Page 6 of Roses for the Damned

It was her turn to laugh. “You must be delusional.” She hissed, “I would rather suffer a lifetime of torture than ever let him near me again.” Suspicion took root in her mind. “Why is he doing this? Why would he want to marry someone that tried to kill him?” It didn’t make any sense.

His grin widened, as if he was privy to a secret that no one else knew. “So that he can punish you himself, you stupid girl. He’s a Lacroix, and we always get the last word, no matter what happens.”

Body shaking with anger, her fists blanching from how hard she was gripping them, she did the only thing that any self-respecting person would have done – she spat at the vile man, the large ball of saliva hitting him directly in the eye.

He recoiled, his face a deep livid color, so dark that it was on the verge of turning purple. “You filthy–rotten–” a handkerchief wiped at his face “–stupid bitch! You will burn at the stake, mark my words!” The doors of the carriage flew open as he pushed at them, the two police-men from before standing idly some way off, chatting casually before the sight of the obese man climbing out caught their attention.

Desperation clawed at her insides. There was no way in hell that she was ever going to give him the satisfaction of watching her die.

She lunged, pushing at the mayor’s back as he came crashing down to the ground. As if a bird had attached itself to her and spread its wings, she took flight, springing forth from the carriage and away from the fumbling police-men.

Time slowed.

Houses blended into one confusing blur as Rose ran for her life and the salvation of her soul, before it shattered into a million tiny fragments from the cruel injustice in their wretched world with no hope of ever healing.

She had to get away, even if it meant that she would spend the rest of her days in hiding, never to lay eyes on her father again.

Hours seemed to pass this way; feet throbbing from how hard she was running, heart pounding until she was sure it would explode. The daylight was slowly being replaced by the darker hues of the oncoming evening as she finally allowed herself to come to a stop.

Glancing around, she realized that no one was chasing her. Not anymore, at least. Sweat dripped down her face as she doubled over, throwing up on the side of a garbage container, her long black hair plastered to her skull. Nothing mattered anymore, only that she had to get far away, before someone reported her and dragged Rose to the eternal stone prison of the Bastille.

Where would she go? The brothel was out of the question. It would be the first place where they would look for her. Not only that, she would never endanger Anita and the rest of the women by staying with them.

Her thoughts flew to the mysterious creature from the shadows, wondering if he was lurking somewhere nearby. Watching as he had been that life-altering night.

Gabriel.

Sudden warmth spread through her at the mere thought of the name, his face flashing vividly in her mind. His powerful physique and otherworldly aura sending shivers down her body, as if he was there beside her, tracing one of his long claws along her aching flesh.

She should have been terrified of him, of the realization that such a monstrous creature even existed in their world of man. But instead, gratitude and affection bloomed in her chest, overriding the acute fear and horror that she had felt in the carriage.

He had saved her, without demanding anything in return. Without taking advantage of Rose when she had been most vulnerable and at his absolute mercy. A complete contradiction to his demon-like appearance.

A new realization struck her then, one where in her entire life of twenty seven years, she had never felt as safe as when she had been by Gabriel’s side.

He might be a monster to the rest of the world, but for her, he would always be her dark angel.

Her savior.

And with that thought in mind and a newly found hope that everything would be alright, Rose picked up her skirts, running towards the only being that had unknowingly claimed a piece of her heart.

Ch. 4

T he Sun was setting over the horizon, its brilliant hues of orange and red slowly being replaced by the dusty shades of blue.

The entire city of Paris lay before him as Gabriel crouched on one of the balustrades of the cathedral’s many galleries. Stone statues of gargoyles, griffins, and massive eagle-like chimeras stood watch beside him, making him blend in perfectly. If ever a human was to look up at the imposing building, all they would see was just another massive form observing them from the shadows.

He smirked with satisfaction.

Little did they know that an apex predator was hiding in the dark, one that could crush them with a mere flick of his tail. Whose wings were so powerful that they could cause a storm, one so violent that not even mother nature could compare, laying waste to the entire structure on which he sat upon at the very moment.

No, the humans had no idea what kind of a monster truly lived amongst them. He had been to Hell and back, banished from his own home for his overly aggressive nature, one that was too vile even for the likes of Lucifer.

The Prince of Darkness had punished him for his lack of obedience by cursing him to an eternal life of solitude in the house of God, a joke no doubt, for Gabriel was the very epitome of evil and everything that the same God and his army of angels fought against. Preached against in their Holy Book.

But no one had dared to stand in Lucifer’s way when he had sent Gabriel to be the sole sentry to the Otherworld, the same one that would later usher the dead to their final destination.

The Keeper of Souls, they called him. A being that did not shy away from violence and reaping one’s life for himself, especially if they were undeserving and treacherous. Oh, how he relished taking those especially despicable humans, sucking their very essence dry until only a carcass remained.

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