Tightening an arm around the girl’s waist, he lifted his mace in the air. Wintery wind swirled around him, and the weapon glowed brightly—a miniature green star in the middle of the night—before he crashed it against the street. The asphalt cracked, chunks flying in all directions, and a web of fissures extended as a shock wave followed. The enemies were swept away by the energy release in a matter of seconds.
Not willing to lose this opportunity, the ex-celestial extended his dark wings and jumped into the air. The chilly currents embrace him, carrying him higher in seconds as if answering the wishes of their master.
He looked at the human female in his arms and time appeared to stop while the memories assaulted him. Those same cinnamon brown eyes sparkled at him as their owner twirled and laughed around him. Her dance seductive and fun on equal parts.
The same plump lips that gave in to his sinful desire and moaned as he pleasured his lover, even when he was as virginal as her.
Her skin glistening with sweat as she brought the first of their children into the world.
The same voice roughened by tears which asked him to stop his father when his brothers came for her and their children—who had been deemed a danger to humanity and sentenced to death.
The human female inside his arms was the exact copy of the one he had fallen in love with and formed a secret family all those millennia ago. A copy of the woman his brothers had coldly murdered in front of his eyes before his father ripped his Grace from him and threw him in a dark hole. Cut off from the Light for eternity.
All because he had dared to love his father’s creation as a man instead of a brother.
How could he still wish to return home? How could he still wish to live among people who made him suffer so much?
Lost in thought, the Fallen Angel didn’t feel the disturbance in the air currents until it was too late.
Something heavy crashed into his back, breaking his ascend, and plummeting him from the air. It was pure luck he didn’t accidentally release the human girl in his arms. However, she screamed the moment they began to fall, forcing him to look down. Thank God, it was the roof from the building he watched her from and not the street below what was coming to greet them.
Maneuvering in the air, he positioned them so that she was on top the moment they crashed. He grunted, losing the air in his lungs as his back hit the concrete and was dragged on it by the force of the momentum. He felt some of his feathers being ripped from his wings, but, thankfully, no bones were broken.
Still tightly gripping his human, he lowered his gaze to her and watched her stillness with mounting worry.
Was she injured? Had he miscalculated the force of the impact and she got hurt despite his efforts to protect her?
“Camille? Camille, talk to me, please.”
Grunts and groans sounded to his left, taking his attention. A couple was slowly getting to their feet a few meters away from him. Not soon after he felt the human girl move on top of him, and his gaze shot toward her.
Her big almond-shaped eyes opened, and her lips moved almost hypnotically. “Are you hurt?”
She’s concerned about me?
He could only shake his head, throat too tight to talk. In all his long life, no one except his late wife, Kezia, had showed concern for his wellbeing. But here was this girl doing exactly what his wife had done all those millennia ago.
Not to mention she is Kezia’s spitting image.
“Are you alright?” he rasped. His voice thick by the emotions clashing inside of him.
“Could you release me so I can get up? It’s embarrassing to be on top of you,” she whispered as a fierce blush colored her cheeks, almost making her lovely freckles invisible.
“Only if you answer my question.”
“I’m fine.” Her voice took a slight tone of exasperation as she rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t me who took the brunt of the fall.”
“Is anyone hurt?” A male voice barged in, ruining the moment. “We’re so sorry. You see, all this is my girlfriend’s fault. She’s quite wealthy, so she can pay if—”
“Shut up, Marcus,” a blonde shushed the male, annoyance dripping from her tone.
Taking the opportunity, Camille disentangled herself from her savior’s arms and shot to her feet. He followed suit not soon after. His actions didn’t deter her, though. Putting distance between herself and the trio, she hid behind her black-winged angel. Maybe if she made herself the smallest possible, they wouldn’t notice when she escaped. The problem was that she had nowhere to go.
“Geez, you sound like Vergil. Neither of you can take a joke.” Marcus shook his head before a smile bloomed on his lips. “Guess there’s no denying you’re truly his niece.”
The blonde feigned a laugh and stepped around Camille’s protector, bright amber eyes falling over her. The girl felt goosebumps raise on her arms because of the stare alone.
“Are you okay, miss?”
“Take one more step and not even that familiar hiding in your necklace will be able to help you, witch,” the black-winged angel threatened, moving between them, and successfully blocking Camille from the blonde woman.
One brief pulse of warmth radiated from the ruby necklace hanging from Camille’s neck. Her brow furrowed, but before she could question her sanity, the warmth disappeared.
“Hey, that’s my woman you’re threatening...!” The man called Marcus stopped beside the black-winged angel, assessing him from head to toe. “…whatever the hell you are.”
“Back off, Marcus. Judging by those solid black wings, I’d say he’s a Fallen Angel. Way out of your league, my love.” The blonde warned in a demanding yet caring tone, her eyes never wavering from the Fallen in front of her.
The woman’s amber eyes turned molten gold and the wind blowing around them got chillier, making Camille shiver.
Then, it happened again. The ruby got warm once more. This time a pulsing glow accompanied the warmth before it vanished.
What the hell was happening? Was the necklace reacting to the blonde stranger? What was she supposed to do?
“I suggest you leave before the creatures fighting down on the street decide to attack us as well. It was bad enough that your faulty magic almost got my charge hurt, witch.” Without letting the female defend herself, the black-winged angel spun on his feet and lifted Camille in his arms before jumping into the air.
The gem nestled on her chest glowed and began heating up as the angel’s powerful wings took them higher. Almost as if it was angry at their departure. The heat rose until Camille yelped and yanked the ruby pendant away, her ivory skin singed. “Go back! I need to go back to them.”
Looking bewildered at her, the Fallen hesitated.
“Return me to the rooftop. Now!” she begged to him.
Maybe it was the frantic eyes she must have had or the sight of the burn as she held the pendant away that convinced him, but he finally complied.
Swiftly lowering them to the rooftop, they landed in a middle of a conversation between the witch and her boyfriend.
“…use him again,” Marcus said.
The blonde witch shook her head. “I already took a lot of energy to stabilize my magic and it didn’t take us the whole way. If I drain my familiar again, he’ll have nothing to help us with when we face the Yakuza.” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “We have to find another way to reach Yamaguchi’s mansion before Vergil does. I’ll hate myself for this, but my father…”
“Maybe you can use this,” Camille offered, stepping forward. Taking off the necklace carefully so the ruby pendant wouldn’t touch her skin, she presented it, holding it by its silver chain. “I think it wanted to be used by you and burned me to make me heed its wishes.”
“Are you sure?” The angel asked from behind her, indecision plain in his voice.
“Magic items don’t work for me. It was a fluke this one brought me here,” Camille explained before facing her savior. Heat flushed her cheeks and a timid smile appeared on her lips before she could stop it. “Anyway, I don’t need the necklace because you can take me home.”
Using the same tactic the angel used with the witch, Camille faced the blonde female without waiting for her savior’s replay. She truly hoped he would agree to help her return home.
“Come on, miss. Take it.”
The witch smiled and took the necklace. “Thank you. Let me heal what this naughty thing did to you in return for your kindness.”
“No! I will heal her,” the Fallen angel exclaimed, pulling Camille toward him. “Do not touch her with your black magic.”
Frosty winds surrounded the Fallen and his human before they disappeared in a blink of an eye. Teleporting away was preferable than accepting the help of a black magic user.