Amongst the Fallen

by Devin Lee Carlson

  “Another considerate soul,” Ariane muttered under her breath as she left without the hat.

  Sabree intended to join Ariane until an undesirable presence disrupted his space. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment when he detected one of the Fallen nearby.

  “Your hat, sir?” the woman behind the counter asked.

  “Keep it.” Eager to investigate, he misted onto the veranda a few feet behind Wayde and Chambers, the two in a close huddle. Sabree didn’t fuse together, aware they were deep in conversation worth eavesdropping on. Movement above the men revealed a dark figure soaring high. Euriel. The rebel’s ability to fly without wings left him unimpressed compared to misting, but at least he could transport something larger than the clothes he wore. His breath hitched. Euriel carried the she-devil. Wayde’s gruff voice drew Sabree’s attention back to the duo on the veranda.

  “Euriel will deliver Ms. Tsukino to the DanJal.”

  “No wonder Zanyael interfered when I had Ariane all to myself. According to Euriel, he’s either rogue or an imposter. He gave me the creeps.” The doctor’s stubby fingers dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief.

  “Most likely a Caderen spy with his own agenda.” Wayde chuckled. “Never mind the creep. It didn’t take much to get Colton to drop his pants. Odd, but I thought he would be less inclined.”

  So, his gig of impersonating Zanyael was up. Although Sabree agreed silently with Wayde about Brian, he wished he could squash the pair of gnats. The duo had employed a gullible, desperate student to seduce the virgin ghoul—an odd array of characters to say the least. If only Azumi had known the risks involved, but then a large sum of money to cover her tuition and Wayde’s lies probably outweighed the danger. This held true for most mortals.

  “What about her friends?” Chambers asked. “Won’t they wonder why she’s not in the hospital? They’re supposed to catch a flight for Japan tomorrow.”

  “Don’t worry,” Wayde said, “I told Chase to make sure the young ladies’ limo got in an accident.”

  And they say we are merciless. Sabree had heard enough. He had almost canned Colton this evening. Unfortunately, this scare tactic had severed the one chance of them bonding a friendship, however slight. Brian’s trust was no longer a commodity he expected to gain. He also learned a hard lesson tonight, misjudging the ghoul, when all along, Wayde and Chambers had conspired behind his back.

  The devious scheme sickened Sabree. What should he report to Cayiel? If he tried to intercept Euriel from taking Azumi to the DanJal, he would have risked revealing his identity. The rage inside burned as he fantasized about killing Wayde and Chambers, both useless humans, but the deed would forfeit his mission.

  It took three hundred years before the majority of his healing completed. He then vigorously trained for the mission over the course of several months. Since then, he had become grossly aware of the history lesson about the twins’ unwarranted conception. Three thousand years ago, an anonymous member of the Fallen, stole the zygotes from his possession. Turian had entrusted him to protect the unborn twins. So, who betrayed him?

  After Sabree’s hiatus, he learned how Duncan Colton may have used the zygotes’ DNA to infect his own children, thus altering their genetic makeup. The zygotes were probably destroyed in the process. This abomination might cost Sabree the chance to return to the portal universes, to risk forgiveness by the Malakhim who had exiled them to Earth. He had vowed to protect the zygotes and failed.

  In an effort to maintain dignity, Sabree vowed to protect the twins until he was certain they were not the original zygotes. Just in case he had been lied to. Too many of the Fallen had their own agendas. He misted to the mansion to make amends with Brian.

  3 3 3

  For me, fate dished out the usual garbage, forcing me to endure Sabree’s company even in the refuge of my estate. My fault, my stupidity for inviting the loathsome immortal to stay the duration of our trip. To scrape by, I ignored Sabree’s subtle nuances to gain my attention by filling the sink to let the dirty dishes soak. Then I poured myself a glass of red wine, drained it dry, refilled the glass, and swigged it down as well.

  Not even the second glass eased the tension. Perhaps a little O negative would suffice. My thoughts shifted to the vampiric urges, the ones I might never control. And when the supply of anti-vamp pills ran out, I saw no way to curb the urges. Besides, Ariane needed them more than I did. The notion of her turning into the monster I had become tonight made me shudder. Our only hope was to find the journal—the key to making more serum.

  Through the glass, I stole a glimpse of Sabree when I took another sip of wine from the third refill. Alarm shrouded the immortal’s ashen face. Now what? And how did he know I drew blood much less had sex with Azumi. Was he spying on us? The mental image of the peeping tom watching me and Azumi made my flesh prickle, my stomach sour.

  Sabree looked at me as though he had read my mind. “I’m sure the woman survived. So, what made you take the plunge?”

  “Plunge?” This tactless creature chose the most insensitive words or perhaps he was clever enough to form puns on command. In my case, I had taken the plunge in more than one way. Nevertheless, I preferred his thoughtless wit to the gruesome meat-grinding lesson. I closed my eyes and shook my head. “I lost control until the taste of human blood brought me back to my senses. Is she okay?”

  “Azumi is safe for now, but she will give birth to a forbidden child. The Fallen cannot breed with humans, but you are unique—a ghoulish mix. Thanks to your lack of self-control, she may perish in the end. Wayde staged the scenario. Promised her money if she seduced you and collected your seed. I have no idea what the DanJal have planned for the unborn child.”

  Wine dribbled from my mouth when I choked on a swig. The nightmare would never end. “Ridiculous. I’ll find a way to stop Wayde.” Unable to trust Sabree, I remembered to hold my tongue.

  “Your lesson tonight was for naught.”

  “Do I detect an apology?” I lost interest in the answer and promptly changed the subject. “Ariane should be home soon. I called to let her know I took a cab. She’s pretty hot about me bailing on her.”

  Gravel crunched when the vehicle pulled into the driveway.

  The kitchen light drew my sister inside like a moth to a bug zapper. I backed up when she swung the door open and let it slam against the wall.

  Ariane glared at me. “You left these behind.” She held the vial in front of my face. “How careless can you be?”

  “I couldn’t leave them here. They must’ve fallen out of my pocket.” The bottle contained two weeks’ worth of anti-vamp pills. I left the bulk of our stash back home, far from harm’s reach. Unable to deal with her angst, I reached out to snatch the vial from her hand. My mind was still reeling from Sabree’s lectures.

  Her arm swung up to block my attempt. “Then promise to keep them safe.” Her cheeks blushed a shade redder. “And why did you leave so abruptly?” Then she pointed at Sabree. “You too? Were you involved?”

  He shrugged, his gaze locked on the bottle of pills.

  “I’ll explain later.” I growled a curse, certain the explanation to justify my moment alone with Azumi would go against deaf ears. Ariane would never understand.

  “What did you do to the she-devil? The poor thing was in hysterics. You’re a monster. The serum is our only hope for humanity.” Ariane stared at me with hands planted on her hips. When I refused to explain myself, she took notice of Sabree eyeing the bottle. “Do you want to be human?” She waved them in front of his face next.

  Ariane overreacted to my screw up. “Enough,” I yelled, slapping her hand. “Hand them over.” I saw no reason to seduce Sabree with the pills. My eyes burned, and I hoped the reddening copper color was warning enough.

  Ariane ignored me and continued to tease Sabree by shaking the vial. She jumped when he tried to grab it. The vial flipped through the air and landed in the sink full of hot soapy water.

  “No!” I knocked into Sabree as I ru
shed to save the remaining stash. I dipped my hand into the suds and pulled out the vial. A quick flip of the cap confirmed the worst—only two pills escaped the bath. I choked back my emotions: fear, disappointment, and sorrow. “Bloody hell, look at what you’ve done.” Two pills were not enough for the rest of the trip. My brow wrinkled, and my eyes darkened, the pressure behind them increasing. I imagined what would happen if Ariane missed a few days. Nothing frightened me more. Unlike my sister, I could handle the vampiric perks. I rather enjoyed some of them but kept it secret.

  As I backed away from the sink, my gaze avoided her horror-stricken face. My voice cracked. “Only two left.” Expecting a reaction, I glared at Sabree while Ariane stared with jaw dropped.

  Her eyes brightened with the threat of tears as she placed a hand on my arm. “I’ll have Jesse Fed-Ex some more.”

  “Too risky,” I uttered, despite my confidence in her coworker. “Can’t trust anyone with our stash.”

  “You’re right.” Ariane straightened her slouched shoulders. “We’ll leave tomorrow. I’m going upstairs.” She left without saying goodnight.

  The curt exit disheartened me, the entire night a bust. Frustrated that we lost the majority of the pills to the suds, I found myself studying Sabree’s open display of disappointment. No surprise there, the thief probably planned to steal a few to experiment with the serum’s effect on his own system.

  “Looks like you drained the Merlot,” Sabree said, pushing the empty bottle aside. He grabbed another from the cabinet without bothering to check the vintage. “Let us toast to the end of an ugly night. Care for a refill?”

  “Not a chance,” I replied. On my way out of the kitchen, I grabbed my own bottle. “For some, Hallows Eve will never end.”

  14

  HARRY POTTER AND HIS BROOMSTICK

  A t daybreak, her brother called the airport only to find out all US flights were booked. The earliest they could leave was tomorrow afternoon. Clueless as to how she’d kill time or scold Brian for last night’s stunt, Ariane drove to town to hike the crags. If it helped her brother, maybe exercise and fresh air would give her peace of mind. The scolding could wait.

  The typical November overcast gave way to the morning sun against a cloudless sky. Lost in thought, she gazed at the city below and wondered where her life as a so-called immortal might lead, especially if she couldn’t find a way to synthesize the serum. She looked up.

  From the corner of her eye, a large black cloud swoop overhead. At the same time, a forceful blow knocked her belly first onto the soft grass, rolling her farther down the embankment. Stunned, she rolled over and squinted at the sky. Something had knocked her off her feet, yet nothing touched her. She reached for her sunglasses and stood, dusting off the front of her shirt.

  Again, a dark shape flickered in her peripheral vision. A sideways glance confirmed the first attack wasn’t imaginary. Ariane blinked back disbelief as a cloaked figure soared at rocket speed through the air toward her. Harry Potter and his broomstick were on the offensive. She screamed and dropped onto all fours. Her body jerked when something latched onto the waistband of her jeans, plucked her from the earth, and carried her airborne, rushing against the wind thirty-feet above ground. Her brunette locks whipped into her eyes. She choked on her gasps.

  Fingers as strong as talons lifted her with ease. The creature flew over the edge of the cliff exposing her to the rocky drop-off that plunged several hundred feet to the ground below. Twice, it circled over the cliff. Beginning the third loop, the creature dove at the ledge and released its hold a few feet from the ground.

  Ariane landed with a thud. Vertigo played havoc with her balance. She struggled to her feet and sidestepped to avoid another attack from the diving blackness. On the next flyby, a thin metal skewer punctured her sternum, piercing deep into her heart. Ariane gasped. The organ fluttered, thumped, fluttered again, and then her entire body went numb; her legs wobbled. She dropped to her knees and her chest heaved as she gasped between sobs. Tears blinded her. Her fingers encircled the thin rod, having neither the strength nor the courage to pull out the skewer.

  Clad in a long black cape, her attacker hovered overhead to inspect his victim. The man’s wavy black mane danced about like billowing smoke. The stranger—an immortal—descended gracefully until he landed a few feet shy of her. The tips of his brows merged as one.

  Barely conscious, Ariane fought to stay alert, unwilling to surrender her life. She tried to plea with the assassin; however, no words escaped her lips.

  “Odd, but exposure to the sun and your punctured heart should have blasted you into dust.” The immortal spoke with a heavy Latin accent. His green eyes squinted. After further inspection of her pierced heart, he pulled a sickle from his belt and raised it overhead to reap enough momentum to decapitate her with one blow.

  Ariane squeezed her eyes shut and opened wide when a thrashing fist materialized and knocked the sickle from the assailant’s grasp. The weapon whirled freely into the air over the cliff’s edge. Her rescuer fully materialized and greeted the adversary whose eyes formed narrow slits.

  “Aha,” the immortal in black said. “Only an Original would have the audacity to interfere.”

  3 3 3

  Sabree’s smug smile twisted into a sneer when the rebel withdrew another titanium rod and charged him. Unable to mist fast enough, the skewer dropped from his sternum and settled into his gut as he rematerialized. The clans relied on this old trick, aware the misting opponent lacked control of their rate of materialization.

  He gasped more from surprise than the piercing of his gut. Too thin to spill copious amounts of blood, the skewers were designed to destroy nosophors. Their hearts pierced, the creatures exploded into a cloud of dust. Sabree wrenched the metal rod from his abdomen and tossed it aside as if an obnoxious thorn pricked him. His flesh healed as he spoke. “That’s no way to greet an old ally.”

  “Sabree?” the hooded man growled. “Where have you been?”

  “Healing.” In a swift and gracefully executed maneuver, Sabree withdrew the skewer from Ariane’s heaving chest and aimed it at the hooded man’s throat. His tone aloof, he said, “Euriel, it’s been years—thousands. Are you forever hunting the nosophors? I thought the DanJal shunned your mischievous ways long ago.”

  Euriel bared his teeth. “Our kind created these monsters. Someone has to mop up after our mistakes. We weren’t exiled here to infect and defile humankind, but to reflect on our errors, yet we continue to churn out more nosophors.”

  “Only some disregard the rule,” Sabree reminded him.

  “Rubbish.” His cape ballooned behind him as if to accentuate his disgust. “The DanJal make a game of it. You’re too high and mighty to see the truth.” He glared at Ariane. “I was expecting her hike-loving brother to show; however, either twin will do. Let me finish her. What’s she to you?”

  Lost in a thought, Sabree rolled the kinks from his neck. Which of the clans employed Euriel to do their dirty work? How could Euriel deliver Azumi Tsukino to the DanJal when he made it clear he detested clan politics? A feminine whimper pulled him from his contemplation. He gazed down at Ariane.

  Whipping his cloak aside, Euriel grabbed a fistful of her hair and lifted her head as if he expected to witness the familiar grimace of terror.

  No fear in Ariane’s grimace, all traces replaced by newfound rage, her dark eyes rimmed with crimson orange. Sabree found her fierceness exhilarating.

  “Should I rip off her head with one twist.”

  “Fool!” Sabree’s voice roared above the wind. “She and her brother are more like us than the nosophors. It’s daytime and you pierced her heart. I see a ghoul not dust; and this ghoul is my business. When the time comes to destroy the twins, the task shall be mine.”

  Euriel eyed Ariane for a moment. “Perhaps you’re right. This ghoul’s intuition forewarned her of my first blow to sever her head. She was flat on her stomach within seconds. You have your hands full.”

  Y
es, I do. Both twins seemed to possess enhanced intuition. Sabree advanced on Euriel and waved him off. “Leave us.”

  Releasing his grasp, the rogue stepped aside to make a clean takeoff. He winked at Ariane and then acknowledged Sabree with a bow. “The woman is all yours, old friend, but only because you are one of the few I still trust. Mark my words though, I will be watching, waiting…” His threat faded as he rocketed into the clouds.

  Thrilled the flying rodent had flown off, Sabree knelt beside Ariane to examine her wound. The crimson fluid coating the skewer crystallized into a burgundy dust. It blew away with the slightest breeze. “The serum is preventing you from healing as quickly as you should. Fear not, I shall be nearby from now on. Unlike Brian, I keep my promises.”

  15

  ANGEL OF DEATH

  N early recovered, Ariane rested quietly in her bedroom. For Sabree, having to endure Brian’s rants while they made her comfortable wore on his patience—the worst part of the day. The love the twins shared was obvious. While Brian dressed her wound, she recounted her story of the flying creep who tried to decapitate her. To Sabree’s advantage, the details of how her savior materialized out of nowhere were fuzzy. Let’s keep it that way, Ariane Rose.

  He smiled, recalling how she kept thanking him for saving her life. He noticed Brian’s stony stare during her entire account. Satisfied she was on the mend and just tired, they left her alone to sleep. Sabree’s concern, and now his curiosity, urged him to extend his stay. He followed Brian into the forbidden office.

  “Go away,” Brian said after he growled an obscenity under his breath.

  Sabree sat on the cushioned desk chair. “I rather like this estate. Do you plan to sell it someday?” Brian ignored him and rambled on about something he had misplaced and emptied his backpack, the contents falling all over the desktop. Silver sticks with red labels captured Sabree’s attention. “Why do these silver things all look the same?”