16: The

~~Rose~~

I paced the office I had shut myself away into. None of this made sense, but somehow it all linked together. The fact that the archangels were obsessed with having heirs, bloodline continuations, how Zayn died, even up to my using compulsion on the other archangels.

He was always free to control the others.

A knock sounded on my door.

"You wanted to see me, Archangel Rosalina?"

"Yes, come in, Razael."

Said man walked into the room gracefully at first, before he seemed to remember that he was supposed to be a grieving father and changed his walk.

People like him made me sick.

He killed his own son only after finding out about his bloodline being secure. He was thirsty for power, especially the power that put him as the next heir to my seat on the council.

"Would you like to explain yourself, or would you like me to torture it out of you?" I asked, sipping the tea that had been brought to me only moments before he walked in.

The surprise leaked through only for a second before he masked it with confusion and hurt. "What in heaven and hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your plans to become head of the council. I know about your drug ring. I know how you're controlling archangels. And I definitely know that you killed your own child!"

A wave of nausea and dizziness hit me, but I kept standing, even though it made me sway on my feet.

Silence was left inside the room. Razael stared at me, triumph shining in his eyes. Then, his booming laughter followed me.

The dizziness worsened and my vision began to blacken and fade as if I was s lowly moving underwater.

"Dear child, dear sweet, sweet Rosalina. You are only half right."

My body stilled, and I was unable to control it anymore. I was a passenger to myself as I was almost every night in hell.

"The drug ring is mine."

His fingers grazed my cheek and he wiped a stray tear away.

"The archangels are under my control."

He leaned into my ear, I could feel his warmth as he whispered the next line that had me screaming inside.

"But I didn't kill Zayn, darling, you did."

Revulsion engulfed me.

"Your actions doomed him. You were a very naughty girl, now weren't you, Rosa?"

Shock hit me at the use of my father's nickname for me.

"You were very bad, it's time for your punishment, isn't it, Rosalina?"

Inside I was thrashing, fighting against the water in my lungs, yet my body stayed stationary.

A knock sounded at the door. "Ah, he's here right on time. Come in!"

The face that entered struck fear into my very core. For one second, I stopped fighting, but stared again as it began to drag me down deeper.

"Hello, son. Your new toy is ready for you!"

A smile lit up Zayn's face as he watched me fail to move on my own.

"Hello, my princess," he cooed and lifted my hand to him mouth, smiling at the fact I couldn't hit him away. My body involuntarily shifted towards him as he wrapped his arm around my waist, and I immediately knew who could control me.

And he gave Zayn that ultimate power.

"Son, be very careful with her. We have to give her dosage every few days until your wedding day, or else she'll break free. I'm releasing the other archangels who can try all they want, but they will never stop what has been destroyed without her on their side."

"Of course, father." Zayn said with a slight bow.

After that, Razael left us alone, and my screams slowly began to die down as the sobs hit.

'Someone, please. Help me...'

'Xaphan...Liz...Angel...I need you...'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~Week~~

'Xaphan...Liz...Angel...I need you...'

"Rose?" I called into the darkness as I sprang us from my bed. Pain hit me in the gut as I looked around at the bed and room for the one girl I wanted to see safe right in that moment.

"Rose!" I yelled again, realizing I was slipping in control when I could hear her voice but not see her next to me.

'Xaphan, tell my baby that I love her and that I'm sorry...'

"Rose! Cut it out! This isn't funny!" my demon called out. He was pissed. He wanted to see his girl pop out. Wanted her to say she was just joking around. That she was sorry.

That she was right here.

'I'm sorry it's turning out this way...'

"Stop this, Rose. Please..." I had never heard my demon half like this. He sounded vulnerable.

'Take care of our baby, okay...?'

"Always, Rose. I'll always do what you ask of me."

'And try to move on from this pain...'

The silence stretched on and I felt my demon receding control back to me. He had never done that before, but I had never lost control as often as I did now.

'I love you.'

Pain hit me soon after. There were three lit up cords that had always stretched from me to Rose, and they had begun to ache and burn inside my chest. The bright blue signified our connection through Maura. The red was the soulmate bond. The yellow was my promised bond.

Then, a huge wave threw me to the ground as one of the cords faded from its normal blue into a disgusting gray.

Another one hit as the red string went dark.

"No. No no no, Rose!"

One string was left. The string that had first drawn me to protecting her. The yellow promised string. I pulled the cord tight and cried out for it to say, but soon faded out as well.

Once the pain receded, emptiness and numbness settled in my stomach.

Gone. She was gone. The bonds were broken, meaning one thing.

My Rose was dead.

"Daddy..." a small voice called me from the door.

Maura looked at me with tears and pain written on her features. She ran to me and collided straight into my chest.

"Mommy... where's my mommy!"

"Shhhh," I cried at her. "I know baby. Mommy said she loves you."

I held her in my lap and rocked her back and forth trying to soothe her, but we both knew.

We knew that a piece of us was missing.