
w that she could feel it, there was no way that she couldn’t. Instead of becoming wary of me, I sensed her own desire beginning to mount. Lust was pulsing from her skin, and it was strong.

I have
never wanted anything, or any human, virgin, female flesh, so badly in my entire existence.

“I
—I need to do something first.” I whispered hoarsely. I stood up, and practically leapt towards the lip of the wide proscenium arch that fanned out from my front door.

She was looking at me peculiarly, when I turned to look over my shoulder at her.

I flexed the muscles in my back and my wings emerged, snapping outward. I spread and fanned them out to catch the wind.

“Come with me.” I held out a hand out to her.

She seemed hesitant at first but she was marveling at me. Then a slow smile crept across her pouty lips, and she ran towards me, reaching for my hand.

I took
the scenic route to the Eternal waters, on purpose. I wanted her to see all the beauty and glory that was part of the spirit realm, not just the dark and deadly.

We passed over forests of lush trees
, where many animals grazed and huddled peacefully together, both great and small. She was fascinated. It reminded me so much of how it should have been in the first place, not as it had been that night.

Once we reac
hed the Eternal waters, I dipped down low right over the water. She held her hand out, letting her fingers skim across the cool, sparkling surface, and leaving a small wake of ripples. The crystal clear water was as smooth and still as glass in some areas, and in others it churned wildly, frothy, and rich with magical healing power.

“Hold your breath, I’m going in.
Clothes on or off?” I leaned in to say into her ear.

“W
ait…what?” She squealed giddily as we skimmed closer, finally diving straight into the water.

It was cool
, not cold. She shivered initially in my arms. I didn’t go down too far. I made a quick arc once we were underneath, thrusting smoothly back upwards to break the surface. I let her go, dropping down into the water while she waded at the surface to catch her breath…delectably—naked.

I lingered below for a little bit, admiring her perfect, nude body. She was incredibly sexy.

I swam upwards and broke through the surface out of the water, running my fingers through my drenched hair.

“I didn’t say I wanted to be naked.” She scolded me.

Her gold and brown curls were sleeked back, and droplets of water glistened on the tips of her long lashes. There was a slight blush to her cheeks.

“You didn’t say anything.” I teased.

“You didn’t give me the chance.”

“
What? You have a problem with being vulnerable, or me admiring your beautiful, delicious body?” I smirked.

She gave me a wry look.
“If we had a brief history, I have a feeling that you’ve probably seen it more than once already anyway.” She eyed me.

It wasn’t much of a history, I thought. We had only gotten half of a night, afternoon, and evening together.

In total, it equaled one day.

But one day to Elohim, was a thousand years.

I laughed, “No, I haven’t actually. And since you’re showing me yours, I suppose it’s only fair that I show you mine.” I told her with a grin and a deviant glimpse down at my own nakedness.

She wanted to look…I could literally scent her curiosity and desire continuing to mount. She couldn’t hide any of those kinds of feelings from me.

She tried to play off her casual glance downward. The flicker of her lids as her eyes widened in both surprise and excitement, was brief but I caught it. Her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of pink, and her eyes immediately moved to observe my wings in amazement.

“Well?” I smiled.

“Well—you’re most definitely…well-proportioned.” She bit her lip.             

I smirked.
“Nudity is a beautiful thing and it’s natural. It’s what Elohim intended for all beings. The human female body is one of his all-time, greatest masterpieces.” I gave her a smoldering gaze. The desire in her heartbeat became stronger.

She raised a brow and laughed a bit. “I’ll bet it is.”

I reminded myself of her virginity. Intuitively, my lust rose in a frenzy of wild energy, and I playfully pushed a bit towards her. I wanted it; I had to claim it, so that she would truly forever be mine.

She responded with a soft wail.

I gently took her hand and pulled her towards me.

The healing properties of the Eternal
Lake was powerful, and its effects were long lasting. The water elementals and guardians were used to me, though they were always wary. I was the only demon allowed in these waters because of my light. Their confusion to both Starling and me being together, I found funny.

The baby wat
erlings playfully darted around me; tugging at my wings and playing hide and seek in them. The waters didn’t take away my lust. That would forever be a part of me.

I was still an incubus,
and right now, I was aching to be inside of her. I tore away at my sling and bandages, surprised to see that the injury was still bad, but it was healing.

She gasped when she
saw it. A look of pain etched her eyes as she reached out, wanting to touch and make it better, but knowing that she couldn’t.

“
Will it heal?” She asked.

“
It looks far worse than it feels, trust me.” I told her. That was a half-truth.

Her facial ex
pression still appeared worried and sensitive to my pain.

“Is it because you can produce light too? I don’t understand how you can do that. How is it that you have both essences?” She then asked.

“It’s a gift of favor I suppose. I don’t question it, I’m just grateful that I was allowed to keep it.”

“Are there other fallen that have both too?” She then asked.

I shook my head. “No.”

She pondered that notion with fascination.

                            The miracle of her remembering me, let alone being with me right now, was more than I could ever ask or hope for, and I was beyond thankful. I didn’t want to talk about essences right now though. I wrapped my arms around her small waist, pulling her up against me. She gasped softly, as I pressed myself against her torso. Her hands caressed my face.

My
eyes began to glow with love, arousal and admiration and I hoped she took it that way. I studied her unique, well-done brandings, running my index finger over the patterns of curves and lines.

She shivered
, obviously reacting from the power of my lust pushing into her by my mere touch. Feeling hers in return, sent a spasm of desire straight into my groin. I bit my bottom lip and moaned, grinding her supple, silky body against mine.

The
shiny silver complimented her skin tone well. The deific blades had been made for her.

“How was the experience?” I asked her softly, referring to her branding
s.

She ga
ve me a look that spoke volumes. “Don’t even ask.”

I chuckled. “
The more deadly, the more painful.”

“So I’ve heard, but at least I’ll never have to do it again.
”

Her attention went to the baby waterlings, resembling human faced
, small fish, with sprouting arms, tailfins and wings. The lived both on the surface and in the water, as they got older and bigger.

“
What are those things swimming around your feathers?” She inquired, looking down at the flitting silhouettes beneath the water.

“Water elementals. Guardians of the Eternal waters. They’re more protective of you, but they’re familiar with me.”

I didn’t give her a chance to ask more questions. I was dying to kiss her again, among other things. I was tender when I kissed her. I savored the texture of her lips, her soft tongue, and she moaned into my mouth. She explored my mouth with both hunger and skill. She had kissed very well while mortal, and now…she could put the skill of any Psyren or Succubus to shame.