Fallen Angel Ch. 11

Davariel kissed the top of Devon's head through the hood that covered him from everyone's view. He held his son, although he was securely strapped onto his chest, while Luciel carried Lucien, who tended to be fussier. The soft grey hood on Davariel's own head covered him well, but he was still nervous. The thought of what would happen if anyone were to gaze upon him made him tremble in fear.

He remembered as a child accompanying the High Priestess, Alya, to the market one sunny day on Seraphia. He was just a tiny chickling, about three sun orbits old. Most Seraphs just smiled at him indulgently and always commented on what a beautiful child he was to the High Priestess who took care of him. That day, unlike others, she took him to the intergalactic market festival so he could see the different types of aliens that visited them regularly.

He recalled how excited he felt as they neared the market festival, his tiny, downy wings fluttering anxiously behind him as he skipped by Alya's side, giggling in joy.

All eyes turned to stare at him in bewilderment. Everything began to grow silent as they passed stalls of wares, exotic foods and animals. An orange-skinned Chidadent male scooped him up, without asking the High Priestess Alya's permission. He hugged Davariel painfully hard, nuzzling his neck as he exclaimed over the child's beauty. Another alien, this one a white haired Mer, gripped Dava's pale-gold, corkscrew baby-curls, and begged the Chidident to allow him to hold the him. A female Grei tried to pry the Davariel from the Chidident, who didn't seem to want to relinquish the baby to anyone. Alya, who had already unsheathed her sword, tried to regain poor Davariel in desperation. The people almost rioted when he began to cry from fear and pain as they tussled over him.

Alya took to the air, carrying the Chidident. Several other reapers helped her tear a sobbing Davariel from the aggressive orange-hued alien, then they watched in horror as the mob that had been inside the grounds of the market festival began heading toward the holy city of Angelos almost as fast as they flew there. Reapers scrambled to shut the city gates as Alya flew directly to the balcony of Davariel's bedroom in the castle.

Luciel's hand caressing his cheek brought him out of his reverie.

Her voice was like a kiss in his mind. Everything will be fine, baby.

He nodded at her, not daring to look up lest his hood fall back.

The cloak covered him fully. It was soft, comfortable and cool. Still, he wondered when he'd be able to shed the layers of clothing he wore, feeling imprisoned in so much fabric. As a chickling, all he had worn was a little black thong-like garment that covered his loins. When he grew into a fledgling reaper, he wore a soctanal, which was nothing more than a black, satiny loincloth, with a gleaming gold band low on his hips holding it in place. Gold sandals, held on his feet with thin string-like ties that wrapped around his legs, completed the scanty attire. Then, as dark prince, he'd worn nothing at all...ever.

He wondered how much attention they were getting right now with their strange little entourage. The two dragons in human form had accompanied them, along with Drakken, the vampire, and one of the reapers, called Eriel. Remuel alone was enough to draw bewildered stares with his mane of blood-red hair and bright green eyes. He was loud and crazy as well, always getting on one of the were-tigri's nerves. Already Davariel and some of the reapers had to intercept a bloody fistfight between the dragon and the white tiger named Seshmel. Remuel had even managed to irk the vampire that had escorted them to Sjoria. He'd caught the Drakken staring murderously at the red-haired were-dragon, and warned him not to consider his obnoxious dragon friend a tasty meal. The vampire had only regarded him with cold, glittering black eyes and said he wouldn't make any promises.

The vampire's hand gripped his elbow and guided him through the lobby of the seaside castle. All he could see was an opulent rug that cushioned his steps as he walked through a passageway that sounded cavernous. In the air was the scent of ocean breeze and aged stone.

"You can look up now. There's no one around." Drakken's deep lulling voice said near his ear.

Davariel looked up into glittering obsidian eyes in a striking countenance framed by a lush fall of jet-black corkscrew curls. Drakken smiled at him in his usual seductive demeanor, until Remuel came up behind them and wrapped both arms around their necks in an enthusiastic manner that had the vampire growling in irritation.

"This place is over the top luxurious. Did you see the bosoms of the receptionists?"

Davariel barely registered the rest of Remuel's words. The dragon's scent wrapped around him, a scent he hadn't noticed before. It made his entire body vibrate, his fangs tingle and his mouth salivate. He also grew erect.

"Remuel, your scent," Davariel gasped grabbing the shocked were-dragon. He buried his nose in Remuel's neck. "You smell of...sex!"

"You pig," Zakreel laughed coming up next to them! "I told you to bathe before we left Earth."

"My love, what's going on?"

Luciel's voice sounded far off as Davariel drowned himself in the dragon's pleasant scent. He inhaled deeply, a strange energy filling him. He wanted more—needed more.

Only when Devon began to cry did he react. As if awakening from some trance, he sprang away from Remuel, who'd been struggling to disengage himself from his grip. The were-dragon stumbled back into Zakreel's arms staring at Dava as if he'd lost his mind. Davariel frowned in confusion. What in Hades name had come over him? He caressed he son reassuringly, not wanting to look at anyone. He felt like an ass.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know what the hell came over me."

Luciel came over to him. "Oh, my God, Dava! You're burning up," she exclaimed feeling his face.

He did feel warm, but thought it was due to his embarrassment.

"Let's get to our rooms before someone sees us," Drakken suggested. "And you . . ." he turned to look pointedly at Remuel, who was still leaning against Zakreel with his mouth open. "Stay away from Davariel!"

"B-but why? I don't understand." Remuel sniffed at his blood-red locks, then his forearm. "I did bathe!"

Behind him, Zakreel and Eriel chuckled.

*******

When they arrived at their rooms, Davariel claimed he felt tired, which was nothing new, but now Luciel began to wonder at his constant sleepiness. At first she had thought it was from the traumatic ordeal his body had gone through, now with his strange fever and peculiar behavior she was beginning to wonder if it were something much more serious.

"Dava, do you feel ill?" She helping him unbind the baby from his chest. Drakken took Devon, and began to baby talk to him.

"I don't get sick, Luci," he sighed, continuing to remove the rest of his clothing, not caring that Drakken was still present.

Was it her imagination, or did Davariel's body look even more muscular? As he passed before the balcony doors of their room to the massive canopied bed, the sunlight caught in his hair and she realized that it had more white-gold streaks in it and the ends were curling in striking loose spiral curls that almost completely covered his taut backside. Stars above! He was becoming even more spectacular! What did it all mean?

Davariel was asleep by the time his head touched the plump pillows.

"He's coming of age," Drakken said in his hypnotic voice.

Luciel groaned in misery. "Drakken, please tell me! Is Dava a child?"

The vampire chuckled making her glare at him. "And if he were, don't you think it's a little too late to repent your having...lain with him?" Drakken's well-shaped brow drew up as he rocked Devon in his arms pointedly.

Luciel turned back to gaze once more at Davariel as he slept on the enormous bed dressed in gold colored coverings and plush pillows. Just looking at him made her ache for him. Again, she groaned in misery.

"Fear not, my lovely Luciel." The vampire's voice was like a cool caress against her neck, making her jump in surprise. He moved so fast she never knew where he was going to pop up. Good thing he was a fellow Master Guardian and archangel otherwise she'd have impaled him with her sword at his suggestive advances. "As a Seraphian male, he's quite of age, just a bit young."

"How young?"

"In your Earth years he would be analogous to a nineteen year old." When she covered her face in despair, he continued, "He's not Earth-born, Luci. He's Seraphian, fully adult, not some simpering teenage boy. Your sons carry his blood and grow in a similar fashion like him. Before they reach their first year, they will have grown to the size of an Edenian three year old. Their growth spurt almost stops there and they continue to grow normally after that, like any other Edenian."

Luciel looked at baby Lucien with a frown. They were going to grow faster than normal? She didn't like that.

"Seraphs reach adolescence and teen-hood like any other Edenian, and are even capable of sexual activity." He let his tongue trace Luci's ear. She flinched away and glared at his smiling face, as he continued, "Though that doesn't usually happen until they shed their first layer of baby feathers. When they're about two hundred years old, they go into full sexual bloom, growing their adult plumage and feeling the full stirrings of desire for the first time." Drakken continued to circle behind her and sniff at her hair and neck, making her bristle. He laughed at her irritation and kissed her temple. "Davariel is growing weak. He needs to feed... like me."

"What?" Luciel spun around making Lucien, who was still in her arms, cry in fright. Dismayed at having scared her baby, she pulled her tunic aside and offered him her breast to soothe him. "There-there, my sweet baby. Mommy's sorry," she cooed at him as he latched on, blinking tear-filled blue eyes at her. He sniffled a few times, his chin trembling, then forgot about the displeasing episode altogether as he began to nurse eagerly. Luciel stared daggers at the vampire, who was leering openly at her bared breast. She didn't need to read his mind to know he was dreaming of sinking his fangs into her other breast to sip from her as well. "Explain yourself," she snapped.

He batted his silky black lashes at her with a mischievous smile that reminded her of Davariel's. "Davariel's cambion nature is beginning to manifest itself. As a child, he continuously over-fed on the projected energy from the millions that came to adore him on Seraphia. Then as dark prince, he fed off the plentiful orgies that took place amongst the devils and demons on Megdoluc. Since his rescue, your sexual desire is the only thing that has sustained him. The intake of energy is vastly different from what he's accustomed. It's like...using your crude Edenian term...like a junkie needing his usual fix." Sharp, white fangs flashed briefly when he said fix, reminding her how deadly the enigmatic dark beauty was.

"Is that why he's always so tired all the time...and the fever he has now?"

"The fever is only due to his going into his adult cambion phase. Once he completes that phase, he'll draw his energy from erotic dreams versus actual sexual contact. I must warn you that his carnal appetites will become even more voracious than they are now."

Luciel's eyes widened at that. "Are you shitting me," she scoffed, reverting to her New York City street language?

"I shit you not," Drakken mimicked in his soft lulling voice, brows raised!

Again, she turned to the stunning sight of Davariel's naked body sprawled out on the bed as he slept. He looked like an ethereal angel from heaven.

"What happens if he doesn't get his usual...fix?"

When Drakken remained silent, she turned to face him. All playfulness had gone from his demeanor when he answered, "Then, like me, he falls into a deep sleep and turns to stone."

Lucien must have felt the intense wave of anxiety that tore through his mother because he began to wail without consolation. Even Devon began to fuss in the vampire's arms. She rocked the baby, trying to soothe him, turning to Drakken. "What must I do? Please! I can't bear to think of life without him!"

"He needs to feed, Luci," the vampire answered simply.