Forgive Me (complete)

20

I was so tired of everyone telling me what to do. Damian, Avina, Christof, Michael, they all just commanded I do things but no one ever stopped to ask if it was what I wanted. Avina didn't care what I wanted, that went without saying but the rest of them should have held some sort of respect for my wants.

"Where were you," Michael demanded as I approached his beloved podium, "I was looking for you."

"What do you want," I asked flatly.

"Have you been with Damian?"

I rolled my eyes. Oh, I was going to have some fun with this.

I innocently shook my head, "As a matter of fact, I was not. I was with Christof."

"Christof? King Christof?"

"The one and only," I responded sweetly, "Such a kind man."

"Why were you with him," he demanded clearly jealous.

Damn I couldn't even play my own game without getting pissed off at that stupid bitch for commanding me to serve Christof.

"Ask your bitch sister," I responded bitterly.

"Watch your mouth," he warned.

"Well, if you would just believe me, I wouldn't be so worked up."

He rubbed his jaw as he often did when he was frustrated with me. I had a sneaking suspicion I was the only thing that irritated him.

"Fine. We will settle this right now."

I looked at him in shock. Was he really going to believe something I told him? I mean, he wasn't fully trusting me because he was still going to confront Avina. Still, it was a step in the right direction.

"Really? You believe me?" I asked with a slightly excited edge to my tone.

"I didn't say that. We are going to confront the situation. I want to get to the bottom of this."

"And when you realize I'm telling the truth?"

"I will apologize but it is unlikely."

"Can't you just admit that you want to be with me?" I asked quietly.

"I do want to be with you," he said confidently.

"Then..."

"Then what?"

I sighed, "Forget it. Let's go."

"No. What were you going to say?"

"Nothing. Come on."

He crossed his arms and looked at me expectantly. I guess I didn't have much of a choice. I did bring it up so I might as well finish it.

"When can we be together," I asked awkwardly, "I mean...we both know it's in our future so why do you keep fighting against me?"

He looked slightly surprised by the question but I couldn't blame him.

"I don't know," he answered honestly.

I nodded absently, "Okay. Shall we?"

He took the lead and passed into the Underworld. I knew it wasn't fair that I caught him off guard with that question but it was the only way to get an answer that wasn't sarcastic or hurtful. I wasn't up for being treated like shit by him.

He placed his hand on the small of my back as we walked through the main floor, sending my heart soaring. Just the simple contact was another step in the right direction and the fact that we were in public made the moment even better. I doubted he knew how much the simple gesture affected me but I still wondered if it affected him.

I noticed Avina with Keziah, Damian's mother, talking casually in the main area. Keziah was an angel from the same group as Avina though Keziah was married to Samael before Avina was created.

She was quite striking with her long, dark hair, slim waist, and tall frame. Her skin was milk white and shone with the light of an angel. I suppose I wasn't fond of most angels because she irritated me the way Avina did. I felt the way they oozed goodness and compassion was forced and fake. As Michael had proven to me, nothing could be good and compassionate under all circumstances. Even he had his breaking points and he was the highest angelic being in existence.

"Michael!" Avina exclaimed, clearly happy to see him. When her eyes fell on me she looked less enthused but still held a polite smile.

He left me to kiss her on her cheek and greet Keziah in the same manor. It took awhile for me to understand that the angels considered themselves siblings but not in the way I was used to. They are not usually born; they are typically created by Adonai. When Michael said Avina was his sister he meant it but that didn't mean anything in the way of attraction. So for him to show either woman any affection had me coursing with jealousy.

"Michael, it has been far too long," Keziah greeted warmly.

"It has."

"I trust all is well?"

"It is. Avina, may I speak with you privately?" Michael asked.

"Of course," she said and excused herself from Keziah.

The three of us walked into the gardens. Michael probably didn't want us to be heard in case my accusations were false. He wouldn't want Avina to be embarrassed by me though he couldn't care less if he ripped me apart in public.

"Okay, Katrina, please explain exactly what happened," Michael prompted.

Damn. I couldn't. I was bound to secrecy.

"I can't," I said bitterly, glaring at Avina.

"Why not?"

"Ask her," I responded.

He looked over at her expectantly. I wondered if she would be able to lie. I didn't think she could but I really didn't know.

"I released her from our bond just like I said I would," she said innocently.

"What did you do after that," I demanded, outraged.

"I spent time with Damian," she said acting confused.

That bitch! She was dancing around the question!

"Tell him what you did to me!"

"Katrina," she said falsely surprised.

"Tell him where you sent me!"

She looked nervously at Michael but shrugged in response. He looked to me for an answer that I couldn't provide.

"Katrina," he said in that authoritative voice.

"Michael, I swear she did!" I exclaimed desperately.

He sighed, "Avina, did you send Katrina to Christof?"

She stayed quiet. She couldn't lie when he asked her a direct question! HA!

"Avina?" He asked quietly as he examined her.

"Avina! Answer me," he said sternly.

"I had to! She was too much of a temptation for Damian," she responded.

Michael just looked at her like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Do you know what could have happened to her?! She could have been kept there! She could have been raped, Avina!"

"Christof would not have done anything inappropriate," she tried.

I scoffed.

Michael's attention snapped to me, "Did he do something?" He demanded to know.

I shook my head, "Not really."

"Not really or no?"

"As soon as he realized who I was, he stopped," I tried. I couldn't lie to Michael. Something had sort of happened but not really.

"What exactly did he do?" He asked far too calmly.

I crossed my arms and scowled at the ground. It was embarrassing having it assumed I could be used as a whore.

"He only took off my dress before I said your name," I mumbled.

His expression never changed from the stoicism he usually displayed but I could tell he was furious. His body tensed and his calm violet eyes turned to pure rage. My concern was that his anger was directed at me for the incident. If that was the case, it would be typical. He blamed me for everything else so why not this too? He probably assumed I let him undress me even though that was the furthest thing from the truth.

Without warning, he turned and started to leave. Avina quickly followed sending waves of irrational, violent, thoughts coursing through me.

"Michael, where are you going," she begged.

"To ensure Christof is taken care of," he responded in fury.

I noticed her flinch at his anger but grabbed his arm.

"I have told you before not to touch him," I said as I gripped her hair down to her scalp and yanked her back. I knew I should have calmed down but I had it with her.

Her cry of pain acted almost like a beacon for Damian. He instantly appeared, shocked and almost as pissed as Michael.

"Katrina! Let her go!" Damian demanded when I wouldn't release her stupid hair.

"I have told her not to touch him!" I yelled back completely not myself. I couldn't understand why I reacted so violently but it was too late to turn back.

"You will release her or you will be banished!"

"The hell I will!" I cried outraged he would use such a threat, "You have no idea what she has put me through!"

"I don't care. She is your future queen and I will not stand for this treason," he yelled back.

I roughly pushed her head away from me taking a few blonde strands in the process. She quickly got to her feet and ran towards Michael. Clearly she didn't learn her lesson. I stalked towards her when Damian firmly gripped my arm to stop me.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed.

Everyone froze when I snapped. I was so tired of everyone telling me what to do and pushing me around. I was done with it. They would either respect my wishes or leave me alone.

"All of you try to push me around and I am so done with it! Stop telling me what to fucking do! You're both blinded by this stupid bitch and don't you dare deny it! I've been getting the fucking shit end of the stick since Michael decided to finally tell me we're mates and I'm not doing it anymore!"

"Katrina," Michael started cautiously.

"No! You're no different! If anything you're worse than either of them! This entire thing could have been avoided if you would just listen to me for once! I was almost raped because you can't see past a mistake I made!"

That certainly shut him up. Good. He needed to know exactly how I felt about the situation.

"You will never-" Damian started before I turned my wrath on him.

"Oh, now you want to defend her?" I said mockingly, "That's funny because for the last thirty years you didn't give a fuck about her. She sat back and let you do whatever you wanted until she lost her fucking mind and bound me! And to top it off, that wasn't even the worst thing she did to me!"

"What?" Damian asked, astonished.

"That's right. Little miss perfect was going to force me to sleep with you again. She lost her fucking mind, Damian."

"She gave Katrina to Christof," Michael added quietly.

Damian was quiet at first but looked to Avina. She only looked back at him innocently and I knew he didn't have it in him to allow her punishment.

"Leave," he said.

I only shook my head absently but Michael seemed further provoked.

"Are you commanding me?" Michael demanded. I could hear the deadly tone lurking behind his composed mask.

"You will not harm her," Damian said firmly.

"She will be punished for her actions."

"You will do no such thing!"

"She sold my mate! Katrina could have been raped!"

"Not my problem. Katrina did this to herself by carrying on with a married man."

I laughed cynically. Of course! Why not have someone else turn on me?!

"Avina will be punished for her crimes against me," Michael stated.

"She did nothing to you," Damian responded ferociously.

"She has led me to believe Katrina is far worse than she actually is. I turned my back on my mate based on Avina's accusations."

"That is your fault, not hers. Katrina has always been honest but you chose to not believe her."

"Regardless. Avina will suffer the consequences of her actions and you will not intervene," Michael said with the utmost authority.

"You will not punish my wife! I will unleash my army if you so much as come near her."

"That is a threat you had better be able to back, Damian."

"Damian, stop," I tried to no avail.

"I will raise the army if you intend to harm my mate," Damian said, completely ignoring me.

"So be it," Michael responded bitterly.

This was it. This was the war of wars and it was going to be over women. The armies would rise with Damian and Michael leading them to battle. It was prophesied long ago but I didn't know the outcome; no one knew the outcome despite the fact it was written in the bible. Through my time in Hell I had come to understand the humans misinterpreted most of Adonai's word. They twisted it and used it to gain political advantages but they would quickly learn the truth with this war.