Page 52 of Fallen Angels

CAMBION

The Veil

The rift between The Veil and The Forest in the Sky opens, and we step into the dreary woodland once again. We are quiet and I think it’s safe to say our hearts are burdened as who knows where this mission will lead us. Hopefully, we will free the Midnight Queen and buy ourselves enough time to regroup and plan an attack against Variant. First, of course, we require recruits, but I believe the first step in acquiring those recruits is freeing Morrigan.

Pyre hands us weapons and seeps back into the dark swirl of magic before the portal closes. Dragan wears a belt full of blades as well as a sizable sword strapped to his back. He wears Pyre’s clothing, which amazingly enough appears a bit too large for the gargantuan gargoyle. Quite surprising there’s a man larger than him. Regardless, as Pyre is quite fond of the color black, Dragan was in luck as he can continue to don the dourest of ensembles.

Baron, whose health is now fully restored, wears a satchel of poisons around his waist, poisons from Pyre’s apothecary. Also strapped to his leather belt is an assortment of wicked looking daggers. Beneath the belt, he wears trousers of deep blue leather and a cotton tunic in black.

Eilish was given back her enchanted blade and she wears it strapped to one of her thighs. With regard to our change of clothing, I must admit I appreciate Eilish’s the most. Her shapely rear is fitted with leather breeches in light tan and as she walks, the leather rustles where her thighs rub together. I find the sound and the sight of her, as she moves ahead of me, to be quite… enticing. Her large breasts are barely restrained by a white chemise that shows through her cream, cotton tunic. Over the tunic, she wears a brown leather corset that makes her small waist appear even smaller. Above the corset is a long, brown leather duster that hides the peaks of her nipples that show through the tunic when she turns or bends over.

Bloody hell, it’s murderous to be around this woman. It doesn’t help that it’s been far too long since I’ve fucked a woman. But I digress.

As to my own clothing—it is quite perfunctory and lacking any of the pomp I’m accustomed to. In place of my velvet trousers, I now find myself clad in lackluster breeches, in a material unknown to me. The color is charcoal gray. On top, I too wear a white, cotton tunic, but mine is tucked into my waist, where the others brandish theirs above their breeches. They really are plebeians, and quite vulgar ones at that. But, alas, as my lot has been thrown into their hands, what can I do?

Even Flumph was gifted a tiny crossbow and a quiver of sleep bolts. I can’t recall the name of the strange looking weapon but I’m quite certain the title was foreign.

The irritating sprite will not detain from his nonstop idiotic narrative. He’s working on my nerves to such an extent, I feel like stealing one of his sleep bolts and using it on him.

“Now I can put you fuckers ta sleep if you piss me off!” Flumph snickers.

Everyone grumbles and rolls their eyes as I attempt to navigate our way out of the forest. Baron tests his tolerance for the sun, and I see a ghost of a smile on his lips as he’s successful. Clearly, Pyre’s mark does have its advantages.

Eilish makes her way over to me and walks beside me in silence for a few moments. It seems quite obvious that something has transpired between Dragan and her as she attempts to avoid him. Yet, the two of them constantly make eyes at one another.

“You won’t tell the rest of them about the vision you saw, will you?” she asks as she faces the ground and an attractive blush sneaks across her cheeks.

“No. It’s not my secret to tell.”

Eilish pulls the cowl of her overcoat lower on her head and I can tell she’s embarrassed. I want to tell her there’s nothing to be embarrassed about—that Variant forced her hand in the situation, but I know it won’t do any good. I’ve already said enough anyway.

Instead, I catch myself watching the way her corseted tunic hugs her curves and how the tight leather trousers cling to her shapely legs.

“I’m sorry, Cambion,” she says finally.

“Sorry?” I ask in surprise. I can’t imagine what in the world she could possibly be sorry for.

She nods and chances a quick peek at me before she drops her attention to the ground in front of her again. “I’m sorry for saying all those hurtful things.” I’m not certain to which hurtful things she refers, but I don’t interrupt her. “I don’t want to make you my enemy,” she continues, “but it seems that’s already the case.”

“We aren’t enemies,” I correct her. “And I’m uncertain which hurtful things you’re referring to.”

She looks up at me and there’s wonder in her gaze. “I shouldn’t have blamed you for our imprisonment. It wasn’t your fault.”

I smile. “There are those who would certainly argue that point,” I say as I turn to face Dragan. “Case in point.”

“You only did what you thought was right to do,” Eilish says. “We didn’t have many options and you made the decision you thought was the best one to make. You had no way of knowing Raflamir would turn on you. And, what’s more, no one objectively opposed your idea. Yes, there might have been disagreement, but in the end, we all willingly accompanied you to Earlann.”

“While I appreciate your words,” I start and weigh my own before continuing. “You would be correct to blame me. If not formy insistence that we trust Raflamir, we never would have been taken by Variant.”

She stops me from walking further. “If you hadn’t brought us to Earlann, we never would have met Pyre, Aima, and Kolvar. We have allies now because of you.”

“I doubt Revenant and Dragan would agree with you.”

She shakes her head and her hood falls back from her face, her beautiful white hair falling forward. I notice that one of the strands has turned black. I don’t know why, nor what it means. It flusters me though because it just somehow seems… wrong.

“Even if Revenant and Dragan blame you for our capture, I don’t.”

“You said you did,” I respond with a slight smile. I enjoy prodding her, just to see her reaction. I would far more enjoy prodding her in quite a different way though, it’s true.

---