---Thorn's POV---
Anger was a powerful emotion. It burned like fire, licking at your mind and consumed every rational thought. It numbed your other senses like ice until you could only the fire rushing through your veins, burning your flesh.
My fists were clenched tightly, a small trail of blood circling between my fingers as I glared down at the small lake. The center was pretty deep and the whole area had an ominous feel to it but above all, I could feel the pain, fear and despair.
A slight shimmer in the darkness caught my attention and I sensed Bidziil readying himself to fight if necessary. Instead, we both relaxed slightly as we caught the wispy form of a water pixie.
Her pale face was illuminated by the moonlight, tears endlessly pouring down her face as she wept silently. She spotted us but made no motion to come towards us, instead circling around the deepest part the lake.
"Is that...?"
I nodded at Bidziil's soft question, tilting my head slightly as I could sense the boy's spirit, lingering in the depths. Those bastards dumped him in the frigid water. Barely alive after their brutal assault and bleeding out.
The pixie had tried her best, even tried using her magic to heal the boy but when the vampires and wolves noticed, they took the boy out of the water and mauled him to death. The pixy's magic rendered useless as she couldn't revive anything without a pulse.
My powers throbbed just beneath the surface, my back aching as the bones flexed underneath my skin. I could sense Bidziil's distress as he tensed up and focused on the sound of beating wings fast approaching.
But my attention was fixed on the little boy in the murky depths of the lake. On his pain and confusion, how he wanted to reach out for the pixie, to have her hold him but he was unable to communicate to her. The pixie's pain filling my body and head until it felt like my skull would crack under the immense pressure.
"Give us the boy, Precursor."
The angel landed with a heavy thump, wings spread out threateningly as he held out a long, luminescent blade. His wings were a pure white, reflecting the rays of moonlight as I simply stared into the water.
"Why should I, Angel? All because of some false sense of justice?" Bidziil sneered, the air crackling as fire curled around his frame while he stood protectively behind me, shielding me from the Angel's view.
"No." Another voice whispered as another male angel descended from the sky and landed elegantly across the lake, eying us with contempt. "The boy's an abomination, his very birth against the rules."
Bidziil snorted at that. "And who are you, to take matters into your own hands, to chose who lives and who dies?" Their wings bristled in anger, eyes flashing dangerously. A female Angel floated closer, fluttering her wings to soften her landing as she eyes us with distain.
"Boys, the Precursor doesn't understand." She tapped forwards elegantly until her feet touched the water just barely, making the pixie cry out until she stepped back. "Listen Precursor, our laws are absolute. Angels aren't meant to reproduce."
"Nor are they meant to act on their own." Bidziil countered back effortlessly, making the angels huff in frustration. A low hum resounded through the air as I sensed for the child's murderers, reaching out for their life-force.
"We are meaning to undo what is wrong." Her eyes flitted to me before narrowing, though there was no true malice in her gaze, simply boredom. "They boy was never allowed to live in the first place."
I scoffed, gaining their attention as they spread out their wings, as if planning to attack me soon. "Not allowed? All I hear from you guys are rules and confinement, restrictions and absolute law. But tell me, what about the rule you're so desperate to break?"
The angels sneered angrily but I stopped them from speaking. "Thou shall not kill. Isn't that one of His commandments? And yet here you are, ready to murder me because in your eyes, I'm unworthy, an abomination. I don't know much about religion nor about this Lord but what the humans told me, was that he loves all his children equally."
They paused, glancing at one another while the female angel seemed...proud. While they were silently gazing, I found the murderers and grabbed a hold of their life-force before jerking my hand.
Instantly the angels fluttered back into the air, cursing slightly as four forms appeared before being flung to the dirt. "What the-"
"It's the boy! He's using his powers!"
A sliver of light was shot in my direction but burned to a crisp before it could touch me. Bidziil's eyes were ablaze with raw hate as the Angels spread out. Only the female stayed calm, folding her wings behind her.
"Amitiel, what are you-"
"Hush, Appoloin. The boy speaks the truth so calm yourself. HE loves his children dearly and hasn't told us to act in HIS stead."
"But his birth is against the rules! Father would-"
"Father would be deeply ashamed of your behavior Appoloin, same as yours Douma." Two more Angels floated gracefully to the ground, landing quietly. All three angels lowered their heads in greeting while the two males, Douma and Appoloin seemed sorrowful.
"Ezekiel. Elijah. I never expected the twins to come down here."
Elijah shook his head, youthful face filled with sorrow as he stared at the water below. "He was too young, taken too quickly. Why are we fighting one of our own, who attempts to bring some order to this maddening chaos?"
He turned in my direction before arching a finely shaped, blonde brow. I could hear several gasps but my mind was closed off, staring into the distance as I felt my powers hum louder and louder. Already the air was filling with countless entities, circling and imprisoning the vampires and wolves while I stood atop the lake.
Water lapped at my feet as I focused on the boy's soul, the faint whispers and cries of pain echoing through my mind and building up to a painful cascade. My senses were drawn inwards to the point where I didn't see, couldn't feel nor could I heard Bidziil shouting my name.
---Bidziil's POV---
Thorn was just... standing in the middle of the lake, seemingly resting on top of the water. His hands by his side, curled into fists and shaking ever so slightly. My nostrils flared as I spotted the small drop of blood curling down his palm and falling down to mend with the water.
"Thorn?"
He didn't respond, didn't even flinch as one of the Angels flew closer to him, observing my lover until he hesitantly reached out.
Next thing we knew, a shockwave blasted the man clear out the sky, forcing him to land a few feet away with wings spread and hair tussled wildly. "Ezekiel! Are you all right??" He nodded, gracefully accepting the help of the dark-haired angel before grabbing his shoulder.
"Calm yourself Appoloin. I merely triggered his self-defense, it was instinctual. No need to attack the boy." The man fumed silently but nodded, narrowing his silver eyes at Thorn before he looked at the men pinned to the floor.
"Why are they brought here?"
I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "They molested and murdered the child in that lake, Angel. Thorn was drawn here as the child called for his help instead of yours."
Before the Angel could angrily snap his retort, Ezekiel threw out his hand while motioning towards Thorn. The water below his bare feet was glowing in an eerie dark light before it turned a sharp blue.
And then Thorn disappeared feet first in the water, as if something invisible yanked him down.
"THORN!"
I rushed towards the edge but before I could leap in, the four pinned men let out sharp cries of anguish, howling in fear as they contorted on the floor. Soon enough they were begging for the pain to stop, a slight cracking of the floor alerted me of the dark spirits before they swarmed three of the men and dragged them down kicking and screaming.
The last one, a young wolf, was left shaking on the floor and begging to be forgiven. My eyes drew back on the water as it bubbled and twisted violently before Thorn burst out of it.
He landed on the shore with grace, holding a limp and pale body of a young boy in his arms. My eyes widened as I saw Thorn's bare chest, dark veins spread all over the surface and intensifying in amount and color as they reached the boy's limp body.
"Asher!" The little pixie flew towards Thorn, buzzing around the boy until she flew back, landing on the floor in human size.
"Is he..." Tears flowed down her face, her black hair curling around her frame as her translucent wings fluttered in the night sky. Thorn didn't respond, merely stepped forwards to lay the boy down on the soft grass, kneeling beside him.
His eyes flared a brilliant blue, glowing in the darkness while entities swarmed around him, letting out pitiful cries and shrieks of dismay. The Angels fluttered with their wings, keeping a close eye on the shadowy figures as they floated past them.
One of the entities even graced its smoky tendrils over Elijah's wings, a faded echo whispering "Angelus...Innocentia..." before it fluttered away in the darkness.
Meanwhile, Thorn was focused on the unmoving boy, placing one of his palms on the boy's chest before leaning forwards, closed his eyes...and pressed a tender kiss on the boy's forehead.
Instantly black veins rushed all over Thorn's face as he made a choking sound, while deep blue veins rushed over the boy's face and down his body. Thorn's breathing choked again, stopping completely for a whole minutes and succeeding in making my heart stop beating.
And then they both inhaled deeply, gasping for breath. The boy fluttered his eyes, coughing weakly while the pixie let out a sobbing cry and flew towards them. "Asher! Oh thank the gods, thank you, thank you-"
She couldn't stop as she hugged the boy to her chest while Asher's fingers curled weakly into her clothes before he started sobbing as she cried for him.
"He will remember... but he will surpass it...He'll be just fine, as long as he has you." Thorn whispered, making the pixie look up at him while she curled her wings protectively around Asher.
"Thank you my lord, Bless you. May the spirits look after you..."
Thorn nodded and stood up slowly, shreds of his shirt falling down his body as he hunched forwards. I nearly choked on my tongue as I spotted two huge, ink black wings bursting free from his skin and knocking Thorn on the floor with the force of their appearance.
I quickly grabbed a hold of him, holding him against my body as we stood up, his wings flapping awkwardly before stilling as I touched it gently. "What of the wolf?" His eyes tiredly landed on the muttering form as I held him upright.
"You...wolf...what's your...name?" He croaked, sagging against me as if he couldn't bare to keep his eyes open any longer. The wolf whined softly before replying "Crone, sir. W-what will you do to me... I'll accept any punishment..."
Thorn rolled his head on my shoulder as I slowly sat down and maneuvered him so he sat in my lap, his wings pressing against my chest. "You...w-were the only one... who didn't.... attack the child. You could've...stopped them...though."
The man hung his head in shame, nodding. "I was afraid, my lord...Terrified of what they'd do to me." I scoffed but didn't interrupt any further as Thorn remained quiet for a moment before tiredly stating that the wolf would have to repent for his sins by protecting the boy and pixie until they both thought he redeemed himself.
And then Thorn passed out, falling limply against my chest while we were surrounded by angels and entities alike.
And I sure as hell didn't know if they were going to remain friendly or attack one another. And I wasn't so sure if I wanted to find out either. But above all, I was damned proud of my man, of how he saved an innocent and brought justice on the boy's murderers.
I just hoped that the Angels could see it that way too.