Golden Dawn

|Chapter 19 ~ The Dream|

I backed away from him in caution. At the back of my mind I remembered he'd asked me a question, but I only nodded in answer. I didn't trust my voice to verbalize my words correctly.

"W-Why are you here Angelus?" I asked after painfully long minutes, trying not to gape at how beautiful his face appeared in the moonlight. Angelus shifted slightly and a small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. I tried not to gasp, the motion was new to me and somehow only managed to enhance his rugged handsomeness.

"I can be wherever I want to be Artemisia." He said and my heart sped up at the sound of my name. Angelus didn't seem to realize what the state of mind was and turned surprisingly grim. He made no move to come closer. I was grateful, positive that I wouldn't have been able to stay focused otherwise.

"You saw it, did you not?" He questioned, his eyes studying my face. 

I looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"You dreamt of the battle to come, you saw it."

I gaped at him in awe. "How exactly did you know that?!" I huffed. Angelus only gaged my shocked expression indifferently.

"That  you do not need to know right now." He stated with a simplicity that made sudden anger burn in my veins. I glared at him, momentarily forgetting who exactly I was speaking to. Somehow his suddenly cocky attitude was getting more infuriating by the second

"Well I don't think it's very mature of you to stalk me in my dreams, is it?" I snapped. My mind suddenly too overcome with embarrassment to think clearly. Especially not that I was being rude to the most dangerous male on the entire planet.

No. That must have leaped out my brain just like the rest of my common sense.

Although he could've killed me for my disrespect, Angelus didn't seem surprised by my change in tone at all and instead, looked slightly amused by my outrage. 

"True, but you are my guest after all and I must admit, it was a little interesting to gaze into your mind. Your dreams are surprisingly detailed. Much more so than others." 

My anger turned from mere irritation to flaming fury as I scowled at him. I hated the way he said it. Guest. As if he was trying to feign politeness while continuously reminding me what exactly my position in this messed-up hierarchy, was.

Angelus pushed himself away from the pillar and was next to me before I could even blink. It was as if he bent the very essence of time and space in order to get to the other side of the room in less than a second. I finally realized how tall he truly was, the moment he stood next to me. The Lesphares towered over my small frame, an aura of power that I instinctively backed away from. There was nothing delicate nor safe to his demeanour.

Angelus - unbothered by my subtle retreat - looked up at the night sky, his red eyes reflecting the bright light of the milky way above. My anger still burnt shallow beneath my skin, but I managed to keep my voice calm. It was maybe not the best to show the Lesphares how much I detested his unfair attitude towards me.

"There really is a war coming then." I muttered, almost to myself, the horrible images of the annihilated battlefield again entering my mind. I suddenly felt nauseated.

"Yes." 

The answer was simple, but a lot of darkness hid behind the lone word. I shivered at Angelus' grim expression as he continued to look up at the sky, the moon creating dark shadows across his face and also highlighting his cheekbones. He then looked down at me.

"I need you to do something for me Artemisia." He said. I was immediately cautious again. It was odd for such a mighty Lesphares - one that could most certainly destroy the world if he wished - to ask something of a mere human like myself. I immediately backed away from him.

"What?" I questioned. The moon framed Angelus' black hair with a white halo that made him look even more angelic.

"I need you to protect Gandila for me."

I looked up at him, pausing mid-step. The request was strangely sincere, no deception laced into his words. "I was planning on doing that anyways." I said and forced my eyes away from his dazzling maroon ones. Gandila could probably take care of herself, but I agreed to his random request nonetheless, afraid he would have more to say.

"Good." Came his reply and then turned his back on me as if he was going to walk away. I stared at the thick muscles that shaped Angelus' back and suddenly wondered what his wings looked like. They were probably magnificent.

"Well then. My work here is done. I hope you enjoy your evening Artemisia." The Lesphares mused and turned his chin slightly. His tone brought back the familiar itching frustration in my veins. I couldn't believe he had this side to him. It was so different from the indifference he previously pursued in his throne room. 

"Well not if you're going to spy on my dreams from now on." I muttered. Angelus chuckled lightly and the sound made my heart somersault. I never expected the Lesphares to laugh  at me.

Before I could comprehend what just happened, I was alone again. The Lesphares had left without a trace - only the faint smell of metal and smoke - a clue he'd been there at all.

I joined Angelus and Gandila the next morning in the dining area for breakfast. It didn't look like Angelus betrayed anything regarding his secret visit to my bedroom last night to Gandila. The beautiful black haired woman greeted me with a friendly smile that seemed a little forced as soon as I entered. It appeared as if she too, couldn't forget. What also tormented me. 

The end of the world.

 Angelus sat next to Gandila, his eyes closed and body relaxed as if he was sleeping. He opened one crimson eyes when I sat down next to him. Each nerve in my body was keen with caution, inside my heart however, a festival. I was yet again amazed by how immensely powerful the Lesphares was, so much so that the mere air around him seemed to be filled with vigour. His was also irresistible captivating. Achingly so.

A bad feeling begun to make its way into my stomach however, when I eventually noticed Gandila's expression. Her eyes were focused intently on my face and then went to Angelus'. Something about the way her mouth pulled into a tensed line bothered me.

Food appeared on the table and my stomach grumbled at the sight of the delicious edibles that occupied the table. Steaming pork, strange exotic fruits I never imagined existed and crystal glasses filled with a sparkling liquid were laid out in front of us. I immediately stacked food on my plate, doing my best to ignore the ominous feeling that seemed to cloud the entire room.

"Angelus."

I froze at Gandila's icy tone with which she addressed the Lesphares. Angelus however, seemed unbothered and only opened an eye to look at the female.

"When do you plan on telling Artemisia?" Gandila fixed him with a hard gaze, her beautiful yellow eyes slightly darker than usual. Angelus remained impassive and only closed his one eye again. I looked between the two of them in order to try and decipher what they were talking about. After a tensed silence, Angelus finally opened both eyes and sat up straighter. His gaze met my own and I tried to keep my thoughts from spiralling out of control as his steely eyes bore right into me.

"In the next few days, a yearly summit of the realm's most respected ambassadors will be held in my home. This meeting is of extreme importance, while there are currently much at stake."

I tried to not let the absolute dread in my eyes show when I realized what he meant. A war was coming and unfortunately, one that will definitely have an impact on more than just Nova Terra. Angelus' gaze turned dead serious, the blood in my veins freezing as a result.

"I need you to join us for the yearly summit, Artemisia. You will act as an ambassador. An ambassador for all Aliums."