It was a week later that she found the strength to walk around the High Heavens with Malthael in her arms. Tyrael was there at her side every step of the way to help. It was the same with her brothers. Imperius had to train the troops when he could, but he always found himself coming back to her out of worry. Being a new father had odd effects on him. The moment he thought he heard anyone slander his son, he was quick to point out the one that spoke the insult.
Malthael was busy testing his body's limits. As well as the mental strength. He needed to get his body used to having the mind mildly taken over. He noticed that the mortal mind would seem to black out when he took over. He was trying to carefully overlap what he learned with the body. It kept him fully busy and focused. The sooner his body got used to this, the easier it would become as an adult.
As Anaurael walked with him, she was constantly stopped by passing angels to see him. Imperius and Imperael watched everything calmly. Anarius was even walking with them now. As much as he could fly over everything, he felt that he was needed when his mother was out and about. When Tyrael sneezed, he only found himself laughing when Mal started to copy the sneeze.
"Bless you!" Anaurael smiled and whispered after each fake sneeze. Malthael could only shake his ghostly head, as he followed them. He was also chuckling softly.
"So, even you admit that your body does various things that humor you?" Tyrael grinned.
"Quiet..." Malthael warned softly. When his body gave a tired yawn, it was Imperius that was able to take him up to hold him. Tyrael was letting Anaurael lean into him with her own form of exhaustion. On a glance to Izarius, he took the hint and was quick to start setting up the bedroom.
"While he sleeps, I need to speak with you alone," Imperius said to her. "In my sanctum."
"Oh? Very well," she nodded.
"He tends to sleep for a couple hours at a time for now. It should be fine. I'll watch over him in the cradle. Or he can rest with me," Tyrael smiled softly.
"Good. I'll expect that," Imperius said with a small nod. He did take one more look out over the Silver City before musing to himself. Malthael had no idea what he had planned, but he was going to focus on keeping his small body asleep. Tyrael was able to give him some tips from his angelic persona when his flesh slept. It actually helped him out.
They were able to make their way back to her chamber, and Tyrael lay back in the bed. Mal was given to him to hold as he slept. As much as they could have used the cradle, Tyrael was in protective father mode. He needed to guard his son.
"If he gets hungry," she worried.
"He will be brought to us," Imperius nodded.
"I shall keep my body asleep," Malthael said. "I need the practice."
"Okay," she smiled. Imperius gathered her up into his arms and carried her into his sanctum to seal it. He quickly pulled out the reclining chair and moved to settle on it with her. "Imperius! I'm not quite healed! I mean..."
"You are healed enough," he muttered and pulled up the cloth that went down his legs.
"But..." she blushed. Then she paused in shock. He slowly reached up and carefully removed his helmet. His halo still hovered over him, and he set his helmet down on a waiting cushion rather carefully. It felt very different not wearing it. He had never removed it before.
"I don't know if I'll do this again," he muttered. His voice didn't sound so hollow now. It was just a bit more echoed from not having a projection to come out of. "I don't think I like it very much."
"Have you...ever done this before...?" she asked with fascination.
"No. I have not," he said softly. Now she reached out and began to touch the invisible face before her in full. It was very different to see him headless, yet not headless. It scared her a little bit, but, the more her hands explored, the more he began to tremble. "Remove your gown."
She could only nod and do what he said. Then she gasped when he sat up to press his head fully against her neck. She could never ask him to remove all of his armor. To do so wouldn't be right. She didn't know if his energy would dissipate, either. His core was fine, as it was all held in. But, like this, she simply didn't know. What he was doing right now was very risky. But the sensations were new. From the way his mouth moved over her skin, to the way his heated breath scorched over every curve she had, it was a completely new sensation all over again.
"Imperius!" she gasped when he nibbled over her neck.
"Brace yourself," he muttered thickly and pulled her directly over his hips. The pain she felt next caused her to gasp and tense up. He held her there until her trembling finally stopped. "The salve made you pure again. That was why this happened."
"It...did?!" she panted, as the pain left her.
"Yes. And now you're mine again. This time in both body and soul. And none will touch you," he growled and kissed her fully and completely. He was enjoying the feel of her arms around his neck. Of her hands caressing the sides of his head. He knew he was going to want more of it.
"Try something with me," she whispered.
"What?" he asked.
"Focus in my mind. Be with me there and here," she said in a flushed way. He nodded and pulled her tightly against him, as he focused. His Song soon came forth to assault her, and she had no choice but to Sing with him. She found herself doing this for a good twenty minutes before exhaustion finally took over. Then he shocked her by waking, placing his helmet back on, and becoming his core form. All while still with her. He wanted her to have only his offspring in both body and soul.
Thirty minutes passed by this time. She was drained and panting in his fiery embrace. He rocked her in his arms, and he pressed a loving kiss on her mouth. "Sleep now. I will protect you."
"Our son..." she sighed.
"He still sleeps," he said tenderly. She nodded and closed her eyes. Then he noticed that she was also sleeping in her mind. And, as this happened, he noticed that she began to dream. He shifted his awareness to it now to see what it was about. Now a mental alarm was sounded.
"I'm here!" Tyrael said when he arrived in his angelic persona. "Mal is sleeping in the cradle."
"Good. Get the others. Quickly," Imperius said. When they all appeared, he was surprised that Anarius had appeared as a ball of glowing Light. Only in her mind would he appear like this. It showed who he truly was.
:WHAT IS IT?: He asked.
"She is dreaming of her childhood home. I think...that dream is starting," Imperius muttered. Itherael and Auriel now gave their full attention. Malthael kept mild tabs on his body. Izarius was there, and he knew that his brothers were going to watch the room and be filled in later. Izual and Imperael were quick to give their attention.
"I'm here," Ilerael said when he showed up. Lilaurael wasn't far behind. "We're napping right now. We need it, anyways. Her sister sleeps deeply, too, so it's fine."
"Silence. Let us watch," Malthael said and was able to display the dream like a projection.
Imperius had decided to take her back home after she recovered from Malthael's touch. As much as he didn't want to, he had too many things to do. He could have left her in his sanctum, but it would have worried him too much. The only thing he could hope for was that Malthael lost interest in her.
"Guard her!" Imperius ordered her brothers. "Let none disturb her. She needs to rest."
"Yes, Great Imperius," the four of them said.
"I have a Council meeting to attend to. I shall be back within the next few hours," he nodded. He gazed at her sleeping form and sighed before turning to vanish away. Her parents were in town to get some supplies. As the guardian angels watched over her, Malthael was watching in the distance. He had returned. He was amused. He wanted the girl.
At a silent command, a small army of Winged Assassins, Exarchs, and Anarchs now invaded the cottage. One of his Death Maidens was there, too, but only to stand watch. Her brothers were overwhelmed and easily distracted. Malthael was quick to appear next to her bedside and gather her up in his slender, black arms. He had his weapons at his sides. He wasn't going to kill the angelic warriors. He had no quarrel with them. Nodding to his small troupe, they all vanished away. As much as they wanted to know why the kidnapping was ordered, none dared to question him. His word was their law.
"Anaurael! No!" Izarius shouted. Her bed was empty. Imperius had to be told. When Malthael got back to Pandemonium, he knew he only had a short amount of time before his brother came for her. If he wanted to do anything, it had to be now. He was also on a time limit, anyways. The Nephalem was already heading to Westmarch.
"Urzael. Go to Westmarch. Start the attack," Malthael ordered in a slow, deep, drawling tone when he carried the molten gold-haired girl in his arms. Urzael had lost his wings like all the others, and his armor was as dark as his other brethren's were, but his form was massive to show he was a battering ram of sheer strength and power. He also carried a giant flamethrower, too. He liked to watch the humans die in the flames their demonic ancestors came from. If his hooded face could show joy at this, it would be greatly expressed on cleansing the human filth. His massive lieutenant nodded, but then seemed to pause with surprise at what his master was carrying.
"Is that a human?!" he asked in a deep tone.
"No. She is a mortal angel. Born this way. And Imperius has marked her. So...you can only imagine...what is going to happen soon..." Malthael seemed to smirk from within his hood.
"Master..." Urzael started, but he paused at the silent glare he was given. Then his invisible eyes moved to the glowing dot of molten gold on the girl's forehead. It shone like a beacon in the darkness of Pandemonium. "What will you do if Imperius comes for her?"
"I may give her back. If he is nice..." Malthael shrugged. "Take Telanya with you. And any others you deem may aid you..."
"I should stay! If Imperius shows up..." Urzael said, but Malthael's cold vibe had him cringe.
"I shall handle him. None here will be strong enough. Leave him to me. You go to Westmarch. Start the attack. Keep the mortals busy. I don't have much time. Do not interfere with me."
"What do you plan to do?"
"I don't know," Malthael seemed to shrug. "I'll find out...when I get to that point..."
He flicked his misted wings and ignored his lieutenant now. He knew his other followers would soon learn of this. He didn't want any to interfere with him. Walking into an empty room, he focused to have the door seal shut. A window with bars now appeared to show them near the top of the fortress with the expanse of Pandemonium outside. There was already a small bed, a table, and a chair in the room. They were old, but they would work. He knew it looked like a jail, but what else didn't in Pandemonium? He didn't bother with nourishment for her. He knew she likely wouldn't be here for long, anyways. He set her on the bed and watched her curiously.
When she finally blinked her topaz blue eyes awake, she yawned and stretched. Then she paused at where she was. And at who was standing over her. She gasped with a small cry catching in her throat, and she could only stare in horror at her captor. Nothing needed to be said right now. Her heart was in her throat when he reached out to carefully touch a lock of hair. Then he was surprised. She was immune to him now. When Imperius purged his poisonous touch, her energy now 'knew' Malthael in full. After another minute of paused silence, she whispered, "Imperius will come for me."
"I know he will. And...I might give you back. It depends. So...even I am on a time limit. Of course...if he tries to steal you away...I may have to kill him..."
"If you kill him, then you kill me!" she trembled. "His life is my life! I am bound to him!"
"Oh? Interesting. But...doubtful," Malthael shrugged and continued to hold the lock of hair in his fingers. The color truly fascinated him.
"It is true! So you should just let me go," she said. "And why did you steal me away? What interest could I possibly be to you? I'm nothing special!"
"You are bound to Imperius. You are...unique. I am merely...curious about you. The way you are. The way you live. The way you look. You are a puzzle. I want to know all the pieces. I want to know...everything...about you..."
"I don't understand," she swallowed. His gloved hand moved from the lock of hair to her cheek. Then it trailed down her neck to her heaving chest. She cringed and backed away, but his reflexes were faster. He was quick to snatch her in his embrace, pull her back to his chest and a scythe was now arched at her neck. His arm was securely pinning her to him to ensure only a limited form of movement. The feel of her beating heart fascinated him. The warmth she gave off as her back was pulled even tighter against his chest burned him with desire. The sound of her gasping breath made him tremble with a form of lust. Even as he waved the scythe in front of her, the innocent fear he felt from her set fire to his senses. But, he only used the edge of his weapon to slowly trace down the curve of her throat. Her soul didn't even leave her skin. Imperius's Light proved that her life was clearly tied to him. The only way she could perish was if he fell.
"Don't move..." he whispered. "I don't want to slice up...that pretty skin of yours..."
"Please...don't do this..." she whimpered.
"Then...you have a choice..." he muttered. "Willing. Or unwilling."
"What do you mean?"
"I want to see...everything...about you..."
"What?!" she gasped and shivered. "No! I belong to Imperius!"
"Unwilling it is..." he seemed to growl and slashed down with his scythe. He didn't cut her, but the tunic that covered her now fell open. She shrieked and found the same thing done to her pants. Now she panicked and tried to push him away from her with a quick twist, but he was simply too strong. He had the advantage from how he was holding her. And now he had her chest against his. He rushed her into the wall for leverage and ground his hips against hers. When she tried to kick out, he simply maneuvered himself easily and ground in harder.
"NO!" she screamed and shouted again at the pain that assaulted her. He ignored her sobs and cries of protest, as he worked with the pleasure that consumed him. After another few minutes of it, a harsh gasp escaped him, and he held her steady to finish what he started. When she tried to escape him, it only excited him that much more. When she finally lost the will to fight him, he had her one final time before moving her to the bed. He was surprisingly gentle at setting her down, though.
"Do not leave. I will find you. And no. I'm not done," he muttered and left the room. Now that she was alone, she burst into racking sobs. Her distress knew no bounds. She knew that Imperius was likely searching for her relentlessly now. She didn't know if Izarius and her brothers were trying to find her, too. She had to let them find her.
Moving weakly from the bed, she ignored the new, raw pain between her thighs. She went to the window to study the bars. They looked far too solid to dig out, and she had nothing to do so with. As she gazed out over the grey expanse before her, she saw Izarius zip by her window. He didn't see her.
"Izarius!" she called out. He couldn't hear her. Thinking on what she could do, she remembered one thing that she did long ago before she got teased. It was the only thing she could think of. Focusing inwards now, she began to Sing. Her brother was almost out of hearing range when he caught the sound. He sped towards the source and paused in shock at her appearance. She stopped abruptly when he appeared. She didn't want to attract any more attention.
"What happened?!" he growled. At her trembling frown, she left the small, barred window and pushed her clothes through it. He hovered in the air, as he studied them. Now he trembled with rage. "Back away from the window! Now!"
She nodded and did just that. He slammed into the wall, but it wasn't enough. The wall was completely reinforced by Malthael. He needed Imperius. She gave a worried look at the sealed door, but she remained where she was when he left. He did give her back her clothes, though, for her to put back on the floor. They wanted nothing to look out of the ordinary. It was just her luck that Malthael had returned for her. She tried to cover herself up with her arms as much as she could, but it didn't matter to him. He knew what she looked like now. He wanted her again.
"My time is running out. And so is yours," he muttered. "So...I will ask again. Willing? Or unwilling? Choose wisely."
"Don't touch me!" she spat and curled up into a ball. He just laughed and began to advance on her again. Then the wall smashed in from Imperius charging into it at full force. Solarion glinted with a form of righteous rage in the gloomy light. Izarius flew in right after to gather up Anaurael into his arms. Her other brothers were ensuring that nothing else would intervene.
"I will not grieve your death when you finally fall!" Imperius snarled out in a seething tone. Then he saw her clothes on the ground. His anger became a fiery rage.
"She still lives. Be grateful for that," Malthael said lightly. "A shame. I wasn't done. But...maybe I'll find her again. We will never know. Will we?"
Imperius only shouted a battle cry and lunged to attack. Malthael already had his scythes up to block, but he got kicked into the door. If it wasn't sealed, Malthael would have been slammed right through it. At the next lunge done with Solarion, a scythe came down to bite into the upper part of his shoulder. Anaurael's scream of pain brought them both out of the attack.
"Anaurael!" Izarius shrieked at the sudden gash that appeared. This shocked Malthael. The last thing he wanted was for her to get hurt. Now he saw the same cut reflecting from Imperius to her. And now he knew he couldn't kill his brother. Her words rang true that Imperius was her life.
"What will you do, brother?" Malthael now grounded out and flicked his misted wings against Imperius's fiery ones. "Would you let her witness my death? Would you finish what needs to be done?"
"You don't deserve to die by my hands!" Imperius spat out at him. "But don't ever think that I will forgive you for this act of disgust. I am done with you."
Malthael only watched Imperius back away and unsummon his spear. Then he turned to Anaurael to gather her gently to his chest. Even though she sobbed at what she went through, he only held her with his good arm and hushed her gently to show he was there. Izarius retrieved her clothes, and they vanished away to the High Heavens. Malthael could only muse that she may now be carrying his offspring. That was one of his goals, anyways. And who knew? Maybe he'd find her again.
When they all came around, there was a simple sensation of shock. And disgust. But, it was only a dream, and it could have gone any other way. It still surprised Malthael to no end.
"I am very glad that it was not real," Auriel said.
"I have never seen such a dream with so much violence!" Lilaurael shivered.
"Will she remember this?" Tyrael asked.
"I will hope not," Imperius growled. Anarius only sighed and let his Light filter out gently to calm them all.
:HER DREAM...WILL BE LOCKED...AWAY. SHE WILL NOT...REMEMBER...: He said gently.
"Good," Izarius nodded.
"None of us should remember it, either," Izual sighed.
"I will only remember it as a way to keep myself calm. I will always know that she will be safe with me," Imperael nodded. "I will not allow anything else to come about."
"Good idea," Ilerael said. "Okay, Lilaurael and I need to wake."
"We'll see you when we can," Itherael nodded. When they left, Imperius and Malthael were the only ones that remained in her mind. They glanced at each other and simply nodded.
"I am glad...that it did not go that way..." Malthael said.
"You would not be here now, if it did," Imperius muttered. Malthael could only sigh. He knew that Imperius was a hundred percent correct. I would have been shoved out of her mind and killed off in full. There would have been no other way to avoid it.
"She is waking. And so is my body. I sense hunger," Malthael said softly.
"I will have her feed you," he nodded. The trust factor was back. The present had returned in full again. There were duties to see to now. He had a new son that needed to be protected and cared for. He also knew that he would be watching over Anaurael a lot more now. The dream solidified that.