Hero of the InBetween

by Erin Snihur

  I nod my thanks and exit the dining hall, but not fast enough as I hear Dina hiss at Lucifer.

  “Why don’t you just do it with her already?! You’re practically drooling!” A slamming and breaking of something interrupts Dina’s words and I hold back the snicker as Lucifer’s deep voice sarcastically answers.

  “She’s a child of a freaking Archangel, Dina! One of my brother’s children. It would be like incest or something!”

  Thankfully, their voices grow muffled after that. I shudder and wrinkle my nose at Dina’s statement. Not happening. As I make my way down the steps to the courtyard, I itch to turn around and see what exactly Dina and Lucifer are getting up to, but decide against it. If they want me to know they will tell me.

  As I approach the open arches of the courtyard hallway, I nearly let out a gasp of shock. Darius and Gideon are both in a sandy circle, outlined by red bricks. Neither are wearing shirts and their white wings are extended. They are both sweating profusely as they parry back and forth with their angelic blades. Neither back down when the other gets them into a tight spot.

  It is like watching an intricate dance. One that is so well coordinated that I can’t tell who will rise victorious. Stepping out from underneath the archway, I seat myself on the steps of the red brick, far enough away that I won’t disturb, but close enough so that I can watch.

  The sight of Darius’ back still has my heart aching to touch him and find Pascal to heal him. He doesn’t display any pain as he pushes Gideon back only to have Gideon block Darius’ sword with a sharp slash of his own blade.

  After watching for a few moments, a large form settles next to me and I freeze for only a second before relaxing. It is just Ezekiel. The oldest of Darius’ little family. The one who intimidates me the most and the one who I feel resents me the most. For what, I had no clue.

  “Fascinating to watch, isn’t it?” Ezekiel speaks softly, his eyes trained on the fight in the circle. I gaze at him, as if for the first time and truly saw the man Ezekiel is. He is like a father to their little family. As the oldest he held a lot of responsibility for everyone in Darius’ family. I can tell by the strain in his eyes that the safety of his family weighed heavily on him.

  “Yes,” I murmur and turn away from my observation to continue to watch Darius and Gideon fight. It will take forever for them to truly grow tired at this rate.

  “They grew up together, like twins. Never separated. When Darius was tasked as Keeper of the InBetween, it broke Gideon’s heart. He is truly happy to have his brother back. To be separated from him again would shake our entire family to its very core.” Ezekiel mutters, his words for only me to hear. I get the point and bristle at the accusations underlying his words.

  “You think that by loving me and wishing to be with me, Darius will be taken or, even worse, killed. All because of me or at least because of who my parents are,” I say this without a hint of emotion. Inside, my stomach is rolling in disgust with myself. I do not wish for Darius to be harmed. If it comes down to me or him, I will gladly lay down my life so that he may live. He would do the same for me.

  Ezekiel’s gaze finally drifts to meet mine and his lips are set in a grim expression before his gaze shifts to the array of swords and weapons stacked on shelves. His eyes brighten as he stands suddenly, shocking me out of my thoughts.

  “Darius tells us he trained you with a sword,” Ezekiel states. It isn’t a question. He wants me to agree and then trap me. Perhaps even to show me or Darius how weak I truly am.

  “He did. Though, I am no expert,” I concede and stand, following Ezekiel as he sorts through the swords and daggers on a large table set off to the side.

  Ezekiel clicks his tongue and pulls out a wooden sword from the pile. Holding the hilt delicately, he swipes it through the air, as if testing it. All at once, he is flipping the sword in the air and catching it by the wooden blade. He extends the hilt to me and I graciously accept. The sword is light, but there is still some weight to it.

  Testing it, I swing it about through the air, going through the motions Darius had taught me in the InBetween. As Ezekiel watches me go through my practice thrusts, he comments every so often on my form or how to improve my stance.

  When I come to a stop of my practice, I raise my gaze to not only Ezekiel who is watching me with interest, but Darius and Gideon too. Both angels are now just bare chested, their wings tucked away in hiding. I blush at their gazes and meet Darius’ shyly. He still isn’t wearing a shirt and I try to only gaze at him from the shoulders up. Damn him for being so sexy.

  Darius merely grins at me and steps forward as he says, “Good morning.”

  Before I can say good morning back, Ezekiel is clearing his throat, “Elara and I were just about to enter the circle for some training. If she’s going to join us on our mission, she might as well be prepared.”

  Darius’ eyebrows lift in surprise and I prepare myself for the inevitable tongue lashing or the argument about how it isn’t safe. When Darius’ face morphs into a soft smile, I’m thrown for a loop. Even more so when he steps closer to me and kisses my cheek.

  “Give him hell, Little Moon.”

  My face goes red as I steel my resolve, raise my head up high and march toward the circle, my sword clenched tightly in my hand. I spin about once I’m in the center and watch as Ezekiel grabs another wooden sword from the shelf and slowly saunters into the circle.

  Gideon is whooping and hollering as he marches into the center and stands between us like a referee.

  “Okay, play nice. Elara, try not to burn his wings off,” with a wink from Gideon, he brings his hand up and swings it back down with a loud shout, “Fight!”

  I slowly move into the defensive position as I grasp my sword’s hilt with both hands and raise it like one would a bat. Ezekiel takes his position and grins down at me. His posture is lazy, or at least that’s what he wants me to think. A quick glance at his sword holding hand has me picking up the tense muscles there.

  If he wants me to make the first move, then so be it.

  Kicking up the sand with my feet, I catch Ezekiel by surprise and kneel down, sweeping my leg out and catching his feet. Ezekiel falls to the ground with a loud thump and I slowly rise as the sand settles.

  Gideon’s laughter is heard all around and I try not to laugh as well at the stunned expression on Ezekiel's face. Extending my hand to the fallen angel, I smile softly at him.

  “Where the fuck did you learn that?” he asks, his voice raspy as he takes my hand and I help him to stand.

  “Self-defence classes. I started taking them after the InBetween,” I smile and Ezekiel nods at me, shaking the sand from his hair and clothes.

  Gideon’s laughter is still booming all around us and I turn to see him leaning against Pascal who has now joined the group. I giggle as Gideon proceeds to tell Pascal what happened through his barking laughter. Pascal does not look amused, only concerned.

  When my gaze finds Darius’, I instantly feel warmth spread through me. He is still seated and his eyes are filled with pride as he grins from his seat. I blush and turn back to Ezekiel who motions with his sword for me to get back into position.

  “Very clever, Elara, but just be warned it won’t happen again,” Ezekiel mutters. Just as I am settling into my defensive position, he strikes.

  “Then she just stands up, like nothing happened! Zeke is spread out in the sand like some youngling. Oh man, Dina, you should have been there, it was awesome,” Gideon is still singing my praises after that first win over Ezekiel and my training. We are all seated around the dining table after finishing the brunch Dina prepared for us.

  Everyone around the table laughs, even Ezekiel, who has expressed his desire to pound Gideon into the ground if he calls him Zeke one more time. Lucifer is seated at the head of the table and Dina is at the opposite end. Both are cleaned up and no hint of their flour fight remains.

  Ezekiel and Gideon are sitting across from me and I am in the middle of Pascal and
Darius. Pascal has been quiet the entire meal, but he simply pats my hand when I try to engage him in conversation. His visions keep him quiet.

  Dina grins down the table in my direction, “I know I’ve been a little standoffish toward you, Elara, but I’m glad you’re here. This family needs some more femininity in it to keep up with the testosterone.”

  I smile back at her and underneath the table I can feel Darius’ hand slide up my skinny jeans to squeeze my knee. Gazing up at him, I smile when he smiles back down at me. I lean forward when I feel Darius lean closer to me.

  “Let’s go for a walk,” Darius whispers in my ear and I nod, aching for a moment alone with him.

  Excusing ourselves, Darius takes my hand and slowly pulls me through the halls until we exit through a backdoor that leads to the most beautiful garden I’ve ever seen. I instantly feel at home as we begin to walk the worn path. Neither of us speak and I am at peace as we walk hand in hand.

  Finally, I can’t help it. I need to apologize, “Darius, I’m…”

  As I begin, so does Darius. We both stop and laugh at each other as we blunder our words. Darius takes both my hands and slowly scans the area. His eyes stop on a stone bench and he pulls me toward it. Once seated, Darius turns to me.

  “Do you remember the first time we were in my garden like this one, sitting on a bench?” He asks the question and my mind races back to the day I’d stumbled across the garden attached to his castle.

  “Yes,” I answer and smile. “You told me what Ambriel did and about the curse.”

  Darius shifts and takes both my hands in his and brings them to his lips with a soft kiss, “When Ambriel betrayed me, I didn’t wish to ever allow myself to open up again. With the curse, I became the only thing that stopped Tarnin and his demon followers from destroying the InBetween and all the souls there. When you arrived, I grew so protective. I didn’t want anything to ruin what we had. When we were separated and then reunited on Earth, I didn’t want anything bad to ever happen to you again. My feelings came at a cost to you and for that I am truly sorry.”

  I smile as Darius hangs his head in despair. Slowly, I pull my hands away and lift his head. “I forgive you, Darius. I’m so sorry for all those things I said. You’re nothing like Hudson. You’re so much better and kinder. I have no wish to go into battle, but I do think it is wise to learn how to protect myself so we aren’t thrust into a position like the one we had in the InBetween. I don’t ever want to see you nailed to that wall or even worse, because of me.”

  My bottom lip trembles as I recall what he’d gone through because of Tarnins obsession with me.

  “If it wasn’t for me, the sword wouldn’t be missing. None of this would have happened,” I mutter and wipe at my eyes.

  Darius lets out a scolding noise as he lifts my chin with his hand, “I’ll hear none of that. My life would be incomplete without you.”

  I blush and turn to stare around the gardens. I wince as I recall our argument.

  “You can’t decide whether I’m involved or not. This thing inside me, whatever it is, is mine. I need to learn to control it. That means I may be in danger or need to do things you think are unsafe,” I say, happy to get these thoughts off my chest.

  I continue before Darius can interrupt, “I think, you want me to be that girl that I was in the InBetween, but I’m not anymore. I’ve grown in the last six months without you by my side. You were my protector in the InBetween; but in those six months, I had to make my own decisions. I hope you can accept the decisions I make for myself.”

  “I can, as long as you can accept that I will worry, but only because I love you,” Darius smiles and brushes my hair back from my face.

  I laugh suddenly, “The Archangels may want to kill me, because of my parents.”

  Darius shakes his head in disbelief, “I know. I won’t let it happen. Besides, I’ve already disappointed Michael with what happened in the InBetween. What’s one more thing?”

  I smirk and shake my head at the thought, “One thing at a time. First, the sword.”

  So much has happened in such a short amount of time that my mind races through the last few days. A wiggling thought pokes through me and I sit up straighter, “Renna came to me in a vision when I was trying to unlock my powers yesterday.”

  Darius’ eyebrows lift in disbelief. “She’s alive? Really?”

  “I was in a trance and she appeared. She was all shadows at first and then in her form. She said you would all rid yourselves of me soon and that she and the rest would be waiting to take me. I think she has the sword,” I wring my fingers and bite my bottom lip.

  Darius stands and helps me to stand as well. “Only one way to find out.”

  Pulling me along, Darius drags me back to the dining hall where everyone still remains seated talking. As we enter, everyone pauses and even Pascal turns to look at us.

  Darius turns to Lucifer, his face serious. “Would you be able to locate a soul who was tainted by Tarnin?”

  Lucifer purses his lips as he ponders Darius’ question before standing. “In principle, Tarnin would have shared his essence with this soul and left a piece of himself in that soul. If I can locate that piece, then I should be able to locate the soul.”

  I squeeze Darius’ hand and step forward, “We need to find a soul he would have tainted. Her name is Renna and she betrayed us to help Tarnin. We think she might have the sword. She was with me when I pulled it from the stone and broke the curse. She wasn’t with us when I stabbed Tarnin, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t witness it. In the chaos of Darius trying to heal me, she might have taken the sword. Though before I pulled it from the stone, she attempted to unlock the sword and she wasn’t able touch it. I don’t know how she would be able to touch it now.”

  The others stand and Pascal smiles, “The sword chose you as its host, Elara. Without you the sword is useless. Perhaps this would be a good time to try and unlock your abilities once again?”

  I nod and smile up at Darius who kisses my forehead before following Ezekiel and Lucifer, who begin making plans to track down Renna. Gideon groans and stands. “I’m going to go stretch my wings. Care to join me, Dina?”

  She shakes her head and Gideon bids farewell as Pascal stands. “We should go to the gardens. You seem to have an affinity for nature.”

  I nod, “I’ll be there in a second, I just need to talk to Dina.”

  When Pascal is finally gone and we are alone, I shift my gaze to Dina who remains seated at the table, avoiding my gaze. Taking the seat by hers, I smile when she finally meets mine.

  “I see you and Darius made up,” Dina says, and I can tell inwardly she is upset by this turn of events.

  “Do you wish it was the opposite?” I ask, unsure if I even want the answer.

  Dina shakes her head, “It isn’t that. I should have been there for Darius that day, when the InBetween was cursed. He reached out to me through our bond, saying he was worried about Ambriel and what she might do. I shrugged it off. Darius had always been better at handling Ambriel, and I had never been close to her. I told him I was too busy and to call Gideon or Ezekiel. I never told the others this.” Dina pauses and smiles softly before her lips turn into a serious frown.

  “I returned home to find my brothers in a panic. All of our people were in a panic. The InBetween had been cursed and no one could access it. Not even Pascal. We didn’t know if Darius was alive or dead. The Archangels were furious. Not even their powers could vanquish the curse. I lost more than a brother that day,” Dina sobers and turns to gaze around the dining hall.

  “Then something amazing happened. The gates opened to the afterlife. Hundreds of souls pour in from the InBetween. Demons too. It was chaos. Most demons managed to make it to Earth. No one knew what was happening. The others and I managed to make it through the gates and into the InBetween. It was nothing like I remembered it. The wall was crumbling and demons were everywhere. Then I saw it. You stabbing Tarnin through the heart and he stabbing you righ
t back,” She pauses and stares at me. My breathing is shallow and I feel clammy as the memories of that day come rushing back.

  “It wasn’t you that had me so entranced, but Darius. I’d never seen him looking so defeated and distraught. He wouldn’t even acknowledge us when we first made our presence known. I’d dreamed of the day I would see my brother again and there he was holding some soul’s corpse to his body like she was the most precious thing in the world. When Pascal gave Darius the ability to heal you, Pascal should have been the one to be punished, his wings clipped, but instead Darius took the rap for it. Like the good brother he is. Do you know what he said when I asked him why he did it?”

  I shake my head and feel myself tearing up at her answer. Her voice is raspy, as if she too is trying not to cry, “He said, Elara wouldn’t want someone like Pascal being punished for healing her. I told him he shouldn’t be punished for it either and Darius just chuckled, telling me one day there would be someone in the world that I would take any punishment to be with. He was right.”

  “You saved my brother, Elara, and for that I will be eternally grateful. I owe you my life,” at my protest, Dina raises her hand, “Don’t worry, I don’t like it either. I have trouble trusting new people; but for Darius, I will do anything to ensure his happiness.”

  I nod and smile, stunned by Dina’s change of attitude, “Thank you, Dina.”

  Dina nods and smirks. “You should go. Pascal hates tardiness.”

  As I stand, my thoughts drift to Renna’s warning and I turn back to Dina. “I think we need to plan something, but we can’t tell Darius or the others yet.”

  19

  Darius

  “Damn it!” Lucifer swears and rips the map of Earth off the wall. His attempts at locating Renna had proven inconclusive. I warily braced myself for the King of Hell’s well-known wrath.

  When none came, I breathe a sigh of relief and stride toward another map Lucifer had hung in his study. This map was of the InBetween or at least what it used to be before the curse.