Divine Fall

by Kathryn Knight

  I shook my head firmly, holding out my empty glass for a refill. “It’s a family thing, Sam. I’d feel out of place. All your relatives are coming in for this—you need to spend time with them.”

  “Yeah, fending off my fourteen-year-old cousin’s advances. It will be great.” She grimaced dramatically.

  “Now I really want to come,” I said, chuckling. The bubbles were drifting happily to my head, pushing away the constant anxiety I seemed to be living with lately.

  “Yeah, I guess that’s not a big selling point. But I hate that you’re spending your birthday alone.”

  I froze, my hand in midair. It was time to come clean. I’d decided to hold off on telling Sam about last night’s encounter in the woods. Knowing her, she’d blame herself, since I had been there watching her game. Then she’d get angry and start working on a plan for revenge. And I was happy just hanging out here, celebrating with my best friend. I figured I deserved that on my birthday weekend. Not to mention, I’d heard enough on the subject of revenge for now.

  But Dothan was another story. She deserved the juicy details, as long as I manage to fill her in without sharing any supernatural secrets. Don’t drink too much, I reminded myself. Out loud, I said, “Um…I’m not going to be alone, exactly.”

  Her blue eyes widened, then narrowed. “That’s why you keep looking at your phone! Who? The weird guy from the stable?” She bounced with anticipation.

  “He’s really more hot than weird,” I pointed out, pulling down the neck of my sweater to reveal the evidence.

  She squealed, then pressed her fingers to her lips. “Oh. My. God. What’s his name again? Dothan? Give me all the details. You better not have been holding out on me.” The words tumbled from her mouth as she leaned toward me eagerly.

  “Yes, Dothan,” I confirmed. I avoided the question about holding out, because I was already going to have to lie repeatedly just to share last night’s story. But the small twinge of guilt drifted away quickly on a cloud of happiness and champagne. Moving straight to details, I filled her in as best I could as we huddled in the corner, drinking our fizzy wine while the rain pattered across the rooftop.

  Sam’s off-key rendition of “Happy Birthday” cut into my dreams of Dothan. I peeled an eye open as she hovered over me, finishing her song. Once I’d pushed myself up against the headboard of her twin bed, she thrust my favorite coffee order in my hand.

  “Wow,” I murmured. A dull ache pressed against my forehead, and my mouth resembled a desert. “The serenade wasn’t necessary, but the coffee definitely is. Thanks.” I lifted the plastic top to inhale the heavenly scent, and warm steam bathed my face.

  “It was no problem, really. I just told my dad to go get it.” Sam flashed a wide grin as she grabbed her own drink off the dresser. A straw protruded from the mass of thick whipped cream like a flag planted in a snowy mountain. “There are doughnuts downstairs too,” she added, wiggling her eyebrows.

  I reached for my phone, unable to wait a second longer. We’d promised Mrs. O’Brien we’d turn them off before we went to sleep. My lips curled into a smile around my coffee cup as I opened a text that began with “Happy birthday, beautiful.”

  “Don’t keep me waiting,” Sam said with a pout.

  “Awesome,” I murmured to myself. Tearing my gaze from the phone’s screen, I looked up at her. “Sorry. So, I’d told Dothan I wanted to go on a trail ride and bring along a picnic for my birthday. Weather permitting,” I added, glancing out the window. Morning sun filtered in through the glass. “But I wasn’t sure how far Beau could carry the two of us, plus stuff for lunch.”

  Sam nodded encouragingly while licking the whipped cream off the straw.

  “Anyway, I guess he told Mr. White it was my birthday. And that we were going out, apparently.” My fingers fluttered toward my mouth, and I pushed them through my tangled curls instead. “Short story even shorter, Mr. White told Dothan he could ride Sally.”

  “I’m going to assume Sally is a horse.”

  I choked on my coffee. “Yes. Sally is Mrs. White’s old hunter. She’s sort of retired, so she doesn’t get much exercise anymore. They bought Mrs. White a new horse for foxhunting.”

  Sam wrinkled her freckled nose. “Poor fox.”

  “You know they almost never catch the fox. They actually call it ‘fox chasing’, now.”

  “I call it crazy. What kind of sane person gets up at the crack of dawn to chase a bunch of dogs that are chasing a fox?”

  I gave her a dark look. “Not the point.”

  She shrugged, slurping her thick coffee concoction. “Whatever. So I guess the point is that you’ll be able to go off together somewhere deep in the woods?” She stared at me, her blue eyes wide with fake innocence.

  “Don’t you have a party to get ready for?” I motioned toward the shower, struggling to keep the ridiculous smile off my face.

  Exhaling dramatically, she stomped into the bathroom. “Laugh all you want, but you’re going to regret missing this,” she tossed over her shoulder as she pushed the door closed.

  “No doubt,” I mumbled, tapping out my response to Dothan’s news. I smiled as I considered his question on what I wanted for lunch. So far, my seventeenth birthday wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d feared.

  Chapter 27

  I double-checked the girth fastened around the big horse’s belly. It was doubtful Dothan would be injured if he did fall, considering his genetic makeup, but I wanted this day to be as perfect as possible. Plus, Mrs. White was lending me her beloved Sally, and I felt responsible for everyone’s safety. “You’ll be okay on her?” I asked him again.

  “I’m a stable hand, remember?” he teased, feigning annoyance. He ran his hand down the bay mare’s brown coat. “Please don’t worry, Jamie. I’ve ridden before, with my dad. Nothing fancy, but I can handle a trail. Animals seem to like me.” Sally nickered softly, as if to underscore his last statement.

  I watched Sally’s calm reaction to his gentle strokes. “Do you think they feel the current?”

  “I think it would scare them, if they did. That seems to just be a reaction between angels and humans.” He took Sally’s reins and led her toward the back of the stable. “But animals sense something good about me, I guess.”

  “So do I,” I said brazenly. I followed him, rambling on before the embarrassment could set in. “You once said you wanted to be a vet. How were you going to deal with people? Like, teachers and pet owners?”

  “I was hoping I’d gain enough power to control the shock. Or at least learn how to use other people’s energy to accomplish that without hurting them too much.” He shrugged, glancing back at me and Beau. “Then there are the strategies I use now, if I’m faced with a situation like shaking someone’s hand. I tell them I’m getting over a cold, or I pretend it’s static electricity and yank my hand away. If I was a vet, I could wear those exam gloves. Or always be holding a pen and a chart.”

  We rounded the back of the barn and walked the horses along the well-worn path outside the paddock. “Those are all good ideas, Dothan. Why don’t you follow your dream?” Now that you’re not following your quest for revenge, I added silently.

  “Maybe I will. I sort of figured once I killed Nathaniel, they’d figure out a way to kill me.” An uncomfortable silence hung in the crisp air for a moment. “I’m sorry, Jamie—I wasn’t thinking. That was heartless. It’s just…for the past six months, I hadn’t planned on having a future. But things are different now, so let’s change the subject.”

  “Okay,” I murmured, looking over at the horses following us on the other side of the fence. I’d let the topic drop, for now. But I was determined to get to the bottom of this mess. If Nathaniel really did murder Dothan’s father, there had to be a powerful motive…and I couldn’t think of even one possibility. No rule or reason, in this world or another, seemed important enough to set those wheels in motion.

  We reached the end of the paddock, and I glanced over to the spot where I’d waited for
Dothan before our last trail ride. I’d been fishing for information then; sadly, I still was, apparently. But now we were a couple, and I needed to enjoy this moment. “Ready?” I asked, pushing my foot into the stirrup.

  “Always,” he replied as he swung himself gracefully into the saddle. Sally was a large horse—16 hands to Beau’s 15.2—but Dothan was a tall guy. He looked completely comfortable, and incredibly handsome, in his usual jeans, a white T-shirt, and a worn ball cap. He’d pointed out that even a bad fall couldn’t possibly hurt his head, and I’d seen his point.

  I wore my helmet, as usual, along with a light yellow scarf looped around my neck. Thankfully, yesterday’s rain had given way to warm temperatures typical of an Indian summer. A long-sleeved lilac shirt paired with tan riding breeches provided more than enough protection against any stray October breeze.

  I pressed my heels into Beau’s sides and took the lead. Sally obediently filed in behind us, familiar with the routine. There was plenty of room in the open field for us to ride side-by-side, but gopher holes lurked in the tall brown grass. A horse could easily break a leg stepping into one of those tunnels.

  Two of the dogs joined us as we crossed the field, bounding ahead and then doubling back. Once we entered the forest, they took off on their own. I wasn’t concerned; they knew these woods intimately.

  So did I. In the weeks following the accident last year, I’d spent countless hours wandering these trails. While riding alone was never ideal, I’d done it plenty of times even before that horrific October day. There weren’t usually a lot of riders around Fox Run in the afternoons, and I was never one for organizing group outings anyway. But after my mom died, I craved the isolation my solitary rides provided, and I would escape to the woods with only my grief for company.

  I was taking Dothan to a place I’d discovered on one of those outings, and if I was remembering correctly, we’d be there in about 25 minutes. Above our heads, squirrels chattered at the various songbirds flitting through the trees. Fallen acorns crunched under the horses’ hooves, and chipmunks rustled through leaf piles. Not a lot of conversation was possible, since we were riding single file, and I felt myself relaxing in the swaying saddle—or at least relaxing as much as I possibly could when I was in Dothan’s presence.

  When the oak trees thinned, revealing a small bright clearing on the edge of a trickling stream, I breathed a sigh of relief. The spot was as perfect as I remembered. Sunlight pierced the forest canopy to warm the wild grass. Tall plants with spiky yellow flowers grew in scattered clumps, and a few fat bumblebees droned around the colorful blooms.

  I grinned back at Dothan before dismounting. “This is it.” Removing my helmet, I shook out my curls.

  “Beautiful,” he said, landing softly. He walked up beside me and ran his fingers through my hair. “The place is nice, too.”

  A bolt of happiness shot through me even as my lips curled into a smirk. “I’ll settle the horses and you can take care of the food?”

  “Bossy,” he replied with a playful sigh. He winked, handing me Sally’s reins. Cantle bags rested behind each saddle, and he unhooked them both as I held the horses. Dothan had packed the bags on his own with our lunch, but I’d had him tuck in two hobbles to keep the horses from wandering too far.

  He handed me the leather hobbles and crossed the clearing to set up the picnic by the stream. My eyes darted over to admire his tall form as he spread a thin blanket on the grass. He’d turned his cap around, so the strap ran across his forehead. Heat filled my veins as I strapped the front fetlocks of each horse together with leather hobbles. Then I slipped off the bridles so they could graze freely before I joined Dothan by the water.

  I sunk down onto the striped blanket. “This looks great,” I said sincerely, looking over the spread. He’d purchased a large turkey sub—apparently from the same country store we’d visited once before—along with pretzels, sodas, sparkling waters, and a bowl of green grapes.

  “Yeah? And for dessert—” he opened a small plastic container with a flourish—“carrot cake cupcakes with creamed cheese frosting.”

  My eyes widened. “Yum. But just be warned—at the rate I’m going, I don’t think I’ll come down off this sugar high until sometime next week. I had birthday cake last night, doughnuts this morning, and now cupcakes.”

  His eyebrows creased. “But these are vegetables.”

  I giggled, picking up my half of the sandwich. “Perfect. Now we have all the food groups.”

  “Thanks. My hands were kind of tied as far as veggies on the sub, since someone was adamant about no onions. I feel like there’s a hidden meaning behind that request, but I can’t figure it out.” He shrugged, fighting to keep a straight face. But the corner of his mouth pulled up, and his brown eyes sparked suggestively.

  He got me. My cheeks caught fire even as I tossed it back at him. “Keep it up, and you won’t have to worry about figuring it out.”

  He chuckled, adjusting his hat. “Sorry. I’ll be good. Eat up, birthday girl.” Gesturing toward the food, he reached for his own onion-free half.

  I took a bite, nodding appreciatively. “So…a birthday picnic with a half angel. It’s going to be hard to top this next year.”

  “You have dinner with a full blood every night,” Dothan pointed out with a wry smile. He grabbed a handful of pretzels and set them on the white wrapper.

  “Darn, you’re right. Wow. I’m really immersed in this angel world. Why does it have to be such a secret?”

  A guarded look flashed across his face before he blew out a breath. “Well, the general population has to stay in the dark, for a lot of reasons. There are certain groups in society—government, military, scientists—that would love to get their hands on supernatural beings. Humans are terrified of anything more powerful than them. Angels would be captured for experiments. Their power could be diminished, and their communication would be destroyed.”

  Dothan popped a few grapes in his mouths as he paused. “All you have to do is turn on the news to understand the battle between good and evil rages on every single day. If a version of the terrible dark days predicted in Revelation ever come to fruition, good angels will be desperately needed. They can’t be exposed now.”

  I swallowed audibly. “There are bad angels?”

  He nodded, his mouth in a grim line. “Angels have free will, the same as humans. You have to remember, I wasn’t allowed to know all the secrets either. But I do know there are plenty of Fallen.”

  “Fallen?” A shiver ran through me, despite the warm sun. Was that what Nathaniel was now—a fallen angel? My stomach rolled with trepidation. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer to that question on my birthday.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said apologetically. “I’m just trying to answer your questions as honestly as I can.” He lifted the plastic bowl of grapes and offered it to me.

  “I know, and I appreciate that. Really.” I chewed the grapes thoughtfully. “So, there are lots of angels out there, I guess.”

  “A good amount,” he confirmed between bites.

  I cut my gaze over to check on the horses. They grazed peacefully, tearing chunks of long grass from the earth. A train of thought raced through my brain, and I took a sip of water for courage. “Relationships must happen, then. Between humans and angels.”

  “Yes.” He studied me through narrowed eyes.

  “But you’re the only Nephilim. …how did that come to be?”

  A smile with no joy curved his lips. “Good, old-fashioned temptation. My angel father fell in love with a human woman. And they did what people in love tend to do.”

  “And that’s…forbidden?” I gulped more water to quench my boiling blood.

  “No. Angels can be involved with humans as long as the secret is kept. Sex isn’t forbidden, but babies aren’t usually conceived. Two different races. Even if a conception takes place, the baby doesn’t make it to term.”

  My mind whirled as I tried to process his words. I
was quickly losing my appetite, but I wanted him to keep talking. Grabbing a pretzel, I nibbled at it anxiously. “But you did.”

  His shoulders sagged. “I did. Somehow my mother’s pregnancy continued. My father had to tell her the truth about his lineage. By the time she made it to the ninth month, she was convinced everything would be all right. In fact, while she was pregnant, she picked my name from the Hebrew word for ‘law’ or ‘custom’. I think she believed my birth might actually change ancient rules. Instead, it killed her.”

  A jagged blade sliced through my heart. “Women die in childbirth, Dothan. Your parents fell in love. Like you said, sex isn’t forbidden. It was just a terrible tragedy—no one is to blame.”

  He shook his head. “Sex may not be forbidden, but bringing harm to a human is. And killing a human is the ultimate sin.”

  I sucked in a breath. Reaching across the blanket, I placed my hand on his leg. “You didn’t kill your mother, Dothan. These things happen.”

  He looked away, gazing at the stream. “Yes, I did. But I’m half human, and by that very definition, angels can’t punish me for my role in her death.”

  Understanding dawned on me with sickening clarity. “Your father was…punished? That’s why he was killed?”

  “Yes. His actions resulted in the death of a human. It’s unacceptable.” Dothan’s jaw clenched, and a tiny muscle twitched beneath his blonde stubble.

  Oh, God. “And Nathaniel…” I trailed off, unable to finish. My throat dried up, and I reached for my water bottle with shaking fingers.

  “Jamie, it wasn’t like he was some vigilante. You deserve to know that. There are rules in that world, same as this one. A Divine Council makes the decisions and metes out justice. Yes, I blame Nathaniel for taking my father’s life. But in the end, higher powers ordered him to do it.”

  Bile burned through my chest, but I forced a piece of pretzel into my mouth. Was I brave enough to get the answer I needed? “Does that mean…Nathaniel is one of the Fallen?” I closed my eyes, waiting for the blow.