The one that got away

Chapter One:
She looked up at the cobalt church staring down at her with all its glory. Thick smoke obscured the dome making the massive building look even more menacing. Black spirals rose into to air along the church's four corners.
   Suppressing a shudder she walked in to find her uncle's body lying on an altar. She despised her family's practice in worshipping and summoning various demons, their culture was called Diviner. The name was deceiving though, she knew she will be gone as soon as she was sixteen when she was no longer bound to the demon Fillapien. A few days after she was born they stood in this very church and instead of having her baptized the summoned Fillapien and had the demon's blood anointed onto her forehead. Now because of that she could not run, not yet.
   Shuffling into a row of chairs she seated herself and looked at the thick-black curtains expectedly, waiting for them to part and reveal the Priest. The Priest was a half demon-half human hybrid, born to lead the church and its followers. It always wore velvety cloaks with hoods to obscure its face.
   A strangled screech rushed through the air as the old pulley-systems struggled to move the heavy curtains. The hunched figure limped to the altar, it spread its arms wide and spoke in a slurring voice, "Here lies Fergan, brother, friend and father. We still need to summon the demon, Sarreah to let his soul rest in peace. " It made a wild hand gesture and abruptly the church filled with the strangled words of demon-tongue for the summoning of Sarreah. The church filled with whispers, smoke and the coppery scent of blood. The smoke started swirling to the altar, there it solidified into the massive she-demon. She hunched over the limp figure, lip curling to demonstrate the blackened-hooked teeth. The demon slurred over him skin tearing as the too big muscles clenched under the papery hide. Livia cringed as the monster clamped it's jaws around her uncle and disappeared into the hell dimension. The Priest's head dropped, falling to his knees he cried, "Srrt herghl tafraoing!" His soul has found peace!
   Looking away she thought that his soul would never find peace but be in anguish for all eternity.

Chapter Two:
Again Livia, a week later, slowly dragged her leaden feet to the aweful-beautiful building. She sat herself in her same seating and with great loathing forced herself to look at the stage, the altar, everything. The velvet curtains parted and the mutilated Priest came forward and to her disgust it lead a beautiful man shackled with chains.
    Life itself flowed from him, he had pale-golden golden skin that glowed faintly in the dark. Ocean blue eyes shone brilliantly under mop of gold hair so soft it could be liquid. Silver wings hung limply from his side, he looked up, holding his firm chin high.
    "This creature is all what we go against, it must suffer!"
    The crowd roared and the priest pulled out a bone dagger. Livia tried holding back tears as they tortured and shamed the angel in public.
    After the show the angel was dragged away since he could not walk and the worshippers bustled into the the large courtyard, no matter how much she tried she couldn't get him out of her head. Slowly she backed away from the crowd and entered the church; she heading towards the veil fear and determination thundering inside of her. She stepped through the curtains and made her way along the labyrinth of corridors tracking him with the angel ichor that leaked along the floor. Finally she entered a room that looked like a Mid-Evil torture chamber. On the far wall hung the angel, limply.
    She rushed to his side and grabbed the keys that hung cruelly before his eyes, twisting the iron key into his shackles she lowered him slowly to the floor. He looked up at her blindly then his head slumped back over his chest. Tears rolled over her cheeks as she saw the injuries he sustained, heaving she lifted him up and walked him to the door that lead out of the room.
    A sudden creaking stopped her dead in her tracks. The Priest stepped out, fear froze her in place as he reached out for her. He grabbed her arm in an iron grip, instinct took over her, instead of trying to ply his hands off her she ripped the hood off his head.
    What lay beneath it made her scream. It's skin looked burnt and it's eyes! She will never forget them, completely black with no irises or whites it was deep and fathomless burning with rage. Scars ran along the blistering skin, it had no nose and its mouth was a thin line with charred teeth twisting agonizingly.
    It roiled back with such force it landed on its back. She did not hesitate and bolted straight to the door. To her relief it lead outside; she dashed headlong to the forest then began weaving through the trees. Once a safe distance she laid the angel gently onto the soft grass. She took his hand and searched for the injuries but it seemed they already healed. He looked up at her and this time his gaze did not waver. "You have set me free," he said in a compelling voice, "now it is I who will return the favor."