Amongst the Fallen

by Devin Lee Carlson

  “Put some clothes on,” Sabree ordered. “I am taking you and Ariane to meet my clan.”

  A large blur flashed across Ariane’s line of sight. She jumped when Brian suddenly appeared behind Sabree, holding him in a headlock. Her breath caught when he sank his fangs deep into Sabree’s shoulder. Caramel sweetness of the immortal’s scent ignited the hollowness that plagued her every cell. She tried to pull him off Sabree and let go when Brian sucked on nothing but air. Unbalanced, no longer supported by Sabree’s body, he fell forward onto the bed. Ariane giggled again.

  “Amazing gift, your speed, but if you ever bite me again, I’ll—”

  “You’ll what? Kill me? Grind me into dogfood? What?” Brian threw on his robe.

  Sabree’s silence confirmed her brother was right. The Fallen could do nothing to harm either of them. Tired of Sabree’s unannounced visits, Ariane wanted answers. “Why are you really here? To feed on us? Why just our blood?” Her eyes searched his for the answers and saw only the veil of concern shroud his earlier mischief.

  “Merde.” Sabree sank onto the edge of the bed. He buried his face with his hands. “I hoped to avoid this very subject. Since day one, the Caderen gave me strict orders not to drink your blood and in doing so, I tainted my own.” Sabree stared at her brother. “Infected, mortal blood no longer replenishes me. I have no idea why.”

  “Don’t bite the neck that feeds you,” Brian said.

  Ariane despised the way Sabree refused to look her in the eyes. Typical male cowardice. Perhaps he hoped the truth would ease Brian’s anger. The compassion in her brother’s eyes surprised her more. His change of heart might give Sabree the nerve to continue.

  “My body rejuvenates every time I drink your blood. The day I rescued you from the DanJal camp, was the day I noticed a big difference—incredible improvement—after I drank the blood Chambers collected from you. I let you recover, but in doing so, the lapse in time made matters worse for myself. Dark circles formed under my eyes, my hair became dull, and a corpse-like heaviness consumed my body. Worst of all, my ability to mist faltered. Much to my disgust, I behaved like a ghoul when I attacked you on the ledge and then Ariane in Scotland.” He glanced up at her and mouthed, “Sorry.”

  Finally, an apology, even though she had initiated the attack. Ariane’s chest tightened. She couldn’t breathe when his violet eyes glistened as though moistened with remorse. Sadness filled her heart until he spoke again.

  “If you’d allow me a nibble from time to time.”

  “Hold on, Fang,” Brian said in a tone that demanded everyone’s attention. “Our blood is the only thing that revives you?”

  “Oui,” Sabree said in a whispered breath. “Humiliation has befallen me for the grave error I made during the first trip to Scotland. My livelihood now depends on your mutated blood. If my clan ever finds out, they will destroy me without remorse.” Sabree’s jaw tensed as he rolled his shoulders. He changed the subject. “I’m taking you to meet the Caderen, but you must promise not to tell them about our blood-tie.” He looked to Ariane. “You too, Ariane Rose.”

  “Sorry, but we have other plans.” Brian crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Nothing takes precedence over meeting the Fallen.” Sabree’s eyes narrowed and darkened as if he could not believe Brian’s impudence. “My clan leader demands your presence. You cannot refuse.”

  “The hell we can’t,” Brian snapped. “Neither you nor those buggers have any control over us.”

  Ariane grabbed her brother’s arm to hold him back. “How do we know this visit isn’t a deathtrap?” She noticed how her negative response took Sabree by surprise.

  His eyes paled in color and his lips formed a dejected pout. “The clan would never do you harm without first securing the journal. Likewise, I couldn’t let them destroy you unless I accepted my own demise. I promise to personally attend to your safety.”

  “Are you a man of your word, Sabree?” Ariane studied him, hoping to find a sign either way. His forlorn gaze turned to one of confidence.

  “I am.”

  Brian sighed. “Who should we trust more? A stalking parasite or the Fallen?”

  Ariane squeezed her brother’s arm. “We’ll join you, Sabree.”

  38

  AMONGST THE FALLEN

  M y stomach tightened as we descended deeper and deeper, leaving it behind at ground level. How many floors had zipped by? Lost count after twenty. The blindfolds Sabree made us wear heightened our disorientation. From the sound of the hydraulics, the high-speed lift plunged into the earth until it slowed to a crawl and jolted to a stop.

  Seconds passed before my stomach caught up; however, the door remained shut. I pulled off the blindfold and glared at Sabree. Ariane had done the same, except she had to pat her hair down. Mine did as it pleased. Our guide lacked his usual arrogant confidence.

  Sabree reached in front of me and slapped the lock door button. “The elevator opens only after you push the release button—installed as an extra measure of security. We used to have a backdoor located in an undisclosed canyon, but someone breached it a few millennia ago. I’m still haunted by the cobalt glasses the infiltrator had worn.” Sabree glanced at the gadget dangling around my neck and raised a brow.

  “Three thousand years ago,” I said, coughing into my hand. From the depths of my bizarre mind, I envisioned the backdoor located in the Canyon de Chelly. I ignored Sabree’s quizzical frown and asked, “Why lock it now?”

  “So I can inspect my ghouls and bore you to tears with a behavioral lecture.” Sabree eyes narrowed as he inspected our appearances.

  To comply, although a waste of time, I opened my brown-leather bomber jacket to show off the cobalt lensed goggles, green shirt, and brown cords, certain the outfit gave me a down-to-earth look. In this getup, I’d be ready for any type of action, good or bad.

  “As you can see, unlike Brian, I dressed for the special occasion.” Ariane raised her arms and pirouetted, letting her calf-length skirt billow outward, showing off her terra cotta sweater. Brown-leather ankle boots and handbag smartened her total look.

  Prima donna popped into my mind. Then we had Sabree. On this trip, along with most others, the arrogant immortal wore the typical silk shirt, black jeans, and expensive long black-leather duster. The introduction to denim caught on quick after Sabree mended from his three hundred-year nap. He wore jeans almost daily.

  “Remember, dearest ghouls,” Sabree said, his tone serious, “make no mention that I drank your blood.”

  “And what if we do?” I asked, winking at Ariane. Nerves were to blame for my cocky behavior. Sabree’s cool breath did nothing to curb my attitude as it tickled the nape of my neck.

  “No doubt the clan will punish me, and thus, you and your sister’s fate will be in their hands. Our relationship, if you care to call it one, is symbiotic. You wash my back and I'll wash yours.”

  “I think you mean watch our backs,” I said between chuckles. Ariane giggled behind me.

  “What?” Sabree asked.

  “Never mind.” I elbowed my sister.

  Sabree pressed the release button. The elevator doors slid open to expose an underworld maze of gray corridors lit by dim tracking lights that lined the floor junction. As soon as we stepped onto the concrete floor, the doors closed behind us. The ten-foot-wide passageway headed left and right, each direction equal in length. The walls curved at the top to form an arched ceiling, reminding me of the underground Tube in London. Numerous doors and hallways fed into the main corridor as we followed Sabree until he reached an intersection of corridors that led to another endless underground system.

  Sabree hung a left, taking Ariane by the arm. “This way, I believe.”

  “You believe?” She twisted away from his grasp. “I thought you knew where you were going.”

  I moaned. “Here we go…”

  “Normally I mist in and out. Regrettably, I cannot do so with two ghouls in tow. I am forced to use this mundane form of transpo
rt.” Sabree waved his hand in the air. He hissed a curse. “I’m sure it's this way.” He stepped to the left, paused, and then took a right.

  “What is this place?” Ariane asked. “Who built it?”

  “The Caderen built this fortress nearly four thousand years ago. Hurry, the elders are expecting us.” He waved us on.

  “Are the elders older than you?” I asked this time. “Because if so, that makes them older than dirt.”

  Sabree stopped and turned to face us. He twirled the ring on his finger. “Unlike humans, we do not age physically. We mature mentally and for some, none too gracefully. Dear Abyss,” Sabree muttered to himself.

  “Who?” we asked together. The strange name sounded like trouble.

  “Someone you may get the pleasure to meet today, though God forbid.” Sabree cleared his throat to change the subject. “We weren't meant to coexist with mortals whose entire lifetime is equal to minutes of our time-related age. I’m not sure how old the eldest of our clan is, most keep it to themselves. Some of the originally exiled Fallen existed long before they were banished, perhaps for hundreds of millennia. Time is irrelevant to the Malakhim. No need to record our age until imprisoned on Earth. It’s different here.”

  My eyes widened. That explained why time stood still on Earth compared to the time spent in the portal. “Well then, I doubt this bunch is pressed for time.” The wisecrack didn’t sit well with Sabree, the blatant indicator being the swirl of crimson pooling in his eyes. I shrugged it off. “Forget about it, lead the way.” I stole a glimpse of Ariane. “Why so quiet?”

  “Nerves I guess.”

  “We’ll be fine.” I squeezed her hand and cocked my head to one side when Sabree stopped in front of an elaborate set of marble doors, twirling his ring until it almost fell off his finger. “So here we are, amongst the Fallen.” Unable to help it, I cracked a smile.

  Sabree sucked in a breath and exhaled as he pushed the doors open.

  Without knowing what to expect behind the closed doors, my gaze darted from one end of the conference room to the other. The room housed a long, oval table designed to seat several dozen. Surrounding the table, a horseshoe-shaped assembly of bleachers could seat many more, most left unoccupied.

  Behind Sabree, I studied those sitting as well as standing around the table and counted eighteen. All eyes on us, the clan elders salivated as if they had waited years to feast upon our souls. Hatred, distrust, envy, and fear bombarded my mind all at once. Certain my sister fought the same mental onslaught, I grabbed her arm, pulled a one-eighty, and bolted for the doors. A firm grasp seized my arm. I wavered, looking for strength in Sabree’s eyes.

  Ariane trembled, her grasp nearly crushing my fingers.

  “Block them the way I taught you.” Sabree urged us into the assembly room. “You can do it.”

  More than ever, I struggled for inner strength. They outnumbered us by count and experience. Our fate relied on mental ability. If the clan read our thoughts along with Sabree’s, we’d all be doomed.

  A tall man approached and bowed his head. “Thank you, Ariane and Brian Colton, for accepting our invitation.”

  As I fought the panic that threatened to surface, I acted on Sabree’s suggestion and erected a wall of willpower tall enough to prevent them from messing with my mind. Ariane was fighting as well. A nod verified her success. The surprised expressions of the Caderen confirmed our combined mind block had worked.

  My control regained, Ariane’s as well, I relaxed enough to examine the clan’s distinct, yet similar features compared to Sabree. Flawless, colorless skin, vibrant hair of different shades, some unworldly, and the eyes, a rainbow of hues outlined in red, stood out the most.

  It seemed the Fallen were generic beings without race, perhaps having an ancestry from one source. Gender differences were less apparent in the heavy robes. I counted four women; the men’s facial features and hair equally matched their allure. They varied in height not weight, all slender, the females small breasted like my sister.

  My guard slipped as I admired the clan’s magnificence. Nails dug into my arm, prompting me to rebuild the telepathic barricade. My protected wall strengthened in response to Ariane’s signal.

  Sabree introduced us to the elder first. “This is Cayiel, believed the eldest of our clan.”

  The term elder appeared to be held in title only, for his age was undetectable. Cayiel’s platinum hair glistened with strands of silver. His eyes reflected a bluish gray. The hint of red around the blue irises created a purple hue. I bowed my head in respect. Ariane curtsied as though meeting royalty. Like me, she had no idea how else to respond.

  “Forgive me for not introducing myself first. For the concern of the clan, we insisted on meeting with you as soon as possible.”

  Sweat sprinkled my brow. Still fighting against the telepathic bombardment, anger laced my tone when I spoke. “My deflector shields are on full. Lighten up with the mind probe or we’ll leave right now! Many against two is hardly fair.”

  “Please forgive us,” Cayiel replied. “Telepathic tendencies come second nature to our species. We had to adapt, forced to use speech to blend in with humanity. We prefer telepathy amongst our own.”

  Ariane giggled into her hand. “Does everyone here talk like you?”

  Sabree bowed his head. “We don't get out much.”

  From Cayiel’s stern expression, the elder must’ve shot Sabree a telepathic warning to be silent. I almost laughed aloud and stopped myself when Cayiel’s gaze returned to us.

  The elder offered a creepy twisted smile to appear congenial. Inexperienced at displaying the emotion I gathered. “It appears you have yet to master the skill of fusing and communicating with the minds of the Fallen.”

  I exchanged glances with Ariane. “Not our fault,” I snarled, “Since we’re often reminded why we ghouls are unworthy of association with the Fallen. Sabree is the only one we have had the pleasure of acquaintance, except for Serine and a loco flyboy who tried to decapitate my sister.” I released Ariane’s hand and pulled her behind me when a tall dark-haired woman stepped forward.

  “The others you speak of are not of our clan.” The seductiveness in her voice held me hostage while Cayiel glided around her and stepped aside as if her opinion demanded respect.

  Sabree said, “This lovely creature is Abyss. The one I warned you about.” He stood his ground to intervene if need be but backed off when Abyss flashed him a warning glance. Her hiss brought a fleeting smile to his lips.

  As predicted from Sabree’s tip-off, Abyss’s aura conveyed spitefulness rather than civility. There the fascination ceased. I folded my arms over my chest while her dark eyes scrutinized me with completeness, not one inch left unobserved. Heat rose to my cheeks when her gaze settled on my groin. Her inspection shifted to the amulet I wore. No matter how uncomfortable, I wished her gaze would return to my groin. The brightness in her eyes warned me that recognition set in. I unfolded my arms and pulled down each sleeve to cover my arms and the amulet. My left hand slid over the right to prevent others from seeing it. I belted out an insult to distract her. “Apparently, you got carried away with piercing your brows.” It worked. My insolence caught her by surprise.

  “You’re hiding something, ghoul.” She ignored Sabree’s protest and Ariane’s nervous giggle as she circled around me, making sure her hips brushed against my buttocks.

  Unable to control how I reacted to her intimate contact, my glutes twitched. Something about her spurred conflicting emotions locked deep within me.

  Abyss hissed when she spoke. “Unlike my brethren, I keep up with the times. I can dispose of these jewels whenever I choose.” She leaned close to Sabree. “The same goes for the disposal of ghouls.” She spoke loud enough for me and Ariane to hear. “I should have accepted Cayiel’s request to watch over the twins. I’d have so much fun with them.”

  This woman grated on my nerves the moment Cayiel introduced her. I tensed from the subtle yet lethal threat. Something withi
n my psyche warned me not to trust her. Flashes of a man exploding into dust, a green inferno, and then total annihilation inundated my mind. I nearly collapsed from the haunting flashback. She was there.

  Sabree reached out to steady me and snarled at Abyss. “Let him be.” He supported my arm until I could stand on my own. His gazed locked onto Cayiel’s to beg pardon for his rash outburst.

  The eldest of the Caderen nodded to Sabree before he addressed us. “Please feel free to explore. Sabree and I have matters of importance to discuss—matters of no concern to you. Abyss will be happy to give you a tour of our facility.”

  “Anyone but her,” Sabree growled without offering an explanation.

  “Sarieff?”

  The meeting, the introductions, and the send-off happened all too fast. The last few minutes were nothing but a show of their superiority over us. Not worth my spit or time. They must think us naive. Surely, Cayiel meant to discuss the journal. I stepped forward. My feet planted, I refused to budge until the elder answered a few of our questions, the same ones Sabree evaded.

  I held my hand out to Ariane, making sure she stayed by my side. “Hold on, we have a few questions of our own. Who are the Fallen or the original Malakhim we keep hearing about?” Cayiel glanced at Sabree as if acknowledging him for the first time. Sabree’s loose lips must’ve revealed more than he should have. “Is that the name of your species?”

  Cayiel responded before Sabree could object. “We were known as Malakhim before our exile. Those belonging to the original legion forbade us to speak the sect’s name. Apparently like most rules, they were meant to be broken.” Cayiel glared at Sabree. “Nor do we know who banished us or remember why, for they wiped our memories prior to Earth, except for the Original called Turian.” Again, he raised a hand to silence Sabree’s protest.

  Quieted by his elder, Sabree flashed me a warning glance. He grimaced when the elder continued to explain.