Part 17 (1/2)
”Just for you,” another purred, as they all began to sing again. All but two of them began to dance around the fire, singing and moving in unison.
”I do not think we are planning on eating here,” Annalise whispered as she leaned over to Ash.
”Wouldn't hurt. I'm starved,” he said in disagreement and walked forward.
She reached out to grab him as he let go of her hand, but Leon had her arm, ”Do not follow him.”
”I will not let any harm come to him,” Annalise said and glared at him, annoyed that Leon would keep her from following Ash. If these beings were as terrifying as the seraphs said they were then she wanted to keep her eyes on Ash.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead, ”Fine, but I will come with you.”
Finlay nodded and stepped ahead to go sit where Ash was by the fire. Arie came to stand by Annalise and walked beside of her, ”What is up with these girls?”
”I do not know. It appears as if they are harlots.”
”Shhh, Annalise,” Leon chastised, ”Do you want to get us killed?”
”What would you like to call them?”
”Hulmiens. That's it.”
”I don't like them,” Arie growled.
Annalise turned to her and put her hand on her shoulder, ”Do not worry. Finlay, he cares for you. He may have a past with these evil creatures, but he will not have a future with them.”
”Soooo, what are you cooking up?” Ash asked as he leaned over on the log from where he sat, eyes on the pot that hung over the fire.
The others took a seat around the fire as one of the hulmiens came to stand beside of Ash. She leaned over, tail swoos.h.i.+ng back and forth as she whispered in her ear, ”Razda meat. I know it is your favorite.”
”Yes,” another agreed and came to stand beside her friend and place herself in the mortal's lap, ”We aim to please.” She let out a giggle and wrapped her arms around him. Yet a third creature came to stand behind him and run her hands through his hair.
Ash closed his eyes and smiled, ”Can't wait.”
Annalise scowled at the four of them, crossed her arms and tried to keep her mouth shut. She did not like these hulmiens at all, she decided. She could feel the conflicted emotions fading away in Ash and being replaced by emotions that she was only slightly familiar with. Turning to Leon, she whispered her concerns, ”Are they going to kill him?”
”No, not yet,” he said with a laugh, ”They are just playing with him. Like a beast plays with its prey.”
”It is sick.”
She heard Finlay let out a laugh and she turned to see him standing off to the side watching the show. The hulmiens would pa.s.s him as they danced around the fire, one by one trying to get his attention. He would swirl them around occasionally if they were friendly. The overly friendly, the ones running their hands over his wings, he would push off of him and encourage them to go dance.
Arie stood up, going over to where he was and spoke to him angrily, ”You had better watch it.”
”Love, it's all good. Come with me, dance,” he laughed as he grabbed her by the hand and began to dance around the fire with the hulmiens. His loud laughter reverberated off of the rocks as he did so. Finlay was a spectacular dancer, even moving in a circle around the pit of fire, and he eventually had Arie laughing and dancing with him. They would take turns pointing and laughing at Ash, making comments about him and the ladies. Annalise tried to ignore them, but found it difficult to ignore their persistent happiness. Did they completely forget that they were all about to waltz into the layer of the fallen?
Leon scooted closer to Annalise and put an arm around her. She eyed his large arm suspiciously and didn't say a word.
”These creatures are fascinating aren't they?” he asked, a smile on his face as he watched his friends having fun.
”No. I do not think so,” Annalise disagreed and looked over at Ash to see the hulmiens attempting to pour some kind of liquid into his mouth from a carved out rock. He turned his head to refuse it and the liquid ran down his chin and onto his chest. Annalise turned her eyes away from him but could still hear their laughter. She badly wanted badly to get up and stop their nonsense, but Leon's words made her stop and listen.
”They are telepathic. That is how they can sing together like that. They hunt in packs sometimes. One or two will draw out the prey and then they will all feast on it. It's very b.l.o.o.d.y, very vicious. They can also read the minds of their intended victims. That is how they know your mortal likes razda meat. I am sure that is not at all what is in that pot.”
”I do not care,” Annalise insisted.
”Is that really the kind of person you want to spend all your time with?” Leon asked and pointed over to where Ash sat.
Annalise did not look over, choosing instead to eye Leon suspiciously, ”He cannot help their enchanting ways.”
”They do not make him do anything he does not want to do.”
”Do not lie to me as you have before. I am not so nave. I can see that Finlay is only having fun and letting it affect him and Arie. That is why you and I are sitting here unaffected. Ash is mortal. I am guessing that is what they feed on.”
A hulmien came to stand in front of them and Annalise looked up at her and frowned.
”Beautiful seraphs, come and dance with us,” she reached out to run her hand along the outer part of Leon's wings.
”No thanks.”
”But we are so very lonely,” she begged, her hand now going to his arm.
Leon leaned away from her to stay out of her grasp, ”I said no.”
She frowned, beautiful face showing legitimate concern and sadness, ”We will still let you join us if you change your mind.” With that she walked away, and Annalise was glad. She was about to say something not so nice.
”Tell me,” Leon said and turned her face to look at him, ”What is it about this mortal that makes you feel for him?”
This caught her attention, ”Feel? What do you mean?”
”You know exactly what I am talking about. You are sitting here about to go drown each of those hulmiens that have his attention. That is very unlike you.”
”I am worried. That is all.”
”You care for him.”
Annalise paused and let out a sigh. She didn't want to lie to him, but she didn't want to tell him the truth either. He had kissed her before she left their realm with Ash, and that told her that he cared way more than he was admitting to her. It told her that his feelings may be unseraph like, like the ones she was having for Ash. ”And if I do?”
”I don't know, Anna. I just don't want to see you hurt, and I am worried that he will do just that.”
”He has kept me safe,” Annalise said firmly, ”And he will not let anything happen to me.”
”I'm not talking about your body. I am talking about your heart, my dear Anna,” he whispered as he placed a hand on her chest and smiled down at her. ”I do not think that I can replace this bond you have with him, but I would not break your heart. I cannot love like a mortal can but I have always been there.”
Annalise brushed his hands off of her. It was so weird for him to be behaving this way towards her. However, as she let herself think about it, he had always found small ways to touch her. Small ways to complement her and help her out in any way he could. He had protected her, been her confidant and always her friend. Still, she had never thought to look at him in any way but that before. She had watched mortals in love on her globe and wondered often what that would be like, but never considered Leon as a partner. Duty was what had called. And duty was what had led her to Ash.
”Leon, I do care for you. You are incredibly special to me and I do not know what I would do without you. I want you here. Always.”
He smiled down at her, ”I've waited a long time to hear you say that.” He leaned over to her and she pulled away from him, recognizing that now as him beginning to kiss her, and put some s.p.a.ce between them on the seat.
”But it is different with Ash,” Annalise mumbled. She laid her head down in her lap, not wanting to see the expression on Leon's face. Covering up her ears, she tried to drown out the increasingly loud sound of the hulmien's song and laughter and of Arie and Finlay as they danced and were entertained by the Ash's behavior. Her own confusing feelings and those from Ash were absolutely exhausting.