by Anne Schlea
The staircase ends at a large archway that feels miles away from the city. All that can be seen from here is the intricately carved arch, cut from marble brought from Europe centuries ago. Beyond is only an infinite spill of darkness.
Putere turns around. “Through this archway is the most sacred space of the Fallen here on this continent. It is kept hidden from all for the safety and sanctity of the One who sent us here. Only those chosen can pass through these doorways. Any not worthy will not be able to pass.”
He turns and touches the torch closest to the door. Light spills from the room and Putere continues forward, leading the way into a sacred sanctuary Riley never knew existed. Riley hesitates a moment on the threshold, contemplating the chosen part of Putere’s words, and then crosses into the room. He hopes if he falls over dead someone will make it sound heroic.
Riley can’t remember to walk when he comes through the other side of the doorway. Anna pushes gently as his back to remind him that there are other people filing in behind them.
He stands in a chapel that must have descended directly from the heavens.
There’s a chapel upstairs in the city. It’s beautiful beyond words – a connection for their people back to the home none of them have ever seen.
This is so much more. A vaulted ceiling is painted the lapis color of the sky at twilight. Statues of three angels stand guard in the room, one holds a child, one a sword, and another holds its hands toward heaven. Guard the lives of the humans, battle for the earth, and then return home. This is the belief of every Fallen. Tapestries depicting the Fall, far more intricate and ancient than the ones in the Hall of Tapestries, hang from the walls and are illuminated by lights Riley can’t see. An altar to the One that sent them stands against the far wall.
Beyond the beauty of the room is the presence in it, an energy of love and forgiveness that permeates everything. Riley has no doubt the Divine walks here.
“When we first Fell there were twelve warriors among the soldiers.” Putere turns to regard the six soldiers and his fellow Committee members from before the altar. He’s somber and more dignified than Riley has ever seen him. It doesn’t seem possible this was the beaten man he’d spoken to only days before. “They were soldiers, yes, but they were more than that; they were the strongest warriors of our kind. Marked with the sacred markings of Heaven, they fought the worst the Thirteen could send to them. When one warrior died, another was chosen to take his place and so it was for over a thousand years. During the Seventh Crusade all twelve warriors were killed in a battle so bloody the Earth itself cried tears of anguish. The Committee at Istanbul believed this was a sign and new warriors were never selected.”
“Until now.” Sarah moves to the front of the room to stand beside Putere. Her long dark hair is braided and wound onto the top of her head. She looks at Maxim and gives him a gentle smile. “If you will accept the markings and the honor, we believe you are destined to lead us all home.”
“Find the prison, capture Thirteen of the most dangerous demons to walk the planet, and save the Princess.” Maxim smirks. “Sure, sounds easy enough.”
Riley casts a sidelong glance at the other man. As much as he hates to admit it, he kind of likes the guy.
“There are only six of us,” Anna points out. “You said there are twelve.”
“You will find the others as you travel through our sister cities on your quest.” The woman clasps her hands in front of her, the robes of her office folding in to hide them. “If you accept, you will be marked here. In six weeks’ time we will send you to Paris and then on to Istanbul where you will prepare for Jerusalem.”
“Why Jerusalem?” Riley looks over at Anna. What about Marissa? They’ve just started building a life, now they’re being asked to leave it behind?
“The prison is hidden near Jerusalem. Inside the city, if I’m not mistaken.” Mia looks around at the soldiers standing with her. “Likely underneath it. I found enough references to the Crusades of the twelfth century, even human history seems to hint of it. The Knights Templar were in Jerusalem at that time and held extensive properties. All indications are that the prison is hidden there, too. We need to take the prison before we can capture the Thirteen.”
Putere smiles and nods. “Mia, if you accept, I offer you the markings of the Interpreter. Your gift for understanding prophecy will increase and you will help lead the warriors on their journey. As you have given up your scrolls to fight for our people, they shall now be returned to you.”
Mia looks at her brother. Riley feels something pass between them and he nods. She bobs her head once. They’ll do this together. “Yes, sir, I accept.”
“Anna, I offer you the markings of the Archer. Your aim shall be as perfect as any warrior before or after you. Your job will be to protect the warriors with your bow. Do you accept?” Putere looks at Anna.
Riley watches indecision flicker on her face. He knows she’s thinking of her daughter, but then something steadies her. Marissa is old enough to be left alone. She takes a breath. “I do.”
“Leadership is the gift I offer you.” Riley realizes with a start Putere is talking to him now. The Committee’s eyes bear down on Riley and make him feel pushed into the ground. “You have led an army with valor and honor. Now I ask you lead this band of warriors in the greatest quest of our time.”
“I accept.” Is there any other answer? Dreams of a family life here slipped away the moment they crossed the threshold into this room. They’ll take this journey together, Anna alongside him.
“Finally, to Kurt I offer the gift of Defense.” Putere looks at the last member of their own city. “Your markings will help you to see when to defend and when to retreat. Your bow will be as important as Anna’s, do not forget that. But where hers is to attack, yours is to assure the safe defense of your team. Do you accept?”
Kurt nods. His eyes are filled with reverence for the honor being asked of him.
Sarah steps forward and looked at her own warriors. “Maxim, you have stood strong through the trial set before you. I offer you the markings of Strength. With Leadership you will guide the warriors on their mission. Ariel, you are a lion in battle – strong and courageous. I offer you the markings of Courage so that you can help those weaker when the need comes. Yours is to guide the people through the fire to safety.”
The six soldiers all bow their heads in humble acknowledgement.
“We appreciate your sacrifice. This will not be an easy quest and you will be tried in terrible ways.” Putere looks them over until his eyes settle on Riley. “Are you ready to receive your markings?”
“Now?” Riley doesn’t know what to say. He would expect there to be some time before the sacred tattoos of the Razbonic warriors could be given.
“This is the way of it. You are asked once and immediately take your place among warriors. To wait is to decline.” The Committee member who sees truth or lies stands very close to Riley’s elbow. He reaches up to drop the hood of his gray robe and reveal a shaved head that had been tattooed with a strange pattern of lines that looked like a labyrinth. “I am Maeko. I will administer the sacred markings.”
Riley looks at the soldiers who stand with him. Warriors, he corrects himself. They are warriors now, part of a sacred breed that might be the end of the Thirteen. “Well, then we better get started.”
Chapter Nineteen
Anna rolls her shoulders and feels tingling across her back. The patterns of the ancient tattoos run across her back from shoulder to shoulder and then down to the small of her back. They feel alive most of the time. She hopes she’ll get used to the strange patterns and designs soon. They distract her any time she sees one reflected in a mirror. A great honor, yes, but a distraction; and, a reminder that she’ll be forced to leave Marissa behind while she goes on this quest with Riley and the others.
Her daughter isn’t happy about being left behind. She begged and pleaded and threatened to invoke Riley’s vow, but eventually she saw reason. What
Anna is about to do is incredibly dangerous. Having her sixteen-year-old daughter with her would be distracting and potentially deadly.
Marissa will stay with Headmistress Frances while Anna is gone and continue her lessons. Anna has a feeling the opinion of one boy in her class influenced her decision, but she decides not to look too closely at the logic just yet. She likes to think Marissa is doing the right thing because it’s the right thing and that boys don’t exist; especially when she’s leaving town for an undetermined period of time.
The front door opens without a knock. Anna doesn’t immediately turn away from the dinner she’s making to look at Riley as he lets himself in. Marissa will still be in school for a couple of hours. She smiles when his arms go around her waist and she feels him kiss her under her ear.
“Afternoon off?” She reaches into the sink to wash her hands and then turns around to wrap her arms around his neck. She hates the acceptance that they won’t have much time left like this – domestic – and she wants to take advantage of every moment they do have.
“Sort of.” His weapons belt is still on and his sword is strapped across his back. He leans down to kiss her, a long lingering kiss that sends more tingling energy down Anna’s spine and away from her sensitive back. “I’m on my way to meet Maxim down in the training center.”
“Will you be back for dinner?” She runs her fingers through his short hair and down his arms. While her tattoos were a distraction for her, his are a total turn on. A twisting mass of lines now run down the length of his arms.
“I will be. There’s something I wanted to talk to you about before Marissa gets home.” He kisses her quickly and then leads her over to the sofa, pushing her gently to sit her down. He takes a seat next to her. “There’s something I want to do before we leave for Istanbul.”
“Okay…”
Anna frowns and wonders what he’s thinking about. She watches him stand back up and pace across the small living room and then back again. He seems to be turning a light shade of green, making her wonder if he’s going to ask her not to come to Istanbul. It isn’t like he has a choice. She’s been chosen, tattooed, and blessed. Somehow, she can’t imagine there’s an “out clause” to being a warrior of the Fallen.
“Now you’re scaring me, what’s going on, Riley?” Anna watches him pace one more time across the room before he finally turns and looks her in the eyes. His emerald green eyes are filled with more fear than she’s ever seen in them as he grounds himself for whatever he’s about to say.
“I want you to marry me before we leave this city.” He finally gets the words out, they come in a rush.
All the air goes out of Anna’s lungs in one breath. Talk about not what she’s expecting. At least not right now. Did she imagine in back of her mind it would happen eventually? Absolutely. Not right now in the middle of gearing up to head half way around the world to fight a terrible evil; but then she’d seen the human movies and read the books – isn’t that the best time to get married?
“That didn’t come out right.” He kneels down in front of her on the floor. “I don’t want it to sound clinical or like I’m doing it because it’s logical, or because I think Marissa needs a second parent or anything like that. I’m doing this because I don’t want to run the risk of not doing it. I’m afraid if I don’t do this now, even though it’s way too soon and I know you’re not ready, that we won’t get the chance. I want to stand in that chapel downstairs and swear before the One who sent us and all the Fallen that I will be a part of you here on earth and beyond. I want to do this because I need you far more than you ever needed me and I’m honestly terrified you’re going to say no.”
Anna knows her mouth is hanging open but she can’t make her mind work hard enough to close it. Finally, she asks, “What does this have to do with dinner?”
Riley looks at Anna like she’s the one who’s lost her mind. She can see she’s on the brink of breaking his heart, so she quickly reaches out and holds his face between her hands. “Riley Wares, I would be honored to marry you before we leave, after we leave, whenever you want. I would do it immediately, but I would like to bathe and change my clothes, if you don’t mind, and it would be nice for my daughter to be home to witness it. I think she’d be pretty mad if she came home from school to find out she has a new step-dad she didn’t have this morning.”
He reaches up and holds on to her hands. “You’re not going to freak out?”
“If I haven’t freaked out yet, I’m pretty confident I’m not going to now.” Anna smiles and leans in to rest her forehead against his. “Life moves quickly. We fight bloody battles and there’s no guarantee for tomorrow. When do you want to do this?”
“I want you to take a few days and go get a pretty dress with Marissa.” He grins, the fear and anxiety rushing out of him, turning to elation. “I want to do this right. White dress for you, nice dress for Marissa, full dress uniform for me, flowers, the whole thing.”
Anna leans in and kisses Riley. “Okay, let’s do this.”
He pulls her forward and holds her tightly. She feels the phone at his hip vibrate and he groans. “I have to get downstairs. I’m already late.”
“Will you be back for dinner?” She lets go so he can stand up and straighten his clothes. “You should invite Maxim. It will be good to start building trust. We can tell Marissa after dinner.”
“I’ll ask him.” He touches her cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”
∞∞∞
“Wow, you look great, Mom.”
Anna turns toward Marissa’s voice; seeing her makes her heart do a turn in her chest and start to speed up. She looks so grown up. Marissa’s dressed in a deep purple, knee length sheath that comes over one shoulder. Her hair is tightly curled and held on her head with a pair of purple hair clips that match the dress. Strappy high heels complete the outfit. The shoes make her legs look long and slim, the perfect complement to Marissa’s well-toned, athletic build. Anna knows in this moment she’s kidding herself if she thinks her daughter is going to be anything other than a soldier.
“You look beautiful yourself.” Anna smiles at Marissa.
It’s only been a week since Riley’s proposal. They took a trip to the city and found two dresses on the rack that didn’t need alterations – one for Anna and one for Marissa. Yesterday, Riley and Anna formally stood before the Committee to request their blessing for the Union.
Today, Anna and Marissa are dressing for a wedding in the small dressing chamber off the main chapel in Orasul. It’s only eight days since the meeting with the soldiers from Hope. Ten days since the Midwinter Festival. Everything is happening in a hurry, pushing events and emotions forward at a breakneck speed.
“There’s a ton of people out there.” Marissa picks up Anna’s veil and walks behind her to slide the comb into her bun. The soft folds fall around her arms and halfway down her waist like a cascade of mist.
“Really?” Anna glances toward the door and feels the flutter of butterflies in her stomach. She isn’t nervous about marrying Riley, the display in front of half the city she can do without. A quiet ceremony in the Council Chambers would have been more her speed, but not what Riley wanted.
Fallen adapt to the traditions of the part of the world they live in. Anna will have a traditional American wedding without invitations. In Fallen tradition, an announcement is made to the entire city of Orasul. Anyone who wishes to witness the nuptials is welcome. The formal ceremony is then followed by a feast held in the banquet hall, also open to any and all of Orasul residents.
Anna looks back at herself in the mirror. She’s wound her auburn hair into a bun at the base of her head. A few loose curls fall around her face to frame the light makeup she applied. She’s wearing little jewelry, only a single silver bracelet that had once belonged to her sister.
The ivory colored dress is a satin sheath with short tulle cap sleeves and a sweeping tulle train. Antique leaf details lines the neck and the back of the gown to make it look like a fa
mily heirloom. She originally intended to buy something far simpler, but Anna fell in love with this one as soon as she saw it.
“Mia’s staying with you for the next few days.” Anna turns to look at Marissa, feeling guilty about abandoning Marissa for the better part of a week. “You’re okay with that? I know I’m leaving in a few weeks…”
“Mom!” Marissa puts her hands on her hips. “Seriously. You’re getting married! You don’t need to come home. It’s gross. I’ll be fine with Mia. You need to be far, far away from our house. Like, I hope you and Riley go somewhere besides his place, but don’t tell me where. I don’t want to think about it if I accidentally walk down that hallway. Ew! Riley’s place is too close to our house. I’ll spend time with you before you leave, just not the next week.”
Anna looks at Marissa and feels tears well up in her eyes. As quickly as she’s growing up, at least she’s still having a normal reaction to thoughts of her mom being on a honeymoon.
“Seriously, don’t cry, you’ll run your make up!” Marissa hugs Anna tightly. Her arms are strong and sure, toned from being in the gym so much.
“Anna, are you ready?” Mia’s voice comes from the doorway where she’s peeking into the room. “We’re waiting.”
Anna separates from Marissa and touches her lightly on the face. She wonders if she’ll ever stop seeing a terrified five-year-old in the back of her mind when she looks at her. “Yes.”
∞∞∞
Riley holds his breath when Mia appears in the doorway. She pushes the door the rest of the way open, revealing Anna and Marissa waiting on the other side. He’s in his formal black uniform, the silver insignias shining in the light, his shoes polished to perfection, the white shirt under his jacket starched and perfect. But compared to the two women on the other side of the door, he might as well have been wearing rags.
