by R C Knight
“Just a dream,” she muttered breathlessly. She looked around the room then up at Zane. Her green eyes were wide, her face pale and clammy. “Just a dream.” Tears began to form as she rapidly blinked her eyes. Her breath caught in a sob as she curled into Zane. He ran his hand up and down her back.
“It’s okay,” he sighed, his heart breaking as he watched her small body shake with each sob. “Everything’s going to be okay. You’ll get through this.”
The door burst open as Mikayla came running in. “Is everything okay?” She asked breathlessly as she looked around the cabin. Her eyes landed on Aria curled into Zane.
“Everything’s fine, Mikayla,” Zane replied calmly.
“I thought I heard someone scream,” she paused as another sob escaped Aria’s lips. Her eyes met Zane’s; a silent understanding passed between them.
“It was just a bad dream.” He looked around the room. “Nothing to worry about.” Mikayla glanced at Aria, shaking her head.
“I hope you know what you’re doing.” She glanced around the room one last time. “Let me know if she needs anything.” Zane nodded as Mikayla left the room, gently closing the door behind her.
“Is she gone?” Aria mumbled into his chest.
“Yea.” He chuckled as she lifted her head and looked around the room, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“I’m sorry.” She lowered her eyes as she sat up, crossing her arms over her chest. “I shouldn’t have come here,” she sighed wearily. “Now they’re going to think something is going on.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Zane sat up and swung his legs over the side of the hammock. “I’ll talk to Keira. But Aria.” He gently lifted her chin and stared into her green eyes. “I will always be here for you. Whatever you need I will provide.” He smiled as a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. “Besides, how many people get to say an angel slept in their bed?” He winked as a small giggle escaped her lips. He stood up and grabbed his shirt off the floor. Her eyes fell on his silver tattoo as he pulled on the worn shirt. “I know, we need to talk.” He glanced around the room. “Let me grab us some breakfast first.”
“Alright,” she sighed. “I’ll go get dressed and meet you back here.” He smiled as she stood up from the hammock and walked to the door. “Five minutes.” She glanced at him, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “We have a lot to discuss.” With that she walked out of the room, leaving the door open.
~~~~
Aria couldn’t describe how she was feeling as she left Zane in the Captain’s Cabin. Just being around him brought an overwhelming sense of comfort and security. Her mind hated her for being able to feel safe so soon after what happened. Her body trembled as an image of the Elites flashed across her mind. She shook her head and walked faster, heading directly to her room below deck.
Once there she threw off her nightshirt and slipped into jeans and a shirt. Her body began to tremble as her mind started replaying the previous day. Aria dug through her bag, throwing clothes all over the floor. She found a long-sleeve pullover and quickly slid it on. She shuddered as she rubbed her hands up her arms, trying to calm her nerves.
Stop thinking about it, she scolded herself as she turned to leave her room. You can’t change the past. You can only move forward. She repeated this mantra as she made her way back to the Captain’s Cabin.
Aria sat on a small marble bench next to the golden French doors that led to the Counsel of Heralds, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. They had called her to their chambers to discuss her future. She chewed on her lower lip as she examined her surroundings.
The golden doors were thrown open as Raphael left the chamber. His blonde hair shimmered brightly in the afternoon sun. He smiled as he looked over at her. “They have approved you for the warrior class. You will begin training tomorrow.”
She smiled tightly, her eyes betraying her emotions. Raphael frowned as his blue eyes found hers. “Isn’t this what you wanted?” Aria sighed as she lowered her eyes.
“It is,” she responded dryly.
“Then what is wrong?”
She lifted her eyes and stared at the statue of her father. His expression was fierce as he held his sword high, prepared for the attack. The statue had been added to the walkway after his death, another addition to the warrior angels that guarded the Counsel. “I fear my father would not have wanted this for me.” She looked up at Raphael. “He gave his life for the Counsel, for the good of us all.” Aria dropped her eyes as she twisted her hands in her lap.
“And for what? He left behind a wife and child. My mother was so torn she put herself in seclusion, leaving me all alone.” She clenched her hand into a fist and punched the bench. “His death only brought pain and suffering.” She looked up at Raphael, an unshed tear glistening in her eye. “What if I’m not good enough? What if I fall unto the same fate as my father? I would never wish my fate upon another.”
Raphael sighed sadly as he sat down next to her. “Your fate is what you make of it.” He gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “You can’t change the past. You can only move forward and hope you make the right choices. We learn from our mistakes and we move on. No one knows what is in store for them, not even Cordelia knows.” He smiled as he looked over at the statue of Aria’s father. “No matter what you think, your father would be proud. He always talked about how stubborn you were.” Aria sighed as a smile began to form. “He told me once that he knew you were born for great things. He could tell you were going to be extraordinary.”
“You really think so?” Aria asked quietly.
“I can already see it.” Raphael smiled. “Now, why don’t we go to the sparring circle? I find training is the perfect distraction when you are stuck in your mind.” Aria smiled as she stood up with Raphael and followed him down the pathway.
Aria walked into the Captain’s Cabin with her head held high. She smiled as her eyes fell on the scrambled eggs and bread Zane had brought. She sat in the chair across from him as he slid her plate towards her. “Here you go.” He smiled. “Be sure to thank Riley for the eggs, he was already up and cooking by the time I got down there.”
“I will.” Aria picked up her fork and started moving the eggs around her plate. Zane filled a glass with water and set it next to her plate. “Thank you.”
“Not a problem.” His face was bright as he watched her take a small bite of the bread. He picked up his fork and quickly cleared his plate. He glanced up and noticed she was staring at him, her food barely touched.
“Care to explain what happened yesterday?” she asked, her voice shaky and quiet. Zane frowned as he dropped his eyes.
“Promise you won’t kill me?” he asked with hesitation. Aria sighed as she moved her eggs around her plate.
“I hate to admit it, but I doubt I could ever kill you,” she responded, a look of defeat on her face. “Michael was right,” she muttered under her breath. Zane stared at her, disbelief on his face.
“You literally watched me rip Gideon’s arm off with my bare hands, and you still wouldn’t kill me?” He stared into her eyes and saw the truth of her words. “Unbelievable,” he muttered as he shook his head. “Alright, I’ll tell you what I know.”
Aria sighed with relief as she made herself comfortable. Zane looked around the room, debating where he should start. “Well, I guess I should start from the beginning.” He looked at Aria, as their eyes met, he felt a sudden urge to tell her everything. “One night our camp was ambushed by demons. A corruption demon attacked my mother when she was pregnant with me. My father intervened but it was too late. The demon had already corrupted her. He had to do a C-section to save me, but my mother didn’t make it.” Aria gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand. Zane took a deep breath and continued. “The corruption had already started to spread to me. My father’s screams of grief brought Raphael running over –”
“He knew Raphael?” Aria interrupted. “That’s impossible!”
“It’s not impossible, it’s th
e truth,” he responded with confidence.
“But Raphael was killed, almost thirty years ago.” She looked at him, her eyes narrow. “He went to Earth on a mission and was killed.” She furrowed her brows as her eyes pleaded with him. “They said he died fighting a horde of demons.” Zane shook his head in disbelief.
“Whoever told you that lied,” he responded. “Raphael was alive. In fact, he’s the reason I’m still alive.”
“Where is he now?” she asked frantically. Zane’s face fell as he considered her desperate eyes.
“He left on a mission about six years ago. No one has seen or heard from him since. Everyone has assumed he died. He would never leave the resistance. After all, he’s the one that created our group.” Aria’s face fell in defeat. She lowered her head as she quietly wiped the unshed tears from her eyes. After a couple of minutes of silence, she looked back up at him. “He was important to you, wasn’t he?” Zane asked softly.
“He was like a father to me,” she responded quietly, her voice quivering and soft. “Raphael took me under his wing when I was twenty, making me the youngest angel to be brought into the warrior class. He trained with me every day, up until he left.” She looked around the room, avoiding eye contact. “Anyway,” she cleared her throat. “What happened once Raphael arrived?”
“Oh, yea.” Zane paused, watching Aria look around the room. “Well, Raphael came over and placed this seal on my chest. He added to it as I grew, making sure it was strong enough to keep the corruption at bay.”
“I’m guessing he gave you the other tattoos as well?” she asked.
“Yea. He trained me as well and thought the tattoos would be helpful.” He chuckled softly. “They have definitely saved my ass, more than I’d like to admit.”
“I knew you fought like Raphael.” She smiled sadly. “He always loved to fight with a two-handed sword. It was his specialty.”
Zane smiled as memories of Raphael training him came to his mind. “Raphael noticed when I was young that I was burning the holy light in the weapons I trained with. So, he tattooed these runes on my body to focus the energy I was taking in.” He paused as he gazed at Aria, the disbelief on her face was evident. “I was about six at the time. He started taking me on missions when I was fourteen. After he disappeared, I took control of the group, but I wasn’t as good of a leader as he was. We suffered many losses without his protection and abilities.”
“Raphael still had his powers when you were with him?” Aria asked hopefully.
“No. He was Fallen like you. But he could still perform seals and simple holy light magick. Nothing like what your team is capable of.” Zane stared at Aria; her face furrowed as she scrutinized the information he had given her.
“What was his last mission?”
“He was doing a recon up in Chicago. He believed that defeating the Horsemen was essential to be able to defeat Lucifer. When Raphael didn’t return, I decided to proceed with our plans to take Chicago and hopefully find him.” Zane paused with sorrow in his eyes “Our attack on Chicago was my first failure as the new leader,” he said quietly as his eyes dropped to the floor.
Aria wiped her eyes and stood up slowly. “Thank you for telling me.” Her voice was void of all emotion as she turned and left the room.
Zane watched with sadness as Aria closed the door behind her. He glanced at her plate; the food had barely been touched. He sighed as he stood up and piled the dishes, examining the room as he worked. His eyes lingered on the hammock, an image of Aria resting peacefully flashing through his mind. He didn’t care how long it would take; he was going to make sure she found a way to escape her demons.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Earth
Zane couldn’t help but smile as he watched his crew run around the deck of the ship. They were about to make port in Delaware, and it was clear everyone was excited to have Liam and the angels back. Aria was standing at the bow of the ship, staring out at the water. She had been there since their talk about Raphael.
He had talked to Keira after Aria left, explaining as best he could what was going on without letting her know what had happened. She was skeptical, and Zane often caught her glaring at Aria. He sighed wearily as Bishop walked up to him.
“I’m glad the angels were able to heal you.” Bishop looked up and down Zane’s body, examining him for injuries. “Who knows if you would’ve made it without them.” Zane shrugged as he focused on the looming port, gently steering the ship towards it.
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“Wasn’t that bad!” Bishop shouted skeptically. “You had a fucking hole through your shoulder. Your arm was burned to a crisp! And don’t even get me started on the amount of blood you lost.” Zane chuckled as he looked over at his best friend. “This isn’t funny.” Bishop scolded as Zane pulled out a cigarette and lit it, inhaling deeply. “You don’t know what this kind of stress is doing to your body. You could be shortening your life by years if you keep this up.”
Zane stared at Bishop as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. They both began to laugh, Bishop cradling his stomach as he took a few deep breaths and sighed. “Yea, you’re right.” Bishop looked at Zane, his lips tight and brows furrowed. “But, if more demons had come after you took down Gideon, you would be dead right now. Just keep that in mind the next time you rage.” Zane nodded as he gently guided the ship into port.
~~~~
Aria stared out at the water, her heart hammering in her chest. She couldn’t deny the fact that she had felt incomplete without Ryder, Kai, and Myra around. She just didn’t know how she could face them after what had happened. She sighed wearily as the dock came into view. A small group of people were standing by the dock, waiting next to a wagon of supplies. Aria forced a smile on her face as the ship stopped moving.
Riley and Jackson lowered the gangway as the group pulled the wagon closer to the dock. Mikayla and Keira quickly ran down the ramp, hugging Liam with excitement. Riley and Jackson followed, they greeted Liam and began unloading the wagon.
Aria slowly walked down the gangway, avoiding the others as they brought supplies back onto the ship. She forced a smile as her eyes fell on her fellow angels. Ryder’s face lit up as she approached, her body stiffened as he pulled her in for a hug. He frowned as she pulled away and glanced over at Myra and Kai.
Her lips formed a tight smile as she looked over her companions. “It’s so good to have you back.” She twisted her hands as she glanced over Ryder’s shoulder towards the town. Some of the townsfolk had stopped what they were doing to watch their reunion. Aria’s heart began to race as a lesser demon walked by, watching the port with interest.
“Aria.” Ryder’s face appeared in front of her, blocking her view of the town. “Did you hear me?” She shook her head, her eyes wide.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered. “What were you saying?” Myra and Kai watched her worriedly. Ryder frowned as he looked her over.
“I said someone blew up New York. Rumor has it that Gideon is dead.” Ryder’s eyes grew wide as he scrutinized Aria’s face. “It was you? But how? You don’t have your powers.” She shrugged her shoulders, her face void of emotion.
“It wasn’t a big deal.” She looked over at Kai and Myra. “It seems gossip travels faster than a ship can sail.” She smiled; her lips tight.
“It was on the town’s news board this morning.” Kai commented as he watched Zane’s crew unload the wagon. “I suppose we should help them.” He walked to the wagon and pulled out two barrels, throwing them onto his shoulders with ease. Myra followed him, grabbing a barrel for herself as she headed to the gangway. Ryder grabbed her arm and turned her towards him.
“What happened in New York?” His green eyes drilled into hers. “Your aura is off.” She pulled her arm out of his grasp, quickly turning away from him.
“Nothing exciting,” she responded. “Just your typical demon killing excursion.” She grabbed a barrel and walked up the gangway. Ryder sighed with frustration as he followed her.
~~~~
Zane watched with frustration as Ryder grabbed Aria’s arm and forced her to turn around. His heart began to pound as his mind ran through all the things he could be questioning her about. Liam appeared next to him, playfully punching him in the shoulder for attention.
“What’s up?” Zane asked, keeping his focus on Aria.
“Oh, not much,” Liam responded sarcastically. “I’m just waiting for you to acknowledge my presence since I haven’t seen you in a while.” Zane sighed with relief as he watched Aria walk away from Ryder. He turned and looked over Liam.
“You don’t look worse for the wear,” he chuckled. “How was your trip? You have any problems?”
“I had a hard time convincing Ryder and Kai not to kill every demon patrol we came across.” Liam chuckled as he watched Ryder follow Aria up the gangway. “Didn’t win that argument as often as I would’ve liked.”
Zane laughed as he clapped Liam on the shoulder. “The fewer demons there are roaming around the happier I am.” Zane looked down at the wagon of supplies. “Now, let’s get everything loaded so we can start making dinner! I’m starved.” Zane smiled as he followed Liam down the gangway.
That evening the group gathered in the dining quarters for dinner. Riley and Keira had made a huge welcome back dinner; the table was lined with various meats and side dishes. Some chocolate cake was waiting on a side table for their dessert. Zane smiled as he glanced around the table, watching his companions fill their plates and talk candidly amongst themselves. Ryder was sitting across from him, his eyes narrow as he glared at Zane.
“Care to explain what happened in New York.” Ryder asked, his voice deep. “Or are you going to make us wait all night?”
Zane sighed as he glanced over at Aria, who quickly lowered her eyes to her plate. “Your Counsel sent us a message that they wanted Gideon captured. We made do with what we had and managed to take him alive. Michael and Gabriel came down to retrieve him.” He glared up at Ryder, his voice calm and even. “I’m sorry the story isn’t more exciting.”