Fate's Deceit

Fate’s Deceit

by Dark Seraph

A story set in the Realms of Temptation universe.

Summary: A wounded angel seeks to find the one who healed him, but is she willing to sacrifice the very gift that saved him for the price of her heart? M/F.

Disclaimer: All of the characters and storyline contained within are copyrighted by Dark Seraph.

A/N: Thank you to everyone for all your support with this story.

Warning: This chapter has attempted rape/nonconsensual sex in it, and is a significantly darker chapter than the previous ones. Please do not read if this offends you.

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~Chapter 3~

Calandra walked slowly along the path through the forest, tucking a strand of her long blonde hair behind her ear and looking up at the stars through the veil of the shadowy leaves. They sparkled with a light all their own, some glowing brighter than others. Just like those of her race, she thought. So many, all unique, yet some shone so bright that they could never be forgotten. Just like Talian. Her warrior. She closed her pale blue eyes in regret as she confessed her feelings to the night, her voice a soft whisper. “I have been unable to stop thinking of you.”

The angel pulled her cloak tighter against her slender frame, a slight shiver running through her body. It was getting late. She should be getting home soon, lest she cause her mentor to worry. The superior healer was so overprotective of her, and Calandra found that she had no choice in the matter but to obey her wishes since she had learned so much valuable knowledge about the art of healing from the older angel. Everything came with a price. It was at times like these that she reveled in the freedom of the night, escaping the chains that bound her to her duty if only for a fleeting moment. But inevitably, she knew that she had to return. Her feelings for him could never be acknowledged except in these lonely moments of the night.

The beautiful angel turned around and hurried back along the moonlit path, her tread silent as she folded her pure white wings behind her. The cracking of a branch underfoot alerted her that she was not alone. That was the only warning she had before she was grabbed roughly from behind and thrown forcefully to the ground.

~*

Talian reveled in the exhilarating feeling of flying. He loved how the night air caressed his wings, helping him to soar higher. He extended his arms and closed his eyes, losing himself in the sensation of freedom. It had been another long, hard day on the battlefield, but he felt that the angelic soldiers would soon conquer and then vanquish their demon foes. It was only a matter of time.

He thought of his people, who he had pledged to defend until his death, be it necessary. He was willing to die for any one of them so that they could live a life of freedom, without knowing hate or fear. Some thought it only an idealistic dream, but it was what he fought for with all of his heart. A warrior’s code was to protect and defend, to fight for justice and with honor so that the other angels would once again know what it was to have a life worth living for.

Even those who were not warriors were impassioned to the cause, working together to help in any way they could. Like Calandra, the healer. Talian opened his deep green eyes and absently scanned the forest below as his mind reflected upon a kindness unpaid. From the moment that he first saw the fair angel, he felt something come to life deep inside his soul. He knew that he would never, could never, let her go. Even among his people, a soul such as hers was a rare find, showing the utmost ideals of love and sacrifice while asking for nothing in return.

~*

Calandra cried out as she was thrown to the ground. She quickly rolled over so that she was lying on her back, her pretty face smudged with dirt, and a thin line of blood trickling down her cheek from where a branch had scratched her countenance.

She looked up to face her assailant and gasped, her eyes widening in fear, her body failing to move, as if paralyzed. A muscular demon warrior stood above her, his cold blue eyes glittering like flat, lifeless gemstones, and his cruel mouth set into a sardonic expression. His long raven hair fell past his shoulders, but it did not obscure the fierce tribal tattoos that adorned his arms and well-defined chest. A sword was secured on a belt around his waist, and his black leather pants led down to black warrior boots. However, his most formidable asset was unveiled when his wings, black as midnight, unfurled around him and blocked out the moonlight.

Faster than the blink of an eye, he was on top of her, his significant body weight pinning her to the forest floor as he grasped her wrists with one hand and held them above her head. She tried to scream, her voice dying in her throat as he pressed a dagger against it. His cold eyes bored into hers, as if tempting her to try to make a sound, surely knowing that it would be her last.

Calandra ceased to struggle, her body trembling uncontrollably. She did not know what the demon was going to do next. He smiled his chilling smile again, the dagger’s cool steel pressing against her flesh as he moved it lower, sliding it beneath her white garment. She shuddered at the intrusive touch, but instead of plunging it downward into her heart, the demon moved it upward, effectively shredding the top part of her dress. He continued this path until the ruined material fell away completely from her body, exposing her pale skin fully to his lustful eyes.

Calandra’s breathing became shallow, desperately trying to catch the breath that she hadn’t even known had escaped her. “No,” she murmured. “Why? Why are you doing this to me?” Her expressive eyes looked up at him even as she thrashed in his powerful hold, a surge of adrenaline helping her leaden body to respond to her desperate situation despite its earlier reluctance.

For a moment, a faraway look entered his eyes before he hardened his features again and snarled, “Because angels killed my wife and child, leaving me with nothing left to live for. It is my turn to repay that debt, one innocent at a time.”

Calandra gasped, horrified. How ironic that war could twist the ideals of warriors, making the enemy that resided inside of them so much greater than the atrocities committed by their flesh and blood adversaries.

“I’m sorry for your loss, but this is not adequate compensation. This can never be the answer. Just let me go. I have done nothing to hurt your kind,” she pleaded, still twisting in his grasp, to no avail. He was too strong. All of her efforts redoubled as his hand caressed her body roughly, unswayed by her supplication.

“Just close your pretty eyes, angel,” he spat. “It’ll all be over soon enough.” His hand moved around to grasp her feathery wing, bending it at a painful angle as he dragged her slender body closer to his and laved his tongue hungrily against her exposed throat.

A flutter of wings preceded the footsteps of another warrior approaching the clearing. As he landed, Talian drew his sword defensively and slowly walked toward the muscular demon and his victim. He had heard signs of a struggle from above, but could only make out the feathers of an angel’s wing beneath the demon’s body.

“What’s going on here?” he demanded, his voice challenging, authoritative.

The demon raised his head to glare at the angel who stood before him. “Nothing of your concern. I suggest you go on your way if you want to live this night.” He had discreetly moved his hand to cover Calandra’s mouth, still holding her bound and helpless beneath him.

Talian was still on his guard. This rouge demon was an enemy, and he didn’t know if there was more than one around, or what demonic army that he was allied with. Furthermore, he suspected that the angel pinned beneath the demon was in grave danger. He needed a plan of attack.

“Very well,” Talian acquiesced, lowering his sword, although his eyes never left the demon’s. What followed next happened so fast, it seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

The demon removed his hand from Calandra’s mouth and whipped out his dagger, hurling it at the warrior’s chest.

“Talian - look out!” Calandra shouted, giving the angel warrior just enough time to raise his sword with well-practiced skill and deflect the dagger harmlessly to the side.

The enraged demon slapped her face, raising his fist to inflict a harsher blow upon her. Before he got the chance to, an equally powerful body came crashing into his, knocking him to the forest floor as they began to struggle, a blur of black and white wings amongst the beams of moonlight that shone onto the forest floor.

Calandra sat up gingerly, wrapping her cloak around her chilled form and wincing at the pain radiating from the bruises on her body. She could only watch as the two fought, desperately hoping that her warrior would come out victorious.

The heated battle raged on, both angel and demon highly skilled in the art of fighting. However, Talian was driven by a mixture of outrage and despair that it had been Calandra who had been the prey to the demon’s licentious desires. The sweet healer angel had never wished to harm anyone in her life, he was sure of that, and for another to wish to violate her was unforgivable, especially one so unworthy as a demon.

He pummeled the demon with his fists, his fury renewed. The demon returned the blows with ones of his own, but he was no match for the angel with his personal vendetta. Eventually all of the fight left him, and he succumbed to the realm of unconsciousness.

The strong warrior angel reluctantly got off of the motionless demon, his chest rising and falling with exertion. He wanted to make sure that his adversary stayed down and wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone ever again.

“Talian,” Calandra’s shaky voice called out to him. He ran to her and knelt by her side, wrapping his arm around her waist as he pressed her against his body, holding her protectively.

The healer angel let her head fall against his muscular chest, holding onto him as if to never let him go. She had been so frightened… if he had not been there, she didn’t know what would have happened to her. She was eternally grateful. Tears coursed down her cheeks, the emotional aftermath of her encounter now hitting her full force.

“Shhh,” Talian murmured comfortingly. “I’ve got you now, sweetheart. Everything is going to be okay.” He leaned down and placed his hand underneath her chin, tilting her tear-stained visage up so that he could look into her beautiful eyes. He placed a tender kiss upon her forehead, gentle and lingering, before letting her go.

Calandra met his eyes for a fleeting moment before burying her face against his chest again, her body shaking with emotion. “So much pain,” she whispered sadly.

“Are you hurt?” Talian asked softly, holding her at arm’s length so that he could more accurately assess her wounds.

Her eyes held a faraway look to them, as if she hadn’t heard him. “He was in so much pain… his family had been killed in a battle.” She looked up into Talian’s comforting green eyes, her own filled with sorrow. “He was driven to this… he was driven to hate me for no other reason than that I was an angel.”

“It’s over now,” Talian whispered, his fingers lacing through her silky hair as he held her to him. “It was a terrible tragedy that happened to him, but that gave him no reason to do what he did. Unspeakable things happen in times of war, but it is how we deal with them that defines who we are. We must not let our actions warp who we once were, for then the ones that we love will not recognize us when we meet again in the afterlife.”

Calandra smiled up at Talian despite her weariness. She wished that the demon’s soul could find peace one day, but she knew that the only one who would decide to accept it would have to be the demon himself. For now, she was grateful that she had found someone who possessed true honor and valor, as well as kindness and compassion.

“Come, let us leave this place, and find rest. There is a place where we can seek solace not far from here,” Talian suggested, noticing how tired the healer angel was becoming. At her soft smile, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to a large rock, where he stepped and spread his wings, taking them into the night.

She snuggled tighter into his embrace, closing her eyes as she tilted her head up to whisper into his ear, her breath caressing his neck. “Now we are even,” she murmured. “A life for a life.”

“How can I make you see that it was never about that?” Talian spoke resignedly. However, Calandra never heard him. She was already asleep.

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~TBC~