by L. L Hunter
“Anyway, I’ll see you in class.”
As he walked away from the dining room and toward the classroom wing, Gabe couldn’t help but think how fast his lies were piling up. Sooner or later, the pile was going to get so high it was going to topple over and crush him under its weight, and he would be forced to admit the truth. Until then, he had to keep the real reason for keeping the textbook close to him, hidden—for now anyway. At least until he could figure out what he was going to do.
The class was a bore. The students were learning about Nephilim traits. It was a beginner class, and Eden, Asher, and Gabe were sure they already knew all of it, but they had to be there due to recent events. All Nephilim had to know why they developed a trait. The theory was more important than being able to manifest and control a trait physically. Gabe already knew his trait was different from his father's, though—from what he had heard, anyway. When he would touch Eden or their cousin, Max, Gabe’s trait seemed to react to their traits. And when he had touched Lucifer, Gabe sedated him so Eden could harvest his soul. He wanted to learn how to use his trait. He wanted to learn more about it, but he couldn’t because when Nephilim used their traits, it made them visible on the map—Benjamin’s Map. It showed where every Nephilim was at any given time. It used to belong to Benjamin, aka God. And the last anyone had heard, Samson had taken the map after Lucifer’s soul was destroyed—even though he was meant to be locked inside the Realm of Ice, the Angel version of Hell.
If he could send Gabe dreams and get inside his head from inside the Realm of Ice, then they were in trouble. Maybe he should tell someone. He couldn’t keep this a secret forever. Sooner or later, Samson was going to find him.
“Mr Daylesford?” Gabe snapped out of his daydream.
“What?” he blurted before he realised who was talking to him. He glanced up at their teacher for Traits 101. Mr Lang didn’t look pleased. He crossed his arms, his irises flickered, and a perfect ring of stormy grey glowed around them. He was Nephilim and could control water. His eyes changed colour with his mood like the sky changed the ocean. His impending storm wasn’t something Gabe wanted to be a part of. He cleared his throat. “Sorry. I mean, pardon?”
“That’s better,” said Mr Lang. “But is there something I should know? Are you having trouble sleeping? I’ve heard from a few of the other teachers that you keep falling asleep in class.”
“I… I have been having trouble, I guess. I’ll try and pay better attention. Carry on, Mr Lang,” he replied, trying to divert him off his case. People were starting to notice his behaviour. It was slowly getting out of hand. He couldn’t keep this up forever. He needed help.
Thankfully, Eden glanced his way and mouthed, “You okay?” He nodded and then reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone to text her. He glanced up at Mr Lang to ensure he wasn’t looking and quickly typed out the message and hit send.
A second later, Eden pulled out her phone, a jet black phone encased in a black leather cover. That girl loved black. But she owned it. Her black nails ran over the screen as she typed her reply. Gabe picked up his pen and drummed it on his notebook impatiently.
Finally, his phone vibrated with her reply.
The messages read:
Gabe: Not really. Need to talk to you and Asher ASAP.
Eden: Is everyone OK?
Gabe: It’s a long story. Will explain at lunch. Meet me under the elm.
He slipped his phone back into his pocket and glanced at Eden. She gave him puppy dog eyes, pleading with him to tell her now. Gabe shook his head and turned his attention back to Mr Lang’s lesson. He tried to tune into the rest of the class, but his thoughts kept running away to the elm tree in the courtyard out behind the school. He couldn’t wait for lunch.
Chapter 4
As soon as the bell rang, Gabe slammed his books shut and leapt out of his chair and ran toward the door. He almost shoved a few students over in his haste, including Mackenzie. She had been walking by the door when he opened it, and the door almost hit her in the face.
“Hey! Easy there,” she complained.
“Oh, my God. I am so sorry, Mackenzie. I didn’t see you.”
She gave him a small smile. “That’s okay. What’s the rush?” she asked as she walked with him toward the lockers.
“I couldn’t wait to get out of there. Traits 101 is so boring.” She laughed and flipped her straight, shoulder-length hair out of her face and turned to look at him.
“I know. You’re Gabriel Daylesford, right?” He was about to open his mouth to reply but then realised he didn’t remember telling Mackenzie his name.
“Yeah. Forgive me, but I don’t remember introducing myself last time we met.”
“Oh, that’s okay. I knew who you are. Everyone does.” He glanced around to see if anyone was watching. They weren’t. He suddenly had that feeling he was being watched. It made a cold unease crawl into his body. Mackenzie giggled. “You’re kind of a celebrity around here.”
“Oh? How so?” He inwardly sighed in relief, and the unease disappeared. Her eyes widened as she stopped walking, and then she turned to face him.
“You don’t know? You’re part of history now. You and your cousin helped kill Lucifer. That and the fact you practically didn’t exist up until a few years ago.”
“Shh. Not so loud.” He glanced around again. People were staring now. “Speaking of Eden, I need to go talk to her about something. I’ll see you later, okay? I’m sorry again.” He gave her a small smile and hurried off to the doors leading to the courtyard. This wasn’t good. He couldn’t be a celebrity. Gabe bet this was the reason his parents kept him hidden most of his life. He jogged the rest of the way to the elm tree in the corner of the courtyard.
Eden and Asher were already waiting by the time he reached the ancient elm tree. It was his favourite spot to come when he needed peace and quiet. Eden and Asher often joined him there, and it had quickly become their spot. Asher looked up and waved when he saw him.
“Hey, Gabe. What took you so long?”
“Sorry, guys. I bumped into Mackenzie. Quite literally. Again.” He slumped onto one of two stone benches underneath the elm. Eden and Asher occupied the other.
“Cuz, it looks like you have much more to share than just the pressing matter,” said Eden. “So, spill.”
Gabe studied their expressions. They were eagerly waiting for him to talk. He had no idea where to start.
“Um… well…”
“Just start at the beginning,” prompted Asher. Gabe nodded. As if it that were easy!
“Well, it all started when I began falling asleep in class, and the teacher sent me to the principal’s office. It was there I met my grandmother.”
Eden’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “Whoa. Hold up. Your grandmother was here? You mean on your mother’s side? Because you don’t have one on your father’s side. Our grandparents on my mother’s and your father’s side are dead.”
“I know that. Aunt Rachael told me. It was my mother’s mother. You see, what I found out is Ms Abigrine is my grandmother.”
“What? Principal Abigrine is your grandmother?!” Asher exclaimed. Gabe nodded.
“Okay. I didn’t see that coming,” added Eden. “So, she just told you she was your grandmother?”
“Yes. And then she gave me this book and warned me to stop using my trait.” He waved the Michaelite book he carried with him at all times in the air.
“What do you mean? Why does she want you to stop using your trait?”
“I don’t know. She just said that Samson is after me, and if I use my trait, he’ll find me.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that, mate,” said Asher. “No one knows you exist. You were a secret love child, remember?”
“I’m not so sure anymore. Mackenzie said she knew about me. She said the whole school knows and that I’m a celebrity around here.”
“Shit. This isn’t good. Wait, Ms Abigrine said Samson is after you. How does she know?”
Eden’s eyes widened once more. She knew what dreams meant to Nephilim. Dreams were like prophetic visions. They always meant something.
“What did you see?” she whispered, leaning closer.
“It was weird. I saw Samson standing in the square in London like he had done during the battle with the demons and Lucifer. Except for this time, I was standing next to him. Someone else was there, but I couldn’t see his face. We were surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of demons waiting to swarm the earth.”
“That sounds… ominous,” said Eden.
“Isn’t Samson locked up inside the Realm of Ice, though?” asked Asher.
“Yeah. At least, he’s meant to be. But no one has spoken of him since or of any demon threat. It’s like the world has moved on and swept it all under the rug. But, if my grandmother warned me about him, then she must know something.”
“Yeah. I bet she does.” Eden scoffed. “Those Michaelites. They’re always hiding something.” She glanced at Asher and saw him flinch and look at his hands. She reached over and covered his hands with hers, and kissed his cheek. “Sorry, babe.”
“It’s okay. I keep forgetting I’m actually Nephilim. But I was raised Michaelite. We…” he cleared his throat and corrected himself. “They do have a lot of secrets they wish to keep from Nephilim.”
“Yeah. I bet our principal knows a lot more than she’s letting on,” added Eden. Gabe sat back on the bench and watched the students milling around the large courtyard. He knew he had to go back to see his grandmother. He needed answers. And he had to tell her he couldn’t keep hiding.
Chapter 5
Gabe knocked on his grandmother’s office door. He tapped his foot as he waited outside. He peered up and down the corridor at the students making their way to their dorms to change books and then to make their way to class. Something caught his eye at the end of the hall. Something shimmered in the sunlight. There were too many students crowding the hall for Gabe to properly see what it was. He was debating going to see what it was when the door to the principal’s office opened, and his grandmother poked her head out.
“Gabriel? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?”
Now was the time to come out and say it, to confront her about the dreams. He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Well, that depends.”
Ms Abegrine’s eyebrows bunched together as she studied him in confusion. She then looked up and down the hallway and pushed the door open wider.
“You’d best come in then, Gabe,” she said.
Gabe was surprised, but he entered the office without protest. He needed answers, and he didn’t want to sabotage his chances.
“Please take a seat.”
The office was dark. It took a while for his eyes to adjust, but he saw that his grandmother looked pale and frightened when they did. She had dark circles under her eyes, and she had locked the door after him before she walked around the desk and checked that the window was locked too. Something was going on.
“What’s going on, Ms Abegrine?”
“Please, call me Grandma, but only when we’re alone. No one can know we’re related. Okay?” He nodded. He wasn’t going to tell her he had already told Eden and Asher.
“There’s something I need to tell you, Gabe. I should have told you earlier. The truth is I was afraid.”
“What are you afraid of?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
“There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just come out with it. Gabe, Lucifer’s son Samson has escaped from the Realm of Ice.”
“I knew it! That’s why I’ve been having those weird dreams.” His grandmother froze and clutched the desk so hard her knuckles turned white.
“Oh, no. This is worse than I thought. We need to call for backup. You need protection.”
“Okay… What kind of protection? Like a bodyguard?”
The door opened then, and both of their heads snapped in that direction. Gabe and his grandmother waited in anticipation, but Mackenzie’s face appeared around the door, and they both let out a sigh of relief.
“No. More like a guardian angel. Gabriel, I’d like you to meet Melody. She’ll be your guardian for the foreseeable future.”
Gabe had never been shocked so many times in one day before.
“Melody? I’m confused. I thought you said your name was Mackenzie.”
Melody closed the door behind her and snapped her fingers. Light filled the room. He stared at her in awe as his jaw fell open.
Melody smiled at him. “It is. Mackenzie is my name here on earth.”
“Okay, I think I need to take that seat now.” Gabe strode toward the upholstered chair beside the desk, pulled it out, and then slumped down in it. He leaned forward and put his face in his hands. He felt he was about to be sick.
“Gabriel, let me explain. I’ve wanted to for so long, but it just wasn’t time. We’re not really supposed to reveal ourselves. I broke that rule when I spoke to you in the club.” He peered up at Melody/ Mackenzie. She had taken a step toward him, and the expression in her beautiful eyes was one of sympathy.
“Okay, then. Explain. Who are you? Until now, you’ve pretended to be two different people. Or you have a twin. I don’t know. I’m so confused.”
She laughed, and her laugh was soft and musical. Almost like she was singing. She knelt before him and took his hand. He met her gaze.
“My name is Melody. I am a guardian angel sent from the Realm of Fire to protect you. Scarlett and Dyston sent me.”
His eyes widened at the mention of his aunt and uncle. Even after leaving the Earth Realm, they were still watching over their loved ones.
“Okay, but that doesn’t explain why you sometimes look different.”
Melody rocked back on her heels and furrowed her brow. “In what way?”
“Well, as Mackenzie, you look… well, human. But as Melody, your body emits a glow. You look otherworldly.” She laughed and stood up. Gabe stood too.
“Oh, that’s because Mackenzie is my human host. In the Realm of Fire, my body is not corporal. Angels are made of light and energy and pure souls. No one will be able to see us if we have to come to the earthly realm. So, we need to take a host.”
“Oh, did Mackenzie mind that you’re just taking over her body?”
“Don’t worry,” said Melody, waving her hand in the air. “She is a good Christian girl and prays to the angels every night. She wished for it.”
“But she’s Michalite. Isn’t possession, like, illegal?”
“Not anymore.” She stepped forward and took him by his shoulders. “Don’t worry, Gabe. Everything is fine. All you need to worry about is finishing school and going about your normal activities. You’re safe now.”
She then put two fingers on his forehead, and the world disappeared.
Chapter 6
Gabe woke up sometime later amid a dream. He wasn’t in his room or his grandmother’s office anymore. What had Melody done to him? He was standing on Blackfriar’s Bridge. It was almost dawn judging by the eerie haze to the sky—illuminated slightly by the rising sun filtering through the thick fog and smog that blanketed London. He looked out over the wall to the River Thames and noticed the fog unnaturally snaking its way toward him. It floated over the water’s surface and crawled up the side of the wall and onto the bridge. He was shocked when the fog seemed to form the shape of a person. A face appeared in the fog. Luckily, it was one Gabe recognised.
“Hello, Cousin.”
“Max?” It was his cousin, Max, Dyston and Scarlett’s son. Max had offered to become the new Grim Reaper, the gatekeeper of the underworld and keeper of the souls, when Abraham, the former Grim Reaper, was banished to Mars.
“What are you doing here? Is this a dream?”
“Yes. I’m sorry for doing this, but I had to talk to you. I need to warn you about Samson.”
“Yes, I know. He’s
escaped the Realm of Ice.”
Max nodded. “Good. Then I’m guessing you’ve met Melody, then?”
“Yes. I’m not sure I need a guardian angel, but tell your parents thanks anyway.”
“You do need one, Gabe. You are stronger than you know. Samson knows what you can do, and he won’t rest until you’re dead. You need to be protected.”
“Everyone keeps telling me that, but I am not sure I know what I’m doing. I don’t even know what my trait is for sure.”
He turned back to the wall of Blackfriar’s Bridge and laid his hands on the cool stone. The sun was beginning to rise higher now. And Gabe could hear the distant sounds of traffic as the city of London woke up. The streetlight beside him suddenly switched off, and when Gabe looked back to where Max had been standing, his cousin was gone.
That’s when he woke up.
He leapt out of bed and ran to the bathroom adjoining his room, and splashed water on his face. He looked up into the mirror and almost leapt back in fright. His appearance was ghastly! He looked like death. He guessed it was partly due to living in London and their lack of sun and partly due to being haunted by the devil’s son.
He walked out of the bathroom and grabbed his phone. He checked the time and saw it was almost eight in the morning. Classes started at nine, so he had more than enough time for some breakfast. He quickly checked his clothes and appearance and realised he was still in yesterday’s clothes. He sniffed his shirt and immediately scrunched up his nose. Ugh. He really needed a shower, but he wasn’t in the mood. He had to find Eden and Asher and tell them about the dream and Melody.
Speaking of Melody, he couldn’t believe she was his freaking guardian angel! Were guardian angels a thing of children’s bedtime stories or a myth? In his world, Gabe knew everything that could be real was. He changed his shirt, sprayed on deodorant, and made his way downstairs to the dining room.
