The Divine Fallen

by Lorena Beaver

  That’s new. Why would they bring this much water now after all this time?

  I began to run realizing that I only had a small window of time to get out of the cave or God knows the next time they would come back.

  I was about twenty feet from the door when the guard walked out and began closing the gate again.

  No!

  I began to push at people, but the crowd all moved for the barrels off to the left making it easier for me to move through the crowd without a soul seeing me.

  Don’t close the door. Don’t close the door!

  “No!” I yelled as I dived at the door. I closed my eyes expecting to feel cold metal against my forearms but instead my elbow smashed against the edge of the gate then I hit the hard stone ground. I kept the pendant pressed into my hand until I heard the grinding of metal and rock stop and the footsteps fade.

  Slowly I lifted my head looking over my shoulder. “Holy crap!”

  I rolled over onto my back. I stared at the metal bars and desperate people still behind the bars. “I made it!”

  That’s when the pain hit me.

  “Son of a—” I yelled cupping my elbow in my hand laying down on the cold stone floor.

  Ugh, now what?

  CHAPTER NINE - ABIGAIL

  My breath came hard, burning my chest as I tried to take in as much oxygen as I could. It felt as if I was breathing for the first time again. My eyes stung as I tried to open them. Everything was white; a vast change from the black that I last remember. I tried to anchor my hands under myself to sit up but before I had the chance to try I felt four hands on my body, lifting me.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “You’re safe.”

  I could hear the different voices. I brought my hands to my eyes trying to rub the brightness from them. I blinked, looking up. The same six women and men from when I first arrive with Jo stood around the bed I was now—somehow—sitting in.

  I’m still in the City of Spirits. I’m not dead. How am I not dead?

  Slowly I pulled my stiff legs closer to my body crossing them in front of myself.

  “What—what happened?” My voice was rough in my throat as I took a quick glance around the group, waiting for an answer. “Okay? Who are you?”

  “We’re the council.”

  “I’m sorry, but can you please explain?” I asked trying to keep my tone from going icy.

  “We’re witches. We make up the council for the city.”

  “Is the Alpha here?”

  What does that mean? Why did I say that? Did I read that somewhere before?

  They all laughed.

  I didn’t say anything funny.

  “Oh no. But she knows you’re here. She’s very grateful that you brought Jo back to us,” the woman with the long orange hair answered.

  Jo.

  “Where is Jo? I need to see her,” I said trying to climb from the bed.

  They all bowed their heads, humming low. I stopped looking around at them.

  “What—what happened? Where is she?” I asked, fear taking over my body.

  The two men turned first before the women turned. The orange haired woman took my arm and lifted me from the bed. “Follow us.”

  “Can you just tell me what’s going on? What happened? And why I’m here?”

  It was pointless. None of them answered. They kept a comfortable pace as they led me through a building that was made completely of white marble. The sun that came flooding through the windows making the marble sparkle. We reached a large set of doors—ones like at Ether Palace—only these were white marble like the rest of the building. The men pushed at the doors moving them with ease. The women led me—now leading the group—through the doors. The men caught up easily after closing the doors. The large tree stood about a hundred feet away. Something white laid under the tree. My arm tingled. I watched a leaf fall from the tree. I looked down at my arm to see the same thing happen.

  “No.” I breathed. Now about twenty feet away I realized what laid under the tree and I didn’t want to believe it. “Jo?”

  I pulled my arm from the woman pushing through them to drop by her side. “Jo. You can’t be.”

  Tears filled my eyes as I stroked her hair. I knew it was going to happen but it still hurt just the same.

  “Abigail, you need to listen to us,” I looked up at the woman with orange hair who stood on the other side of Jo. “She knew what she was doing. She wasn’t going to make it anyway. The Spirits kept her alive as long as they could. She’s with them now.”

  “Where do I go now?” I asked placing my hands in my lap.

  “You need to leave. We think we have reached Ryan. Go find him. It could be the first step in saving Ether.”

  “Where is he?”

  “We are not sure. We can’t even be sure that he understood our message but if he did the Spirits will lead you two together. Once you find him you need to come back here. Jo can’t be laid to peace until you do. Ryan has the final piece.”

  “What about Chase?”

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself. One thing at a time, my dear. So this first. We still haven’t been able to feel Chase. Go to Ryan,” she said.

  “We will let you have a moment alone with Josephine but then you must leave.”

  I looked down at Jo as the men and women walked off in different directions.

  “I’m so sorry, Jo,” a tear fell from my cheek. Even though I knew I would lose more people along the way it still hurt. Made the pain of missing people worse. She was the first human being I had a real conversation with since The Battle. “I’ll be back. I promise. Please don’t lose hope in me. In Ryan. And Chase too.”

  That’s when the raven landed beside me. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Hi, Charlie. Keep Jo company, will ya?”

  He crowed.

  I smiled, wiping the tears from my face. “Okay,” I stood turning away from Jo, Charlie, and the tree starting my journey back to Ether City.

  This could be a step closer. I just have to keep my mind clear. Can’t lose focus now. Remember: breakdown later.

  ***Ryan***

  I opened my eyes from a sleepless nap to afraid to stay in one place much longer.

  Someone must be able to see me. It has been two days though.

  I pushed myself from the cold stone, keeping the pendant tight in my hand.

  I bet when I finally let go—whenever that will be—the tree is going to be embedded into my palm for days.

  I looked down at my right arm, even though I couldn’t see it, I rubbed my hand over my mark of Owl.

  “Where are you, buddy?” I whispered. Looking up, my breath caught in my throat. Aaron walked past. He was so close that I could feel the wind that was given off from his cloak. He stopped right in front of me—only inches away from me. He looked around, turned.

  Oh. My.

  It was like he was staring into my soul. I held my breath and kept my mind blank. Aaron looked over his shoulder then turned to his left continuing to the dark stone hallway about fifteen feet away.

  When I was sure he was far enough down the hall I let out a large gust of wind. I squeezed my hand around the pendant. “I did not sign up for this. Thank god for this thing.”

  Time to go.

  I took off not thinking about it anymore. I was getting out today.

  ***

  I felt as though I was walking in circles. I must have been here before. Finally, though, there was something different. Coming up another staircase I came across the view of two guards standing on either side of a metal door. I stopped, staring. Something didn’t feel right about it.

  You’re in Limbo, Ryan. Nothing is going to feel right.

  I stayed though. Waiting to see if anything would happen. Just in case. I was shaken from my trance when three guards came up from the stairs behind me.

  “Should we start at the doors first?”

  “We’ll go up first. I’m sure there’s nothing going on up there. Now that everyone is d
own here.”

  The three men laughed.

  Up there? Are they talking about Earth?

  It was the closest I have come to finding my way out in two days.

  Even though they couldn’t see me I moved to the side until they walked past. Once they passed the two guards standing by the metal doors they all nodded.

  Go, Ryan. Go.

  I kept a good ten feet between us just in case, God knows what’s going to happen. I always had to be ready. They easily guided me through the halls of Limbo, making ignorant and impudent comments about Ether and its people.

  You probably don’t even know what you just said means.

  I rolled my eyes. As we got to what looked like a dead end of a hall two of the men pushed a set of stone doors opened that blended in perfectly with the walls. I took a few quick steps getting as close as I dared to them making sure not to miss my chance of getting through without being detected.

  The doors almost hit me when I realized that the small doors lead into a room that must have had ceilings twenty stories high. I could hardly see the other side of the room and if I looked to my right I couldn’t make out where the room actually ended. I would guess about halfway down the room though there was a large platform with stairs leading up to it on three sides. On the platform, there was a chair—

  Throne?

  —that could, from this distance anyway, looked as if it could fit at least three people. There were guards walking around the perimeter of the room and also walking in a grid-like formation, making sure they covered the whole room. I looked at the original route to see that the three guards were already halfway across the enormous room.

  “Oh.” I took off after them. Reaching the other side of the room there was a door that was directly across from where the platform was. I successfully made it through these doors without trouble but froze when they closed and was in complete darkness. The men continued to joke and laugh, not being bothered by the sudden lack of light. I ran my hand along the wall so I wouldn’t fall trying to keep up with the other men.

  “Could you slow down a bit?” I growled, but as I said this the sound of grinding metal and a small ray of light appeared. They had thirty steps on me. As they lifted the door enough to peek their heads out I doubled up on the stairs, closing the gap in no time.

  Why are you standing so close? Open the other door or something. Or even better, move!

  One step separated me and the men. One of the guards began back down the stairs. I pushed myself up against the wall just in case, afraid of being caught.

  “Come on, there’s nothing up there.”

  The man holding the door open began to step down bringing the door with him. I jumped. I felt the cold wet leaves under me then a sharp pain shoot up my leg. I bit my lip trying not to scream in pain, gripping the pendent tighter. I looked over my shoulder to see that the large metal door laying on my left leg not allowing it to close all the way.

  “Hey.” I heard one of the men say.

  The door was lifted again and I pulled my body against the ground, tucking my legs as close to my body as I possibly could.

  “Just try it again.”

  The door came crashing down again this time the sound of metal on metal echoing off the forest floor.

  Son of a bitch!

  I held my leg in my hands.

  You had worst injuries. Get up. Keep going. Come on Ryan.

  I took a deep breath pushing myself to my feet. I had to shake out my leg. There was still pain but it didn’t take long for me to set a brisk but comfortable pace; remembering the way to Ether with ease. When the stairs finally came in view I threaded my head through the chain, letting go of the pendant, hiding it under my shirt.

  Did I really just escape Limbo? Did that really just happen? How did that happen?

  I was so caught up in my excitement and confusion that I didn’t realize that I was standing in front of the stairs to Ether and something was coming into focus on them. I put my hand to my chest ready to grab the pendant when the blurry figure stopped.

  “Ryan?”

  That’s when the figure came into focus, flying towards me.

  “Ab-Abigail?”

  “Is it really you?” she asked, tears welling up in her eyes. “What was the first thing I ever said to you? The very first thing.”

  “Excuse me. You were trying to get my attention. I was doing my rounds around the Palace and you couldn’t find the library,” there was no way I could ever forget that.

  She laughed, throwing her arms around my neck. I didn’t even have to test her I knew it was her. I could feel it. I wrapped my arms around her waist pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.

  “I—I can’t believe it. They were telling the truth. The Spirits did it!”

  “I never thought I was going to see any of you again. Hey, wait. What?” I asked pulling away, holding her at arm’s length. “What did you say about Spirits?”

  “Spirits. The City of Spirits,” She sniffed, wiping a hand over her cheek. “Um, a woman named—”

  “Jo?” I asked, hoping that she would say yes.

  “Jo? You know her?”

  I let out a relieved breath pulling the pendant from under my shirt.

  “Hey! The tree! My tree! That’s in the City of Spirits. You should see it!”

  “Jo said that.”

  “I can’t believe this,” Abigail smiled.

  “The only thing that would make this moment better was if Chase was here.”

  She lowered her gaze.

  “Even Owl.”

  “You don’t know where they are either then,” she said looking back up at me.

  I shook my head. “No, but most of Ether is in a cave somewhere in Limbo.”

  Her face twisted. “A cave?”

  “Yes. A big hole down in Limbo somewhere. I have no idea how to get there even though I just came from there. I should have paid more attention. But at least we know where most of Ether is right?”

  “Did you see my parents down there?”

  “There missing too?”

  She nodded.

  I shook my head.

  “We need to get back to the City of Spirits. Jo needs to be laid to rest.”

  “She’s dead?”

  Abigail nodded. “She saved my life. Men—I’m assuming from Limbo, was dragging her through the forest. I thought I could take them on. Save her, you know? I was wrong. She saved us. Then she led me all the way to The City then performed her last spell with some other witches. Well, I’m assuming that’s what they were doing, I’m not completely sure. I thought I was dying.”

  “What happened?”

  “We need to move. We’ll talk as we walk. There’s too much we have to figure out.”

  I nodded, waving my hand towards the stairs. “Can we get some food first though? I haven’t eaten in days.”

  She placed her hands on her stomach. “That makes two of us. I’m not sure how much food we’re going to find in Ether, though. I can’t seem to find anything at all there.”

  I laughed as we began up the stairs. “You just don’t know where all the good hiding places are.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Really. You just wait, my friend,” I smiled.

  “We’ll see.”

  For a moment everything almost felt okay. It almost felt that everything was going to get better. But then I remembered that Chase wasn’t here to make some comment about something I have said. And the fact that Ether—my city—is going to be completely different when I get up there scared me.

  As if she could read my mind Abigail placed a hand to my shoulder. “I miss him too. We’ll find him though. We’ll find everybody and take them home. Owl, Chase, Michael, my parents, my brother, Ether, everyone. I promise. We can do it. Somehow we’ll get everyone back. We’ll find Chase.”

  CHAPTER TEN - RYAN

  “Come on. It’s right through the rocks.”

  “The rocks?”

  “Just follow me, o
kay?” Abigail waved her hand forward.

  As we entered the small space between the two mountains I distinctively looked up, afraid that loose rocks might come to fall from hundreds of feet above my head.

  “We’re almost there.”

  “Are you sure? It looks like it goes on forever,” I replied looking ahead to see no end in sight.

  “Are you really questioning me after two days of walking?”

  She had a point. “No.”

  “It should—” Abigail stopped as the rock face on either side disappeared and faded into a field of bright green grass and clear blue skies.

  “Whoa!” I breathed.

  “I know. That’s what I said,” Abigail nodded looking over her shoulder at me. “Look at that.”

  Down the path—even from this distance—I could see the tree. “Is that it?”

  “Yep,” She nodded starting down the path. “I think it might be the center of the city, kind of like the fountain in Ether.”

  “But it’s the tree?”

  “Yeah,” She nodded. “I guess.”

  “Why is it here?”

  “Do you think I know the answer to that question, Ryan?”

  “Well, maybe,” I shrugged.

  “Well, no,” She mocked. “I didn’t even know this existed until I got here.”

  The closer we got the better I could make out its shape and with every step, my level of amazement rose. I reached down pulling Abigail’s right arm up. “Holy crap. You’re right!”