Defiant Destiny Ch. 02

Not one to dawdle on destiny, I once again beat my wings and flew down into the increasing narrowing gorge. The deeper I went, the quieter it became. After a while I couldn't hear the loud explosions of brimstone being blasted in the air anymore. The little bit of light that did manage to seep through the clouds didn't make it down here either. The darkness and silence I found myself in were somehow comforting, and the air seemed cooler down here due to the lack of lava. Yet that beautiful pale blue light was all that I cared about. It pulsed occasionally, quietly guiding me towards its source.

The gorge was quickly becoming too narrow for me to fly, so I landed on the rocky ground and continued my journey on foot. The light was intermittently becoming brighter, and as I rounded a corner, I saw its source. A wide underground clearing stretched out before me, leading down to a cave entrance. A steady pale blue glow was coming from within, occasionally pulsing bright. Curious, I walked up to the entrance.

A soft sound echoed from within the cave. It was a female voice, singing. Sneaking towards the cave entrance, I noticed intricate designs carved on its walls. Beautiful elaborate decorations depicting large battles, ships on high seas and various sea creatures, weaving through one another. It was astonishing and reminded me of what the humans would describe as viking art. Such beauty and sophistication one did not expect to find in a horrid place like hell.

Folding my wings on my back I quietly walked onwards into the cave. Torches with blue light adorned the walls, casting a serene and peaceful glow. The singing became louder and I neared an open area where I saw a woman sitting on a beautifully decorated stone stool at an equally stunningly decorated table. Her back was turned towards me, and she seemed to be working on a gemstone covered wooden staff, all the while singing a song in a language I didn't recognize. She appeared to be mid thirties and her hair was the lightest shade of blonde you could imagine - almost white. It was straight and very long, almost reaching to the floor in her sitting position. She wore a beautiful dress in a deep blue color that had intricate patterns stitched onto it with a golden thread.

For a while I just stood there, watching her work on that wooden staff, watching it pulse with blue light and listening to her sing that beautiful song. When the song wound to an end, the woman stopped singing and laid down her tools. Apparently the staff was finished. She carefully inspected the carvings she had created, briefly stroked a white gemstone embedded in the staff and put it down on the table. She got up, turned around and looked me straight in the eyes. I shivered. Her eyes had no pupils and were completely white. A gentle, pale blue glow emanated from them. She just stood there, looking at me. Appraising me.

"Cyrea..." I heard a deep voice calling out to me. I looked at the woman, confused. Her lips hadn't moved. "Cyrea..." said the deep voice again. Suddenly my body started shaking violently and an immense pain seared through my head. I screamed as the image of the woman in the cave dissolved into darkness. With a loud gasp I woke up, a worried Alexis hovering in front of my face, his hands tightly gripping my shoulders. Disoriented and with a splitting, mind boggling headache I looked around to realize I had fallen asleep in bed next to Dante.

The scent of another man near me while my mate was still unconscious triggered an instinctual ferocious growl and I bared my fangs and claws at the intruder. Immediately my brain realized it was Alexis and I grumbled an apology while rubbing my painful, throbbing head. Apparently it was a dream after all...

Alexis had taken a step back, but was still concerned about me. "Are you OK?" he asked me softly.

"I'm fine... Just a splitting headache..." I grumbled hoarsely.

Alexis looked at me with a frown, assessing me. "You fell asleep watching Dante, and it looked like you were having a bad dream. I tried to wake you, but I couldn't. You didn't react to anything. I couldn't reach you..." He looked deeply into my eyes, still concerned. "Are you sure you're OK?"

I managed to conjure up a small smile for Alexis's sake and assured him, "I'm fine, I was just having a strange dream, that is all." A dream I wasn't comfortable discussing with Alexis at this moment.

Still feeling drowsy I let my gaze wander over Dante's body. Still no change. I sighed and curled up against him, rubbing my face on his chest and soothing myself with his scent.

***

Days passed, and still Dante hadn't woken up. Thankfully the thrashing had completely stopped after the third day. I had hoped it would give his body some reprieve as it still worked through the transformation, but it was clear to see that his body was wrecked and Dante was completely and utterly exhausted by the transformation that still hadn't finished. It had been nearly six days now since his change started, and his breathing and heartbeat had become very shallow and irregular. The powerful man that claimed me was withering away before my eyes and still I couldn't detect even a hint of consciousness.

Alexis stayed with me all this time. We were both forced to cope with this situation, and it was comforting not having to do it alone. Alexis addressed the workmen that came to work on the club, introducing himself as Dante's business partner. He told them Dante was currently sick and resting upstairs, and that the work at the club was to be postponed for at least a few days. They grumbled a bit, but when Alexis offered to continue paying their wages they were completely fine with it. Humans... So obsessed with money...

Alexis and I took turns watching over Dante so the other could go out, get some fresh air or, in Alexis's case, get something to eat. Dante was the last person I fed from and, despite not knowing if he would ever wake up, I could not feed from someone else without his permission. My bond with him seemed to be working fine in that regard, no succubus would ever feed from someone other than their master unless their master allowed - or ordered - them to.

Alexis was a charming and funny man, with an interesting liquorice addiction, and I could see why he and Dante are friends. He was no snob like the other angels. In fact, he was quite something. I was thoroughly impressed with his life story, and felt for him when heaven tossed him out like trash. 'I know I'm biased, but I would choose a life of sin over that of a Gatekeeper any day,' I decided.

Still, as the days progressed, sorrow and dread crept into my mind, and I feared for Dante's life. "Why don't you go out and take a walk, Cyrea?" Alexis asked me on the dawn of the eight day.

I looked at him with tired eyes. "I don't think I have the energy," I sheepishly admitted. My energy was draining and sleeping helped me preserve as much of it as possible.

Alexis sighed, "Then at least go and take a shower. You won't be cooped up in this room all the time, and you'll feel refreshed afterwards."

He was right. I needed a change in scenery, and I could manage a shower. "Very well then," I replied with a small smile.

The sound of the water running was a bigger relief than I would have thought. Listening to Dante's constant shallow breathing was quite depressing to be truthful. The warm water on my skin worked wonders on my sore muscles and for the first time in days I felt myself relax. Not having any energy left to spend on tears, I just stood there, letting the water run down my back. I was starving, and very weak. I wondered how long this would drag on and if I would see the end of it. Refreshed from my shower, yet exhausted, I dropped myself on the nearest available sleeping spot, which happened to be the office couch, letting sleep claim me once again.

***

Hell.

I was back.

I looked around and quickly realized this was the same spot I started out from in my last dream. This must be a dream too then... Perplexed, I looked around. This cannot be a coincidence.

Not waiting for any lava chunks to explode and hit me, I beat my wings and took off towards the mountain range I knew would be in the distance. Everything felt so incredibly real. The hot, sticky air, that horrible smell of sulfur, the soot clinging to my wings... I knew it was a dream, but it felt so vividly, horribly real!

Soon the mountains drew closer and I recognized the black gorge at the bottom. I swooped in, looking for the blue light. Despite not seeing it this time, I still felt that strange pull towards it, as if destiny itself was calling me. Landing at the bottom of the gorge I ran along the rocks until I found the clearing with the cave. Relief flooded me when I saw the pale blue light reflect off the intricate carvings on the walls. Quickly I entered the cave, trying to find the woman who sang so beautifully, and figure out why I felt so drawn to her.

Silence greeted me. No pulsing blue light, no singing. Nothing. I looked around, but couldn't detect a living soul in this place. Cautiously I explored the cave until I found the open area containing her stone table and stool. On the table I saw that beautiful gemstone covered staff the woman was working on last time. It hovered above the table, a steady blue glow radiating from the intricate carvings and the gemstones were dazzlingly gorgeous. I was mesmerized by those jewels and the way they seemed to swirl and sparkle. Was this what I was supposed to find? Is this staff the reason I'm here? Slowly I approached the table, and gasped at all the magic I could feel shimmering in the air. It seemed to radiate from the staff. Maybe I was destined to find this. Maybe this powerful artifact could help Dante somehow?

The closer I got, the better I could see tiny swirling lights in each of the gemstones. For a second there I had to suppress a chill, I got the freaky feeling that the gemstones were alive somehow. Still, the beauty of the staff was utterly mesmerizing. My clawed hand carefully touched the staff when I felt the magic in the air spike drastically.

Shit...

It was a trap.

All around me, thick stone spikes shot up from the floor and rammed themselves into the ceiling of the cave, forming a cage around me. One of them pierced my wing, rendering me unable to move and making me shriek in pain. I frantically pushed and punched the spike that had shot through my wing, but it didn't budge. Panicked, I looked around and froze when I saw the ashen blonde woman standing a few paces outside my cage. She looked at my struggles with a blank face. "It's futile," she commented, in a light, yet monotone voice. "You do not possess the might or magic to break these columns."

Frustrated at my stupidity for not recognizing a glaringly obvious trap, I snarled at her and furiously flicked my tail against the spikes.

The woman looked at me impassively, seemingly confident that I was of no threat to her and gazed at her staff that was still floating above the table. The faint blue glow in her eyes intensified and the staff floated towards her. She took it in her hands and inspected it for any damage I might have done to it.

Quickly calming myself I tried to assess the situation and see how I could escape from this. Looking at my cage I had to admit that the woman was right - there was no way I could get out of here by myself. My gaze trailed towards the woman and I gasped in surprise when I noticed something so obvious I again felt stupid for not having seen it earlier.

I could not see her soul.

The woman heard my quiet gasp and looked at me, her face still an emotionless mask. "I cannot see your soul," I whispered dumbfounded, my thoughts going back to the only other person whose soul I couldn't see: my Dante. Pain filled my heart at the torment he is going through right now, and I averted my eyes. I did not want my capturer to see tears forming in my eyes.

I heard the rustling of her skirts next to me and looked up to see the blonde woman stand beside my cage, looking emotionless into my eyes. "And why does that hurt you?" she asked in her cold, monotone voice.

I tried to find my voice under her scrutinous staring, but it was only barely a whisper. "Because of my soulmate... I cannot see his soul either."

The woman scoffed and laughed at me. "Succubi don't have mates, they have masters. Your only purpose is to provide a warm wet hole for your masters to dump their seed in," she sneered derisively. "They don't love you like a soulmate would. Immortals cannot love like a human can." The woman looked deep into my eyes. Her eyes started glowing fiercely and suddenly I found myself overwhelmed with memories.

Memories surfaced of the Demonic Lord that tried to claim me, as he did my sisters... Of my captivity... Of my cage in his court.... Memories of how he starved his claimed succubi, and made me watch as he raped them, over and over again... How he starved and raped me as he tried to make me cum. I remember it took me all the mental strength I could muster, but I did not cum. To my joy, and to his anger... Memories of how I had to flee for my life...

Memories I tried to forget...

Her eyes stopped glowing as my screams died away and my mind was once again mine. The woman had a smug look on her face. "That is how succubi should be treated. That is all you're good for," she spat at me and turned around, marching off.

I was heaving from her mental intrusion. The memories were so horribly vivid, that it took me a while to register what had happened and where I was. Then her words sank in and anger flared up inside me, stronger and more explosive than I had ever felt.

I roared and slammed my fist into one of the stone pillars that was caging me. "NO! You're wrong!" I shouted at her. "You weren't there! You weren't protected by him! Or seduced, or loved! You weren't gloriously claimed by a human!" I roared at her, taking out all of my anger on the pillar. "You aren't mated to a human who might not survive his transformation..." My battle roar ended in a desperate, miserable sob.

Tears were falling from my face and I kept slamming the stone column in my angry despair. My fists were a bloody mess and I slumped to the ground, my trapped wing preventing me from actually reaching the floor. I wailed at my helplessness, helpless at being trapped inside this cage, and unable to help Dante.

Through my tears and despair I did not notice the woman turn around. Again, she stood outside my cage, peering in. I didn't bother looking up at her - the fear of losing Dante overtook me and my tears dripped onto the ground. "Look at me," she demanded.

I couldn't. I did not want to hear more of her insults, or be forced to relive more painful memories. Slowly, a soft blue light surrounded me and an invisible energy forced me to stand and look at her face, making me wail in defiant frustration. Her glowing eyes returned to normal and I was released from her hold. Furiously, I glared into her white eyes, daring her to insult me or Dante another time.

The woman looked into my eyes, her curiosity clearly visible on her face. "You were claimed by a human?" she asked. Her voice dropped to a whisper, "A human without a soul?"

I was surprised to see her face was no longer a blank, emotionless mask. In fact, I was strangely relieved to see some emotion in her face, disbelief, confusion and ...hope?

"He has a soul," I grumbled angrily, crossing my arms. "I just can't see it, but when he claimed me, our souls merged. His soul marked me as his."

The woman's white eyes trailed off and I could hear her mumbling very vaguely, "...have a soul. It's just invisible..."

Her eyes snapped back to mine, desperation showing on her face. "Your markings!" she called out. "Show them to me!" she ordered with an almost frantic shriek.

Upon seeing my defiant stance - I was not in the mood of complying with this woman without a fight - she composed herself and added a gentle, "Please...".

The transformation of her face was astounding, and confusing. When I first saw her she wore a cold, uncaring stare. Now, her face was a mix of excitement with an almost hopeful, yet desperate look. I slowly turned around, lifting my hair out of the way so she could look at my back.

The woman gasped. "They're beautiful..." she mumbled. I heard the rustling of her sleeve when her arm came up to the cage, then stopped. "May I touch them?" she asked hesitantly.

I paused, then nodded tentatively.

When she touched my markings I sighed at the pleasant, sensual feeling. The woman gasped and quickly withdrew her hand.

"Remarkable..." she whispered, and her hand returned to tentatively trace my markings. Again, it felt wonderful to have my markings caressed and I suddenly found myself longing for Dante to be the one caressing me.

The woman slowly withdrew her hand. "I can feel it... The love in your bond, the desire you feel for him ...and your despair at maybe losing him," she said softly. I turned around to face her. Tears were forming on corners of her eyes. "It's so pure..." she whispered. "The love between you both. I thought it would be impossible for an immortal to love a human..." A small smile appeared on her face. "It seems I was wrong."

Her eyes lit up with that familiar blue glow and the stone columns surrounding me receded into the ground. I clutched my wounded wing and eyed the woman warily while I quickly took a few steps away from her. She just stood there, a tear rolling down her face.

The wound on my wing healed quickly, and I flexed it, testing its strength. The woman walked up to me and I immediately took another step back, baring my fangs at her and flexing my claws, not trusting her just yet. She halted and raised her hands in an apologetic gesture. "I hurt you. In more ways than one... And I'm sorry. I have an unpleasant history with immortals and have grown to dislike them." She folded her hands in front of her and looked down, bending her head. "Please accept my honest apology."

I just looked at her cautiously.

She lifted her head and said, "Thank you for showing me a pure bond of love between an immortal and a human. It means more to me than you can fathom." The small smile was still present on her lips. "You have a powerful mate, I could feel it through the markings his soul left on your body. If you both can find it in your hearts to forgive me, I would very much like to meet him one day."

I still wasn't sure about all this. I mean, she looked genuine now, but then again, she did trap me and hurt me moments before. The woman turned to me and said, "You'd better return to him, succubus. Your mate will wake soon."

Now that got my attention!

"I felt it through your bond. His demonic transformation is nearly complete," the woman said.

I gasped in joyous disbelief. Was she speaking the truth? Would Dante survive?

The woman saw my reaction and gave me a warm smile. "You are an old and powerful succubus, your soul has caused immense changes within him and has weakened him severely. But do not worry..." she said, smiling. "I'm sure you'll find ways to replenish his strength in no time." She even winked at me.

I was flabbergasted. What a strange turn of events... Strange, yet exactly what needed to happen.

"Who are you?" I asked, perplexed by her skills.

"My name is Eir," she answered. "But most immortals refer to me as the Valkyrie."

I inclined my head towards her. "Thank you Eir. My name is Cyrea. If what you say is true, I am most grateful."

I needed to go back to Earth, back to Dante! I looked around the cave towards the exit... But ...how? Last time Alexis woke me up, and I had no idea how to escape this place by myself. "...How do I go back?" I tentatively asked Eir, hoping she would know the answer.