My Fallen Angel

I cringed as those words left Seraphines lips, Ashlandils arms abruptly tightening around me. I couldn't see Cronus face, not with my own against Ashlandils skin, but I heard his sharp in drawn breath.
Oh no!
His son!
I know he'd cared so much for his child, it was obvious in the way he'd spoken of him to me before. And he'd been doing all this for him as well!
"You killed my son?" Cronus voice was soft, lethal, and I'd never heard him sound like that before.
"Okay, it was an accident. We were just.... Having a little fun and I got carried away and --- well hey, now you don't have to worry about him!" her voice was so mockingly bright it made me shudder. "And you can always have more sons you know."
Cronus didn't speak.
I hesitated before pulling away from Ashlandil, both of us warily watching Cronus as he stood stiff, not even a muscle twitching as he looked at her. I could see the black slowly spreading from the veins around his eyes to the rest of his body; strange how I carried them in my wrists and he his eyes, but every angel was different.
"Cronus," Ashlandils voice was warning.
"You --- Connor ---." Cronus voice was filled with rage, his teeth gnashing together as he started to contort again, an angry bellow wrenching out of his throat and echoing through the tall open building.
I cringed, Ashlandil pulling the both of us out of the way of fire.
Seraphine suddenly looked uneasy; she apparently hadn't expected him to actually be so upset. But how could she not!? That was his child!
"Cronus, let's not do anything hasty you'd regret now," she spoke nervously, taking a wary step back. "Come on now."
Cronus snarled at her, his jaw actually unhinging for a moment as it grew, and I felt a sick feeling wash over me as I looked at him, one that settled in my throat and made me shudder.
Cronus looked like the picture of a humans demon, all twisted and snarling.
"Cronus," Seraphine warned him one more time, now refusing to back away any farther. "Last chance not to attack me. You won't survive."
He went for her. She huffed as he attacked, easily dodging his long swing and making a beeline across the room. She put a good distance between her and Cronus before looking at Ashlandil pointedly.
"Cronus killed Geneva!" she burst, the words spilling from her lips. I felt Ashlandil go rigid, his entire body tensing so much it had to hurt him.
Shit!
How did she know about that!?
Cronus staggered to a brief stop, his jaw swinging slightly where it hung down, tongue tucked tightly in his mouth. His eyes flicked to Ashlandil, who I could feel begin to shake, his hands fisting in the material of my shirt.
"You.... You killed her?" his voice was soft, shaking with a rage he hadn't released yet. He pulled away from me, red crawling up his skin as his eyes blazed. I could see the darkness easily returning to him as he let go of me completely, his entire focus shifting to Cronus. "You took her from me!?"
"He did!" Seraphine nodded, still braced for an attack. "You told her the truth about us, a human, and she became a threat that you weren't going to deal with. She could have exposed all of us, so he took care of her while there was still time --- and you were sleeping right beside her completely oblivious." her voice was more of a taunt now.
Shit!
My hands clamped around Ashlandils arms, trying to hold him still before he decided to kill Cronus.
How did Seraphine know all that!?
Did she know that I knew?
My eyes went nervously to her before back to Ashlandil.
"You... You..." he couldn't even form words, and I saw him swallow, the pained look on his face disappearing into an angrier one. "You murdered the love of my life...."
I frowned.
"She was a human, she'll come back." Seraphine said, prodding and poking his fury like one would do an angry bear. "They always do."
"I waited a thousand years for her!" Ashlandil hissed, wrenching himself away from me, forcing me to take a step back. "I grieved over her, you worthless piece of shit! How dare you take her from me!"
"Ash ---," I tried, but he shoved me away from him again with an angry roar, throwing himself forward and darting across the room, slamming his body so hard into Cronus own that it sounded like a clap of thunder. Ashlandil was bellowing words I couldn't hear or understand, some in English, some in a language even I didn't recognize.
"Stop, Ashlandil!" I shrilled, but either he ignored me or didn't hear me. I'd never seen him so angry, so dark as when he was fighting Cronus, losing all control of himself as he fought him. I could see his skin graying, his hands turning almost to talons as he swiped dangerously close to Cronus face --- the horns protruding from his forehead had never been so long before!
"Ashlandil, stop!" I screeched, staring forward, intent on stopping them before this got any worse.
They weren't enemies!
But at least it made sense why he'd killed Geneva now. Ashlan hadn't been able to glamour her, and if he was going to run away with her ---.
"Ah, let them fight it out," Seraphine clucked, suddenly standing beside me, her arms crossed. I took a step away immediately, my senses flaring as her perfume burned my nose, a pungent scent that you never forget.
"No! Ashlan ---!"
"Hey, you heard what Ashlandil said! Cronus killed the love of his life, the only person asblandil has ever so treasured," she reminded me, almost tauntingly. "You and I both know he's going to kill Cronus no matter what we do."
"But, but he ---."
"Oh, hush, Kenali," Seraphine scowled at me.
How could she be so brazen as to stand so close to me after what I'd done to her? I looked at her in astonishment, seeing the smug look in her eyes. I'd burnt her to a crisp, it would have taken months for her to recover, and yet here she was, standing beside me as if we were old friends.
Never.
"This is your doings!" I hissed, clenching my hands as I turned to look at her, the pain of my broken arm now forgotten. "They don't need to die! You're troublesome ---."
"Kenali, I swear, I'm not surprised you're driving Ashlandil crazy," she snapped, interrupting me again. "No wonder he's ---."
"Shut your mouth, Seraphine!" I snarled, turning on her abruptly. "Quiet!"
She glared at me, dropping her hands to her hips as she twisted away from me with an indignant sniff.
I didn't want to hear her! I wanted to ---.
I screamed, my hand dropping to her wrist as her nails cut through the tender skin of my stomach. She snarled at me, forcing her weight on me and knocking me to the ground, my back hitting sharply on a busted piece of the concrete floor.
My baby!
I grabbed both of her hands, my black blood sizzling on her fingers as she straddled my hips, bearing down on me so I couldn't move. She was snarling down at me, struggling against my grasp, and I could see her skin start to shimmer with scales ---.
My eyes flicked down to my stomach fearfully, only barely able to feel the pain of the cuts inflicted against my skin, and my heart welled into my throat as I saw red blood start to mix with my black, spilling out onto my clothes and soaking through.
I felt a cry wrench out of my throat, and I threw myself to the side, forcing her to roll off of me, staggering a few steps. She half turned with a hiss as I crawled back from her, desperately trying to keep her away from me, get enough distance where I could stand and run!
My hand pressed tightly against my stomach, but I kept bleeding red, and I was starting to leave a trail behind me as I went. I heard Ashlandil bellow my name before there was an awful crashing, the entire building quivering, but I didn't dare take my eyes off Seraphine as she stalked towards me.
Cronus had just been a distraction for Ashlandil.
That had been Seraphines plan.
Did she know we'd kill Iriel?
Why would she hurt the baby?
Because of Andiel ---? Because it was his?
No!
"Stop running, Kenali!" Seraphine shrieked, glaring at me with black eyes as she got closer and closer to me. "I'll make it quick!"
My hand slipped on the concrete, whether because it was covered in blood or sweat I don't know. I just know I felt the concrete against my shoulders, and I rolled to my side, my hand numb against my stomach as I tried to claw myself forward, frantic and afraid and ---.
"Kenali!"
Andy ---?
I raised my head just as Seraphine grabbed me, both of us looking at the building doors.
Andy? No! He couldn't be here, he had to run!
"Andiel ---! Run!" I cried, but Andy stood in the doorway, his face a mask of horror. He was still wearing his suit and was breathing heavily like he'd been running for miles. He took a hesitant step forward, his handsome face turning from shock into --- rage?
"Release her, Seraphine!" he suddenly thundered, and I cringed as his voice echoed throughout the building, ringing in my ears.
There was suddenly a flash of light so bright I was blinded.
I heard Seraphine scream, and then ---.

Notes