Down in Flames

by Jennifer Siddoway

  “Caleb and I will win, but we won’t compromise who we are to do it – fight for me,” I implored her. “Fight for me and I think we can finally end this. You have a desire to fight for good and protect the world of the living. Together we can make it happen.”

  Maya swallowed hard and nodded slightly. “Okay.”

  Caleb and I looked at one another for confirmation before I picked the tumblers on the lock. The mechanism clicked open and I threw it on the ground, while opening the door to let her past. “Alright, let’s get out of here.”

  “Not so fast. If we're going to do this we need to hit the armory.”

  Caleb nodded at her suggestion. “That’s a good idea.”

  The three of us crept down the hall together and I watched the two of them interact. Sometimes they could even predict one another’s movements, like a dance, anticipating the other’s next step. It was easy to see how they’d worked as Guardians before, dual heads of a single blade.

  Maya poked her head around the corner and gave him a secret signal letting him know the coast was clear.

  I felt like an outsider, pushing back the seed of jealousy that was rising in my chest. That was part of him I’d never be able to have or share, but it was okay because we had something better. We’d find our own rhythm and then nothing would be able to stop us.

  Finding two angel sentries standing guard at the door, Maya only had to look at Caleb, who nodded, and she knocked once on the corner she was hiding behind. The guards took up their halberds and cautiously walked around, only to be bowled over by Maya charging right at their knees. Caleb followed right after her, grasping and throwing a guard right into a wall, stunning him. Maya was having slightly more trouble in her exhausted condition, having merely locked the other guard in a silent choke-hold as he failed to dislodge her. While he struggled to buck her into the wall, I was able to follow up on their ambush and smash the angel in the helmet, sending him slumping to the ground.

  As he did so, we all heard the snap of wood and Caleb flinched, glancing down at his calf.

  “What was that?” I demanded, already fearing what it must have been.

  He rolled up the hem of his pant leg where one of the wooden stakes had been tethered underneath. The texture and look of it seemed compromised from being taken from the Mortal Realm, which had weakened its magic power. The fibers became brittle and snapped underneath the weight of him when he knelt, destroying the wood completely.

  “Well, there goes another one,” I grumbled.

  Caleb grunted humorlessly, while removing it from his leg and casting it aside. “I guess we won’t be needing that anymore.” It was frustrating to see a piece of what we’d worked so hard to get be simply thrown away, but we would have to move on and make do with what we had left.

  “I had it under control,” Maya panted, but not protesting too much.

  Caleb shrugged as he checked the angels’ vitals, arranging them more comfortably for when they eventually woke up. “She never lets me assist, even when she had a javelin clear through a leg. She had to take down that sentinel all by herself,” he offered by way of explanation.

  If she didn’t let Caleb help her, well, at least I didn’t have to feel bad about her rejecting me of all people.

  Once inside, looking all around, it was not at all like I’d seen before in my vision with Caleb on my rooftop; this was bigger and more expansive then anything I’d ever seen. When I saw the image of their past, it exposed the dangerous underbelly of the Angelic Order, where Guardians and other beings carried their piety beyond the natural order and took joy in torturing creatures they had deemed “impure”. Caleb and Maya were a part of it, but Caleb was the only one who took pity on the poor soul and set his spirit free before they could continue with their sadistic practice.

  My jaw fell open as I admired the mirrored steel and spectacularly crafted metal. On the wall beside me was a rack exclusively dedicated to swords in various size and weights. Opposite us were the exotic weapons, some glowing with magical energy.

  “There are so many...” I muttered.

  Maya grunted in response, marching barefoot and with purpose across the room. “Pick one fast, we need to get out of here before someone realizes that I’m gone.”

  It didn’t surprise me at all when Maya went immediately for a sparkling, almost translucent chained weapon hanging from a rack. The silvery haft had three chains hanging from it, connected to what appeared to be glittering stars.

  “It’s that diamond?” I asked her skeptically.

  Maya smiled. “There’s nothing harder. Have you ever tried to pulverize something with a diamond?”

  Stunned at the blunt response, I shook my head. “No, I can’t say that I have.”

  “Well, then you clearly have no idea what you’re missing. Caleb, what are you fighting with?”

  Glancing over, I saw he was already looking through the crossbows. Like many of the others these were made of precious metals, exotic woods, exquisitely designed mechanisms, and equally fine bolts and quarrels. Any of them would have been a worthy weapon for my beloved and I too, was curious to see what he would choose.

  He was about to lift one from its post when Maya stopped him suddenly. “No, Caleb, that.”

  She pointed over to the wall where a golden suit of armor was hanging still in a beam of light. It was by far the most impressive looking item in the room. It had a finely detailed and sculpted golden breastplate with embossed lion-head pauldrons, and a white cape with fur ruff attached to either shoulder. A garment truly befitting a Disney Prince.

  “Michael’s breastplate?” he asked her in a gasp. “It will only work if the wearer’s path is virtuous. How do we know if the suit will follow me?”

  Maya shrugged. “Is your path not virtuous?”

  She almost said it like it was a dare, checking if we were really doing this to save the Earth.

  He stopped thoughtfully, staring at the piece. “Alright, help we with the buckles.”

  “You know, they had squires for this sort of thing,” she grumbled dismally, as she helped to suit him.

  He donned the armor quickly - the weight of the cape falling behind him just above his ankles, swaying handsomely as we walked down the frozen hallway. I didn’t believe in heroes, or knights in shining armor, until I met him.

  All I needed now was a miracle.

  Caleb, Maya and I took the supplies from the secret hold and rushed out the only way we could – through the crystal hall. Maya glanced around frantically, afraid of being caught. Caleb was on look-out, I kept an eye on the way behind us to make sure we weren’t followed. As we left the prison chambers, it came to a large dome room with a beam of light shining down from the apex on the top. It filtered through the ice like a prism and illuminated the jeweled thrones that sat in a semi-circle on a dais.

  They swallowed hard as we passed through, afraid to even breathe. Just when I thought we’d made it, a solitary figure stepped out from behind a pillar. His blue eyes flashed in the aurora borealis as he removed the hood of his cloak. His aura shone brighter than any angel I’d seen before. I recognized the elderly gentleman, with the tattooed marking on his face and arm. Ancient runes of the divine order and mantle that had been thrust upon him. It was in a forgotten language that I did not recognize, yet the truth of its meaning was manifest in unspoken communication that you felt by merely looking at it.

  “Remiel,” Caleb stated quietly.

  The Elder who commanded the divine race, was one of the few angelic figures that I recognized from my trial. Without him, there never would have been the chance for my probationary year. The markings on his skin gave him authority above the others and were a constant reminder of the vows and purpose their mission. He wore dark blue robes and a gray overcoat with embroidered trim along the sleeves. He smiled at us kindly, glancing over the pieces we had taken with considerable amusement. “You don’t have to be afraid,” he stated calmly. “I’m not here to stop you.”

&nb
sp; His voice reminded me of a loving grandfather who had caught his prodigy at mischief – wise and thoughtful, but allowing them to err and learn from their own mistakes. It was pleasant to listen to and had a deep, calming tone that wrapped itself around you like a blanket.

  “You’re not?”

  Remiel raised an eyebrow, his blue eyes twinkling. “Don’t get too excited, I’m not going to help you either. Maya,” he addressed her softly, “you seem to have escaped your cell.”

  She clutched the weapons to her chest and looked away, embarrassed.

  “And, Miss Hendricks, you’re here as well. How miraculous.”

  I shifted my weight uncomfortably.

  “There have been whispers about your remarkable escape from Hell. At first the Council wanted to punish you for breaking your agreement, but I convinced them it was more advantageous to let you go. I was curious to see how a demon like yourself would survive in the Mortal Realm; you’ve surpassed all my expectations.” He paused for a moment before continuing, and silence fell across the throne room. “I find it poetic that in ancient times red hair was considered a mark of having been kissed by the fires of hell. It’s a ridiculous sentiment of course, but in your case, it’s true. How did you manage to get here? Your soul would have been weighed down after travelling to the Demon Realm.”

  “They removed my heart,” I told him quietly.

  Remiel smiled. “Ah! I knew there was some clever trick you would have found. Bravo!”

  “You’re not angry?”

  “Not at all, I’m impressed. I admire those who can overcome great obstacles.” The Elder clasped his hands behind his back and cleared his throat. “It seems you have quite the mission planned. I hope it turns out to your advantage, however, if you steal from the hold again there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes, Master.”

  “Good, now get out of here before Michael sees you. If he finds out anyone has touched his breastplate there will be blood.”

  Caleb smiled. “Thank you, sir.”

  We started to move again and he stopped us. “Oh, by the way, Caleb, you’ll be pleased to know that the Guardians in your class who relished violence and killing have now been punished. I was disturbed to hear about what happened and have dealt with it accordingly. That’s not the way we do things, or the plan of the Angelic Order.”

  Caleb’s eyes softened. “Thank you, sir. That does comfort me.”

  “It was a necessary step in cleansing our ranks of the unrighteous practice. Michael had the unfortunate task of rounding most of them up.”

  Maya looked away from him, ashamed at being caught, and her cheeks grew flushed. Her long, inky black hair hung down like curtains on either side of her face, making her look more pale and ghostly than before.

  Remiel watched her carefully for moment, his blue eyes glittering with amusement while he gaged her discomfort. She didn’t speak or look up at him. A moment later, the Elder cleared his throat and said, “Maya, can I trust you have no ill intent?”

  “Yes, m’lord.”

  “Then it seems you have learnt your lesson too. Go in peace. And Miss Hendricks?”

  “Yes?” I asked as we were leaving.

  “God speed.”

  I blushed while looking away in embarrassment. “Thank you, sir.”

  As we started to walk away, my consciousness faded in and out with a distinctive – thump! My vision went blurry for a second as blood pulsed against my temples, but then it stabilized. I could hear the echoing chamber of my heart as it started beating once again. Breathing became difficult as I wheezed to catch my breath and my limbs were getting heavy. Strength was leaving my body rapidly and I stumbled on the frozen walkway, leaning up against the wall for support. I grasped at my chest and hunched over in pain, realizing my time was almost up.

  Oh, no. Elyse, I need more time.

  “Wynn, is everything okay?” Maya asked. To my surprise, she sounded concerned.

  I was gasping for air and sliding to my knees against the wall. The warm gray fabric of the Guardians cloak seemed to envelope me like a blanket, growing heavy and making it difficult to stand. The haze of consciousness faded in and out again as I looked up at them in panic. Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

  “Caleb! I’m waking up. I can feel my heart beating. She already put it back inside my body.”

  My hands and body quivered as they became weaker. Every breath felt like a giant weight upon my chest; I couldn’t stand, my field of vision narrowed, and it felt like I was losing consciousness.

  He placed his hand on the back of my head and pulled me in for a kiss. “I’ll see you there, babe.”

  The instant he pulled away I felt myself falling through the air. My ears popped as wind came whipping past my body, roaring in a symphony. The weightless feeling allowed my stomach to ride inside my chest with an uncomfortable sense of nausea and vertigo. Beneath me I could see the green fields of Alabama and the cityscape of Mobile.

  Thump! Thump!

  Unable to catch my breath, I felt my vision begin to fade and I passed out still soaring through the skies.

  HJ

  Igroaned, opening my eyes to cream-white ceiling and gasping for air in the quiet serenity of my bedroom in the safe house. It felt like my body had been through a trash compactor, every inch of muscle on bone was sore. I sat up wheezing on the mattress and braced my hands against the side. Elyse knelt over me, watching every move and breath I took like it might be my last.

  “Let’s not … ever … do that … again,” I coughed.

  She laughed, gazing back at me with tears forming in the corners of her eyes, and hugged me tenderly. It took a moment for my breath to return to normal. My heart pumped hard and deeply, bringing me back to life from the separation of my spirit. “That sounds fair. How about you stop scaring me like that too, m’kay?”

  “Okay.”

  A portal shimmered brightly in the corner of my room and Caleb and Maya stepped through. The sound of wind was audible from the other side and as soon as they were clear it vanished, closing off all access to the Angelic Realm. “Wynn?”

  “She’s fine,” Elyse informed then. “Just catching her bearings, that’s all.”

  “Good.”

  He set down the breastplate and the weapons on his dresser and came to kiss me. I was dizzy, lightheaded after coming back to life, but nothing would ever compare to that. My fingers fisted at the hair on the back of his neck as he put his arms around me, kissing me deeply on the mouth.

  “You actually did it!” Elyse cheered excitedly. “No one has ever broken a prisoner out of Verdovis before. There’s only one way out, and that involves falling to Earth without your wings.”

  I nodded weakly, and let out a painful moan. “It’s still not enough. We need to lure Aidan out into the open if I’m going to stake him with the branch.”

  Caleb grinned with his arm around my back supporting me and whispered, “Well, we can deal with that tomorrow. In the meantime, there’s the minor detail of telling our families that we’re engaged.”

  I smiled. “Yes, there is that. I bet they could use some happy news right about now.”

  His eyes were dark with worry as he looked me over carefully. “You’ve been through a lot today; would you like to catch your breath and rest for a while?”

  “Yeah, that would be good. There’s still a few days before Ryan and Charley will be back from their honeymoon. They’re not going to be happy when they come home and find out Mayas here. Let’s let them live in their bubble a little while longer.”

  Caleb shrugged, brushing a piece of hair away from my face and kissing me softly. “True, she may not be their favorite person—”

  “Understatement of the century”

  “—but they’ll get over it. We’re going to have to put personal feelings aside and agree that the bigger threat is Aidan. It’s the only way this is going to work; we have to be a team.”

  “I agree.”

&n
bsp; “Alright,” he murmured. “Whenever you’re ready we should probably get some food ... and then head over to my parents. Lacey is going back to school tomorrow in Tuscaloosa and I know she would want to be there when we tell them.”

  I made a face and said, “Okay. I’m a little scared though. Isn’t your mother going to hate me for abandoning you last time?”

  He laughed. “She’s going to be over the moon, you’ll see.”

  “Fine, but if things go sour I’m blaming you.”

  “Deal.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Meant to Be

  ML

  “Explain this again to me,” Dad requested, somewhat baffled by my statement. “You’re engaged?”

  I smiled, looking up at Caleb with his arms around me and said, “Yes! Caleb and I are getting married.”

  The engagement ring twinkled on my finger as I showed him my hand and let him examine the unique design. It didn’t have a stone, like most that you would find in western culture; instead it was styled around the blend of different metals being woven together to form something new. Three bands intertwined with each other and glistened in the fluorescent lighting.

  Dad looked down at the ring, then up at me, and back down again, unsure of what he should be feeling. His hair was streaked with silver around the temples and the beginning of a beard had started to form upon his chin. The aura around him quivered for a moment and then exploded into a rainbow myriad of colors. His expression changed from confusion to awe, then happiness as a smile spread across his face and he embraced us with a hug. “Oh, Wynnie, I’m so happy for you!”

  I laughed into his shoulder and breathed in the warm, familiar scent of Dad’s cologne. My heart was overflowing with love and affection because of his acceptance of our union and I could not keep myself from smiling. As he set me on the ground, Dad’s eyes were misting over and he swiftly wiped the tears away before clapping Caleb on the back and pulling him into a hug as well.

  “Caleb, you’re a good man. Take care of my girl for me,” he ordered firmly.

  “Yes, sir. I intend to.”

  We’d just gotten back from making the same announcement at the Dunaway’s. Lacey and her parents were just as thrilled as we were and offered their full support with anything we might need. In the background, I could see Nathan doing a silent fist bump in the air. He was absolutely thrilled, and in some ways, I wondered if he was even more excited about the prospect than I was – he had set an unreasonably high bar of enthusiasm for the event.