Bonded

Chapter 14

Sarah groaned lightly as she started waking up from the darkness. Her head ached as her eyelids fluttered open. Sarah shifted her head and felt a sharp pain on the back of her head. Opening her eyes slowly she shut them quickly as the bright light stung her eyes. The light caused her head to throb with pain as she closed her eyes tightly. Groaning in pain, she shielded her eyes with her hand. Sarah opened her eyes again everything looked blurry. Sarah blinked her eyes as she vision came into focus.

Sarah felt she could open keep her eyes open as long as she shielded them from the bright light. She looked up at the window and it looked somehow familiar to her. Still lying on the bed, she turned her head to look around the room. She gritted her teeth as her head throbbed in pain.

'Where am I?' Sarah thought glancing around the room with her eyes.

She froze in shock and fear when she saw a raven haired, deep blue-eyed woman sitting in the corner watching her with a satisfied smile. Last night rushed back into her mind, Joshua with his empty eye sockets, Lilith standing in front of her, and then the sudden blackness.

'I'm back in the Convent.' Sarah thought as her heart raced. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

Sarah tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness and nausea swept over her. She laid back down on the bed closing her eyes tightly. Sarah took deep breaths trying to calm her racing heart.

"I'm sorry Joshua hit you on the head so hard." Celestia spoke, but with no hint of apology in her voice.

As the nausea passed, Sarah turned her head slowly to look a Celestia, "Why am I here?" Sarah asked knowing the answer to her own question.

"You must have figured it out by now." Celestia said mocking her. "I'm sure your bodies have figured that part out." Celestia took a sip of water waiting for a response, as she looked Sarah up and down.

Sarah looked down to notice she still wore Adam's shirt. Blushing, she looked away. Unexpectedly, she felt a strong hand grab her by the chin and wrench her head to face Celestia. The force of her movement caused Sarah to cry out in pain.

"I have waited too long," sneered Celestia digging her fingers into Sarah's jaw, "This game will end tonight."

"You don't have to do this." Sarah whimpered in pain. The words felt familiar to her. She spoke those very words many times.

"You stupid girl," Celestia spat pushing Sarah down onto the bed, "This has to happen."

"You don't have to raise the Nephilim," Sarah yelled as she sat back up ignoring the pain.

Celestia felt rage fill her at this woman insolence. In a fit of rage, she backhanded Sarah across the face. The unexpected blow caused Sarah's head to snap back from the impact. Her head smacked against the stonewall and bright lights filled her vision. Sarah felt the sting of the slap and blood filled her mouth. She sobbed loudly with her cheek pressed against the stonewall. Celestia backhanded her again and smiled as Sarah cried out in pain again.

"You know nothing, I have waited too long." Celestia said with quiet anger.

Sarah sobbed and shrunk back from her words. She reached up to touch her lip and winced in pain as she pulled her fingers away from her lip. Blood ran down her finger from a cut lip.

"You don't have to do this," Sarah pleaded, "You can let me go."

"How many times you have said those exact words, Afriel." Celestia said shaking her head, "Every time I was close to killing you. You repeated those same words."

"Why did you call me, Afriel?" Sarah asked dumbfounded by the name, but recognition dawned in her eyes.

"Unlike you Afriel, I kept my true name." Celestia explained, "You decided to hide behind other names as if you were afraid of the truth."

"My true name is Afriel," Sarah whispered to herself, "Azazel called me Afriel."

"What did you just say?" Celestia demanded.

Celestia grabbed Sarah by the hair and yanked so that Sarah looked up at her. Sarah cried out feeling heat spread through her scalp. She stared into Celestia face. For a moment, Sarah looked shocked by the expression on Celestia's face.

'Is that fear in her eyes?' Sarah thought, 'Why is she afraid?'

"Tell me what you know." Celestia said menacing and yanked harder on Sarah's hair.

"I had a vision," Sarah cried out, "I was in a room while the fallen were imprisoned and heard Azazel speak before a mask was placed on his face. He spoke of a prophecy about coming back into the world."

"So you know the truth." Celestia stated letting go of Sarah's hair.

"I don't know the truth," Sarah said confused, "All I know is that I have to be sacrificed to bring Azazel back into this world." Sarah placed her head in her hands and cried.

'Does she know the truth?' Celestia thought observing Sarah carefully, 'Could she really have figured it out?'

"Yes you have to die for the glory of the fallen angels." Celestia answered.

"Why does it have to be like this?" Sarah asked looking up with tear streaked cheeks.

Celestia stepped back a step. She noticed that Sarah's eye color had changed to gold from its normal hue of hazel. Celestia felt fear run down her spine for the first time in a very long time. She swallowed trying to keep her face neutral.

"Unlike innocent you," Celestia said slowly trying to keep her voice neutral, "I found an ancient book telling of our existence. The book revealed many truths to me. I knew then that I must free the fallen angels for the greater good of humanity."

"They were imprisoned for a reason." Sarah challenged with a defiant look, "Why would you want to free them?"

"Afriel, you know so little," Celestia said sadly, "By freeing the fallen, I can kill Azazel and rule in his place as the leader of the fallen angels."

Sarah gasped in shock at the news.

'Dear god,' Sarah thought, 'She can't be serious?'

"You can't release them!" Sarah shouted, "They will kill us all."

"You are pathetic," Celestia spat, "You know nothing of your true power."

"You're a monster." Sarah cried out.

"Well this monster is your other half." Celestia announced and laughed when she noticed the confusion on Sarah's face. "It is so sad that you don't know anything about your past."

"What are you talking about?" Sarah asked.

"It does not matter anymore, you will never learn the truth about who you are." Celestia shrugged, "You will die tonight and not even your precious Adam can safe you."

"What did you do to him?" Sarah asked gritting her teeth as she felt anger build up in her. She had only felt this anger one other time. The time she was trapped in the marsh with Lilith.

"Lilith put him in a deep sleep and had him killed." Celestia said with an air of indifference.

It felt like an arrow pierced her heart. Sarah slumped against the wall and stared at the floor. She found it difficult to breath. The anger seeped out of her.

'She has to be lying to me.' Sarah thought.

"I assure you Sarah he is dead." Celestia repeated readying the look on her face.

Sarah felt new tears running down her face. As the realization of this became reality. Sarah heard Celestia walk out of the room. Sarah's body shook with sorrow and rage. She hugged herself tightly and drew her knees close to her body as she cried. She rocked herself slowly whispering to herself.

"Everything will be okay." Sarah repeated.

"That is what you think." Sarah heard a familiar voice.

Slowly she looked up knowing who was standing there. Fear ran down her spine and she held herself tighter. Lilith stood in the doorway with a smile on her blood red lips. Sarah's mouth opened in silence terror as Joshua stood in front of Lilith, staring with sightless eyes.

"Do you like my handy work," Lilith said smiling, "He resisted to the end, but all men have their weaknesses."

"Why did you do this to him?" Sarah whispered barely finding her voice.

"What a better way to make you suffer." Lilith answered, "Don't you agree Joshua?"

To Sarah horror, Joshua nodded slowly and spoke in a hollow voice, "Afriel must die."

"No Joshua," Sarah said quietly, "You don't know what you are saying."

"Afriel must die." Joshua repeated in the same hollow voice.

"Well I guess if Joshua thinks you should die. Then he should be the one to kill you tonight." Lilith laughed.

"No Joshua, don't listen to that monster." Sarah cried out.

"I will kill Afriel." Joshua spoke.

With that statement, Sarah felt her fate was sealed. She lowered her head in defeat. Adam was gone and now Joshua was lost to her. She feared that this was the end of her life. She did not hear the door close as Lilith and Joshua left her room.

Sarah laid down on the bed hugging her legs tightly to her body. 'Please do not be dead, Adam. I need you more than ever." Sarah thought.

Adam felt his body floating on rough seas supported by a plank of wood. The sensation of floating on the sea felt odd as if unreal or a dream. His body rocked side to side as a wave buried him under the water. The plank of wood pulled him back to the surface as another wave crashed into him.

'Adam please do not be dead. I need you more than ever.' Adam heard Sarah's voice in his mind.

Slowly he realized that waves were not rocking his body, but something else. From the distance he heard another familiar voice calling him.

"Wake up fool!" The gruffly voice of Samuel yelled at him, while shaking his body.

Adam struggled to open his eyes. They felt heavy and he willed them to open. Then as in a dream, a wave crashed into him, splashing him with cold water. Adam sputtered and opened his eyes wide seeing bright light. He sat up coughing and spitting water out of his mouth. He looked around feeling disoriented. Adam's vision cleared and he saw Samuel standing over him with an empty water basin in his hands.

'Why is Samuel waking me up and not Sarah?' Adam thought how she when downstairs for something to drink. Seeing the sun shining through the window confused him more. 'Why is the sun up?'

"What is going on, Samuel?" Adam shook his head tying to clear the cobwebs from his brain. Water dripped down from his wet hair onto the ground, "Where is Sarah?"

"She is gone Adam," Samuel answered his confused look, "Do remember what happened?"

"It is hard to remember." Adam replied squeezing his eyes shut trying to remember the events of last night. In his mind, he remembered hearing something crash on the floor, Tom growling, a door opening, and then a woman gasping in shock from outside. "Sarah!" Adam blurted out suddenly remembering how his body would not respond and he fought to stay awake.

"What was it boy?" Samuel questioned, "What happened?"

"Sarah said she was thirsty, so she when downstairs for something to drink. At the same moment, I felt tired and weak. I heard something crash on the ground, Tom growling, the front door opening and then Sarah gasping in shock. I tried to get up, but I could not move." Adam said and tried to stand up, but his legs gave out and he fell back onto the bed.

"Sit tight for a bit," Samuel said dropping the basin and placing a hand on Adam's shoulder.

"What happened to Sarah?" Adam asked.

"I'm not sure, but I found two dead bodies in front of your house and the front door was open." Samuel explained, "Tom seemed to have stopped them from entering the house."

"How do you know this?" Adam said drowsily.

"Tom was on one of the bodies, licking his paws." Samuel answered. "It seems that they found a way to put you to sleep."

"It is impossible, the house is protected...." Adam paused and looked at the broken bedroom window.

Samuel gave Adam a confused look as he stared at the broken window. "What are you looking at Adam?"

"The damn window," Adam said smacking his forehead. "They used the broken window to cast their spell. It was the only opening into the house, but they could not kill me. The protection on the house would have stopped spells meant to attack."

"That would explain how they put you to sleep." Samuel agreed.

"I have to save Sarah." Adam said trying to stand again.

"And what are you going to do," Samuel said pushing Adam back down on the bed. "Storm the castle and rescue the princess from the dragon?"

"What the hell do you want me to do?" Adam yelled, "I heard her calling out me. She needs me now."

"Exactly Adam," Samuel interrupted him, "We need a plan. Moreover, you have not recovered your strength yet. You know that Sarah is alive and she will remain alive until tonight."

"What do you mean by until tonight?" Adam inquired.

"I'm assuming that Celestia will want to perform the ceremony during the 11th hour, when the moon is at its peak. If we rush in there now, they will kill her and everything will reset. You will both forget who you are and she might wake up in another country. We can't risk that."

Adam gritted his teeth and smacked his fist into an open palm. He knew they had to wait, but Adam did not enjoy the knowledge of Sarah trapped with those witches wanting to kill her. They had come so far and now a wall stood between them and happiness.

"We need to prepare." Samuel said breaking Adam's train of thought.

"What do we need to do? Adam sighed as he stood up slowly.

"First get dressed and then lets look at the plans I have of the Covent on the hill." Samuel said.

Adam dressed slowly and with Samuel's help, they walked downstairs. Once downstairs, Adam noticed the broken cup on the ground and a shard of the cup on the table with blood on it. Rage filed his chest and he clenched his fist. Suddenly, he felt Tom rub against his leg. He felt the rage drain away from him as Tom soothed him.

'I need to think clearly.' Adam thought taking a deep breath, unclenching his fist and taking a seat at the table. 'We will save you Sarah or die trying.'

"Let's plan the rescue.' Adam announced unrolling the plans of the Covent.