by Tara Benham
“Tell me, Angel,” he snarled, the word sounding like it left a foul taste in his mouth. “How do you plan to keep Gray alive when I just saw Declan enter the little cave with your friends? Don’t look so shocked. I know all things. I knew there was a cave, and I knew you would use it to your advantage. Good thing for me, Sadie and Declan were able to trick you enough that you would trust them. So while you’re out here worrying about me, they’re on their way to do my deed for me.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t have to believe me for it to be true.”
I made an advance to head towards the falls, but he wasn’t going to allow it. “Ah-ah. No ma’am, you are not going to get in there. It’s me and you, Angel.”
“You can try to keep me out, but I doubt you’ll have much luck.” With another large movement of the earth, trees began to fall. Each tree falling caused the earth to shake even more and made maneuvering more treacherous. The water had slowed to barely a trickle. I glanced towards the opening quickly, but Hannah must have had them in the back part of the cave.
“I don’t have to try for long. Even as we speak, Declan and Sadie should be taking care of your friends.”
I swung full force at him. He dodged but not fast enough, and I nicked his arm. He bellowed in pain and covered the spot with his hand. Blood was seeping through his sleeve. The pain enraged him, and he made his move to attack. I needed to kill him quickly. I was good at changing my pattern thanks to the training with Hannah. Just as he was about to grab my midsection, I stepped to the side and knocked him across his back with the broad side of the sword sending him lunging forward. I wasn’t quick enough to jab him before he was out of the way. Just then, the water came flowing quickly back into the valley. The main quake was happening, and the river had reversed. The town would be flooding soon, and I still wasn’t sure about the valley. Meph pulled a knife from his boot, and he made another lunge toward me. A rumble caused the ground beneath me to crumble. I couldn’t move quickly enough, and he slashed my right arm, deep and close to my shoulder. It burned and caused me to drop the sword. I hadn’t thought to practice with my left hand, but I was going to have to learn fast.
“Give it up Angel. You’ll never be able to defeat me!”
“I don’t have to defeat you, just distract you long enough for this to be over.” I jumped to where the sword landed and lifted it with my left arm. It felt awkward and heavy. Instead of advancing this time, I backed away. If I could get him closer to the wooded area, I could use the trees to my advantage.
“BAYLA!” I turned to see Sadie limping towards me from the cave.
She had something in her hand. My other sword. Unfortunately, just with that split second of time, it was all Meph needed. He was on me before I could lift my sword knocking me to the ground, and we were rolling towards the trees. I was kicking and scratching with everything I had. The breath was knocked out of me when I landed against a tree with Meph on top. Sadie was hitting him but didn’t seem to be trying to actually kill him. He swatted at her, sending her backwards. This was all I needed to make a move. I gave a quick jab to his abdomen and rolled out from underneath him. Sadie helped me up, and we took off towards the woods.
We ran a ways before I felt it was safe enough to stop, and catch our breaths. One of my ribs must have been cracked when I hit the tree because breathing was extremely painful. “Sadie, what in Grace would make you yell my name?”
“I was trying to find you, and I didn’t see Meph at first. Declan is inside fighting off some other demon that Meph had placed in there. Just as I was running out to help you, Gray was knocked out.”
“Go help Declan. I don’t need your help. I need Gray to stay alive.”
“Declan sent me to bring this sword for you. He said this is the one you needed.”
“I have it, now go. See if you can help. NOW!” She jumped at my voice but took off. She was going the long way in hopes of avoiding Meph. I, on the other hand, had no intentions of running. I was waiting. He would find me, especially if he had another demon in the caves. He would want me. I wasn’t going to run.
“You disappoint me, Bayla.” I had to give it to him, he was fast. “I was expecting a chase.” He was leaning against a tree holding his side.
I held up the new sword in my left hand. “Sorry. I’m not one for running. Besides, I knew you would find me.”
“Why here, though? Not wanting an audience for the end?”
“According to you, there won’t be an audience. You said Declan was doing your dirty work. Too afraid to do it yourself, Meph? Been out of the game too long?” I could tell I had struck a chord.
A blaze of hatred filled his eyes. “It’s not going to work. My job is here with you, not in the cave.”
As he spoke, I was slowly moving backwards out of the woods. If he was as injured as he acted, I had a chance of getting to the cave without him. I could help Declan and Sadie. Meph was not the mission. Gray was. I took another step. The next step was on a branch, and I stumbled but was able to quickly regain my balance, just not quick enough. Meph must have put two and two together. He was moving towards the trees at a faster pace than he should have been if he was hurt.
I turned and took off. I needed to get to the cave. I needed to check on the group. As I exited the tree line, I glanced to my left and saw Meph. He was ahead of me but not by much. The ground was getting muddy from the increased water. I was slipping in the mud, struggling to catch up. I heard a loud crack and noticed a tree coming down behind me. I jumped to the left and kept running. I was still running, keeping an eye on Meph who peculiarly had stopped, and was taking a special interest in watching me. He wasn’t advancing towards the cave, and in my confusion, I faltered. His smile was the last thing I saw before everything went dark.
I surfaced to the feeling of being lifted. My wings seemed to be outstretched, and it felt good, less cramped. My consciousness seemed to go in and out, and I felt as if I was being carried. My body was limp, and my head felt heavy. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn’t. Something somewhere seemed to be urging me to glance up, and when I did I realized I was in someone’s arms. I just couldn’t make out their face. Finally, my eyes cleared enough, and I made eye contact with Meph. He was looking solemn. His pace was one of purpose. I was fading again, though, and just before I passed out again I heard my name being screamed in the distance. It was a painful sound, full of heartache. I took a deep breath and let go.
Sometimes it takes a good fall to really know where you stand. ~Hayley Williams
Hannah
We made it to the cave with relative ease. No one asked why we were running, or hiding for that matter, until Sadie and Declan showed up. As Declan tried to explain something to me, I noticed Sadie giving Gray a menacing glare.
“Is there something wrong, Sadie?” My mentioning her name made Declan turn his attention to her.
“Just a little disappointed that it’s going to be this easy.”
Just then she grabbed a sword that was propped against the wall and advanced towards Gray. Right before she struck him, Declan was able to block her. Her sword gashed his arm but he managed to knock her back. In the process, he knocked Gray back too. When Gray fell, he hit his head hard against the wall and lost consciousness.
“What are you doing?” Declan asked, taken aback at the sudden change of actions from Sadie.
“Completing my mission. It was too easy getting you and that Angel to believe me. I’ve been working with Meph this whole time. I lied about Haddy too. I always knew it was him.” She was back on her feet, looking like a nervous rat trying to find her way past Declan to Gray.
He rushed towards her. His swordsmanship was more advanced than hers, and before long, she was out of the cave and through the falls. He stood on our side of the falls for a while in case she decided to try to enter again. When he felt it was safe, he made his way over to where Everett and I were tending to Gray. He had a bump on his head, but his breathin
g seemed steady. Declan was helping us prop Gray up against the wall when we heard Sadie yell Bayla’s name. We looked at each other and quickly made our way towards the falls. We both sneaked out on opposite sides. Sadie was running towards Bayla, sword in hand. Declan started in their direction when Sadie did something that surprised us both. She seemed to be helping Bayla escape Meph. She helped Bayla stand, then they disappeared into the woods. Declan scanned the tree line, unsure if he should follow her or stay here with us. It was only a few seconds later when Sadie came flying back out of the trees, heading in our direction.
We quickly got back into the cave and made our way towards Everett, Alissa, and Gray. Declan had his sword in hand and was waiting for Sadie. Her eyes were mad and she didn’t even look like herself anymore. She was making a beeline for Gray. She moved in one direction and then feinted, turned and went in another. She made it past Declan and was close to Gray when Declan struck her from behind. She turned into a rubble of stone and just was decimated. He explained later that she wasn’t just killed, but had been erased. Angels and Demons cannot technically die. He told me to watch the group and handed me his sword. We were down to one, since Sadie had given Bayla the one Declan had hidden yesterday.
“I need you stay here. Bayla may need me. She looked hurt after that tumble with Meph, and who knows what Sadie did to her once they were in the trees. As far as Bayla knew, Sadie was on our side.” He shook his head angrily. “I cannot understand why she didn’t register to me as Rogue.”
“Declan, you can’t blame yourself for that. She had all of us fooled into thinking she was our friend this whole time.”
At the front of the cave the water, that had been flowing so hard we could barely get out just moments before, had nearly stopped. We were able to see the valley without leaving the cave. We could see trees falling everywhere, signaling that the earthquake was still going. We couldn’t really feel anything inside the cave. Bayla had mentioned that we probably wouldn’t. Declan was finishing his instructions on how to use the sword against Meph or any other demon when we saw movement. Meph was running from the tree line. Moments later, just a few yards south of him, Bayla exited the trees too. They seemed to be moving towards us. The ground had become muddy from the flood of water. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. We watched as the tree behind Bayla began to fall. We saw Bayla slip and yelled for her to get up yet knowing she couldn’t hear us. We watched in horror as she turned to see the tree coming down. She jumped to the side, but it wasn’t enough. We saw as a limb hit her and knocked her down. Declan jumped out on the ledge just as Meph picked up Bayla’s body. She looked broken and limp. We couldn’t tell if she was awake or not. She didn’t seem to be moving at all. Declan was frozen at first at the sight of Bayla being carried away, and then he went berserk. It took everything that Everett, Alissa and I had to hold Declan back. Declan was ready to go after her, but I knew we couldn’t let him go. Meph was too far away. Declan finally calmed down enough for us to release him when Meph was out of sight. He punched the wall of the cave before sliding down to the ground, sobbing. I wanted to join him. Bayla had saved us, and we hadn’t done anything to save her.
“She made me promise to keep everyone in the cave,” I said just barely above a whisper. “I had to swear to her that you and Gray would be safe.”
Declan’s sobs were slowing when Had appeared suddenly, a man I didn’t know with him. Declan quickly stood at the sight of him. It took him a moment to gather his composure. He seemed to blanch at the sight of Had, but quickly recovered and went and gave him a forceful hug.
“Where’s Bayla?” Had scanned the group after stepping back from Declan.
“She...she was taken.” Declan struggled to speak the words out loud.
“Taken? Where? By who?” Had’s panic was noticeable.
“Meph. He just carried her away. I just stood there and watch…” Declan’s voice cracked again.
“And you didn’t try to stop him?” Had yelled.
“We held him back. Bayla made me promise.” I said as the tears I had been fighting escaped as a sob.
“You couldn’t stop three human teenagers from holding you back? You are an angel Declan, for Heaven’s sake! You could’ve gotten free. You should have saved her. You have no idea what they will do to her. What is wrong with you?” Had was being held back by Father Paul.
“I’m sorry.” Declan repeated over and over between sobs.
“Everyone, let’s go to the top of the hill, please. Everett, Alissa, and Gray when he’s awake, there are some things I need to tell everyone. The earthquake is over, so it’s safe to head back up.” He made it sound like a request, but his actions led me to believe it was more of a command. His face was tight, like he was trying to hold back his emotions.
Everett helped Father Paul get Gray up and moving. He was still somewhat groggy, but with their assistance, he could walk. Bayla was successful in her mission, even if she wasn’t here with us. She had saved Gray from the earthquake, and from Sadie.
The climb up seemed almost foreign due to the change in the landscape. I hadn’t had time to prepare everyone for what they were going to see. We climbed in silence, and as we neared the top, I could see why the falls had slowed so much. The side of the hill that had been close to Bayla’s cottage was now gone. Even knowing what to expect, I was in shock. The town I had grew up in, my home, everything, was now underwater completely. Even the top of the church steeple was no longer visible. I sat down. Alissa was sobbing, Gray cursed, then quickly apologized to Father Paul. Everett seemed to be in shock.
“What do we do now?” I asked Father Paul.
“Well, I’m sure you should probably head up to wherever your parents are, Hannah. From there, they can help you make plans for the best course of action.”
“But who’s going to keep Gray safe? Won’t Meph or some other demon come back to complete their part? It can’t just be completely safe now that the earthquake is over. Gray is still alive, and whatever made him important to history is still depending upon his surviving past this.”
“Don’t worry about Gray. Take care of yourself. We will make sure you have a Blue with you. I’m not sure who will be assigned to you as a Watcher, but we will make sure Gray is safe as well as his children and children’s children. He is still vital to history. For now, go to your parents. Lucifer has something more important than Gray.” Father Paul’s words helped calm me.
A woman seemed to appear out of nowhere next to Father Paul. She looked upset and sad, but kind. “Father Paul.”
“Dabria,” he replied, he face solemn.
“Does my being tasked to collect the souls of those lost here mean what I think it means?”
Father Paul nodded solemnly. Dabria frowned, patted Father Paul on his back in sympathy, but didn’t stay around long. She went to Declan and thanked him for trying his best. He shook her hand, continuously apologizing for failing. He looked broken. I was afraid he might not ever be whole again. Gray came and sat on the ground beside me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in close.
“We have a lot to discuss, I suppose.” I said to him.
He nodded but didn’t seem in any rush to hear what I had to say. I could feel the shock starting to wear off and reality hitting me. My body was trembling. I had just watched Gray almost get killed and saw Bayla carried away by her enemy.
“Hannah, Declan, can you please come over here?” Father Paul called us over, sending Had to fill in the others on the basics of everything that happened today. “I need to tell you a few things before you take the group to Hannah’s parents in Ohio. First, Hannah, thank you for being of assistance to Bayla. She broke rules talking to you, but you did your best and were of great assistance. We were not aware that Sadie was in leagues with Mephistopheles until after speaking with Nathaniel. He stayed here longer than he had originally planned because of her presence. She fed Nathaniel the same tales she was telling you,” he pointed to Declan, “and Bayla. Sadie wa
s already Rogue before she met Mephistopheles, but enjoyed the extra power she got from being under his wings, so to speak. We also recently found out, after talking to a few other Fallens, that Mephistopheles was the leader of the Rogues. Those that were wreaking havoc without his permission were put onto a list for you to track down, Declan. However, Lucifer allowed those under Mephistopheles’ command to remain under the radar. That’s why Sadie didn’t set off any alarms for you.”
“Wait, who’s Nathaniel?” I was confused.
“Nathaniel was Oliver. He was sent to be Gray’s Watcher as he grew up. We were able to alter the memories of those around here to believe he had always been a part of the family, as not to raise any suspicions. We were afraid to let Gray be here alone.”
“Oliver wasn’t real?” The thought was heartbreaking. I hoped we wouldn’t have to tell Gray.
“Oliver was very much real. Everything that happened with him, all of your memories, are very real. He just wasn’t Gray’s actual brother. He didn’t ‘die’ either. He simply completed his mission and left. However, in your reality, he couldn’t just leave, so he had to create the story of being sick. His mission was to keep Gray safe. Gray was on the wrong path. Nathaniel made the decision with one of the Elders as to how to leave and ensure that Gray would change for the better.”
“Can we not tell Gray all of this?”
Father Paul nodded his agreement. “It would do no good.”
“Why didn’t Sadie try to kill Gray before today if she was really working with Meph this whole time?” Declan didn’t seem to understand any more than I had.
