Forbidden: Tormented

Chapter Nine

Elathan stared in stunned horror at the angel on the couch. Her abdomen was a mass of tattered flesh. Half her face was swollen, already bruising.

"Can she be saved?" he asked Irin, who knelt beside the torn body.

"Yes. She can." She pushed the white hair off the cool forehead. The healing words flowed from her and as Elathan watched, the wounds closed.

"Come help, love. I need to straighten wings so that I can heal them."

Elathan covered the unconscious angel with a sheet and moved to Irin's side. Making sure to hold the cloth against her body, he slid his hands beneath her arms and gently stood her up. Irin stood on the other side and felt fury rise. Her poor wings. While she could heal them, where they were broken was the most painful place imaginable.

Quickly, she arranged them to set normally and repeated her words. She felt the spines reset and stepped away from her. As Elathan lay her back on the couch, she spun toward the younger brother.

"He loves her? Really? Because I don't see it. I am trying, I really am, but what the fuck?" She glared at the younger demon.

Andras had been speechless since seeing the condition of Eloa. His brother did this. No, not his brother. Urian. But his brother would suffer for it. He would crucify himself.

"This wasn't Valafar."

Irin looked around as Elathan formed shackles. "I don't see anyone else here."

"It was but it wasn't. It's what I have been trying to tell you. Urian is controlling him. Making him do things. Hell, he attacked me. This is not my brother's work."

The click of steel turned Andras head and he found his brother chained to the only chair in the living room. His head rested on the back and blood trickled down the cushion.

"What did you do to him?"

"Disabled him. He will be fine." Elathan met Andras's eyes. "He was a breath away from killing the angel you say he loves. I had a moment in which to stop him." He shrugged. "Seemed an easy choice to me."

Irin sat on the edge of the couch, mindful of the pure white wings. Holding the angel's hand in her own, she looked up at Elathan. "Do you know who this is?"

"No, I don't." He studied the sleeping form. "Should I?"

"No, I don't suppose. I have never met her since she only recently came to earth. But I know who she is. She is the daughter of the son of God. Born from his tear. Eloa."

She stroked the pale forehead and could only pray the angel would wake up. How much time would it take? She lost so much blood, the pain she must have gone through.

Irin was certain that what Eloa felt would have made her own gutting seem like a stubbed toe. The fingers in her hand twitched and Irin looked up.

Violet eye met hers and they filled with confusion.

~

Eloa felt no pain. How was that possible? Opening her eyes, she found silver-green ones looking at her.

"It's okay." The unknown angel's voice was calm, soothing.

"Who are you? Where is Valafar? Is he okay?" Eloa could hear the panic in her voice, but didn't care.

"He is fine. Just sleeping right now. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am. You healed me?" Eloa asked the angel by her side.

"I did. I am Irin."

Irin. Eloa frowned. She heard that name. Elathan. Lath Ane.

With a gasp, she sat up, ignoring the pressure on her wings. Over Irin's head, she saw him. Tall and foreboding with amber eyes. His eyes were calm as they watched her.