by Susan Reid
I was just in time as the creaking and groaning of burning metal screeched and the tower finally came crashing down…towards all the people who remained near the tour buses. I ghosted into my spirit form and shot straight towards the police cruiser, hoping Nay had made it in time himself with Star’s friends.
“Where are you? Do you need my help?” I called back to him.
“We’re in the car waiting Cam, man you’re slipping.” Nay laughed.
I darted through the mayhem, weaving my way through the buildings, parked cars and the wild stampede of frightened mortals — the sounds of sirens began to wail through the night in the distance.
I waited until it was clear before ghosting back into flesh form, and fixing my uniform in case another officer stopped me for any reason.
“Cam, Star wants to go home…she’s worried about her friend and about you. Should I take her?” Rahab’s voice came through just then.
I smiled at that.
“Yeah, that’s fine, have Ry follow you guys too. I’ll meet you there, I’ve got her friend and her boyfriend with me here so I’ll be bringing them both back to her place anyway and I don’t want her to think I’ve forgotten about her.”
“Okay, see you there.” Rahab replied.
I could see them in the back seat through the tint of the cruiser. Nay stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the cruiser with a snide expression to further rub it in my face, that he had been quicker than I was. “Easy when you don’t have to fight off several at once, and kick a field goal using an imp,” I said rubbing my shoulder.
He laughed, “That was child’s play, too easy. Just like clockwork. We may not have to worry about Morning Star for a while after this gathering.” He said.
I eyed them in the backseat of the cruiser, both unconscious, but handcuffed together.
That was her friend and her boyfriend alright.
“Don’t ever believe that, now who’s slipping?” I smirked.
“You okay?” He nodded towards my shoulder.
I pursed my lips with a quick nod, “Let’s get out of here. We’ll take them back to her apartment.” I said as I climbed into the driver’s seat and Nay got in.
I wasted no time turning on the police lights and sirens and flooring the cruiser. With the current traffic and road blocks, emergency trucks arriving one after the other, the crowd of humans and numerous emergency cars swarming in…we may be a while, unless —I invoked some magic.
I circled the parking lot sensing something wasn’t right before I even saw her running through the parked cars, she was scared and she was crying. It was apparent that she was running from someone or something, and I automatically went into protective alert mode. I pulled around with a screech and drove further into the parking lot; almost hitting her when she ran out in front of me from between a set of parked cars and almost fell. I slammed on the brakes, parked the cruiser and jumped out; running over and scooping her up into my arms protectively.
At first she was untrusting of me; taking a moment to stare into my face to make sure it was me before breaking down in a fit of tears, and holding me tightly. She was trembling and sobbing uncontrollably, and I knew it was useless to try and ask her anything right now. I needed to calm her down. I stroked her hair and guided her to the cruiser.
“Wh-where did you go?” She stopped and asked, looking up at me with accusing eyes.
I hated seeing her face streaked with tears and the fear in her eyes, “I’m sorry, I had to take care of some things. Come on, let’s get you back inside,” I soothed, motioning towards her apartment with a nod of my head.
She tensed, “No! No, I don’t wanna go back inside. I need to get China…Drake is here, but he’s…” She began, only to break into another sobbing fit.
Hearing her bring him up made me stiffen with anger. So he was here, then why was she upset and crying about it?
I scanned the parking lot, seeing and sensing nothing at first. Rahab and Ry rounded the corner up ahead frantically, and stopped short when they saw me with Star in my arms.
“Is she okay?” Rahab asked with wide eyes.
“Meet me at the farmhouse.” I quickly said.
“He was here,” Rahab growled through clenched teeth.
That only verified that Drakael had been here, and I wondered both why and where he had gone.
“Please, don’t go again…don’t leave me,” Star whispered and looked up at me then, sniffing with child-like innocent eyes that glistened with tears.
It was then that I realized what her weakness had been all along. The thing she most feared despite her typical independent attitude, and I don’t know why it never donned on me before, knowing what she’s gone through in her young life.
She was afraid of being left behind or being abandoned by those she cared about and loved.
I held her to me tighter.
“I won’t leave you again, I promise.” I whispered into her hair as she held onto me tightly.
“Come on. I’ve got your friends in the car.” I told her guiding her back to the cruiser.
She looked up at me in surprise, her crying diminishing, and her mouth dropped.
Once we neared the passenger side, Nay got out and opened the back door for her to see.
They were still soundly sleeping, but Nay had removed the handcuffs, which I was grateful.
“Why are they knocked out?” Star turned to me and asked.
“They’re okay, we had to render them unconscious,” Nay added.
“I’m gonna head back home now, let me know if you need me again,” He then whispered to me.
I nodded my thanks and Nay turned around to head towards a shadowed area of trees along the back fence of the parking lot.
Star knew why we had to render them unconscious, and she had finally stopped crying with an occasional sniff.
She turned to look back up at me with a smile. Her wet eyes made her appear incredibly beautiful right now, as strange as that sounded.
“Thank you.” She whispered.
“You’re welcome. I’m gonna have Rahab take you…”
“No. You said you wouldn’t leave me. I’m staying with you,” She cut me off as she wrapped her arms around my torso again. I held her close to me and stroked her hair, “Okay, I won’t.”
I needed to find out why she was terrified and running if Drakael was just here and even more so…why was he here in the first place?
“Come on, let’s go back to my place then.” I told her.
We left her friends at the apartment where they would wake up with limited memories of what happened. I didn’t think they’d be in any danger where they were, but just in case, I hid another one of my feathers behind the sofa for protection.
We all headed back to the farmhouse, awaiting Edanai, and any news she may have had regarding her other friend Joel. I didn’t particularly care for his well-being, especially if he turned out being a scout, but Star did and that was the only reason I was bothering.
I asked Rahab, Ry and Macai to hang around for a bit until I could get her to sleep and sealed off protectively in the bedroom upstairs. She lay curled against me, clutching onto me tightly with her delicate arm draped across my chest. I took in the scent of her hair, her skin, the warmth of her body and the steady rhythm of her heart beating.
This was the thing I had longed to feel, the thing I wanted the most from her, and I could feel it now. It was the most satisfying, most wonderful feeling in all of my entire existence, and being able to have experienced it with her, was way more than I could have ever asked, wished or hoped for. Lust was nowhere in the equation, it didn’t need to be. This feeling of love was far more tangible, long lasting and quenching. This had been Elohim’s gift to me, and I cherished it graciously.
“My heart aches, it’s terrible. All those people, I don’t understand why God didn’t step in to help them,” She whispered against my chest.
She was talking about the concert, the concert she would hav
e been killed in. If I was going to be punished for not following through with the request, it hadn’t come yet.
“How do you know he hasn’t or won’t?” I whispered, while stroking her hair and her back.
She looked up at me with a smirk, searching my eyes, and I leaned down and kissed her tenderly.
Once our lips parted, she spoke first, “He didn’t do anything during the hurricane,” She whispered, then bit her lip as if she regretted saying that.
“He didn’t?” I replied in more of a question.
Elohim always did things that made sense to him for the greater good, but never to humans who didn’t understand because they couldn’t see that far ahead.
I felt for her though then. She was still harboring pain and guilt, it was evident and I couldn’t blame her for being upset and hurt.
“If you mean letting a bunch of people die by either drowning, starving or dehydrating to death…I’m not sure.” She said.
I paused for a moment.
How could I say anything to her without giving away too much?
“Letting is a harsh word in that regard. Sometimes, taking people out of this realm is saving them.” I told her in the simplest way I could think of.
“I guess so. I just wished that sometimes his help would be more direct, and that it didn’t involve having to take people away from those that need them and would miss them.” She then said.
“Everything happens for a reason is cliché, but it has some truth to it,” I then told her pushing a few curls away from her eyes and caressing her smooth cheek.
Her lushly, lashed, dark navy blue eyes peered up at me again in admiration, “I can believe that I guess, because I can’t help how I feel about you,” She caressed my cheek lovingly.
I smiled, tracing a line around her full lips with my index finger softly before leaning in to kiss her again.
“Cam, her friend is fine…he was with some girl…they were really going at it so I didn’t bother to interfere. He’s cute too, cute ass…and um he’s definitely a scout….side of light.” Edanai’s voice came through.
Well, that’s news. I thought.
“Ok, thanks. Where are you?”
“I’ve had enough of the human realm for now. Too much tragedy and dark fallen around...I’m heading back to your place on the other side. See you later, you be careful…you have two more daybreaks before I expect you to check back in.” She said.
“Deal.” I replied.
I was content for now, about to lean in and kiss Star again when Drakael’s voice invaded my mind, dripping with anger and iniquity.
“Bring her outside, she is not yours Cam`ael.” He whispered.
I immediately shot up, tense, my muscles flexing and not even realizing Star was looking at me with both fear and confusion.
“What? What’s the matter?” She asked.
He was here, and it didn’t sound like Drakael, not just his tone but the fact that he was expressing both anger and favoritism in his words.
I heard both Rahab and Ryziel’s footsteps stomping wildly downstairs. They had brought in a television and had been watching it downstairs, so when they moved, I knew something what happening.
“Stay here, I mean that. You’ll be protected in here.” I then said.
“Is it the same guy?” She asked worriedly.
“No,” I said kissing her one more time before I left the room and sealed it shut with magic of protection.
Rahab was ready for battle, looking out of the front windows with his claws out and weapon wielded in the other hand.
Ryziel twirled his long, onyx colored, diamond grade scimitar with a wicked glint in his flaming red and black eyes, he was ready to fight without a doubt.
“Who is it?” I asked.
“It’s Drakael.” Ry spat.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Yes!” Rahab boomed, waiting for the cue to attack.
I ghosted onto the roof to take the height advantage, and scoped the area.
Why were there so many fallen hidden in the shadows with Drakael here?
And then…it dawned on me.
Shit! I should have known! Why hadn’t I seen or detected it earlier?
I stepped to the edge of the rooftop with my obsidian sword wielded. He automatically trained his eyes up to the rooftop, still looking the same, but the difference was now evident.
“Toraen!” I shouted.
He laughed and pointed to himself, “Who me? As if you even remember what that means.” He played innocent.
“When did you fall Drake?” I asked harshly.
Suddenly he was on the roof with me, standing at the opposite end.
“I told you this would end badly for you Cam`ael. I tried to save you the heartache and looking the fool. I even tried to give you some honorable dignity, by making you believe you were actually being obedient, but you’ve always been the stubborn one,” He grinned as he began to circle me.
I gripped my sword firmly and glared at him, watching him carefully.
“I’d rather be stubborn than a doomed fool, and one who is willing to repeat the failed mistakes of so many countless others before him at that.” I retorted.
He laughed, “Many others who had no idea what they were doing let alone had the opportunity to reclaim the Earth. Why fight against it? The humans don’t need it, they don’t even deserve it.” Drakael said with a shrug of his shoulders.
“And you do?”
“We all do. You fight so hard against your own kin in order to save mortals who are unworthy to remain free on it when they’ve managed to destroy enough…so who’s really the fool here?” He grinned.
Though it happened all the time, it was still unsettling to see an angel become fallen so quickly and so easily, even though I had seen it coming for him.
“What does any of that have to do with Star?” I asked him out of curiosity. Maybe it would be the same reason as to why Morning Star wanted her too.
“You were right in thinking Star is different from the other chosen. She is and before you ask — no, I don’t know what it is exactly yet, but I will enjoy finding out. So summon your legion now if you want. This doesn’t have to turn bloody though, just give me Star and we’ll leave this peaceful. I don’t want to have to kill you Cam`ael, it would be a waste,” He finally stopped pacing and faced me with his sword drawn and at the ready by his side.
Now it all made sense. It had been him all along; he played the role behind the scenes in gathering his own legion together for the same purpose as Morning Star, while still posing as an angel. But he had still been an angel in between the time we met in the spirit realm, up until that day at the walking trail. Why did Elohim allow this to continue and go on, surely he already knew Drakaels heart and intentions before he even started.
Then again, Elohim always has his reasons.
My guess was that Drakael’s fall had been at the park. He had killed that fallen right before he could have possibly given away his name or secret. That was what that fallen had meant when he said we were alike, which we were nothing remotely close.
He didn’t ghost away — he had been summoned away to be sentenced for punishment, stripped of his glory and cast out. I have a feeling that it had been his own request for me to bring Star to the concert tonight, making me believe it had been Elohim. He played off of my loyalty to Elohim, and essentially used me to get Star for him, while keeping himself out of it technically. At the same time, he employed other dark fallen with the promise of something greater after the end came.
The dark angel in Star’s dream, had it been Drakael?
“Why Drakael? If I wouldn’t hand her over to Morning Star, why the hell would I hand her over to you?”
“You’re outnumbered. Morning Star still wants you around though —for whatever reason, I don’t know but I could care less. She can only belong to one of us, and I refuse to share,” He shrugged with confidence.
I shook my head and smirked, “So, how did
it feel to be stripped so quickly? Was it worth it?” I asked him with anger and hate bubbling beneath the surface of my skin. He was no longer of light, but I still had a little, did he really want to challenge me? Was he that sure of himself?
I quickly summoned every being in my legion, letting them know what was happening and what to prepare for, to bring their best magic and weapons.
“It’s not bad when you’ve been anticipating it. I have to admit, I was a bit surprised that it took him so long to do it too, but I know that’s how he works.” Drakael smiled.
“Then you already know how this will turn out.” I came back.
He thought for a moment, “Maybe if the circumstances were different, but he’s giving us Earth this time. We get free reign to rule upon it without interference, rules or threat of being destroyed. That is the only difference now. It will be like…an Eden for us finally.” He smiled malevolently.
“Too bad you won’t be there to see any of it though,” He then grimaced through clenched teeth as he flung a spray of dark matter towards me.
I dodged to the left into a somersault, pulling light to the surface in the form of an arrow.
I threw it like a javelin towards Drakael, and it sailed towards him in a white blurred streak, ricocheting off of his own sword with a spark that made him curse, as he gripped his forearm in pain.
His face twisted into a façade as diabolical and dark as his own soul had become. He no longer resembled anything remotely close to what he had been as an angel. It was as if he was morphing right before my eyes in his rage.
The crashing of glass below and all around the house distracted me, even though my legion was already here. I cursed angrily at myself then, realizing that I had forgotten to seal the windows too — in the room where Star was.
XXII: Starling:
I already felt the pangs of a full blown panic attack coming on. Cam said he wouldn’t leave me again, but he had and he didn’t tell me why. All the flashbacks and the feelings of uncertainty, fear, isolation and pain that I had felt and kept tightly lidded — like when my parents told us they were going to swim for help and leaving me and my grandmother behind, came rushing back to me in full force.