The Blood Order

XXIIV

His finger holds my head up, the tears dripping onto the floor beneath me. Vale is forced to silence herself from a rag Jamal ties over her face, "You need to stand."

I shake my head against his touch begging for this to be a dream. He sighs in return, the cloak shifting over the floor moving closer to him. He moves his hand wrapping it around my upper arm similar to Jamal and my father man handling me. This time its slightly different, a soft wrapping around my arm as an encouragement to stand with him.

I slug myself to standing. My eyes are puffy and gross, my dignity long gone. What dignity is there to have when people around you beat it to pebbles?

Vale groans against her gag, Jamal walking her closer to us. I watch her heels drag against the floor, a demand to stop that is ignored.

"Purple!" A familiar voice breaks through the room, my toes curling into the cold floor at the sound of Myrina. Jamal spits at her, she holds her stance at the doorway her slick blade hanging from her hands. The defeat in her eyes is evident, her sword going slack hitting the floor with a hiss.

"You are too late, she called for me and per old law that allows me to take her. So much for a traitorous savior." Raphael coughs at her, her red eyes and raised scars shining in the moon. Her wild hair flys around her moving with the chilled wind.

I look over to her, his hand now resting on my shoulder. Tears fill her eyes, much like mine and neither of us break the eye contact. The woman that I brought random food items for, that provided for me and threatened to kill my father stands speechless across the room. The Tazi warrior is held to her law, and forces herself to clear the doorway, "I will return for you Sultana." She whispers in promise. The wind barely allows her voice to travel to me, but its enough that Raphael sets his jaw.

"You can try." He grumbles the soft spoken man from earlier disappearing. He turns away from me letting me sway on my feet, the wood splinters from rotted shelving breaking into the bottom of my feet. A reminder this is real.

Raphael stretches his hands out, his cloak rising with his shoulders. Tendrils of black leave his hands with cracks of red snapping through the darkness. It reminded me of summer lightening at night, so terrifying but beautiful. The red eyes turn bright, the black growing into whips that snap around Myrina's waist tossing her across the room. Her body slams into a shelf of expired candy sliding onto the floor with a groan.

"Wait!" I scream at the top of my lungs, the black slowly moving over to her sagging form. The lightening cracks again, the red dotting over the floor and back into the mist like power.

He turns his head back to me, Jamal laughing in the back. Vale has gone silent.

"Yes, j'kani?" His voice is scratchy rubbing against a part of my brain that I wanted to cut off. This isn't real.

"She's cared for me, please. Don't hurt her." A mouse would be louder than me, but he doesn't have trouble tugging his hands back. The black seeps back into his skin, his eyes settling back to a subtle glow.

"If that is what you desire, I can tolerate leaving her breathing. However, in return firefly I ask you follow my requests until we get you home. I can assure you none will be sexual." He is blatant, watching my reaction. The puffiness of my eyes hurts my vision, a headache building between my eyes.

"I..." I look back at Vale, her eyes red cheeks puffed over the gag. Raphael seems to understand, nodding at Jamal.

"Remove the gag. The Queen wishes to have her attendant with her during travel," He looks back at me, my heart stopping at his intense gaze, "Do we have an agreement?"

I look over at Myrina knocked out cold. Someone who seemed so strong and powerful, even put fear into the warrior at the hospital looks broken and beaten. It took him nothing but the flick of his hand to harm her, and it would take even less for me.

I don't bother trying to speak, words couldn't form if they wanted to. Jamal sighs tugging off the gag, Vale coughing against her spit. She presses her lips together the fear moving off of her in visible waves.

Raphael lays his palm against my face. The warmth is unexpected, the fire crackers against my skin even more so. He relaxes in front of me a small smile coming over his face, "Do we?"