Surrender's First Days

Surrender is in the process of being written as of yesterday. The first chapter is complete, but unedited. As the writing continues, more teasers shall appear under the teasers page. Hope you enjoy!

Memory's Dream

Ch. 1: Memory’s Dream

Ari turned to look at the beautiful, ageless being stretched on the grass beside her. His looks were duping, for while he appeared to be a normal teenage boy, dressed in his punk clothes with his iPod dangling from his neck, she knew he was well over 1,000 years old and not human at all. And he was all hers. 

“Zach,” She said, her voice sounding loud in the calm of the trees. Her fingers brushed over the pendant hanging around her neck, the engraved angel wings giving her courage.

“Mmm?” was his only reply. His eyes were closed and a lazy smile graced his lips as he soaked up the sun. She knew that those tan eyelids hide eyes the color of sapphires, dark, blue, tempting. That those alluring eyes could easily be hidden by the bangs of his long, curly brown hair. But those features were only a facade hiding the real him.

“I want to see you.” She listened as the words whispered through the grass. Her long blonde hair blew around her as she waited for his response. 

He opened his azure eyes a fraction, peering at her with a look of amusement and adoration. Then, he closed them again and let out a long breath. Slowly, he started to change. The color in his skin darkened until he was a rich mahogany, except for his lips which remained a pale rose, and his hair became an impossible shade of black. With a slow sigh, his eyes reopened and he turned on his side to face her, the colors swirling from forrest green and turquoise blue. Gray dappled wings spread from slits in his MCR t-shirt, the downy feathers brushing her shoulders. 

“I love you, Ari. Forever & always.” His long fingers caressed her face as his velvet voice vibrated through the air. 

“I love you too, Zacharael.” She pillowed her head against his chest, sighing as she took in the smell of lavender and the ocean. "Always have, always will."

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Ari shuddered as the dream ended. Zach was gone. As he always would be... dead to her forever. Tears streamed down her face as she curled up into a ball, her fingers curled around her pendant in their familiar position.

Zacharael...

She buried her head into her pillow and let the sobs loose. 

Zach......…

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Zacharael grimaced as he felt Arielle’s sadness, the sadness that had swept through her life since the day he had told her that they could no longer see each other. He longed to pull her into his arms and shelter her from the pain, to warm her with the heat from his wings. But he was forbidden to do such a thing.

Ari…….. I love you.

“Zacharael, the Lady requests your presence.” 

Zach turned to see a wraith floating above the floor of his chambers. The spirit bowed gracefully to him and dematerialized. Zacharael gathered himself and opened the door into Lady Rhiannon’s study. “You requested me, milady?”

“Yes, Zacharael. I need you to watch out for my daughter when she goes on her journey.” The tall woman glanced up from her papers to gaze at Zach, her lavender eyes so much like Ari’s.

“Milady, is it the best time for Princess Arielle to take a journey to the temples? The rebels are growing stronger lately. I would not want the princess to get hurt.” 

“Arielle will be safe with you as her guardian. I trust you to not let the rebels harm my only daughter and the heir to my throne.” 

Zacharael grimaced at the reminder in the queen’s voice. Ari was princess and heir. He was simply a commoner, a Nephilim at that... tainted… stained… half-breed. He could never be with Ari, not without disgracing her.

Ari...

“Yes, milady… when shall we depart?”

“Tomorrow at dawn. Arielle is going to the West Temple. Now, go. My daughter will be ready.”

Zacharael backed out of the study and headed to his room. Ari stood at his door, raising her hand to knock.

“Lady Arielle. Did you need something?” His heart fluttered in his chest as he saw the pain that flickered through his eyes as he said her name. Ari….

“Yes, Zacharael, I was wondering if you had my book?” She spit the words out, not wasting anytime on his name. 

Zach cursed silently to himself. He did have her book but he wasn’t ready to return it. He unfurled his grey wings and glanced at Ari, stretching. “I am still reading it, Princess. But if you would like it back you can come in and get it.” He stepped through the doorway and picked up the book from the table. “Here you go.” Ari’s fingers brushed his as she took the slim tome from him and he grasped them.

“Let go, Zacharael.” She snarled at him, trying to jerk her fingers out of his grip.

“No, Ari.” 

“You have no right to call me that, servant.”

Zach grimaced at the insult and thought about letting her go. But he couldn’t stand this tension between them. “Ari. Please. Just listen.” He took his other hand and brushed her wild curls off of her face. “I don’t want it to be this way between us.”