~~Young~~

Chapter Eleven

   “Why her?” he whispered…aloud unfortunately.

   “What?” Sera sniffled as she looked up to him.

   He gave her a small smile and shook his head, taken aback seeing the surrender in her own eyes, “Nothing beauty,” he ran his hand over her hair, “just mumbling.”

   She nodded and shifted again, pressing her cheek against his chest as she took in a shaky breath. Funny, the anxiety was as strong as ever but her touch kept him from wanting to rub it away. Instead he wrapped his own arms around her back so he could hold her closer still, his chin resting on her shoulder…his gaze absolutely astonished at the intricate lines all over her skin.

   He had never really liked tattoos of any kind, felt they were mostly a waste of time, but this, this was incredible.

   He had glimpsed it earlier when she had undressed, but hadn’t had the time to truly appreciate it, what with Sera slowly suffocating in front of him and whatnot. It was a tattoo that went all the way from her shoulder blades and finished somewhere beneath the waistband of her absolutely endearing pink panties. It was layer after layer of feathers, wings, in elaborate detail filling her entire back. He could make out every rib, every vein in the dark feathers.

   Not dark, black.

   He traced the outline of the closest feather with his finger as he thought about the tremendous amount of pain she had to have gone through to finish something of that detail. It must have taken hours upon hours to complete. Was it anything compared to the pain she felt inside, was it worse, better? Maybe she enjoyed it. He had known humans who cut themselves as a way to physically manifest their pain, was the tattoo her release?

   And who was the skilled artist who created such a work of art on her skin? He would like to meet them, give the certain veteran of the art a handshake for his efforts. The quality was consistent through the entire piece, every feather as lifelike as the next, and everyone etched into Sera’s creamy skin forever. Unmarred skin he had thought until now. Like so many other matters he had never expected that of her, to wear this masterpiece on her person.

   But really, he never expected to have her in his arms either. Wanted? Oh very much so, but never in this capacity.

   “She’s pretty I’ll give you that,” Death shrugged nonchalantly, “but I still don’t see what’s so special about her.”

   And neither did he. Even after what Michael had told him he couldn’t, couldn’t see this fragile mortal as a savior of her race.

   Michael…

   He did say Gage would cause his own pain on this one didn’t he?

   That bastard!

   He looked down to Sera and her still pained features…

   …yeah he wasn’t going to be right in the head after killing her.

   Why? He mouthed to Death, knowing she knew exactly what he was getting at. She was here after all, so she had known Sera’s death was coming, knew how out of character Gage’s actions were…

   “Maybe this is God getting back at you for all the shit you pull.”

   He closed his eyes and sighed again, this time mouthing to Death ‘how long’.

   “I guess that’s up to you now isn’t it.”

   He looked back to her with wide eyes.

   “Yeah it’s you, and you know it too so don’t look so surprised. When has a mortal ever had an encounter with an immortal without it resulting in the death of the mortal? Whatever ends this girl’s life,” she placed a hand on Sera’s back and she shivered, “you’re the reason she’s dead because of your involvement with her.”