Chapter 14

"No!! No!!!" Abel heard Rina's voice. He ran to the allyway he saw her run down. He stopped himself and peeked down it. Ethan was grabbing her arm and pulling her roughly. She was screaming and struggling to get away from him. A man came down the allway.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Ethan ran away. Rina and the man stood in the allyway. She bolted. Abel watched her leave. He wanted to go after her, but he decided to get Ethan first. He walked slowly towards the club again. He saw him sitting on his chair outside the front. Abel went inside. He caught Abel's scent. He followed. Abel sat down. Ethan drifted past him, going through the door behind the bar.

"I have to get back there somehow..." He muttered to himself. Abel had some water and dinner. He got up and walked out of the shop. He slowly went around back. An arm went over his neck. He was in a chokehold.

"What are you doing here, Vatican?!" Ethan hissed.

"I thought I told you idiots to stay out of my business!" Abel quickly escaped his grasp and faced him.

"I'm not working for the Vatican on this, I'm on vacation. This is personal business," Abel said.

"Tch... yeah right."

"You wouldn't dare do anything to Rina. You have a personal connection with her!" He said. Ethan faultered.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I've watched you for a while... You and Rina knew each other in the past. That much I know. Why would you torture her while she was staying with the Vatican?!" Abel yelled.

"She ordered me to!" He snapped.

"That's a lie! Why would Rina even think of something like that?! It was killing her! You were killing her!"

"No! You don't understand anything! She told me to do it! I'm can't say why! I won't say why! Now get the hell out of this city!" Ethan launched at him. Abel dodged.

"I don't want to fight you, Ethan, I just want to get Rina back to where she calls home!" Ethan growled.

"Calls home!? You call that hell a home?! Even without me doing anything, she was suffering! That isolation was making her insane!" He locked arm with Abel, pushing him against a wall.

"I was trying to get her to realize that she was in hell!"

"You made it hell! You scum!" Abel kicked his stomach.

"I'm going to get Rina back, Ethan. I suggest you forget about her!"

"You idiot! If you take her back to that place she'll kill herself!" Ethan yelled. Abel ran into the street, disappearing from Ethan's sight.

Rina panted hard. She hadn't ran so much in a long time. Her legs burned and her chest hurt. She was running up a hill to the forest that was on the outskirts of the city. She fell at the top. A lonely tree was at the top. She crawled to it and ssat against it. She looked up into the sky as she caught her breath. Her hands ran down the roots around her. Something was fimiliar about the tree. She closed her eyes.

The sky glowed orange as the sun set. Rina's head laid in the lap of a man. He was stroking her cheek with his hand. She hugged his leg in her sleep.

"Oi... I think it's time we went home! The sun is setting and you've fallen asleep. You still have to get a bath. Come on..." He shook her gently. She opened her eyes.

"Is it morning?"

"No, the sun is setting. You fell asleep."

"Can we sleep here tonight?"

"I know you like this tree, but remember I'm sensitive to the sun."

Rina opened her eyes. She jumped up and ran away from the tree. She shook her head. She didn't want to remember that. She ran straight into the forest. She jumped over branches and slid down hills. Rina tripped over a root and fell down a steep hill and rolled down it until she hit a tree.

"Oof!!" She curled up into a ball and started to cry. Her head was starting to hurt. She kept seeing scenes play out before her eyes that she didn't remember.

"I want to go home..." She cried over and over again. Her head was swirling with confusion. Ethan's face appeared in her vision, it wouldn't go away.

"I want to go home!" She screamed. She blacked out.

The morning air was crisp, the sky was still dark. A storm was over the forest. The wind whipped the trees and threw loose leaves and sticks through the air. All the animals and insects were hidden, safe from the harsh weather. Rina was still laying under the tree. Her hair was whipping around above her face. Dirt was smudged on her skin. Her outfit was starting to get more ragged. The first few drops fell. Thunder boomed in the air. Lightening lite up the sky. The rain fell. It was icy against her skin. Rina shivered and curled up into a tighter ball. Someone wrapped their arms around her. They were comforting. Whoever it was, they sheilded Rina from the storm. He placed his body over Rina's and waited. The rain and wind lashed at his back. He petted her hair and kissed her forehead. His black hair lashed out around him in the wind. Lightening flashed on the outside of the forest. He pulled his cloak over Rina's face.

"It'll be alright Rina... let them flood your mind... let the memories flood your mind..." He whispered softly. She nestled into him and relaxed. The warmth from his body was like a fire against her. Rina's fingers touched his cheek. Her eyes flew open. Her breathing stopped. Her eyes changed. Her pupils were slits, the iris' turned red. She slowly turned her head to face him.

"Deimos...." She whispered. He smiled and pressed his forehead against hers.

"That's right... you finally remembered my name..." He murmured. Rina placed her hand on his cheek.

"You're pale. Why are you so gaunt?"

"I've been worrying over you for so long. You wouldn't believe how many times I've come near death because of exhaustion and starvation." Rina put her other hand on his other cheek.

"Why do you do such horrible things to yourself? I never asked you to do that."

"I was just so worked up, that's all. No harm done.''

"Your eyes don't say that. They say that you are a worn out man. One who hasn't felt the comfort of a bed in a long time." Deimos chuckled.

"I was far better off than you..." Rina sighed.

"You have a point there... I never thought that the mental torture method didn't awaken the memories I sealed away sooner. No wonder you were desperate," She said.

"I think we should get out of the storm," He said. She laughed.

"But not quickly. I love storms. It's like a gathering of souls just singing out their regrets and distresses! It's quite enjoyable." Deimos stood up and held Rina's hand.

"Does anyone else know of your real name?"

"No. Everyone still thinks I'm Ethan. Except Duke, James, and Ismar."

"Good. We don't need anyone else to know of your name yet."