Not ready to expose her nightmare, she moves away from the heat of his touch and comfort of his wings. “In a dream,” she replies. “Where is the scroll, Malach?”
He feels her exhaustion and tells her, “You go soak in the hot spring, I will get the scroll and some food. You need to give your body time to recover.”
Elina knows he speaks the truth. She agrees and heads inside to her favorite spot. They discovered the hot spring down one of the tunnels leading off the main cavern. Upon entering the cave, she finds he already lit it with candles, and she places her towels and soap on a rocky ledge near the small waterfall. She quickly dives into the pool, surfaces and does a couple of laps hoping to stretch out her shoulders. Leaning back against the rock, she feels the bubbles bursting against her sensitive skin and sighs, absorbing the heat and steam deep into her body. Steam fills the cavern, and Elina swims over to the ledge to grab her soap and rag. She stands up waist deep in the pool; she begins to lather her hair. Elina massages her scalp and then dives under, swimming to the waterfall. She leans back and rinses her hair clean. Then she swims over to the edge to finish washing. Running her hands over her shoulders, she lathers each arm, and then runs her hands over her firm breasts. When she imagines Malach’s hands on her body, she smiles, thinking it is only in her mind. He cups the weight of each soapy mound as she sighs his name.
“Malach,” she moans when his teeth find her neck. She tilts her head slightly to give him better access. His large hands replace hers and they move together over her body. Leaning back into his muscular body, she feels the scrape of his teeth on her neck and her eyes snap open. Jerked back by her shoulders, he pulls her against his hard wet body. Elina drops into the water with surprising speed and surfaces, facing Malach. As she rises up out of the water, she sees his eyes are no longer the beautiful emerald green that she loves, but solid black.
“Elina, you know you want me. Come swim with me. I need you to free me from this pain,” he says holding out his hand to her.
Malach stands waist high in the water, he is beautiful and her eyes are drawn to a bead of water rolling down his cheek. It drops onto his collarbone and rolls. She follows the trail fascinated as it continues its salty path over his nipple. Her pink lips part and she steps towards him. Biting her lower lip, her hand reaches for his and he smiles in anticipation. Elina takes a deep breath and his eyes are drawn to her breasts. Distracted for a moment, he does not see her other fist until it is too late. Swinging the rock she grabbed off the bottom of the pool, she slams it to the side of his head putting as much strength as she can into the blow.
“Malach!!!!” she screams, calling her true guardian. She watches his false twin slam into the cavern wall; she calls him in her mind as well. When she gets no response, she does the only thing she can think to do: she leaps from the water and runs. As she reaches for her power, she sends a blast into the rocks above her head.
The rocks crumble and behind her, she hears him laughing. “Malach, Malach,” he screams, mocking her. She knows she has bought only a few minutes of time. Shifting to shadow form, she is able to move directly through the cavern walls landing outside near the waterfalls. Raphaim watches her flee with a twisted grin.
“Let’s see what this Keeper can do.” He thinks. “Either way I win. If she is strong enough to defeat me, I will use that strength to defeat my father and free Varena. If she loses I win. They still have a use. Father wants the Keeper. So I give him the Keeper, the book, and the angel who imprisoned him. Then Varena will be mine!”
Outside she sees Malach battling an enormous silver angel. His face is covered in a helmet and only his black eyes show. He stands nine feet tall covered in weathered silver armor, powerful and strong with a long sword infused with black flame. Elina stands in shock when she sees Malach in all his glory. He wears hammered armor with the imprint of scales, alternating blue and black to match his magnificent wings. The sound of their swords meeting can be heard echoing all around. She hears the sound of Raphaim entering the grotto behind her. Angry, she watches as he flies past her to watch the show. Landing on the hill above for a downward view, he spreads his large black wings.
“What, no popcorn?” Raphaim calls out with a wicked laugh.
The moment Malach sees Elina shift from shadow, he stares, stupefied by her nakedness. This provides the enemy the distraction needed and Malach takes a blow from his large silver fist knocking him backwards.
Elina has the ability to slow time, stop time altogether, or speed it up. She calls on this gift as she slows time down and moves as quickly as she can towards Malach. Dropping in front of him, she casts a shield of protection around him.
“Don’t just sit there, help me!” she screams at him. With a wave of his hand he covers her in a black cat suit, perfect for battling. Looking down she says, sarcastically, “Seriously.”
With a smile, Raphaim watches from above, sitting on the edge of the cliff with his feet dangling. “I prefer her natural form,
