by R C Knight
“No, thank you,” she responded as she stood up. “I’m going to get ready.” She smiled as he took her plate and placed it into the kitchen sink.
“Great. I’ll just clean up in here.” He turned on the faucet and smiled as water came pouring out over the dishes. Aria stood there, staring with fascination as he picked up a washcloth and started scrubbing the dishes. What the hell is he up to, she wondered as her eyes lingered on his broad shoulders hunched over the small sink. “I thought you were going to get ready.” Ryder chuckled without looking at her. “I can feel you staring at me.”
“Uh, yea, sorry,” Aria muttered as she quickly looked away. “I’ll be out in a minute.” She turned and slowly made her way to her room, her mind spinning in confusion.
~~~~
Cain paced back and forth through the white sand of the beach. Abel stood off to the side, watching wearily as they waited. “Why aren’t they here yet?” Cain asked quietly as he glanced up the path towards the village. “If they’re so concerned with us training, you’d think they’d be here by now,” he muttered angrily as he looked back at their large group, they had split up into four groups and were waiting patiently for the angels.
“Relax, Cain,” Abel responded wearily, his tired eyes scanning the beach. “They said we’d train in the morning, that’s an awfully vague timeframe. I’m sure they’ll be here any –” he paused as excited whispers filled the beach. Everyone’s eyes were focused on the path leading to the village. Abel turned and looked up the path, a small smile spreading across his face. “Speak of the devil.”
Ryder, Aria, and Kai swiftly made their way down the path. Each of them wore jeans and a t-shirt, their weapons sheathed on their leather belts. Aria smiled as they reached Cain and Abel, her green eyes filled with excitement.
“It’s about time you show up,” Cain muttered roughly as he eyed the angels. “I was starting to think you forgot about us.”
Aria chuckled as she looked up at Cain. “How could we forget about you?” she asked rhetorically.
“I told you they’d be here,” Abel muttered under his breath. Cain sighed wearily as he stared into Aria’s bright green eyes.
“Next time give us a time,” he muttered.
“I can do that.” Aria smiled brightly as she looked over at the large group. All eyes were locked onto them and the air was filled with excitement. “Where’s Myra?” she asked as she looked back at Ryder and Kai. “I thought she was down here already?” The guys shrugged as they looked around the beach.
“You’re the first ones to come down,” Abel responded quickly.
“Alright,” Aria sighed wearily, the excitement leaving her voice. “I’ll go check on her.” She looked over at Ryder and Kai. “Break them up into groups and get started. I shouldn’t be long.” Kai nodded as Aria started to walk past them. Ryder gently grabbed her arm, turning her towards him.
“Shouldn’t I go with you?” he asked, his eyes searching hers.
“I’ll be fine, Ryder.” She smiled softly. “Besides, their training is more important. I’ll be back soon.” He let go of her arm with a sigh.
“Alright,” he muttered as he watched her walk away.
“What the hell was that about?” Kai asked, his dark blue eyes filled with curiosity.
“It’s nothing,” Ryder replied hoarsely as he started walking towards the group.
“That didn’t look like nothing,” Cain interrupted, a sly smile on his face.
Kai’s eyes grew wide as he followed Ryder. “Did you two –”
“Don’t even go there, Kai,” Ryder responded sternly. “There’s nothing going on. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get this training started.”
“Uh-huh,” Kai muttered, his eyes staring knowingly at Ryder. “Whatever you say, brother.”
~~~~
Aria sighed wearily as she reached Myra’s cabin. She knocked softly on the front door, her eyes scanning the area. “I know.” Myra’s voice called out from inside the cabin. “I know, I know,” she huffed as she quickly opened the door. Her platinum blonde hair was tangled around her face, while her blue eyes stared wearily at Aria. “I’m running late this morning,” she muttered as she turned away from Aria, her pink nightgown twisting around her legs from the movement.
“Is everything alright?” Aria asked worriedly as she entered the cabin and softly closed the door behind her. “It’s not like you to oversleep.”
“I’m fine,” Myra muttered as she sat down on the couch, her eyes staring blankly in front of her.
“You don’t look fine.” Aria quickly walked into the living room and knelt in front of Myra. Her eyes landed on a small black mark on her left arm. “Myra, what’s that?” she asked as she reached for her arm.
“Nothing.” Myra replied quickly as she pulled her arm into her chest. “It’s just a scratch from Chicago.”
“Any injuries you received in Chicago would have healed by now.” She searched Myra’s face, her eyes pleading with her. “Myra, let me see it… Please.”
Myra sighed wearily as she lowered her arm and turned her palm upwards, so her forearm was visible. Aria gently placed her hand on her arm and leaned in, examining it closely. A small black circle was burned into her soft skin. Jagged, black lines had begun to spread from the circle. Aria looked up at Myra, a tear slid slowly from her blue eyes.
“Myra,” Aria whispered hoarsely. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“I didn’t want you to worry,” she responded softly, her voice catching in her throat. “My holy magick was helping for a while. But… not anymore.” Another tear rolled down her cheek.
“How did this happen?”
“When we went through the wall.” She pulled her arm back, cradling it against her chest. “Some of the corruption vine’s liquid must have landed on me without me noticing.” She sighed wearily as she glanced around the room.
“You need to go back, Myra. You need to see Laila.” Aria pleaded. “Please, Laila can fix you.”
“No, she can’t,” Myra responded firmly. “There is no cure.”
“There has to be something she can do,” Aria responded, her words running together. “She cured me; she can do the same for you.”
“Aria,” Myra locked her blue eyes onto her. “It’s okay. I’ve come to terms with my fate.” She smiled sadly. “But right now, it’s important that we defeat the horsemen. And I have every intention of helping you with that as long as I can.”
“No.” Aria sobbed as a tear rolled down her cheek. “You’ll go see Laila and she’ll cure you.”
“Listen to me, Aria,” her voice rose as she reached out and grabbed Aria’s face, forcing her to look at her. “I know what is going to happen and I have accepted it. This is my choice, not yours.” Myra sighed wearily as she dropped her hands. “But there is one thing I must ask of you.” Aria shuddered as another tear fell from her eyes.
“What is it?” she whispered hoarsely.
“When the time comes…” Myra’s voice caught in her throat. “I need you to kill me.”
“I can’t,” Aria sobbed, her green eyes searching Myra’s face.
“Please, Aria.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I need to know you’ll do this for me. I don’t want to end up hurting anyone.” She stared at Aria, her eyes pleading with her for help. “Please. Either you promise to do it when the time comes, or I’ll have to do it now before I’m too far gone.”
Aria sobbed as she stared into Myra’s blue eyes, her determination was clear. She slowly nodded her head. “Alright… I’ll do it.” Myra nodded, relief spreading across her face.
“And Aria… Please don’t tell the others. I don’t want them to worry.”
“Of course,” Aria muttered as she slowly moved onto the couch next to Myra and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered hoarsely.
“I know,” Myra responded with a sigh as she leaned into Aria.
Chapter Fifteen
Hea
ven
Gabriel walked quickly down the hall, ignoring the man’s screams that seemed to always be present. He stopped next to a guard; whose red robes were a sharp contrast to the pale stone of the walls.
“Gabriel.” The angel’s voice was deep as he nodded his head in acknowledgement.
“Ezra.” Gabriel responded quickly. “I’ve brought her daily elixirs.” He held out three small vials, each of which contained a gold liquid.
“Right on time.” Ezra smiled as he unlocked the door and stepped to the side, allowing Gabriel to enter the small room. Eliza was sitting on a small bed that had been added to the room. Her blonde hair had been braided and pulled into a loose bun. She smiled as Gabriel entered the room, he quickly walked over to her and handed her the three vials. She accepted them and removed their lids, downing one after the other. She handed the vials back to Gabriel who quickly put them in his robes.
“How are you feeling today?” His voice was soft and comforting as he sat down on the armchair by her bed.
“Good.” Eliza smiled as she pulled her legs onto her bed and crossed them. Her blue eyes were bright with excitement as she stared at Gabriel. “Is there any news about my request?” Gabriel shook his head.
“I’m afraid not.”
“But I’ve done everything they asked,” her voice rose as she narrowed her eyes. “I’ve been taking the elixirs, and I helped Laila with the cure for Aria. What more do they want from me?”
“You know what they want, Eliza.” Gabriel’s voice was stern as his blue eyes drilled into her. “We need to know who you were working for.”
Eliza sighed wearily as she began to nervously twist her hands in her lap. “You know that I can’t help you with that! He only talked to me through that stupid crystal. I never met him in person.”
“There has to be more. Something you missed,” Gabriel responded, his eyes pleading with her to remember. “We know you were drugged when you came back to Heaven. Do you remember anything from that night?”
Eliza shook her head sadly. “No,” her voice was quiet as she stared at her hands, “I don’t remember. But I can’t stay down here anymore.” She looked up at Gabriel, her blue eyes wide with fear. “That man is always screaming. It’s like he’s constantly being tortured.” As if on cue, a muffled scream echoed around the room. Eliza shuddered as the scream faded away. “It’s driving me crazy,” she sighed as she continued to twist her hands. “And I know what happened to Gideon.”
“What?”
“Gideon. I heard the guards talking about how he was murdered in his cell.” Eliza’s blue eyes locked onto Gabriel’s face. “What if he comes for me. What if he makes good on his promise and kills me for failing?”
“That won’t happen.” Gabriel sighed wearily. “Not under my watch. We have a security rotation now, so you are never left alone. Laila, Michael, and I are the only ones allowed to see you. No one else, not even other Counsel members are allowed in.” He smiled sadly as his eyes traced her tired face. “There’s nothing to worry about. You’re safe here. But I will bring your request up with the Counsel again.”
“They can’t keep me cooped up in here forever.” She threw her arms in the air in frustration as she looked around the room.
“Yes, they can.” Gabriel stood up, his figure towering over Eliza sitting on the bed. “It is for your own protection as well as ours. We cannot release you until we are sure you won’t turn on us again. You didn’t just steal something, Eliza. You turned on your fellow angel, one that was sworn to protect you. Be happy that this is your punishment. If you hadn’t been drugged and manipulated, it would have been much worse.” His voice echoed throughout the room as Eliza huddled against the wall. “I’ll be back tomorrow.” Gabriel turned from her, his gold robes twisting around his body. He quickly strode to the door and knocked three times. Ezra opened the door and stood to the side, closing it back up as Gabriel walked away.
~~~~
Gabriel entered his personal chambers, exhaling heavily as he closed the door behind him. He looked around his room, his large bed was pushed against one wall while a marble desk occupied the other. He walked over to the desk and pulled out a large, leather-bound book. He opened it and began flipping through its pages, scanning his delicate writing. There must be a way to get her to remember. He thought as he reviewed his notes on Eliza, browsing through the various elixirs they had tried along with her changes in attitude. This new mixture was by far the best one, allowing Eliza to think clearly and stay calm. What are we missing?
A knock on the door echoed through the room. “Come in,” Gabriel shouted as he closed the book and stood up from the desk. Selaphiel quickly entered the room, softly closing the door behind him.
“How did it go with Eliza?” he asked, his light blue eyes searching Gabriel’s face.
“Fine,” Gabriel sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “The elixirs seem to be helping, but she still doesn’t remember anything.”
“What a shame.” Selaphiel shook his head sadly. “She was such a bright girl. Hopefully we can figure out who’s behind this quickly.” He paused as he glanced at the book on Gabriel’s desk. “Has Michael found any new leads?”
“Not that I know of.” Gabriel sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest. “He’s been distracted with finding a cure for Aria. But now that they’ve accomplished that, I’m sure he’ll be a hundred percent focused on the traitor again.”
“I see.” Selaphiel walked over to the desk and ran his hand over the leather-bound book. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Actually.” Gabriel smiled as he pulled the book away from Selaphiel and opened it. “It would be great to have another pair of eyes go over my notes on Eliza. See if I’ve missed anything.”
“Of course.” Selaphiel smiled as he sat at the desk and pulled the book towards him. He quickly hunched over it, his blue eyes scanning the delicate writing. Gabriel sighed with relief as he sat on his bed and closed his eyes.
“Thank you,” he replied as he took a long, deep breath. “You’ve been a good friend through the ages. I really appreciate the help.” Silence filled the room as Gabriel dosed off while Selaphiel perused the book.
Chapter Sixteen
Earth
Two months later…
The rays of the morning sun danced on the water as Aria gazed out at the ocean. She marveled at the beauty of it all, such a waste, she thought wearily as her gaze traveled over the calm water. A light breeze fluttered through her hair as the mist of saltwater cooled her skin. She sighed deeply as she lowered herself to the deck, crossing her legs as she sat. Her eyelids fluttered closed as she tried to empty her mind.
They had been at sea for over a month now and she had trained every waking hour since they left. Zane had been training as well, sparring with anyone and everyone. The angels refrained from using their magick so they wouldn’t damage the ship, and Ryder made sure to place safety spells on all the weapons so no one would get seriously injured while training. Aria often found herself watching Zane train from a distance, his fighting style seemed so savage compared to the fine-tuned graceful movements of the angels. She inhaled deeply as she willed her mind to clear, focusing solely on her connection to her magick.
Keira watched from the helm as Aria sat at the bow of the ship, her hair whipping around her with the wind. “What is she doing?” she asked curiously as she turned towards Myra.
“She’s meditating,” Myra responded wearily as she glanced over at Aria. “It’s supposed to help her strengthen her connection to magick. The stronger her connection the stronger the magick she can use. If she uses too strong a magick she risks severing her connection permanently.”
“I see.” Keira stared at Myra; her blue eyes filled with curiosity. “Can regular humans use magick?”
“Not that I know of.” She stopped as she threw a hand over her mouth while clutching her stomach. Her face contorted as she focused on not getting sick. “Sorry,” she muttered
as she took a deep breath. “I still get sick, sometimes the fresh air helps.” She took another cleansing breath as she looked over at Keira. “Anyway, humans can’t use magick, at least not in the traditional sense. But…” She paused, twisting her hands nervously.
“But what?”
“With angelic weapons, like those Michael entrusted to your group, you can use magick.” Myra stopped as she glanced around the deck, examining their surroundings. “Those weapons use your soul as fuel for their abilities, which is why in battle you may have noticed feeling more fatigued than normal.”
“That sounds dangerous.” Keira’s voice was low as she stared into Myra’s blue eyes. “Our souls shouldn’t be used as fuel. Why didn’t you tell us before we used them?”
Myra sighed wearily as she continued to twist her hands. “It’s not dangerous if it’s controlled. Your souls are constantly being replenished with food, sleep, desire, hope, and love. As a human, you have an infinite supply of fuel for these weapons. As long as you take care of yourself.”
“Do you use your soul when using magick?”
“That’s hard to explain.” Myra turned and gently placed her hands on the banister. Her blue eyes searched the water as her brows furrowed in concentration. “We don’t have souls. Humans are the only creation that God has ever given a soul, its power is immense beyond your own realization. It’s why Nephilim are so feared. To have a soul and a direct connection to magick is a frightening aspect. There was only one angel in history that was given a soul.” She looked over at Keira, her blue eyes narrowed and filled with warning. “That angel was Lucifer. And we all know how that turned out.”
“Why would God give Lucifer a soul if he knew it was so dangerous?”
“That’s the thing. He didn’t know the dangers at the time, at least that’s what we’ve been told. Lucifer was the first angel God ever created. The closest thing to an equal he ever made. Some might even call him God’s first and only friend. He didn’t see the mistake back then, but who would have?”
