The Lev n Fax Saga

Part Seven

There's some brief mentions of the aftereffects of torture, just a heads up, friends!

Cyrus hadn't known that an angel could scream like that. The screams sent a shudder down his spine, and his chest tightened in sympathy. How Sorin seemed unaffected by the broken sound was beyond Cyrus.

Cyrus' fingers still glowed with magic as he cast a new spell. He threw a hand up in a sharp motion, and then swept it to the side. Sorin was knocked back from Fax's body. Cyrus gave a flick of his wrist, drawing on Sorin's own magic to fuel his spells, and trying not to let Levant's cries distract him as he erected a barrier between Sorin and the rest of the room.

A snap of his fingers had the bindings on the angel falling away. Lev had been straining forward against them so far that with the ropes gone he tumbled from the chair with a harsh thud. Cyrus winced, and started towards him. Lev was already dragging himself to Fax's still form. Each sob from the angel tore at Cyrus, reminding him just how badly he'd failed. He should have done more to control the situation before it escalated like that.

"Cy, take the damn barrier down," Sorin snarled, distracting him.

Cyrus turned to face Sorin, already shaking his head. "You've done enough, Rin."

"The hell I have. Let me out."

"I didn't agree to this, Rin. You said you'd scare the angel. The hell is this?" Cyrus clamped down on his magic, even as it roiled in his blood, egged on by the magic he was siphoning from Sorin.

"Why are you defending an angel?" Sorin snarled.

Cyrus pursed his lips. "Do you even hear yourself? Do you hear him?"

Sorin had the grace to look ashamed at that. Cyrus closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I'm taking him home, Rin." He waved a hand, letting the barrier drop as he turned back to Lev. Sorin wouldn't hurt him, no matter his feelings towards the angel.

The angel didn't even look up from where he hunched over Fax's still form. His good hand was pressed to Fax's cheek, and while his sobs were slowly dying off, tears rolled relentlessly down his cheeks. Cyrus swallowed hard. The angel's back was ripped open, little more than a raw mass of ragged cuts. Cyrus knew his front was no better. What in the hell had possessed Sorin to brand this pitiful creature?

Cyrus was slow to kneel beside Lev, not wanting to startle him. "Levant?" He tried softly. No reaction. "Levant."

Slowly, so very slowly, Levant looked to him. His gaze was flat, and he didn't bother to wipe away his tears. "Is it my turn?"

Cyrus thought he might be sick. "No. No, no, of course not- I'm so sorry." He tried to find a safe place to rest his hand, but everything was cut or bloody or broken or bruised and, dear God, maybe he really was going to be sick.

Lev's expression somehow flattened even more. "Please," he said softly.

"No. I'm sorry, but no." Cyrus found a safe place to put his hand. "I'm not... nothing more is going to happen to you. I'm taking you home, alright?"

There were no words to describe the dead look the angel gave him. Lev turned back to Fax. "He is my home. Was...was my home."

Cyrus closed his eyes for a moment. "Can you stand?"

"I don't want to." When he made himself look at the angel, Lev was hunched over his broken hand, watching Fax's still face. "I want Fax. I want to stay with him. I want-" His voice cracked. "Please."

"He's going home too. I'll take care of everything. Okay?" Cyrus looked over at Sorin. "Could you maybe-"

Asking for Sorin's help wasn't an option. And not for the reason Cyrus had expected. Sorin looked like he'd seen a ghost. His blank stare was no better than the angel's. Cyrus took a deep breath. Fine. He could do this.