by R C Knight
Myra smiled as she heard the door to the hut close softly. She focused on her breathing, a deep breath in followed by a slow exhale. And repeat. She winced as a searing pain spread through her chest. The corruption is spreading, her mind filled with panic as that mantra repeated itself. Deep breath in, a slow breath out. Deep breath in, a slow breath out. Everything happens for a reason. Deep breath in. I’m sure something good will come of this as well. Slow breath out. She continued her controlled breathing as the pain slowly subsided. Her mind cleared as she drifted off to sleep.
“Myra.” The woman’s voice was sweet and soft, almost as if it was being carried to her on a breeze. “Myra, my sweet. Come here.”
Myra opened her eyes and examined her surroundings. She was in the middle of a field of maize, the golden stalks surrounding her. The light of the morning sun was shining brightly through the tips of the maize. A small smile spread across her face as she turned in circles, her eyes drinking in the light of the sun.
“Myra, come here.” Myra turned her head towards the sound of the beckoning voice, her eyes scanning the horizon.
“Where are you?” she asked, her voice floating away from her like a whisper on the wind.
“Over here.” The woman’s melodic voice called back. The maize in front of her began to move, creating a small path for her to follow. Myra’s eyes filled with wonder as she stared at the pathway. “Come on Myra, I have a gift for you.”
“What kind of gift?” she asked cautiously as she scanned the path, her eyes unable to see the end.
“One that can save you,” the voice responded confidently. “You are corrupted, after all.” Myra gasped softly as she stared down the path that was open to her. “All you have to do is come to me.” The melodic voice drifted around her, the words echoing over and over again. Myra stood frozen at the beginning of the path, her blue eyes scanning the empty horizon as her mind tried to comprehend what was happening.
~~~~
Aria took a deep breath of the cool night air. Her mind was running a million miles a minute and she couldn’t seem to slow it down. She looked up at the blood red moon as she tried to focus herself on the present. Just go talk to Zane and get it over with. The red mist swirled around her, and for the first time she could sense the evil within it. She sighed wearily as she tore her eyes from the sky and made her way to the wood line. The sooner we got out of this place, the better.
Zane was already waiting for her, his blue-hazel eyes locked onto her as she approached. “I was wondering when you would get here,” he said nonchalantly as he casually leaned his back against one of the massive trees.
“Sorry, there’s a lot going on,” Aria muttered as she walked past Zane, making her way deeper into the forest. “Come on, I don’t want to risk anyone eavesdropping.” Zane sighed wearily as he grudgingly followed her, his heavy footsteps seemed to echo around them as they made their way through the forest. The chitter-chatter of the nocturnal animals filled the night air as the light from the red moon lit their path. After a few minutes of walking, Aria finally stopped and turned towards Zane, her green eyes examining him closely.
“So, how have you been feeling?” she asked softly, her voice filled with concern.
“Fine,” Zane muttered as he leaned back against one of the trees and crossed his arms. “I hope you didn’t bring me all the way out here to talk about my damn feelings.”
Aria sighed as she continued to examine him. He looked even healthier than when they had met. His skin was bronzed, and his muscles were bulging, it was clear he had been working out. His face, however, painted a very different picture. She could see the stress lines forming on his forehead and his blue-hazel eyes seemed dull and lifeless. Sadness stabbed at her heart as she diverted her eyes.
“This red mist is obviously messing with you. If you were acting normal that situation with Dominick never –”
“What happened with Dominick was necessary,” Zane growled. “We needed to take control of the village and that was the fastest way to do it.”
“Zane, can’t you see what’s happening to you?” she replied calmly as she focused her attention on his face. “This red mist is affecting everyone, it’s not just you.”
“You haven’t changed.”
Aria shrugged wearily. “It must not affect angels,” she muttered as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “That’s not the point. We need to find a way for you to maintain control.”
“Control?” Zane laughed as he lunged forward, pulled Aria in against his chest, and placed a hand under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “You think I haven’t been keeping myself under control?” He traced his thumb across her lower lip. “When I have to watch you every damn day, knowing that I can’t have you. When your mere presence makes my soul feel like it’s on fire.” He pushed her up against a tree as he locked onto her bright, green eyes. “Do you know how damn hard it is to keep myself away from you? To watch as Ryder tries to take my place? And to know that even if you could be with me, Michael would be forced to kill you?” He inhaled deeply as his voice began to shake. “Don’t you dare tell me that I need to maintain control, when I spend every day keeping myself from stealing you away in the middle of the night and running away from all of this.”
Aria was frozen, her body didn’t want to move, and her mind couldn’t comprehend what Zane had said. All she could do was stare into his blue-hazel eyes. She focused on the golden specks that were scattered throughout his irises, like little flecks of heaven that had been left behind. Shivers ran up her spine as he traced his thumb over her lower lip. Myra’s voice filled her mind, deep down in your heart you know. Aria closed her eyes as she gave up trying to analyze the situation. She took a deep breath as she emptied her mind, waiting for her spirit to tell her what to do. She opened her eyes and re-focused on those golden specks.
“If we could run away from it all,” she spoke softly. “I would in a heartbeat.” She smiled up at him as a tear silently rolled down her cheek. “But we can’t just run away right now. Maybe, once all of this is over, we can find a hidden corner of the world and spend our lives together. After all, Raphael managed to stay hidden.” Aria sighed deeply as she rested her head against Zane’s chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. She closed her eyes and smiled as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against his chest. She sighed contently as he ran a hand through her hair. Aria wished she could stay in this moment forever, but her mind jolted her back to reality.
“But for now,” she muttered as she pulled her head away from his chest and looked up into his eyes. “We need to put our feelings aside and focus on the mission. As far as everyone else is concerned, there is nothing between us and there never will be.” Zane sighed sadly as he dropped his arms to his side. “We need to move on.”
“Move on?” Zane muttered as he stared into her eyes. “Does that mean you’ll be hooking up with Ryder now?”
“I don’t know what that means for me,” she responded defensively. Zane inhaled deeply as he grabbed his chest. A look of pain crossed his face. “What’s wrong?” Aria asked, her voice filled with worry as she grabbed his hand.
“It’s nothing,” he muttered as he forced a smile on his face.
“It’s the seal, isn’t it?” Aria asked as she pulled his hand away from his chest. “Let me see,” she muttered as she grabbed the hem of his shirt and gently lifted it. A soft gasp escaped her lips as she stared at his chest. The silver tattoo had faded significantly. It no longer wrapped across his pec. All that was left was the small star in the center and some of the elegant swirls that had spread out like vines. Her green eyes were filled with worry as she looked up at Zane. His lips were tight as he stared off into the distance behind them. “How long has this been happening?”
“Since New York,” he sighed wearily.
“And I make it worse?”
“Only when I can’t have you,” he muttered as he looked down at her. Aria sighed as s
he ran her fingers across the degrading tattoo.
“I wish we had met under different circumstances,” she muttered, her eyes glistening in the red light of the moon.
“So do I.” Zane sighed as he grabbed her hand, allowing his shirt to fall back in place. He tilted her chin towards him as he wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her close to his chest. “But I’m glad I met you.” He smiled sadly, his blue-hazel eyes shining bright. “You’ve made my life complete.” He leaned down and softly kissed her lips. Aria’s body relaxed as she slid her arms around his neck and passionately kissed him back.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Earth
The sound of the birds chirping happily in their trees filled the air around Bishop. He grunted wearily as he rolled around on his makeshift bed and threw his hands over his ears. “Shut the fuck up you damn birds!” he shouted as he squeezed his eyes shut. “I just want some fucking sleep.” The chirping grew louder as it echoed around the small hut. “Fuck this,” Bishop grunted loudly as he sat up, wearily rubbing his eyes. He looked around the hut, Zane’s makeshift bed was still made neatly. Bishop never heard him come back last night. “He probably went into the forest to fuck Keira all night,” he muttered; his voice filled with exhaustion.
He pushed himself up from the floor and raised his arms over his head, a moan escaping his lips as he stretched his aching muscles. His abs had gotten so big they seemed to pop from his body as he stretched. His biceps bulged as his arms flexed as he brought them back down. His eyes scanned the floor for his shirt, finding the worn fabric laying in the corner of the hut. He sighed wearily as he bent down, grabbed the shirt, and quickly pulled it over his head. He grabbed his sword and quickly strapped it around his waist. His eyes landed on Zane’s perfectly made bed and anger surged through him. “He gets to have all the fun in his perfect fucking life.” Bishop muttered as made his way to the door. “Time to see what the fuck we are doing today with these half-demon fucks.” He walked out the door and threw his arm over his eyes. “Fuck whore bitch!” he shouted as the morning sun glared down at him.
Bishop lowered his arm, his squinted eyes adjusted to the sudden onset of light. He scanned the small village, a few of the villagers were wandering around the huts. Otherwise, it was still quiet. Bishop nonchalantly walked around the village, his hazel eyes constantly scanning his surroundings. The morning sun shone from Keira’s red hair. She was kneeling next to a small fire, holding a stick with some meat on it over the flames. Bishop walked up to her, surprised that Zane wasn’t with her.
“Hey, do you know where Zane is?” he asked.
“No,” she responded as she looked up at him, a flash of worry in her eyes. “I thought he was with you.”
Fuck, Bishop thought as he looked down at Keira. “Nope. He must have had a meeting with the angels or something,” Bishop muttered quickly, trying to keep Keira calm. “I’ll go check with Ryder.”
“Do you want me to come with?”
“No,” he responded quickly. The last thing I need is her following me around and pissing me off even more. Bishop thought to himself. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Just finish your breakfast and I’ll find you later.”
“Alright,” she responded softly as she returned her gaze to her food. “I’ll stay here, and you find me right away if something is wrong.”
“Will do,” he muttered as he turned and quickly walked away. Thank God she’s not following me, he sighed with relief as he made his way to Ryder and Kai’s hut. He approached the door quickly and banged his fist against the frail wood door that had been pieced together.
Ryder quickly opened the door. “What the fuck?” he shouted, his exposed torso quivering with anger. His light green eyes locked onto Bishop as he stepped to the side. “Come on in,” he muttered as he walked away from the door. “And let me get fucking dressed.”
Bishop chuckled as he followed Ryder into the small hut. Kai was sitting in the corner, fully clothed and ready to go. Ryder wandered around the hut, searching for his clothing. “Have a bad night?” Bishop asked sarcastically as Ryder picked up his shirt and quickly pulled it on over his head.
“You could say that,” Ryder muttered as Kai chuckled in the corner. “What the fuck do you want?”
“Have you seen Zane?” Bishop asked as he glanced over at Kai. “He never came back to our hut last night and Keira hasn’t seen him.”
“Fuck me!” Ryder shouted as Kai bolted to his feet.
“Didn’t Aria –” Kai’s eyes were filled with a mix of frustration and worry as he looked at Ryder.
“Yea,” Ryder responded angrily. “Of all the fucking things that could go wrong. I told her to stay away from him.” Ryder grabbed his sword and quickly strapped it to his waist.
“What’s going on?” Bishop asked wearily as Kai walked past him and opened the door.
“Don’t worry about it.” Kai smiled wearily as Ryder stormed through the open door. “We’ll take care of it. Just go wander and do… I don’t know. Human things.” Kai chuckled as he followed Ryder, letting the door slam shut behind him.
Bishop sighed wearily as he ran a hand through his brown hair. His eyes scanned the small hut while his mind replayed their conversation. What the fuck was he doing with Aria all night? he wondered as he left the hut and wandered around the small village, his mind filled with anger.
~~~~
All Ryder could see was red as he stormed out of the hut, Kai following close behind. “Why the fuck won’t she listen to me?” he shouted angrily as he made his way to the wood line.
“If it makes you feel better, she doesn’t listen to anyone.” Kai chuckled as he opened his stride, trying to keep up with him. “You knew they were meeting last night. If you were so worried about it why didn’t you follow her?”
“I… I didn’t think about it.” Ryder growled as he entered the wood line. “I was distracted with other things.”
“You mean how Myra called you out on your feelings for Aria?” Kai responded with a laugh. “I don’t see why you haven’t fessed up to it yet.”
“Drop it, Kai,” Ryder growled.
“Actually, I’m more surprised that Aria hadn’t figured it out for herself already,” Kai responded as he caught up to Ryder. “I think she’s too distracted to notice.”
Ryder growled as he lengthened his stride, his light green eyes scanning their surroundings. “Where the fuck did they meet?” he muttered as he went farther into the forest. Kai followed silently, his dark blue eyes searching their surroundings for signs of an attack.
Ryder came to a sudden halt and threw his arm out to stop Kai. A crater covered in ash lay before them. The trees around the crater had been burned, wisps of black flames had yet to dissipate. Zane was lying in the crater, his chest moving up and down with each breath he took. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Ryder shouted as he walked up to him and kicked him in the ribs.
Zane coughed as he rolled to his side, the kick jolting him awake. “What the fuck?” he muttered as his hands clutched his side. Ryder walked around him, his eyes searching for any sign of Aria.
“Where the fuck is Aria?” Ryder growled as his hand went to the hilt of his sword.
“Probably in her hut,” Zane growled back as he pushed himself up from the ground, his hands sinking into the black ash. “What the fuck are you doing out here?”
“Looking for you and Aria. Since no one could find you this morning.” Kai responded calmly as he stood next to Ryder, casually turning his body to block Ryder’s path to Zane.
“Aria’s missing?” Zane responded; his voice filled with surprise. “Why the fuck aren’t you looking for her?”
“Because we knew she was meeting with you,” Ryder growled. “Where is she hiding. She knows she’s not supposed to do anything else with you or else Michael will have to intervene.”
“Look,” Zane responded calmly as he held his hands up, the black ash falling to the ground. “Aria and I met last night, we talked, and she lef
t. That’s it.” He motioned to the area surrounding him. “She isn’t here.”
“Why the fuck are you still out here?” Ryder responded, his eyes still searching the area around them.
“I didn’t want to deal with Bishop.” Zane shrugged as he glanced at Kai. “Besides, it’s good to sleep outside every now and then. Very refreshing.” He smiled wearily as he turned towards the village. “Now, why don’t we go find Aria, since she’s clearly not here with me.”
Kai sighed with relief as he followed Zane back towards the village. “Come on Ryder. Maybe we should stop jumping to conclusions.” He chuckled as Ryder let out a soft growl, he examined the crater carefully, his eyes focusing on the black flames on the trees. With a sigh he reluctantly turned and followed them back.
Kai ran up next to Zane. “How did that crater get there?” he asked quietly, making sure Ryder wouldn’t be able to hear them.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Zane muttered. “It was already there. Must have been some weird shit the Red Horseman set up.”
“Uh-huh,” Kai responded with disbelief. “If you say so,” he sighed as he looked over his shoulder at Ryder, who was walking slowly behind them. “Let’s schedule another training session. We need to work on your control.”
“Control huh?” Zane chuckled as he focused on the path in front of them. “I’ve been hearing that a lot lately.”
“Which means it needs work,” Kai chuckled in response. “Just let me know when you are free, and I’ll make it happen.”
“Will do,” Zane muttered.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Earth
Aria sighed wearily as her eyes examined Myra, who was still sound asleep. The corruption is spreading faster than I thought it would, she thought worriedly, there must be something I can do to stop it. Maybe I should send a message to Laila. Aria opened her satchel and pulled out the Book of Whispers. She ran a finger along the spine of the book, her mind debating what the consequences would be. She glanced over at Myra, her breathing was shallow and would stop every now and then. I need to help her. Aria opened the front cover of the book and picked up the silver feather. She stared down at the yellowed parchment as she pricked her finger with the sharpened tip of the feather.
