it's heaven in your arms | cashton/muke

the worst of me is racing around your mind

Ashton was panicking.

His body was moving entirely thanks to the adrenaline rush he was experiencing full force, his wings sat folded to his back for if he were to even think of using them they would find him much quicker. His bare feet pounded against the ground, the rough stones tearing away at the soles of his feet as he did so, though the uneven terrain was the least of his worries.

Ashton chanced a look over his shoulder and saw nothing but the desolate manmade path he was careening down, his pace slowed until he was stood still in the middle of the path where he held his breathe as he listened out again. Nothing. Nothing except the ferocious hammering of his own heart. He could already hear the admonishing tones of his superiors roaring in his ears telling him that stopping now was no help to anyone, well except the monsters chasing him down.

Ashton rarely felt much pain due to the increased pain tolerance he had been blessed with but whatever those demons had hit him with was taking effect, he limped off the path and found himself colliding with the grass covered ground almost immediately. He attempted to calm his breathing down which was ragged, he pushed himself to lay beside a tree in order to offer himself some cover even though he knew deep down it wouldn't be much help. The pulses of pain that radiated from his legs didn't cease as he lay there helpless, his pleading prayers to Luke and the others going unanswered - heck, he doesn't even know if they got to them at all. Ashton felt himself drifting slowly but this drowsiness was obliterated once he heard the snapping of twigs and the crunch of gravel underfoot.

"He went this way, the stupid bird's been trailing blood down here" Ashton tensed at that voice, he knew this demon wasn't in charge but had been the once to strike him with the arrow. The footsteps grew louder and the next thing Ashton knew he was holding his breathe, his body curled up.

"I can't barely smell the guy no more" a southern twang adorned this voice "we sure he hasn't just flew back up?"

"We would know if he had." The footsteps stopped just a ways away from where Ashton was, this was it.

Until it wasn't.

The demon continued walking, completely passing by a petrified Ashton. The noise faded away as they walked the path and once the footsteps were barely audible Ashton let himself breathe and then risked a look from his hiding spot, he craned his neck out to see the path abandoned just as it was before. He slumped back against the tree trunk and sighed, tears of relief falling freely.

"I'm coming home Luke, don't give up on me." He whispered letting his eyes close, "I'm always coming back to you."

"Wouldn't be so sure about that mate." Fuck. Ashton's eyes were wrenched open and the fear from before slammed back into him tenfold. He made a weak attempt to scramble back and away from him but with his depleted strength everything was a monumental task.

"Hey! Don't be leaving so soon! You didn't even say hello, how rude. And here I was thinking you angels were supposed to be kind." The demon pouted, his hand coming to a stop on Ashtons shoulder making him flinch. "Wow you lot are jumpy" he chuckled, Ashton just stared back blankly at the demon whose face suddenly distorted into a more sinister look

"now, you might wanna let your little Lukey know you're not gonna be home for dinner." The comment felt like a slap to the face and in his last effort he went to fly, maybe not to heaven but to anywhere away from him. Unfortunately he wasn't as subtle as he wished he could be and his escape plan was cut short when the demons hand grabbed his left wing and pulled, hard. Ashton cried out and fell forward, his face meeting with the ground for the second time that day.

"Nice try, but not good enough." These were the last words he heard before he felt himself plunge into utter darkness.

Coming back into consciousness was something Ashton wished his body did not allow in this particular circumstance, for as soon as his brain and body twitched awake all he felt was the strain of his wings being shackled down. He went to pull himself free but was stopped with an unkind slap to the face and a hard shove on the chest that forced him back onto the cool stone.