by D A Rice
“And prepare our minds, it would seem, to the best of our ability,” Isaac commented as he straightened.
“Knowledge is the best preparation, as well as experience,” Gabriel was moving around the small space, packing up the medical supplies into a small box and locking it. He threw in some herbs before packing it away within his own backpack. He had plenty of room without my armor and the clothes Isaac now wore. We still had some food down in the bottom, as Gabriel pulled some out and handed it to us. Isaac took his with a nod, taking a bite of the meat as he shifted through the ruins of the tower, following Gabriel’s lead.
I watched him for a moment before taking a bite of my own food and standing. They had not removed my leathers from my body, only my sword, which I strapped back on now and Gabriel’s coat. “Did you ever find that weapons cache?” I asked as I checked all the straps to my armor, making sure they were tight.
“Aye, that we did. I found a crossbow, but the firing mechanism was broken. Unfortunate. Your boyfriend made off well, though,” Gabriel mused, and I glanced up to find Isaac strapping a pair of broadswords to his back as well as a quiver to his belt.
He shrugged at my raised eyebrow, “the swords are not near the quality I am used to, but they are balanced. That is all I can ask for.” He still had my throwing knives across his chest, and I had to grin at all the weapons he carried. Isaac didn’t carry weapons he couldn’t use. The fact that he still had my knives was testament to how little he trusted the ones he had acquired.
Gabriel chuckled as he closed his pack, taking one last look around the interior of the tower before nodding once and standing. He pulled his own bow over his back, crossing it around the quiver full of arrows. He had far more than Isaac did, and I had to guess that Gabriel had probably made many of his own. Isaac’s quiver was also smaller, and I wondered where the bow was, until he pulled out a small crossbow, checking it once before haltering it at his other hip. “Is that the broken crossbow?” I inquired with a smile, my fingers combing out my hair and re-braiding it.
Isaac shrugged, “Gabriel left it, I fixed it.”
Gabriel rolled his eyes with a grin, “aye, he fixed it and I let him keep it. For now.” Isaac let out a small huff of a laugh and I could not stop my smile from widening. It was nice to see him interacting with someone like this. Gabriel seemed to have that effect on everyone--the easygoing camaraderie, but I could tell that he and Isaac shared something deeper. They had likely become friends while Isaac was still Corrupted.
When Gabriel had taken care of me and not killed Isaac, he had made friends of us both. More than that, however, Gabriel shared Corrupted blood with Isaac, and that was something that no one else, not even I, could understand. I glanced at Gabriel as he moved, shouldering his pack, his hair barely touching his shoulders, then at Isaac, his brown hair longer than it had been but still far shorter than the hunter next to him. I was looking for a cure for Isaac, but could it cleanse them both? I turned away and walked to the door, my hand caressing the boards before moving them to pull open the door just beneath my feet.
Both of these men had suffered in completely different ways. I could never erase their past, but maybe, just maybe, I could help give them a better future. They came up beside me, ready to go, and I straightened. Isaac handed me a pair of leather gloves before meeting my eyes, “so you do not touch the plants again.” I recognized the gloves as his, but I did not try to deny them. I knew there was no way he would let me after what had happened the night before.
Instead, I smiled at him before pulling them on, “indeed, that is an experience I do not wish to repeat.” Gabriel snorted beside me and I took a deep breath in, “let us go.”
16
As we made our way through the thickness of the forest around us, Gabriel kept pace with me, letting Isaac scout ahead. “I worry for the lad, lass,” he finally said, voice soft. I glanced at him but said nothing as I waited for him to continue, “the corruption is still heavy in his blood, even if my blood keeps him from changing back, and I am not sure that it will.”
“We will get to the tree before that happens,” I said back quietly, my voice laced with determination. We had not come this far for any other outcome.
Gabriel nodded beside me, “aye, but…. you know him best. Watch his moods. We must attempt to keep him calm and not let his depression consume him. He acts brave, and he is to have gotten this far, but keep reminding him of who he is, lass. You’re good at that.” Gabriel’s jade eyes met mine with a gentle grin and he quickened his pace, calling out to Isaac who had stopped in front of us, his eyes fixed ahead.
“Corrupted,” Isaac replied, his voice low. He was crouched, his hand straying to his belt where the crossbow was.
I shook my head as I snuck up beside him, keeping low, “impossible.”
“Not impossible, lass. This forest has many dark spots where the foliage is too thick for the sun. The closer we get to the Fallen, the more darkness we will see,” Gabriel studied the land in front of him. For the first time in my life, I cursed my eyesight. My enhanced eyes did nothing for me out here.
“What do we do?” I asked, knowing full well that my scent would be the catalyst for anything we did and how the Corrupted would react. The scents of their brethren had long since left me open and vulnerable even with the super soldiers beside me. For once, I was the weak link and I hated it.
Isaac glanced at me, then at Gabriel over me, another of their silent conversations happening without me. I waited until Isaac met my gaze again, “we will have to fight our way through.”
“Finally, something I can do,” I said, checking the straps on my armor and tugging my gloves. I glanced up to find Isaac smiling above me, drawing his swords from his back. I may be the weak link, but if the Corrupted were going to smell me anyway, I was more than happy to fight.
Gabriel shook his head, “she seems far too eager,” he noted as he swung his bow down, pulling out an arrow to nock it. “Aye, we will fight until we encounter the Fallen. Then we will have a different battle to worry about.” I glanced at him and he met my gaze pointedly. I nodded in understanding and shuffled closer to Isaac, whose gaze was fixed in front of us again, assessing a battle plan.
“It seems wisest to go where there is the most light,” Isaac pointed with his sword and I followed his gaze. The path was spotty with sunlight and overgrowth, but it was brighter than any other way, through. I raised an eyebrow, noting the uneven terrain. It rolled down, then back up into hillocks and the trees were tight together. We had few options to dodge them. We would have to make do.
I nodded, “we will have to make a straight shot for the garden, which puts Gabriel on point.”
Isaac nodded back, “then I will take the rear.”
Gabriel smiled before glancing at us, “you do realize that any plans you two make will be shot to hell once we get out there, aye?”
I could feel my lips twitching up as I glanced over at him, “well then, hunter, let us go hunting.”
We moved as one, silently making our way deeper into the forest. I could hear the Corrupted as they began to become aware of my presence. I was live bait for all the demons within the vicinity. If Gabriel was right and it only got darker from this point forward, my best bet would be to mask my scent as quickly as possible. I wouldn’t be able to do that without a fight, for I was not willing to wait and hide in the trees again. I pulled out my sword, twirling it once as my body tensed. Gabriel drew his bow as he took point, the arrow aimed toward the ground as his eyes shifted from left to right. I could tell he was listening, so in tune with his surroundings that he saw nothing else. I knew Isaac was behind me, but I could not hear him. Had he gotten even more stealthy? I didn’t doubt it.
Gabriel paused before us, a hand up. I halted in my steps, listening as he did. I could hear the rustle of the Corrupted as they gathered closer. I still could not see them. They sounded as if they were circling us but were wary of the sun. The light was spotty at best. It was only
a matter of time before the demons started getting brave. Gabriel tensed before me. I glanced around him as he studied the path before us, deciding what direction we should take. He knew the land better than either of us and I would trust him to see us through as safely as he could. I glanced up at the canopy of trees. I slept for far too long this morning, I thought as I noted the sun creeping lower with every moment.
Finally, Gabriel nodded before us and we set off again on silent feet. A swish and a grunt from behind me had Gabriel picking up his pace without looking back. I took the moment to, however, and saw Isaac cleaning off a sword on the pants he wore. He nodded to me and I moved, matching Gabriel’s pace. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a demon leap for me. I dodged with a twirl of my sword, striking the beast as he stumbled past where I had been. He fell, and Isaac stabbed him with both swords. I did not pause to watch more. I swung my sword toward me, running my hand across it to gather the blood on my hand. Camouflage on the go, I thought, then covered my neck with it, letting it drip all over my armor.
Isaac must have seen what I was doing because I could feel him behind me, rubbing blood from his own swords over my armor where he could reach it as we ran. His dexterity made me smile. How he could run, kill things, and still have time to care for my well-being would always surprise me. Gabriel halted again before us, shifting from side to side as he silently considered his options. Isaac came up to stand by me, his head tilting to one side as he sniffed me, quietly assessing my scent. “Better, I feel the Corrupted calming.”
“Aye,” Gabriel agreed quietly, “they are, but this is far from over.” He glanced back at us and nodded to his right. We followed at a slower pace, aiming for stealth. A sense of dread was beginning to creep in, an unnatural chill in the air. I glanced at Isaac, who tensed beside me. Without looking at me, he nodded his confirmation. He could sense it too.
The Fallen were nearby.
Gabriel’s grip tightened on his bow as his gaze shifted up. I followed his look and drew in a breath to gasp. Isaac’s gentle hand covered my mouth before I could make a sound. His eyes were looking above us as well, his head tilted back as his brows furrowed. They stood in the trees there, their heads tilted to the side, hoods covering their faces. Their black wings were folded back behind them, and their eyes glowed red in the darkness of their cloaks. Shadows curled off of them in wispy smoke tendrils. The silence that penetrated us in their presence had my knees shaking.
I gripped my sword tighter. There were only three here, but that was more than enough for me. Gabriel nodded ahead of us, for we had slowed to a stop in their heavy presence. Isaac nudged me forward, his hand dropping to my shoulder and squeezing it in encouragement. We moved, and only their eyes followed us.
I could feel the heaviness lighten after we cleared the next hill, but the silence remained. It was deafening, “is that how it will be from now on?” I whispered.
Gabriel glanced back at me with a nod as he continued walking, “that and worse, lass.” He moved, pushing aside plant life without a second glance. Isaac had paused behind me, his gaze focused on the Fallen we had left behind. I touched his shoulder and he shook his head, meeting my gaze with a slow spreading smile.
“We can do this, Z,” Isaac whispered to me, his fingers grazing my cheek. He moved past me and came up to Gabriel, “I have an advantage.”
Gabriel stopped and looked down at Isaac with an eyebrow raised, “oh?”
Isaac nodded, his lips twitching, “I did not know what it was, but now I do. I can sense them. Every one of them.” He pointed up and around, “they tug on me. We can use it against them.”
Gabriel considered him for a moment, “can they tug on you enough to control you?”
Isaac thought about that for a moment. I could see it in the way he glanced back out towards the forest. I stepped up to them, my eyes shifting between them. “It does not feel like it,” Isaac finally said, “but I am not sure. If they do take control,” his eyes met Gabriel’s in determination, “then you know what to do.” I gasped but Isaac held out a hand to stop me before I could speak, “no, Zakiya. We all have our fears. Let me make peace with mine.”
Gabriel watched him, his eyes softening before he nodded once. Isaac nodded back. “For now, let me take point. I can guide us through the forest with the least amount of interference. Keep Z close to you. If I begin to act like anything other than myself,” Isaac pressed his loaded crossbow into Gabriel’s hands, “do not hesitate.”
Isaac moved past him without another word and Gabriel haltered the crossbow at his belt. He motioned me to go before him, but I found that I could not move, “you can’t--“
Gabriel’s hand on my shoulder stopped the rest of my words, “I will do what he asks, and you will have to trust me to know if it is necessary.” His voice was soft, but there was no room for argument. I wanted to, but I knew it would do me no good. I fell back, my head dropping. Gabriel’s fingers found my chin and I met his gaze again, “trust me, Zakiya,” he said again. I watched him for a moment, and then I nodded.
17
Isaac moved swiftly, his instincts guiding him faster than Gabriel’s tracking. We moved without pause, barely making a sound in the already silent forest. The darkness was thickening as the sun began to sink over the horizon to our left and slightly behind us. The cold of the Fallen’s presence began to condense around us, but we always seemed to just skirt their watchful eyes. It did not settle my nerves. I had a feeling that even when we could not see them, they could still see us.
If we did come across one, they never did more than watch us pass. I knew that when we did, Isaac was leading us through an area where we had no choice. It was likely he was taking us through a scenario that was the lesser of two evils. The Corrupted left us alone, watching us move through their land in their eerie stillness. Between the two, I preferred the Corrupted.
Isaac burst into a clearing and skidded to a halt. The stars were out in force and the trees surrounding the grove twisted up, making a circle around us. The grove dipped, as if it were a small crater and I could see the dead and dying grass, even from where we stood at the grove’s edge. Gabriel, shifted, his bow dropping to his side, “the garden,” he whispered.
My sword dropped from my hand, “no,” I said, “no, this cannot be the Garden of Eden. Where are the two trees?” I gestured, taking a step forward. Isaac’s hand came up as if to stop me, but Gabriel halted him with his own arm, his eyes on me. I collapsed onto my knees, my hands in my hair, “no,” I whispered again.
Gabriel took a step forward, “lass,” he said, voice soft.
“You said it existed!” I shouted at him, furious. “You fueled my hope!”
Isaac glanced between us as Gabriel stopped before me, “I did, and it does.” His eyes shifted to the forest surrounding us, “they are gathering.” Isaac nodded as he turned in an uneasy circle and Gabriel knelt before me, shifting the crossbow at his hip, “lass, listen to me. Are you listening?” I had collapsed in on myself, my tears falling heavily in my despair. I had risked everything to come out here, to find a cure for Isaac, one that would last. I could see now that Gabriel’s blood would not. I had seen it this morning when Isaac and I had woken. Gabriel shook me, and I snapped my head up at him, “aye, now you are listening. Do you remember when I asked you about your faith in Adonai concerning the garden?”
I nodded, taking deep breaths to calm myself as he continued, “good. You have seen many things since then, aye? The Fallen, and the way the Corrupted act around them. You have stoked your own faith in the Garden of Eden. Now, tell me lass, do you believe?”
“In Adonai?” I asked almost incredulous, “what does that... “
Gabriel shook me again, effectively shutting me up, “stop questioning things, lass, and answer the damn question before we are overrun.” I could feel it then, the Fallen’s presence, closing in all around us. It looked as if they were finally making their move. Isaac had backed towards us, his swords out and his eyes narrow. I
noted that Gabriel wasn’t asking him about his faith.
Isaac had always believed in the possibility of Adonai. Coming out here must have rekindled that in him, even through all he had been through. Maybe even because of it. Where life made me bitter, it did the opposite for him. My eyes narrowed as I looked back at Gabriel, my decision regarding my faith made. He smiled before me. “Aye. Now look up.”
Isaac and I looked up at the same time and I gasped. A glittering light was spreading over our heads, expanding as we watched, but it was moving slower than I would have liked. I glanced back at Gabriel, “the garden is above us?”
His lips curved up in amusement, “it comes from Adonai. Where else would it be?” He stood, unslinging his bow as Isaac twirled his swords, his focus renewed, “we just have to last for a bit. On me.”
I glanced back at the edge of the grove and scrambled for my sword at the sight. So many red eyes watched us. I could not tell which belonged to the Fallen or the Corrupted, but I knew both were present. I pulled myself up and prepared my stance, my back towards Isaac on my right, as always, and Gabriel on my left. I took a deep breath as I felt Gabriel tense beside me, pulling his bowstring back. Isaac didn’t move. His arms, down and out, loosely gripped his swords. He smiled as I glanced at him, “it is an honor to die for you, my love.”
I smiled back, “and it is an honor to live for you.”
Gabriel chuckled on my other side, “it will be an honor to get out of here alive and unscathed. Remember, you cannot fight the Fallen, but do not let them distract your mind either, or you’re demon bait.” He took a deep breath as he sighted, “consider this a test of skill, aye?”
Isaac’s grip tightened, “are we keeping track, then?” he asked teasingly.
“If it is a test, and you can keep your head enough to not lose track, why the hell not?” I decided with a shrug. I could feel the forces around us gathering, the calm before the storm. I estimated less than five minutes before an attack.
