~*~
“You know, you never did tell me why you are so willing to go against your own kind,” Letta said, stalking into the infirmary where Tyrin laid stretched across the bed.
He turned his head toward her, flashing brilliant green eyes. She watched as his features tensed, indecision clinching his jaw and furrowing his brow.
“I have my reasons.” He turned away from her, shifting his body to turn his back on her.
Letta, not one to let things go easily, pressed forward. “What are they?”
“Don’t worry about it,” came an instant reply.
His tone was harsh, almost hostile in its delivery. Whatever it was meant something to him but, as much as she would have liked to let it go, she couldn’t.
“Look. You saved my life, something I’m extremely grateful for and you’ve helped us to understand your people far better than we ever had. I also appreciate your willingness to do what it takes to keep us safe and help us save David. You’ve given me enough of a reason to trust you, but I can’t help but feel there is something I’m missing.” She began pacing the room at the foot of his bed. “I just want to know why. Why are you so willing to go against your own?”
“Because they are not my own.” Tyrin pushed himself from the bed and was on his feet faster than she could blink. Aggression shone in his eyes, bright enough to give off a glow of green light that illuminated the room. “They killed my own. They slaughtered my family because we didn’t believe in this ridiculous plan of theirs.”
“Family?” While she knew the Fallen often considered themselves like family, the way in which he spoke the word held more weight than a mere familial bond.
“Yes, family. Before the heavenly rebellion, some of us were permitted to have a family after centuries of loyal service. I had a mother, a father, and a sister. A lot of us did.” He was seething with anger so tangible she could feel the weight of it shoving against her. She backed away from him until her back was pressed against the wall behind her. “The rebellion changed all of it. My parents believed in the rebellion. They believed we were being denied all the things he so freely gave the humans. Humans were free to make their own decisions, even when they were the wrong choices. Our creator never intervened. Our free will was limited until we rebelled against him. When we did, my parents were the strongest force amongst us but was tossed out of heaven the same as everyone else. They formed the council, hoping to maintain some control over the angels that followed us. They didn’t want us risking what they thought remained of our souls over our petty jealousy of the human race, but the council grew tired of living in the human’s shadows. Without the support of the strongest angels, their plans were doomed to fail, so they killed my parents before coming after me and my sister. We were able to stay one step ahead of them for over a century until ten years ago. They found us, and my sister was killed.”
Fourteen
Rene left the compound just as the sun began to rise. She needed to be at the courthouse the moment they opened at eight, an hour before David was scheduled for his arraignment. With any luck, she’d be able to convince the council to allow her to represent David, not that it would matter. No amount of defense would save his life unless they were able to get him out of the Fallen’s custody.
Tyrin rubbed a hand over his face. The past two days had been hard on him as he thought back on the death of his family, and Letta hadn’t made it any easier on him. As if his explanation hadn’t been enough, she peppered him with question after question, pushing for details he didn’t want to divulge. It wasn’t because he wanted to hide anything though he wished that had been the case. It was because he hated reliving the details, the looks on his parents’ faces as they told Tyrin and Aria the council was coming to kill them. He could still the panicked looks in his mother’s green eyes as she detailed an escape plan for her children, knowing she’d have to stay back with her husband to fend the other’s off.
It had been the most difficult decision he’d ever made, not standing up and fighting for his parents but his sister had needed him, and he’d been the only one able to keep her safe. At least that’s what he’d thought as they gathered what little they could carry and stole away into the night. As they ran into a forest of trees just beyond their back yard, he could hear the flap of wings and the whistle of air passing through feathers as the other’s descended on his parents. They wouldn’t see another day, but their sacrifice would ensure Tyrin and Aria did.
Aria. Even after centuries of life, she held an almost childlike innocence to her. It spurred a protective streak in him that had him staying up all hours of the night, listening for the sound of wings as the wind blew through them. He’d kept them moving, always one step ahead of the Fallen who’d hunted them. But Aria wanted something more. After centuries of running from place to place, she wanted to feel what it was like to live a normal life, make friends, and maybe find a partner of her own. As a Fallen, she knew she’d never be able to have a family of her own, but she’d settle for a partner.
Tyrin knew it was a mistake, but her faith convinced him it could work. They could live amongst the humans in a small town, safely away from areas the Fallen normally lurked.
A dam broke within his chest and a flood of emotion had him clutching his chest and gasping for air. She’d been wrong. They found them after three years, three years they’d spent blending in with the humans in an effort for normalcy. And all it took was a moment for her life to be extinguished.
The injustice of it all burned a hole in his chest where his heart had once been. He wished, at times, he’d have died in that house with her, but she’d saved him. She’d used her powers to push him back, forcing him to live the rest of his existence without her and he cursed her for it.
Being at the compound had been nothing more than a distraction, something to keep his mind from returning to his original goal, a goal to end the council’s rule over the Fallen, a goal of revenge. Atonement.
Letta had unwittingly added fuel to the diminishing flame, renewing it. He felt the burn of it scorching its way through his veins. It would eat him up alive if he didn’t find some reprieve.
Desperate for a distraction, he sought out Letta, finding her in her room with Aurora and Little Ben. They sat before a small table, tossing playing cards about in a game Tyrin had never seen played before.
Going to sit beside Little Ben, he watched as the young man glanced over the cards in his hand before asking, “Does anyone have a five?”
“Go Fish!” Aurora chimed, sticking her tongue at him.
Letta scanned her own cards before plucking one from her hand and handing it to Little Ben. “You’re so lucky. I just picked that up!”
Little Ben took the card for him, coupled it with the card in his hand, and laid them on the table. He, then, proceeded to ask for a seven to which Letta and Aurora gleefully told him to go fishing.
He watched a few rounds, trying to understand the concept of the game. It seemed simple enough. Try to match up the card in your hand before asking for matches from the other players. He could do that.
“Do you mind if I play?” Tyrin asked.
Letta smiled before picking seven cards from the pile and handing them to him. He put down his matches, leaving himself with a queen, a ten, and an ace.
The other three looked at him expectantly.
“Does anyone have an ace?”
“Go Fish!” They laughed as he reached for a card from the pile and added it to his hand. A nine.
He reached out to everyone, using their minds to determine which cards they carried. Only Little Ben had a nine, and he hoped the small boy would choose a different number.
Luck, however, wasn’t on his side. Little Ben asked for that nine which Tyrin handed over.
“I didn’t know you knew how to play Go Fish,” Letta said, plucking a card from the pile when her request was denied.
“I didn’t.”
“Do angels play cards?” Aurora asked, her voic
e small and timid.
“My dad said all angels had time for was destroying humans. He said they are all bad. Why aren’t you bad?” Little Ben looked up at Tyrin, an inquisitive expression on his face.
“What makes you think I’m not bad?”
“You saved my mommy and me. You can’t be bad if you do good things.”
Tyrin smiled. It was just that easy for a child to determine a person’s nature. They didn’t have to delve much further than what was immediately before them, something he wished he had the luxury for.
Letta went to correct the boy, but Tyrin jumped in. “Your dad was right and wrong. There are a lot of good angels out there too.”
“Can I see your wings?” Aurora asked, changing the subject.
Little Ben jumped up from the table. “Yes. I want to see them, too.”
Tyrin spent the next couple hours thoroughly distracted, answering the barrage of questions that had little to do with pain, suffering, or heartbreak. The way the kids flowed from one subject to the next, never sticking to one thing had his mind racing, but in a good way. He laughed with them, enjoying every moment of the playful banter they offered. He showed his wings, his dagger, and a few tricks he’d learned over the years. They ooed and awed over everything. It was magic to them, things he’d never considered magical before.
“I want to have wings too!” Little Ben said, running his fingers along the feathers.
“Maybe one day, if your good, you may have them,” Letta said. “But for now, it’s time for your naps.”
She ushered them to their cots through a chorus of awws and whimpers. Once they were safely tucked in, she kissed them both on the forehead. “When you wake up, I may have some cake waiting for you.”
They cheered before closing their eyes. It wasn’t long before they were asleep, the excitement of the morning tiring them out.
A knock on the door had Letta pushing past Tyrin as she raced to open it.
“The others are back,” Brayden said the moment the door was opened. “We need you in the conference room.”
“Can you get someone to watch over the kids while we’re there?” Letta asked.
“Can’t he?”
Tyrin knew Brayden was referring to him but didn’t intervene.
“We need him to know everything that’s going on. He plays a huge part in all of this and we can’t pull this off without him.”
“We may not be able to pull this off at all, with or without his help, but bring him anyway. I’ll go grab Christy.”
Fifteen
“They agreed to allow me to represent David, though they plan on moving up the time table of his trial. They want everything pushed through fast as possible.”
Rene stood at the front of the room, updating everyone there on what she’d discovered.
Seating at the center table was Cameron, his wife Giselle, and Letta. Tyrin stood, leaned up against the wall at the back of the room. His arms were folded over his chest. Brayden, stood at the door, as if to keep anyone from entering or leaving.
“So, when will the trial be held,” Giselle asked.
“A week from today. That hardly gives us enough time to do anything. If he’s found guilty, which he will be, they will give him a public execution that very day. They are using his life as a deterrent for anyone else who might want to fight against them.” Rene lowered her eyes.
Tyrin glimpsed toward Brayden, expecting him to panic, sigh, scream, or…something. Brayden did nothing. Instead, he gestured for Cameron to give his update.
Cameron stood as Rene claimed her seat beside Giselle. “We were able to follow the group. He’s being held in a building thirty minutes away from the courthouse. However, that building is very heavily guarded. There is no way we can get him out of there without a miracle.”
Tyrin had suspected as much. With what little resources they had, their best bet was the courthouse. It would be full of humans and Fallen alike. The crowd would definitely provide a good distraction.
“The courthouse wasn’t so heavily guarded, but I don’t think that’s the direction to go either. Over the weekend, they’d managed to tighten security. They’ve built a fence around the place, with guards at all the entrances. They are only allowing a set group of humans into the building. Giselle tried to gain access but was denied because she wasn’t on the list. Rene barely made it through this morning. She would have been turned away had she not told them she was volunteering her services for David.” Cameron glanced up at Brayden. “It doesn’t make sense. It’s like they know we’re coming for him.”
Brayden shifted his weight but gave no other indication the news bothered him. Instead, he gave the slightest of shrugs. “I guess that’s it then.”
“What do you mean that’s it?” Rene fumed. “This is your brother we’re talking about. He’s been there for all of us before you so carelessly threw him out. He’s there because of you.”
“He’s there because he couldn’t follow simple rules. He’s there because he wanted to broker a truce between us and the Fallen, with us bowing to them and worshipping them to keep our lives. That kind of ideology is dangerous and will not be tolerated here.” Brayden tossed his hands in the air.
Giselle stood from her seat. “I wasn’t aware you were the only person able to make that call. From what I remember, we are a team. We all should have been able to voice our opinions on the matter.”
Cameron, Rene, and Letta nodded in agreement.
“Besides, David would never have turned his back on you. When you returned without Tracy and Donte, he never questioned how you were able to escape the Fallen with only a scratch one you, though we all have been wondering it since that day. Still, he stood up for you, defended you, and you are so willing to turn your back on him. Why?”
As tensions rose, Tyrin found himself wondering what Giselle meant by those words. He thought back on a previous conversation with Letta and Brayden. Letta had mentioned Tracy before. She’d been adamant Tracy and her ‘clan’ had been able to take out a few of the Fallen without retaliation, which had bothered him when it was mentioned. They always retaliated in some shape or form, as evidenced by the scar Brayden carried on his face.
Questions came to him unhindered – questions he’d file away for a later time when he and Letta were alone.
“We’re all tired and I understand how everyone feels about this. However, we need to think about the people we have here. Giselle and Cameron,” he shoved a finger in their direction. “You have two children here, depending on their mother and father to care for them. What if something happens to you out there? What would we tell them? And, Rene? What would we tell Little Ben? You’re all he has right now. Truth is, I was being selfish, asking you all to risk your lives to save my brother’s because I blame myself for his capture. That’s on me. I will not allow you all to throw your lives away on a plan that may not even work.”
He left the room before anyone could object. Though he had a point, Tyrin sensed deception in his tone from the moment he began to speak. He spoke of taking responsibility for David’s action but there was inflection as he spoke. His voice was weighted with emotion as he tossed out words meant to show people he cared more about their safety than the safety of his own brother.
He followed Brayden from the room with Letta close behind.
“Why are you giving up on your brother?” Tyrin demanded.
“Because there is nothing we can do. It’s clear the Fallen knows we’re coming for him and plan to do everything in their power to stop us from saving him. I don’t want any more blood on my hands. Do you?”
“I never minding a little blood on my hands,” Tyrin quipped.
“Well, I do. I mind seeing the people who’ve trusted me with their lives and the lives of their children slaughtered like animals. Most importantly, I mind that someone here has been leaking information and finding that person is far more important than anything else.”
This time, Tyrin let Brayden walk away.
“We need to talk.”
Sixteen
After half an hour of complaints from the others, Letta had finally convinced them she’d speak to Brayden again on the subject. The left the room, still muttering their rejections.
“I swear, I have no idea what’s come over Brayden. I think everything is just getting to him so much he’s shutting down on us.”
Tyrin, however, thought differently. There was something else going on and he was determined to figure out what it was. In the meantime, he needed more information from Letta, and he needed her to trust him.
“This is going to sound weird in the beginning, but I need you to close your eyes.”
“For?”
“Trust me. It’ll be easier for you to understand once you do.”
She did as she was told, closing her eyes as he took her hands into his.
Tyrin connected his mind to hers, building up a scene where they were in a room alone. He wiped away the white walls of the conference room, turning them a warm orange tone against a white ceiling. The window was replaced with a brick fireplace while the table morphed into two comfortable chairs facing each other.
He felt Letta squeeze his hand and the uncertainty that lingered once she opened her eyes.
“Where are we?” she asked, looking around.
“We’re still in the conference room but I need to speak to you in private. This is the only way I know how.”
He offered her a seat on the cream-colored seat beside her before taking the seat across from her. He could hear her questions as they flooded her mind, but he had no time to answer them. Instead, he forced her to focus on him and what he had to say.
“There is a camera in the conference room vents. It’s been recording since I’ve been here, probably even before I arrived.”
“What?” She glanced up to where the vent would have been had he not changed the appearance of the room. “How are you doing this?”
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