The Noru 3 : Fall Of The Chosen (The Noru Series, Book 3)

by Lola StVil

  * * *

  The next and last entry isn’t by Marcus, it’s written in a softer handwriting. You can tell a woman wrote it. I look at the old man and he signals for me to keep reading. That’s when I find myself reading a passage from a member of the council—Death.

  Malakaro,

  When my husband came back from his meeting with you, I couldn’t find him. I had searched all the usual places, I asked the other Guardians and no one had seen him. I knew that meant he went to the one place he goes to when he’s at his lowest—his human mother’s grave. She died some years before from a drug overdose. Sure enough I found him leaning on the tree standing by her headstone, looking up as if there would be answers written in the sky.

  “Hi,” I said softly.

  He looked up at me and there was no other way to describe the look in his eyes other than to say he was broken. I have never seen him in that much agony in all the time I have known him. It’s like something got ahold of his soul and was twisting it; slowly killing him.

  “Marcus, honey, what is it?”

  “The poison, Jason sent it to Sam.”

  He told me about the conversation the two of you had. I tried to control my temper but already I was causing the sky to darken and thunder had started exploding.

  “You’re certain he did it?” I asked.

  “Yes. There’s always so much darkness in him. I tried to find something, some spark, some hint of light, but…”

  He was too overcome to move on. I pushed back my rage as a mother and tried hard to focus on being his wife. I held him as tightly as I could while he unraveled.

  “I can’t help him, Emmy.”

  “I know.”

  “He tried to take my son’s life…I can’t just let him…what did I do to make him so evil? What did I say? How did I break him?”

  “This isn’t your fault. Some beings are born that way and there’s nothing anyone can do.”

  “I’m an angel. I’m the First Guardian. Why can’t I save my own son from evil?”

  He moaned and slid to the ground, heartbroken and defeated. I sat beside him and took his hand, but it wasn’t enough. It’ll never really be enough. Marcus has always wanted to save the ones he loves more so than the average angel. He lost his life as a human trying to save his mother from herself. He doesn’t know how to give up on the ones he loves.

  “I would do anything to get him to turn good. Anything at all, but I can’t put the kids at risk. I can’t let him hurt my family.”

  “You have done everything you could do. But it’s time to walk away,” I said sadly.

  He gasped as if he was physically in pain and bowed his head.

  “He hates me. He hates our family and he would do anything to hurt us. I can’t reach him. I try and I try but…I lost him. I lost my son.”

  “No, Marcus, you have a son. His name is Sam. He’s three years old. He’s bright, sweet, and has made you his whole world. You also have a daughter who at only twelve years old already shows signs of being a powerful leader. But more importantly she has kindness, mercy, and compassion.”

  “She got that from you,” he said in a quiet whisper.

  “She got it from us. They both did. You are an exceptional father. Maybe one day he’ll find his way back to good, back to you. But for now, let it go. Let him go. If not, we stand to lose everything we worked for.”

  “I know I have to cut ties with Jason, I just…I don’t know how,” he admitted.

  I reached out and handed him a green pill called Blank. Once you take it, you forget whoever is weighing so heavily on your soul.

  “If I take this I won’t remember anything at all about Jason,” he said.

  “Honey, his name is Malakaro. And I don’t know if he really will be a threat to the world tomorrow. All I know is that he’s a threat to our family today. And his only connection is with you. We need to sever that connection,” I replied.

  “Yeah, I know…”

  “You don’t have to decide to take the pill now. If you need time to think it over—”

  “No, there’s nothing to think over. He tried to hurt Sam. That can never happen again. And as long as I know about him, I’ll inquire and try to find a way to help him. He’ll use that to get at you and the kids. I have to take the pill—now,” he said.

  It was an extra potent dose, and in a few hours he forgot every detail having to do with you. Fate and Time told me that you were not a subject that would disappear so easily but I didn’t care. I was just glad that Marcus found some peace. He’s back to his old self. He doesn’t even recall making the journal entries he’s made here. I thought about throwing this Muse away but I didn’t because it was important to Marcus.

  I am going to confess something to you. I lied to my husband when I told him that maybe you could turn good in the future. You and I both know that’s bullshit. You are just as evil, broken, and twisted as your mother was. In the start I was open to taking you in because everyone deserves a chance, but you have shown that you are exactly what Fate said you’d be—wicked and devoid of compassion.

  I am surprised however, because while you may have taken on your mother’s evil streak, apparently you don’t have her intelligence. Going after my kid was a bad move because now you’ve pissed me off. So take this last entry as a warning:

  You want to come after Marcus or me, that’s fine. But you go after my kids and I will peel the flesh from your bones with my teeth. Try me.

  Xo

  Death

  * * *

  After that day in the bookstore, I have been faithfully following Malakaro. I am more than happy with my decision. Sure it sucked to kill Joanna. I mean, I really liked her. But my boss pointed out that my feelings for her could be seen as a weakness. He hated weakness. So, not long after I joined him, I sent a demon to capture and kill Joanna, my only human friend.

  Hey, focus on the now , Santini, and stop flashing back to the past.

  After scolding myself, I look at my reflection in the waterfall once again. Yes, I’m still as striking as I was when I first met Malakaro all those years ago. And of course everything is working out perfectly.

  We are on our way to collecting all five vials of Rye. A Rye is a mixture consisting of unimaginable evil powers. This crazy angel scientist guy named Pinter created it. We need to locate all five Rye and mix them together.

  We will then divide the mixture into two parts. My boss will drink the first part. There’s only one being that can ingest the second part of the mixture. He or she is called the Alago. We don’t know who that is yet, but when we do, my boss will force that bastard to drink. Then together the two of them will become the perfect evil.

  “Santini, enough with your reflection. Vanity is a human failing. Let us not share in it,” Malakaro says as he comes down the steps, followed by his black panther, Makayla.

  “Sure, Boss, sorry,” I reply.

  The panther growls at me. I daydream about skinning that damn thing, but she’s my master’s favorite pet.

  “I know we have one Rye vial already. Do you have a lead on where we can find the second one?” I ask.

  “Not yet. But I didn’t summon you here for the vials. I bring you news. An hour ago, my helpless little sister was captured by The Center.” Malakaro says matter-of-factly.

  “The Center? I’ve heard things about that place…I thought it was a myth—a place where angels torture other angels,” I reply.

  “I assure you it is no myth.”

  “What are they doing with Pryor?”

  “Killing her…”

  Book II:

  Aaden “Silver” Case

  “Always go too far, because that’s where you’ll find the truth”

  - Albert Camus

  Chapter Four:

  Crash

  I walk up the steps of my dad’s house and head to my room. There, I find a girl in my bed; naked. She lies on her side, props her head up with
the palm of her hand, and greets me with a smile.

  Okay…

  “Hello, Silver” she says seductively.

  “Hi,” I reply calmly.

  “I heard you were coming back here to get a few things. I thought I’d wait for you,” she informs me.

  “I see.”

  “You don’t mind, do you?” she asks.

  “No, but maybe you should put some clothes on,” I suggest.

  “Why?”

  “Well for one thing, you look cold,” I reply, signaling towards her protruding nipples.

  “I’m naked by choice. If I wanted to put my clothes on I would have done so.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “Is this making you uncomfortable?” she asks.

  “No, but I think maybe a blanket couldn’t hurt,” I reply.

  “Why do you want me to cover up? Don’t like what you see?”

  “I do. You’re beautiful; you always have been.”

  “So, why are you still standing across the room? Come, join me,” she purrs.

  Crap.

  “I’ll come over, but I need you to put something on.”

  “Okay,” she says simply.

  She reaches over to the side of the bed and picks up an article of clothing from the pile of clothes she had discarded at the base of the bed. It’s a blue silk scarf. She places it around her neck and of course it does nothing to conceal her body.

  “There. Happy?” she asks.

  I can tell she’s been drinking—heavily.

  “This is a very bad idea,” I warn her.

  “Actually, I think it’s the smartest idea I’ve ever had. You know what tonight is?”

  “It’s certainly not sobriety night,” I reply.

  “It’s ‘Fuck it!’ night. That means tonight we say ‘fuck it’ to everything that’s been bothering us. And just have fun.”

  “What’s been bothering you, Key?”

  “Nope, we won’t talk about that stuff.”

  “Okay, but why don’t you put your clothes on so we can talk,” I suggest.

  She laughs and starts walking towards me.

  “Talk? Is that what you do with a naked girl, Silver?”

  “You don’t want to do this, trust me,” I warn again.

  “Oh, but I do. I really do.”

  “Why?” I ask as I shake my head, baffled.

  “You’re Silver, the first and only half demon, half angel. Every girl fantasizes about being with you. It’s been said your touch is rough and commanding but gentle when it needs to be. So c’mon; show me.”

  “You know I can’t do anything with you,” I remind her.

  “Don’t worry. I brought a bottle of Trickk. So even though Ruin has your Rah, you and I will still be able to screw.”

  “And what about Bex?”

  “You think he cares what I do?”

  “Yes, Key, I think he does.”

  “Then you’re as delusional as I was.”

  “We were all on a high from rescuing my dad from the Forest of Remains. You and Bex were fine. That was just a few hours ago. What happened?”

  “You know what happened.”

  “No, Key, I don’t,” I reply as I walk past her and drape her with the sheet from my bed.

  “We laughed tonight, Bex and me. We laughed. I can’t even remember what we laughed about but we did. We celebrated making it out of the forest by going to our favorite spot—the tulip field in Holland. Have you ever been there?”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  “It’s painfully beautiful. There are endless perfect rows of red, blue, and yellow tulips. It’s the most beautiful place on earth. Truly,” she says as tears quickly fill her eyes.

  “Key, did Bex break up with you?”

  “We were exhausted, so we lay there in each other’s arms and Recharged in the field. His cell phone rang and I picked it up. It was one of the Healers in training from the Clinic. She was checking up on Bex. I said that he was fine and that I would look after him. And she said, ’Oh, you must be the girl he was calling out for while he was under. Wow, he’s really into you—Pryor.’”

  I can feel a sharp pain travel across my chest. I try to quiet the frenzy of rage that is growing inside me but I fail. Every inch of me is tense and on high alert. Pryor isn’t mine. Well, not officially. But still it angers me to no end to know that Bex is thinking about her.

  “That doesn’t mean anything, Key,” I lie.

  She laughs this sad dark laugh and shakes her head.

  “Do you know what it’s like to watch someone you love just walk away from you little by little? I close my eyes and test myself. Do I remember what his laugh sounds like? What his touch feels like? I have to remember precisely all the places he’s touched me. Because it’s just a matter of time before…”

  “I know for a fact that Bex would never hurt you.”

  “STOP LYING TO ME!”

  “You and Bex just need some time.”

  “No, what we need is for Pryor to be gone. I hate her. I hate her. I wish she died in that cave,” she blurts out. She is so shocked by her statement she places her hand in front of her mouth. Her eyes widen in shock.

  “I didn’t mean—I just—I gotta go,” she says as she heads for the window.

  “Key, wait!” I call out.

  She doesn’t even slow down. I send a group text to the team and then take off after Keyohmi. She’s flying erratically and with no regard for the humans down below. I call after her but she makes no attempt to slow down. She zips through the air at dangerous speeds and nearly collides into a skyscraper.

  “Damn it, Key, slow down!” I demand.

  My warning does no good at all. If anything she is more reckless than before. Then without slowing down, she careens towards the ground. I call out for her to wait for me, but once again she dismisses me. She lands so hard on the ground she dents the surface of the street.

  I land right behind her. We’re standing in a seedy alley somewhere in Ibiza, surrounded by nightclubs. Before I can stop her, she runs into one of them. I take off after her once again. Inside the club there is a sea of angels, demons, and humans. They dance and jump around wildly to the absurdly loud pulsating music.

  It’s hard to track Key because the lighting is designed so that the club goers are in silhouette. The only chance to really see anything comes when the strobe light hits the crowd. But then all I can see are half dressed club goers with bight makeup bouncing up and down as they grind on each other.

  I finally spot her in the middle of the zoo that is the dance floor. I cut through the dancers and head for her. She sees me and goes even further into the crowd. In her rush to avoid me, the sheet falls off her and hits the floor. The club goes nuts. Everyone cheers and hollers at the top of their lungs. They pump their fists, flap their wings, jump in the air, and paw at Key.

  Key isn’t bothered by the attention; she loves it. She dances with anyone and everyone around. The crowd is in such a frenzy the very foundation of the nightclub starts to sway.

  Fights regularly break out in these kinds of places. I can only imagine what would happen if the demons that surround us realize Key is a Noru. The chance to take one of us out would be far too tempting. The only thing saving Key right now is the poor lighting.

  “We need to get out of here!” I shout.

  “Hey, I know her!” someone yells from the crowd.

  “She’s Noru!” someone else adds.

  It happens all at once: We are under siege by demons from all sides. They tackle us as the humans scatter. The angels in the crowd go back to ”duty” mode and fight back. In dire need of a distraction, I hurl a fireball at the disco ball and it explodes and rains shattered reflective glass.

  I use the distraction to get to Key. But a demon near her takes aim and sends a blade straight for her. I leap forward and block his weapon by using a nearby demon’s corpse as a shield. I fire back at th
e demon. It lands in the center of his chest. He dies quickly. I then reach out for Key to guide her to safety. I don’t see the fireball heading towards me until it’s too late. Thankfully, a Powerball hits my attacker in the arm, causing his fireball to go astray.

  I look over and find that it’s Bex who has just saved our lives. He looks over at Key, who looks back at him as if she couldn’t care less about the drama surrounding us. Bex knows as well as I do, this is no time for a heart-to-heart. He swallows hard, takes his jacket off, and drapes it over his girl.

  “Get her to safety. I’ll take care of the demons,” he says.

  I grab Key and head towards the back room and close the door. I take the drunken Noru and sit her down in a chair in the corner. She keeps whispering that she’s fine over and over again.

  “Stay here, I’m gonna go back out there and help Bex,” I tell her.

  “No! Stay with me Silver. Pry is gonna be so pissed,” she says as she laughs. Her laughter quickly turns to hysteria. I quickly walk up to her and take her hands.

  “Key, everything is going to be fine. But I need to go and help Bex,” I tell her.

  When she doesn’t reply, I call out to her. That’s when I see it: Her eyes are completely flooded with a silver liquid. She is overdosing on something. I’ve seen it with club girls before.

  “Shit! Key, what did you take?” I scream.

  She is no longer conscious. Her body goes limp and she starts to slide off the chair. Bex comes in and tells me he has everything under control in the front. That’s when he sees her on the floor.

  “What happened?” he demands.

  “She must have taken something,” I reply.

  “Key, Key!” Bex says, shaking her.

  She doesn’t answer. Bex rushes out of the room and scours the building looking for a Healer first aid kit. Most clubs have them for this very reason. Meanwhile I send out a quick text.

  “I found these two, but I don’t know what they do,” Bex says frantically.

  “We can’t give it to her if we don’t know what it does. It might make it worse!” I suggest.

  “Well, we can’t just sit here and watch her die, Silver!” he yells.