Fall into Darkness

by Skyler Andra

  “I can’t.” He pushed away, leaving me cold without his embrace.

  “Why not?” I asked him.

  “You’re with Mike and Zak.” He stared at the ground and kicked it with the toe of his boot.

  I inched closer. “I can be with you too.”

  Each step of mine pushed him further away. “You have enough to deal with. Zak’s a handful and Mike is… intense.”

  He swallowed and rubbed his arm. I imagined him doing that to me and I closed the space between us. His neck flushed pink and he stiffened, his breath catching.

  I chuckled at his observations. Being with him was vastly different to the other two angels. With Michael, I respected and admired his achievements even though we disagreed on how to achieve the mission. Still, the leader had a lot to teach me about this world. His kindness and patience made me feel welcome and useful to the team, despite my lack of experience. Intense and serious, I knew he’d die to protect his warriors and that made me feel safe.

  In comparison, Zak spun me in circles of confusion, pushing me away before sucking me back in again with a drowning attraction. I never knew where I stood; if I’d get a compliment or a barb. Underneath all that pain rested a caring soul that stood up for me and sheltered me from darkness. I couldn’t resist the temptation he offered.

  But with Uri, everything was light and fun. He gave me space from the darkness to breath. My greedy heart wanted more of what he had to offer.

  “You remind me of the goodness in this world,” I told Uri, grabbing his coat and not letting him go.

  When I leaned onto my tiptoes to kiss him, I was filled with an even more intense heat and blinding light and I couldn’t think straight.

  “Screw it.” Finally, he gave in to his temptation. Cupping my cheek, his palm rest against my jaw. I melted at his touch and sighed. He ran his fingers through my hair, gently pulling my head back, kissing my neck.

  Seventh heaven, I wanted him so badly. The heat in my body pooled between my legs, and I felt the familiar tug of lust at my core. I knew what to expect when my body reacted this way. But I hadn’t thought I would react this intensely, this quickly. Then again, things had moved quickly with Mike and Zak as well.

  “Excuse me,” a woman behind us barked. “This is not the time or the place.”

  Uri and I flew apart.

  Behind us stood a mother, clutching the hands of her two young children.

  “Did you see that kids?” Uri pointed at me. “She just gave me girl germs. Yuck!” He waved his hands at them and wobbled on his feet.

  The kids giggled.

  “She’s pretty.” One of the kids pointed at me.

  “Do you want her girl germs then? Here. Have them.” He pretended to wipe it on their heads.

  The older one grumbled out an, “ewwww,” and hid behind her mom while the younger one squealed and laughed.

  Their reactions tickled my soul and I smiled.

  Uri tipped his cap at the mother and said, “Have a good day.” He caught my hand and pulled me away.

  I glanced over at my shoulder, watching the two children run away and climb onto a structure with bars, steps, and ropes.

  “But I didn’t get to try the swing,” I protested, remembering Uri’s offer.

  “Another time perhaps,” he suggested.

  As we headed for the exit, more children and parents flooded onto the play park. The young ones jumped on equipment, shouting, laughing, and squealing while the parents sat on the benches or congregated in groups, chatting and laughing. Such a beautiful sight.

  I tugged at Uri’s hand, wanting to stop, which he did. For a while we watched the young ones sliding down a long board, swinging on seats, spinning on the roundabout, climbing the ropes, and navigating the bars like monkeys. Two children on opposite ends of a long board rose and fell.

  A shadow crept over the park and I glanced up. Clouds drifted in front of the sunlight, knitting together, sealing the world in the dark blanket again.

  My heart sank. Our good work hadn’t lasted long. Michael and Zak were right. I should have listened to them. They’d been on Earth much longer than me—seen far more than me. I shouldn’t have doubted their judgment.

  Growling thunder rumbled in the distance, but there was no lightning. With it came a light rain that pattered on the ground and tickled my head. It was soft and gentle, almost cleansing. Still, we stood there, both staring up into the gloom. I opened my mouth and smiled.

  “This is fantastic!” Uri lifted an arm before curling his hand skyward, catching the droplets. “We haven’t had rain in years.”

  What? How did this world survive without water?

  Parents rounded up their children, quickly scattering, leaving the park empty again. Wind howled through it as if mourning their loss.

  “You did this.” Uri cupped my hands between his. “You made it rain.”

  We didn’t run from the rain or try to cover our heads with our jackets to avoid getting wet like the parents and children did. No. We let it soak our hair and clothes, letting droplets run over our faces. We reveled in the beauty of creation—this gift from the Most High.

  The dying grass and trees cried out imploringly for more, relishing the precious droplets of water. Their desperate howls also asked for me to restore them, to inject them with strength. I cupped my ears at their louds screams bellowing in my mind.

  Stop! Just make it stop.

  The light and rain must shine and nourish. This was what we had to fight for. This fraction of beauty had reminded me of why we were here. It was easy to get caught up in the lust and addictions of this world—easy to focus on the darkness because there was so much of it. Easy to doubt whether or not we might ever defeat it when its power surpassed what little light we brought to the world.

  But maybe, if we focused on the light a little more—brought a smile to someone with something as simple as a joke, a kind word, or if we fed someone in need to restore beauty back to an ugly world—we would be able to let it make a comeback.

  The volume and intensity of the dying grass and trees rose deafeningly in my mind. I couldn’t ignore them or the idea that our efforts made small differences wherever we went, no matter what Mike said. His own darkness made him blind and doubtful to fact.

  I fell to my knees, rocking back and forth.

  My hands shook as I reached out to touch the dry earth. Life faded from it, and it barely clung to what little nutrition it could leech from the soil. Grace reared up inside me. Darkness clashed at the walls holding it back, fighting for release, to take over. I unleashed a powerful pulse of grace right into the earth. Pink light rippled across the ground, followed by tiny blades of grass sprouting up from the soil in its wake. A healthy brown returned to the trees and shrubs. Leaf shoots emerged from the branches and all of them sung a joyous symphony to me, to the rain.

  Uri knelt beside me, unleashing a radiating, beautiful red light into the land until everything around us glowed. Rust peeled off the metal fences and play equipment. The dullness of everything faded, replaced by its original brilliance. Even the sky glowed under the blazing sun shining behind it all. In the distance, beyond the rainclouds, the stranglehold of darkness peeled back to expose more light.

  Down the road, more humans had taken to the streets. They danced and spun in the rain, laughing and enjoying this miracle with their families, neighbors, and community. The wonder of it brought them to talk to each other. Since arriving on Earth, I had barely seen humans interact with one another. It was beautiful to see them reaching out.

  “See?” Uri said, his face glowing. “There’s light in the darkness.”

  Yes. Yes, there was.

  Shame on me for being so naïve and only taking Zak and Mike’s word for it when they weren’t the absolute authorities on darkness. They thought the way to release the world from darkness equaled killing Lucifer. But where was the mercy in that? Had they spared human mercy when they punched the demons in the face? The Most High wanted Luc
ifer returned to Heaven for rehabilitation. Instead, Mike had taken it upon himself to kill him. Even if they killed Lucifer, his darkness would still plague the humans. The true key to winning this war lay in showing people the light—bringing them together, reminding them of true blessings like kindness, laughter, compassion, patience, and their resilience in the face of adversity.

  “Come on,” Uri said, rising to his knees.

  “No,” I defied. “I don’t want to go yet.”

  “Neither do I.” Water trickled down the side of his smooth skin and for a moment I envied it, wanting to trace my fingers down his face.

  He grabbed my hand and dragged me deeper into the park, leading me to the seats hung on chains that the children had swung on.

  “Sit down,” he instructed. “I promised to let you experience a swing. To let you fly without wings.”

  Yes, he had. I did as he ordered, causing the chains to dig into my sides. The seat was made for smaller bodies. Not that mine was big by any standards. My hips were just a little too wide for the structure. But I’d endure the pinch of the metal for the thrill of riding this device.

  Uri’s strong hands found my back and a spark zinged up my spine. He pushed me gently, causing my body to arc through the air.

  “Hold the chains and lean back a little,” he directed. “Stretch out your legs.”

  So, I did. The motion cleared my mind of all else. It felt freeing, like I was soaring high above the world. It was the same feeling I had when I fell to Earth, without the dreaded sinking in my stomach. For a moment I wanted to unleash my wings and take off into the skies and let the rain clouds shroud me as the wind pounded against me. I wanted to feel the thunder tremble in my chest, the lightning to flicker all around me. I wasn’t afraid of the energy since it couldn’t harm an angel. If anything, we’d absorb it and the brilliant illumination would repel Lucifer.

  I laughed as Uri pushed me again, higher this time. My stomach sunk as I swung back down, my heart sailing as I rose again. This was bliss. Heaven. I wanted so much more of what Earth had to offer—what Uri had to offer. I wanted to bask in his light and his darkness, which were both beautiful in their own ways.

  After a while, my mind wandered back to the lightning streaking across the darkness above. Surely, after everything we had experienced so far and the war that was yet to come, this would be the reason why we fought. To bring back the light, to revel in it, to allow the humans to realize that the end of the world was not yet upon them.

  Not if we could help it.

  19

  Uriel

  The thunder grumbled even louder and the lightning flashed with wild intensity, chasing away all the glory of the rainfall.

  I cast my eyes on the dark wet ground, my hopes flying away. I hadn’t wanted this moment to end. I wanted to stay here with Jophiel forever. Everywhere she went she introduced beauty and I wanted a part of it.

  This place was a source of joy for the little ones; it made my heart sing. Their delight and smiles; their sharing and interactions. It was exactly the injection of love and connection that this world needed. It reminded me of the joy that I experienced every second in heaven and it made me pine for home.

  Beyond this age, when children reached the mental capacity to understand and process light and dark, it was already too late. Darkness had begun to taint them, growing each year like a cancer, it would be in full bloom upon adulthood.

  The energy of the younger ones filled me with hope. If I could make a difference, before they were infected, then maybe this world stood a chance. I used my grace to influence them and their parents, cleansing them of their darkness. They left with even brighter smiles on their faces. It might have only made a small difference; but hey, that was my contribution.

  This was the first time in a long time that I’d seen such great difference between the barrier of darkness shrouding and choking this world—and the light. With Jophiel around, good shit started to happen. I’d been in Sterling City for ten years, all the while fighting rats and bringing some cheer to my neighbors, shop owners, and the few friends I’d made. In my own way, I brought light to the world through my kindness and humor. Yet in all that time, something like this had never happened.

  Spending time with Jophiel—one day spent in a lousy soup kitchen, the other went to giving warm clothes and food to the homeless—and watching her inject beauty to the council chambers and now here in this park. It made a difference. This city had seen more sun than I’d ever been able to deliver in a long, long time. And it lasted. Followed by rain that actually nurtured the Earth. Coincidence? No way.

  We’d only recently met, yet I was even more attracted to her than ever before. Not just because of today, but because she reminded me why we were here. Who I was supposed to be. She was beauty in this rotten world. A light of a different kind. Something I hadn’t seen in a long time. Something that filled me with much needed reassurance, after going it alone for so long and feeling like I didn’t even make a dint in the darkness, she arrived.

  The other angels thought I was weak for being kind to the humans and wanting to surround myself with their presence. Years ago, before we split up and hid from Luc, Zak said to me that the humans deserved the darkness. That they had welcomed it with open arms, by allowing Luc to infect this world and rule it. Fuck Zak. Fuck Luc.

  A little kindness went a long way. I’d seen first-hand the effect of my kindness. Helping my neighbor move a new couch into her apartment when she needed some muscle to lift it up the stairs. Pitching in at Gus’ store, working behind the counter, and serving his customers with a smile and a joke, whenever one of his workers called in sick. Grabbing kegs of beer from the basement to help out my mate at the bar on busy nights. These small acts brought relief and reduced stress. The worry lines chiseled into their faces had erased and their mood’s shifted immediately. Kill em’ with kindness. My efforts fucking worked to clear the darkness. The sunlight might not shine and shit, but it made a difference dammit.

  Zak was too far gone to notice or appreciate it. Him and the others took my kindness for granted. While Sterling City might be a rundown shit hole, Luc never stepped foot into my town. I was certain that my light kept him at bay.

  “Are you okay?” Jophiel’s voice called me away from my thoughts. I tore my gaze from the ground to her hazel eyes.

  “Just thinking,” I replied.

  “What about?” God, she wasn’t going to give up.

  “That you’re this world’s saving grace,” I said. “I can feel it.”

  She huffed. “That’s a heavy expectation.”

  Yes—it was. One I believed she’d live up to.

  I didn’t let her get another word out as I took her into my arms, holding her body close to mine. Her breath sped up. Pink flushed her cheeks. She was so damn close to me that I could taste her—fuck her. Her reaction told me that she wanted me as much as I wanted her. I didn’t care anymore if Mike or Zak had a claim to her. Right now, I wanted to share in her light, her grace. I wanted to chase away the doubts lingering at the back of my mind.

  “I’ve been so fucking lonely for so long,” I said. “I’m glad we’re here in this moment with the rain trickling down our skin.”

  She laughed, a husky and sweet sound.

  “You’re the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen.” I kissed her, sliding my tongue between her lips. So soft. So perfect. So plump with desire.

  She sighed into my mouth, letting me kiss her like there was no tomorrow. I snaked an arm under her ass and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around me. Her small breasts pushed against my chest. She ran her hands along my arms up to my face. Fuck—it felt like heaven. A surge of energy crackled along my skin, exploding in my skull.

  We were joined at the lips. I pressed myself against her, an erection building fast. I ground it against her and she moaned.

  My hand slid along her jaw, my fingers feather light on the soft skin of her neck as they slid over her collarbone and down
to her chest. I fondled her breasts, her nipples already hard as the peeked through the lace of her bra. Perfect sized tits. I wanted them in my mouth. Desperate for them, I slid my hand down the front of her dress to the edge where her bra peeked out from beneath the fabric. I stopped kissing her to glance down. The rain spoiled her modest and classy sundress, making it see-through and downright sexy. I pulled aside her bra and groaned at the sight of her pink nipples against her milky skin.

  My body curled against her, wanting to touch her. “Fuck you’ve got perfect tits,” I said in a breathy voice.

  I kissed her again, this time hard and with more urgency. She ground herself against me, her smaller body on mine. Her fingers explored the muscles of my shoulders and back. My need was palpable, and she felt the same need for me.

  “We shouldn’t do this,” she whispered, breaking free of the kiss and gasping for air. “Not here.”

  “Don’t stop me now, baby,” I moaned, my lips pressed against her cheek, I wanted to claim her mouth again.

  “Not where everyone can see.”

  I glanced around. The rain had brought people out to celebrate, but the storm had chased them away. “They’re gone now.”

  She pushed against my chest.

  I sighed audibly. “You’re killing me, babe.” My dick was practically bursting at the seams to be inside of her.

  “I’m confused,” she whispered, her voice a little shaky, uncertain, yet raspy and full of desire. “Being on Earth is making me so aroused. I’ve already slept with Zak. Mike twice. I want you too. I’m so confused.”

  “It’s okay,” I said. “I don’t care. I don’t think you’re a slut.”

  Fuck. I had to focus on her face while trying not to stare at her tits.

  “Is it natural to want three men in different ways?” she asked, her brows tight.

  “We’re angels. Nothing is natural to us on Earth.”

  Rain trickled down her top. I wanted to lick off every drop. Suck her breasts nice and slow. But she was shy about anyone seeing us. I didn’t mind. We could have a quickie. No telling how long this storm might last. Then take it back to my place. Mike and Zak would be gone for a while and I’d use the time to fuck her senseless.