The Witch and the Dragon Ch. 16

If you read Fallen Angel, then you'll remember characters like Zakreel and Remuel (names sound familiar? Yep. They're Remien's and Zachariel's daddies). And the reapers, Abdiel, on whose back Davariel entered the demon planet's realm. There's also Drakken, Rowie's father, who Devon had been told in Dark Prince, was in a prison on Mercury in our solar system. But he wasn't. Well, get ready, because they're coming back.

Hope you like this chapter. This new planet of Arboria is home to many fantastical creatures, like faeries, elves, unicorns, mermaids, talking animals, etc... You'll see witches (like Alluna), wizards, dragons and even a few fairytale characters like the old lady in a shoe, little red riding hood... well, read on and you'll see as the rest of this story unfolds. This is an alternate universe where everything is possible and all legends exist.

Chapter Sixteen

Devon, followed by Seth and Remi, stepped across the threshold into a vaulted chamber. More guards waited inside, lined against the walls. Anniel's shoulder brushed Zak's and he looked down to smile reassuringly at her. Behind them, he could hear Natanael's feathers ruffling in agitation. Looking back, he saw the reaper looking around with a frown marring his pretty face.

Natanael's bright grey eyes turned back to regard Zak. "There's an evil presence here," he muttered. "Very bad."

They all slowed to stare at Natanael. His eyes grew darker, almost turning black in a reapers kill mode.

"What do you feel, Natanael?" Devon asked.

The reaper's muscles looked tense and his wings slowly unfurled. The guards muttered in alarm, clutching their weapons tighter.

Their useless weapons—Zak thought with a wry smile.

Natanael's eyes finally blacked out completely, no whites showing, and, with his mighty, black wings spread out seven feet to either side of his muscular body, he looked terrifying.

He stood unnaturally still, his black eyes unblinking soulless voids that sent a shiver down Zak's spine.

Freaky shit—Zak thought to himself. Anniel threaded her fingers through his and pressed against him, equally intimidated by the sight of a death angel in full glory.

"There are demons present. Fallen angels. Many of them." His nostrils flared as he inhaled and then let out his breath through his mouth. His lip curled with distaste. "I smell and taste their foulness in the air."

"The reaper must stay here," one of the guards' snapped.

One side of Natanael's lips tipped up in amusement, but his eyes remained black.

Zak took a step back. Without irises he had no idea what Natanael looked at. He'd need to grow accustomed to the reaper. At the moment, the blue-haired dark angel scared the crap out of him.

"Why does he need to remain here?" Devon asked in a very low menacing voice, his eyes narrowed.

"Orders. Only the original seven Edenian Master Guardians are to enter the grand council chamber," a Chidadent guard answered behind them.

They all turned toward the orange-skinned female. Her darker orange hair was buzzed short and she regarded them with cool amber eyes.

"It's okay," Natanael said tightly. "I'll stay here. It doesn't matter where I am. I can still kill..." he paused, letting a cold grin stretch across his face, "...dark entities."

Zak noticed how a few of the guards began moving away, inching toward the exit.

Another shiver ran through him, making him scowl.

"Let's get this shit over with," he growled through clenched teeth. "I want to get my woman home where she belongs."

***

Alluna found herself in mama's dungeon. The beautiful blond male deposited her unceremoniously at mama's feet.

She could only gape at the person that had once been her sole world for as long as she could remember.

Mama was garbed in her usual purple robes, her black and white hair swept up in an elaborate coif of braids, leaves and twigs. She stared coldly down her nose at Alluna, making Alluna cringe.

"M-mama?" Alluna croaked with a suddenly dry mouth. What was she going to do? Would Mama beat her? Alluna's face flushed when mama's eyes focused on her breasts, which were pushed up, nearly spilling from the neckline of her dress. Alluna pressed her palm over her heaving breasts and bit her lower lip.

Mama snorted. "Look at you. Look what you've become." Her lips curled in disgust. "You reek of sex, lust, and male dragon."

Alluna shrank against the floor, her fist covering her mouth to stifle her pathetic moan. Reflexively, she tightened her thighs and drew her knees up protectively.

"I've done what you bid me," the blond dark prince interrupted, drawing Alluna's attention. She hadn't noticed before, but his ankles were cuffed, and chains ran from them to similar cuffs on his wrists. Her eyes traveled up his long bare legs to the ragged grey loincloth bound around his slender hips. From there his torso veed up to broad shoulders cloaked in a fall of shimmering gold hair. He lifted his wrists. "Release me."

Alluna snapped her gaze back to mama.

Mama smiled, her eyes dancing. "So soon?" She laughed, her voice deep...masculine? "I think not, Dark Prince."

The golden-haired demon smiled back, but it didn't reach his ice-blue eyes. "I was hoping you'd say that," he said with deceptive softness.

The cuffs clinked open and fell with a loud clang to the dirty stone floor.

Mama gave a squeak of dismay and hopped two steps back, black polished nails against her lips.

When he opened enormous dark red devil's wings, his eyes glowing brighter, Alluna felt the blood drain from her face.

Mama ran screaming from the dungeon.

He stared after her for a few seconds with a frown before his burning gaze lowered slowly to Alluna.

Her entire body shook. "I...I want to go back to my... my Zak now. Please?"

He cocked his head to the side. "Zak?" One finger rose to stroke his chin. "You can't ever go back to him. There was a plot to kill you tonight." His wings folded neatly behind his back. "They were going to blame Angel and Rowie." He shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment. "I was not going to allow that to happen. Not to my... to the girls."

He crouched down to her and she backed away.

Again, he grinned. "I was waiting for someone to open a portal. I've been watching what goes on."

"Watching?"

The dark prince pointed to an old mirror mama had near the central column of the dungeon. It was covered with a white tarp.

She looked back at him. "What do you want with me? I want to go back home."

"Home?" His fingers stroked down her cheek gently. "My home?"

"Home to Zak," she whispered twisting her fingers. Alluna hoped he didn't try to kiss her.

He regarded her a moment and opened his mouth to answer her, but a faint moaning drew their attention.

The dark prince rose and strode to the corridor with the barred cells.

It had been a long time since Alluna had ventured into mama's dungeon. The bones of a few unfortunate souls that never again saw the light of day lounged, still chained to the walls, with their grotesque skeletal smiles. Alluna shivered when she saw an enormous spider snacking on a bug in the eye socket of one of them.

Timidly, she followed the red-winged prince, past the various cells. Most were empty. He paused before the one with the desiccated vampire, and frowned at the stone-like wings embedded into the creatures back to make him look like the statue of a weeping angel.

The creature still looked the same, leaning over a headstone, forehead against one of his bent forearms, hiding his face, his other arm extended out, long fingers lax. He looked so...hopeless—a perfect statue of utter desolation.

"Help me," someone called out weakly.

At the end of the corridor they found a reaper locked in a narrow cage with his wrists cuffed over his head.

His body was dirty and his lips were dry and cracked.

The reaper narrowed his grey eyes at the dark prince. "Lucien?"

Alluna's eyes widened. The reaper knew the dark prince's name?

Lucien walked to the cage, studying the bars. "How'd you get yourself in this mess, Eriel?"

"Aw, hell—I met this really hot tranny and..." The reaper's eyes widened when he finally saw Lucien's wings. It took one blink for the bright grey eyes to turn black. Eriel jerked against his restraints with a hiss. His lips curled back into a feral snarl. "What the fuck, Luke. Shit. I'd heard you... fuck."

Again, he jerked against the restraints with a snarl.

Lucien only smiled. "My-my. It seems you've miraculously regained some of your strength."

The reaper's wings tried to open, but the cage was too narrow. He suddenly went very still, his face completely expressionless, black eyes trained on Luke—she thought. Alluna wasn't sure since the death angel had no irises, only glittering black orbs within a fringe of long dark lashes. It gave her the shivers, so she backed away to the entrance of the cell and clutched the bars behind her.

Lucien chuckled. "A death angel in all his terrifying glory... ready to kill. Just promise me one thing, reaper."

"I don't make pacts with demons," was the death angel's soft reply.

Lucien cocked his head to one side. "I'm going to release you, and it would be more than a blessing if you kill me—"

"Count on it," the reaper interrupted in a flat voice.

Lucien only grinned broader. "Fine. But take the girl with you when you leave."

Alluna gasped and shook her head.

"Who is she?" Eriel asked, a slight frown marring his fine brow.

"No one important, really. The demons just want to use her for the virgin sacrifice and I'd rather they not."

Eriel's lips twitched. "Virgin?"

Alluna's face flushed.

'She carries the offspring of a Master Guardian. Pure power, completely untouched virgin—"

Eriel scowled. "I get the picture. They'll kill the child. Sick."

"They'll slaughter the mother to get to it when it's big enough to breathe on its own. In the meanwhile, they'll torture her, rape—"

"Fucking shut up already, Lucien," Eriel snapped. "I'll keep her with me. I promise."

"No," Alluna protested. "I don't want—"

Lucien flew at her his hands slamming against the bars to either side of her. She was trapped.

The dark prince loomed over her, eyes glowing with hellfire.

"What you want is irrelevant, Alluna. Look deep into my eyes... and listen to my voice...you feel sleepy, Alluna... very sleepy..."

***

Zak stood flanked by Devon and Remi. To Devon's right was Anniel and Seth. Natanael remained in the outer chamber.

For the past half hour, accusation after accusation was thrown at them.

Zak's eyes scanned the vast arena. There were thousands of representatives from just about every sentient race. In one of the metal disc-like balconies, he noticed a bunch of tree-like aliens that gave him the creeps. Angel sometimes had nightmares with these creatures. He knew, because they were all linked, and her terror would rouse everyone in the station mid sleep-cycle.

"You have abducted and enslaved one of the princesses of Arboria."

"We have done no such thing," Devon countered.

The creature with the lion-like face growled from his podium, his golden eyes narrowing. "The princess Alluna is in your custody."

"She is with me," Zak replied. "I met her a few moon cycles ago and wanted to court her. When we arrived on Arboria—"

"You never had permission to land on Arboria," someone shouted.

Zak scowled when he recognized the Arborian Master Guardians. What the hell were they doing there? They weren't Arborian ambassadors... were they?

"Is that true?" the lion-man snapped.

Zak swallowed, but Devon answered before he opened his mouth. "Yes, but—"

"So you invaded a Class two, restricted level I planet and made off with one of its native inhabitants."

"She was almost dead," Zak roared.

Devon gripped his forearm while Remi squeezed his shoulder and murmured words to calm him.

Next to the Lion-man, a species of Minino, a pure white Mazune regarded Zak with her up-slanted, big, black eyes. "You must realize out-worlders cannot just swoop down into any planet and remove its inhabitants. No matter how noble you think you acted. It cannot be allowed, young Guardian."

Frustration was the common emotion cycling through all the Alpha Angels at that moment.

"The Arborian witch had Zak under a spell. He couldn't help going back to her. It wasn't his fault," Seth stated.

Zak scowled at him, but refrained from making any comments when Seth telepathically told him to hold his tongue.

A murmur of disapproval went throughout the arena.

"Lies," Dresh shouted from his perch.

The Mazune leaned forward. "You are rumored to be the most powerful of Master Guardians. So much so, that the Supreme Council of Master Guardians did not contest your having changed your titles to Alpha Angels. You mean to tell me that a simple little witch from Arboria spelled one of you and you were unable to break said spell?"

"It's an evil plot, your eminence," Dresh roared again.

The Lion-man held his hand up to silence him.

"Breaking the spell might have harmed the girl. We wanted to go to her so that she could remove the spell herself. That's when we found her body at the bottom of a volcano vent. She'd been tossed there by some nearby villagers who blamed her for the torrential rains on their lands."

The elected high officials leaned in, conferring with one another. Murmuring went around the arena.

"What do you think, Dev? What's going on?" Zak hissed in a low voice to his commander.

Devon took a deep breath, keeping his eyes on the high officials.

"There's allot of fear here," he answered in a low voice. "Fear of us... of me. Fear breeds hatred, my angels."

"The Arborian Master Guardians demand the return of the princess," the Minino spoke again.

Zak shook his head emphatically, but Devon's hand at his forearm again stopped his angry outburst. Like hell he was handing Luna over. Over his dead body.

"Zak and the girl have bonded and mated. She carries his offspring. She cannot be relinquished."

More murmuring. Dresh was seething, speaking into his com-link to the officials now.

Again, the Minino cleared his throat and spoke up. "The girl's mind is to be erased of all memory pertaining to this bond."

Zak's vision grew red as a snarl tore from his throat. This time the Alpha Angels looped their arms around him.

"Zak, calm," Devon pleaded.

Remi got in his face. "Don't shift. Fuck, Zak, don't make me sing that stupid song here."

"We'll get her back, Zak," Seth hissed. "If you get yourself killed... it's just not worth it, man. Keep your head on."

Anniel ran her hands over his back, kissing his shoulder. "Don't get riled, baby. She'll always love you no matter what. We'll get her back, you'll see."

Zak panted hard and slowly moved Remi out his line of sight to glare at the high officials.

"The Alpha Angel Zachariel Wylder is to request a temporary visa to remain on the planet's surface and see if the Arborian princess will accept him as her mate," the minion continued. "You must court her again. You are forbidden to use any type of power to influence her decision. Any display of power by any of you will void and forfeit any bond, and you will be forcibly removed from the planet's surface or vaporized on sight by whomever pleases to do so." The Minino, leaned forward. "There are many who already wish to see all of you dead."

Dresh was snickering, setting Zak's teeth on edge.

Devon's glowing eyes slanted sideways, fixing Dresh with his stare. The Arborian Master Guardian yelped and tore his earpiece out.

Zak stifled the urge to laugh when he heard the man cursing up a storm on his balcony. Whatever Dev did, it pissed the dark-skinned Arborian off.

"Feedback is a bitch," Devon murmured.

We've got problems—Natanael's voice threaded into their thoughts.

Zak began to feel a dull ache in his groin and when he thought of the girls back in the security area, the ache bloomed into pain. Angel.

Devon vanished in an instant.

**

There was something she needed to remember. Alluna stroked her fingers through the unicorn's white mane. Had she ever ridden a unicorn before?

Confusion muddled her thoughts. Looking up she frowned at the reaper bathing in the stone pool in the dungeon. Why were they in mama's dungeon? Why was there a heart-wrenchingly beautiful death angel splashing water over his naked body? He kept giving her teasing looks over his shoulder, a sly smile on his pale lips. Alluna watched him wring out the excess water from his dark tresses. Where did he come from? How did she even know what he was? Since when did she know about reapers, and males, and penises, and sex?

He chuckled as if guessing her thoughts.

Alluna closed her eyes.

Sex.

I want to fuck you, Alluna—a dark voice crooned in her mind. A memory.

She remembered a hard body, rippling, bulging muscles... obscenely long, dark gold hair, waving, thick, oh-so-soft. She'd spread her legs inviting him deeper... her wrists were bound. Fuck me, Master. Oh, yesss.

"Hey."

Alluna's eyes snapped open again. The reaper was standing right next to her, water sluicing down his perfect body.

Her face flushed hot. "I... what's going on?" She nibbled her lip, hoping he'd shed some light on the perplexing situation. At least she knew she hadn't had sex with him. He was slighter, more delicate in build with waist-length dark hair. Her lover had been a very big male with wavy blond hair. Lover? Oh. gods. What was his name? Why couldn't she remember his name... his face? There was a big hole of memories missing from her mind. Why?

The reaper grinned. "Luke is pissed because I won't strike him dead." His expression grew grave. "Not that I didn't try." He shrugged. "I guess he just isn't as evil as he thought. My name is Eriel, by the way. My friends call me Erie. My lovers call me Oh-god." He snickered, batting his long black lashes.

Alluna shook her head. "W-what?" Instead of clearing up her tangled thoughts, he was tying more knots in her neural synapses. Alluna gasped, burying her fingers in her hair.

Eriel's bright grey eyes widened. "What?"

"Neural synap—" Alluna stared at him with big eyes of her own. Where did that big word come from? "Never mind," she sighed with a gulp—Flipping out here, buddy. Oh, yeah, and I'm thinking in words I've never used before. Bitchin'.

One of Eriel's inky brows rose dubiously. "Okay."

A loud roar shook the ground. Alluna gripped the unicorn's mane when the pretty creature nickered nervously and skittered back a few steps.

"Now what?" Eriel huffed looking toward the tunnel that led to the lower level of the dungeon.

Alluna wanted to scream when a blond devil rushed out of the tunnel, icy-blue eyes wide.

"Fuck, Erie," he shouted. "There's a god-damned dragon down there." He rushed up to the reaper and gripped his arms. "Do something for fuck's sake before it breaks through this whole place and kills everything in here. We haven't gotten that dried up vampire out and god knows what else there might be."

Eriel scowled at him. "What the hell do I look like? A Dragon slayer? I can only kill devils and demons."

The devil snorted. "What good are you then? Damn," he hissed again before his gaze fell on Alluna. "Get her out of here. I'll distract it."

Eriel made a derisive sound. "You're hoping it eats you, eh? Suicidal fucker."

She squeaked in surprise when the reaper's black wing struck out and sent the blond devil thirty paces into a stone wall. The solid crack he made was sickening.

Alluna watched the poor devil fall like a squashed bug to the floor.