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The Seraphim Covenant
tsc1: chapter twenty-seven (1/2)

tsc1: chapter twenty-seven (1/2)

Aurora did not resist any further, her will broken the moment Arakiel foiled her attempt at rescuing him and it only got worse from there for the seelie Nyanna noticed it right away, deciding to taunt and humiliate her even further by suggesting Arakiel do everything.

Through him, she made Aurora stand up; Through him, she made her strip bare and through her beloved Arakiel, the immortal seelie made her march in lockstep back into the cottage, like the prisoner she had become, but it was much, much worse than that.

To use Arakiel against her in such a fashion, it broke her, for she couldn’t resist him – but it wasn’t him speaking, really. It was the seelie – yet she couldn’t make the distinction in her mind even if she knew it was wrong.

She just could not.

Her beloved made her obey in a fashion he had never done before – would never do if he was himself, but he was not.

It tore into her and from that rift, it all came back – the very thoughts she had long thought buried.

The seelie didn’t touch her once – she didn’t need to.

She did something much worse, she brought Aurora the Evermaiden back, Aurora the Apathetic.

Aurora didn’t cry when Nyanna presented her to Alanna, Ezekiel and Selene, she just looked down at the floor while her body fell back into habits that it should’ve forgotten, yet it apparently never had.

It felt so natural, too.

She barely took note of the other seraphim, only that it was because of her that Selene had to strip bare as well and some time later, the two knelt down next to the fireplace, facing their captors while Arakiel and Ezekiel bend the knee next to their respective seelie.

In some twisted fashion, the immortals made a mockery of everything that the covenant stood for and the worst part about all of that was that she felt it. For all her apathy, that emotion she felt so very clearly and it stung so sharp and deep.

If only she hadn’t tried to play the heroine, if only she had just…

Selene and Aurora made no attempts to resist as the immortals interrogated them about the Transcended, about the Eternal Cities, about their families or their Houses down to the very last details of what they had done on this plane so far. And lastly, they made them spill anything related to their covenants, where Aurora should’ve been surprised to learn that Selene had in fact formed a covenant with Ezekiel, one where she accepted him not as a Lord, but as her Dominator.

Instead, it let her only glide further into despair and when Nyanna realized how fragile Aurora’s mind had become, she committed the gravest offense of them all – and one against which Aurora was utterly helpless.

Her dependency on Arakiel, the thing from which she had always drawn power and stability turned into a weapon against her… because when Nyanna suggested that Arakiel comfort Aurora, she gave herself over to the illusion as she still could not make the distinction.

The person that had plunged her into despair and apathy could also easily rescue her from it. All it took were a handful of familiar words, several tender touches, a few intimate gestures – top it all off with a kiss. How she wanted that kiss to last forever in that moment.

But it all shattered when the seelie Nyanna called him back and Aurora was suddenly there again, no longer apathetic, no longer in despair – only to realize once more where she was… how she was.

When she plead for mercy under tears, Nyanna had Arakiel dry them after which the interrogation continued.

Selene didn’t fare much better overall, if different – for there was no back and forth between Alanna and the silver seraphim. The seelie just used Ezekiel to impose her will in a more direct manner.

Both seraphim did their best to answer everything the seelie asked, yet it was never quite enough, for Arakiel and Ezekiel could always add something more which reflected badly on them.

Even worse, the seelie were thorough enough that Arakiel’s shards came up – and with it, the morning ritual for Aurora, or the midnight ritual that Selene had apparently began to develop.

Aurora lost track of time while learning to fear – no – to dread Nyanna and Alanna, the seelies. There was no innate cruelty in their actions and the longer she was interrogated, the more she was convinced that the other immortal’s didn’t even intent to humiliate her or Selene. They were just exploiting their vulnerability to the utmost while keeping their psyche stable enough to not let them slip or break in full.

When night eventually rolled around, Alanna, Selene and Ezekiel left the cottage since the seelie intended to observe Selene’s ritual, leaving Nyanna alone with Lady Mellia, Arakiel and Aurora.

Just when she thought to get some relief, the seelie suggest that Arakiel get his aurea ‘into the mood’ while she ‘tucked the girl in bed’.

Nyanna made a thoroughly dazed Lady Mellia follow her upstairs while Arakiel swiftly closed in on Aurora and for that brief moment of intimate togetherness on that soft carpet near the crackling fireplace, she imagined that they were in some other place and he was himself, just about to make tender love to her after a particularly difficult day.

Aurora needed to be rewarded so badly and she wanted to reward him so badly that she gave herself over to the illusion in full, even dismissing the fact that her Lord only really started her after a voice told him to make passionate love to her.

For a while, all the bad thoughts went up in desire, passion and tender intimacies until at some point, the same voice demanded he pull out so that she could collect a sample.

Just as the illusion was about to shatter, Aurora’s beloved continued without her even having heard anything else and when she eventually felt his warmth spill into her, she briefly imagined that they would now snuggle and kiss a bit more once the afterglow came.

It did arrive quickly, but when her clouded eyes and mind cleared up, she saw a pair of rose-colored eyes gleaming in the pale light of the hearth’s fire and half-hidden in the shadows, a pair of bloody lips formed a devious grin.

“A lovely show,” the seelie commented after which her eyes shifted above Aurora, saying. “And now, my dear, take her like you really want to.”

Aurora did not even have time to protest or yell before a hand began to brush her left wing’s upper side while another gripped her hair by the shock.

A flash of resistance was smothered in an instant and soon enough, she moaned and shivered for his pleasure as her Lord conquered her without restraint and through it, he paved the way for the nature of their covenant.

When Aurora awoke, she felt something warm right next to her. She opened her eyes to the world and found it nearly bereft of light except for a faint glimmer from her left.

She had snuggled up to her beloved and for the briefest of moments, her mind sought to pretend that everything was alright – but she soon felt the near-absence of her soul and when she called out to it internally, no reaction returned.

And then the soft carpet beneath her, alongside the hearth, the couches, the armchairs and the little wooden table – it all came back to her mind and suddenly, she felt so deeply afraid again of what might happen to her, to Arakiel… to them.

Her beloved suddenly opened his eyes as well as if he hadn’t truly slept. They were of a soft reddish color with a slight amber undertone, just like they should be.

He looked right at her, saying in a soft and affectionate tone. “Good morning, Aurora.”

His soft smile, the short dark hair, the little stubble… the affectionate gaze; even his slightly sweaty scent – it was all there just like it should be.

She threw herself at him without delay, embracing his nude upper body with arms and wings. “Arakiel! I missed you so much…!” She whispered in relief, pressing her own against his with all the strength she could muster.

In response, one of his hands found her bottom, which he slapped lightly, causing her to let out a surprised yelp, only that his mouth was there to seal it.

Arakiel’s eyes challenged hers while his kiss was rather forceful, very commandeering. At the same time, his hands began to knead her into a pliable state and even if she could’ve resisted, she didn’t want to. Her body did not lie and neither did her mind.

She had offered everything to him and in return, he shielded her, even here… even now.

A little later, she even took pleasure from it.

It was a little early probably, but it wouldn’t be their first pre-sunrise snuggle – and he seemed so very vigorous right now.

Had he slept at all? Concise thoughts became rather difficult soon enough.

She wasn’t quite sure how and when she ended up like this, but when her beloved’s body eventually pressed against her wings from the back while he pulled her closer, she suddenly felt stifled, as though she couldn’t breathe properly and for the first time since a long while if perhaps ever, she began to struggle against his grip while her wings tried to push him away.

To no avail, for how could her feeble wings even consider opposing her Lord?

And when he didn’t stop at first and the feeling intensified, she cried out in an increasingly frantic fashion. “Arakiel! Stop, please! You’re hurting me!”

He let go of her in an instant, causing her to jolt up and away. Crawling forward, her heart beat like a drum as though someone played the most intense percussion solo ever.

After having gained a meter or two, she turned around and saw him not having moved at all, his expression one of surprise, perhaps even disbelief. But the eyes lacked focus and although he looked towards her, he didn’t look at her.

Aurora covered herself as best as she could with arms and feathers, panting heavily. Her mind tried to make sense of what just happened, yet any potential thoughts were cut short.

A flame of soft rose lit up in the back, wreathing and winding around a familiar person until they covered it in full.

At the same time, a pair of rose-colored eyes opened and Nyanna silently stepped into the hearth’s cone of light.

Aurora’s body began to tremble at the sight of the seelie and when it sought stability with Arakiel, the seelie mocked her by slowly crouching down next to him.

Up until now, he hadn’t made another move. It was almost as if her actions had frozen him in shock.

“Interesting,” the seelie remarked as she began to stroke his stubble with her hand aflame in soul. Aurora had glimpsed the sigil and although she didn’t know what exactly it did, it did cause Arakiel’s eyes to focus and his expression to calm down while his body lost some of the strain.

And when it should’ve soothed her to see him calm down, it only hurt because she hadn’t been the one to make it happen.

“Have mercy on us, please!” Aurora managed to plead.

The seelie, who had washed her face and wore a single green dress with a skirt that went just above her shoulders, turned towards Aurora, eyes looking her over.

“I am being exceedingly merciful with you, little naughty girl,” she stated just like that. There was no underlying tone or emotion swinging with it… the seelie had just stated a fact.

But then, her voice turned darker, saying. “I could mutilate you, could render you a lump of flesh or just chain or string you up in some dark corner… but instead, I’m honoring your wish even after your betrayal.”

The immortal let out a snort. “It seems to be your kind’s defining feature – betrayal.”

“Please…!” Aurora had to offer as a rebuttal, which wasn’t much.

“But you’re in luck, little seraphim. I want to see where this bond you two have leads you… and even here I’m being very merciful – am I not?” She asked and when Aurora once again did not have any rebuttal, the seelie’s expression formed to a sneer. “I went through all this trouble, only for you to reject him… maybe I should just let him pound you into submission. Does it even matter if you’re in the mood?”

Aurora’s heart threatened to explode while her body began to tremble. At the same time, she started to shake her head. Meanwhile Nyanna’s red lips had widened to a grin, noting. “Actually, let’s do that right now. I want to see the difference to earlier.”

“No, no please…” Aurora began to mutter while the seelie addressed Arakiel, who still sat there opposite of Aurora, eyes calm but without focus.

“Rape your aurea, my dear. Ravage her like one of her treacherous kind deserves!” Nyanna didn’t just suggest it, she ordered it.

Aurora was frozen, her eyes fixated onto Arakiel.

He couldn’t do it, he just couldn’t. If he did… then.

What then?

Everything would be lost.

“I cannot do that, my Lady.” Her beloved then said all of a sudden, his gaze turning sideways to face the seelie.

Aurora couldn’t believe it at first. Had she heard wrong? Did he somehow break free?

“Why not?” The seelie asked. She didn’t seem upset, just curious.

“I vowed to protect, cherish and honor her, my Lady,” Arakiel returned in a calm voice.

“Arakiel!” Aurora cried out with infinite relief, a new surge of hope reigniting in her.

Even now, even now he remained true to his word!

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Uncaring for the seelie, she hurried over to him on all fours and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you my love, thank you!”

“Then hurt her. I want some of her blood.” The seelie requested.

“I cannot do that,” Arakiel replied once more.

“Because it breaks your vow?” The immortal asked.

“Yes, my Lady.” He affirmed.

Aurora’s heart jumped for joy. Even now, even in this situation, he was her beacon of hope!

“But you stripped her yesterday.” The seelie pointed out.

“I asked her to strip, my Lady.” Arakiel corrected and that was true.

“Very well,” the seelie noted, any former maliciousness having left her voice. “In that case – what do you want to do with our naughty little seraphim?”

“My desire has and will always be to make her mine, my Lady.” He reported dutifully.

“Then do so,” Nyanna suggested while her eyes went over towards Aurora. “But do it thoroughly. I want her docile and obedient.”

“As you wish, my Lady.” Arakiel replied.

“You wanted this, seraphim. I would’ve been content with burrowing deep into your mind.” The immortal seelie reminded as she got up. “I’m not actually into rape, although I do love me a good rough show of dominant virility.”

“I’ll never let you touch me!” Aurora objected while throwing the meanest glare she could at the seelie, causing her to chuckle.

“Hold onto that belief, my dear – I will happily shatter it at an opportune time,” Nyanna returned while Arakiel’s arms once again coiled around her.

“Be thorough, Arakiel. If she fails to meet my expectations, then you will bear the consequences.” The seelie announced. The fire surrounding her vanished and she stepped into the darkness.

Before Aurora had any chance of glaring after her, Arakiel took a hold of her chin and softly directed her to face him.

Unlike earlier, he took on her aspect and already, the finger that he ran down her spine began to wreak havoc inside her – the pleasurable, highly stimulating kind.

“I’ve decided, Aurora.” He announced in a voice that sounded just like she would say it. Caring, affectionate… wearing a slight, confident grin on his lips.

“W-what…?” She panted in between her quick and short breaths. Her wings couldn’t decide whether to flap or embrace and so they kind of awkwardly did something in-between. All this soul on her skin, in addition to the finger that he now drew from her back to the front – it made everything so intense and left her mind in tatters.

“It’s high time I conquered you in full. This way, I can properly protect you…” he started and once again, her mind couldn’t differentiate whether it was him saying it, or whether the seelie had made him say it.

A part of her wondered whether it even mattered.

He brought his left hand’s pointing finger into view, the one that had already brought her on the brink with a mere line drawn over her skin.

“You… you promised…” she panted, trying to think of a way to influence him.

The finger began to move again, causing her to just spit out a word.

“Cherish!”

“I’m cherishing you, my lovely aurea,” Arakiel returned softly while the finger went from her hips up towards her chest, where it swiftly climbed atop an obstacle.

“I’m honoring you, my cute seraphim,” he went on, giving her a kiss while the finger wandered further upwards, where it made a brief excursion over her collarbone.

“I’m protecting you, Aurora.” Arakiel stated and everything he said was true.

Aurora had no rebuttal, no objections to give. Every word he spoke smothered any objections she might have.

She wasn’t influencing him, he influenced her.

His second hand brought a dawnshard into view, its golden, red and white surface glistening so promisingly in the dim light.

“And on this, I swore to make you mine now and forevermore,” he concluded and as the shard lit up and crumbled to dust, Aurora knew that she had lost on every front because it connected to her on a level that she couldn’t deny.

It resonated with her very nature.

“I am yours, my love. You are my Lord, now and forevermore.” Aurora returned softly but not meekly.

“Correct,” he stated, affirming and acknowledging it for the first proper time. Arakiel had had full authority over Aurora for a while and now, it seemed as though he finally made up his mind on how to proceed. “And as your Lord, it is my duty to guide you on your path to servitude.”

“Yes…” she whispered breathlessly.

She gave herself over to him again, not shying away when his left hand’s finger traveled downward while his right hand reached for her neck.

If he had made up his mind, then it was her duty to support him.

She wasn’t meant to be the heroine of the story – she had known this for a long time now. She was meant to support the hero in achieving their shared goals.

And when they began to intertwine once more, she heard him say.

“That way, my Lady can make the best use of us.”

But it was too late, and Aurora did not have the strength to fight back, for it was a fight she could not win.

The seelie had won.

When morning eventually came around for real, Arakiel and Aurora headed outside under supervision of Nyanna. There, the entire landscape had changed, changing from spring to summer.

The formerly blossoming flowers had closed, but the lush green blades of grass had turned a little dry, taking on a slight brownish color at the tip.

Insects and little critters were still buzzing abound while the massive tree in the clearing’s middle seemed to have grown a little more, even if she didn’t really have the time to behold all the changes. For now, the leaves remained green.

Dawn’s light called to her and she dutifully caught it for her Lord, presenting the resulting shard not on her knees, but on outstretched palms with a slightly abashed but happy smile.

There was no more need to nudge him – the decision had been made.

He took it, thanked her and then handed it over to Nyanna and even though it hurt Aurora, she knew it was impossible to object.

So she focused on Arakiel instead. He would protect her, even now.

The seelie, however, seemed displeased by something. She burst into rose-colored flames and slashed him across the chest, leaving a bleeding gash and when Aurora hurried over in fear, the seelie added another one on top.

Arakiel winced and let out a pained hiss, but he did not attempt to fight back.

When he then queried what the punishment had been for, Nyanna accused Aurora of disrespecting her. She added a third injury after Aurora tried to ask what exactly she had done wrong.

She then ordered Arakiel inside the cottage. Aurora followed behind quickly, worry rapidly eating at her.

Inside, they found the rest of the party and Alanna. The seelie had chosen a simple dress just like her sister, but Ezekiel only wore his pants while Selene had not been allowed to wear anything. Lady Mellia stood in the background, her red eyes with golden sprinkles devoid of focus and life.

Aurora could only hope that her Lord’s little sister didn’t witness any of this.

Ezekiel mocked Arakiel for having displeased his chosen lady, to which he only had a rueful smile to offer.

The seelie sisters made them stand in a line at which point they began to outline what would happen from now on.

The Ascendants were responsible for keeping their seraphim on a tight leash so that they wouldn’t interfere with the sisters’ experiments and daily routine. On the contrary, they expected them to eventually assist. Any failures would see them punished harshly and only when they rectified this mistake under supervision would they receive succor.

Once the seelie deemed the girls harmless enough, they would be given clothing befitting their station.

Furthermore, the seraphim were to take care of any household issues and if they were found wanting, then Lady Mellia would be held accountable.

For the upcoming two days, both mortals were to fully establish control over their bound immortals. Failure would result in excessive punishment.

To make en example, Nyanna ordered Arakiel to discipline Aurora for her earlier misconduct.

Aurora not only let it happen, she tried to perform and although the grin on the seelies’ face humiliated her, she accepted it and did it anyway.

They were at the immortals’ mercy – that was the reality she had to accept and live in.

But she wouldn’t let it break her, not like yesterday.

Arakiel was with her and she was with Arakiel. Together, they’d get out of this, somehow.

When he had adjusted her properly, Nyanna stayed true to her word and cast a spell on him that briefly saw his wounds light up in a soft pink.

The wound on his hand had already closed today, not even a slight scar remaining.

But despite her initial optimism if one could call it that, the first point of contention came up soon afterwards when Selene refused to prepare breakfast alongside Aurora, once again claiming her status as argent and although Aurora had hoped to leave their Ascendants out of it, they got involved as well when their argument turned louder.

It ended with Ezekiel and Arakiel throwing insults at one another while Aurora had to do everything by herself since the silver seraphim kept to her line of refusing to do such ‘menial labor’, uncaring for Lady Mellia’s potential punishment.

Aurora resented her for it and she also shared Arakiel’s anger about Ezekiel’s behavior, for the man reinforced Selene’s antics instead of opposing them.

It left Aurora wondering whether Selene had also been influenced by the seelie in some way and the mere fact that she did was most likely another one of the immortals’ ploys.

Again, it worked.

As she worked in the surprisingly well-supplied kitchen, trying to fry eggs and ham over an open fire, she realized that she hadn’t cooked like this for quite some time now. It wasn’t that she had forgotten how to do it, it was just an observation. She wasn’t too fond of the work, but someone had to do it.

Sometime later, Nyanna and Alanna both criticized her cooking for lacking flavor and proper texture, yet they did not outright punish Arakiel for it just yet. If she didn’t improve quickly, however…

For most of the day, she allowed Arakiel to mold her into something that both he and the seelie could find appreciation for. Just like yesterday, her body adapted quickly, even more so now that her mind was in on it as well.

It earned her praise by Nyanna when evening rolled around and through her efforts, Arakiel was allowed to wear trousers again. Furthermore, the wounds on his body had closed up over the course of the day, forming three fine silvery scars that seemed to grow thinner by the hour.

Aurora also proved a quick study in refining her cooking, for neither seelie complained about the vegetable stew she had made over the course of the afternoon.

The night was long and taxed Aurora to her limit and in her fading sight, the pair of rose-colored eyes shone through.

She doubted she’d forget them for a long time, if ever.

On the next day, Aurora found some satisfaction in Selene and Ezekiel getting punished for failing to meet Alanna’s expectation, even if she wasn’t privy to what exactly. She couldn’t quite keep a snarky comment to herself when Selene had to scrub the floors later on and although the snobby princess spouted venomous remarks back at Aurora, it didn’t help her when the seelie later found her work inadequate.

Aurora’s improved cooking was praised on the contrary, earning her and Arakiel a walk across the moonlit meadow and from that hour or so, she drew a lot of personal, mental health.

Arakiel might not be quite himself, but she knew that the affection he showed her was genuine and the fact that it had become some kind of second nature to him made her so very hopeful for the future, however bleak it might appear now.

On the third day, the seelie sisters judged Aurora’s progress adequate while Selene’s skills were found wanting.

Any potential glee Aurora might’ve had died in an instant when Alanna lashed Ezekiel ten times with so much force that his entire back was covered in bloody smears and he actually passed out from the pain.

And while Aurora was permitted a simple white relatively short sundress that restored some dignity to her, a crying, naked Selene had to not only remove Ezekiel’s bloodstains, but also clean up the entire cottage once again with the warning that if her performance was found inadequate again, she would regret it bitterly.

Meanwhile, the seelie sisters had Arakiel and Aurora assist their studies in one of the cottage’s second-floor rooms, where the immortals had built a laboratory of some kind, with lots of alembics, vials, racks and all kinds of containers, cups and jars that contained all manner of ingredients, ranging from plant matter over towards different kinds of blood or organs.

Arakiel had to provide heat while Aurora had to write down a seemingly random assortment of numbers and letters that Alanna dictated her.

That work took up most of the afternoon and given the reaction that both seelie had, they were rather pleased with the results, even if they didn’t share them.

Given their good mood, Nyanna even helped Aurora in the kitchen while Alanna went on to check upon Selene and when it was time for dinner a little later, the silver-haired seraphim was awarded a black sundress not unlike Aurora’s white in acknowledgment of her efforts.

Then, the seelie encouraged a light mood during dinner, joking about all kinds of issues, part of which Aurora found incredibly disturbing. For example, the seelie Alanna joked that she’d plant some false evidence for the husbands and wives once she ‘took back’ their respective spouses.

Nyanna agreed that they should probably let ‘the old limp fool’ Cahir know that Nerigal had personally raped and killed his beloved wife Queen Fodhla, having then given her dead body to his rabid soldiers who – in their frenzy – had left nothing but a few splinters of bone.

Another suggestion concerned the ‘lowly akh’ in the south, whom they should probably tell that his ‘beloved pet’ had been reused and repurposed. Furthermore, Nyanna intended to personally thank him for having the balls to ‘bring some excitement’ back to the ‘dull world’.

The way these immortals spoke about the plane, it almost sounded like two children arguing about how to best use their toys, which was perhaps closer to the truth than Aurora wanted to admit.

The two sisters acted very childish on that evening which may or may not have been caused by the rather copious amounts of wine they consumed. They flung food at one another, laughed about all manners of poor jests – often at the expense of one of their prisoners – and eventually played some kind of checkered board game with round white and black stones which Aurora couldn’t even begin to grasp.

Not that he had a lot of time as the immortals had Arakiel and Ezekiel perform certain actions or poses depending on what happened on the board.

There was a cruelty in the casualness of their actions, but Aurora was thoroughly convinced that both did not consider it so.

They just perceived things thoroughly different and if there was one thing that she could say with certainty, then that these two were very close and intimate with one another, despite all the superficial arguments they had.

If they were capable of feeling some kind of love, then they most certainly had it for one another.

When the night eventually rolled around, Nyanna and Alanna split up, each taking their respective prisoners on a nighttime stroll through the autumnal landscape of the Seelenforst.

In that moment, Nyanna almost seemed approachable as she appreciated her colorful surroundings, even going so far as to welcome butterflies or other insects that seemingly flocked to her by themselves.

And just as casually as she gently appreciated these wonders of nature, she eventually suggested out of the blue that Arakiel fight the man on the other side of the meadow with everything he got up to the second blood, who turned out to be none other than Ezekiel.

Aurora initially watched the fight of the two men ablaze in gold and silver in horror, fearing for both of them. But when Nyanna then pointed out certain subtleties in the way that Arakiel brought Aurora’s soul to bear, how he used her soul to give himself a slight edge in the last moments to throw his opponent off guard, how he wove her gold in sigils that briefly stunned his opponent and finally, how he tapped her shard’s light to first blink behind Ezekiel and them blast him with a surge of golden fire enhanced by a gust of air… the realization made Aurora change her tune.

The more Arakiel put Ezekiel on the defense, the prouder she felt and when her Lord eventually landed the killing blow without killing him, she felt incredibly happy of his achievement, for he had always claimed that Ezekiel was the better duelist out of the two and yet, he had thoroughly outclassed him in that match.

Most importantly, she could throw Selene a truly triumphant – not haughty – glare as she eagerly congratulated her victorious conqueror that had just beaten the arrogant silver seraphim’s pretender.

He claimed his prize and reward over the course of the next hours and as she eventually found herself in a similar position than several mornings ago, she did not shy away when he squeezed her wings in between him and her back. If anything, her eyes were opened to another position in which he had complete control and access to her.

And she welcomed it, for he had earned it and the more she let him in, the more secure and vain she felt. After all, who better to wield her soul than Arakiel il Kalanaar, her Lord and Conqueror?

There was a reason she was so proud of her name.

Aurora li Arakiel.

The more often she repeated it, the more she welcomed him – if that was even more possible at this point.