The Queen's Mate

ELEVEN

“Ravena?” Adonis spoke up as he looked at the brothers with wide eyes. Eleanor was too confused after the revelation as she stood in her place without saying another word while gazing at the brothers too.

Liam was a handsome man with a lean stature, his forest green eyes had always reminded Eleanor of the vast grasslands in which she could run forever. The comfort in his smile and the kindness in his gestures always filled the brunette’s heart with delight as she wished all the wellness for the man who had been there for her through all of her life’s ups and downs.

Damien, on the other hand, was a mystery. His aura screamed of elegance and poise but his eyes looked so sinful that she almost wanted to dive into their depths and uncover his darkest truths. His strong frame and tousled hair were the definition of unruly perfection as his knowing smirk which rested on his thin lips made her feel a sense of euphoria she had never experienced before.

The resemblance between the brothers was minimal but the way they stood together, tall and proud, in a perfect combination of a humble sunrise and a wild storm, it was enough to make anyone believe that they were, in fact, related.

“Adonis?” She finally spoke up clearing her throat. “Does that last name mean anything to you?” She questioned calmly; her gaze was fixed on Damien’s face as he watched her movements like a hawk watching his prey.

“If you had your memories then it would have meant a lot to you too, Ellie,” Adonis replied in a monotone.

Liam furrowed his brows. “What memories is he talking about? What the hell is going on here?” He questioned his best friend.

“She is not a human, little brother,” Damien said nodding his head towards the heiress. “She is not what she seems.” He spoke accusingly making Eleanor narrow her eyes into slits but she did not interrupt.

“What are you even saying?”

Damien smiled at Eleanor crookedly, “I just saw her kill four mares with their own swords, brother. She is far from an ordinary human.”

“They attacked you?” Adonis asked gripping her wrist making her break eye-contact with the elder Ravena.

Eleanor nodded but rolled her eyes dismissively. “They did, but nothing happened, I kicked their ass.” She mumbled before turning to look at Damien.

“If you knew what they were then why the hell did you not help?” She questioned in the same accusatory tone which he had used for her.

“Miss. Sparks I- “

“Wait, how the hell do you know what the mares are?” Liam interrupted Damien in confusion as Eleanor sighed.

“I just found out a day ago and from your tone of words, I’m guessing that you are part of the supernatural world or extremely aware of it.” She muttered making his face morph into one of guilt as he looked away from her.

Eleanor shook her head and took a deep breath before looking at the three men with a straight face. “All of you, in my study, now.” She ordered as she began to leave when Damien looked at her questioningly.

“Why the hell do you need me for?” He asked gruffly making her stop in her tracks as she turned around and shot him a harsh stare.

“Now, Damien.” She muttered authoritatively right before she disappeared in the jolly crowds again and Adonis sighed and shook his head.

“Gentlemen? This way please.” He stated leading the way to Daniel Sparks’ study room.

Liam and Damien entered the room after Adonis as Eleanor stood leaning on the desk behind her. Her mask was already off of her face as the flames from the fireplace cast an enticing shadow on the heiress making her look enchanted and blissful.

Damien finally saw her in all her glory; her brown hair was now flowing down her waist wildly after the encounter with the mares as the shorter strands cupped her ethereal face beautifully. Her honey brown eyes were highlighted by the dim lights of the room as her heart-shaped lips were turned down into a deep scowl which brought out a childlike innocence in her features; something that Damien Ravena had never seen before.

The relaxed stance of her body was now much in contrast with how defensive she had been at the balcony just moments ago and the intricate designs on her gown made her seem sinister, yet angelic at the same time.

Damien was awestruck by the aura which radiated off of her; he felt like he had never been in presence of a stronger being and he was confused by that realization.

Adonis took his seat on the brown leather chaise lounge placed diagonally to the fireplace right beside a high bookshelf whereas Damien was leaning against the closed door, watching the heiress with soft eyes and Liam had sauntered closer to Eleanor before sitting down on one of the two chairs placed in front of the desk she was perched upon.

“Now that everyone is settled in, why don’t we start with who you two are,” Eleanor spoke pointedly as she glared at Liam and Damien.

Adonis thought it best to not speak as of now as he simply waited for the Ravena brothers to explain their case.

“We’re the Ravenas, the oldest living supernatural species on earth,” Damien replied without a beat before Liam could even try to sugar-coat anything. The brunet looked at his brother with an expression of disbelief.

Eleanor met Damien’s gaze and found him already looking at her. “How old?” She questioned.

“Two thousand years,” Damien replied yet again and this time Eleanor’s jaw hung open in surprise.

Liam threw his hands up in frustration. “Would you let me talk, Damien? She cannot handle that much information!” He shrieked before regretting the words which flew out of his mouth when he caught Eleanor glaring at him again.

Damien’s lips tilted up in a genuine smile, “you underestimate her, brother. I think she can handle pretty much anything.”

Eleanor was caught in the sight of his grin as she looked at him with an almost dazed expression; the sheer playfulness behind his eyes and the slight awe in his voice when he talked about her was enough to get her heart racing. Which made no sense considering the fact that she was meeting the man for the first time.

“What are you, then?” She asked Liam this time.

Liam sighed and looked at his brother with an expression which made it evident that he would have tried to kill Damien if not for the sake of the conversation.

“We’re called Celestials.” He stated, “as my brother said, we have been around for two thousand years and the queen of the supernatural world gave us our powers.”

Eleanor shot a glance towards Adonis who was looking at her knowingly. Damien and Liam watched her with a perceptive gaze as she shook her head in disbelief.

“This can’t be possible….” She whispered to herself, looking at the ground and then at Adonis. The blond angel simply watched her with a sympathetic frown.

“Okay, enough. You two know something, so spill.” Damien spoke straightening his back as he walked closer into the room before his feet stopped right in front of Eleanor.

The distance between them was as it should have been but Eleanor could almost feel a magnetic urge to be closer to the man she had met for the first time. She just could not explain the pull.

“Eleanor is the queen of the supernatural world,” Adonis informed the Ravena brothers making Liam gape at Eleanor whereas Damien chuckled shaking his head.

The brunette watched him laugh heartily at the revelation with an expression of disbelief. She was a confident woman but his mockery offended her and she hated him for that at that moment.

“Excuse me? Is that fun for you?” She spat crossing her arms on her chest.

Damien caught his breath and shook his head, “yes, actually it is. It is bizarre to even think of a human as the queen of the supernatural world.”

“Well think again, Damien. Because she is. I am Adonis Morgenstern.” He stated, getting up in defense of the heiress. Damien and Liam both looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

“Okay, now you are definitely joking.”

“Who the hell is Adonis Morgenstern?”

The brothers muttered simultaneously making Adonis lose his cool as he rolled his eyes right before standing up as he clenched his shoulder blades right before a pair of majestic angel wings appeared in front of them all, making them widen their eyes in surprise and awe.

Eleanor watched him in all of his glory with her mouth hanging open as she unknowingly stepped forward near him and before Adonis could understand what she was going to do, she gently grazed her hand over his white wings making his heart race wildly.

The two glanced at each other briefly, struck by the pull in their eyes as they forgot completely about the Ravena brothers being in the same room as them as Eleanor lightly touched his feathers again.

“They’re beautiful.” She whispered in a dream-like state. Adonis could not help the urge to cup her face and stroke her cheek which made his fingers twitch but he made no move.

As Damien watched the two, he was feeling a bitterness inside him which could not be explained; something like an urge to set the world on fire but he did not know why. He shrugged off the emotion as he cleared his throat making Eleanor drop her hand from Adonis’ wings as she turned away from the angel with a flustered look which wasn’t skipped by Liam. He was surely going to have a conversation with her regarding this, later.

Adonis broke out of his daze as he too shook his head before looking at Damien square in the eyes. “Now do you believe that I am Adonis Morgenstern?”

Damien was silent for a beat before nodding. “Yes, I am well aware now, Mr. Morgenstern. However, I still find it laughable that she is the granddaughter of the Angel Supreme.” He added gesturing towards Eleanor who was glaring at him.

Adonis rolled his eyes, “it is not for her to prove. She is the angel responsible for your existence, not to mention the fact that she is also the princess of the Angel Realm.”

Liam looked at Eleanor with a look of pity and confusion, “but how is this possible? I would have sensed your aura in all these years that we’ve known each other.”

“That’s because her soul has completely adapted to her human form and we do not know how to bring her powers back. The Mares you saw work for a man named Anderson who stole the Elarma blade from this very house and he wants Eleanor dead so that he can summon the queen of the Demonworld into this realm and demand whatever his heart desires.”

Damien and Liam were stunned by Adonis’ explanation as the two brothers looked at the brunette with saddened eyes; no one deserved to die over something they could not control.

“Why was the Elarma blade here?” Liam questioned making the heiress roll her eyes.

“Because we believe that my parents were Elarmas, about which, I still don’t know much.” She replied in a disheartened tone which made Damien want to comfort her and he was surprised by his emotions yet again, where was this coming from? He questioned himself.

Adonis suddenly felt a sharp pang in his head as he clutched his hair and screamed out in pain gaining their attention. Eleanor immediately tried to help him right before Liam too felt a similar sensation in his head which made him grip the edge of the desk to steady himself as Damien rushed to his aid.

“What the hell is happening?” Eleanor asked urgently as Damien too looked at her with concern and worry for his brother as well as Adonis. That was when he finally felt what was happening to the two as his head began aching but he somehow managed to stay in control.

“It’s the mares. An army of them. They have probably surrounded the estate by now and they are coming for you.” He informed her and before she even had the time to react, the double doors of the study opened and a severed head of one of the party guests rolled inside the room.

Eleanor gaped with horror in her orbs as her eyes traveled to the outside of the room where the floors were covered with corpses, all of the esteemed guests, slaughtered on her ballroom floor.

That was when footsteps were heard which were then accompanied by Anderson’s face as he came walking inside the room with a sinister smirk on his face.

“So, Eleanor, we meet again.” He smirked and the brunette could swear that she saw death dancing in the man’s eyes.