Sounds of swords thrashing cut through the darkness, and then I distinctly heard two loud thuds. It sounded like bowling balls being dropped on the ground. I hoped that Alex and Dominic completed their mission, and it wasn’t the other way around.
“Let’s go,” Alaine commanded.
Kade grabbed a hold of my hand, and after the shock, we ran down the road.
“The cave should be just ahead,” Alaine said looking through a small black contraption. It must have been night vision binoculars or something like it. She had this whole covert mission thingy down to a science. “It seems clear. Let’s move.”
Seems clear? That didn’t sound promising! All clear, or even just clear, would have been cool, but when she added the word seems, well… that meant that there could be something there; something hiding, something that could jump out and injure or kill us.
And then my heart started hammering again… like mad. I had to stop painting horrifying pictures in my mind.
I needed to touch Kade again. I needed to feel like everything would be alright.
He was intently listening to the last instructions, in which I heard mention of the possibility that some actual Fallen might be there, when I suddenly, without thinking, grabbed hold of his hand and held it tight. His head snapped to the side, and then I noticed his white teeth gleaming in the darkness. He squeezed it back, letting me know that it was alright, and I instantly felt better. Warmer and a bit more positive. He was my balance - the yin to my yang.
And then, an all too familiar clearing of the throat, cut through the darkness like Alaine’s knife over my cast. I knew it was Malachi.
I could feel his piercing gaze, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to let go of Kade. Not now. Not when we were going into a place where I was supposed to be exchanged and executed. Right now, I needed his touch like I needed to breathe, and as long as he was alright with it, I was too.
Everyone’s eyes turned on us, and it suddenly went silent. I put my head down and tried to keep a straight, yet terrified, look on my face, which wasn’t hard to do. A face that said I didn’t care what anyone thought. Kade was assigned to me by Alaine, to be my guardian, and I was making sure that I wasn’t going to lose him.
My facial drama must have worked because when I glanced up; Alaine slapped Malachi on his shoulder and muttered, “Move it.”
As they turned, Kade interlocked his fingers in mine. It felt right. It felt perfect. But it also linked us tightly together while he quickly pulled me along with him. Maybe that was his intention, but I didn’t care. As long as I was attached to him I was fine.
We neared a river, and I only knew it because I heard it first. My aunt didn’t speak but made hand gestures, which everyone seemed to understand but me. Kade pulled me along tightly behind him as we slowly waded into the frigid water. I gasped and Malachi immediately turned.
“Shhhhh-” He whispered with his finger pressed to his lips.
All of a sudden there were splashes heading towards us in all directions. We stopped, dead in our tracks. Everyone made a circle around me. Protecting me.
Dominic dropped to the ground and cringed in pain. I bent down to see what had happened, when I spotted his hand tightly gripped around an arrow in his side.
Growls and attack cries echoed around us. I immediately went into panic mode and reached for the gun, but in all the commotion someone knocked it out of my grasp and it fell into the river. I desperately tried to search for it, but I couldn’t find it.
Kade pulled me to my feet. We were surrounded by Darkling, around twenty of them from what I could see. We were way outnumbered. Malachi, Alexander, and Alaine charged towards them with their weapons drawn. Kade grabbed Dominic’s arm and assisted him to his feet.
“Damn it hurts!” Dominic moaned through gritted teeth.
“Hold still!” Kade said gripping the arrow shaft. Dominic winced in pain, and then held his breath as Kade pulled the arrow out.
“Kade! Behind you!” I screamed, as a Darkling rushed toward him. He pushed Dominic back down and twisted around. Using the same arrow he pulled from Dominic, he pierced it into the Darkling’s eye. I watched in complete horror as the Darkling dropped right in front of him.
That was way too close.
Another charged at him, but he drop kicked it. It flew backwards and landed with a splash. Kade grabbed his sword and shot towards it to finish the job.
I bent down to help Dominic back to his feet, and –
Wham! I was slammed from behind. Everything went black for a moment, but when I opened my eyes again, I was in complete darkness. Cold wind beat against my face, and I could tell I was moving very quickly. Whoever was carrying me had a tight grip around my chest, and a heavy hand clamped over my mouth so I couldn’t scream.
It couldn’t have been a Darkling because the hand smelled sweet. Like Kade and the others.
We were traveling quickly and silently through the darkness. Faint echoes of Kade and Dominic yelling my name were quickly diminishing. I was being carried far away from them.
I struggled to free myself but the hold was too tight. Then my kidnapper whispered that one frightful word into my ear.
“Sleep.”
Fear gripped my entire being as I instantly felt myself fading, and darkness blanketed my eyes.
Chapter 13:
Distant screams snapped me out of my magical slumber. My eyes were blurred, and my head was throbbing. The frigid air caused my body to shiver to try and warm itself, but its efforts were futile. The cold had already gone down to my bones. I tried to get up, but my feet and arms were fastened to a chair which was set in a corner of a small hollowed out cave. A torch, hanging on the opposite side of the wall, lit the entire room. It was empty, except for me.
The walls were glistening with wet, and the floor was dirt and rocks. The air was thick and stagnant with a lingering stench of Darkling. Whoever grabbed me must have been with them, and I was shocked they’d kept me alive.
The last I remembered was I was being carried away from Kade and the others. They were surrounded by Darkling. A lot of Darkling. I wondered if they were okay; if they were still alive.
If they were still alive, I hoped they found Caleb, and hoped and prayed they’d be able to find me. I didn’t want to think about what would happen if they didn’t. But in case I did die, at least I’d be with my mom and dad. I didn’t care what Alaine said. They were my parents. They loved me, and raised me, and I loved them back. And that was all that mattered.
Footsteps echoed down the corridor. Someone was coming. I struggled to loosen the ropes around my wrists, but they were much too tight. I was helpless to defend myself, but even if I couldn’t, I hated the fact that I wasn’t even able to try.
But, I was going to be strong. I wasn’t going to show fear, even though I was terrified. They didn’t deserve the pleasure of watching me show any fear.
The heat of my breath and the cold air misted and swirled as it exited my lips. I sat tall, staring at the door, waiting for whatever it was to walk in. As the footsteps got closer and closer, my heartbeat got faster and faster. A dark shadow elongated on the outside wall. I stopped breathing, staring, waiting.
A tall figure in a dark cloak and cowl stepped into the room, and then two others behind him. They all removed their hoods at the same time, revealing their faces. I expected to see the Darkling, but instead was met by men. Handsome men or angels.
The one standing in the middle had dark features. He looked in his mid-thirties and had long black, wavy hair. The others were a bit shorter than him, but also had dark features. One had light brown hair, and the other was blonde, but they were all beautiful. Their faces were pale and porcelain like, and their features were strong. They were tall, over six feet, and well built. They stared at me for a moment and sniffing the air.
Were these men the Fallen Angels, Alaine was talking about?
“Is this the child?” the man in the middle spoke. He exchanged a look of questio
n with the other two. “For some reason, I thought the child would be a male. But female? Are you certain?”
“Yes, she’s the one. She bears his mark,” the brown haired man answered.
“Why the hell am I here?” I yelled, looking directly at the middle guy. He seemed to be the one in charge.
They all laughed, and I felt heat race through my veins. I wish I had powers right now. I wish I could fling fireballs with my eyes, and burn them all to the ground. But instead, all I could do was glare at them.
“Well, well. Isn’t she a feisty one,” the leader said, staring back at me with a sly grin. He slowly stalked toward me, circling. “It’s a shame. You are such a beautiful child,” he said taking my chin in his warm hand. I pulled away from him.
“Don’t touch me,” I said through gritted teeth.
There was a pause of silence, and then they all erupted into laughter again.
“Let me go,” I insisted.
“I’m sorry child, but we cannot do that. Other plans have been made for you.” He paused.
“Where’s the other? Her mother?” the leader said turning to the two that remained by the door.
“She got away,” the blonde one answered, lowering his eyes to the floor.
“How could she have gotten away? Wasn’t she near the child?”
“Yes, but she just… vanished. One moment she was there, and the next… she was gone,” he breathed, baffled.
“She’s a Nephilim, you idiots! Invisibility must be her gift!”
“We didn’t know. It’s the Darkling’s job to collect the Nephilim, not ours,” the brown haired one answered.
“It was Lucian who appointed this job to you, because the Darkling haven’t been able to capture her. So I suggest you leave now and keep searching. And this time use your noses,” he growled.
“Yes, sir,” they answered. The two men pulled their cowls back over their heads and backed out the door.
My head was spinning wildly from their simple conversation. He said that my mother was with me…she was a Nephilim…and had the power of invisibility? But the only woman with us was…
Then suddenly, a light switched on in my brain.
Alaine.
Was she my mother?
She had to be.
The conversation she had with me in the car. There was no other explanation. Alaine had to be my mother.
The man walked over to me after the others left and took a knee at my side.
“What’s your name child?” he said in a very kind voice.
“Why should you care? You’re just going to kill me anyway.”
“I’m not the one who wants you dead. I was sent here to make sure that you were delivered. That is all.”
“Well, who wants me dead? Is it that Lucian guy?” I asked. I still couldn’t believe that someone actually wanted to kill me. And not just anyone. Angels. Fallen Angels to be exact. And it was for something I had no control over. I never asked to be born a Nephilim or an Angel, nor did I have a choice.
He got up off the floor and walked back to the door. I could tell that there was something different in his eyes. They looked softer, not so hard and dangerous as they were when he first walked in. Maybe it was because the others weren’t here. It seemed that as soon as they left the room, his demeanor changed.
“I’m Emma,” I said, hopefully playing on his heart-strings…if he had any left.
“What?” He turned, his eyes locked on mine.
“My name. It’s Emma.”
A slight grin grew on his lips as he ran his fingers through his thick black hair, and gazed at me with a puzzled look.
“Well Emma, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said, his eyes steadying on mine. He shook his head and headed back toward me. “I never thought the day would come when I’d see something like you. You are quite a rarity. Lucian doesn’t have any clue of what they’ve captured. If he did… you’d probably be dead, or would have to take a blood oath to become one of his Fallen.”
“I - I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” I breathed. I remembered Alaine mentioned Lucian. He was that Fallen Angel gone rogue, killing all the Nephilim in a fit of revenge.
“You are a special breed Emma… of Angel and Nephilim. There has never been another like you. You see, the Nephilim have powers and gifts that angels do not have. Some Nephilim are stronger than others, but it’s those powers that make them rare, and hated…especially among the Fallen. In their eyes, the half-breeds are abominations. And you have the best of both worlds.
“But I don’t have any special powers,” I insisted.
“Not yet child, but you will. Which is why they’ve tried to kill you before your transformation, which will be -”
“On my eighteenth birthday?” I finished his sentence.
“Yes,” he answered with an inquisitive look in his eye. “But there is something else you probably haven’t been told. You were conceived of both Angel and Fallen. Your mother is half human and half pure Angel, but your father… he was one of the Fallen.
“There is an age old prophecy which tells of the one that will be born of Angel and Abomination. A child that will have the power, greater than the angels. A power that can bring change, and save the earth from total devastation. The Fallen don’t take kindly to those who suggest change.”
“When the time of your transformation comes, you will have to choose a side. Angel or Fallen. And that’s if you’re still alive. If Lucian ever finds out what you are, he will do whatever he possibly can to bring you to his side, and use your gifts for his agendas. But let me warn you…those who have chosen not to join him die a very unpleasant death. Lucian abuses his power, exploiting the innocent, making them suffer in front of others, so they will not refuse him. He will take those closest to you, and rip their hearts out right in front of you, or torture you until you give in. He’s a leader of murder and deceit.”
“Well…let’s hope he doesn’t find out,” I said aloud, even though the words were only meant for me.
I swallowed the huge lump in my throat. If I had a choice, it was a no-brainer. I’d definitely choose the good side. I would never choose a side of someone who killed and tortured innocents.
I sighed and shook my head in complete disbelief. What he was telling me was pure craziness. I was supposedly some kind of super Angel that could save the earth? Yeah right… I’ll believe it when I see it. Overwhelming? This new life I’d been hurled into was way beyond that. And, why save the earth? No one really cared about the earth except the tree huggers and environmentalists, which were completely outnumbered by the majority who were destroying it.
He looked like he was in deep thought.
“Are you an angel?” I asked. I knew that was a stupid question, and I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear it from his own lips.
He paused, looking at me with a raised eyebrow, but didn’t say a word.
“You’re one of the Fallen aren’t you?”
“Yes,” he answered.
“Are you with Lucian?”
“I am, but it doesn’t mean that I support his reasons or rational. I have my own agendas.” He had a look in his eyes. Not evil, but not quite good either. It was almost like the look that Thomas had; the look of a prankster, only darker.
“So, how do you know so much about me?”
He hesitated, and then I saw a small glimmer in his eye.
“I knew your father, once upon a time. He and I were very close companions. Actually, he was my mentor. I remember the first day he laid eyes on your mother. He came back to me filled with a joy and excitement that I’d never seen in him before. He couldn’t stop talking about the most wonderful being ever created.”
“When I learned she was a half-breed, a Nephilim, I tried to warn him. I told him to keep away from her, and that she wasn’t worth risking his life over. But he refused my advice. He said he was in love, and that he had this unexplainable connection with her, a bond beyond what he could ever
understand. When they were close, he felt drawn to her, like a moth to a flame. When they touched, he said it was as if lightning surged through his veins.”
My breath caught in my throat, like I’d swallowed the hugest gobstopper, and goose bumps rose on every inch of my skin. Those feelings he was describing…the ones my parents had…were the same feelings I felt with Kade!
I was just about to ask him a question, when he continued.
“Your father was his happiest when he was with her. It was something I didn’t understand. Something I wished and longed for. Something I still haven’t found…to this day.” His words were filled with sadness.
“Mating with humans or even half-breeds is strictly forbidden. Angels are only allowed to mate with their own kind, those of pure blood. Disobey this law, and you will be marked for death. This law is the same for Angel and Fallen alike,” he spoke, and then walked back to the door.
After hearing those words, my heart felt like it had been hammered, torn, and scorched. I wasn’t a pure blood, and if Kade was an Angel, which I was almost positive, then there was no way we could ever be together. Would we end up as star-crossed lovers, never finding true love, and forbidden to be together because of a stupid law?
And then it hit me. My father had obviously crossed that forbidden line, and I was the proof.
“Do you know what happened to my father?” I asked.
“Yes,” he answered sadly. “Your father is dead. As soon as the leaders learned of his treachery, he was immediately captured and taken to them. I was later notified that he was stripped of his wings and then slain.” He paced back to the door and peered down the corridors.
I didn’t realize that his words would have such an effect on me, but they did, and my heart began to ache. Although I never knew my real father, and actually didn’t know he existed before tonight, I still would have liked to have met him, even if he was a Fallen Angel. Alaine said he wanted to be good. He must have had some kind of goodness in him, for her to fall for him.
“Do you know my mother?” I needed to know.