"Dad, I don't understand," she said over the swirling wind.
"You will soon."
The wind built up around them, sounding like a far-off train heading their way. Darkness turned a dusty red, aglow with fire. The swirling vortex grew into the night sky, leaving them trapped inside the storm's eye. An unwelcome tremor built inside Olivia, threatening to tear her in two.
Dad took off his shirt. Her eyes found Orion on his chest. "Take off your shirt, Livy. I promise they won't hurt you." For a split second, indecision kept her hands at her sides. She glanced over as Sergio's shirt hit the ground, followed by Zach's. Olivia pulled off her shirt, standing in her sports bra. Goosebumps rose as her heart pounded against her exposed chest.
Tension mounted as the fire's flames snapped and the swirling wind raced around at lightning speed. The warrior placed his wide palm over Dad's mark. He flung his head back and his eyes slammed shut as bright rays of blue shot out between the warrior's fingers. A swirling blue orb emerged as the warrior slowly lifted his hand away from Dad's mark. Olivia ceased comprehending anything around her except the orb hovering in front of his palm. She was mesmerized by the play of electric blue light sizzling with energy. It radiated no heat as his hand moved in front of her. Olivia's body was heavy and unmoving as the orb levitated in front of his hand. A part of her found it hypnotic and exquisite, but another part screamed no. Conflict raged within her as she yearned for the orb, yet wanted it swept away with the wind.
"Olivia. Look at me." She heard the voice, yet the warrior's lips didn't move. "Receive this and become one with me." Olivia's eyes were transfixed, her being syncing with his tantalizing, terrifying request.
Olivia shut her eyes, bundled up her fear, and released it with a shuttering breath into the vortex. She opened her eyes, staring at the warrior's strong face and eyes the same color as her own. He waited. The orb's dazzling light danced before her as the moment of decision had arrived.
"Yes," she replied, not moving her lips.
He nodded as a small smile cracked on his magnificent face.
The warrior's hand moved like a cobra strike, slamming the orb against her bare seven black dots. She grunted at the intrusion, at the reality of her choice. Olivia's world exploded into a bright white light, as if struck by lightning. Her every nerve ending was alive with bombarding, extraordinary sensations. Strong arms secured her, but inside she was weightless, tingling as she rode the wave of the orb overtaking her.
Olivia cried out as images flashed before her eyes in a delirious slideshow. People from strange, ancient times mingled with the present in a backdrop of mysterious, unknown places from around the world. Tremendous scenes of grace and love. Mother Nature's exotic landscapes brimming with her untamed animals, a wedding's first kiss, the exquisite joy of holding a newborn child. Love and peace surged through her as she feasted on the tide of images.
But the images lost their beauty, turning dark and horrifying, vivid in exposing man's evil. Slavery, hate, rape, mutilation, murder bombarded her with the violence man inflicted upon one another. It ensnared her heart, shredding and twisting inside barbed wire made of suffering as her soul wept, seared by its evil.
"Please..." she begged, tears leaving streaks down her dusty face. "I can't−"
The images slowed to a final few, stopping on the last picture. Olivia's eyes snapped open.
And peered into the attentive eyes of a man.
A fierce warrior.
A stripped angel.
Her bloodline.
"Melchior," she whispered.
A Magi.
Chapter Thirty-One
Delilah
Delilah lost track of space and time in the wasteland of her tormented, chaotic emotions. Her hate and drive for revenge seethed inside of her like a volcano, bulging with lava seeking release, then destroying everything in its path. It consumed her until the only road, dark and uncharted, lay in front of her.
She must become a Fallen.
If Delilah became a Fallen, she'd be free from serving humans, free from her angelic demands, and free from God's plan. She must walk away to fulfill her ache for freedom and obsession for revenge without remorse or challenge. Her decision was unwavering, her core resolute. She'd cauterize herself from all she ever was, the essence of her being, why she was created. But to carry out this obscene goal, she must do something she had sworn she'd never do.
Descend through the Mar of Sin.
Damned for eternity.
Never to return.
She remembered the indignant howls of fury mingled with persecuted cries of injustice striking out at Heaven as those who chose to deny God's will plunged through the Mar of Sin. Were the Fallen's cries only of anger and defeat, or were they of something vastly deeper? Was it a fall through soul-stripping fire or just a black, hollow void sucking away their heavenly lifeblood, leaving an empty chalice only evil could fill? What maniacal force transformed the Fallen's scorched wings, marble-like skin stretched over their skeletal faces, and eyes of black orbits? Even their vibrant colors, once virtuous in nature, now emblazoned, symbolized their deadly sin. Did this malevolent metamorphosis happen during the scourge of the fall or from life in the hellish shadows of Lucifer?
Delilah could no longer wallow in fear of the pain or the reality of living in Hell. Her time for action was now, lest she retreat a bitter coward.
Her portal closed along with the last of her sabotage-filled thoughts. The brilliant sun dazzled her surroundings, contrasting with the dark serendipity burning inside of her. She relished in her resolution, satisfied it would happen soon. But first, she had to meet with Zar. She settled on the shaded bench facing the hospital. He'd find her−
"Delilah!" Her name broke through her churning thoughts.
Zar filled her vision as he leaned over, nose-to-nose. Smoke filled her nostrils as his blatant anger pinned her, but not before his eyes revealed something different... something surprising.
Is that relief and tenderness you let slip to the surface?
"Where have you been?" he said through clenched teeth. "I've been waiting and looking for you ever since you left Conner's house and−"
"What!" She shoved him away, startling him. "You were following me? Did you overhear my−"
"Yes, I did!" He got back in her face as she jumped off the bench. "I took a chance you'd be there because you stopped meeting me and left me hanging with promises−"
"You don't get to follow me! You don't own me! I'll tell you where I am only if I want to!" Delilah spat.
She turned away, putting distance between them. She refused to go from one she wanted to possess to another who wanted to possess her. This was now about her, and only her.
Zar materialized in front of her, his lip curled back, baring his teeth. His hands splayed out in front of her. Thick green roots entwined around his fingers, extending through the empty area between them. His tentacles of anger lashed out, wrapping around her waist like a greedy vine.
"Don't walk away from me." He jerked her middle. "I'm sick of you walking away from me."
Delilah lurched forward as he tugged again. She punched a burst of electrical energy. It surged over the constricting tentacles, breaking his grip.
"What the−" Zar gripped his singed hands.
"Never try to control me again, or this will be the last time you'll ever see me. I promise you that." Delilah's deadly calm voice held only promise if ignored.
Zar scrutinized her, searching for cracks, but his body deflated. "I'm sorry. The waiting was driving me crazy. You can understand that, right?" His pleading voice dripped with sincerity, but Delilah knew better than to trust him now. Between Conner’s stories of demon episodes and this little display, she couldn't afford to give him anything more than enough crumbs to keep him satisfied. It irked her, but she needed him, if only for a while longer.
Till I get to Lucifer...
"Well, I didn't mean to drive you crazy. I needed time to think, that's all.
" She shrugged, sauntering over to the bench. "When I left Conner's house, I floated, letting my fury and frustrations fly free." She examined her delicate hands folded in her lap, struck, wondering what they would look like after the fall. "I haven't been back to my charge either, if that makes you feel any better. I wanted to weigh my options and plan my next moves."
Zar plopped down beside her, invading her space again.
"And what might that be?" Zar's casual tone didn't disguise his hint of anxiety.
She absorbed every subtle feature on his face. He was a chameleon, constantly shifting to fit his needs. Delilah couldn't miss any small reaction.
It's now or never.
"I've decided I don't want to be an angel anymore. I want to become one of you... a Fallen." Her body spiked with dark excitement at having voiced her ambitious plan.
Zar howled with raucous laughter. His mirth irritated her. "That's it? That's what you came up with while you were floating around the clouds?" Zar smirked. "Just how are you going to do that? The Fall already happened, Delilah." He shoved himself off the bench. "Painting your wings black and strutting around in black leather won't make you one of us." Zar faced her as he unfolded his black wings. He raised a tattooed arm, pointing an accusing finger like he was damning her himself. "You'll never be one of us." Zar thrust out his chest, tossing back his platinum hair.
Delilah regarded him, letting him preen in his arrogance.
"Do you remember the Fall?" Delilah asked, cocking her head.
"Why would you ask that?"
Delilah remained silent, rising to her feet.
He huffed. "Of course. Like it was yesterday." Zar crossed his arms, sneering at her. "It was the best day of my life."
Delilah's red hair shifted around her shoulders as she nodded. She raised an eyebrow. "What if I were to tell you that the dark abyss they forced you through was still there... still open, swirling at the edge of Heaven?"
Zar's arms dropped to his sides. His face turned blank. "I'd say you're a liar."
Just as she thought. The Fallen didn't know, but she did, and, oh, so much more.
I hold all the power.
"Well, Zar, once again you'll be proven wrong. I'm going through the abyss. Next time you see me, I'll be a Fallen just like you."
Zar's body froze, his face etched in sublime shock. Delilah consumed the powerful rush, having played him perfectly. Regardless of whether he understood it, she'd entangled him in her deadly web to use at her will.
"You can tell nobody what I'm about to do. It must stay our secret. If you can do that, I'll share all I know on how we can bring down Heaven. You and I... together... and the spoils will be ours to rule." She trailed a long fingernail down the side of his stunned face.
"But if you reveal our secret, I'll destroy you and find myself a new ally." She vibrated in anticipation as her nail continued across his hard lips, tapping them once before stepping back. She kept her cool eyes drilled into his, but Zar hadn't moved a muscle.
"Do we have a deal?" Delilah traced a circle in front of her. She tossed her flowing hair back, tingling with her superiority. "Cat got your tongue?" She giggled as she faded. "I guess not. Goodbye, Zar."
Coming out of his stupor, Zar lunged at her fading form, his arms grabbing nothing but air. "Wait! Yes! Delilah, come back! We have a deal!"
Her roll of laughter mocked him. "See you soon," Delilah said into the void, not caring if he heard her or not.
Zar
Zar dropped to his knees, pounding his fists into the green grass. He unsheathed his dagger, stabbing it into the soft earth. With each slashing stroke, he envisioned Delilah's flawless white flesh, bleeding onto the ground, not the dull brown clumps of soil coming up instead. He loathed her, cursed her treachery. She'd humiliated him and forced him to apologize. His strokes grew more frenzied as his eyes tunneled on her cruel, laughing eyes. How dare she keep treasured secrets from him, binding him to her like a sniveling, weak human! He brutalized the ground, piercing each of her green eyes as she betrayed him with her condescending laughter. Zar was never sorry for anything he did.
Never!
His fury spent, before him lay a hole with brown clumps of shredded grass. Zar rolled over, splaying himself across the cool ground, its damp earthy smell surrounding him. The endless blue sky was too bright and cheery for his dark mood. From behind closed eyelids, he replayed her exquisite face disappearing as her laughter haunted him.
Nobody laughs at me... not even Delilah.
Even after his exhaustive tirade, a simmering madness boiled beneath the surface. His fist slammed the ground as a bitter reality oozed through him that he could no longer deny. His howl of anguish ripped through the air as the truth he tried to keep hidden in his black heart burst open.
Zar loved her as much as he hated her.
And he despised himself for it. It was a self-betrayal of epic proportions. But he knew the wretched roots of his desire had started when they first met. When times were different for them and love consumed all they did. It was the meaning of their whole existence.
But that was then, and this is now.
He sat up and hung his head between his raised knees in complete defeat. As the war inside him settled, he released a cleansing sigh. His unwanted destiny lay before him, precarious and uncharted.
Zar would do Delilah's bidding and keep her secrets, but she must never know his real motive: his love for her. He'd compromise himself in whatever way he needed to keep her close to him. Maybe, if he concocted a perfect plan, her feelings would one day match his.
Fool...
Zar rolled off the ground and wiped his dirty blade against his pant leg before sheathing it. He needed a release. A tortured soul he could abuse until Delilah's return. Zar turned into a shadowy mist, making his way across the parking lot and through the hospital's front doors. People rushed through his form, too absorbed in their pain to notice the darkness passing through them. Some shuddered; most didn't.
He let his senses loose across the waiting room, seeking the despair he craved.
There. In the corner.
A lone woman silently sobbing into her wadded tissues. Vulnerable. Exhausted. Scared.
Mandy never comes home early from school...
The shame of her daughter's accusing words...
The fight...
The pleas...
The tears...
The front door slamming shut...
Why did I let her get in her car...?
And crying out to God, asking forgiveness for her sins. She mumbled promises never to see the man again if God saved her daughter, wiping her puffy eyes with her tattered tissues.
Bargaining with God again... Tsk tsk.
Zar hovered over her, feeding on her desolate misery. His smoky form draped around her like a dank blanket, enveloping her. He whispered words of doubt and self-loathing in her ear, letting them worm their way around her despondent soul, encouraging them to take root.
But it's your fault...
You can never forgive yourself...
You're a horrible person who doesn't deserve her or your husband...
Deep despair and shame rolled off her in delicious waves as her living horror replayed again and again in her head.
Yes, this was the sustenance his black soul coveted, cried out for, demanded.
Mankind living out their deadly sins.
And paying for it.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Delilah
Delilah was on a mission.
Her explosive encounter with Zar earlier in the day had solidified her fervor to leave Heaven. Any lingering doubt or fear vanished when she spoke her desire out loud.
I'll become one of you... a Fallen.
The time had come to act. Delilah closed her mind to any errant thoughts and instead concentrated on the Mar of Sin. Her body hummed with this newfound determination and her vision of the future.
She closed her eyes, drew in a deep breath,
and watched the film of her existence:
Adorer.
Servant.
Guide.
Protector.
Lover.
Sinner.
Delilah had become a sinner the day she fell in love with Conner. But her forbidden love only brought her a shameful misery, not the joyful bliss she'd imagined of her life with him. Choosing to love Conner was her unraveling, like tugging on a thread dangling from a sweater. Once the thread unfurled, there was no stopping it until it was cut at the source. She had severed her ties with Conner, and now, she had to do the same with God.
Her eyes flew open as she deleted the old, tired images. Eager to go, she reached out with both hands and parted the blank space in front of her. The world opened, as if a parted curtain, to the heavenly body of stars twinkling in the endless canvas of space. The eternal expanse was breathtaking. She acknowledged its beauty for the last time as she dove into the stars.
With a few quick flaps of her wings, the kaleidoscope of bright stars streaked around her in a spinning motion. A steady, bright light was her beacon, expanding as she approached. She left the twilight of stars behind, embraced by its warmth as she entered Heaven.
She pushed back her apprehension as she landed on an endless, glistening, translucent floor. The edge of Heaven fell off into an iridescent waterfall, flowing over into a boundless pool of reflective stars. Jutting up from the floor at varying heights were an infinite number of sheer columns, glowing with opalescent lights. At the top of each pillar, an angel, unique unto itself just like man, hovered. Their virtue was highlighted by its unique color, which dripped from their shimmering wings and glowed from their eyes. These columns surrounded a lone white mountain. From its peak, glorious bright light blazed in all directions. The angels basked in this loving light with their heads turned up in adoration.
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