Taming the Darkness

by Sarah Carter

  “Avery, come on, stay with me,” I cry.

  He looks up at me. “I guess I’m not going to save the fallen.”

  “I don’t care about any of that,” I gasp. “You can’t die.”

  Smiling weakly, Avery says, “It’s okay.”

  I hear more laughter behind me. “Such a shame. But he’ll make a good addition to our family in hell.”

  “What?” I seethe, spinning around.

  “He’s bound for hell,” Lucifer says. “You know what kind of person he is, did you think a few days with you was going to save him? He’s coming to me, Sweetheart.”

  I shake my head. “No, he’s been redeemed.”

  “But, he hasn’t,” Lucifer purrs. “He hasn’t truly repented because there’s still doubt in his heart. To be truly saved, you must believe fully. Avery doesn’t. So, he belongs to me.”

  Anger starts to build. “You aren’t going to take him.”

  “Are you going to stop me? You can’t do anything to me, my dear. You’re going to lose your life and your soul.”

  “I’m not going to fall to the darkness,” I seethe.

  He smiles a sinister smile. “You already have.”

  The darkness starts to envelope me. “No,” I whisper.

  “Yes,” Lucifer softly says. “You are powerless.”

  Azrael is instantly behind me, he pushes me to Lucifer. I can’t stop myself, I don’t even fight to escape. I stand in front of Lucifer. He shifts his weight and steps up to me. His gaze is sensual, inviting. “Yes,” Azrael whispers into my ear. “Let it consume you.”

  I feel torn, lost, confused, and angry. “No,” I hiss though clenched teeth. “I won’t do this.”

  “You hate me,” Azrael whispers. “Let the hate consume you. Let it reach into your soul.”

  I’m fighting this, but I’m losing the battle. The darkness is so strong. I look down at the seraph blade in my hand. The blue is gradually being replaced by a deep crimson. “Yes, my child,” Lucifer purrs. “Come to me.”

  Pressing himself against my back, Azrael whispers, “It’s you we’ve wanted all along. This is all about you. We knew you were going to fall.”

  I feel my very existence leave me. The darkness consumes me, and my blade fully turns red.

  “Finally,” Lucifer murmurs. “Your first order is to kill Avery. Bring him to us. Then you can be together forever.”

  Slowly, I turn around to face Avery. He looks terrified. “No Raven, don’t do this.”

  “Do it,” Azrael whispers in my ear. “He can be in hell with you.”

  “Raven, remember the light,” Avery gasps, obviously in pain. “Remember me!”

  Azrael laughs. “Way too late for that, boy. She’s one of us now.”

  “I don’t believe that,” Avery growls. He looks into my eyes. “Raven, you can do this. Find the light. Feel it. Remember me.”

  Azrael is almost hysterical with laughter, “A reaper cannot love. You are fooling yourself if you think you are capable of giving her more than we can. You are just as cold and dead inside as Raven.”

  Avery turns his attention back to me and looks straight into my eyes. “Raven, I love you, Raven. I do. I never thought I could love someone until I met you. I never thought I could feel anything, but you brought me back to life. You made me find my own light. No matter what happens, I love you. I will always love you.”

  My head starts to spin. Azrael presses himself against me again. “You can’t love, Raven. You’re a reaper. It’s not in you. You don’t know what love is.”

  “You’ve saved me, Raven,” Avery gasps. “You’ve saved me. Now, let me save you. I love you. Feel that. Remember that. Remember what the light feels like.” Everything starts to spin. Love, yes. The light. Avery is my light. Something else starts to spread across me. Warmth battles the cold emptiness. I can breathe. I feel like I can breathe.

  “KILL HIM,” Azrael hisses. “Kill him NOW!”

  I take my seraph blade and swing it around. Thrusting it backwards, I sink it into Azrael and he releases a blood curdling scream. Then with a burst of energy, the light consumes me. I pull my blade out and it’s blindingly blue. Spinning around, I look at Azrael. He’s on his knees, staring up at me. Swinging, my blade down, I finally finish him.

  “NOOOO!” Lucifer yells. “This isn’t possible. You were mine! I had you!”

  Taking in a deep breath, I say, “But, I was saved. Love saved me. I am free.”

  “KILL THEM!” Lucifer cries out.

  Suddenly, there are flashes of light all over the place. Archangels. Raphael is standing in front of me. “You’ve lost this fight,” he seethes at Lucifer. I’ve never seen Raphael angry.

  “I will kill you all,” Lucifer growls.

  “No, you won’t,” a voice says. The most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard. I turn to face it. God is standing there. God and the archangels are advancing towards Lucifer. “Hello, my lost child.”

  Lucifer hisses and scrambles backwards. “NO!”

  “This is done,” God states simply. “She has broken your bond. She has done what she was supposed to do.” God looks down at Avery. “As has he.”

  “Oh my gosh,” I gasp, finally getting it. “That’s been the point this whole time. We can break Lucifer’s hold!” I step forward looking at all the fallen angels and reapers. “You can break his hold.”

  “Yes,” God says, bells tinkling in the background.

  Shaking his head, Lucifer says, “No, this can’t be.”

  God looks around at all the fallen. “You can find your way home. You just have to find it within yourself. Find me. Come home to me.”

  With a terrifying scream, Lucifer yells, “No, you will not take them.”

  God sighs. “When will you learn that you will never be more powerful than me?”

  Anger sweeps across Lucifer’s face. “This isn’t over. It will never be over.”

  “One day it will be,” God says. “My son will see to that.”

  “It’s not over!” Lucifer screams and in a whirlwind of fire, he’s gone, along with all the demons.

  A fallen comes walking forward. “We can come home?”

  God smiles and it’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever witnessed. “You need to find the light within yourself and then you will be free. You can be redeemed.”

  “Raven,” I hear in a gurgling gasp.

  My attention turns back to Avery. He’s white as a ghost. “No,” I scream, running to him. I fall to my knees and plead, “No, you have to stay with me.”

  “I don’t think I can,” he barely whispers.

  Turning to God, I yell, “SAVE HIM!”

  With a small smile, God says, “You’ve already saved him.”

  “No, I mean his life,” I snap.

  “Raven,” Avery breathes. I turn to him. “Kiss me. Please, just kiss me.”

  Tears stream down my face and rain cascades over us. “Avery,” I whisper. His eye lids start to close. Bending over, I gently place my lips on his. “I love you. I will see you in heaven,” I whisper. With that, he falls limp.

  “You will not see him in heaven,” God states simply.

  Spinning around, fear shoots through me. “No, he can’t go to hell.”

  There is an overwhelming sound of bells. “I have special plans for him,” God says, smiling.

  “What?” I gasp.

  God walks over and gently kisses Avery on the forehead. A white light starts to sweep across Avery. It spins around and around, making a cloud around him. Avery is lifted into the air. I stand up and watch in awe. Suddenly, Avery takes a gasping breath and the light bursts from him. Slowly, he’s lowered back to the ground.

  “What? What’s going on?” I stutter.

  “He had to die to be reborn,” God says.

  “Avery is an angel,” I exhale, staring at him.

  Slightly disoriented, Avery gasps, “Whoa, this feels crazy.”

  “He’s a white angel,” I laugh, tears continue to
stream down my face, but now I am overjoyed that Avery is safe.

  “So are you,” echoes in my ear.

  “What?” I say, turning around to face God.

  God smiles. “You are a full white angel now, Raven. The darkness has been overcome.”

  That’s when the realization hits me. “The darkness is gone. I just feel light. I just feel…you.” I stare at God.

  “Yes, now, it’s time to go home.” God turns to everyone. “This battle is over my children. Love will set you free. Remember that.” With a burst of light, God is gone.

  The archangels remain in their position, watching the fallen and dark reapers. “Stop!” I snap. “We are on the same side. That was the whole point of the prophecy. We are supposed to bring them home. We need to work together if it’s going to work.”

  Raphael turns to me and smiles, “You have fulfilled the prophecies. You saved them. You found your light, Raven. You will bring peace to both sides.”

  Walking over, I look at the dark beings before me. “We will help you. You need to let us help you.”

  A dark reaper throws down his sword. “Okay.”

  “It begins by finding the light inside you. It already exists, you just have to search for it. It’s possible, trust me. I did it.”

  “Please,” a fallen angel cries. “Help us.”

  “The prophecy is fulfilled but your work is not yet complete,” Raphael laughs, looking at me.

  My eyebrow raises. “What?”

  “Saving the fallen doesn’t end here,” he replies, simply. Winking, Raphael continues, “You are no longer a reaper, you are now a redeemer. That is your new charge.”

  “Fantastic,” I huff.

  “Now,” Raphael says. “There are people who want to see you.”

  Shocked, I say, “Me?”

  Raphael laughs and shakes his head. “No, Avery.”

  “My mom and sister,” Avery exhales.

  “Yes, come on. Come home,” Raphael says, extending his hand. Avery takes it. With a burst of light, Avery is gone. I smile knowing the joy that awaits Avery. Looking out at everyone, I say, “Remember, you can be saved.” With that, I disappear to Heaven.

  Works of Sarah Kay Carter

  The Neturu Chronicles - paranormal

  Shift

  Shiftless

  Shifters

  Shifting Fate

  Shifting Time

  Truth In Eden – fantasy

  The Art of Life – romance

  The Trials of Life – romance

  Tear Down These Walls – romance

  Snippet of Shift ( book 1 of the Neturu Chronicles)

  Chapter 1

  The alarm clock buzzes. Kayla’s hand shoots out from under the covers and slaps it. The clock slides off the table and crashes to the floor, accompanied by Kayla’s muffled groan from the bed. Five minutes later, a dance song blares from her cell phone. Kayla emits a throaty growl as she sits up in bed. She grabs the cell phone and turns off the alarm. “It’s too early,” she mumbles to herself, rubbing her eyes and yawning. “Why am I so tired?”

  Shaking her head, she throws the blankets back on the bed and swings her feet to the floor. She sits on the edge of her bed for a minute, trying to get the courage to stand up and start her day, but then she notices her feet. “What the…” Picking up her foot, Kayla examines it. Her toes and the sole of her foot are covered in dirt. Kayla growls and dusts the dirt off. “Again?”

  She stomps into the hallway. Noise filters up to her from downstairs. “Mom?” she hollers.

  It takes a second before Kayla’s mother comes around the corner of the steps and sighs. “Good morning, Kayla, what’s wrong this time?”

  “I think I’m sleepwalking again.”

  Her mom furrows her eyebrows and rings her hands. “Do you remember anything?”

  “No,” Kayla grumbles. “But look at my feet. They’re filthy.” She sticks out her foot for her mom to see. “I took a shower before I went to bed.”

  A heavy sigh escapes her mom. “Honey, the front door is still locked. I think you’re imagining things.”

  With a disgusted look, Kayla snaps, “Mom. My feet are covered in dirt…like garden dirt. I keep my room as clean as a hospital.”

  “Well, you aren’t bleeding, so I think you’re fine.”

  “So you’re only going to be worried if I lose a limb?”

  A gentle sigh comes from her mom. “Kayla, what do you want us to do, put up cameras or an alarm?”

  “No, but if I hurt myself, I’m going to be really angry.”

  “Okay, honey, get ready for school. Tracy will be here in an hour to pick you up.”

  Crossing her arms, Kayla articulates, “If you got me a car, I wouldn’t have to get a ride from Tracy.”

  “Kayla, my dear, we have gone over this. When you graduate, we will look into getting you a car.”

  “Whatever, I’m going to get ready for school.” Kayla spins on her heels and walks into her room.

  An hour later, she is putting her jacket on as her dad comes out of the kitchen. “Got all your books?”

  “Yeah, of course, do you not know your daughter?”

  “Yes, we know you’re a straight A student and are in the running for valedictorian. You remind us every day.”

  Kayla grins. “I have my calculus test today and I’m going to ace it. I studied all night.”

  “Apparently you studied outside too. Your mom told me about your feet.” He chuckles.

  “Aren’t you worried about me? Isn’t it weird?”

  Her dad takes a sip of coffee. “I used to sleepwalk when I was your age, and I turned out fine. I think it’s a hereditary thing.”

  “Whatever, I’m going to fall off a bridge or something and then you and Mom will wish you took it seriously.”

  A honk sounds from outside. Her dad points to the door. “I’ll walk you out.” They walk out onto the porch and see a blue Ford Focus. A girl rolls down the window and waves. Kayla’s dad says, “Good morning, Tracy.”

  The curly-haired brunette smiles. “Good morning, Mr. Hendrickson.”

  “I’ve told you to call me Jerry.”

  “My mom taught me better than that, Mr. Hendrickson. Come on, Kayla. I want to go through the drive-through and get coffee!”

  Turning, Kayla kisses her dad on the cheek. “See ya later, Pops.”

  “Have a good day, girls,” her father shouts behind her.

  She runs down the steps to her friend’s car. Kayla opens the door and asks, “Are you going to buy me coffee?”

  “Shouldn’t you be buying me coffee? I’m the one picking you up.”

  Kayla sighs. “Fine.” She pulls down the visor and opens the mirror to check her makeup. Smiling, Kayla says, “Perfect.” Her eye shadow makes the green of her hazel eyes pop. She fidgets with her long, chestnut brown hair, which she curled this morning. Kayla turns her head to check out the stripe of blue on the side. “I still can’t believe my mom let me put color in my hair.”

  “Girl, your parents are awesome.”

  “They’re not bad. I say we try and talk your mom into letting you add color to your hair.”

  Tracy raises an eyebrow. “Hell would freeze over before that happens.”

  “Hey, your mom bought you a car. My mom just let me dye my hair blue.”

  “True. So did you do anything but study last night?”

  Kayla rolls her eyes. “You know I have a calculus test today.”

  “I have a test too, but I managed to do something else besides study.”

  “Yeah, I bet you texted Bradley all night.”

  Tracy wiggles her eyebrows. “You know it.”

  “Girl, you never quit.”

  “I make time for boys, unlike you.”

  With a smug look, Kayla says, “I’ll meet smart, intelligent, awesome guys when I go to college. The guys in our school are stupid.”

  “No one can keep up with you intellectually, huh?”

  “Nope.�
�

  They both laugh. Tracy leans over and cranks up the volume on the radio. Both girls start singing to the music and continue until they arrive at school. With their coffees in hand, they walk into the old brick building of the academy. Kayla begged her parents to let her go to the private school, and she’s happy they did because she met Tracy freshman year. Two years later, they are inseparable.

  “I’m going to head to French,” Tracy says as she turns around. “Good luck on your test if I don’t see you before then.”

  “You too,” Kayla yells after her. With a smile, she heads to her locker. As Kayla turns the corner, something slams into her hand and her coffee spills all over her arm. “What the…watch where you’re going,” she snaps at the person in front of her.

  When there is no response, she looks up and her eyes widen. The guy towers over her petite frame by at least six inches. He is muscular and very good-looking. His brown hair hangs in his face a little bit, but what strikes Kayla are his eyes. They are almost exactly like hers, a mixture of greens and gold. She hasn’t seen anyone else with eyes that vibrant.

  “Sorry,” she says slowly. “I didn’t mean to yell.” The guy just stares at Kayla for a second and then walks past her. She watches him go. “Who in the world are you?” she mutters to herself.

  Annoyed, Kayla is almost late for class since she has to clean herself up. The bell rings as she runs into the classroom. “Good job being on time, Miss Hendrickson.”

  Kayla sighs and slides into her seat. She takes a sip of her remaining coffee and then sets the cup on her desk. Her teacher starts the day’s lesson, so Kayla quickly retrieves her notebook to take notes. About five minutes into class, someone saunters into the room, interrupting the lecture. Kayla raises an eyebrow when she realizes it’s the guy she ran into who spilled coffee all over her. He walks over to the teacher and murmurs something.

  “Oh, yes,” her teacher exclaims. “Class, we have a new student. His name is Jackson Blakely. He actually comes to us from China.”

  “You don’t look Chinese,” says one of the guys from the back of the classroom.

  Spinning around in her seat, Kayla looks at him and snaps, “Really? I thought this school was for gifted students.”