Music recommendation: Solas by Jamie Duffy on Spotify.
Celestials or angels are beings who protect and uphold the peace and prosperity of the realm. Mainly governing Eden, their power holds the highest authority over the other lands—Evrax, Umbra, Carbia, and Ozend. The celestials alone have walked the earth for close to a millennia and hold a history that dates to the Creator itself.
Granted, they may be immortal and outlive the oldest creatures that grace the realm, but death still claims them if it takes its final breath from a stilled heart. However, what is worse than death is when you are reduced to a husk that destroys everything in its wake.
Lyra felt the softness of his feathers brush against her back and the closeness she was to this radiant man. All the floating questions that probed her mind stilled as the pieces locked in place.
Leo was an angel. This divine being of a man saved her once again.
Her eyes trailed along the intricate detail of his feathers that glistened to the small light provided in the dark alleyway. She recalled seeing the celestials in flight from afar when she would venture to the market. Seeing them up close, it was hard to believe she was not dreaming. He was otherworldly and a stark difference from the celestials she encountered in the past.
Feeling overwhelmingly self-conscious, she released him and took a step back. She didn't feel worthy for some reason, as if her touch was undeserving. She turned away to hide her face and wiped her teary face. She winced at the bruise on her cheek.
Leo was concerned about her well-being and wasn't surprised by her reaction. Who would be, when he's a walking abomination?
Leo heard the town guards approaching due to the disturbance.
"We need to leave," Leo clipped, not having the moment to give Lyra to question. He swept her off her feet, and without a moment to lose, he leaped off the ground, and his mighty wings beat through the air, effortlessly, scaling high above the buildings.
Lyra didn't have time to think and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. She heard a commotion in the distance and guessed it was guards who found the unfortunate men who probably deserved it, as Leo surmised, but she didn't want to linger on the incident. As the wind rushed past and Leo's wings beat, carrying them higher, Lyra felt her heart leap to her throat. Her toes prickled, feeling like she was dancing on needles at the fact she was flying, and the distance from her to the ground tightened her hold on his neck.
"Try not to move. It was easier last time I carried you," Leo strained; her jostled movements were not helping as they flew—granted, she was unconscious when he carried her previously. His gaze was fixed on the two-story building of the Whisker Haven Lodge that was coming into view. Lyra was relieved to see the familiar area, especially with the vibrant lights that gave a warm glow from the frosted windows.
'Carried me?' Lyra pondered for a moment. She didn't remember seeing him having wings ever!
She opened her lips to speak but abruptly shut them as Leo shifted his hold. His left hand curled around her lower bottom to free his right hand, allowing him to latch onto the windowsill of their room while his feet braced the side of the building. He nudged softly to enable her to move, and she nimbly crawled into the room.
Leo retracted his wings and swiftly landed in the room. With urgency, he closed the window and glanced if they were followed. Thankfully, no one noticed, and he released a steady sigh.
Lyra staggered back to the bed. As she sat and winced as her hand rubbed her stomach, her whole body was spent and sore. This would be the last time she ever ran after him. This walking adonis can fend for himself even if she may or may not be responsible for the discomfort earlier.
Leo walked over to his satchel and pulled out some vials and a bottle of amber liquid. Lyra hoped it was the mead Viktor boasted about; she could use it to relieve her ailments.
He dragged the chair from the table and propped it beside the bed. He tossed the items bedside and sat in the chair. His long, slender legs caged her in as she sat in front of him.
Call it intimate in this position, but his stern gaze on his features was far from that spectrum.
"I need you to lean forward," he said as he uncorked the bottle of alcohol and a rag cleaned his bloodied hands. Then, he proceeded to clean the dirt and dried blood from Lyra's face. Throughout the process, Lyra was dazed as his gentle caress wiped away the strained tears and dirt. Her eyes remained fixed on Leo's features. His stoic demeanor was back as he was focused on cleaning the scrapes clean. His eyes were sharp with a hint of concern, which made her soften by his careful movements.
Satisfied by the cleanliness, he then moved to the other small jar that he unraveled, which gave a pungent smell and opaque paste. He dipped his finger in and applied it gently to her bruised cheek. She hissed by the stinging sensation and moved away from his touch.
Leo sighed, "For once, can you not be stubborn," his tone was soft and…tired.
Lyra bit her lip and subconsciously blamed herself for making a fuss. She nodded, leaned over once more, and gritted her teeth through the pain.
Relieved with her compliance, Leo continued applying the ointment along her cheek. He ignored the subtle sparks dancing along his fingertips and schooled his expression—not the time or place.
Leo's trained eye noticed firsthand the subtle change to her complexion as the bruise was healing rapidly. He narrowed his vision and couldn't refute the old healer's words in Viktor's estate.
"Is there something wrong?" Lyra asked; she did not fail to notice the shift in his mood.
Leo shook his head and placed a hand gently on her shoulder, "Lay on your back and lift your shirt," Lyra widened in embarrassment as he was about to strip her. Leo squeezed her shoulder in assurance.
"I need you to trust me, Lyra."
Lyra gulped down the uneasiness and laid on her back, swinging her legs on the bed, so her head rested on the pillow. She clutched the fabric of her blouse and raised the hems to reveal the black and blue bruise the size of a grapefruit. Her eyes trailed from her wound to his stern gaze that was darkened by her injured state.
Leo applied the ointment over the bruised area that stung, and Lyra bit her lip to stifle her discomfort. Despite the pain, he was gentle, as though she was made of glass. In every moment of crisis, she found herself comforted by his gestures. Could she consider herself a capable fighter if she keeps landing in this predicament?
Unable to handle the awkward silence, she said, "So… I was correct on you being a… celestial."
Leo's sharp gaze shifted to her blue ones and muttered, "I wasn't exactly hiding it from you. I didn't think it was relevant to share such matters."
"Would you have acted differently if such things were brought up earlier?" he asked, his tone was stern and came off accusingly. Lyra was about to retort but held her tongue by the stinging pain from her stomach. She shot a glare and knew he did that on purpose.
If Lyra were to be honest, she would've acted differently. She was acting differently around him already. This Angel, who saved her on multiple occasions, continued to tend to her wounds.
"For starters, I would've put more faith in you," Lyra said as she glanced away from him. "Trust goes both ways, remember?"
"I do. But my well-being should not be any of your concerns. What you did back there was foolish. I am more than capable of taking care of myself. I am not a child that needs coddling," he remarked harshly.
Lyra closed her eyes and sighed, "Apologies, I was only worried about you. I felt responsible for causing you pain."
Her heart twisted into knots; his words pierced through her tough façade. Was it wrong to care? Being uprooted from a life of peace and thrown into bloodshed and chaos. She just wanted a place to belong.
Every single person in her life she knew and cared for was dead. Lyra had no one. Was it so wrong to seek companionship in her savior?
An exasperated sigh left Leo's lips, "You don't need to apologize. If anything…this lies on me, and I am responsible for you."
With salve applied on the tended bruises, Leo capped the vials and stood. Both parties were exhausted; he was about to collect the objects on the bed when Lyra snatched the bottle of alcohol and took a swig as she sat up abruptly. She coughed as she realized the burning amber stung her tongue, but the warmth it brought as it rolled down her throat was comforting.
"Apology accepted," Lyra croaked as she wiped her mouth with her sleeve and held the bottle to Leo. He placed the items on the table before returning to her side and obliged her gesture, even though it was his to begin with.
"Leo. You mentioned earlier that you carried m-me," Lyra was perplexed by the mention of having no recollection of flight. They traveled on foot or by horse. Leo was an angel; flying would've been ideal to travel, especially when demons were after her.
"Due to the…complications I am under, I can't utilize my celestial traits for long," Leo pointed; the lingering thoughts above her head were easily read from her features.
"Why?"
Leo took another swig from the bottle before his eyes locked on her and spoke solemnly,
"Because I was banished from Eden."