Warning: the usual, m/m romance, some violence, chopping off of limbs… you know how it is.

            This is the sequel to ‘Moon Twins’. Please comment, everything’s good.

            Flexing his fingers slowly, experimentally he couldn’t help sighing sadly. The healer had told him this was as good as they would heal. His fingers felt stiff to move and the skin stretched awkwardly because of spattered scarring. He would never play his harp the way he used to, but then he would probably never play a harp again at all. Looking up from where his hands rested on the table he wondered if any of the other young Tal’larie dining there were as unhappy as he was. Daemir doubted it, they all seemed content enough, some even smiling and laughing at softly whispered jokes. They were all quite happy to live a life of slavery but Daemir would never submit. He didn’t care if he was locked in this ancient castle for the rest of his life, he would never be someone’s slave willingly.

            A soft tap on his shoulder brought his attention to the meek demonling sitting to his left. This one had become somewhat of a friend, unfortunately they tended to disagree on a few things. Like the right of the keepers to lord over them, but the lad was nice enough. “Fingers are not everything. I’m sure the keepers will choose your master kindly and you will not need to use them too much.” He offered with a gentle smile and Daemir could only nod numbly, feeling the anger burning inside. He knew it wasn’t the Tal’larie’s fault but he hated all the talk of how ‘kind’ and ‘caring’ the damn keepers were. It was just bullshit.

            “If you’ll excuse me,” standing quickly, before he could start a fight, he moved from the dining hall, heading back to his room. In his frustration and anger he didn’t watch where he was going and ended up bumping right into one of his ‘teachers’. He didn’t apologise and wasn’t surprised when that earned him a visit to see the head angel. He’d seen Tyreal more in the past six months than any other Tal’larie had in their entire lives.

            Marching unafraid into the seraph’s study he slammed the door closed. Not because he wanted it closed but because it felt good to slam something. Standing before the large, ornate desk he glared at the impressive being sitting there. “I bumped into one of your stupid minions so he sent me here for punishment. What are you going to do this time, angel? Lock me in my room again?”

            “My, little Tal’larie, you are in a mood today aren’t you.”

            “Fuck you.”

            Tyreal smiled, gesturing towards the chair in front of his desk, but of course Daemir didn’t accept, preferring to stand and glare down at the golden being. His refusal caused the angel to sigh deeply and close the book he had been working from. “It seems that none of the punishments you have suffered have had any affect on your behaviour. I can only conclude that you still believe you are being wronged.”

            “I was kidnapped and now you keep me trapped here! I am being wronged!”

            “As long as you keep believing that you will never be happy here, and despite what you seem to think, young one, I do want you to be happy.”

            “Then release me.”

            “You know I can’t do that,” the angel leaned back in his chair, studying Daemir for a long moment, making the demon a bit nervous. “We shall have to try something a bit different then. You will see what you can become if you are allowed to be free to use your tainted magic as you wish. Your punishment is to spend four hours of every day with the Forbidden Mage until such time as you realise your place in society.”

            “Sending me to see another one of your stupid followers won’t make me do what you want.”

            “Oh, he is not one of my followers,” Tyreal smiled patiently, “You will go to the lower dungeon early tomorrow morning, one of the keepers will escort you to his cell.”

            “Do you really think spending a few hours with some freak will ‘tame’ me?”

            “Yes,” the angel gave a dismissive gesture, opening back up the book, “You may go.”

            Daemir growled lowly at Tyreal’s superior tone but he did as he was told, slamming the door again with some satisfaction. The angel was even dumber than he’d thought if he thought he could ever be tamed, and certainly not by sitting in a dark cell with a freak.

            “Are you alright?” his friend sat down next to him on the bench, giving him a concerned look. It was quite irritating, but then everything was lately. Sighing he turned his gaze from the flower bush he’d been studying to meet the other demon’s eyes.

            “I’m fine.”

            “I heard you got in trouble again,” there was a slight tremble in the other’s voice, and Daemir wondered how weak-willed one person could be.

            He shrugged, glancing at the slowly lighting sky and thinking he’d better go to the dungeon soon. “I have to go sit in a cell with some stupid mage for a few hours, that’s all.”

            “The Forbidden Mage?” the meek Tal’larie gasped fearfully, “Surely not? Our keepers wouldn’t be so cruel.”

            “What? What’s the big deal about some old mage?”

            “You don’t know? Haven’t you listened to any of the talk about him?”

            He shrugged again, “I don’t listen to gossip.”

            “He’s pure evil. He once killed thousands of innocents, but Seraph Tyreal managed to defeat him and imprison him. He kills everyone that gets near him, everyone is afraid of him, especially the keepers.”

            “So why doesn’t Tyreal just kill him?”

            “His heart is too kind. He keeps hoping that the Forbidden Mage will change and realise how wrong all his evil is.”

            “Yeah, I’m sure,” Daemir’s tone was clearly sarcastic but he doubted the naive Tal’laire picked up that fact. The only reason why Tyreal wouldn’t kill someone was if he thought they could be useful to his cause. It made him curious and he was now looking forward to going to see this creature. Maybe he could find out what Tyreal was after, and maybe he could find out a way to beat the angel and get free.