The Queen's Mate

THIRTEEN

Eleanor was shocked for a moment right before she felt a bright golden light engulf her whole as she was tucked safely in Damien’s arms which somehow felt so right against her own skin.

She felt a cold sensation tingling around her right before it was gone and Damien loosened his grip from around her making her open her eyes as she huffed a breath, she didn’t know she was holding. She looked up at his charismatic face with wonder in her warm, honey-toned eyes.

“You’re safe.” He breathed before stepping away from her completely and instantly regretted his decision; his heart yearned for her warmth and he did not know why.

“What about Adonis and Liam? What if something happens to them?” She asked him softly but she knew it in her heart that he wouldn’t have brought her here if he wasn’t certain that his younger brother would be fine. She had seen a few minutes ago how protective he was of Liam and it warmed her heart.

“They are capable enough of taking care of themselves,” Damien replied in a dismissive tone as he walked over to the kitchen counter and poured her a glass of water. Irrespective of his care-free words, Eleanor caught a hint of the suppressed worry in his voice and that made her smile on the inside.

She then looked around the place he had brought her too and was not disappointed by what her eyes witnessed.

It was a spacious and graceful penthouse apartment with windows going up to the ceiling as black and grey furniture with undertones of white and gold covered the space. The marble beneath her feet was almost a dark onyx color as Damien’s eyes and a wide flatscreen was mounted on the main wall covered in a grey and gold wallpaper. There was an elongated electric fireplace a few inches below the flatscreen whilst white cabinets and woody shelves occupied all of the prime places on the wall.

In front of Eleanor was an L-shaped leather sofa and a similar loveseat placed opposite of it whilst a marble coffee table stood proudly in the middle on a beige carpet on the floor.

Damien walked around the kitchen counter and made his way to her and handed her the generous glass of water for which she thanked him silently before he politely walked her to the couch and the two took seats opposite each other.

Neither spoke for quite a few moments as she sipped on her water in silence whilst Damien unsuccessfully tried to search for words. But even in such a deafening silence, neither felt uncomfortable and it was as if an air of awkwardness had never settled between them since the first time the two laid eyes on each other.

“I am sorry for putting you and Liam in a situation like this.” She spoke up with regret in her voice. He could see the concern shining in her eyes for his brother and he did not understand why, but it irked him.

“I am sorry for not believing your identity,” Damien mumbled with a sheepish smile on his lips as he sat back gazing at her with unreadable eyes. She was suddenly aware of the rising heat on her neck which led up to her cheek because of his scrutinizing eyes.

“How are you going to get your memories and your powers back?” He asked her again, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees as he looked at her. His hair was messed up from the fight which gave him a ruggedly handsome look in the low lights from the fireplace. His suit laid discarded on the back of the sofa whereas he had folded his shirt up to his biceps which only added to his charming aura.

Eleanor diverted her gaze from his hypnotic steel eyes as she cleared her throat to rid her mind of the fuzzy thoughts. “I don’t know, as of right now my priority is to get that dagger back from Anderson and find out the mystery behind my parents’ true identity.”

Damien listened to her speak in a somber voice before giving her a sympathetic smile. He did not believe that anyone deserved to go through the week that she had. “I am sorry about your parents; Daniel and Mary were nice people.”

She furrowed her brows in surprise, “you knew them?”

He smiled at her and nodded, the way the corners of his crinkled in politeness made her feel warm in her heart. “Yes, I did, indeed. They were good people.” He whispered thoughtfully.

Eleanor nodded gratefully before a question irked her mind, “wait a second, where are we?” She asked before her gaze turned to find the magnificent skyscrapers standing proudly outside the spacious balcony of the penthouse. She could already guess what the answer to her questions was going to be.

“New York City, love.” He replied confirming her thoughts as a sense of comfort engulfed her heart at the sight of home. She breathed a sigh of relief and for the first time that night, did Damien see a smile on her face; albeit it was a tired one, but a smile nonetheless.

“This is my home.” She whispered clearing his doubts on her reaction which made his eyes widen in surprise as he nodded.

That was when Eleanor stood up and sauntered over to the window walls as she looked out into the city with a forlorn expression. “How are we ever going to stop Anderson?” She whispered more to herself than to him but he somehow knew that she wanted to seek comfort from an answer; any answer.

“We can stop him if we can get your magic back.” He suggested from his place as his eyes continued to read her angelic face.

She shook her head at his suggestion. “I don’t understand why Adonis thinks that I am her; the queen. I mean, I saw the memories but what if it is all a sham?” She whispered turning around to look at him with an expression that caused an uproar of protectiveness to seer through his heart. She looked so fragile that he knew he would hate it if any harm was to befall her.

He was clueless about his feelings and the reasons behind them.

The raven-haired Celestial stood up as he crossed the distance between them and stopped beside her looking out into the endless skyline of New York City.

“There is something I can do to confirm your identity if you would allow me.” He suggested making her look at him questioningly, encouraging him to explain further.

“Every Ravena coven leader has the ability to sense other cosmic beings. In your case, I could dive deeper and search for any traces of your true powers.”

Eleanor listened to his words and was immediately tempted by the offer as she nodded with anticipation shining in her eyes; she knew she would be more motivated to find her abilities if she was certain that there were some. Damien nodded before he smiled gently and placed his hands in front of her to hold, “shall we then?” He asked. Eleanor was a little unsure but pushed her worries aside since she knew that he meant her no harm.

The brunette placed her petite hands in his and instantly felt her skin tingle at the slightest touch. From the way she heard his breathing stop for a second, she knew that he felt it too.

Neither spoke anything as Damien tightened his grip on her hands and closed his eyes shut as he began searching into the depths of her conscience.

The Ravena was unsure about what he was going to find as a mental link established itself between the two of them, connecting their thoughts and visions.

Their hands felt warm as a sense of comfort settled around their bodies which instinctively pushed them closer together as Damien’s magic worked its way through the cloaking spells placed on her by her father.

The two were unknown to what was happening around them as a mystical sheath of shimmering blue magic settled itself on their frames like mist settling on the grass. Their souls danced together and even though this ritual was bound to be painful, neither felt even a minor discomfort by the arrangement.

Damien could see her memories and her enrapturing smile and her caramel eyes were enough to make him lose his restrains on his own soul as he urged the strings of his powers to look for her true identity.

That was when gasps escaped them both as they each saw a vision of her in her pristine form. Her eyes shone bright golden as her brown, long hair flowed wildly in the bellowing winds that she created. Mystical magic surrounded her frame whilst dainty white wings flapped on her back.

The vision was enough to make them both open their eyes in shock as they breathed deeply by what they had experienced just now. Neither spoke or made attempt at pulling back their hands and for that moment nothing in the world was ever as captivating as each other’s eyes.

Eleanor felt herself being pulled into the depths of his onyx orbs as she gazed into them deeper. The more she looked, the more familiar she felt. It was almost as if she had spent an eternity looking into them and admiring them.

The brunette could not help but remember the vision she had of being in a beautiful meadow right before she saw steel eyes staring back at her from a distance. She wanted to believe that they were Damien’s, even though it was a bizarre occurrence.

Her hand instinctively reached up as she gently stroked the side of his face, an action that created a thunderstorm of emotions in Damien’s heart, making it race wildly, but he did not utter a single word to stop her; he did not wish to.

“Your eyes…I’ve seen them somewhere.” She whispered. “I was stabbed by Anderson two days ago and I think I was in limbo and someone else was there with me. Was that you?” She asked innocently.

Damien looked at her blankly and shook his head. “I don’t believe I have ever seen you before today.” He whispered dejectedly.

The brunette seeing the ridiculousness of her assumptions retracted her hand and nodded before stepping back from him. She, however, did not let go of his hand just yet and he was glad about that.

The raven-haired man smiled gently at her, giving her hand a comforting squeeze. “You should get some sleep. Going back to your place would be dangerous so I would suggest that you stay here so I can protect you until Adonis and Liam get back.” He offered generously.

She did not take long to agree since she was terrified of having to fight the mares again and of being alone; that was the last thing she needed.

The Ravena quickly escorted her to the guest bedroom and while she entered the en suite, he brought some clothes for her, which he claimed were her sisters. The brunette was grateful for his kind hospitality.

He had left the room when she walked out dressed in a bathrobe and proceeded to put on the clothes which he had lent her when a piece of paper placed beside the pile of clothes caught her eye.

I am not sure if anyone told you this yet, but, Happy Birthday. -Damien

An overwhelmed smile spread on her face as she traced the scrawled ink with her fingertips. He was the only one who truly wished her and it hadn’t even been long since they had known each other. For the first time in the entire day, she felt slight joy and hope that perhaps things could be right once again.

Unknown to her, the Ravena slept that night with images of her from the meadow flashing behind his eyes even though he had denied ever being there. He wasn’t sure why he lied about that but he knew that he regretted it deeply.