5. Uriel

5

URIEL

T he portal's magic fizzles around us as we emerge on the other side, the zarryn stomping and snorting their displeasure at the magical transportation. But it is much faster than going on a ship and I can bring them with me this way.

I grip the reins tighter, steadying the silver-coated beasts. Their dual tails whip in agitation, but a sharp word has them falling back in line. The carriage rocks as we transition from the portal's surface to the packed dirt road leading to the town just outside my estate.

"Almost there," I say, watching Athena from the corner of my eye.

She sits rigid beside me, her honey-blonde curls whipping in the wind. Now that we are off her home continent, she looks flat out angry. Even with her obvious resistance to my magic trying to draw her closer, she maintains perfect posture. Impressive.

The landscape opens up before us - rolling hills dotted with ancient trees, their branches reaching toward the twilight sky. Magic flows through this land like blood through veins, currents I've spent centuries mapping and mastering. I feel each ebb and flow, every surge and whisper of power.

I'm so glad to be back home, where the whole damn place isn't the dreary color of mud. I detest going to Ikoth.

The zarryn's hooves click against the cobblestone as we approach the town. A cruel smile tugs at my lips as I watch Athena. The fact that she can resist my magic in my own territory, where my power runs deepest, proves that. The human girl is far more intriguing than I initially thought.

The zarryn draw the carriage in the crowded streets. It will take me longer to navigate this, but I don't mind the proximity a little longer. Magic swirls around us - my power trying to draw her closer, her will pushing back against it. The air crackles with the tension.

I reach for the carriage's control runes, working on a spell that will help give us a wider berth through the city. The familiar burn of magic tingles beneath my skin as I trace the ancient symbols.

Athena shifts beside me, her movements too deliberate. In the split second before my fingers complete the last rune, she strikes. Her elbow slams into my ribs - not enough to hurt, but the precision of the blow catches me off guard. She's been watching, learning the exact moment when the carriage's protective wards are weakest, when the shift in me reworking on changes the binding spell momentarily.

The spell sputters, magic crackling through the air as she vaults over the side. Her boots hit the cobblestones with practiced grace, and she's running before I can grab her. Clever girl.

Blood pounds in my ears as I watch her weave through the crowd. She moves like water through the sea of bodies, each step calculated. No wasted movement. No panicked fleeing. This isn't some desperate escape attempt - she's had this planned.

My wings unfurl as I leap from the carriage, but the narrow streets and market crowds make flight impossible. I'm forced to pursue on foot, shoving past merchants and customers alike. Their curses fade into background noise as I track her golden curls through the throng.

She darts down an alley, disappearing into the shadows. When I round the corner, she's already scaling a stack of crates, using them to reach a low-hanging balcony. Her fingers find purchase on decorative stonework as she pulls herself higher.

"Impressive." The word escapes through clenched teeth. Even with her hands still bound together, Athena moves with the fluid grace of someone who has rehearsed this moment countless times in their mind.

She reaches the rooftop and sprints across the uneven tiles. I launch myself upward, wings spreading just enough to carry me to the roof's edge. My boots crack several tiles as I land. She's already two buildings ahead, leaping across a narrow gap between structures.

The chase carries us deeper into the market district. She uses washing lines and awnings to slow her descent, dropping back to street level where the buildings grow too far apart. Smart - she knows I'd have the advantage if she stayed on the rooftops too long.

For several heartbeats, she vanishes completely into the crowd. My teeth grind together as I scan the sea of faces below. Then I spot her, ducking into a covered bazaar. She's heading for the warren of back alleys and hidden courtyards that honeycomb this part of the city.

If she makes it there, even I might lose her in that maze. The thought sends a surge of both fury and admiration through my veins. No one has challenged me like this in centuries.

I stalk through the market with measured steps, letting the distance between us grow. Her escape holds my attention like a well-choreographed dance. Each move calculated, each turn precise. She slips between market stalls with the grace of flowing water, never knocking over a single display or stumbling over the uneven cobblestones.

My wings twitch with the urge to snatch her from above, but I hold back. I'm having too much fun, and I like seeing the way her mind works. I'll stop her before she gets too far, though.

A flash of honey-blonde curls disappears behind a spice merchant's stall. Always just a step ahead but no further. My boots click against stone as I follow at an almost leisurely pace.

She darts through a gap between buildings, emerging in a smaller courtyard filled with fabric merchants. Their colorful wares create a maze of hanging silks and linens. Rather than crash through, she weaves between the displays like thread through a needle. No wasted movement. No telltale ripples in the fabric to mark her passage.

"Magnificent," I murmur, tracking her by the subtle displacement of air rather than sight.

The courtyard opens into a narrow street lined with food stalls. Steam rises from cooking pots, creating a hazy screen. She uses it perfectly, ducking and weaving through the artificial fog. But I notice how her steps slow fractionally - the prolonged sprint taking its toll.

Time to end this game.

I roll my shoulders, letting power surge through my limbs. Magic ripples across my skin like liquid gold. I use it to clear my path as I lunge forward, my wings carrying me over her as I turn to face her.

Her eyes widen - those striking golden-green irises darkening with the realization that I've been toying with her. She pivots, trying to change direction, but I'm already there. My hand closes around her upper arm, grip firm but not crushing.

"A valiant effort." I draw her closer, savoring the way she still struggles despite knowing it's futile. "But did you really think I'd let you slip away?"

She raises her chin, defiance blazing in her gaze. Even now, trapped in my grasp, she refuses to cower. "I had to try."

A laugh rumbles in my chest - dark and appreciative. "Of course you did. And what an entertaining attempt it was." I lean down, bringing my lips close to her ear. "But playtime is over, little demon. Let's go home."

Her pulse races beneath my fingers as I draw her closer, feeling every tremor of resistance. The late afternoon sun catches in her honey-blonde curls, creating a halo effect that makes her look deceptively innocent. But I've seen the calculating intelligence behind those golden-green eyes, the way she planned each step of her escape.

My wings curl forward instinctively, creating a barrier between us and the crowd. She fits perfectly against me, her softer curves pressing into the hard planes of my chest. Even now she fights, muscles coiled tight beneath my grip, but there's something different in her resistance. A spark of... anticipation?

"Do you enjoy this game as much as I do?" The words ghost across her ear, and I feel her shiver. My free hand slides up her arm, tracing the delicate curve of her shoulder. Such fragile bones beneath such soft skin. I could break her so easily, yet she shows no fear.

Blood pounds through my veins, a primal rhythm that matches her racing heart. The chase awakened something in me - something that's been dormant for years. Her defiance, her cleverness, the way she turns resistance into an art form... it calls to the predator in me.

She twists in my grip, not trying to escape but turning to face me. Those eyes meet mine with a challenge that makes my breath catch. No human has ever dared look at me like that. Like an equal. Like she sees past the perfect features to the monster beneath and isn't cowed.

My fingers tangle in her curls, using the grip to tilt her head back. "Answer me, Athena." Power ripples through my voice, but she merely arches an eyebrow. The gesture is so perfectly defiant that a growl builds in my chest.

I want to devour her. To break down every wall she's built and see what lies beneath. But not yet. This game between us is too delicious to end so quickly.