Page 10 of His to Break
“Why?” Panic floods through me again as I kneel beside him. His pain radiates outward like a dark cloud suffocating any hope left within me.
“The contract binds me… to this mine until it’s destroyed,” he spits out between fits of convulsions.
My heart drops at his words; the chains that bind him are more than physical—they reach deep into magic that constricts his very essence. This wasn’t just about escaping anymore; it was about unraveling everything keeping him prisoner—not just physically but magically too.
“How do we destroy it?” The urgency surges through my veins again as adrenaline spikes anew; we have to find a way—together.
Azrael’s eyes narrow painfully against the ground but find mine nonetheless; there’s fierce determination there mixed with agony—the kind of resolve only born from desperation and rage combined.
He grimaces again as another wave hits him harder than before—his body arching involuntarily off the ground before he falls back against the earth once more, panting heavily for breath like he’d run miles instead of lying still on grass under moonlight skies.
“Tell me!” I plead desperately; every second feels precious now that time drips away like sand through fingers—the urgency thickening between us both under shared weight bearing down upon our fates entwined together by threads spun from darkness itself.
He clenches fists into fists tightly against dirt and grass while forcing himself upright slightly before looking directly into my eyes again—the intensity there seeping through even past pain written across every line carved deep upon his face over centuries spent fighting battles unseen yet palpable within haunted memories buried underneath layers carefully hiddenbeneath strength forged through fire itself built upon loss too painful ever truly forgotten even after ages gone by:
“Get me back inside.”
9
AZRAEL
Isit on the edge of my cot, shadows pooling around me like an old cloak. Kara paces the small room, her hands trembling. The flickering light from the torches casts a dance of shadows across her face, illuminating the conflict within her. My eyes remain fixed on her, taking in every detail—the way she moves, the tightness in her shoulders, the uncertainty etched into her features.
“You’re different,” I murmur, my voice low but sharp enough to cut through the thick tension suffocating us.
She freezes at my words, eyes darting to meet mine. For a heartbeat, silence hangs between us like a fragile thread. She doesn’t respond, and that’s telling.
I rise from my perch, each step deliberate as I close the distance between us. My presence looms over her like a storm cloud—overwhelming and electric. “I could feel it when you touched him,” I say, circling her slowly like a predator stalking its prey.
A flicker of confusion flashes across her face before fear settles in its place. I relish that reaction; it’s intoxicating to see how my words affect her.
I step closer, fingers brushing against her arm lightly—just enough to spark awareness but not overwhelm her senses entirely. “I can help you control it,” I whisper, letting my breath ghost against her skin.
Her breath hitches; I feel the heat radiate from where our bodies almost touch. The way she swallows hard sends a thrill through me—she's caught between terror and intrigue.
“We’re in this together, Kara.” My voice drops lower still, wrapping around her like silk threads drawing taut. “But you need to trust me.”
Those words hang heavy in the air as I watch comprehension swirl within her hazel eyes—a tempest brewing beneath the surface.
“What do you mean?” she finally asks, hesitance threading through every syllable.
I smile faintly; I sense I’ve planted something within her—a seed of reliance that will grow if nurtured correctly. “You felt what happened with that guard,” I say smoothly. “It wasn’t luck or coincidence.”
She shifts uncomfortably under my gaze but doesn’t deny it. Instead, she bites her lip as if grappling with thoughts too complex for words.
“Embrace it,” I urge gently while maintaining an intensity that keeps our focus locked together like iron chains binding one to another. “That power inside you is part of who you are now.”
“What if it consumes me?” she whispers—vulnerability seeping into those words along with doubt laced through every inflection.
My heart twists at the thought of losing this connection; she can’t waver now—not when we stand on the precipice of something great together.
“It won’t if you let me guide you.” The conviction behind my voice echoes in our small chamber as shadows play tricks againstcold stone walls—figures lost to time yet etched into memory forevermore—a reminder of battles fought and won over centuries long past; remnants mingling with desire thrumming alive beneath skin touching skin.
Kara's gaze drops momentarily before lifting again—a spark igniting hope where fear once resided alone. It’s there; buried beneath layers of trepidation lies potential waiting for release—a fire yearning for fuel fed by trust forged between predator and prey drawn inexorably toward one another despite obstacles stacked high around them both.
“Trust me,” I repeat softly but firmly while closing the distance further still until our breaths mingle in heated whispers escaping lips barely apart now—each moment stretching into eternity marked only by palpable tension dancing above us unyieldingly poised at its zenith ready to fall should either falter first.
Her resolve begins to solidify amidst wavering uncertainty—I can feel it shift like tectonic plates shifting ever so slightly underneath vast mountains looming over valleys below readying themselves for cataclysmic eruptions yet to come.
