by R C Knight
Aria glanced up at him, her eyes were nervous. He stopped pacing as she looked at him. “It takes time to create a portal. For all I know he’s doing it by himself so no one else knows he’s coming.”
“Did he tell you what he wanted?”
“No,” she sighed wearily. “Which makes me nervous.” Zane nodded and started pacing around the room again. They had decided to meet Michael at Zane’s hut since it was the farthest away from the village. Aria had arrived a few minutes ago, wearing her dark red armor and her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. She had her daggers strapped to her thighs, like she was prepared for a fight. Her demeanor and anxiety had Zane on edge.
A flash of light illuminated the small living room. “Damnit!” Zane shouted. “That blinding light is getting fucking old!” He rubbed his eyes, trying to see clearly. Aria jumped from her chair, her hands twitching nervously towards her daggers. The light subsided, Michael was standing by the door, carrying a large satchel and a chest. He smiled at Aria as he greeted her in Enochian. She forced a smile as she returned the greeting.
Michael walked to the sitting area, placed the chest on the floor, and dropped the satchel onto the couch. “I have to make this quick.” He turned towards Aria, a serious expression on his face. “Since we have a traitor in our midst, I won’t be able to send you another healer. We don’t know who can be trusted. Which is why I didn’t tell anyone when I would be coming.” She nodded in understanding as Michael turned towards Zane. “Since we can’t trust our fellow angels, we have decided to place our trust in these humans.” Zane nodded with approval.
“It’s about time,” he muttered as he crossed his arms across his chest.
“Yes, well the humans that created our distrust are long gone now. It’s time mankind has a chance to redeem itself.” Michael looked sternly at Zane. “Don’t make me regret it.” Zane held his hands up in defense.
“Don’t look at me. I’m as trustworthy as they come.” He smiled casually. Michael opened his satchel and started laying various weapons out on the table.
“I’ve brought these for your team. Gabriel and I worked many nights to create them. We’ve enhanced each of them with various enchantments to help increase your team’s power. For example.” Michael picked up a pair of daggers. “These will allow Riley to disappear into the shadows, making it easier for him to sneak up on the enemy.” Michael put down the daggers and grabbed the bow. “This bow will enchant any arrow it touches, infusing it with holy light that will explode on contact. I’ve written down the enchantments for each of the weapons.” He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Zane, who read it quickly.
“Why isn’t there anything for me?” he asked, clearly upset. Michael looked down at him, his lips tight and his eyes narrowed.
“I have decided that you cannot be trusted with an angelic weapon. Not after what you did to Gideon.”
“That is bull shit! I saved Aria’s life and made it possible for you to capture him!” he shouted; his face full of anger. He began to pace around the room again, trying to stay in control. Aria watched him nervously, she shook her head sadly, trying to get him to drop the subject.
“That may be true,” Michael said calmly. “But you also ripped off Gideon’s arm.” He held up his hand to stop Zane from interrupting him. “I know you two claim it was cut off during the fight. But I am not an idiot. I don’t know what you’re trying to hide, but because of that mistrust, I am uncomfortable allowing you to use one of our weapons.”
Zane kept pacing around the room, his lips tightly pressed together. Aria looked over the weapons on the table, admiring the craftsmanship. “Since you’re arming us, I assume you have another mission?” Michael nodded as he kept his eyes on Zane.
“Gideon confirmed that the Horsemen are blocking our communications as well as our ability to send down large groups of angels. They’ve erected spires in each of their cities. The spires work together to block us from Earth.” He paused as he looked back and forth between Zane and Aria. “I need you two to take your team to Chicago and kill the White Horseman. Once he’s dead the spire will lose all of its power, although we’d still like you to destroy it to make sure.”
“Let me get this straight,” Zane interrupted. “You want us to take Chicago with what, eleven people?” Zane chuckled darkly. “That’s insane!”
“On the contrary, with these weapons and the element of surprise, you should be fine. You have some of our best warriors here to help you.” Michael looked over at Aria, who nodded with acceptance.
“It will be done,” she responded quietly. Zane threw his hands in the air.
“You’ve all gone crazy! What do you think is going to happen? We’ll be slaughtered! Chicago is full of demons, there is no way to sneak in undetected.”
Michael looked at Zane, stopping him in his tracks. “The fate of this world lies on you doing just that,” he commented, his voice filled with authority. “Although, if you want Aria and her team to go by themselves. Well,” Michael shrugged, “that can be arranged.” He grabbed the daggers and put them back in the satchel. He moved to put more weapons in the satchel as Zane came barging towards him and grabbed it from his hands.
“Hell no!” Zane shouted, fury in his eyes. He looked up at Michael, staring defiantly into his eyes. “I will kill the White Horsemen and destroy the spire.” He exhaled deeply. “And when I’m done, the demons will run in fear. Ruing the day the angels asked for my help.” Zane threw the satchel on the table, turned around and stormed out of his hut. Michael looked over at Aria, whose face was full of shock.
“Well, that was interesting,” he muttered.
Aria cleared her throat. “What’s in the chest?” she asked quietly.
“Ah, yes.” Michael quickly opened the chest. “I’ve also brought armor for them. They’ll need it for the upcoming battles.”
Aria nodded in agreement. “So, is there anything else?” she asked dutifully.
“Yes,” he replied quickly. “Once you defeat the White Horseman, you’ll need to find the others and defeat them as well. Their destruction along with the destruction of their spires will allow us access to Earth. From what we learned from Gideon; you’ll need to destroy them in the order they came. So, the Red Horseman will be next.” Michael opened his arms to Aria. She slowly walked forward and allowed him to hug her. “Be safe,” he whispered into her ear. “And do not worry, Laila is close to finding a cure.” She nodded as she allowed herself to relax into him. Michael gently pulled away and smiled. “This trip has been good for you. I don’t know what it is, but I can feel a great love within you. Don’t let that go.” With a gentle smile, Michael began to chant in Enochian, disappearing into a bright light.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Earth
Zane called a meeting at his hut, everyone had arrived and were milling around the living room while waiting for the meeting to start. Keira made sure to glare at him every few minutes while Aria sat in the corner, studiously staring at the floor. You brought this upon yourself. It was foolish to believe you could ever be happy. He sighed as he scolded himself.
“Alright,” he spoke, the room falling silent. “We’ve been given a new mission from Michael.” Excited whispers ran around the group, Zane glanced at Aria and nodded. “Aria, would you fill them in on the details?” She stood up and sighed wearily.
“We’ll be going to Chicago,” she spoke, her voice conveying more power than her tired face. “We are to defeat the White Horseman and destroy his spire. After that we will need to track down the other Horsemen and defeat them as well.” She sat back down and watched as the group whispered worriedly among themselves.
“How the hell are we supposed to do that?” Bishop asked angrily. “Don’t you remember the last time you tried to take Chicago?”
“I remember,” Zane responded, a hint of anger in his voice. “But this time will be different.” He walked to the table and pulled the sheet off, the angelic weapons had been laid out, the
firelight dancing off the polished silver. His team gathered around, staring with awe. “We’ve been given these angelic weapons to help in the battle. I want everyone to start training immediately. Aria and her team have agreed to teach everyone the powers of their weapons and how to use them properly.”
Bishop picked up one of the swords and pointed it at Zane. “You think some nice weapons and training are all we need? Chicago is full of the strongest demons around. What’s going to happen? We’ll just waltz right in there and kill the Horseman?”
“No,” he replied with frustration. “We will be working on a plan. But for now, we need to train.” He grabbed the sword from Bishop and placed it back on the table. “We’ll begin tomorrow morning. Now, get out.” He pointed at the door. Everyone looked at him, confusion on their faces.
“Geez, you don’t have to be a dick about it.” Jackson joked from across the room.
“It’s been a long day,” Zane muttered. He glanced around the room, watching as everyone glanced at each other. “What?” he shouted, causing Keira and Mikayla to jump in surprise. He sighed loudly, shaking his head in frustration. “Whatever.” He turned and started walking towards his bedroom.
“Zane!” Bishop shouted, breaking the silence. Zane turned and looked at his best friend.
“Yea?” he asked, his voice quiet from exhaustion. Bishop smiled nervously as he pulled Mikayla into his arms.
“Just thought you’d like to know.” He smiled at Mikayla as she raised her hand, showing off the thin band. “We’re engaged.” The living room erupted in cheers and congratulations. Zane smiled wearily.
“Congrats,” he responded with a sigh, then he turned and closed himself in his room.
~~~~
Aria was sitting at her dining table, gingerly picking through the dinner Anne had brought over. She sighed wearily as she picked up the plate of untouched food and threw it away. She hadn’t eaten since the night Zane had come over, she felt as if her mind and body were too tired to do anything. She grabbed her mug of hot chocolate from the table and slowly walked to the fireplace. She set her mug down and placed some logs inside the fireplace and quickly started a fire, hoping to cheer herself up. Avoiding the couch, she sat on the chair closest to the fireplace. What the hell am I doing? she wondered as she grabbed her mug and took a sip. The warmth from the fire and her drink were calming. Why did I have to fall in love with him? A tear rolled down her cheek as she stared into the dancing flames.
A soft knock sounded on her door. “Come in Ryder!” she called out, wishing he didn’t insist on checking on her. Ryder slowly opened the door and walked in, sitting across from her in the other chair. He stared at her face, scrutinizing her appearance.
“Will you please talk to me?” he asked quietly, his voice strained with sadness. Another tear rolled down her cheek as she searched her best friend’s bright green eyes.
“I don’t think you’d understand,” she whispered.
“Try me.” He smiled softly as he leaned back in the chair. Aria sighed wearily as she took another sip of her hot chocolate. “Is this about Zane?” His voice was soft and comforting. Aria nodded as tears continued to silently fall down her cheeks. “What happened?”
Aria shook her head sadly. “I broke his heart,” she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. Ryder leaned forward and placed his hand on her leg.
“Is that all?” he asked, slightly confused. “You cannot force yourself to care for someone just because they want you. Don’t beat yourself up over his emotions.” Her shoulders began to shake as she cried harder. Ryder gently grabbed the mug from her hands and placed it on the table. He placed his hands on the sides of her face and forced her to look at him. “Aria,” he said sternly. “This doesn’t make any sense. You’ve never gotten this upset over turning someone down.” She sniffled as she tried to control her crying, she pushed his hands away so she could wipe the tears from her eyes.
Ryder knelt on the ground in front of her, his face filled with concern. Aria took a deep, calming breath as her crying subsided. She gazed into the fire, wishing she could disappear into its flames. “I love him,” she whispered, tears forming in her eyes all over again.
“What?” he asked in shock. “But… How did that happen?” She smiled sadly as she looked over at Ryder.
“It doesn’t matter,” she responded, trying to keep her voice calm. “It would never work.” Her voice cracked as she held back a sob.
“Oh, Aria,” he sighed sadly. He moved back onto his chair and stared into the fire. “That explains why you’ve been avoiding him,” he continued quietly. Aria nodded as she picked up her mug and took another sip.
“I wish I didn’t love him,” she responded, her voice quiet and strained.
“Don’t say that,” Ryder replied, concern lacing his voice. “Love is a wonderful thing. It’s always a surprise, coming on unexpectedly and usually at the most inopportune time. Just count yourself lucky that you were able to find it.”
“But I can’t keep it,” she replied quietly.
“I know,” he responded sadly. “But you made the right choice. The Counsel would never have allowed that relationship. They’re too concerned about the Nephilim prophecy.”
“That stupid prophecy made thousands of years ago.” Aria sighed with frustration.
“It might be stupid, but the Counsel is wise to take it seriously.” Ryder sighed as he ran his hands through his hair. “After all, a Nephilim is supposed to cause the destruction of Heaven. They can’t allow that.” He stood up, put out the fire, and held his hand out to her. “Come on.”
“I’d rather stay here,” she replied softly, staring at the smoldering ashes.
“No.” Ryder said sternly. “We need to get you out of this hut. Let’s go find something fun to do. It’s clear you could use the distraction.” Aria sighed with defeat as she placed her hand in his. He smiled with victory as he led her across the room and out of the hut.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Earth
Five months later…
Aria was bouncing on the balls of her feet, sweat dripping down her face as she squared off with the punching bag. She grunted as she swung at the bag, her bloody knuckles creating a thud as they made contact with the bag. She continued her assault, her punches landing in a fury of anger. Birds scattered from the trees as she let out a yell of frustration. Since their arrival at Zane’s island she had worked her body to its breaking point, numbing herself from the pain.
“Aria,” Ryder shouted as he made his way down the hill that led to their training grounds. She continued her attack, a quick uppercut followed by a hit to the side. A cool breeze fluttered across her bare skin, making her shiver. “Aria, don’t you think you’ve done enough today?” He stopped a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest.
“It will never be enough,” she grunted as she threw another punch. “I need to train to keep up with you. I’m at a disadvantage now and you know it.” Ryder sighed as he watched her continue to punch the bag.
“Just because Laila hasn’t found a cure yet, doesn’t mean there isn’t one.” Aria paused, watching the bag swing back and forth. Michael had brought Laila down to Earth three times since giving them their mission for Chicago. Each time Laila was sure she had figured out the cure and each time it failed. Aria sighed as she turned away from the bag, her body screaming in pain.
“We need to face the facts, Ryder.” She winced as she cracked her bloody knuckles. “There is no cure.”
“You don’t know that,” he responded calmly. “I have faith Laila will find one.”
“Was there something you needed?” she asked, her voice full of annoyance. “Or did you just come down here to remind me of my weakness?” Ryder sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.
“Zane wants to leave for Chicago. He thinks they’re ready.”
“Seriously?” Her voice filled with concern. “They still need to train. If we go now, they’ll be slaughtered.”
/> “He doesn’t think so.” His voice remained calm. “He has a plan to get more fighters once we reach Chicago.”
“It doesn’t matter how many people we have if they aren’t properly trained,” she hissed as she placed her hands on her hips. “And you know it.”
“We’ve been training them for months, Aria.” Ryder threw his hands up, gesturing at the training grounds. “They’re ready for this. You’re the only one here who is worried. You claim it’s because they aren’t ready, but I see right through you. You’re scared.” He searched her eyes.
“That’s ridiculous,” she retorted hastily as she looked away from him.
“You can lie to yourself all you want, Aria. But I can see the truth as plain as day. Now.” He paused, watching as she curled her fists. “Zane has called us for a meeting. Since you’re still acting like a child, I’m assuming you’ll want to skip this one like all the rest?” She pressed her lips together as she narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s what I thought,” he sighed. “I thought you were better than this.” Ryder shook his head as he turned and ascended the hill.
“I’m not a child!” Aria shouted after him. “And I’m not scared of anything.” She turned back to the punching bag, shouting with anger as she started another assault.
~~~~
Zane and Bishop sat around the table in his living room. Maps had been scattered across the table and onto the floor. Kai was standing by the couch, staring at the mess. Zane pointed at one of the maps.
“This should work.” He traced his finger along the paper. “We take the Great River into Illinois; it would be the fastest.”
“But it’ll be tiring, the whole trip would be against the current.” Bishop retorted with frustration. “Why don’t we sail to Mississippi and dock at a port village there? Then we can buy horses and ride the rest of the way.”
