Against the Fallen

by Devin Lee Carlson

  Another curse burned my ears. Curious, I stole a quick glance at Sabree and turned away to choke back an outburst of laughter. A few snorts escaped instead. All that was left of Sabree’s pants was the waistband around his hips. Steam rose from his hair and shirt, no longer wet. “Good thing you wore skivvies. Good thing he sent us back. My tablets melted.”

  “Aye, good thing.” His mockery as thick as the Scots brogue, Sabree shook his head in disgust, refusing to spend another minute outside. Without even a whispered farewell, he misted into the mansion.

  “Coward,” I said to no one. My thoughts returned to Athorsis, who this time, had volunteered more information than usual. Certain the archangel disclosed enough intel to appease his agenda, my stomach knotted. Who was this Athorsis trying to fool? Not even the Dark One could imprison me. Unfortunately, unlike the portal universes where I could absorb unlimited resources from the stars, I was always stuck on physical worlds. I’d never get over my dependency on the Colton tablets.

  An aha moment made my mind reel. I almost missed the magic carrot dangling in front of my face: create a new and improved batch of Colton tablets more potent and longer lasting than the original formula. This task top priority, I’d figure out the dosage if it took me all eternity. Maybe Ariane would help when she returned.

  42

  MILLIONS OF ZOMBIES

  A s Zoeree and Azrian grew up together in the mansion, Serine educated them in the same fashion she taught their parents. Easy access to vast knowledge enriched Azrian’s mind with boundless wisdom; yet, his heart craved a mother’s love to fill the empty void. He wished he could have met her. Azumi Tsukino died at childbirth. To be precise, he had killed his own mother. Online searches offered little information. Perhaps one day, he’d visit his grandparents.

  To add to his emotional misery, Zoeree crushed on him. Malakhim customs permitted such pairings; however, humans shunned relationships between close relatives, especially first cousins. Neither custom dictated her desire; however, he was the main obstacle. He treated her like a younger sister. She wished he’d wise up, but the nerd in him preferred to study and read instead.

  Her frustration rocketed when he asked Serine to increase his education, double up on humanity, philosophy, and theology studies. His father treasured the way he embraced his human side. Zoeree teased him, insisting his excessive learning would empower him to someday rule over humanity. What a crazy head.

  “What are you reading now, little man?” The nickname she dubbed him had endured because he was shorter by three inches. She leaned in to read the spine. “War and Peace? Why is it all about war with you? Plan to rule Earth someday?”

  Here we go again. A heavy sigh announced his weariness. Azrian closed the heavy book and tossed his head, the silky mop inherited from his mother. “Let’s just say, humanity is in a pickle. Between terrorism, over population, economical breakdown, climate changes, and super bugs, it doesn’t look promising.”

  “So, says you.” She edged her backside into the spot next to Azrian and squeezed him over. Much to his dismay, the recliner easily fit two. “Do you want to be their savior?” His laughter brought heat to her cheeks. “Not funny. The Caderen strictly forbid the Fallen to get involved with human policies. That includes you and Uncle Brian.”

  Where was she going with this? Azrian scooched closer to his side of the recliner. “Pop’s too busy with clan policies to care about human issues. I care because we have to share this world. Why sit by and let them destroy it?”

  “You care because Serine loaded your intellect with garbage, the worst of human propaganda. Uncle Brian would shit a brick if he heard your boasts about ruling the world.”

  The recliner nearly shot backward when Azrian leapt from his seat. His face heated, he knew the coloring in his cheeks flushed. “I never planned any such thing. I just want to help. Pop and I can escape into the portal and live on any world while you and the rest of the exiled Fallen are stuck here. I’m not the desperado. You’re all doomed to spend eternity on Earth. You and millions of zombies.”

  “How can you absorb so much knowledge and still have an infatuation with such silly monsters? Zombies indeed.” Zoeree shot off the recliner and flicked his nose, adding to the glow. “Uncle Brian would never abandon us. He’d find a world we could all live on and take us there.”

  “Pop doesn’t owe the Caderen anything. They owe him, and now they’re threatening to prosecute your mum because of her delusional parasitosis.”

  Zoeree huffed her displeasure. “Go ahead, crack jokes about my mom’s infatuation with the insect world. Uncle Brian won’t allow it, so there.” She ran out of the room.

  “You can come out now, Uncle Sabree,” Azrian called out to the recliner in back.

  3 3 3

  Sabree rose from his seat near the fireplace. Like his father, apparently, Mini-Me had sensed his presence thanks to the A-factor. He’d make sure to warn Brian about it. Azrian relied on the A-factor more often as he developed into a young adult. However, like the rest of the Fallen, Zoeree never sensed him. “Women,” Sabree whispered. Besides the ability to sprout wings and enter the portal at will, he marveled at how Mini-Me had also inherited Turian’s gift of translation. “Zoeree takes after her mother—hot headed.”

  “The only hots she has is for me. I keep pushing her away, but she just doesn’t get it. I think of her as a sister and nothing more. I won’t make the same mistake Pop made with my mum.”

  Tangled in Wayde’s deceitful web, sweet innocent Azumi had bitten off more than she could chew when she agreed to seduce Brian. His virgin friend retaliated by biting off more than he should have chewed. Unlike Azrian’s naïve, trouble-magnet father, Sabree admired this youngster, and thought him overly cautious, perhaps too much for his young age. Wisdom embedded his mind, but too much knowledge wasn’t necessarily a good thing without life experiences.

  As for Zoeree’s infatuation, Sabree preferred the platonic relationship between the two. So did Brian. He squeezed Azrian’s shoulder. “You worry too much for a three-year-old soul. Humans have managed themselves out of worse predicaments.”

  “Zombies are a nuisance; humans are the genuine danger.”

  Like his father, Azrian watched too much TV. Between The Walking Dead and The 100, no wonder he had such a negative outlook. Also worried humanity was on the verge of hopelessness, Sabree hated to sugar-coat it. Brian had better start looking for another place to live. The Azores came to mind if another world wasn’t feasible. “Zombies indeed.” Sabree chuckled on his way out. Like father, like daughter, Zoeree had voiced the same comeback.

  In the hallway, eager to find Brian and give him the latest update on his son, Sabree stood still, cocked his head to one side, and listened. Had he imagined the rumble, the jostle of knickknacks that lined the hall shelves? In answer, the lights flickered. Could Azrian direct his resentment into physical energy? Sabree glanced inside the library only to see Mini-Me engrossed in his book. His damned imagination had switched to overdrive thanks to Brian’s nemesis, Athorsis. Sabree closed his mind to the name, fearful the archangel would make an unwanted appearance.

  A second rumble knocked a vase off the shelf. The clatter made him sidestep to avoid the broken shards. Another glance at Azrian confirmed he was still reading, unaware of the disturbance. Sabree stared into the library, the room rocketing from sight as if someone pulled the scene away from him. As it telescoped outward, color changed to black and white, no longer 3D, no longer real. The hollowness inside his gut plummeted, leaving numbness behind. The library door slammed shut.

  “Wait! Let me in.” Sabree grabbed the knob and rattled it. Sweat beaded across his forehead. Knuckles turned white as his fingers dug into the doorframe.

  “Ahem,” a voice rang out. “I have someone for you.”

  Sabree squeezed his eyes shut, fearing the worst. “Brian, I need you.” His friend’s telepathic response never came. He had to face the adversary on his own. Sabree spun around. His jaw
dropped.

  Before him, stood the most exquisite woman he had seen in ages. His eyes widened. “Ariane?” Robes of golden and plum silk glittered with inlayed rhinestones layered her feminine form. Brunette locks, thick and lush, fell to her waist. Amber eyes glowed like luminescent gems, full of peace and contentment. “Ariane Rose.” Sabree forgot about Athorsis and pulled her into his arms. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  Ariane returned his embrace and held him tight. “I’ve missed you even more.”

  3 3 3

  How could a few days make up for a decade? Ten years lost. Athorsis had blessed Ariane with only one day to get to know her daughter, already an adult. The bastard, the obnoxious archangel delivered her three years too late. On purpose for sure.

  As luck would have it, a new problem cropped up. Jesse urged them to meet him in Kayenta. When the agent from the HFA requested their attention, they all listened. Ariane planned to make it a surprise visit. For now, while she had some free time before they left for Arizona, she asked Zoeree to join her in the maze.

  For nearly an hour, Ariane sat on the bench and kept her eyes on the gate, watching for her daughter. They had dined briefly at breakfast, both stealing glimpses of each other as though strangers. “We are,” she whimpered to no one.

  “We are what?” Sabree asked. He had misted inside the garden to keep her company, offered to soothe her fears about Zoeree’s acceptance.

  “Strangers.” She glanced up at him as he continued to pace. “Do you still feel uncomfortable around me?” Ariane patted the seat next to her.

  “Maybe Zoeree saw me and skipped out. I don’t blame her since I refused her request, making her wait for you.” He sat, his hands clasped together as he twirled his ring. “Everything’s falling apart. I wish we could start over.”

  “We may have to if what Jesse says is true.” Ariane leaned into him and wrapped her hands around his. “You didn’t fail her, I did—Athorsis did. He stole our time together.”

  “Except for sending you to Harmonyville,” Sabree said. “We should hold the ceremony after we find out what Jesse wants.”

  “I’d like to wait until we take care of this latest crisis. Damn it, they’re already lining up. We can’t leave everything up to Brian. He’s done enough. Selflessly takes care of us. I never appreciated him before…before I healed. He should still hate me for implanting those tracker stones inside Azrian and him. Inexcusable.”

  Ariane sat up. “She’s coming. Quick, get lost.”

  Sabree misted out of sight but not out of earshot.

  Ariane waved when her daughter smiled her way. The gesture seemed exaggerated.

  Zoeree skipped the rest of the distance and sat beside her. “What’s up?”

  Her daughter inherited so many of Sabree’s features, lovely to gaze upon. This conversation would hurt her more than her daughter. Ariane hoped. “I have so much to share with you now that I returned from a ten-year hiatus of studies beyond belief. Earth compares very little to what I’ve seen and learned in Harmonyville. You will be blessed with knowledge beyond your years. You’ll surpass Azrian.” Ariane nudged Zoeree’s arm when her daughter giggled.

  “Azrian will be so jealous. Can we hold the ceremony this weekend? That leaves me enough time to invite everyone, pick out a dress, and hire a caterer. Let’s order tons of sweets.”

  The knot in Ariane’s stomach tightened. Disappointment was sure to follow. “Something has come up. We have to postpone it.”

  Zoeree stood up to confront her mother. Her eyes formed slits. “Wait? Are you serious?” She stomped toward the gate, kicked it, and then spun back around. “No! I refuse to wait any longer. Nothing is more important.”

  “More important than you? No, nothing is, but we may face certain danger if we ignore the threat.” Ariane walked toward the gate, slowly at first, afraid Zoeree might take flight. “I’m only four years older if you don’t count the time lost in Harmonyville. Those years were filled with more strife than peace. We’re tired, but because Brian and I exist, we must right the wrongs. It’s our lot in life.” She held out a hand.

  Zoeree slapped it. “It’s so unfair. Let the Fallen fix their own messes.”

  “Believe me, I wish we could. Some of it is our fault. Brian’s fault mostly.” She no longer blamed her brother entirely for the calamity he caused by time traveling or portal hopping. Her lessons taught her to accept it, to embrace themselves for who they were. “Once we solve this problem, we will have the best ceremony ever. I promise.”

  “Lies. Another crisis will come up. Maybe Dad will disappear.”

  “Why would he do that? He loves you as much as I do.”

  “He’s broken. Uncle Brian ruined him.”

  Ariane’s arms folded over her torso as she shook her head. Best to give in for now. Let her daughter cool down before they continued this discussion. “Have you discovered your Fallen gift yet? As you know, mine is morphing into any creature I please. Flying as a bird is the best ever. So free…”

  Zoeree mocked bird flight by flapping her arms halfheartedly. “It’s the reason you were taken away. You couldn’t handle turning into a bug.”

  This talk had to end now. Frustration dictated her daughter’s judgment. “We’ll discuss this later, after you calm down.” Ariane might have well said Zoeree was having a tantrum for the way she blew up. And blow she did.

  “That’s so unfair. You’re selfish, Mom.” Zoeree walked through the gate, slamming it so hard the metal clanged.

  The shrill sound of metal upon metal echoed inside Ariane’s mind, a trophy that announced her failure. The Teachers had never prepared her for motherhood. She bet they left that off their curriculum on purpose.

  Sabree reappeared. “Before you take it out on me, I’ve heard it all. Youth can be so cruel.”

  The heat in her eyes must have displayed her dismay, her disappointment. “Brian and I had our moments, but I don’t remember being such brats.” A slight smile formed when she glanced his way. “Was I?”

  “Not that I remember. You and Brian had to grow up fast. Duncan had seen to it. If not, neither of you would have survived my wrath, never mind the Fallen.”

  “Wrath?” Ariane couldn’t help but laugh. “You were easy peasy, Sabree.” She took his hand in hers, missing his touch. “Well, easy on me anyway. Now, Brian, that’s another story.”

  His smile mirrored hers. “Oui, let’s not go there.” He held her tight.

  She knew he held on to her not because of Zoeree’s tantrum, but because of what they would soon face together. As with him, a vision had haunted her during the darkest hours of night. The nightmare left her trembling in its wake.

  43

  GRAY WOLF LIVES

  S abree and I left the next day to visit the Navajo Nation in Kayenta. Jesse Rivers had renovated his grandfather’s ranch and kept it as a private retreat. He offered to meet us there away from the Caderen and local public. He had voiced his concern over Ariane being gone too long. Our surprise would thrill him.

  Exiting the rental, Sabree cradled a toy white terrier with a single red spot on the back of its neck. Strange coloring, he had commented. My gaze traveled up the walkway leading to the ranch, now resurfaced with gravel and paving stones. The copper metal roof contrasted the freshly-pasted adobe siding. A hand-carved wooden door opened, and Jesse stepped out to greet us. Cocoa-rich eyes focused on the squirming pup.

  Sabree released the puppy. “Go get him! Lick him to death.” It scampered up the path and in one bound, leapt into Jesse’s arms.

  “You brought me a dog?” Jesse yelped when the terrier morphed into a nude woman—Ariane. He almost dropped her. “Better yet, you brought me my best friend.” Tears filled his eyes.

  Ariane dropped to her feet and held him close. She licked his face to be silly. “Missed you so much. It’s been a decade since I’ve last seen you.”

  As for my sister, modesty never came into play; however, she accepted the puppy blanket and satchel of cl
othing I handed her. Especially after I noticed how Jesse’s eyes darted about to focus on anything but her nakedness. I felt his pain.

  “Brian already explained the time difference.” Jesse rubbed his eyes dry. “However, he forgot to tell me that Athorsis brought you back.” He mouthed, “Thanks, bud.”

  I bowed without spilling the bag of coveted frosting. “Man’s best friend.”

  Ariane play-barked at me and then spoke to Jesse. “You know how much my brother loves surprises. This one was my idea though.” She kissed his cheek and giggled when Sabree joined the group hug.

  I stood aside and hugged my bag of goodies instead. “Love what you’ve done to the place. Gray Wolf would’ve been beside himself.”

  “Don’t worry, he is.”

  The way he spoke of Gray Wolf as though still alive didn’t sit well with my frazzled nerves. My personal version of a force field reinforced itself, the same one I planned to shield my sister from the Caderen cross examining. Trial my ass.

  Jesse opened the door to herd us inside. “The noon sun will fry your pale faces. Get in.” He shoved me inside first and gritted his teeth. “This surprise is all mine.”

  My sister’s frown warned me that Jesse was up to no good. When I shouted a foul curse, she pushed by me and mouthed a profanity worse than mine. The shutters and drapes were pulled shut, the room darkened. I focused on the shadow of a man sitting at the table. “Eric?”

  He held out his hands to show he was unarmed. “The one and only.”

  Jesse entered the house, edging by Sabree who stood frozen in the doorway. “Wait, hear him out.” He shoved Sabree inside, closed the door, and skirted beside me. A light touch at first, Jesse squeezed my arm. Apart from his, everyone’s mouths were agape.

  “What were you thinking, Jesse?” Ariane glanced my way. “What should we do?”

  “Leave it to me, Sis.” I stood there for a moment seeking the right words. “What do you want, Eric? Money? Finish the job and destroy the rest of us?” Unlike the nosophors my sister and I had slain in Mexico, Eric’s skin mirrored their ashen complexion minus the obvious decay. Made me think of Sabree at his best while infected by our blood. Eric’s eyes, no longer blue, clouded over a maggot white that creeped me out. A cautious inhale sent a whiff of rotting flesh up my nose. The putridity gagged me.