by Ember Rain
“Until then, you will stay here and think about your actions and how you’ve embarrassed our family in front of the entire realm.” He responds quickly before turning to leave the dungeon.
“Father?” I call before he reaches the door.
“Yes?” he asks turning to look back at me.
“Is there any part of you that loves me or ever has?” I ask.
The look on his face speaks volumes, “Of course there is.” He lies with no emotion behind his fake smile.
“That’s what I thought.” I respond keeping the emotion from my voice.
“Very well then, I will be back in a while to check in with you.” He says moving towards and out of the dungeon door.
****
Hours pass by and I use the time to replay the events that occurred back at the angel’s house. The first angel I had met was friendly and seemed genuinely interested in helping me. If that were true, then why did he let the girl attack me like that? I figure that was their plan all along. They wanted to surround me before making their move. I doubt they expected me to have a non-violent response to being hit with a power surge to my chest, though. I can’t make sense of it all. I had always thought angels to be pure of heart and have an unconditional kindness about them, but that was not the case for me today. The look in that girl’s eyes was filled with hatred. I doubt she’d ever want to be any part of helping a demon.
Tears stain my cheeks in the dimness of my cell. I have nothing else to do in here but think about what a waste my entire existence has been. I don’t belong here, and the angels were not very welcoming.
I might as well just let my father put me to death if this is the life I will be forced to live, I think hopelessly.
I lift my shirt to check out the burn in the center of my chest from the power ball I was struck with by the angel. My healing ability doesn’t work inside the cell and the burn is partially still there and will be a scar I will carry until my death.
I was stunned, and my ears were ringing, leaving me unable to hear what the two angels were saying to one another when I made my escape. I wouldn’t let them kill me that easily. I had hoped they would help me, what was I thinking? I scold myself internally.
Feeling betrayed is an everyday feeling in the underworld being me but having the same feeling about the angels is worse.
At this point, I will hand my life over to my father willingly…
Chapter Four
Storm
After debriefing the team of Amariana’s request for our help and ordering them all but Leah to go re-charge, who is up in her room upset. I ask Kennedy to send her down before going to her room and walk into the living room taking a seat in the comfortable chair facing the window outside.
I need to address the issue between us now because for the first time, we succeeded only to fail in the end because of her carelessness. I stare out the window my chair is facing and enjoy watching the morning birds chirping and beauty of the human world coming to life.
Leah enters the room quietly after Kennedy informed her to come down. She drags a chair from beside the coffee table and places it directly in front of me, blocking my view of the outside. I blink twice before focusing my eyes on hers as she take a seat in the chair. Her eyes are bloodshot from crying and anger is coming off her in waves.
I clear my throat, care to say anything?” I ask leveling my gaze to hers trying to avoid letting her tear-stained cheeks get to me. I hate seeing her hurting, but this conversation must happen.
“I can assume to punish me for scaring off your precious princess?” she replies bitterly.
I sigh, “no, although your actions have caused this team a huge setback that isn’t exactly why.” I begin.
Her face draws a blank, “then why?” she asks confused.
“I want to apologize for how I ended things between us. I shouldn’t have done it in front of an audience and with a bit more dignity.” I answer her. Then I lean forward in my chair to make sure she is paying attention to ever word I am about to say.
“As for what you pulled outside, I’m sure you already know why you were in the wrong.” I challenge her to argue.
“You’re apologizing?” She says clearly shocked.
“Why are you so surprised?” I ask with a raised brow. “Plus, I am not exactly apologizing for everything. I’m stating that in a sense I was wrong, but overall what you did was an excessively big mistake.” I explain thoroughly.
We were once so close we could guess what the other was feeling and thinking. Now she feels so far away. We have both changed too much to pretend that we will succeed at any romantic partnership moving forward.
“You said you didn’t want me anymore, that you don’t love me anymore.” She blurts out while tears fill her eyes and fall down her face. “What am I now, friend-zone material or something?” she asks swiping at the tears as they continue to stream from her eyes.
“I didn’t say those exact words. I also never said that I don’t love you Leah. I said I love you. I’m just not in love with you how you want me to be and that is the truth.” I say finally admitting fully how I’ve been feeling. “Couples drift apart Leah and I have been noticing how we are changing and becoming different angels then we once were. I am sorry for keeping my feelings from you for so long, but this is something I must be honest with you and myself about right now.” I explain gently leaning forward in my chair. Although I needed to come clean about my changing feelings, I should not have chosen such poor timing to tell you about them. You are still important to me, the same way every member of this team is that will never change. I can only hope you can still work with me without letting our breakup get in the way of anything, especially our missions.” I finish and wait for her response.
I watch as her face changes from pained to thoughtful, before she looks up from staring down at her hands folded neatly in her lap, following an awkward silence.
She sighs, relenting. “I know, and I am sorry I have gotten so out of control that I let my emotions ruin our entire mission. Couple’s break up all the time, and for the sake of being honest, I have noticed the distance forming between us for an exceptionally long time as well.” She admits.
“I have been having a tough time letting go of what I know deep down will never work. We used to be so good together before joining this team and having a working relationship together as well as living together under the same roof. I don’t really know what caused the ever-growing rift between us and that also frustrates me.” She stands from the chair and paces a few times in front of my chair. I thought about moving but figured I would give her the time to work through whatever she is thinking about.
“There’s just one more thing I have to tell you.” She says as she stops pacing.
“I’m listening,” I say trying to sound encouraging so that she will get whatever it is on her mind worked through.
“You know when you and Amariana had been talking outside of the house before?” She begins.
I nod my head, Amariana’s name coming up piques my interest and a sense of worry washes through me as I wait to see what she has to say about the incident.
“I saw you two talking before landing. I sensed her emotions were not that of a demon but of a girl in need and someone to trust and yet when I saw the look you were giving her as you approached her something in me simply snapped. I attacked her because I was jealous and not because I thought she was a threat. I don’t remember one time you have ever looked at me like you did in that moment with her.” She says and stops talking suddenly gathering her thoughts for what she says next.
“Then, as if attacking her wasn’t bad enough I also lied to you and to the team about it because I couldn’t dream of admitting I had acted so awful to anyone, even if she is a demon. It’s obvious that she isn’t evil and doesn’t seem to be any kind of threat to anyone. I had no right to attack her like I did.” She lowers her head again in shame.
I am guessing she’s remembering striking th
e princess with her power and feels remorseful. “I hope you will forgive me.” She adds.
“I already have, I think we need to just focus on getting her back here as soon as everyone is re-charged and ready to head out again in a couple hours.” I reply getting to my feet. I pull her in and hug her tightly, breathing in her familiar scent.
“We will always be friends, teammates, and have each other’s backs from now on. The only thing that’s changed is we have ended a romance that wasn’t meant to be.” I speak into her hair.
She nods her head in acknowledgement while squeezing me back tightly. I feel the tension fade from the room on cue.
“I am sorry for waiting so long to tell you how I felt but there never seemed to be a right time to do it.” I add stepping back from our embrace.
“I knew Storm, why do you think I have been acting so crazy?” She asks searching my eyes for the answer.
“You did; How?” I ask curiously.
“I could sense you were keeping a wall up around me and from there it became more and more obvious how your feelings were changing towards me. I thought you had a girlfriend on the side or that you were interested in someone else. I only recently realized you were not feeling love for me as strongly as you once had.” She admits stepping out of our embrace.
“I’m sorry Leah, I didn’t want to hurt you.” I explain further.
She shakes her head, “Storm, it’s all right. I am going to be fine; I promise you I can continue on the team without letting my feelings get in the way anymore.” She assures.
I study her for a few long minutes before nodding, “I believe you can. Let’s go re-charge and prepare to find that demon one more time.” I propose and she nods her head in agreement.
Having worked out our issues I feel lighter as we head up the stairs to our rooms.
Now we can complete the mission we set out to get done last night. There is only so much time before midnight when the princess will be going through her ascension, better known as her transition into her full powers.
****
After a hot shower I dry my hair with the towel and wrap it around my waist walking back into my room, plopping down on my bed. I run both hands through my wet hair as my mind drifts back to the princess and the things Leah had said to me. I didn’t think I looked at her in any unique way, but I felt something. It could have been the surprise of seeing her inside the wards, or the lack of typical demon behavior from her that caused me to look at her differently for a moment. Her eyes were angel eyes, not a demon’s and for me that is what sticks out the most. That must be it, and Leah has been paranoid because we have been headed towards a breakup for some time now anyhow, I reason with myself still failing at keeping the princess off my mind.
Amariana’s face keeps flashing in my head as I bring myself back to our encounter repeatedly.
The innocence in her eyes when she spoke to me. Not to mention her striking dark green colored irises instead of the typical black soulless pools of every demon I have ever met. There is something extraordinary and special about her, I could feel it being near her and still do now. I re-run the incident one more time in my head trying to figure out why she fled and did not return fire on Leah. She could have fought against her inside the glamor, but she didn’t; Why is the million-dollar question.
I did gain powerful information that she has mind control prior to her coming of age that will happen at midnight tonight. We have to get her back here, hopefully before she is captured by her parents and brought home. What danger was she in that she’d fled the underworld so unexpectedly?
I know Leah attacked her and that very well could be the reason she took off after asking for help, but I am not sure if that is the true reason. If only she had not taken off so quickly, then we wouldn’t have to start all over at square one in finding her all over again, and to top it off our high witch isn’t in any condition to try another location spell for us. I need to re-charge and then maybe I will be able to think more clearly about all of it, I resolve getting back up from my bed.
I walk over to my dresser and slide open my top drawer retrieving a change of comfortable clothes. I slip on a pair of dark jogging pants and a white t-shirt before reaching for my cell and dialing my uncle.
“Hello,” he says noticing the first ring.
“Uncle, something’s happened and I think it best to call an emergency meeting with my parents and uncle Michael. I would prefer not to involve the entire original council in what I need to report but need some advice from my family.”
There’s a pause on the other end of the line. “You there?” I ask.
“I’m here, and I think they are also eager for an update from you and Logan. Your mother has messaged every hour for news on how your mission was coming along. Give me a little time and I will be back in touch with you.” He finished.
“Sounds productive, I need to re-charge now it’s been an incredibly draining day for the team, and I have a feeling the next twenty-four hour stretch to come will be as well.” I admit letting my shoulders relax a bit.
“You re-charge, I will take care of all the arrangements for a meeting in the void.” He says without another word the line goes silent.
I set the phone on my nightstand and crawl into my bed staring at my ceiling above the bed until the heaviness of my lids takes charge and forces my lids to finally close and sleep pulls me away.
Chapter Five
Amariana
The dungeons of the underworld hold the most dangerous demons in our world until they are eventually handed down heavy punishments or death for their crimes. My father enjoys tormenting anyone who dares defy him and I cannot dream my fate will be any different, regardless of his promise to allow me to go through my ascension tonight.
This was to be an amazing birthday, one that was supposed to be celebrated by the entire underworld, but all in the same it has become a day I have dreaded since I realized I was different than all the others down here.
I move to the bars of my cell and look again down the row of cells, all empty. I can’t imagine why there’s not one prisoner down here. The last time I had been stuck in the same space I had an entire room filled with prisoners to talk to. I’m sure my father emptied out the dungeon to keep me segregated, but why? I glance over to the guards posted by the doors of the dungeon. One is not my favorite demon in the world, Gunner and the other is newer. I haven’t had the displeasure of meeting that guy before.
“Any idea when my birthday party starts?” I taunt the new guard.
I do this mostly to get under Gunner’s skin. He’s such an ass. I wonder how long it took for him to get unfrozen from my mind control, I think amused.
“Silence your mouth or I’ll do it for you.” Gunner threatens.
“What’s wrong Gunner? I’m only making conversation with your new friend.” I reply batting my eyelashes at him.
“You are a disgrace to the King and Queen. Even death doesn’t seem to be an appropriate punishment for what you have put them through with your little escape.” Gunner fires back.
The comment stings like a slap across the face, but I don’t dare let him see my hurt.
“I think we can agree to disagree on that matter.” I respond bitterly.
The newer guard bounces a look between Gunner and I with curiosity never uttering a word.
“Shut up, Amariana. I will not warn you again.” He threatens moving with speed and intention my way. His face clouds with anger as he brings his face a mere inch or two from the bars of my cell, our faces only separated by the steel bars of my cage.
“Taunt me again in front of my recruit and I will make sure your death is long and painful.” He warns venomously.
I cannot deny his words strike a nerve, but I am not afraid of him or anyone in the underworld. If I am to die, I would rather do so with my head held high and my integrity intact.
“Ha, do you think my father lets you run the show around here Gunner? You are merely his puppet. The funn
iest part is that you are blind to it.” I taunt pushing him even closer to madness.
His face appears as though he could explode at any moment and I cannot deny that it gives me pleasure to have gotten to him. What do I have to lose, anyways? I would bet my father has only said he agrees to allow me to live to entertain my mother’s wishes, but he has ways of making demons disappear when he wants or needs them to. I have seen it many times before.
In the distance a loud crash sounds and the clanking of swords echo off the walls of the prison. The distinct sound of battle sound beyond the door to the dungeons.
“What was that?” Gunner asks his partner. The guard shrugs his shoulders but stiffens on alert for trouble heading our way. Boom, another crash sounds before I hear the door to the dungeons being attacked by something strong. The sounds grow louder, and faint screaming can be heard among the crashes against the dungeon door.
What’s going on out there? I wonder to myself and jump to attention along with the guards.
I can’t imagine what could be going on outside the door but being in this cage hinders me from using my mind control to protect myself. I step up to the bars and slip my hand down the bar with the lock near the bottom of it and check how strong the steel is around it.
Shit, there is no way I can kick it open.
Panic takes over as the sounds grow deafening and the door is kicked in and bolts fly past my cell door. The door falling flat on the concrete causes dust to plume in the air around me in the cell.
Gunner and his sidekick move into the haze with their weapons raised at the ready. I watch as Gunner spins in a circle as something zooms past him and grabs the newer guard. He is lifted into the air by a large muscular arm and then struck through his chest with a silver sword falling limp to the ground below. His voice is garbled as his head falls to the side facing me. Black blood oozes from his mouth and nose.
