Arakiel

His face was so close to hers, she could feel his cool breath brushing her face almost like a caress. His eyes were the color of wine, sunsets and fresh blood, all at once. The way they seemed to see right through her gave her nervous tingles down her spine, a feeling she'd never felt before. 

There was both a hit of warmth and a cold cruelness in the glint of his eyes, and yet, the way he'd caught her wrists in his hands was surprisingly gentle. She was now effectively trapped between his lean body and her throne, Gaia realized.

"How are you feeling?" His voice was low and gravelly, reminding her of the sounds the earth made when it moved under her will. 

She shook her head and glare at him as she tried to collect her thoughts after the pain of being branded. She stiffened, flinching back in reflex as he leaned in even closer. "Easy there," he murmured. His lips brushed the tender skin where the seal of his ownership lay, burned into her skin and she gasped as it brought another wave of pain racking through her body. "That must have hurt. The pain will lessen with time," he reassured her. 

Gaia flashed her eyes at him in a glare. "Why did you do this? What do you really want from me?"

As her eyes met his, she caught the whisper of something stirring deep inside, but it was quickly masked as they turned cold and hard, like rubies, almost. "Why can't I just want you?" He seemed humored.

A bubble of rage swelled up inside her. "You seemed so experienced." Her voice rose with her fury as the earth around them began to shudder. "How many.. Women have you collected like this? Is that what it was for - am I just another toy, just another trophy for you to collect? Let me remind you that I am the incarnation of the will of the world. I won't stand by while you use me. When I regain my powers, wait and see if I don't crush y-" 

Her rant was unceremoniously cut off as soft lips pressed against hers, moulding themselves to her mouth, effectively shutting her up. She growled angrily and struggled but the demon's grip tightened. 

"Calm, Gianna, breathe," he murmured cooly against her lips. He tasted like danger and adventures, and for some reason, this made her heart race, much against her will as she tried to remember to stay angry. He moved a hand to her neck, tracing patterns in her skin as it slid down past her collarbone, eliciting a soft moan from her. 

He seemed to have an almost pacifying effect on her; her breathing slowed as she stilled, feeling the anger ebb away little by little. 

She frowned at the slight familiarity she felt from his touch. She pulled away from him, and this time, he did not stop her. "Do I know you?" 

He raised his eyebrows, his eyes cool and distant. All trace of warmth from earlier was gone. "No, you don't." He told her cooly. He paused, as if in thought for a split second. The he spoke again. "Forgive my impudence, my lady. Allow me to introduce myself. The name's Arakiel." The gracious tone was back in his voice, and she did not like it one bit. She felt like it was laced with a hidden danger and malice.

Gaia opened her mouth to introduce herself in turn, only to remember that he probably already knew very well exactly who she was. Then, her eyes narrow as a thought struck her. "What did you call me earlier?" 

He tilted his head questioningly at her. "I beg your pardon?"

She had not heard wrong, she was sure, and the more certain she was of this, the larger the furious flames that ignited within her. "I said," she spit out. "Why. Did you. Call me. By. Another girl's name?" 

Why was she feeling so petty? She wasn't jealous. But the expression on his face told her enough. 

And somewhere across the world, the earth shook as a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Ecuador.