Page 19 of Azriel

“Shut up! I’m tired of your damn attitude!”

Azriel was sure he heard something crack when Unvern’s fist slammed into his ribs. Pain exploded, and for a second, he couldn’t breathe. His knees buckled, and he would have fallen if the angel hadn’t been holding his arm. Unvern’s fingers dug in as he tried to haul Azriel to his feet.

“Get the fuck up!”

“I don't want to! I’ll tell the guardhouse if it’s red!”

Azriel didn’t remember how he ended up flat on his back, but he was suddenly on the floor while blood poured from his nose as his head rang. Unvern was on him in the next second with his teeth bared and his wings spread.

No matter how Azriel tried to shove off the angel or block his hands, the punches kept coming. He thought about using a spell, but what if that only ratcheted up the other angel’s fury, and he used his magic to attack too?

When Unvern finally stood, Azriel curled up on the floor and covered his face as he hoped it was done. It wasn’t the first time Unvern had hit him, but he’d never beaten him like this before. Wetness covered his face as his mind reeled.

“This is your fault so quit your damn crying. If you just acted right, kept your fucking mouth shut, and did what I said, I wouldn’t get angry, but you had to spoil what could have been a nice day for us. When I come back tomorrow, you better not even think of denying me. Then again, maybe I shouldn’t come back, and then you can have all the bad days you want. I’ll find someone better who’s not all fucked up in the head and doesn’t threaten me with guards just because they got their drawers in a twist.”

Without warning, his boot smashed into Azriel’s side and knocked the wind from him. Agony pierced him inside as Unvern stormed toward the door without another word. He slammed it shut, leaving Azriel struggling to breathe on the floor.

The pain demanded so much attention, he couldn’t even think to use a healing spell. Every breath was a struggle, and he was sure a few ribs had been broken. It felt like an eternity before the pain lessened only enough for him to push himself into a sitting position. It flared right back up at the movement, and he had to hold onto the couch to keep himself up.

He was about to heal himself, but he stopped as he remembered Unvern’s words. He had threatened to not come back after they’d had arguments that usually resulted in a few hits and insults. But he always came back the next day, and he’d apologize and be nice for a bit. He’d say he still wanted to bond with Azriel later once their stint in the army was done and over with.

Azriel couldn’t do this anymore. What if another beating came? Even if Unvern never came back, Azriel would still have to report for duty in a month. If he wanted to leave the Fallen realm, he needed to conserve what little magic he had left. Sex with someone wasn’t an option right now because he couldn’t bear the idea of getting with anyone.

Vials of energy were in short supply at the moment, so he wouldn’t be able to purchase any. They were also quite expensive. If he healed himself, he might not have enough magic to get beyond the border, and he had to leave before Unvern came slinking back.

Maybe he could wait a few days, force himself to have sex with Unvern, and store up a bit more.

But when he touched his sleeve to his face and saw the blood, his stomach twisted at the idea.

***

Azriel had cleaned himself up the best he could and put some balm on his bruises, but he couldn’t do anything about his broken ribs except wrap them. That didn’t help much either, and he almost considered using some of his energy to at least heal those.

Then he imagined not being able to leave the border because he didn’t have enough energy. He’d have to return through the Wraithlands…no, it had to be now. He couldn’t go back. The human world frightened him, but Unvern scared him more. And besides him, there were others who were far worse.

Azriel wrapped one arm around himself as he walked. His pack didn’t have much in it, and the light orb he carried swung slightly on its chain. He’d seen the Wraithlands beyond the barrier before, but he’d never gone in. The place was far scarier to him at night even though he knew the wraiths wouldn’t dare come near the light.

He’d already been walking for hours, and the pain was so bad, he almost wanted to lay down on the ground and not move ever again, but he forced himself to keep going.

A dark shape moved in the fog ahead, and he froze. A wraith. He could feel it watching him and hungering for his energy and life, but it wouldn’t get close since he had the light. He’d only seen them from afar because Red had taken him to the barrier before.

For a moment, the other scars in his head that wouldn’t heal hurt so much, he considered putting out the orb and letting the wraith have him. It would hurt, and imagining it made his wings tremble. At least, he wouldn’t have to remember anymore, right? He was too much of a coward to kill himself, so he could let the wraith do it.

But he didn’t know what came after, especially for one so dirty, and it might be worse than life. He kept the orb on, and the dark shape finally glided away since it couldn’t have him.

Flying would attract lightning here, and he wouldn’t get far so he had no choice but to keep going. He kept walking for hours through the next day and into the next night. He had to go to the far corner and hope to avoid patrols. If the demons got ahold of him…

When he finally exited through the barrier, he almost wanted to run back in. He'd never been on the demon’s side of the realm before, and he kept expecting a bunch to appear out of nowhere and attack him. They’d likely take him alive and torture him for information. They wouldn’t care what had happened to him because he was the enemy and a piece of filth in their eyes. Nothing more.

He took the chance to fly over the woods, and he kept low. Flying didn’t feel good either since any motion was agony on his ribs. It took hours, but when he felt the faint thrum, he knew he was at the border.

If he kept flying, he’d end up going in circles. Nobody could simply stroll or fly out. He mumbled the words under his breath and prayed he had enough energy.

The thrum vanished, and the appearance of the trees shifted a little. He was out, right? This had to be the human’s world. The sudden, savage hunger in the back of his head took up most of his attention for several moments since the spell had drained everything he had left or damn near it.

He landed in a bare patch in the forest and stumbled a bit. Fuck. Agony shot through his ribs as the hunger demanded to be fednow.

He put out the light orb as he tried to breathe and comfort himself with the fact that Unvern couldn’t get to him now, and nobody could make him fight for those bastards. They never bothered to send anyone after someone who made it out because Earth was too big, and besides, he wouldn’t have an easy time here.

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