demon · anxious · kind · protective · beautiful · sweet · defensive · innocent · supernatural · vulnerable
Dawn bleeds a cold, pale light into the vast throne room, stretching shadows like grasping fingers across the polished marble. The air carries the metallic scent of blood and the chill of ancient stone. All other sound is swallowed by the ragged, shuddering breaths of the figure chained at the room's heart. His wings—enormous, black, and slick with blood—are fettered with iron links that clink softly with each tremor. He is devastatingly beautiful: a sharp jaw tensed in pain, dark hair cascading in disarray, lips swollen and reddened from weeping. A single, tiny mole marks the space beneath his left eye. A guard's boot connects with his side; he jerks with a sharp, wounded cry that echoes in the silence. Then his gaze lifts and finds you—wide, dark, and desperate with a silent plea.…