Chapter 55
The body of the victim had already been reduced to ash which was kept in a vase. And the vase had been placed on the middle of the crowd, on a red pillow with golden tassels on the corners.
" kha`rsen ivin fha`rse, " an elderly male with a red scarf draped over his shoulders said. Flame had no clue what he meant, but she watched as four of the beings who she assumed were the family of the victim knelt down on each corner of the pillow.
The parents and two siblings. Both males, one was young, probably in his teenage years and he was still shedding silent tears. The other was a very tall and stern looking male of over six feet. His dark hair had been cropped and he bore the same feather mark she had seen on all the other warriors on his neck.
And in his stern yet appealing features she saw the pain that he bore. His eyes looked red and a vein persistently ticked in his temple as he fisted his hands before he just as quickly unfisted them.
Andres, she thought. Recalling the conversation during the first council meeting she had been dragged into.
The male with the red scarf began reciting some words from a scroll. Still in Celith, the official Zalian language. Then she watched as another male stepped forward and emptied the ash into all their hands. at this point, the mother was till trying to hold it together. But Flame could tell that she was seconds away from breaking down.
They touched their hands to their foreheads, then they all stood and walked several steps away from the crowd where they freed the ashes into the wind. And immediately after, the mother burst into tears, she fell to her knees and wept. Her mate and sons went down with her. Wrapping their hands around her as they tried to offer the same comfort which they also needed.
But then the crowd, started walking towards them as well. And with a heavy heart, Flame watched as the entire group of beings shielded the family and wrapped their hands around each other. It was a very touching thing to look at. And she was seconds away from breaking down herself. But then Nuriel, as if sensing her sorrow, wrapped his arms around her and urged her to remain calm. He could feel her pain. It was like a wound that someone had decided to stir with a sharp knife. And the last thing he wanted was for her to hurt. A single tear would be enough to break him.
And when Flame calmed down, she flattered her lashes open with her head still tucked into his chest. Nuriel spread and folded his wings behind his back. But in the second he took to do so, she had seen her.
The mass of red hair trailing away in the distance.
Her heart suddenly started thumping and she could no longer breathe.
💮🌼💮🌼💮🌼
" You can't keep scaring me like this m'eudail, " Nuriel said as he settled down on the bed next to Flame.
He had flown her home right away after realising that something wasn't right. It was just as it had been that day at the preservatory. She had been breathless and frail.
And the fear he had experienced was still too fresh in his mind. Accodding to Oceal, she seemed fine. He had unintentionally yelled at the healer, asked her to check her again and again until she found out what the issue was. But still nothing.
According to her, Flame was perfectly healthy.
" I'm sorry.. I.. I really don't know what happened, " she said as she tried to sit up. But Nuriel held her shoulder and made her lie down again.
She wondered whether it had anything to do with the red haired female she kept seen. But that was only if she actually saw her. Because part of her believed that she might have been nothing more than a figment of her imagination. And if not then perhaps she was just a normal civilian that had nothing to do with anything. Either way, Flame decided to keep it to herself, and if by any chance she saw the female again and the same thing happened to her, then she would tell Nuriel right away.
" There's nothing to apologize for, I just don't know what I'd do if anything bad happened to you, " he took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles before he laced his fingers with hers.
She was his life, he wouldn't survive without her. It just wasn't possible. And even though they weren't yet bonded, he still felt as though his life was tied to hers in every sense of the word. And angels bonded for life, no matter what happened, their bond with their chosen mates wasn't one that could be broken.
" I'm okay. I promise. "
She gave him an assuring smile that he wasn't able to return. Still too shaken to do anything but worry about her.
There was a knock on the door a while later and the both turned to find Idah standing there with a trey of food.
" I apologize for the intrusion but I thought that milady would like something to eat, "
" Come in Idah, " Nuriel said. His tone formal but he tried to relax his features for Flame's sake. Even went as far as offering the young girl a smile as he took the trey from her.
" Thank you, " Flame said and the girl bowed her head shyly before walking out and leaving the two of them.
" Here, let me help you sit up, "
Placing the trey on the bedside table, Nuriel shifted to sit beside her, then he propped up a pillow and placed it on her back before reaching for the trey and placing it on her lap.
" I can do it,.."
" I'm certain that you can, but I want to do it myself. Now open up, " he dipped the spoon into the bowl of vegetable soup and fed it to her as gently as he could. It was an excuse to spend more time with her. So he made it last for as long as he could. And after she was fully satisfied, he placed the trey aside again and ordered her to get some rest.
A touching order delivered in the sweetest way imaginable. She laid back down, her hand still in his because he refused to let go. And in all honesty, she didn't want him to either. She wanted him to be there when she woke up. And as if reading her thoughts, he leaned in and captured her lips in a tender kiss. Then he presses his forehead to hers with his hand on her cheek.
" I won't go anywhere, I promise. Now close your eyes and rest, " he whispered afterwards. And she did just that.
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When Nuriel had laid down on bed next to Flame, he had not intended on falling asleep himself. But it had been so quiet, and he had truly been exhausted.
Angels also had their limits when it came to staying awake, and he had stretched his a little too far. He didn't even realise it when he drifted off. One minute he had been admiring the peacefulness of his mate and the next, he was fast asleep.
He hated sleeping. Because it was when he was most vulnerable. While he lied there, his chest rising and falling steadily, that was the one time he wouldn't be able to defend himself.
Not from any kind of physical danger, but from the haunting nightmares that refused to let him be.
It was nightfall, and he was still sleeping, then it all came back.
**" I don't know son, I feel as if something isn't right "**
That was his father's voice. He recognised it well. It was the voice of the male that had been with him throughout his entire childhood. The male that had never failed to notice it when something was wrong with his only son.
It was his bhaia's voice.
And he recalled the day well.... he recalled it too well.
They had been in their way to address the beings of the kingdom concerning the terror on the female angels. They were all agitated and upset. And they were angry at this father because they believed he wasn't doing anything to solve the issue.
*i'm certain that she's well, if not then Zephyr would have linked you by now to inform you "*
Those were his words, Nuriel thought. Those were the exact word he had said. He had tried to assure his father that he was overreacting. And he had succeeded. Throughout the entire flight, he had seen how worried his father was. And he had seen the desire to go back and check his mate written all over his face. But Nuriel had convinced his father that it was just his fear. He had urged him to head to the kingdom's hall when his father so desperately wanted to head back.