3.

I laid myself curled into a fetal position on the huge bed, slowly closing my eyes, remembering all those horrible moments...

All that blood...

Those limbs scattered everywhere...

All those people...

Loud screams echoed in my ears, my hands roughly gripping the sheets beneath me, keeping my eyes tightly closed, small tears already making their way over my face.

I’m sorry...I’m so sorry...

I didn’t mean to...

I kept mentally repeating, my lips escaping small sobs, burying my face in the soft pillow, feeling that burning pain creeping its way inside my chest once again, those horrifying screams only growing louder...

Daya...

“Daya.”

A familiar, rough male voice called, my eyelids quickly fluttering open and I instantly jerked up, finally noticing my brother sitting on the bed right beside me, his pale features showing genuine concern as he stared down at me.

“What happened?” He softly asked, his bright blue orbs roaming all over my face, surely noticing my recent crying activity.

“I...” Was all I managed to say, before his aristocratic features suddenly contorted into a frown as he deeply inhaled, his tone sounding almost accusing as he rather stated than asked,

“You met him again, didn’t you?”

My lips slightly parted, giving him a curious stare, a little bit too surprised to even answer.

How did he know?

“Daya, you have to stay away from him. Fallen angels are always bad news. Especially archangels,” He warned, his tone sounding maybe too commanding, also irritating me to no end. Yet what really drew my attention, was that last word...

Archangel...

“Wait, he’s an archangel?” I instantly asked, staring up at him with obvious interest, only to notice how his sculptured jaw clenched, coldly looking down upon me, not uttering a single word.

No...

“You know who he is...” I finally whispered, watching him in utter disbelief, knowing mother surely forced him to keep his mouth shut about this, his back turning to me as he quickly walked away, leaving me sitting there, mouth agape.

“Tell me his name.”

No answer.

I watched him head straight towards the door and just as he was about to exit, I called after him once again,

“Rem, please tell me his name!”

Again, no answer.

Gods...

This I’m going to find out. I’m so tired of mother’s many secrets.

I sat there on the bed for a couple of minutes, blankly staring at the door, remembering how all these many years, she continuously refused to tell me anything about my father, except that he, was too a fallen...

That’s why her eyes held so much hatred as she gazed upon the fallen archangel I had stumbled into...

But why?

Why so-

A soft commotion suddenly broke me out of my spinning thoughts and the moment I turned my head in the direction it came from, my eyes met those same pitch black ones, ultimately noticing the huge feathered black wings slowly retreating behind his broad shoulders, my lips escaping a small gasp as I clumsily stumbled backwards, instantly landing on the floor with a loud thud.

Gripping against the edge of the bed, I quickly peered over it, noticing him standing in the same spot, an amused smirk spreading all over his features.

“Already falling for me, Red?”

My gaze narrowed as I watched his smirk spread even more, quickly raising up to my feet as I hissed at him,

“What are you doing here? How did you get in here?”

“Easy. I just followed your scent,” He casually answered, still keeping that annoying smile plastered all over his face, giving me a small wink.

“Aaand you forgot this,” He then added, slowly dangling my backpack over his index finger.

I instantly jumped over the bed, reaching to get it back but just as I was about to grab it, he instantly lifted his hand up, knowing I definitely won’t be able to reach it since he was way too taller than me anyways.

“Whoah, whoah. Not even a thank you?” He rose one eyebrow, those coal irises amusedly staring down right into mine as we stood so close to each other. Maybe too close.

I took a small step back, letting out a tired sigh, momentarily tilting my head forward, before I raised my sight to meet his once again, simply asking,

“What do you want from me? Why do you keep on following me?”

“I just want us to be friends,” He simply answered with a small shrug, instantly making me frown, curiously staring up at him.

Wait, what?

Why would he...

Wait a minute!

An interesting idea suddenly popped in my mind, making me inwardly smirk before the words tumbled out,

“You say you want us to be friends, right?”

I watched him give me a slow nod, curiously eyeing me though before I continued,

“Then how come you’ve never told me your name?

I mean, you know mine, it’s fair that I should know yours too, right?”

Okay, this is the moment.

I mentally crossed my fingers, hoping he won’t look too much into it and finally tell me, watching how he simply stared at me for a couple of seconds in utter silence, before finally answering,

“Raphael. My name is Raphael.”

Yes! Yes!

Oh I will definitely look this up in that damned book later.

“Nice to meet you, Raphael,” I tested his name, giving him a light smile, noticing how he kept his other hand stretched towards me, waiting for me to take it. Not wanting to mess this up since I was planning on asking him so many questions later, I slowly, hesitantly stretched my hand towards his.

Only once our fingers touched, a very disturbing and intense scene suddenly flashed before my eyes...

The two of us, together, our bodies completely bare as he did things to me I’ve only read about in my romance books.

“Holy fuck!”

I heard him curse out loud as my lips escaped a loud gasp, instantly moving as far as possible away from him, clutching my hand to my chest as I stared at him, wide-eyed, breathing fast and hard.

“W-what was that? W-what did you do to me?” I angrily yelled at him, not failing to also notice the shocked look on his face, quickly turning into a frown as he bluntly replied,

“I didn’t do anything, so stop flattering yourself, okay?”

What?

His gaze then shot upwards, making it seem like he could see through the ceiling as he angrily questioned,

“What kind of game is this, Itherael?”

Huh?

“Who are you talking to?” I rose one eyebrow, staring at him, visibly confused.

“That’s none of your business,” He rudely replied, giving me a hard stare.

“You said you want us to be friends. Friends don’t talk like that to each other.”

I didn’t have many friends, but at least this I knew.

I glowered at him, angrily clenching my fists at my sides, in that specific moment wishing that I could give him a hard slap.

“Get out.”

Both his eyebrows rose, giving me a curious stare before I repeated once again, this time a little louder,

“Get out!”

I watched how his features instantly contorted into a devious smirk, simply replying,

“Make me.”

Holy gods.

There was no way I could forcefully throw him out of my room without actually touching him...and that I surely didn’t want to do. Ever again.

Eww eww eww!

I inwardly cringed, remembering those sinful images flashing before my eyes, making my skin crawl.

“Whatever.”

I finally gave up, angrily stomping right towards the door, leaving him standing there in my room, all alone.