Angel in Chains (10 page)

Inez would never have believed, in her wildest imagination that things would turn out this way.
She was all alone inside a big and empty cave with only her echo to keep her company. She felt like she was the only one left in the entire world, and she was cold. There wasn't much for her to do, but to wait. She either walked around to keep her body heat up, or she slept. That was about all. She made sure to save the small portions of food that she had in her backpack as long as possible. Aledyan had regretted that he had eaten the sandwich she had given him because now she needed every little piece of food she could get her hands on. Luckily she had prepared to be out in the woods for a few days so she wouldn't starve for a while yet.

A whole day had already passed
, and Aledyan was still gone. One huge part of her trusted him. That part knew he would return and save her. One small part of her, on the other hand, was unsure. Maybe every sweet word he had told her had been a fairytale, and he never indented to come back in the first place. Maybe he had left her here to die.

She looked d
own and saw the feather stick out from under her t-shirt.

No, he would never abandon her.

She crouched near the wall and put her arms around her legs. The cold started to get to her. Neither her jacket nor the blanket did her any good. Running around only kept her warm for a few minutes, and she didn't want to take a dip in the warm pool unless it was necessary. Aledyan could come back any minute, and something told her that she needed to be ready then.

She didn't really know what to expect when he came back. She refused to think
if
he came back. So
when
he came back, would he have an answer with him? Or would he come back to tell her there was nothing to be done?

He had
promised to stay with her if he didn't find an answer. At least she wouldn't die alone, but did she really want him to watch her die? No, she didn't. She would make sure he left before the cave closed. He had suffered enough, and another ten years within the cave would break him completely, she was sure of it.

At least it didn't get completely dark inside the cave when the night c
losed in. The blue flames made sure that a dim light filled the cave. It was a pleasant light, but she knew that, in time, she would come to hate it once the cave closed. It would get darker once it did. The light from the outside would not reach her anymore.

Inez sighed and closed her eyes.
This was supposed to have been just a simple trip into the woods, but no. She just had to stumble upon a magical cave and find an angel within. And what an angel he was! Hot, good looking and with looks to die for. Even if she had been scared from the beginning, she had barely been able to take her eyes of him. Love at first sight didn't exist in her world, but yet, she had fallen for him at once. She just hadn't understood it then.

She had no idea what kind of life awaited them if he managed to set her free. She would
be, most likely, the only one who would be able to see him. He would remain her secret for as long as she lived, but it didn't bother her. Neither did she care that people would look at her strangely, wondering why she chose to live alone. She grinned and could almost see herself as an old lady, living in a big house with a bunch of cats, and listening to the whispers about her. She would become the one everyone avoided. Thank God it wasn't the middle ages. Back then she would have been burned alive for a thing like that she believed.

But she would
at least know the truth. She would never be alone. Aledyan would always be there for her, as long as she lived. What would happen after her death was another story though. One she didn't want to think about right now, not much at least. She could only hope that her physical death would not separate them.

She would ask him about that one day, if the chance came. She had a lot to learn from him
. Up until she had met him, she had believed that there was nothing beyond her normal senses. He sure had proven her wrong.

A
faint sound fell upon her ears, and her head jerked up.

Voices!

Her heart started to beat fast, and her eyes went big as she stared at the cave entrance. Was Aledyan back?

She
heard two men talking. They were still outside the cave, and she had nowhere to hide if it happened to be Yorin. Inez swallowed hard, and her body tensed while she listened to their steps coming closer. With each step, her heart raced even more.

The two men
entered the cave. One of them was familiar to her as Vincent. The other one she didn't know, but he looked young, maybe in his early twenties. Her heart dropped when she saw them,
and she tried to make herself as small as possible, trying not to look at them. She leaned her forehead against her knees.

At first they didn't seem to notice her because they were still talking, but after a few seconds everything
became quiet, and she could tell they were staring at her, even if she wasn't looking at them.

“Go tell Yorin,” she heard Vincent say, “that there's a change of plan.”

She carefully looked up and saw the young man run out from the cave. Vincent was standing still, just watching her for a few seconds before he darted forward and crouched in front of her. It made her jump, and she pushed her back against the cave wall.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

She just nodded.

“Good,” he went on. “When did he leave?”

“About a day ago,” she answered with barely a whisper.

“Then he will be back soon
, and if he is smart he will figure out how to set you free.”

Hope awakened inside Inez.
“There's a way?”

“Of course there is. There are several ways, I made su
re of it. Aledyan just has to find one of them.”

Inez stared at Vincent. She had no idea who
m this young warlock was and why he was so eager to help. She wanted to trust him, but something told her not to. After all, he was one of Yorin's men, and he had told her the last time that he wasn't a friend.

He had a
handsome face and almost innocent looking eyes, but there was something in them that made her believe that he had been through a lot. For a short second, she believed she saw sorrow flash by ... and anger, almost pure hatred, but it didn't seem to be toward her.

“Don't worry,” Vi
ncent said. “He will come back for you. You are his true love, and without you he will never be the same. He will fight to keep you safe.”

His words warmed her heart
, and she thanked him with a gentle smile. He held up a silencing hand, stopping her from voicing her thanks.

“Don't,” he said and
stood up. “In the end I will always turn against you.”

Inez gulped. “I don't understand.”

He became silent for a while before he sighed. “I know.”

Yet again Inez heard
footsteps enter the cave. She looked behind Vincent, who was still gazing down at her, and saw the younger man returning together with another man.

Yorin.

He looked nothing like she had expected. She had expected to see an old and bitter man, but instead she stared at one of the most handsome men that she had ever seen. Aledyan was of course still the most handsome, but Yorin wasn't far behind. He seemed to be around six feet tree, and his body was fit with muscular arms, broad shoulders and long legs. Yorin's short and bright hair must have been light brown once, but now there were grey strands here and there. A short beard covered his face, making his grey eyes more noticeable. It felt like he threw knives at her with his gaze, and it forced her to look down.

It wasn't just his gaze that made her rea
lize that he was a dangerous man, it was also the strength and power that he radiated. It made her shiver all over. There was no mistaking that he was a powerful warlock, if not
the
most powerful. Neither Vincent or the other man came close. She was a non-magical person, but even she could feel his power beam at her, and that was not good.

Yet again Inez misjudged Yorin and expected to see anger in his attractive face
when she dared to look up at him again. Instead he just looked her over, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking. He seemed to be Slavic, but she couldn't tell for sure.

“What's your name?” he asked with a slightly Russian
accent, confirming her suspicions about his background. The last time she had heard Yorin's voice she had been too frightened to notice things like that. She was scared now too, but she had been preparing herself mentally for this, just in case. All kinds of different scenarios had played through her mind in the event that she ever had to face Yorin again, and now it had come true. The only thing she didn't know was which scenario would play out. Was he going to kill her, torture her or just leave her to her faith?

“Inez,” she answered, trying to keep her voice steady.

Yorin was silent for a while, just studying her. “Well then, Inez,” he finally said. “I hope you are aware of what you have done.”

He crouched in front of her and reached out
his hand toward her. Static electricity hit her at the same moment he touched her cheek. Pain shot through her head, making her jump high and scream, leaving a burning sensation on her cheek that would ache for hours. She had experiences static electricity many times in her life, but none had ever come close to this. Nothing in Yorin's face showed that he had felt any of it, but his eyes came alive for a while, making her realize it had all been his doing, and he had enjoyed it.

I
t was clear that he was trying to puzzle together how her presence was even possible. Aledyan had told her that Yorin had done everything to prevent her arrival. Inez looked at Vincent, and knew it was all thanks to him. She was grateful for it. Aledyan was now free. Without her he would have still been here.

Yorin followed her gaze and looked at Vincent.

“You're naive, girl, if you think one of my men will save you.”

Inez lowered her head, wonde
ring how much Yorin knew about Vincent's game behind his back, but something told her that Yorin didn't suspect anything.

Yorin stood. “Well, this wasn't what I expected to find, but one thing is
for sure. You are Aledyan's true love, because only she could set him free, and so you have ... obviously.” He rubbed his chin. “And I doubt he will leave you here to die.” He looked around before he looked at her again, his eyes filled with determination. “He will be back, and when he returns ... we will be waiting for him.”

“This is nuts,” Vorian said while flying
toward the big city in the distance. “I have no idea how you two managed to talk me into this.”

Cerin, who flew next to him,
grinned. “How funny, the big, bad warrior is scared,” he teased.

Vorian glared at him. “You don't want to be near Adenar either, so don't give me that shit.”

“He is Inez's only chance,” Aledyan said without humor in his voice.

“
He is perhaps the only chance of the others as well,” Vorian mumbled.

Aledyan
's gaze shot to him. “What others?”

Vorian remained s
ilent for a while, sorrow filling his eyes. Cerin just kept looking ahead.

“Shortly after you disappeared others disappeared
too. We searched for you all, but we couldn't find anyone. It was as if you had just vanished. No one had ever heard of anything like that, but now it's clear that the others must have been taken by Yorin.”

“Who is missing?”

“Samili and Raven.”

Aledyan lowered his head. Samili. A more loving and innocent angel didn't exist.
She always had a smile for whoever needed it, and her presence alone filled you with happiness. Now, Yorin had, most likely, taken that away from her.

Raven
was another story. For a short second Aledyan was glad that Yorin took him and not someone else. Raven deserved it, and Aledyan doubted that anyone actually missed him. He brought more problems than solutions, but at the same time Aledyan knew those thoughts were not fair game. No one deserved Yorin's treatment, not even Raven.

“
How is Eyden handling this?” he asked.

Cerin answered with a sigh.
“Well, you know Eyden. She has still not given up on Samili. She searches night and day, but her impulsive nature has, unfortunately, led her ... astray.”

Cerin's short pause made Aledyan understand.
Even though Samili and Eyden were sisters, they were opposites. Eyden was quick to flare up and had anger issues. He doubted she had improved since Samili disappeared. Eyden had to be worried sick by now.

He
, on the other hand, was worried about Inez. Not a second went by without him thinking about her. Being apart from her was pure torture, and he worried for her safety. Two days had almost passed. He had to return soon, and his only hope was that Yorin hadn't showed up yet.

Cer
in and Vorian forced him to rest before going on a hunt for answers. In his weakened state he wouldn't be able to help Inez, so he allowed himself a few hours of eating, healing, and washing up. Things he had barely done inside the cave. He had really enjoyed it, but with each passing minute his impatience had grown until he couldn't stand it anymore.

Cerin had healed him for almost one hour, re
generating his strength, and now he felt stronger than ever before. He had felt alright in the cave once Yorin had returned his strength, but once outside it became obvious that he was still weak.

But not anymore.

Now he was ready for Yorin, and he would prevent this from ever happening again.

The three of them landed
on a side street in the middle of the city. It was a bright day, and people were moving around everywhere. Stockholm seemed to be a busy city, and the unfamiliar noises hurt Aledyan's ears. After more than two hundred years inside a cave with only his own echoes for company, these noises would take some getting used to. There were people talking, cars and busses driving by and a loud hum that seemed to be everywhere.

Aledyan realized that many things had changed. Vorian and Cerin had let him see the
world of modern humans through their minds so that he didn't get a shock once they arrived in the city. But even if he had seen the cars, the tall buildings, the airplanes and gotten everything explained through the minds of the other angels, he was still surprised and fascinated. This was all new to him and unfamiliar, but right now it wasn't important. They needed to find Adenar if Inez was to have a chance of survival. Time was running out, but somehow Aledyan managed to put his own feelings aside to accomplish his goal. Just like Vorian he didn't want to face Adenar, and he definitely didn't want to ask for his help. That angel gave him the shivers.

They knew, more or less, where to search for him. Adenar always kept himself close to
playgrounds and watched over children. He was their protector, and his ever scanning eyes could detect the slightest danger. He was very good at what he did, maybe too good because even other angels were considered a threat when he worked, and he never thought twice. If he needed to kill to defend the children, he did.

They only needed to search at three playgrounds before they found him. Adenar stood in the middle of the playground with children running around everywhere. They were l
aughing, making a lot of noises and climbing up and down on the play equipment. There was so much good energy in this place that Aledyan could not help but smile.

Then he looked Adenar over
, and his smile disappeared. That was one scary angel. He was huge, even bigger than Cerin, and his dark colors and hawk eyes didn't ease the impression of him.

He was dressed only in a simple loincloth and display
ed his big, solid muscles to anyone who could see him. Just his muscles alone made anyone think twice before approaching him. Adenar's skin was dark as night, and his black wings were spread out, almost stretching from one side to the other of the playground. His facial expression was grim while he watched and cared for every child within his presence. None of the children noticed him of course, but his energy alone kept anyone with foul thoughts away.

Aledyan, Vorian and C
erin made sure to land outside the playground so as not to anger the angel. They knew his temper was short, and he proved that at once. When he made eye contact with them, Aledyan knew that if a gaze could kill he would be dead by now. A dark and heavy looking sword with a purple aura around it materialized in Adenar's hand, and he showed his teeth with a threatening look on his face. The three angels took a step back.

Aledyan put up his hands to show that he didn't want to fight. “We just want to talk.”

Adenar's grip around the sword hardened. “About what?”

His voice was hostile, and that told Aledyan that any move would be a mistake. “I need your help.”

Adenar grinned. “Why would I help an angel who has neglected his duties for over two hundred years? You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Aledyan tensed and reminded himself to stay calm. He had expected this. There was nothing as important as duty for Adenar.

“Don't you dare judge me, Adenar,” Aledyan warned. “I've been imprisoned inside a cave for all this time by a warlock.”

Adenar remained silent for a while, just studying him. He stood motionless with the sword ready. Aledyan tensed, prepared himself for anything. He knew Adenar was unpredictable. He never reacted as Aledyan expected him to. They had never been close friends, but at the same time Adenar never had any friends. He kept everyone at a distance, and seemed to be happy with that. He surrounded himself with children and kept them safe. If it hadn't have been for him, many more children would have had rougher lives. He used his persuasive powers on parents who didn't take good care of their children to make sure they did, but if that didn't work then he gladly haunted their dreams, scaring the parents into doing what he wanted them to do, and he wasn't ashamed of it.

But Adenar
also had another ability, and it was that ability Aledyan wanted to use.

After almost a whole minute of tension Adenar relaxed and his flaming sword disappeared.
Aledyan relaxed too.

“Talk,” Adenar demanded.