One Family

-Maria-

My body was singing.

My arms were too heavy to move and my legs felt like they were made of jam ... but that didn't matter. I had never been so content in my life. My pussy was throbbing, and I could tell that I was still soaking down there.

The fire crackled gently, and the smell of wood, smoke and sex laced the air with a heady and wonderful aroma. Not even my awkward positioning over the side of the chair could dampen my bounding joy.

I gazed up at my Master. His long black hair was tussled, and a strand of his inky locks covered one of his sweet eyes.

The normal harsh red that usually colored his irises had softened into a dark pink. I gazed at his perfect pale and shirtless torso. Perspiration shimmered across his muscled chest. He had already put his pants back on, and I was disappointed that he believed our lovemaking was over already.

"Master? Can't we go again?" I asked gently. I leaned forward and sat up over the side of the armchair. I could feel my long blond tresses move slightly to cover the swells of my breasts. I cupped a hand over my sex as I sat, attempting to keep all of my Master inside me.

A light smile touched my Master's face.

A real smile ... a sincere smile.

He shook his head ... almost imperceptibly, "No my sweet, no my love. No matter how much I want to ... we can't..."

His voice broke as he spoke.

I could feel my mouth drop slightly. Never had a seen such emotion from him. I stole my eyes back to his face. His dark pink eyes glimmered with a dark watery film.

Demons cry black tears...

For some reason ... that knowledge seemed like the most important thing in the world.

"Master?" I whispered softly.

"Please forgive me..."

He raised a slim pale hand, and gestured it at me.

Red sparks danced across his finger tips as they filled the air. They moved in intricate patterns, and I could feel my eyes dart back and forth. Yet no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep up with them.

The room grew darker, until all I could see was the beautiful bright crimson magic.

They burned their image onto my eyes, until I could see them even on the back of my eye lids. My view of my master faded.

Tears clung darkly to his ivory cheeks.

His lips moved ... but I couldn't hear him ... couldn't hear his melodious voice.

But it looked like he had said 'goodbye.'

Darkness enveloped my eyes ... and he was gone before I could speak.

What was he doing? I thought as I gazed into the darkness. Where has he sent me? I needed to be beside him, I wanted to help him!

I could feel my own tears gather in my eyes. Despite my own rationalizations, I knew what he was doing. This was his way of protecting me.

I could feel chains snaking their way around my wrists and ankles. They jerked my hands behind my back and bound me.

I didn't fight it. This was my Master's will.

I told myself that over and over ... because otherwise I would have lost my mind.

-Devnik-

I could hardly look.

She looked so sweet ... so trusting. Her golden hair clung to her face and breasts, and her beautiful mouth was cinched into a pout that could melt any heart. Her eyes never left mine. Her silver orbs stared into my face until the very end ... when they reluctantly slid shut.

I watched my sparks continue to move quickly over her body.

To her it would feel like I had transported her to a dark room ... but really, she hadn't gone anywhere. My spell was similar to simply falling asleep. She couldn't hear, couldn't see, and couldn't feel ... yet she was still here ... still right beside me.

To finish I fashioned manacles to keep her arms and her legs still. The metal glowed red with power for a brief few seconds, until it settled into cold black iron.

My beautiful love, entranced and chained, and as safe and out of the way as I could possibly make her. I gently brushed her hair out of her face.

I bent down, and kissed her softly on her cheek.

The trees groaned outside as a powerful wind rocked their aging branches. I could feel the moon rising to mantle the night in its white light. The ring of holy water pulsed with power as it rested in the ground.

I heard Jon knock on his bedroom door, "Master? Can I come out?"

I took one last glance at Maria ... one last glance that was all to myself, before I had to steel myself for what was to come.

"Come in Jon," I said wearily.

The door to his bedroom clicked, and swung open. The old dusty floorboards creaked as Jon stepped out.

He was a sight to behold.

Jonard the Butler might have gone into that bedroom. But Sir Jonathan had stepped out. He was outfitted in a heavy leather jerkin, and his hair was tied back into an old fashioned warrior's knot. At his hip hung his old knight's sword, polished and gleaming in its brown scabbard.

I grinned at him, "When was the last time you wore Gloria?" I asked teasingly.

He smiled wanly at me, "When those Priests dressed as bandits attacked us outside of Prague," he said.

I nodded, "Yes, I had forgotten."

We both stared into space for a moment ... trying to remember all the years we had lived.

"Is it this hard for you?" he finally asked. "To remember after so long?"

I shrugged, "Harder. I've lived far longer than you ... eventually entire centuries blur together."

He clutched the pommel of his sword ... like he used to do when he was thinking, "What are you going to do with her?" he asked.

I glanced down at Maria. She was shifting slightly in her bonds. My Aethling was so precious.

"I'll put her in the broom closet," I said emotionally. "She needs to be out of the way and protected. I'll put some wards in the cupboard similar to the ones I had in the chateau."

Jon nodded, and shifted in his leather outfit. "I understand Master ... I suspected you would ... do ... something like this."

I scooped down and slung Maria over my shoulder. "Did you look through the bag Jon?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Go get it, I'll be back after I get Maria situated."

"Very well Master," he said wistfully. He disappeared back into his room.

Maria felt warm and alive across my shoulder... "Master..." she whispered softly.

I froze.

She couldn't possibly be awake ... could she? She stirred slightly ... but then settled with a moan.

She was still asleep ... and I still had work to do.

I hastily crossed the inn's common room, and moved behind the bar where the room keys and the ledger were kept. Behind the counter was a small door that I knew led to a broom closet. I should know where everything was, after all, I built this place half a century ago.

The room hadn't changed much. It was still small, and the ceiling was slightly uneven. A small safe had been added, but other than that I couldn't see anything different.

I gently placed Maria on the floor. I regretted not having a more comfortable place to set her, but I would have to spend a lot more power to protect a larger room.

The smaller the better when it came to wards of protection.

I quickly got to work. It was a simple spell that required more energy than it did concentration. To make a ward it required infusing magic into an object or wall, and then writing a symbol on that object to represent what would trip the ward.

I wrote down the demonic symbol for 'Intruders.' Now no one would be able to enter except for Jon and myself.

The walls glowed red as the symbols sunk into the old timber ... and disappeared from view.

I shut the door without looking back, I refused to believe that I wouldn't see her again. Normally facing one Angel would not have me so worked up. Maybe it was because I was trapped here ... yes that had to be it.

I walked back into the common room. Jon was sitting next to the fire, drinking from a tea cup. The jewelry bag rested on the table.

It was a simple rucksack, with coarse draw strings and a burn mark along the edge. It looked like a peasants feed bag. I moved to sit down. I avoided the chair Maria and I had just made love on ... somehow it didn't seem right.

"Is everything in place?" I asked.

Jon nodded, and untied the string on the sack. With the utmost care, he poured the contents onto the table. Gold coins, rings, and bracelets spilled out of the bag and onto the inns weather worn wooden table.

"I checked for all the items you told me to look for, I don't think I missed any," Jon said.

I gazed out amongst my treasure hoard.

"Are you ever going to tell me why these trinkets are useful? Other than their obvious monetary value?"

I smiled, "These 'trinkets' are the culmination of my collection of magical objects throughout the last eight centuries."

Jon smiled at me, "This is it? A few bracelets a couple rings and this neck band? I hope these coins have some magic powers, otherwise this is a pretty pitiable collection."

"Quality not quantity, Jon" I said. "These are the things that are going to save us."

Jon raised an eyebrow, and drained the last of his tea, "Does that mean you have a plan Master?"

I grinned, "Yes dear Jon, I do have a plan ... though it's a bit more complicated than you might think."

"Oh?" Jon said. "So what did you have in mind?"

I pointed to a silver ring that lay on the edge of the table. "Let's start with that," I said.

Jon picked it up and held it against the light of the fireplace. It twinkled in the orange glow.

"Now what?" he said.

So I began to tell him.

-Maria-

"Maria ... Maria..."

Cariel's voice wouldn't go away. It resounded melodiously across my darkened prison. I ignored her ... instead I focused on my chains. They were made by my Master ... as symbol of his love and they helped to keep her influence at bay.

"Strange that you say his chains are a symbol of love?"

"Stay out of my thoughts!" I yelled.

"I'm going to fight him tonight Maria, and I'm going to win."

I had to be brave ... I had to show her no fear.

I laughed into the darkness, "You'll never beat my Master ... he loves me."

Cariel sighed, "I know ... and that is why he will lose. He won't kill me, not when I tell him who I am. Then when he hesitates, I'll strike my blow. I'll cut his heart from his body, and set it aflame."

I trembled slightly ... she sounded so sure of herself.

"Whatever information you have that will help you won't work ... your plan will fail and my Master and I will be happy together!" I screamed.

There was an eerie silence ... and my angry voice echoed across the dark prison my Master had placed me in.

"It hurts me to hear you so against me ... I've done all this out of love and concern for you," Cariel said softly ... almost as if she couldn't understand my fury.

I laughed again, "The first time I met you, you acted like you couldn't be bothered to help me. The second time you scared me and tried to force me to do something I didn't want to do. And now that we meet again, you tell me you want to kill the man I love!"

I clutched my chains tighter. Maybe now she would leave me alone.

"Maria?" Cariel's voice whispered. "Do you want to know your real name?" Her voice quivered with emotion ... almost like I had really upset her.

"My real name is Maria." I said haughtily. I was determined not to let her show of emotion affect me.

"That is the name an old nun gave to you after you were left on Earth," Cariel said. "You were given another name, by your real family."

"I don't have any family," I replied quickly.

"But you do ... you do. And Maria is not the name they gave you."

I wanted to know my real name ... but I didn't want Cariel to be the one to tell me.

"How do you know this?" I asked with a shaky voice.

"Because I was there during the naming ... I was there when you were brought into this world."

"Just go away," I said. I drew my bound legs up to my chest and shivered.

Cariel pressed onwards, with a new vigor to her voice.

"I'm going to fight ... and I'm going to win. I will win your freedom for you ... and when you are free, your mind will be cleared," Cariel drew an audible breath, "You are trapped in the demon's spell, but I can show you how to see our battle. I can teach you the words that will allow you to see me strike the demon down."

I tried not to listen as she listed the words for the spell ... but I couldn't not hear. The words in the Angelic language took up residence in my head as if they'd always lived there.