Defiant Destiny Ch. 11

I kept my eyes closed and snuggled into my pillow, relishing the feel of the soft, warm cocoon that was our bed. The lingering scent of Alexis on the sheets made my sleepy facial muscles shift into a smile. How I loved waking up like this...

I nearly dozed off again when another sound drowned out the gentle cooing of the birds on the roof - a sound my drowsy mind and empty stomach immediately recognized - plates and cutlery clinking together in the kitchen. I smiled sleepily into my pillow. My mate was such a wonderful man - even though he didn't require traditional foods anymore since I restored his immortality, he still loved to prepare meals for me.

Lazily, I stretched in the soft, warm bed, contemplating on whether to let sleep claim me for a few minutes more. I ventured a peek at the alarm clock and noticed it was nearly 7 in the evening already. Staring at the glaring, red geometric shapes that made up the time, I secretly longed to live by a regular day-night cycle again - something I had also missed more than I ever dared to admit.

In Hell I had grown used to the smothering, omnipresent darkness that clung to everything. So far, life on Earth hadn't been overtly different - most of the times when Alexis and I ventured outside were for our nighttime practicing in the desert. The quiet solace of the night was surprisingly soothing in this busy beehive Earth had become.

However, this morning's shopping trip with Alexis and our friends - walking in the sunshine, the background bustling sounds of people and engaging with the people I had grown very fond of - was a taste of something new, and incredibly addictive. It was something I hoped to sample many more times.

With a leisurely stretch I turned my gaze away to the ceiling of our bedroom, seeing the inverted colors of the alarm clock burn in my retina. In an hour Alexis and I were to demonstrate our tremendous progress with the spell to Dante and his ladies. In a few days I could probably cast the spell's definitive version on the club.

I looked outside and eagerly smiled at the moon making her way up the dusky sky - I think I deserved another shopping trip after that.

"Good evening, my lady... Have you slept well?" Alexis sweetly interrupted my thoughts. Even though we have been mated for a while now, his sweet mental messages could still cover my skin in goosebumps.

"Oh, but I have, my love. Have you?" I replied with a smile, stretching leisurely yet again. Our bed was so very warm and comfortable - I was postponing getting up as long as I could.

"I most certainly did. Until your growling stomach woke me up..." my angel replied with a smirk.

A sheepish giggle escaped my mouth while I listened to the sounds of plates and cutlery coming closer to our bedroom. Even if I hadn't heard it, the mouth watering smell of bacon tickling my nose left no room for interpretation. In between the soft rattling of cutlery, I heard a vague rustle of feathers. The door handle of our bedroom door drooped down and a few golden feathers peeked through the gap. I smiled when the door opened fully to reveal my handsome, ever smiling mate holding the "breakfast" tray as he used his wings to push open the door.

"Good morning, my lady," he repeated with that gorgeous grin of his and he folded his beautiful golden wings back into his body. The sight of his grand, golden wings still took my breath away.

The scent of bacon, egg and freshly baked bread washed over me. The luscious, rich smells caressed my nose and rolled over my tongue, making my stomach growl. Loudly.

I propped myself up against the headboard, watching Alexis cautiously make his way to the bed through the scattered minefield on the floor that once was our wardrobe. The breakfast tray rattled as he masterfully strode in between the mess.

I didn't need to peek over the bed to know the utter mayhem that lay spread all over the floor. Usually I was quite tidy, but my priorities had shifted due to certain distractions ever since my return to Earth. The best of those distractions was gazing at me with a gorgeous grin - a grin I couldn't help but mirror. I loved it when Alexis distracted me. Just as I loved feeling his naked body against mine... His kisses... His...

"Are you thinking lewd thoughts again?" Alexis chuckled when he saw my dreamy gaze and burning cheeks.

I gasped in mock indignation, though the intensified blush on my cheeks undoubtedly gave me away. Alexis merely chuckled and set up the breakfast tray on my lap, the various delicious smells instantly drawing my attention to the succulent feast displayed before me. Without delay I dug in like a starved woman. The delicious tastes and textures of my breakfast tickled my tongue. My, I was hungry.

Alexis smiled approvingly at my voracious appetite and placed a loving kiss on my forehead. While he watched me gobble up my breakfast, the smirk on his face turned more lecherous with each passing moment as he eyed the lacy straps of my lacy negligee, hidden from his lustful gaze by the blanket covering me..

I giggled at his insatiable libido. Shaking my head I scraped up the last tiny bits of egg and bacon on my fork.

"We had already had sex in the mall, and when we came home from our shopping trip, my love. Twice," I mumbled with a smile while licking the last salty flavors from my fork.

Alexis chuckled softly, though there was something in his eyes I couldn't quite place.

"I didn't like Dante's scent on you..." he confessed after a moment and occupied his hands with gathering up the breakfast tray to put it aside on the nightstand.

"You probably can't even smell it, but I can and..." he mumbled his apology and crossed his arms in front of him, taking a deep breath. "It's ridiculous, I know... I have no doubt he would ever..."

I got up out of bed and wrapped my arms around Alexis. His arms naturally found their way around my body and he pulled me close to him with a breathless sigh. My mate's nose rubbed against my hair as he subtly inhaled my scent.

I smiled into his chest and inhaled deeply. While I could distinctly smell Alexis's scent, I knew it was nowhere near the intensity at which immortals, and especially demons, could scent each other.

"I find this one of the most romantic things you've ever said to me, my love," I said, my breath leaving goosebumps on his chest. "And I think it's safe to say I'm fully covered in your scent now," I giggled.

Alexis chuckled, making my cheek bump into his chest.

"To a demon, you probably reek of me, my lady."

I giggled again and reached up to kiss my wonderful mate.

"Since we'll be meeting a few of them, how about I do not shower first. Would that ease your mind?" I asked him.

My mate took a deep breath and fidgeted with my hair while his lips softly caressed mine.

"I would like that very much..." he mumbled apologetically against my lips.

"Very well. Though I would like to shower someday," I replied with a wink.

***

By the time we had gotten dressed, the sun was setting.

"The sun is setting, my lady. Are you ready to go?" my mate's dreamy voice sounded in my head while I was combing my hair.

I smiled.

"Almost!" I called from my seat at the vanity mirror in our bedroom. I finished brushing my hair, satisfied with the result and made my way into the living room. Boxes with all types of new electronic devices were stacked haphazardly throughout the living room, forcing me to carefully zigzag my way towards the balcony where Alexis was waiting for me.

We had quickly discovered that testing the dimension spell inside our apartment was lethal to the electrical devices around us. My mate ordered new devices, but we decided to postpone using them until my dimension spell was permanently in use and we wouldn't need to practice anymore - the sharp spikes of magical energy seemed to "short circuit" the devices, as Alexis explained, thereby breaking them.

I could not suppress a deep sigh at seeing all these boxes, like an obstacle course made out of brown cubes. Each and every box contained some sort of device that I neither recognized nor understood, with names equally complicated and unpronounceable.

Of course I enjoyed my return to Earth and getting to spend so much wonderful time with my wonderful mate, yet it was difficult sometimes not to feel overwhelmed by humanity's progress - try as I might, it was difficult not to feel like an outsider in this modern world.

Careful not to touch any boxes - Alexis told me some of the equipment could break if it were to fall on the floor - I made my way towards the balcony. The sight of my stunning mate immediately obliterated any and all feelings of insecurity and replaced them with a warm, loving feeling.

Alexis was waiting for me in the near darkness outside on our balcony, wearing just a pair of black jeans. He was mostly covered in darkness, though the last lingering rays of sunlight gorgeously lit up his silhouette in luscious colors, contrasting beautifully with the dark - his lean muscles, naked torso and the contours on his face. Even though his eyes were hidden in the dusky darkness, I felt his gaze upon me as I drew closer and saw the outline of his cheek bathed in the remnants of sunlight as they bulged up in that wonderful smile of his.

Seeing him like this still made my heart flutter. His outstretched hand inviting me into his embrace, his warm smile... I wondered if I could ever stop swooning about him... In the darkness I felt that treacherous blush of mine scorch my cheeks, and I knew - I could never get enough of my wonderful mate.

With a warm smile Alexis welcomed me in his arms, pulling me close to his body as he deeply inhaled my scent pleasantly mixed with his. Wrapping his arms around me in a loving embrace, we waited in peaceful silence as those last few rays of sun had vanished behind the horizon and the skyline was shrouded in darkness. Wrapped in the warm cocoon that were Alexis's arms, I listened to the sound of his rustling feathers as he unfurled his large, majestic golden wings.

Like an owl, my angel was completely silent when he flew us to the desert, his wings making no sound whatsoever while we soared the skies. It wasn't long before we reached our regular practicing spot in the desert - a wide, flat rock that jut out into the dark of night.

An empty valley of nothingness stretched out beneath the shallow drop, disappearing into the shadows of the night. It was here where we had tried a dozen different set ups for our dimension spell, each one a tad different from the previous one in order to perfect it.

The only issue we had with the spell was keeping the created dimension stable. The edges of the dimension were fine - they stayed in place once I had created them, like a glass dome. However, many times Alexis had reported oddities inside the newly formed dimension - floating rocks, fluffy plants, things that were not like they were supposed to be in that little copy of the real world. Odd occurrences like those were to be expected when weaving such a complicated spell, and they were fixed quickly enough.

During our last test run I had worked out all of these kinks, and tonight was going to be the dress rehearsal before I would implement the spell at the factory. Once I set up the new dimension, all I had to do was to actively keep the portal open so my immortal friends could go in and explore at their leisure. When I implement this spell at the factory, it would be impossible for me to actively chant and keep the portal open throughout the night, so I figured I would consume a soul gem to provide the vast amount of energy required so that the portal could stay open for at least fifty years, easily. But, tonight was our final practice round. If everything went well, I'd use the soul gem next time to set up the portal spell at the nightclub.

We landed softly at the flat rock jutting out into the night. The sand and small rocks crackled beneath my feet as I took a few steps to gaze at the pitch black darkness beyond the outcrop. I felt the residual warmth from the desert stone radiate along my legs, the night's chill not having reached the ground yet. More sound of crackling rocks behind me as Alexis walked up to me and wrapped his arms around me from behind and placed a sweet kiss on my head.

My heart was racing and I was sure he could hear it. With each breath I took, anxiety boiled up inside me - after all, this was the night everyone had been waiting for - I was to demonstrate a stable, working dimension.

"You are wonderful," Alexis whispered sweetly into my ear, and I could hear the smile on his cheeks lacing his voice. "Your spell is working perfectly as intended and everyone will be thoroughly impressed. You have absolutely nothing to be nervous about, my lady," he said, ending his words with a sweet kiss on my cheek. I smiled, feeling myself relax in his arms, his pep talk soothing my anxious mind.

"Why don't you set up your spell now?" Alexis suggested and loosened his arms around me. "I can go in and make absolutely sure that the new dimension has no irregularities before Dante and his ladies show up," he said, placing a kiss on my hair. "To make you feel at ease."

"They're always late, you know that," I giggled.

Alexis chuckled.

"Dante is actually very punctual, you know. His ladies tend to take a long time to get themselves ready. When it was just him and Cyrea, they were usually on time."

Alexis placed a sweet kiss on my hair. I sighed blissfully, taking a last moment to revel in his embrace.

"You're right. I'll get my spell ready," I replied with a smile, disentangling myself from his arms and taking a few breaths to prepare myself.

Grasping my staff tightly with both hands, I set it on the ground in front of me. I focused my energy and began mumbling the words to create the new dimension with a portal to go with it. I could feel my magic slosh and swirl in my body, feeling it seep out of my pores and shine through my eyes. My words almost seemed to tangibly gather my magic, guiding it to culminate in a brilliant blue ball in front of me and with a silent explosion, it was there - the portal guiding us to a newly formed dimension, floating a few feet in front of me.

The portal was as simple as it was elegant, resembling a frameless silvery sliver of glass silently floating in front of us. Through this portal I could see the dimension I had created - a tiny replica of the little bit of the desert we were currently in, caught in a big dome-like bubble.

Keeping the portal and its dimension up required me to keep focusing on it - to keep my eyes pinned to the portal and keep on channeling my magic into it using my spell. This left me unable to communicate verbally with Alexis, but luckily we could use our mate bond.

"Well done, my lady," he spoke proudly into my mind. A tiny smile framed my lips while still diligently mumbling the words to the spell. "I will go in and check it for irregularities, but from what I can see already, it looks perfect. Well done!" he complimented me.

From the corner of my eye I saw Alexis approach the portal and step through it. Through the portal, I saw him stand inside the other dimension, carefully looking around. Having deemed it stable enough he ventured deeper inside it, disappearing from my view.

Now came the boring part - I just needed to stand here and repeat the spell over and over and over to keep the portal open and the dimension stable. Hopefully Dante and his ladies would be here soon...

It wasn't long before I heard something.

Something dropped to the floor behind me.

No, not dropped... Landed.

Something landed behind me. And again. And another, something else landed a few paces away, and many more. Maybe I heard it wrong?

How strange... Demonic wings were very noisy when compared to those of an angel. I should have heard Dante and his ladies approach before they even landed...

I waited, expecting the familiar faces of my friends to pop up in my peripheral vision.

Nothing...

No familiar faces, no friendly voices calling out to me...

Only silence...

Silence. And footsteps.

"Alexis!!!" I called out to my mate, knowing he could not hear me, but desperately hoping he could. "Alexis! Come out! Something's wrong!"

No answer. As expected.

My heart thundered out of my chest and I felt my palms become sweaty as I grasped my staff even tighter, stretching the skin so tight around my knuckles they turned white. I did not like this... Something was wrong, I did not trust this...

The footsteps came closer, ominous thuds sounding louder than they should in this deadly silence of the night, making a horrible feeling of dread boil up in my stomach.

Whatever happened, I must not falter in my spell casting. I must not! If I did not succeed in actively keeping the portal open, the other dimension would disappear. With everything and everyone in it.

Alexis would die if I failed...

My thumb grazed one of the soul gems encased in my staff and my heart clenched in pain. There was no way I could use a soul gem to power my portal spell either - the spell would have had to be cast anew, and that would mean the death of Alexis. My only hope was that Dante and his ladies would be here soon...

The footsteps halted, right behind me.

"Stay here," a low, commanding voice came from behind, almost making me jump. "Guard the Valkyrie and do not let anyone enter the portal. I have a job to finish inside," the voice said, and I heard its owner's heavy footsteps approach.

A large and very muscular angel stepped into my peripheral vision, his huge, golden wings folded neatly behind him. Power poured off him as he strode towards my portal, my glowing blue eyes reflecting in his shiny armor.

Pure dread flowed through me when he stepped through the portal. Even though I had never met this man, I recognized him instantly from Alexis's stories.

Samuel.

The last Gatekeeper.

My soul shrieked in terror and my heart trembled in icy agony, tears falling in steady streams across my cheeks - he was going to kill Alexis, and there was nothing I could do.