Every demon had his or her mate. Since there were so few female demons, many of the demons mated with witches. Once the demon touched their mates they were forever bond to them. They could not hurt or leave their mate behind. Meaning for the rest of eternity she was going to be stuck by Sebastian side.
She listened to the wind as it blew against her carriage. The demon didn't make a sound in hope of giving her faux relief so he could destroy it as he tries to devour her soul. Even though he was as quite as a church mouse she knew he was lurking in the darkness waiting for his chance to pounce.
She guessed she should be happy that she knew that she would live to see another dawn. She would be able to continue traveling the world. She would be able to try each nation's pastries. She would be able to do all things she dreamed of, but at the cost of something that was very important to her.
Her Freedom
Her days of only caring about herself and worry about herself came to a complete stop in the last half hour. She was now the mate to a ruthless demon that would only care about his own whims and what she could do for him. She would live an existence that she dreaded about since she first saw him in the vision.
On the seventh birthday of every witch, he or she was granted a meeting of their future mate. A Umbono they called it. Some were lucky to mate with others of our kind. The less lucky ones would have to mate with other species. Still in some odd ways a good thing to some. Then there were the ones like her that fate dealt a shitty hand and they were the brides of demons. Some were okay with it. Usually being a bride to a demon you received a great amount of power. While Aria felt like she was cursed. Not only was she mated to a demon she was mated to one so powerful that he could destroy heaven if he wanted.
Malphas
That dame crow demon has haunted her dreams since she first receive her vision of him on her birthday.
"Aria, hurry your party is about to commence." Her older brother Mark yelled to her. "Come on already, Pa and everyone else is waiting for you." He sighed impatiently.
"Coming" She yelled back coming out of her tent. Since she was six Pa and Momma gave her a tent to call her own since she was the only girl of their nine children also the youngest. She was the princess treated the best among the siblings, receiving the best presents from their parents. "Look Mark at the pretty dress Momma made me for my special day." She said twirling around in her brand new dress.
The dress was as white as the clouds on a nice spring day. It cut off right at her knees, fluff out right at her waist. The sleeves were laced with so many different designs. She was so happy when her mother handed her the dress wishing her a happy birthday.
"Yes, your dress is very pretty now come along" Mark said rolling his eyes. Aria rolled her lavender eyes than skipped towards the middle of camp. Upon arrival she looked at all the members of her covenant as they waited for her ceremony.
"Momma, Pa, here I am" Aria shouted as she ran to meet her family. When she stopped she was pulled into the large arms of her father. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. "Don't I look pretty, Pa?" she smiled.
"Yes, my amethyst jewel you are beautiful just like your dear mother." He said smiling at her. "Come the covenant leader is waiting to start." He carried her to the slab where she would lay to receive her full powers and the Umbono of her mate.
Her covenant was the lunar clan. Her father had mated to her mother who was especially proficient in time magic. Most witches in their clan would lived to the age of 80 but since her mother was sopowerful it seem that her, her husband, and their children were dame near immortal.
The ceremony was for her to be fully awakened to her powers. She would begin training the next morning with her mother then her father would take her other spells. She was very excited to be able to call herself a full witch, not being treated like a baby by her older brothers.
"Aria I see you are ready, I must say you look quite exceptional tonight." The covenant leader Amandla said as she looked down at her. Blushing, Aria looked down and thanked her for the compliment. "Now please put on the mask and lay down against the slab.
Aria quickly did closing her eyes as she heard the chants of the fellow members as they called upon the spirits and powers to awaken hers. She laid there waiting to see what would happen next.
Everything was so calm. Soon she could no longer hear the chants of her people. Just pure silence. Never in her life had she heard quiet like this. This cold dark feeling came over her. She opened her eyes to see her surroundings. All around her were white feathers, some floating in midair, some falling to the ground, there were even some underneath her. They felt soft and cool against her warm skin.
"Where am I?" She asked looking around her. Not far from her was a dead tree. The bark of the tree was a grotesques gray. It looked as if someone sucked all the life out of it leaving it there all alone. Perched on a branch was a single black crow. Who stared at her with blood red eyes.
"Who are you child?" The crow squawked.
"I am Aria of the lunar tribe." Aria said standing on the pillow soft feathers. "May I ask your name Mr. Crow?" Aria asked walking towards the talking bird.
"My name is Malphas, child" The crow answered it deep voice reminded her of a lion roar she heard when her clan was passing through the Serengeti.
"Malphas, that is very nice name. I like it a lot." Aria smiled to the crow.
"Thank you very much, child. I must say that I like your name very much. "May such a pretty young thing your are."
"Why thank you. May ask you a question?" Aria asked now touching the bark of the dead tree. It was hard and felt wrong against her fingers. It was not soft like the feathers.
The crow looked down at her. She had a feeling he was smiling at her. "I believe you just did little one. You may ask your question after you answered mine. Can you sing, child?" The crow asked.
"Yes, my Pa says I have the voice of a song bird." Aria said proudly to the crow.
"Really, you must sing a song for me then child" the crow said.
"I will, but only…." She broke of the rest of her sentence as she tapped her chin.
"But, what child?" The crowed flapped it wings showing it impatience wanting her answer.
"You have to stop calling me little. Today is my seventh birthday, I am no longer a child. I am a big girl and I will be treated as such." Aria said placing her hands on her hips like she saw her Momma do when she scolded her brothers and Pa.
"I see well then I will have to come up with another pet name for you then." The crow said as he thought. "Please sing my dear song." he said after awhile.
Aria sang the song her mother taught her. She put everything she had into the song so she could impress the bird. She wanted the crow to love the sound of her voice as she sung for him and him alone.
"I have to say you have the most beautiful voice I ever heard." the crow said once she was finished.
"Thank you, Malphas" She smiled as her cheeks flushed red.
"No, thank you, my dear song. Tell me now why you have come to my home." The crow said jumping to a lower branch to be closer to her. Aria had forgotten about the reason she was there to the crow asked.
"Oh I am here because I am a witch and since it is my seventh birthday I get to meet my future mate for the first time." Aria answered him. "I wonder where he is?" She asked herself.
"I see" the crow said flapping his black wings. "I believe I am to be your mate." The crow said to her.
"What? You cannot be my mate. You are a crow." Aria laughed. The crow spread it wings wide then took flight. It circled her a couple times to he flew behind her to stop. The crow began to transform. A black light surrounded it and Aria could not see past it, it was so dark.
"This is my true form child" Aria opened her eyes that she didn't even realize she closed. There before her was a man. He stood tall about 6'3. Her being so short probably came to his knees. He had on tight leather trousers that clung to his long legs. His chest was bare showing his defined abs. His skin seemed to be pale as the moon compared to her skin. His hair was short spiking up into different directions. On his head were two large horns that reminded her of a Wildebeest. What she noticed most was his large black wings that came from his back. They seem bigger than he was.
"You are not a crow." Aria mumbled out as she looked over the handsome man.
"No the crow is my animal form." He said before disappearing. Aria turned her head in every direction looking for him. He reappeared behind her pulling her into his hard chest, holding her there. For so long I have waited for you, my dear little song. Now that I have I will never let you go." He said as he knelled on his knees nuzzling into her neck.
"No I have to go home to my family." Aria said trying to pull away, but found out that she was unable to move. "Let go of me" she screamed at him.
"No my little song, I will never let you go. You are mines now and I do not share what is mine. This is your new home now" Malphas told her.
"No this is just a vision, a meeting. I cannot stay here, I will disappear soon enough. No release me." She protested trying to fight out of his embrace.
"If this is only a vision than I shall find you as soon as I awaken and drag you back to hell with me." Malphas said gripping her tighter. His claws ripped her dress at her hips where he held her at. They pierce her flesh and she release a pain squealed. "I am so sorry my little song. I did not mean to hurt you. I'll find you and bring you back home." He told her.
"It does not work that way. You will forget about me. You will not remember this." She told him as she began to fade away from him. The once white feathers were now all black. His blood red eyes glared at her she continue to squirm
"I'll find you, my little song. I shall find you" He promised her.
Aria sat up straight as she screamed on the top of her lungs. She called for her mother. She called for her father. She called for her brothers. She called for help, for anyone to save her from the blood eyed crow. Her once while dress was as black as his feathers in the pale moonlight.
Coming back from the memory Aria began to shake. For the last ninty- eight years she had hid from him. Even though he could not remember her he keep his promise of trying. She could not stay in one place long before she would get a feeling of him approaching. She would run as soon as she felt him near. Running for the hill like the scared little girl that she still was.
Somebody help me