Warm and Poisonous

The castle was colossal. Five round, dark towers stood high, piercing the crimson sky. The towers were connected by massive, thick walls made of the darkest stone.

Several windows were scattered across the massive walls in an apparent perfect symmetry.

It looked horrifying, but I found great beauty in its haunting darkness.

We kept flying closer and closer to the castle, which got even bigger before my own eyes. It was not long until Rey's wings eventually slowed down, kicking the light air as we landed at the main entrance of the castle. I let go of his shoulders and he helped me down to my feet. I felt wobbly at first but quickly steadied my footing.

Fixing my hair and clothes, I turned around, scanning the huge space around me. The massive metal gate stood a few feet above our heads, the black marble beneath me shone brightly with two big sparkling torches burning brightly on either side of the black metal gate.

"Where are we?" I murmured, I was completely awestruck. I turned around again to look at Rey and was surprised to see that his appearance had entirely changed.

With luminous, black wings tucked behind his back. He was now clad in what looked like armour. Black leather hugged his entire body so tightly that my eyes could trace every dip and curve of his strong, defined muscles. The shoulders of his armour were oval and long. a wide piece of fabric draped behind him. The dark-colored cape was clasped to shoulder plates with intricate, entangled metals.

He looked like a warrior, a dark, angelic warrior straight out of a fantasy.

"Woah-" I breathed, taking in all of him. He shook his head and walked towards me, the bottom of his black, long wings dragging behind him against the marble floor. He stopped right before me, and I gazed at the top of his head, there was now a simple metallic ring circling his head; a crown.

He noticed that I was studying the metallic band

and sighed, "I hate it." He admitted.

I quickly averted my gaze thinking that I might have made him uncomfortable with my rude staring, but it was too much to process. Without uttering a single word, the two guards standing before the huge gate bowed deeply when they got closer.

"You're not just an angel of death, are you?" I was still in shock.

"I wish."

His hand was not on the small of my back, urging me to walk ahead. We stopped right at the entrance, I could see a big, seemingly endless hall. I looked at him, unsure, but his squeezed my back gently, telling me it was going to be okay.

We took a step forward, then another, and I found myself in the most beautiful place I have ever laid eyes on. With tall, limestone walls covered in the most intricate art I have ever seen and towering round, marble columns that stood against the carpeted floor and reached the high ceiling from which several silver, huge chandeliers with twisted branches hung.

Every inch around me looked as if it belonged to a painting. I stood out like a sore thumb with my casual attire and messy hair. Even the male next to me seemed like he did not belong to the world where I came from.

"Welcome back, Rey." I heard a woman's voice, as sweet and warm as a summer night's breeze. I tore my attention from an exquisite painting that hung peacefully against the limestone wall to my right. Looking at the owner of that sugary voice, my eyes met hers, she was breathtaking... beautiful in every way possible.

"What took you so long?" She walked closer to us, emerging from the shadows that surrounded her tall, lean form.

Long, auburn hair reached the bottom of her back, and a few loose strands fell gracefully against the side of her head, revealing a skinny, defined face. Her tawny skin gleamed in the warm orange light. With a straight nose, a pout of full, reddish lips, and a pair of the blackest eyes I've ever seen, she looked like a character straight out of a movie.

"I was not fone for that long, was I?" The man next to me seemed comfortable, totally at ease. I wondered whether was because we were now in his residence. In his world? Or was it because he was well acquainted with the woman in front of us?

"A little bit, yes." She walked towards him, totally avoiding me, and stopped right before him, she raised a slim hand, her feminine fingers brushing a black lock from the angel's face. "I missed you, you know." Her voice softened, with poison dripping from each word escaping her parted, luscious lips.

Rey grabbed her wrist, and slowly pushed her hand away.

"Aniela." He warned. Her hand finally fell to her side and she averted her gaze from him to me. Her lips curled up as if she had noticed my presence for the first time, "and who might that be?" She raised a brow, her pretty face as perplexed as it could possibly be.

"Aniela, meet Avalyn. Avalyn, this is my friend Aniela." She darted her eyes to him, clearly offended. He just smirked, a single porcelain-white fang appearing.

"Hi..." I say awkwardly, breaking the tension and turning her attention back on me. "A human soul? Here? Are you out of your mind?" She was talking to him but her obsidian eyes never left my face, she studied me closely.

"He will be furious." She tore her gaze from me and back to him, a sly smirk on her face, "I can not wait to see that." She pressed a thin, dark hand against his breastplate.

Rey took a step forward and she almost fell, she had to awkwardly step away from him and stare at his back, his draped burgundy cape moving steadily behind him.

"Yaelina! Hanniel!" His piercing, deep voice echoed through the big hall. I did not know who he was calling for but suddenly two shadowy figures appeared out of thin air right in front of him.

"Your highness." The two females spoke quietly and they were kneeling down, apparently, dark shadows enveloped most of their bodies, completely concealing their forms.

"My guest here needs a room, find her one of our best and get her a suitable change of clothes." He nodded towards me. His voice was firm and commanding.

The woman next to me crossed her arms, tapping her foot against the hard floor, clearly annoyed. The lights faintly illuminated her deep green, velvet dress.

"I-" I breathed, "I will be staying here?" I said sheepishly, my voice bringing his attention back to me.

"Will she? Are you fucking kidding me A-"

"Aniela! Don't forget who you're talking to." He snapped and she pressed her glossy lips in a right line.

"I have not, Rey." She stressed, "but you seem to keep forgetting who you're messing with, my Prince." She stressed the last word and Oh My God, he was the Prince? I knew he was a kind of a big shot, a knight or a warrior or something, but a prince? I mean of course, he was. He was literally, heavenly, exquisitely beautiful.

"Excuse me." The female bowed slightly and when he nodded she flipped her long, red hair, turned around, and stormed off, I could her black heels click-clack through the silent hall. Talk about a dramatic exit.

Rey stood right in front of me, he lowered his head slightly so now our faces were suddenly a few inches away. The air around us stilled, and I could faintly hear him breathing, with each rise and fall of his chest bringing him closer to me. I dared look up and into his eyes, they seemed even more unusually bright.

"Sorry about her," he spoke, voice low and gentle, I could feel his breath on my flushed skin. "She's what you could call a brat." He reached for a loose black strand, carefully tucking it behind my ear without touching my skin.

My heart pounded in my chest, I did not know if it was forbidden for a mere human like me to be near this angelic being. "Why am I here?" I spoke quietly, biting my lip.

"Would you rather go back home?" He raised a brow.

"No."

He grinned widely, and I studied his fangs up close, they pressed dangerously into his bottom lips, which I found myself staring at. Craving the feeling of them against my own. If only I could close that small distance between us and capture his mouth in an eager kiss. Oh, how would I love for him to take me right there and then, for him to push me against the marble wall and pin me behind the weight of his body.

Okay, what the hell was I just thinking about? I blinked.

"You always have the dirtiest thoughts running through that little head of yours." He lowered his face, whispering breathily in my ear.

Before I could defend myself he leaned back.

"Yaelina and Hanniel will accompany you to your accommodation."

I suddenly felt them winnowing to each side of my body. They were an inch or two taller, their faces barely visible beneath the dark shadow which surrounded each of them.