I get a few more laughs out before composing myself enough to reply. “How could I not find it funny? Here you are bunkered up in a backyard shed proclaiming that he’s a fallen angel? And you’re some night creature?” Wiping the laugh tears from my face, I continue. “Did Braylee put you up to this?” It wouldn’t surprise me if my crazy friend pulled some prank like this. It wouldn’t be the first time.
“I don’t know who this Braylee person is you speak of but I’m telling you the truth.”
Man, Sabrina is a good actress. I wonder if she’s in some theatre group. I know Braylee couldn’t afford a real actress, but Sabrina’s good enough to be on Broadway.
Kayson looks over to Sabrina with disbelief and a little anger. “Sabrina, there is no need to put our troubled history on this girl’s shoulders. If she needs us to leave then we will.” He cuts Sabrina another look, which she doesn’t take too kindly.
“How are we supposed to do that? You know I can’t leave right now. I have to wait until the sun sets.” Sabrina looks away from Kayson to glare at me. “It’s not my fault her pint-sized brain can’t handle the truth?”
All the humor leaves my body at the insult. “Look, I don’t know what kind of stupid little fantasy role you’re playing, but if the two of you are not off my parent’s property within a minute, I’m calling the cops.”
Hah, let’s see how they like them apples.
“Are you deaf? I just told you I can’t leave until the sun goes down.” Kayson makes a move to stand but winces when he does. He does look bad. Maybe their role-playing went a little too far.
I lift my arm to look at my watch. “Times a ticking, forty-five seconds. Forty. Thirty-eight—” I’m grabbed by the arms and pulled back into the corner with Sabrina. Her eyes glow an unnatural red as sharp fangs extend past her lower lip.
“Oops, it looks like you got a little too close to the door. If you do not cooperate with us, I can eliminate the problem. That problem being you.” Sabrina has a tight grip on my arms that I can’t shake. Her menacing eyes peer at me making warning bells go off in my head. This girl is delusional. I don’t know how she’s making her eyes glow red or how her fangs have extended, those are some pretty nifty illusions. But one thing I do know, you don’t screw with crazy.
“If you don’t let me go, I’ll scream. My neighbors are home and they’re nosy people.” The threat is a weak one. Even if I did scream and by chance Mrs. Porter did hear me, Sabrina could kill me and be gone before anyone came to rescue me.
“I promise you a scream will not pass your tongue.” With lightning speed Sabrina pushes my head to the side and has her fangs hovering over my throat. I can feel the sharp points of her teeth against my skin. Before I can react, she’s pulled off me by Kayson.
“That is enough, Sabrina. We are not harming this innocent girl.”
I look at Kayson with shock. If it wasn’t for him that crazy girl would have bit me. And she called me delusional.
Sabrina looks at Kayson with hurt and anger. “She is a threat to us. We are trapped here. If she calls the authorities, I might as well walk out into the sun right now and get it over with.”
Kayson shakes his head. “I know, but having a civilized conversation is much more effective than your threats.” Kayson turns from Sabrina to look at me. His stunning blue eyes are guarded. “May I explain?”
I want to say ‘hell no, get out’ but I don’t. There’s something about Kayson that makes me trust him. Maybe it’s from the fact that he just saved me from his weird, demented sidekick.
“Sure, okay, but from the looks of it you need to lie back down first.” He has one hand clasped against his side, while trying to balance himself on one leg. I can tell he’s in pain but willing to endure it to resolve this situation. The least I can do is listen.
I help guide him back over to the bed. His skin is cold but where he touches me sends warmth through my body. After settling him up against the headboard, I get some towels to prop his leg up. When I do, I can’t help but stare at his well-toned chest as it heaves up and down. I lift my gaze to find he has caught me looking.
I clear my throat and move back, my eyes roaming over his chest one last time anyway. Instead of studying his fine features though, I concentrate on the gold liquid that is seeping through his bandages. I raise my eyebrows, “What is that?”
Sabrina curses behind me. She’s around me and attending to him in a flash, wiping away the liquid as she pulls the bandage off.
“I’m going to have to fix this. You aggravated the wound when you got up.” Sabrina scolds, as she rummages through a Newton’s Pharmacy bag.
“What happened to him?” I ask as I watch her pull out boxes of bandages.
Sabrina answers, though concentrated on Kayson. “He was attacked by a hell hound.”
Kayson looks like he is about to scold her again but is cut off from the burn of the alcohol Sabrina pours over his laceration.
It’s time to put a stop to this, I think. “Okay, look, you can drop this whole act. I’m not buying it. Obviously something bad happened to him and you don’t want to tell me the truth, but just don’t make up jacked stories to pacify me. It’s not working. And just a little FYI, I’m not one of those chicks who’s into finding something mysterious in the world. I’m good with normal.”
Before Sabrina can say anything, Kayson gives her a hard look and shakes his head. I’m sure he wanted to keep her from saying more ridiculous banter that got us nowhere, but it doesn’t matter anyway. If these two aren’t going to spill the beans and let me know what’s going on, especially after squatting in my parent’s backyard, then you can bet your ass the police will be called.
Nothing is said as Sabrina finishes up with bandaging Kayson. These are two strange people. Ludicrous story, but so sincere, and other than Demon Girl wanting to bite me every two seconds, she comes across so strangely caring of this boy. I want to interject and tell her she’s doing the bandaging wrong but that would probably lead to more hostility. I’ll let her do the bandaging how she wants, see what kind of story they come up with next, and if it’s closer to the truth, I might actually decide to help them. It doesn’t hurt that Kayson is easy on the eyes and ears.
Sabrina wipes the gold liquid on her hands onto a towel, then places her bandage boxes back in the bag before standing and walking past me. If the wounds were infected, there’d be a lot of pus, but this is not that color at all. I can only imagine the fluid was injected into him. But who would do it, and why that amount? I figure they can start their explanation there.
“What is that gold liquid, and why is it running out of your body?”
Kayson looks down at the newly placed bandages. “That is my blood.”
“Kayson, I’m going to be a nurse!” I shout. “You’re not going to convince—Okay, that’s it. I have had enough of this.” I’m outraged that they’re still trying to play this game. It’s clear I’m not falling for it, so why even keep it up? I pull out my phone to dial 911.
Kayson raises his hand. I’m a little worried about Sabrina the Sabretooth, but that voice of his!
“Wait, please hear the complete story. If you don’t believe me, then you can call the police.” Sabrina makes a rude noise as Kayson makes the bargain. She also looks like she has a comeback ready on her tongue but holds back. Good call. I lower my phone but keep it in my hands, finger on the speed-dial. Leave it to my dad to insist we have 911 ready on our phones. Once again I’m wondering if he was less paranoid that I had thought. If I need to call the police, I don’t want to have to rummage through my jacket pocket just to get it, I want it ready and waiting. In the meantime…..
“Fine. I’ll listen, no matter how crazy it is.”
Kayson nods his head, ready to spill it, but I’m not finished. “But if I’m not convinced or satisfied with your story, you have to leave.” Even if he does convince me—which I’m sure he won’t—I don’t know how long they can stay hidden here. Mrs. Porter is a nosy old lady who keeps a close eye o
n the neighborhood. If she sees any mischief, she will for sure call my parents, and the police, and the fire department, the FBI….I’m not sure I can sell the ‘mom he’s hurt and oh yeah hot so can he stay’ story. Then there’s the idea of strangers staying so close to my parent’s house. Even if Kayson has a good story that’s all it is: A story. Not even mentioning Sabrina. These two could rob my parents blind and be gone in a minute. That was something I know my parents can’t handle again.
I settle on a milk crate by the door and wait.
“I accept the conditions.” Kayson shifts just a bit. “First, what’s your name?”
Should I tell him my name? I mean he did tell me his, but I’m not sure telling him my name is such a good idea. Hesitantly, I say my name, figuring it really doesn’t mean much if I just give my first name. “Emma.”
“Emma.” Kayson smiles at me and the way he says my name sends shivers of pleasure down my spine. He has a slight accent, which gives it a new ring. I’ve always thought my name was dull and boring. But not when he says it.
“Well Emma, what Sabrina said is true, although a little more discretion would have been nice. You will have to excuse her behavior. She hasn’t been around civilization or people for quite some time.” He looks at her as if about to say more. Shoot, she can’t have been away that long, she only looks about 20 or so.
“Nonetheless, she has done something that is close to miraculous. She has gone out of her way to help a mortal enemy. As I said before, I am a fallen angel. And the angels fight blood children—including vampires.”
I turn to stare at Sabrina, mouth open, but for once in my life, speechless.
“That’s right, Sabrina is a vampire, born from Lucifer’s blood children.” I start to interject, but Kayson stops me. “You said you would listen first, remember? I will answer all your questions once I’m finished.”
I nod my head and gesture for him to continue.
“I’m sure you know the story of God and Lucifer. Well, when Lucifer fell, there were other angels that fell with him. They were cast into Under, which you know as Hell, and became his followers. The angels that remained swore an oath to God to be faithful in heart, spirit, and mind to him, and to watch over his human creations, so that no harm would come to them from Lucifer’s wrath. It wasn’t too long after Lucifer fell that he started inflicting sin into the world, guiding it into people’s minds.
“God responded to Lucifer’s plan by creating the lower realm of Heaven. That is where I am from. The lower realm is the closest realm of Heaven to earth. In this realm, angels are divided into different influential abilities. There are seven different Assemblies. Each one watches a continent for Lucifer’s influence. Each assembly has a cluster of angels with different powers, and a Holy Warrior to help aid them if a battle becomes more serious.”
I interrupt Kayson. At this point I’m beyond disbelief, and just trying to follow the plot. “What do you mean each assembly has a cluster of angels with different powers?”
“Each angel in the lower realm has a different gift for countering the evil Lucifer tries to spread. One angel may have the talent of healing, while the other may have the talent of love. The seven Assemblies have around forty angels, each with their own talent. The Warrior angels protect the lower realm angels. Angels in the upper realm can be chosen to serve in the lower realm but they have to train for years. To get chosen to be in the Elite Seven is the highest honor in Heaven.”
“So you guys operate a lot like Pixie Hollow?”
Kayson gives me an odd look. “What is Pixie Hollow?”
“You know, Tinker Bell. It’s a kid’s movie. About fairies?” Kayson continues to look as perplexed as ever. Sabrina looks the same. Maybe they weren’t nerdy as I was. “Anyway, in the movie the fairies all have different talents to help sway nature. I don’t think they have any warrior fairies though, just a few in the tree tops keeping their eyes open for hawks or humans.”
Kayson chuckles, “Except for the warrior fairies, then, I guess you could compare us to them.” Kayson smiles hopefully at Sabrina. She just turns away, rolling her eyes.
Kayson sighs, “But I doubt our story will have a happy ending like I’m sure theirs does. You see, after God created the Assemblies, Lucifer fought back by creating what we know as the blood children. I’m sure you have heard tales about them. Many are true, even if most believe the stories to be fiction. The blood children are the creatures that fill your nightmares, the creature that inhabit the stories told around your campfires. Vampires, werewolves, succubi, witches, warlocks, banshees, the list goes on. Lucifer created his children from his own blood, along with dark magic, in order to spread sin far faster and farther than he could by himself.
“The assembly fought against the sins that the blood children inflicted on humans, but their numbers started growing when they created their own children against Lucifer’s wishes. God had to implement more angels into the Assemblies to fight back. Our numbers swarmed into hundreds per assembly. Things started to get better again for a time. The blood children started losing control and taking those who had not sinned, killing for their own pleasure. Fear reigned through the world but with our much larger numbers, we were able to squelch that fear and replace it with hope and faith.”
Kayson gives Sabrina a sad smile. This time she returns that small gesture but admiration seems to fill her eyes as she looks at Kayson. If they were sworn enemies, why were they helping one another? Great, now I was starting to believe this. Before I can dwell on the fact I’m losing my mind and starting to believe in vampires and angels, Kayson clears his throat and returns to the story.
“After some time Lucifer also grew tired of his children not following his commands. They turned against his will much like he had turned away from God’s, and there’s nothing a traitor hates more than being betrayed himself. In a fit of rage, he created the hell hounds, a type of demon that was specifically designed to hunt the blood children. The hell hounds were sent out to destroy all the blood children, and of course any fallen angels they found. It wasn’t hard for the hell hounds to rid the earth of the blood children. They used the Sire call Lucifer placed in his children when he created them. They were drawn to it—and therefore drawn to their deaths.
Some of the blood children still remain. Halfs like Sabrina, for example. But most of them are Sired by the originals. Lucifer’s call had no effect on them, allowing them to escape. So the hell hounds have been scurrying around the earth trying to find them, as well as any fallen angels, while also inflicting the sin that Lucifer desires to spread.”
“But how can these hell hounds be more dangerous than the blood children?” What I know of the blood children seems bad enough.
“They are ultimately controlled by Lucifer, more so than the blood children. Lucifer also took God’s idea and used it for his own gain. Each hell hound has an inflicting power, like the angels, but more harmful to the human soul. They can inflict doubt, hate, and even lust. I have seen human males that were devoted to their wives, who looked upon them with admiration, love, and an unyielding belief that they would always be together. Then a hell hound comes along and tears all that away. They inject lust into their lives, and once the seed is planted, they feed it so it grows, until lust controls that human’s life. Hell hounds are ruthless and will do whatever their Master commands. They will stop at nothing in their efforts to please him.”
I sit there taking it all in. Kayson tells a great story but it still doesn’t explain why he and Sabrina are here. “Okay, that’s creepy, but how does that lead to you two being here?”
“Well, you see, I am from the lower realm of Heaven. I was once in the assembly. I was devoted to my job and admired God for what he was doing to protect the humans.” Kayson lowers his head. “But then—I fell.”
When he lifts his head again, I want to run to his side and comfort him. The pain and sadness written on his face tears at my heart. I don’t even know him, but to see such hurt on a person�
��s face saddens me. Any human with a soul would have the same reaction. I want to reach out to Kayson, but when I look at Sabrina, something inside of me tells me to stay put. Gotcha gut, I’m listening and staying put.
“I have roamed the earth, trying to stay under the radar from the hell hounds for twenty-two years now. Funny how after all that time, I get caught in the middle of nowhere.”
Sabrina snorts, “Tell me about it. Try almost a century of success. Till now.”
Kayson’s gaze travels to Sabrina. “I’m sorry for what I have done to you and I’m eternally grateful for what you have done. Please know that.” Sabrina doesn’t say anything. She just bites her lip, shrugging her shoulders.
Kayson turns to me. “As I was saying, early last night I was traveling through the forest when a hell hound found me. He had to have seen me in the city and followed me into the woods. There was no other explanation, since hell hounds stick to a well-populated area to inflict their will on more people at once. He chased me through the mountains until he had enough. Shifting from his hound form to his human disguise, he taunted me. You see, when angels fall, we lose all our powers. We are mortals, in essence. Hell hounds know this so they like to taunt us before killing us. Little did the hound know that I had my sword. If it hadn’t been for that, I would be dead. As you can see though, he got a few good licks on me before I killed him. He was also able to release the hell call before his soulless life came to an end.”
“Wait, what’s a hell call?” Whatever it is, it doesn’t sound good.
“The hell call can only be heard by fallen angels and hell hounds. When I was still in the assembly, we did not know that fallen angels could hear the hell call. I found out once I fell. The hell call is a warning to other hounds that a fallen angel or blood child has the upper hand on a hound. This allows other hounds to come aid the hound if they are close by. The call is heard by all hounds, whether they are in hound or human form.”
Wow, this is getting complicated and more unbelievable by the minute.
Broken Faith: Spiritual Discord, 1 Page 6