For the duration of the trip I sat in the brig of the Condor. A small room with a single, tiny cell barely large enough to hold the cot I sat on. I was too tall for it. Raina had been given the spare room amongst the squadron on the quick trip and also given clothes to choose from. It turned out at some point Piper had a run in with a real princess and still had a gown stashed away. Raina was free to do with it what she wished.
When we finally landed at the terra everyone had gone. What remained of the town had been left deserted with a few dogs, cows and sheep running wild amongst the remaining houses and fields. The Condor landed near the edge of the terra in an area clear of the forest and Junko fetched me. I was lead onto the landing dock of the ship where Raina and the rest of the Storm Hawks waited. After seeing the state of the terra worry crept up my spine. How would she live with nothing left there?
When I saw her my heart stopped. Whoever she was before being found by me was clearly a woman you wouldn't want to underestimate. The dress given to her may have once been some kind of dark purple ball gown with a corset bodice and off the shoulder, full length sleeves but it had been turned into a dress of darkness. The skirt had been plucked of the under material to let it fall natural and been cut to hang at an angle starting high on her thigh. A small pair of shorts was barely visible underneath. She now wore black boots that went above her knees and her hair was pulled back to reveal the still healing wound on her neck which would eventually scar. At my arrival her eyes shone with defiance.
"Lets make this short," Stork warned as he eyed me. "I don't like having this guy on my ship..."
Aerrow turned to me with Piper at his side. He motioned to Raina waiting and gave me a brief smile.
"Make it quick. She has our number should she ever need our help."
With a sigh I nodded. "Again, thank you."
I strode toward her. She turned to face me. Her pale skin glowing now that she was in the sun with her hair waving in the wind. It was a brighter gold than I'd thought. She'd also found make up. Her hooded eyes were deadly as I approached and they captured my complete attention. I may never see them again.
"Raina," I greeted softly before glancing at the terra below. "I hope you'll be happy here."
The deviance I'd grown to love appeared. She gave me a soft smile, planted a gentle kiss on my cheek and wrapped her arms around my neck.
"I will be. So long as you're with me."
I shook my head. "I can't fight them like this. Not with my arm. This is goodbye, Raina."
"Who said anything about you fighting?"
I pulled away. Her smile sent chills up my spine as her hands slowly opened before us. The wind picked up.
"I'd stand back if I were you," she warned and showed me further down the deck.
"What's going on?" Aerrow shouted from where they stood.
Raina turned to face the rest of the Storm Hawks. She held her hands at her side with her fingers tensed.
"I can't thank you enough for everything you've done," she called to them over the growing wind, "But I'll be responsible for him for now on."
Her feet planted. Arms rose. Her eyes began to glow as I sat up on the landing dock beside her and a storm descended. A twister of wind picking up dirt and rock, which landed and spread around the hull of the Condor. All I could do was watch. The Storm Hawks were forced back. With a swing of her hand, Raina sent them flying into their cargo bay. The doors shut and the ship began to rise.
"Raina!" I cried as the wind whipped past me.
She grabbed the open air facing me and pulled. I shot forward. Flying through the air her arms wound around my chest before the Condor disappeared from beneath our feet.
"Hang on!"
She looped my cuffed hands around her. I clutched her body and when I looked down the Condor sailed out from under us. The twister pulled it away from the terra and its engines roared to life. It battled the wind. Our feet hit ground again and with my arms still around her, Raina grabbed the cuffs. In a burst of heat they broke apart. She stepped forward. Eyes still glowing.
Using her hands to guide the storm, the Condor swayed side to side as it battled the twister. Rain clouds gathered near. I stepped back in awe. The woman had total control of the elements. The rain began to fall and with a flick of her wrist every drop battered the hull of the ship. Finally, it shot backward. The Condor soared away from the terra with the storm on its tail. She swung in an arch and once cleared of the wind, shot toward the horizon.
Raina pushed the storm away. It carried itself away from the terra until it fizzled out into a simple rainstorm pouring into the wasteland. She panted as her glowing eyes returned to normal. Her arms dropped. The wind settled and her flailing dress came to rest around her. Her eyes, still bright and shining watched the ship retreat with a triumphant smile. She looked wild and powerful and I found myself frozen in fear.
She turned to me and seeing my expression, laughed. "Scared, Dark Ace?"
I barely shook my head. As I stepped closer she turned to me with her cold eyes shining wildly. I couldn't stop myself from kissing her. Yanking her into my arms as I braced her neck and held her as close to my body as I could. I wanted every inch of her. Her lethal hands gently caressed my neck. I pulled away, resting my forehead against hers.
"Terrified," I breathed and kissed her again.
I wasn't sure how long we stood there. Just when I was about to drag her to the nearest shelter, she shoved me away and her hands tensed before her.
"Let's go. If you really want to stay with me we'll need to get started on building ourselves a home. And there's someone I lost when the talons attacked that I need to find before we do anything else."
"Lost?" I asked as I began following her.
A ball of fire appeared in her hand. Raina launched it straight into the sky startling away the nearby cows and grazing livestock. A few dogs perked their heads with interest. I kept following behind the powerful woman and within moments we heard a faraway whiny. I stopped. I glanced around us as Raina broke into a smile.
"Voilet!" she called.
"I take it you have a pet?" I asked, as a black horse appeared jogging through the middle of town.
Pure black accept for a thick white stripe along its face. As it began getting closer I noticed its wings. Folded tight against its body but trailing far behind the creature as it neared. For the first time since meeting Raina, she smiled and gazed lovingly at the animal as it jogged straight into her arms.
"I missed you, Violet." She hugged the horse around its thick neck as I stood dumbfounded about what I'd learn next.
I couldn't help but stare. No wonder people feared her. Her beauty. Her power. The giant animal nuzzling her. Raina noticed my gawking and smiled.
"Having a change of heart?" she asked with amusement.
I shook my head gazing at her in wonder. "If that thing is living with us we're taking a house that already has a stable."
Smiling, she stepped away from the horse and it followed in her step. She took my hand as her deviant, amethyst eyes once again captured me.
"Whatever you wish, Dark Ace."
Lifting her chin with my hand I ordered, "Call me Dagen," before stealing another kiss.
