Azazeal smiled as he gazed in satisfaction at the woman sleeping beside him. Their lovemaking this evening had been almost frantic and in her current condition Herath tired easily. He smoothed the hair back from her face and noted with concern the frown creasing his lover's sleeping brow. As he traced her mouth with a gentle fingertip he was pleased to see it curve upwards in a slight smile but as soon as he stopped the frown returned and Herath attempted to cuddle closer to him though she was already pressed tight against his side.
He wondered what could be bothering her so much that it would intrude even into her dreams. Herath was normally a strong independent character, not given to clinging to anyone, but then she had been behaving somewhat oddly these last few days. Of course it could just be that the changes her body was going through in her pregnancy were causing her strange moods and he knew that the rather alarming speed with which the pregnancy was progressing had frightened her. Indeed he had been rather alarmed himself at first but then he had had no real idea what to expect himself. He had never considered a child before but when the idea came to him as he lay entwined with Herath it had seemed like a perfect plan; the child would convince Herath that he truly loved her and the potential power of a child conceived between Nephilim and human was as yet unknown, though considering the recent increase in supernatural activity the possibilities were endless. Azazeal smiled again as he remembered that he had been forced to reveal something of his true nature to his lover in order to explain her rapidly increasing waistline. He had been nervous that she would become frightened then of him as well as their baby but Herath had simply accepted what he told her and only questioned him on some of the vaguer details he had given her.
She was intelligent as well as lovely, one of the things that had attracted him to her in the first place, though it had certainly taken him long enough to persuade her that he was serious in his attentions. Her lack of curiosity had given him some pause but he had come to the conclusion that it was her acceptance of his love and proof of her trust in him that she accepted his explanation.
Herath's eyes flickered open and she gave him a slight smile before her expression became deadly serious. 'I love you,' she said firmly and he wanted to laugh at her determination to convince him of something he already knew, but instead he simply replied in a soft voice, 'I know, Herath, its ok, I know.'
But she was strangely determined tonight. 'Promise me that you won't forget, that you won't doubt it.'
He looked down at her, a frown now on his face as well as hers, 'Of course I'll never doubt it my love,' he told her firmly his hand going to the smooth rounded curve of her belly, 'There's no reason why I ever should'. He had meant the words to comfort her and was surprised to see the tears in her eyes as her hand came to join his over their unborn child.
Azazeal stiffened suddenly in alarm and Herath clutched at him fearfully, 'What is it?'
'I don't know, something doesn't feel right…' he cut off abruptly as the door to his room flew open and temple priests and guards began to flood in; he felt a crushing sensation as at the same moment he recognised the chanting of the priests; a containment spell. Azazeal roared furiously as the guards seized him and dragged him from the bed, all his power useless to him.
Behind him Herath sat shaking and white as guards stepped up next to her. 'I'm sorry Azazeal. Forgive me, forgive me' she begged. Azazeal stared at his lover in stunned silence as the reality of the situation sank in. He had underestimated her again; he had thought she was satisfied with his ambiguous explanations but he had been mistaken. The intellect he so loved had sent her seeking further answers to her questions and he knew exactly where she had gone for them.
As though conjured by Azazeal's thoughts the High Priest of the temple stepped into the room, his usually serene face distorted by sadness and fear. He gazed at Azazeal in disappointment and then began another low chant over the top of the ceaseless chanting of the rest of his priests.
Pain sliced through his body as Azazeal's body was forced into its natural form and he roared again wordlessly in anger and dismay. Exhausted from the enforced change he raised his head slowly to look at Herath, dreading what he would see in her eyes now that she had seen him in his true guise as a Nephilim.
He understood for the first time in that moment just how much she truly loved him for nothing had changed. Love for him still shone in her eyes and fear for him in her expression. Her hands still covered her stomach protectively even as she told him, never once looking away from his eyes, 'You gave me no choice. I could not stand by and let you destroy my people and my world. Forgive me.'
'I forgive you Herath,' he told her and it was true. 'I forgive you and I will always love you.' She seemed to sag then as though fear that he would hate her had been all that kept her upright and the guards at either side of her took hold of her arms dragging her to her feet.
Azazeal surged forward snarling at their rough handling of his lover but he was easily restrained. 'Bring them,' snapped the High Priest and they were escorted down into the lower regions of the temple where all the most powerful ceremonies and rites were carried out.
Herath cried out as she was dragged into a different chamber from her lover and Azazeal shouted her name as he strove to reach her, but the guards were strong and the chanting priests weakened him. As he was hauled to the centre of the large chamber he recognised the pattern inscribed on the floor and he felt despair sweep through him. The second he was in the centre of the hexagram the guards let go of him and he was held fixed in position by the powerful spells and the unceasing chanting.
The High Priest stared unflinching into Azazeal's eyes, seemingly unconcerned by the Nephilim's true appearance. 'Herath is a brave girl. Brave and strong and I think only her love for her people and her responsibility to them could have overcome her love for you.' His face was sad and his shoulders slumped as he continued, 'She must have known that revealing that she was carrying your child was sealing her fate…'
Azazeal stared at him in dawning horror as his meaning sank in and just at that moment he heard Herath scream with such terror and despair that he nearly went mad. The heavy echoing boom of stone settling heavily onto stone cut off the sound after a moment. Azazeal threw back his head and silently screamed his grief and helpless rage, straining with all his power against his containment, desperate to save his innocent lover from this horrible fate. Several of the priests dropped to the floor unconscious but there were many more waiting to take their places, taking up the chant without pause and leaving no escape.
'Neither she nor the child can be permitted to live. Their presence is an offence against the natural order. The gods would surely destroy us all. Herath knew that,' the High Priest continued after a moment, 'The curses on the sarcophagus will prevent their spirits from rising in this world or the next.' He looked steadily into Azazeal's eyes, 'I'm afraid you won't be seeing either your lover or her child in the afterlife. Once they die they will be contained forever. And you will not be allowed to remain and try again.'
The old man's voice suddenly raised up to its full power and the voices of the priests swelled to join him in a new more powerful chant, which Azazeal recognised at once. Pain ripped through him as he was banished once again from this world and Azazeal swore that he would return.
Azazeal's eyes focused once more on Cassie. 'It wasn't meant to be,' he replied, the words echoing down the centuries and he marvelled at how fresh the pain and grief still was.
Cassie looked away, 'Sorry,' but she didn't look it, she looked amused and smugly confident in her own charms so temptingly on display.
'Its all right, I've had therapy,' he replied lightly, thinking of the many women in between these two. But even as she laughed and he stood to move and sit beside her on the bed, cajoling her into their first kiss, he wondered if he really had the strength to go through that again. Cassie and Herath were so different and yet so alike in many ways that he was almost afraid. But this time it would be different he swore as he kissed her forehead and walked away, a half smile on his face at her indignation at being left wanting more. This time it would all go according to plan.