by R C Knight
“Your brother got you here. As far as what happened, well, you’ll have to talk to him about that.”
“Ah,” he sighed with relief as he threw his arms over his head, stretching out his back. “Do you know where I can find him?”
“I’ll let him know you’re awake.” Anne responded with a smile. “But first, I need to do a quick exam to make sure everything is back to normal.”
“If you must,” Cain muttered as Anne slowly approached him. “Where do you want me doc?”
“You can lay down. This should be pretty quick.” She smiled as she set down her bag and pulled out her stethoscope.
~~~~
Aria sat quietly on the beach, her toes digging into the soft, white sand. She sighed softly as her green eyes scanned the blue water, watching as it gently rushed up the sand then receded back.
“Aria.” Ryder’s voice sounded from behind her. She sighed wearily as she slowly turned her head to look at him. “We need to talk.”
“About what?” she asked, her voice filled with irritation.
“Everything,” he responded as he slowly sat down next to her. “There’s been a lot going on.”
Aria sighed as her eyes lingered on his face. “I suppose there is.” She looked back at the water, the afternoon sun illuminating her face. “I shouldn’t have gotten mad at you. For telling Michael. I just… My emotions just go crazy when it comes to Zane.” Her voice grew soft as her eyes lingered on the waves. “I don’t know why –”
“I understand, Aria.” Ryder replied softly as he gently reached forward and ran his hand up and down her back. “You don’t need to explain it to me.” She nodded slowly, her eyes staring off in the distance.
“What did you need to talk about?” she asked softly.
“Zane… It seems Raphael taught him a lot. Including a Cherub spell.”
Aria turned her head swiftly, her green eyes drilling into him. “A Cherub spell? Are you sure?” Ryder nodded sadly.
“I used it to check the newcomers.”
“You shouldn’t have done that Ryder.” She worriedly scanned his face. “You know what using magick outside of your status could do to you.”
“I know.” He sighed wearily. “And believe me, it drained me more than I’d like to admit. Especially with that many people.” He paused, his eyes meeting hers. “But it needed to be done. I won’t use it again, though.”
“Good,” Aria responded firmly. She looked back at the ocean, watching the sunlight dance on the water. “How did Raphael learn a Cherub spell?”
“Zane didn’t know,” Ryder responded; his voice filled with worry. “But I fear he knows more that he’s not telling us. We need to keep a close eye on him.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
“What? Why?”
“Kai has been training with Zane non-stop, he’s made it his personal mission to make sure he doesn’t spiral out of control.” Aria sighed wearily. “I couldn’t talk him out of it.”
“It’s probably for the best,” he replied softly. “Maybe he’ll be able to find out more about what Raphael taught him.”
“Maybe,” Aria whispered, her eyes scanning the waves. Ryder smiled softly as he continued to run his hand along her back. They sat there in silence, watching the sunlight dance on the waves. Ryder focused on Aria, flashes of her torture in New York playing through his mind.
“Aria,” he said softly, his voice filled with sadness.
“What is it?” she asked worriedly as she looked up at him, her green eyes shining bright. “Did something happen?”
“I’ve been trying to find the right time to bring this up.” He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “The Fear Demon.” He paused as his breath caught in his throat. “He, uh, he –” He stopped talking as Aria’s face fell, her eyes filled with sadness. She looked over at the ocean, a soft breeze blowing strands of her golden blonde hair across her face.
“He showed you New York, didn’t he?” she said sadly, her eyes locked on the water.
“Yea,” Ryder responded sadly. “I understand why you feel like you need Zane. Because he saved you…” He reached forward and gently turned her face towards him. “You are not alone, Aria. All of us are here for you. I am here for you.” He smiled softly as she stared up at him, her green eyes filled with sadness.
“But I’m broken,” she spoke softly as her eyes darted to the ground.
“Not to me,” he responded with confidence as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. “To me, you are perfect.”
Aria exhaled softly as she buried her head in his chest. He pulled her closer, his arms wrapping tightly around her. “Thank you,” she muttered into his chest. “Can you promise me something?” She asked as she looked up at him, her green eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“Anything,” he responded without hesitation.
Aria sighed wearily as she stared into his light green eyes, focusing on the golden specks that surrounded his pupil. “Can you make the nightmares stop?” she asked quietly, her eyes searching his.
“I can try,” he replied softly, a sad smile on his face. She slowly nodded as a single tear fell from her eye.
“Promise,” she whispered, “just don’t leave me alone.” She leaned into him, softly resting her head against his chest.
“Never,” Ryder responded; his voice filled with determination. “I’ll keep you safe, from everything.”
Chapter Thirteen
Earth
Soft firelight filled the small cabin, the light of the flames dancing on the walls. Zane growled with frustration as he stood over the small table, his eyes scanning a large piece of parchment. Bishop sat quietly on the side chair, his eyes nonchalantly scanning the map. “We know that the Red Horseman is somewhere in South America,” Zane commented as he pointed at the map. “We just need to figure out where.” He looked over at Bishop, who sighed wearily as he continued to scan the tattered parchment.
“We’ve already gone over this Zane. There’s no way for us to know exactly where he is. We don’t have any solid leads. Our best bet will be to get down there and find a small village. We can ask questions once we get there and adjust our course from there.” Bishop turned away from the map, his eyes lingering on the flames dancing in the fireplace.
“There has to be some clue as to where he would be,” Zane muttered as he scanned the map, his eyes strategically searching the topography. “Where would be the most strategic place to build your capitol?” He asked as he continued to scan the parchment. “Where are you hiding.”
Bishop sighed wearily as he ran a hand through his brown hair. “Talking to the map isn’t going to make it tell you, Zane.”
“I know that,” Zane snapped as he looked over at Bishop. “I’m just trying to think strategically, since our strategist is too preoccupied to care.”
“I’m sorry that my wife’s death has made it difficult for me to concentrate on a foolhardy task.” Bishop stood up, his voice rising in anger. “You have nothing to go on Zane. You can’t just pick a random spot on a map and hope you get lucky,” he growled as he snatched the map off the table and crinkled it in his hands. “It’s pointless, Zane.” Bishop’s voice fell, his bravado falling.
Zane sighed wearily as he walked over to Bishop and gently placed his hands on his shoulders, guiding him to the chair. “Sit,” he said softly. Bishop complied; his shoulders sagged as he looked over at the fireplace. The light of the fire danced across his tired face. “I’m sorry.” Zane sat on the couch across from him. “I know how hard it is to lose someone you love. I shouldn’t be pushing you so hard.” He sighed as he stared into the fire. “And I shouldn’t take my frustrations out on you.”
Bishop sighed softly as his eyes lingered on the dancing flames. “It’s not your fault, you know.” He turned to look at Zane, his hazel eyes filled with pain. “Mikayla’s death. It’s not your fault.” Zane took a deep breath as Bishop’s eyes searched his face. �
��She knew what she signed up for. All of us did. I just… I didn’t think she would be the one paying the price.” He sighed sadly as he looked back at the fire. “I just can’t help but wish that it had been me.”
“I know,” Zane whispered as he stared at Bishop, watching the firelight dance across his face. They sat in silence, the sound of the crackling fire filling the small cabin. A loud knock broke the peaceful silence. Zane sighed as he stood up from the couch and made his way to the door. He opened it quickly and ushered the group inside. Cain and Abel entered first, followed closely by Liam, Ryder, and Aria. An uneasy tension filled the room as the angels made their way to the living room, standing off to the side. Cain, Abel, and Liam made themselves comfortable on the couch as Bishop wearily eyed the group.
“So,” Ryder commented as he looked over at Zane, who had just closed the door and was staring uncomfortably at Aria. “Did you figure out where the Red Horseman is?”
“No,” Zane responded as he quickly looked away. “Our only lead is that he’s in South America. There’s no way for us to know where, though.”
“I see.” Ryder sighed as he looked around the room. “Does anyone have a plan?”
“A plan for what?” Cain muttered as he looked back at Zane.
Zane sighed wearily. “I thought Abel had filled you in?”
“Not about this, apparently,” Cain growled as he looked at his little brother.
“Sorry,” Abel muttered. “I had a lot to get through and not much time.”
“It’s fine,” Bishop interrupted. “There’s only one course of action to take at this point anyway.”
“And what would that be?” Cain muttered as Zane nodded in encouragement.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Aria interrupted, her bright green eyes scanning the room. “Our only choice is to go there and wing it.”
“Exactly.” Bishop smiled softly at Aria. “There is no way for us to get information here. So, for now, we can only plan our trip there. Then we’ll need to find a village to gather more information.”
“Alright then.” Cain looked around the group. “What are we waiting for? Let’s pack up the ships and leave.”
“No,” Zane replied, the sternness of his voice increased the tension in the room. “We need to train and gather supplies first. Liam.” His eyes locked onto Liam. “You’ll be staying here with some of Cain and Abel’s men.”
“What? Why?” he asked as he looked at the brothers, who shrugged nonchalantly.
“I need someone with experience to watch the island and go on supply runs while we are gone.”
“But I want to fight,” Liam shouted angrily. “Those fuckers killed my best friend! I want to see them all burn.”
“I know,” Zane responded with a sigh. “But you know this area the best. If I could leave someone else I would.”
Liam looked around the group, his eyes burning with frustration. “Fine,” he muttered as he turned towards the brothers. “And which of your men will I be babysitting?”
“Cyrus,” Abel responded calmly. “And you won’t need to babysit him. He can handle himself just fine. They just need a navigator for this area.”
“Just the one?” Liam sighed wearily.
“No, he’ll be picking a small group to stay as well. We’re still finalizing the details.”
“Fine.” Liam looked around the room, his eyes pausing as they landed on Zane. “Is there anything else?”
“We’ll be leaving one ship for you to do supply runs with,” Zane responded.
“Good.” Liam stood from the couch and made his way to the door. “But you aren’t cutting me out of the next mission. I want my revenge,” he growled as he walked through the door, letting it slam shut behind him.
“Well,” Bishop sighed wearily. “That went better than I expected.”
“Yea,” Zane muttered as his blue-hazel eyes landed on Cain and Abel. “So, how many ships did you guys manage to get?”
“Two,” Abel muttered as he lowered his eyes.
“What?” Cain looked at his brother in shock. “Why the fuck did you only get two, you cuck?”
“If you hadn’t rushed into Austin without me, maybe we would have gotten more,” Abel hissed; his voice filled with anger. “But I had to save your sorry ass because you couldn’t follow the damn plan.”
“How fucking hard is it to get more than two ships? All you –”
“That’s enough,” Zane interrupted, his voice firm. “Two ships will be more than enough for the amount of people we have.” He looked over at Aria and Ryder. “I assume you want the angels to be in charge of training?” Ryder nodded his head, his green eyes filled with respect. “Very well, you have a month. I’ll handle the supplies.” Zane looked back over at Cain and Abel. “We’ve set up some tents on the beach as temporary housing for your group until we can figure something else out. Have them ready for training right away tomorrow morning.”
“Fine,” Cain muttered as he looked around the group. “I don’t know how I got stuck with so many fucking pussies.” He looked over at Aria. “No offense.”
She chuckled; her green eyes filled with amusement. “None taken. I understand your urge to rush into battle. If I didn’t have him.” she nodded towards Ryder. “I would be rushing in right next to you.”
“I like her.” Cain smiled as he nudged his brother. “Come on. Let’s get everyone ready for tomorrow.”
“Yea,” Abel sighed as he stood from the couch. The brothers quietly left the cabin. Ryder sighed wearily as he ran a hand through his dishwater blonde hair, his green eyes landing on Zane.
“I fear I owe you an apology,” Ryder mumbled. “I overreacted on the ship.”
Zane stared at him; his face filled with surprise. “I, uh,” he stuttered, “uh, thanks.”
“Yea, well…” Ryder looked over at Aria and sighed. “Just no more surprises, okay?”
“Sure.” Zane responded quickly as his eyes dropped to the floor. “No more surprises.”
Chapter Fourteen
Earth
Flames danced against the soulless black of the Elite’s eyes. Aria struggled in vain as the demon hovered over her, a gruesome smile crossing his face. She screamed as an all-consuming pain coursed through her body. Her eyes fluttered as the sweet relief of unconsciousness threatened to take her. Her mind shut down, hiding her from the harsh reality of the outside world. Darkness consumed her as she drifted off into oblivion. A shrill scream echoed through the darkness, causing her to open her eyes.
She was crumpled on the floor alone in a small chamber; the flames of a small fire were dancing in the center of the room. Aria scanned the area, her eyes landing on a frail form lying on the floor across from her. She crawled over to the figure and slowly reached out, rolling it towards her. Cordelia’s milky white eyes stared blankly out from their hollow sockets. Aria gasped as she fell backwards, her eyes locked onto Cordelia’s skeletal face. “What happened to you?” she whispered hoarsely.
Cordelia’s white eyes locked onto Aria, the intensity of them sending shivers down her spine. “That which was lost will soon be found,” her voice was low and raspy. “All shall be revealed under the red moon.”
“What?” Aria crawled closer to Cordelia’s skeletal form. “I don’t understand.”
“That which was lost shall be found,” she repeated, her milky white eyes staring directly into Aria’s. “All shall be revealed under the red moon.” The flames of the fire flared to life, circling around Aria’s small form. A scream of surprise escaped her lips as the flames closed in.
Aria’s green eyes shot open as she grabbed at her chest. She took a deep breath as she frantically looked around her room, making sure she was alone. “What the hell,” she whispered as she slowly pushed herself up. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and took a deep breath. “It was just a dream,” she muttered wearily as she stood up and walked to the door. Aria stepped into the hallway and turned, walking groggily into the living room.
She froze as her eyes locked onto the figure sitting on the couch.
Ryder couldn’t help but stare at Aria as she walked out in her thin tank top and shorts. He smiled as he took in her tangled hair and groggy eyes. He nodded towards the kitchen where a skillet of scrambled eggs still simmered. “I made you breakfast.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked breathlessly, her green eyes searching his.
“I promised I wouldn’t leave you alone.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “So here I am.” Aria gazed into his eyes, at a loss for words. She turned and slowly walked into the kitchen, her eyes landing on the plate of toast and the skillet of scrambled eggs.
“I can’t believe you made me breakfast,” she muttered quietly.
“I hope it’s good.” Ryder smiled as he stood up from the couch and walked over. “Anne taught me how to make a few simple things.” He smiled softly as he handed her a plate. “Here, take as much as you want.” Aria stared at him in awe, her mind trying to comprehend what was going on.
“Uh, yea,” she muttered as she filled her plate and quickly walked to the table. She sat at the table, gingerly picked up her fork, and took a small bite of the scrambled eggs.
“So?” Ryder asked curiously. “How is it?” She chewed slowly, her eyes closing as she moaned softly.
“It’s good.” She smiled as she took another bite. Ryder sighed with relief as he joined her at the table with his own plate. They sat quietly while they ate, the soft chatter of the birds filtering in from the open window. Ryder set down his fork as he finished eating and focused on Aria.
“So, are you ready to start training today? Cain and Abel’s group seem pretty excited to meet us.” Ryder chuckled softly.
“It should be fun,” she responded as she set her fork on the table. She gazed at Ryder, her green eyes searching his face. “You didn’t have to stay, you know.”
“I know,” he responded as he gazed into her eyes. “But I wanted to. And, a promise is a promise.” He winked as he grabbed his plate and stood from the table. “Do you want anymore?” he asked as he reached for her empty plate.
