Amongst the Fallen

by Devin Lee Carlson

  Impatience broke the surface. I got up to leave before trouble invaded the small cottage. Without saying a word, I headed for the front door, opened it, and stepped back, never expecting to see a near-mirrored image of myself, though somewhat shorter. The black folded wings meant it could be none other than Turian.

  He walked by without acknowledging me and rushed over to give Julia a hug. After a few words, he turned to inspect me and smiled. His eyeteeth glistened from the light reflecting off the oil lamp. “I have waited an eternity to properly introduce myself. Yes, it is I, Turian. And before you storm me with questions, did anyone follow you here?”

  “Follow?” I glanced at Julia and then at Turian. “Who’d follow me? In all my travels, I have never once met another living soul inside the portal until now.” However, I did sense something or someone off in the distance. I jumped in to ask a few questions of my own. “Weren’t you murdered by your clan? How’d you know I would come here? How’d you know I even existed?”

  “Yes, I was murdered.” Turian stared hard and long at me. His eyes flickered briefly as though on fire.

  Burdened guilt seized my gut. The image of him and the Fallen flashed in my mind. When Turian burst into dust, I shook my head until it hurt. Murdered? By me? I braved a look and noticed the sadness in Turian’s gaze as his eyes glistened from the candlelight.

  “I traveled from the past before my death. This world, this dimension, is one of the rendezvous points where I used to communicate with the Malakhim. The ones who banished the Fallen. This place is impervious to the regulations of time and dimensions, and it is here where I discovered how to manipulate the past and future. This isn’t the first time we have met or by no means the last. Your small mind cannot grasp what has not yet happened.”

  Uncertain whether I should protest or declare insanity, I laughed instead, expecting to wake up from this dream-like reunion at any moment. Yet, according to Murphy’s Law or my misfortune, often one-and-the-same, something terrible usually had to happen first. If wrong, I played along only because I considered myself a huge fan of time-related science.

  My gaze wandered to the black wings. Why did Turian leave the appendages out as if he were a flightless cormorant drying its wings? For show? Why did he have only two unlike my four? “Let me get this straight. Five thousand years ago, you set my—your amulet, which you're also wearing—to meet me here, because you knew I’d be hankering to visit this world today. Knew I’d dial my amulet.” I waved the arm bearing the device. “The one I found inside your tomb.” My breath wheezed after the lungful. “Abso-bloody-lutely.”

  “Look, I realize this sounds crazy, but we don’t have much time. I wanted to meet you before I ask the others to trust you.”

  My eyes grew wide. “What others?” I interrupted. “You just said we’ve already met, so don’t those encounters carry any weight?”

  “They do, but the order of things is important. The events line up differently each time, sometimes with grave consequences. The Malakhim don’t know who you are, nor why I never returned, and oddly enough, that you returned in my place. They will try to destroy you. Many have already tried.”

  And failed apparently. A dull ache throbbed between my temples. Why would Turian go to so much trouble to protect a mere ghoul when the rest craved my death? Did sharing his DNA mean that much to him? Considering Sabree’s opinion on ghouls, I doubted the latter. “What are we—or you?” I hoped to validate the research I had already spent—or wasted—so much time on.

  Turian paused before he answered, clearing his throat. “You, I, the Fallen, and those who banished us are known as the Malakhim.”

  “Aye, archangels who drink blood.” I massaged my achy head. Meant to say angel.

  “We are not, nor ever will we be, on the same level with the beings referred as the Lighted Ones. Humans called them archangels.” Turian’s brow creased. “Only a select few have ever witnessed such beings since they rarely call upon us. Those honored by an audience with one are usually left charred to black soot. We are only an infinitesimal part of the revered beings when the Lighted One summons its own Malakhim. Fact or legend, no one knows for sure. We accept our place faithfully… blindly. And it’s still unknown as to whom those thirteen Lighted Ones answer to.”

  “The big man, I hope,” Or woman. I found myself pacing the small room. None of this mattered, since the perception as to good and evil seemed irrelevant. I hesitated. “Do archangels travel the portal? Time?”

  “No need.”

  “What about drinking blood? Is it our exclusive trait, or do archangels share the same nasty habit?”

  “I have no idea what they consume. I’ve heard of myths of Dark Ones who consume souls. However, we thirst on blood to replenish our physical bodies when we visit worlds like this. We have done so since the creation of time. You consider it nasty only because you believe you were once human.” He stared beyond me. “Inside the portal worlds, we draw energy from the interstellar bodies that exist there.”

  “Once?” Uncertain how I got there, I found myself at the front door. Apparently, as Turian spoke, his forceful aura herded me toward the exit.

  “Never linger while you journey the portal. You must go. We will meet again soon. Meet me here in the near future and I will introduce you to someone who has been eager to see you.”

  I nearly stumbled out the door when Turian leaned in to give me a hug. Ready to protest, I let him place his arms around my shoulders. No words came to mind.

  “Promise you will meet me on this day,” Turian said. He whispered the date in my ear. “Do not forget. I will answer the rest of your questions then.”

  Promises, promises. I shrugged a whatever. “As you said earlier, we meet again, so don’t worry, apparently I will show up. Make sure you do the same.” By no means would I miss the opportunity to meet an actual Malakhim no matter what the risk. With Turian, however, handing over complete trust might be an issue.

  Turian demonstrated how to set the lever so I could return to the point of origin, or home world, without traveling through the portal. He stepped back to give me the room required to make the jump.

  A fleeting replay of the reunion and brief conversation tumbled inside my head. Backing up, I set the lever over the arrow symbol and hesitated as I stole a final glimpse.

  “Don’t leave yet.” The voice inside my head came from Tim E. Traveler.

  “Don’t worry,” I answered. Using my enhanced speed, I sped around the side of the house to make it look like I disappeared into the portal. Hidden, I peeked around the corner and engaged my shield at full force to eavesdrop on the couple.

  Julia entered the house first. Turian lagged behind until the portal snap shut, then looked my way as he spoke in a low voice. “Goodbye, son.” Flames danced in his eyes.

  My intuition shot into red alert. Had Turian realized I feigned the portal jump to spy on them? The vibes he produced sure made me feel that way.

  “When are you going to tell him?” Julia asked from inside.

  “Soon. His memories of our ancestors are patchy. The mother transfers some knowledge to the child during conception. It takes three months for our young to develop inside the womb unlike your nine. I plucked Brian and Ariane from their human mother early in their gestation. No choice, for they would have been destroyed if discovered. It goes against our nature to mate with humans—grossly forbidden. Those who were banished, stripped of their wings, can no longer impregnate a human female.”

  “Where did you hide them?” Julia asked on the verge of prying. “On Earth? What about their mother? Is she alive?”

  “She lives in memories; however, she will never know about the twins.” Turian eyed the horizon.

  No surprise there. From Turian’s memories, this world was also Earth, only in a different dimension. Unlike, the dimension I lived in, the people here had little knowledge of science.

  “I placed them in a protective shell and hid them on Earth,” Turian said. “An entrus
ted friend hid the twins until humans developed the science to nurture their gestation through artificial means.” Turian paused. “I owe everything to Sabree. So do Brian and Ariane.”

  Tim laughed inside my mind. Bah, that bastard owes us.

  Too much information, too soon, swamped my mind as I reappeared in the backyard, standing on the exact spot I had leapt from seconds ago. The same song still played to cover my noisy departure. During the transference, I lost Tim E. Traveler. The tip-off on how to return home from any world or dimension would prove invaluable. The archives had neglected to list this setting. Unfortunately, Turian couldn’t spare the time to show me some other settings. I also cursed myself for forgetting to ask about the world of the crimson sea.

  To make sure I’d remember these questions next time, I ran inside the house to record the date and new information onto the computer. I also reviewed the Caderen’s archives to validate Turian’s stories. Then, I’d have to face our resident leech. Turian’s words still rang inside my skull. I owe everything to Sabree and so do Brian and Ariane.

  48

  MY WINGMAN

  N owhere near as reclusive as the twins, Sabree spent the month settling into their home as well as researching the science of cloning. The Caderen had made progress by synthesizing human blood; however, he required a recipe to recreate ghoulish blood. A visit to his clan for help was out of the question because of Abyss. Her return and eventual sickness would give the elders reason enough to test all Caderen members. His contaminated blood would fail. He had to come up with an alternate plan.

  Perhaps Ariane could find a cure or synthesize artificial ghoul blood with her doctorates in the biological sciences. He had no clue how or where to begin. If only she would come home. Her insistence to stay with Jesse frustrated him. His luck would curdle like aged milk if she was falling for the Navajo or patching things up with her loser ex-boyfriend.

  Then Sabree held his chin high, imagining how thrilled she would be to find Eric’s former room redecorated. Brian never once took notice or asked what he was doing inside the house. The indifference disappointed him. He missed the ghoul’s sarcasm and typical objections. No matter, whether Brian or Ariane liked it or not, he had moved in for good.

  The task of moving into better accommodations complete, Sabree developed a fresh strategy to secure the next flash drive. After all, he was an excellent hunter. In search of Brian and without knocking, he entered the office.

  “Hear me out,” Sabree said before Brian could protest. “Together, we can win the war against Wayde and the Caderen. Together, you and I can combine our yellow and blue flash drives and add a red one to make a complete set. Together, we stand a better chance of surviving.”

  Brian jabbed a finger at Sabree’s chest. “One too many togethers if you ask me. You want me to trust you after you became dependent on my blood as if it’s the fountain of youth. And after you threatened to grind me up as dog food, after you attacked my sister in Scotland, stole the yellow drive only to abandon us to face a swarm of laboratory nosophors, and after you—”

  “Enough! Too many afters never mind togethers.” Sabree slapped Brian’s accusing finger aside. The after list could and probably would go on forever. And on and on. “So, you painted a graphic picture of my dark side, but what about the good I’ve done? Like saving Ariane from Euriel, or saving your ass from the DanJal? Not to mention how I spared Ariane from my wrath in Mexico.”

  “A short list of lame good deeds,” Brian said. “You’re no hero, Fang. You want to become partners for selfish reasons only. You don’t deserve my trust. I’d rather shake hands with the devil himself.”

  Sabree glared at Brian. “You are my partner.”

  “Bullshit! I’m nothing but your next meal, your lifeline.”

  “What about our budding friendship or my promise to protect you and Ariane?”

  “After you saved my sorry ass from the DanJal, you told me that you and I would never work as a team. You’re incapable of being a friend much less having one.” A crimson storm veiled over Brian’s amber eyes. “I could destroy you and your clan by tossing the entire lot into the portal. Without my protective shield, I’m sure you’d disintegrate within seconds. And if you don’t burn, then you’ll probably be sucked into the dark abyss.”

  The lethal threat sent Sabree on the defense. “So, the grim reaper inside you—what you’ve evolved into—chooses to continue the killing spree.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Maria was dead long before I discarded her body into the sea.” Sabree’s jaw clenched from the hint of lingering despair in his own voice. “I wanted to spare you the agony you would suffer and suffer you did. You need to feed. You’re weak. You’ll drain another human only because of your selfish fixation of clinging onto humanity.” Sabree stared at the tears welling in Brian’s eyes, the scarlet outline eclipsing the amber. He never meant to reveal the truth, but he was tired of his new friends looking upon him as the evil fiend.

  “No,” Brian gasped. “You said she was alive.”

  “I lied to protect you, to save your pathetic soul from despair.”

  3 3 3

  Sincerity gleamed behind the turquoise eyes. The reality of what really happened crushed my spirit. Since our return from Mexico, I had accused Sabree of being the heartless monster, while all this time, Sabree spared me from discovering the truth. Coping with the guilt of killing Chambers and then leaving the homeless man near death, wore me down, but now I had crossed the line and murdered an innocent to quench my thirst. Became the monster I so dreaded. Too bad I couldn’t curl up and die, although death was an unattainable end to realize.

  “Brian, you never would have attacked the woman had Abyss not drained you first. You are not to blame.”

  Dead wrong. One way to prevent my feeding on others—find the journal and manufacture a fresh supply of anti-vamp pills. Maybe my sister had been wise to hold on to her humanity. “How did Abyss find me in Mexico? Did you spill the beans to the Caderen?”

  “I should have warned you. Cayiel told me he had assigned others to seek the flash drives and destroy the journal’s contents. As for Abyss, Turian once loved her. Perhaps the couple shared a bond deeper than the blood-tie. Your connection to him links Abyss to your memories.”

  “Perfect, another leech to contend with for all eternity.” Perhaps we should work together. Share a handshake with this devilish fiend? The Dark One came to mind. I buried my left hand beneath the other. Bad idea. Then again, Turian had trusted Sabree. Maybe his memories influenced the way I chose to keep Sabree close. “So, you didn’t give the Caderen the second yellow flash drive?”

  “Certainly not. My clan doesn’t need two. I still have it.”

  “So, why don’t you mist into Wayde’s lair and steal a red one?”

  “If only it were that easy.”

  “Easy enough for you to steal mine.”

  Sabree flashed a playful smile. “Like candy from a babe. Anyway, I have no idea where Wayde is located. If I did, I would be happy to rid the world of him and do as you suggest, but I fear the DanJal are in possession of it. Perhaps worse, the Guardians.”

  Another mysterious group I’d have to research later. They kept popping up like unwanted acne. “We need a red drive. Hopefully Eric can point us to one.”

  “Must we involve him?”

  “Aye, we must, because he helped Duncan pick the people who hid them. Wayde won’t bother us because he already has a red one.” I glared at Sabree to reinforce a promise. “And, Sabree, behave or you will be the first bag of trash to visit the portal disposal.” The Dark One always craved new souls—even one as despicable as Sabree’s.

  “Threats don’t become you. Tell me where the red drive is, and I will mist there and back. Voila, problem solved.”

  I bared my eyeteeth at the idea. “Think again, Fang. We’ll fetch it the old fashion way.”

  “If we are to become partners, stop calling me Fang. And another thi
ng, you must feed. As for my intake, I suggest you and Ariane partake in a private blood drive over the next few days, so I will not tax your systems on the final scavenge.”

  “What a brilliant idea, Fang,” I said, taking pleasure in teasing him.

  “I am no longer your watchdog, but you can be my wingman.”

  Aye, I’d wing it all right. “True, you’ve moved up from doghouse fur baby to the main house fur baby.” Other than the distasteful sneer, my lips parted for the first time since my return home. “Hope I can trust you.”

  “I have yet to betray you. You on the other hand…” Sabree moved to the office liquor cabinet and poured two glasses of sweet red wine. “To us.”

  49

  THAT’S NO STAR

  A riane returned home to settle in her own room. Her brother needed Eric’s help to retrieve the next flash drive, so she took advantage of him coming over to collect the rest of his things. They stood in front of the hall closet to gather his spelunking gear. “Look, I’m sorry, but ever since Sabree drank my blood, he somehow rules over my desires.” She offered them freely to Sabree, so the little white lie didn’t bother her. Let Eric believe she had no control over her emotions.

  Arms folded over his chest, Eric’s brow furrowed. “I know your just using me to get your hands on a red drive. Wasn’t born yesterday. My ranger friend, Roy, hid a red one in the North Cascades.” He pointed to the map Ariane happened to bring with her. “The month of May’s a risky time to climb, but there’s not that much snow this spring because of the drought.”

  Ariane spoke her mind. “Thanks, Eric. We appreciate your help, you know.” She eyed him as he packed his hiking boots and packs next. The man hoarded outdoor gear. “Sorry about us, but it would never work.”

  “Yeah right. Sabree and your brother made sure of that. Did he tell you I was going to propose to you on Valentine’s Day?”