she could not force her addled mind to understand.
When he touched her, grabbed her shoulders… all hell broke loose.
Her claws sprang out, full length. She raised her arm, meaning to slash open his massive chest, but Uriel grabbed her wrist.
The man could see neither her ethereal weapons, nor the Angel now restraining her, keeping her from claiming his life. He simply watched, amazed, as the tiny little woman covered in colorful curls, struggled with the very air about her.
Fear has claimed her mind , the man thought.
“Hold, Naga,” Uriel shouted. “Don your mask. Calm yourself. That is not Musashi. Look closer. He is not—”
She screamed as she tore free from the mighty Arch, leaving him with a nasty cut down the length of his forearm, and minus a handful of his lovely angelic hair.
“Why… you little demon,” he snapped.
Then, her maddened eyes revealed to him the extent of her temporary insanity. Naga was gone. She stood before him as weapon only—raw, unreasoning, Death.
By the gods… What did that man truly do to you? Uriel thought.
The Arch lunged for her just as another raven-haired man stepped into the secret clearing.
She dodged Uriel’s grasp and found herself, face to face, with a dear friend and trusted companion.
“Yui!” Jenevier flung her arms around his neck and held on for dear life.
The shocked man slowly returned her frantic embrace, fixing his gaze upon the now unarmed man before him.
Time froze.
“Kagi Naga, open your damn eyes before I remove your head,” Uriel shouted.
She shook her head violently, burying her nose into the second man’s neck, her curls half covering his hardened face.
“Yui, I thank all that’s holy, you are here.” She pulled back, holding his cheeks in her hands. “He is alive, Yui. He came back for me.” She smiled lovingly at the confused man. “I knew you would save me. Just like last time. Hold me in your arms, dear friend. Keep me safe. Hide me from the beast.”
She kissed his fair cheek and then his nose. Giggling at the look on his face, Jenevier kissed him again, over and over until he gave in to her.
Tightening his arms about her, the man looked deep into her magical eyes, tenderly ran the tip of his nose along her cheek bone, and then inhaled deeply the thick rose scent of her colorful hair. He moaned softly, then slowly covered her mouth with his. She was startled by this unusually forward action. Yui had never kissed her like this before, not like a man would. But she was too relieved by his presence to just push him away. His tongue entered her mouth just as a burning, searing pain shot through her back.
Jenevier fell to her knees, gasping for air that wouldn’t come. Loud shots rattled her ears, bounced through her throbbing head. Then… Yui’s body fell to the ground before her, crumpled in an unnatural position. She focused on his still open eyes, on his still open black eyes. All life had left them.
Then, she heard the reapers—the dark ones, the ones that made her shiver, caused painful goose bumps to cover her arms.
“Yui?” she whispered, confused.
She tried to reach for him, one shaky hand stretching out toward his long raven locks. Another sharp pain in her back caused her to retch. Darkness slowly closed in around her. She felt strong arms encompass her, lifting her into the air.
“Naga, open your eyes.”
She heard Uriel’s voice, distant and fading. She tried to do what he said, only to behold an unfamiliar blood-stained shirt blocking her blurry vision. His strange scent filled her nostrils. Then, she slept.
*****
“Naga. Naga. Open your eyes, Naga.”
“Yui?” she rasped.
“Open your eyes, Kagi Naga.”
It was dark. A single lamp was all that illuminated the tiny hut.
“I… thirst.” She choked out the words.
Large hands seized her shoulders, gently pushing her back down onto the hard mat. She winced from the pain.
“Do you have any idea how long you have lain here?”
She
When he touched her, grabbed her shoulders… all hell broke loose.
Her claws sprang out, full length. She raised her arm, meaning to slash open his massive chest, but Uriel grabbed her wrist.
The man could see neither her ethereal weapons, nor the Angel now restraining her, keeping her from claiming his life. He simply watched, amazed, as the tiny little woman covered in colorful curls, struggled with the very air about her.
Fear has claimed her mind , the man thought.
“Hold, Naga,” Uriel shouted. “Don your mask. Calm yourself. That is not Musashi. Look closer. He is not—”
She screamed as she tore free from the mighty Arch, leaving him with a nasty cut down the length of his forearm, and minus a handful of his lovely angelic hair.
“Why… you little demon,” he snapped.
Then, her maddened eyes revealed to him the extent of her temporary insanity. Naga was gone. She stood before him as weapon only—raw, unreasoning, Death.
By the gods… What did that man truly do to you? Uriel thought.
The Arch lunged for her just as another raven-haired man stepped into the secret clearing.
She dodged Uriel’s grasp and found herself, face to face, with a dear friend and trusted companion.
“Yui!” Jenevier flung her arms around his neck and held on for dear life.
The shocked man slowly returned her frantic embrace, fixing his gaze upon the now unarmed man before him.
Time froze.
“Kagi Naga, open your damn eyes before I remove your head,” Uriel shouted.
She shook her head violently, burying her nose into the second man’s neck, her curls half covering his hardened face.
“Yui, I thank all that’s holy, you are here.” She pulled back, holding his cheeks in her hands. “He is alive, Yui. He came back for me.” She smiled lovingly at the confused man. “I knew you would save me. Just like last time. Hold me in your arms, dear friend. Keep me safe. Hide me from the beast.”
She kissed his fair cheek and then his nose. Giggling at the look on his face, Jenevier kissed him again, over and over until he gave in to her.
Tightening his arms about her, the man looked deep into her magical eyes, tenderly ran the tip of his nose along her cheek bone, and then inhaled deeply the thick rose scent of her colorful hair. He moaned softly, then slowly covered her mouth with his. She was startled by this unusually forward action. Yui had never kissed her like this before, not like a man would. But she was too relieved by his presence to just push him away. His tongue entered her mouth just as a burning, searing pain shot through her back.
Jenevier fell to her knees, gasping for air that wouldn’t come. Loud shots rattled her ears, bounced through her throbbing head. Then… Yui’s body fell to the ground before her, crumpled in an unnatural position. She focused on his still open eyes, on his still open black eyes. All life had left them.
Then, she heard the reapers—the dark ones, the ones that made her shiver, caused painful goose bumps to cover her arms.
“Yui?” she whispered, confused.
She tried to reach for him, one shaky hand stretching out toward his long raven locks. Another sharp pain in her back caused her to retch. Darkness slowly closed in around her. She felt strong arms encompass her, lifting her into the air.
“Naga, open your eyes.”
She heard Uriel’s voice, distant and fading. She tried to do what he said, only to behold an unfamiliar blood-stained shirt blocking her blurry vision. His strange scent filled her nostrils. Then, she slept.
*****
“Naga. Naga. Open your eyes, Naga.”
“Yui?” she rasped.
“Open your eyes, Kagi Naga.”
It was dark. A single lamp was all that illuminated the tiny hut.
“I… thirst.” She choked out the words.
Large hands seized her shoulders, gently pushing her back down onto the hard mat. She winced from the pain.
“Do you have any idea how long you have lain here?”
She
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