I felt an unbearable weight rest on my shoulders and force me to my knees. I was terrified.
I didn't care that I was in a room full of hundreds of people.
" Belle..."
I covered my ears and mumbled the mantra my psychiatrist had given me. I was shaking with fear.
" It's...it's not real...its not real...it's..." I kept looking at the floor. I couldn't dare to look up.
A pair of elaborate men's shoes stopped right at my knees. At this point , I couldn't think straight. I was panicking.
" Please...I...I'm begging you. Leave me alone...please..." I was crying and begging for him to leave me alone. I didn't know what he wanted from me. I didn't even know if he was human.
" Look at me. I won't hurt you. " This time , for the first time , his voice was loud and clear. It was deep , authoritative and respectful at the same time.
For a second there , I felt safe with this strange being. I let myself believe him. I didn't know why...but I just did.
I tried to look up but I couldn't. I didn't have the guts. As though reading my mind , he carefully knelt and lifted my face by the chin.
On instinct , I shut my eyes. The fear started to seep back in and I regretted my decision. I wanted to run as far as I humanly could but it was too late now. I was face to face with my demon. Literally.
" Open your eyes ,please."
It was like magic whenever he spoke. My eyelids obeyed and I was faced with those same green eyes...those eyes that had haunted me for years. Somehow , I'd never noticed how beautiful they were.
It was the stranger I'd danced with. He still had his mask on , but his eyes shone like diamonds. His hand slowly cupped the side of my face and his thumb caressed my skin.
Every working brain cell told me to push him away and run. They told me to scream for help , to wake up from this nightmare...but
I couldn't ignore the pleasure his touch gave me.
It was like we were in a world of our own. I couldn't hear any music or chattering or glasses clinking. I stared into those eyes like my life depended on it.
I was dying to know what lay under that mask. I ignored all the alarms going off in my head and reached for his mask. I took it off and instantly , I felt like my head was being clawed open from the inside. A horrid headache left me screaming hysterically and pulling my hair out. I looked away from him.
" Look at me. The pain will stop. " He held my shoulder firmly and kept caressing my cheek with his other hand.
I couldn't understand what he was saying. How would looking at him solve anything? I was fighting back tears and the urge to bite him.
" Look at me Belle!" He roared and I opened my eyes. I squinted to look past my tears.
Like magic, my headache was gone. My breathing slowly steadied and I focused on the face before me. It was like I was looking at a finely chiseled Greek sculpture. Every bend and curve was perfect. His nose bridge was high and his cheek bones were immaculate. My heart was pounding and my eyes kept tearing up.
" Who are you?" I needed to know.
He smiled and brought his lips to my ear. I could feel his warmth radiating through me and a knot tied in my tummy.
" Zariel. "
As soon as he spoke , flames of bright blue surrounded us. I whimpered and pushed away from him. I'd always had an unexplainable fear of fire. I crawled away from him and covered my face with my hands.
ZARIEL.
I watched as she slowly reached for my mask. My heart was nearly coming out my chest. I was scared to the bone.
I was so nervous.
I earnestly prayed she'd remember me. Belle. My Belle. When she took my mask off , I could tell by how wide her eyes opened that she was surprised. I couldn't help but wonder whether I looked bad.
I'd spent years trying to gather my human form back. I was sick of floating around like a ghost. I probably hadn't fully gathered.
Why was she so shocked? I'd been watching over her for years now. She probably thought I was some spirit haunting her.
But now...I was able to gain human form again. I would tell her everything. I'd make her recall everything about me. Everything about us.
I wanted to hold her in my arms and never let her go. I wanted to feel her again.
I hoped our bond was still as strong as it used to be...or even stronger. She looked me in the eyes and I could see the green in my eyes shine in hers. She was still mine.
Then suddenly , she groaned in pain and grabbed her hair. I could tell she was in pain. I could tell it was because of me.
Her subconscious recognised me. It yearned for me but she was oblivious to this. She was fighting with herself unknowingly.
I made her look at me. I hoped she'd remember something . Anything. Then the pain would stop. But nothing like that happened . Something was blocking our connection.
" Look at me!" All I could do now was use my powers to soothe her pain. I cast a spell and watched her calm down.
She had tears in her eyes and she was confused. This was too much for her to handle.
" Who are you?" She spoke as softly as she possibly could. She was scared of me. And at the same time , she was curious.
" Zariel. " I brought my lips to her ears and told her my name. She was absolutely blank. I was a complete stranger to her. I could feel her heart beating. I couldn't tell if she was scared or aroused by my closeness.
I smiled inwardly thinking about the effect I had on her , but my happiness was soon dissipated when I sensed a presence coming towards us. An evil presence.
Lilith.
She could probably sense that I had finally awoken. I had to protect Belle so I quickly surrounded her with my infinite flames.
She pushed me away in horror and crawled away from me. She was afraid of the flames. Why wouldn't she be after what happened before?
" Don't be afraid , Belle. " I stood and scanned the room. Lilith was close. I had to get away from here. I couldn't let her mind Belle. Not again.
I let my wings out and a wild scream escaped Belle's lips. She almost lost consciousness.
" What are you?" Her lips were trembling and her face was red with fear.