The Price of Love

Ariel took a sip of her cold coffee before placing it to the side in disgust. 

Her mind lingered on the past with a bitterness that rivalled the foul beverage. She wished she could hold on to the good memories of her youth, but she could not forget the ordeal that followed that visit. 

Nothing was ever the same again. 

"Did you tell Zakum how you felt?" Govad prompted her. 

Ariel scoffed. "Do you know that fate plays jokes on unlucky people? And for me, it was a really bad joke. I wish I had not hesitated after talking with Aria before we descended to Madagascar. But I did. I decided that I needed some time to clear my head and sort out my feelings." 

Govad nodded in understanding. 

He was not a stranger to unrequited love. And his hopes were minimal in comparison to Ariel and Zakum back in those youthful days. Despite his best efforts, Virgil did not seem like he wanted to see him as anything more than a younger-generation demi-angel.