by Lynn Landes
“Raphaim said you would come for him, blinded by your lust, but I must say I am shocked,” Nameed snaps.
When he steps forward, Elina ports out. She must get to Alex. Following the last image from Alex in her mind, she ports to the fountain. They do not try to stop her, they know where she is going.
“Alex!!!” No longer caring who hears her, Elina screams for her brother. The fountain is before her, suspended in frozen animation a single silver drop freezes midair. The stone child on top sinks into the level below, and so on until a great cracking is heard. It slides open, revealing stairs and Elina knows she is walking into a trap, but Alex needs her.
“Nooo! You must get to safety. This was a trap Elina, you are our only hope!” Alex screams in her mind.
Elina blocks his voice and runs down into the depths below, while the fallen watch from the shadows.
Nameed follows, soundlessly watching as the fountain closes above them.
Elina hears the chanting and knows they are in trouble. She calls for Malach and finds emptiness. She begins to pray to God, but finds she can’t utter the words because of the fear in the pit of her stomach. She has lived this nightmare before, except this time it is not a dream.
Elina steps into an enormous cavern with rows and rows of the Fallen, all stomping and chanting. “Kill him, Kill him, Kill Him!” The very mountain seems to breathe in time to the rhythm of their hatred. From her ledge, Elina looks down and screams!
Alex is kneeling on the rocky ground, with his head down and his wrists shackled. His bare chest is covered in bloody wounds which drip his essence onto the slick rocks.
“Brothers!” Raphaim says softly and the noise stops. The silence is immediate when he steps forward, holding the scroll. With a smile he points at Elina, “I told you she would come!” The Fallen cheer wildly, continuing their chant and fall silent at his raised hand.
“Did you think I had forgotten you, Elina?”
She starts to step forward, but Raphaim jerks Alex’s head back and puts a dagger to his throat. Alex’s brown eyes look at her with horror.
“NO!” he whispers, “Go, Elina!” he starts to struggle desperately.
Elina starts to run towards Alex, reaching for her power, but she is too late. She is alone and powerless.
Alex’s chest explodes as a small hand punches through from behind. It punches his heart out in a fountain of blood. Lexy leaps up from behind Alex, holding his still beating heart in her clawed hand. Her wings carry her over the top of the surrounding fallen and she squeezes the rich blood into the waiting mouths.
Elina hears a woman screaming as her vision tunnels focusing on Alex’s bloody body still upright from the shock. She is running as fast as her body will move towards him. She does not see the demons laughing as she reaches Alex’s side sliding on her knees in time to catch his now lifeless body. When the weight of Alex hits her, she realizes the screaming she hears is her own as she rocks her brother’s broken body in her arms.
Alexandria laughs wildly from above the Fallen and she feeds on the despair in Elina’s soul.
“NO, no, no….” she sobs endlessly.
Raphaim watches Elina and smiles.
“Finally!” he says to Elina, “You feel what I felt, losing my Rena! Well, almost…” he sighs circling her as Alexandria lands beside him.
“More Daddy?” she asks eagerly. He looks at her painted in the blood of their enemy and his pride shows.
“Yes, my sweet, more.” He replies, touching her cheek delicately. “Bring them forward!”
“I am sorry to tell you this, but I lost my self-control and killed your lover, Malach. I did however have the foresight to save these for you.”
Simeon walks slowly through the crowd and lowers Malach’s frost covered wings onto the floor beside Elina. He does not meet her eyes when she looks up at him.
She slowly reaches out to touch them, but the blood on her hand grabs her attention. Fascinated, she holds her hand up watching the bright red blood drip down her arm. A look down at Alex’s gray face and Elina begins to laugh at the absurdity of this situation.
Her laughter enrages Simeon. He backhands her across the face screaming, “You think this is funny, Keeper? Elsbeth took her own life and left me here, in this hell you created!”
Pain explodes in Elina’s face as she flies backward sliding across the rough ground. When he advances towards her again Raphaim stops him.
“Enough, the Keeper is mine.”
Simeon backs away, dejected. He wanted to see her as broken as he had become.
Raphaim grabs Elina by her hair and drags her back to the center, dropping her back at Alex’s side.
Elina looks up at him with her swollen, bleeding face, “You will never break me, demon. You have no power over me, you have killed everything that I loved. Kill me and be done with it.”
“Don’t you remember, Elina? I like to play with my food,” he leans down to bite her and Elina strikes at him. She jams her blood covered thumbs into his eyes, and kicks him back away from her.
A scream from behind has Elina spinning around on her back in time to see Lexy flying towards her. A kick sends her skidding across the floor into Alex’s body.
Jumping to her feet. Elina tries again to call on her power, to no avail.
The Fallen surround her and Kane smiles. “My turn Keeper!” as he throws a dagger at her chest.
Elina catches it and turns it on the nearest demon, slicing its throat open with a quick thrust.
Simeon joins the group and hears Raphaim say, “Keep her alive! Her blood is mine, and mine alone! Bring her to me when you are done.”
“Can I watch, Daddy?” Lexy asks with a hopeful look on her face.
“Yes, give me the scroll, Alexandria.” She hands him the scroll. They ignore the grunts and screams from Elina. A bloody knife skids across the floor, stopping at Lexy’s feet.
She picks it up and licks the blood off the blade, purring with contentment. Her black eyes close when she tastes the blood of the Keeper.
“Powerful isn’t it? We will have more, later. You did well today Alexandria. You have earned a treat. What shall we do?” he asks, smiling at her.
“Hunt! I want to hunt some humans! I’m starving!” she replies enthusiastically.
“You’re always hungry. I will return the scroll, you stay and watch. Tonight we will hunt.” He leaves looking at the scroll.
The sound of bone breaking draws Lexy’s attention. “Ouch, that’s gotta hurt.” The hoarse scream that follows the snap, confirms her suspicion and she jumps into the air hovering to watch. The Fallen cheer and chant longing for more blood.
Elina’s rage is no match for the powerful Fallen. She is able to cut a few, before the first bone splintering blow takes her off her feet. In her mind, she goes to a quiet place, longing for death. Her body no longer feels the blades slicing her or the strikes breaking her bones.
From her position on the floor, through the kicking legs, she can see Alex next to Malach’s wings, and she hears him ask, “Is that all you care about? What about humanity, Keeper?”
In that moment she knows true despair, she has failed them all. Her family, her people, humanity, and the angels. Where is her God now, she wonders?
“Enough!” A familiar voice cries out. Nameed moves forward, “He said to keep her alive.” He picks her up ignoring the blood and broken bones, and turns his face away in disgust.
Elina moans and blacks out from the pain as Alexandria drops in front of him and whines.
“I want a turn, Daddy said I could!”
Nameed turns and ignores the child heading for the prison cells below. The chanting above turns into a brawl as the Fallen start fighting for pieces of Alex’s corpse.
Lexy follows Nameed, intending to berate him, but something in his eyes warns her to back off.
“She must be tended to, before she dies or neither one of you will be able to play with her!” Nameed snaps back never breaking stride.
�
��Fine, but I’m hungry… I never seem to eat enough!” The smell of blood permeates the air and Lexy smiles a devious smile. “The new humans, Alex’s soldiers, can I have one of them, please Nameed?” she begs and pleads.
‘Sometimes she acts almost like a normal child,’ he thinks.
“They are trained soldiers, have a care with them. Do not play with your food or you could end up hurt,” Raphaim says joining them in the hall.
“Yes, Daddy!” she spins out and flies into the next cell.
Nameed enters a cell and places Elina’s broken body on a black rock table. He looks at Raphaim before he speaks. “Shall I let her die or do I heal her?”
“She deserves to suffer, as I have suffered. Heal her and call me when she awakens.” He leaves and goes to join his daughter.
Nameed sighs. Her breathing is irregular, probably broken ribs and internal bleeding he thinks. The swelling around her face, tells him that her skull is cracked. Her brain is probably swelling and she has multiple wounds from swords that have not stopped bleeding. This could take a while.
Chapter 9
“She is useless to me like this!” Raphaim rages. “I need to know where the other parts of the book are! The pen is useless unless we have the whole book.”
“Elina’s body is healed but her soul is broken. Even I can’t heal that.” Nameed says, staring at the pathetic creature who was thought to be the savior of humanity.
She lays on the floor, no longer seeing anything around her. The only escape to be found was in the astral plane. In a final attempt to free herself, she left her body and found a starless heaven, void of any light.
For days, she searched looking for other souls. Once she thought she saw a glimmer of light, but it leads back to her empty body. Staring down at the woman on the table, Elina feels sorry for her. She no longer cares if she returns to her body, why should she? They will simply torture her more and she is through being their punching bag!
“Elina,” a musical voice calls to her in the void. Her head snaps around and she follows the voice without hesitation. A bright light flickers like a candle, drawing her to its radiance. “Elina!” the voice calls urgently.
“Mom?” Elina calls back. Ruby flickers to form and holds out her hand. Elina reaches for her hand and is pulled gently into a loving embrace. She holds her daughter and waits patiently for her to calm her sobs.
“How, are you here? I don’t understand?” Elina asks, looking at her noticing that her light flickers on and off.
“I won’t have much time, Elina. You must listen carefully, I need to know where the two remaining parts of the book are?”
Elina steps back and looks intently at her mother. “Why? It is too late to save humanity. They have won. I failed us all!”
“No! Even now, you can help! Tell me where they are, Elina. I can help you.” Ruby says beginning to grow louder.
“I don’t know where they are. If I knew I…” Elina starts to say, but Ruby grows angry.
“That is a lie, Elina! Haven’t you hurt enough people! Your father is dead, your brother, even your beloved Angel!” The truth of her words slices Elina deeper than any sword. Dropping her head in shame, she whispers, “I’m sorry.” Weeping, she turns to float away but she is grabbed from behind.
“Sorry isn’t good enough! I need the book! Tell me where it is?” Ruby’s voice begins to deepen and her light flickers on and off, as her anger grows.
“Go away, Demon.” Elina snaps. “I cannot give you what you seek! I don’t have it anymore. My connection is lost because...”
“No! You will tell me where the book is!” Raphaim rages shaking free of the image he held. He grabs Elina by both arms and drags her back to his hell, slamming her spirit back into her body.
Elina wakes inside her body screaming and pulling against the chains that hold her. “What more do you want from me!!! I am broken, Raphaim! I am lost! My God has left me! I failed us all! I failed us all!
“Ahhh, poor little girl! You are such a fool!” Raphaim says, walking over to her with a laugh! “Your God never left you, you left him! Even I can see that!” He holds her head still and looks into her turquoise eyes as she falls silent.
“You have allowed your lust, greed, and pride to blind you to the facts,” Raphaim snarls at her.
“You are a demon! What do you know?” Elina says, jerking her head away from his grasp.
“Exactly, who knows more than the great, Keeper? If you won’t listen, then I will show you! Alexandria!”
Lexy steps out from the shadows and stares at Elina. With no pity, she leaps into the air and flaps her lacy wings to float above Elina. She reaches down grabbing her face with both hands.
As the daughter of a keeper and a demon she has immense power. She takes Elina’s mind and pours into it, every moment of her past. She sifts through the memories and shows her all the moments she should have listened to her Father, but instead chose to go her own way.
Then she shows her the consequences of those choices, how her family died in a fire. Elina feels the fire burning the flesh from their bones, the screams silenced by the smoke and flames.
Next she shows Elsbeth, her friend, backing away from Simeon, sobbing when he comes to her in his fallen form. Unable to bear the sight of him fallen, she leaps to her death. The oncoming subway train is too close for him to stop her. Unable to heal her, she dies in his arms.
Alexandria does not stop there, she shows her Varena’s death when Raphaim comes to take the baby from her. She fights Kane, with all the power of a Keeper, but no control. She burns her body up from the inside out, unable to channel that much power.
Then just when Elina thinks she can take no more, she sees Malach’s beautiful face and his green eyes begging her to run. Forced to use his gifts to protect her, he cannot defend himself against the onslaught of the fallen that surround him. He dies a miserable death not willing to give up the information they seek. As if that is not enough, she feels every blow, punch, and stab as though she were one with him.
Lastly, she sees humanity, running and screaming from an enemy they can’t see. The shadow demons seep in from every corner. Joined by the fallen angels, released onto the earth to have their revenge. The demons hunt and kill as many humans as possible. The military tries to respond and soon discover their weapons are a joke.
Forced to go into hiding, humanity begins to form small bands of resistance. Some join keepers and begin to fight back, but they too are being pursued and captured. Through it all, Raphaim seeks the one thing he can’t find. The Keeper.
Elina’s tears dry up and Lexy hovers above her and releases her face. “Now can I, Daddy?” Lexy asks with her fangs elongated. She smells the powerful blood pumping through Elina’s body and her mouth salivates at the thought.
“No, leave us!” he snaps.
“Fine!!” In a blink, she disappears porting to the cell next door. Wet screams can be heard as she tears another victim apart in a blind temper tantrum.
Raphaim releases the chains holding Elina to the rock slab. Elina looks at him, shocked by her sudden freedom. With a wave of his hand a table and chairs appear with fresh water. He walks forward and offers his hand to her.
“Let’s try this another way, Elina. Truly, we should be allies. We are both Fallen after all. I understand you are shocked, and shamed, maybe even a little humiliated, by your failures, but we can turn things around, together.”
Elina sits up and listens to his words. Her heart is broken and her soul is lacerated. She can’t think with the images crowding her mind. As the blood rushes through her body, she sways and presses her hands to her temples. “Fallen?” she whispers, “am I fallen now?”
“Here, drink this.” Raphaim says, pressing a frosty cold glass of ice water into her hand. Elina accepts the glass and finds she is too weak to hold it by herself. Raphaim steps closer and assists her.
She swallows the water gratefully, and sighs with relief as it slides down her throat to her sta
rving organs. With a snap of his fingers the glass disappears. Gently he encourages her, and guides her to a chair. On wobbly legs, she lets him assist her and sits down.
“Elina, you have to accept that things are different. Your destiny and mine are intertwined, they always have been.” He reaches out and takes one of her hands, “Join me! Together we will reform a world, where no one gets judged and we can be free to make our own choices. Wouldn’t you like to be free?” he asks vehemently.
Elina nods her head and looks up into his black eyes. “Free from your lies! I WILL NEVER JOIN YOU DEMON!!! I AM A DAUGHTER OF THE LIGHT!” She screams at him, the shock on his face has him jerking back from her.
She jumps up on shaky legs and raises a fist to her tormentor, “You will never have me, DEMON! I am free!”
Instead of the fury Elina expects, she finds pity in his eyes. “Don’t you see? You are no longer a Daughter of the Light, Elina. Look around, seek your God. Do you feel him with you?”
Slowly, she backs away from him and turns away from the truth, she sees glaring back at her. Barely able to stand now, horror is crashing down on her and Elina wonders: Where is her God now? He is always with her?
“Only I can set you free from your sin. The path you have chosen to walk, makes you a slave to him. I am offering you true freedom from the bonds of wickedness,” he quotes from the bible, “I can undo the chains that hold you. Together, Elina, we can let the oppressed go free and break every yoke.” She turns to face him once more.
“You are nothing but a thief, Raphaim. You know only destruction. The path you offer leads to one destination, eternal destruction.”
Excited by the open dialogue he steps closer, hoping to convince her.
“Wrong! I have studied your bible, Elina and I tell you there is another way. If you tell me where the parts of the book are we can level the playing field. Right now, your God has, the advantage over all of us. Angels are his slaves, worker bees, if you will.” He passionately explains.
“They want more than to live in servitude for all of eternity. Can’t you see that? Surely one who has lived her entire life serving one master can understand the desire for more? What about a normal life, love, and family? Can you have that on the path you are on? Have you ever had that?” he asks with understanding in his eyes.
