by Cameo Renae
He nodded, his eyes were still heavy. I grabbed the glass and filled it with water from the pitcher. “Here,” I said, handing it to him.
He slowly raised his hand, took the cup, and gulped the whole thing down.
“Do you want some more?” I asked.
“No, thank you,” he answered, lying back down. He winced in pain, and his breath became shallow. His eyes clinched tight.
“I’ll go get Alaine.” I was worried, and was just about to turn when he grabbed my arm.
“No. I’m alright,” he said. “Please stay.”
“Alright, but are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. I just laid down a bit too fast. Alaine said I have a few broken ribs, and they hurt like hell if move too fast. Actually, if I move… period.”
“I know. I had a broken rib once.” My thoughts went back to the airport bathroom. It was only a few days ago, but it seemed like forever.
I took a chair from the corner of the room and set it next to his bed.
“Emma, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” I said.
I took in a deep breath, not sure of what was going to come out of his mouth. He was medicated, and some crazy things can come from medicated mouths.
“What are you?”
“Huh?” I shook my head, confused by his question. “What do you mean?”
“I know about Alaine. I know that she is a Nephilim, and that the rest of them are Guardians. Alaine explained it all to me a while back, because I knew there was something different about them.
“But, last night, when I saw that old guy, Lucian, look at you…when he saw the mark on the back of your neck… there was something in his eyes that I hadn’t see the whole time I was with him. I noticed a look of fear. He was afraid and confused when he saw your mark. So…what did he see, Emma? Are you one of them?”
I took in another deep breath and exhaled loudly.
I’d forgotten that Caleb was there last night, and actually witnessed everything that happened. I couldn’t see Lucian’s eyes, because my back was facing him. If Caleb was right, then Lucian must have known something. Maybe he figured out that I was the one of the prophecy. If he did, then I would become an even bigger target than before.
That seemed like madness! A leader of the Fallen… afraid of me? Maybe it was a fear of the unexpected. A fear of the fairytale.
“I really don’t know,” I answered. And that was the truth. “What I do know is that Samuel and Alaine are my birth parents, and I am three-quarters Angel. They say there has never been another like me, but no one will know exactly what I will become until I turn eighteen. That’s when my so called transformation happens.”
Caleb was frozen, probably trying to run what I’d just said through his mind. His brow was furrowed, his eyes were wide, and his mouth was gaping open.
“Alaine is your mother?” he breathed each word slowly.
“Yes.” He thought she was just my aunt.
“But how?”
“It’s a really long story. One I don’t know all the details of. What I do know is that Alaine and my other mom were half-sisters. I was placed in her care because Samuel and Alaine were afraid for my life.
“There is some stupid law among the Immortals that says that Purebloods can only be with other Purebloods. Because Alaine is only a Halfbreed, her relationship with Samuel was forbidden. They were breaking an Immortal Law, and the punishment was death.
“Samuel was supposed to have been killed for it. Everyone thought he was dead, but he showed up last night, very much alive.”
“Whoa. So Samuel is one of the Fallen?”
“Yes.”
“If Alaine is your mom, then that makes you… my sister? I mean legally, because she adopted me and Courtney. Right?”
“That’s right,” I agreed. This was good. It was much better having him think of me as a sister, than having him being all creepy, and stalking me until I was eighteen.
“You’re my sister. That’s cool.” He gave a weak smile and closed his eyes.
“Yeah. Cool.”
His eyes popped open again.
“Well, sis, it looks like your eighteenth birthday will be the party of the century. I won’t miss it, and you better make sure I’m on that list,” he laughed, and then moaned in pain. He held out his hand to me and I took it.
“Hey, no laughing,” I jested. “Don’t worry. I’ll see to it myself that you’re on that list,” I said. “That is, if I survive until then.”
His eyes had a bewildered look.
“Never mind. Just get some rest.”
I released my grip, but he held on tightly. The medicine was kicking in again, and his eyes were getting heavy. I tightened my grip and as I did, he smiled and closed his eyes again. I didn’t want to stress him out, and tell him what we were planning. I doubted he’d even believe me if I told him I was going on a quest into Hell to speak to Lucifer. Heck, that seemed crazy in my own mind.
“Emma,” Caleb breathed. His eyes were still shut.
“Yes.”
“Thanks for coming and rescuing me from those monsters,” he whispered. “I didn’t think anyone was going to come for me.”
“Of course they would have come for you,” I answered.
“But, you did. You came. So, thank you,” he breathed.
“You’re welcome.”
I smiled and watched his chest rise and fall with each breath, and listened to the clock on the wall…tick-tock, tick-tock. Within a few minutes, his fingers loosened, and his hand fell from mine.
Chapter 3
I wasn’t sure how long I was supposed to wait in the room, but I started to get antsy and a little irritated. I was going on this quest into Hell, so why shouldn’t I be a part of their conversation?
My mind started whirling. Was it because they thought I was too young, or because I was still a mortal girl? I pushed off the chair and strode over to the door, furious, ready to fling it open, but instead, I took in a deep breath, gathered myself, and placed my ear to it.
I could hear their muffled voices, but they were faint and I couldn’t really make out what they were saying. I noticed a gap at the bottom of the door, so I laid flat on my stomach and pushed my ear as close to the opening as I could.
“Your orders are to take her directly to the house. It’s the only way that she’ll be safe. There is no way I will put her life in greater risk than it already is. If you all believe that going to Lucifer is our only hope, then you need to decide who will go and speak to him. I’ll not decide for you, or be responsible for any of your decisions. But I will be responsible for Emma.”
That was Alaine. She was trying to change the original plan, which had already been set. I knew she didn’t want to lose me or Samuel, but out of her desperation she probably didn’t realize that she was putting pressure on the rest. Of course they would risk their lives, knowing that this was their only chance to save us.
Danyel spoke next. “Kade, being human, can help us get in. If I’m in possession of his mortal soul, then we might have a fighting chance of making it through Hell’s first gate. They’ll think I’m just delivering his soul. But the only way we will be able to get to Lucifer is attempting the five levels, which no one has ever survived. And, just saying…by the slimmest of chances that we do survive, Lucifer would not see us. We have nothing urgent enough to present them to acquire his audience. They would never let us pass the last gate, and Lucifer does not take kindly to visitors.”
There was silence for brief moment.
“Like I said before, I am not making any decisions for you, Danyel,” Alaine spoke. “I am not asking you to take on this burden, but I am asking that Emma and Samuel stay out of it.”
“I understand, Alaine, and I have already made my decision. Even if our chance of entering Hell and speaking to Lucifer is as small as a speck of sand in the entire sea, it’s still a chance. I will go,” Danyel answered.
“I will go with Danyel,” Kad
e spoke without hesitation.
My pulse started to race and my stomach churned.
No way. There was no way they were going to do this. Everyone already knew that without me, the journey into Hell would be suicide. I was the key. The Nephilim that might be able to get access to him, and let him know that his son, like me, was in danger.
I was amazed at how these two immortals were willing to risk everything for us, knowing full well that they didn’t have a chance. It wasn’t fair.
I was just about to get up and make my entrance when I heard another voice. It was Samuel.
“I agree with Alaine, but only partly. Emma should not take this journey. It’s way too much of a risk for her, and for the rest of us. If anything happens to her, we will not have hope for the future. But I will be going. I’ll not allow Danyel and Kade go on this quest alone. They have both already risked their lives to save my daughter, and it’s not fair that they be abandoned to this perilous journey alone, which we all know will end in vain.”
Samuel. My father.
He was so brave and compassionate, and I didn’t see how he could be one of the Fallen. His heart was too big and too good.
The blood in my veins continued to simmer. I knew they were looking out for me, but it was completely unfair that they didn’t even give me a say in the matter. And the fact that they kicked me out of the room to make this decision, made it even worse! Yes, I was seventeen and still human, but I wasn’t stupid and going to let them risk their lives for no reason.
I jumped up from the floor, gripped the door nob, twisted it, and swung the door wide open. All heads snapped toward me. I glanced at the all of their faces, and set my eyes on Alaine.
“I just want you to know that I’ve been listening to your conversation. I know you don’t want me to go, but I believe I should have a say. When I was born into this world, I didn’t have a choice. I never asked to be… whatever it is that I am. But I’d like to have a choice now. A choice in how I’d like my life to turn out. Like I said before…if fate chooses that I should die, then I’ll die, but if it isn’t my time, then I will come back to you.
“If Lucifer does have a Nephilim son, then I will have a greater chance of speaking to him. Maybe I can convince him of Lucian’s plans. Convince him that he has marked every Nephilim, including his son. If he loves his son as much as you love me, then he should help us. I just need to get him to see that if he continues to let Lucian run free, his son will eventually become a victim.
“If I stay here, we will all die. If I go, we have a chance of surviving, and a hope to live the rest of our lives without fear. If I fail…we will all die anyway, but at least we tried. It’s not a question of whether or not I want to go. I will go, and I will have the best of Heaven and Hell to guide and protect me.”
It was like my mouth was on autopilot. I’d never spoken before with such devotion or conviction. A few days ago, I would have never risked my life, or put myself in any kind of danger. But the old me was slowly starting to fade, and become covered with my new life.
I guess that’s what death does. Seeing and experiencing it all around you. It changes you from the inside out. My heart aches whenever the memories of my parents flash through my mind. I miss them horribly, but I also have to learn to block the memories out, because it makes me weak. This new life, the one I was just thrown into, doesn’t allow me to be weak.
But there was something else that gave me strength, and it happened the moment I met Kade. His touch held me together during my darkest hours. It helped me gather myself, and pull me to the moment to where I am right now, standing strong and determined.
Now, I no longer needed his touch, because I could feel a change happening within myself. I was a caterpillar, in the process of wrapping myself in a cocoon. Wrapping up all the sadness, anger, frustration, and horror, only to be transformed and released on my eighteenth birthday.
I wasn’t sure what type of butterfly would emerge, but right now all I cared about was staying alive. I was still mortal, and my cocoon was very fragile.
If I was going to emerge and be stronger than the Angels, as they said, then I was going to start making a hit list. Right now, Lucian was at the top.
Samuel had a smile on his face. A smile that was silently saying he was proud of me. Alaine, on the other hand, didn’t look happy at all. She looked heartbroken. Tears began to stream from her red, swollen eyes. She slowly walked up to me, and wrapped me in a tight embrace. I hugged her back and assured her that everything was going to be okay.
After a few moments, she cradled my face in her hands, kissed my forehead, and then walked into Caleb’s room, quietly closing the door behind her.
Samuel ambled up to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
“It’s only because she loves you,” he whispered in my ear. “She was heartbroken that she wasn’t there to see you grow up, and it took her a long time to deal with the fact that she had to send you away. Your mother tried to keep her updated, but only once in a great while, through a little note or a picture.”
I sighed. All of this was news to me, because growing up the name Alaine was NEVER mentioned. I’d never heard her name, not even in a whisper.
“I know she cares about me,” I breathed, “but this is a decision that I had to make. I don’t think we have much of a choice. If I’m the only one who can get to Lucifer, and attempt to make him understand, then I’m going to try. I won’t sit here in this hellhole and let the demons come in and slaughter us. I’d rather be out there. Besides, I have the best Guardians of any world.”
He laughed and shook his head.
“Spoken like a true warrior.” He placed his hand on the side of my face, and nodded with a smile, then leaned in and kissed me lightly on the forehead and walked away.
I guess I’d gotten my guts from my father, and hopefully, I’d be handed down some of his fighting skills too. Sooner would be better. At least knowing they would be with me made it easier, but the lingering thought of Kade, no longer an immortal and able to die, literally made my heart ache.
What would happen if he were hurt? In this new world, anything was possible. Death was possible. Samuel and Danyel would have to protect us both. They were warriors, but then again…the mental picture of them last night, beaten and on the brink of death…sent my stomach in knots again.
Was I really making the right decision?
My heart said yes. We had one more day in this underground prison. I’d have to keep reassuring myself that this was the right decision. That we were doing this to save everyone we loved, and that alone should be more than enough.
I walked back over to the couch and sat down. I was just about to close my eyes and try and black out the world, when I felt a touch on my shoulder.
“Hey, Emma,” a voice whispered. I turned around to see Kade. His eyes were tired, but still as beautiful as the first time I saw him. The light that had once emanated from them had dimmed just a bit. He looked battered, weary, and far from the Kade I was with last night, but he was still handsome and made my heart flutter with his touch.
I scooted over so he could sit next to me.
“What happened to you?” I breathed.
He sat down and his leg brushed up against mine, but there were no tingles and no feelings of euphoria that shot through my body. I was sad because I’d become used to the buzz of electricity which seemed to flow between us; the warmth and zap that happened whenever we touched. His touch and his closeness still sent butterflies dancing through my stomach and made my pulse race. That was something I’d never be able to control around Kade.
“Last night after we were attacked, I went to the Midway for help. I knew that you’d be safe down here with the others until I returned. It took hours to get there, and when I finally arrived they told me that they couldn’t help. Authority from above wasn’t given, and they weren’t given permission to send any more help than they already had. We were on our own.
“I still don’t f
ully understand why they wouldn’t send help, but one of the leaders pulled me aside. He told me that our best bet was to go directly to Lucifer himself. If he sees you and you can convince him of Lucian’s executions of the Nephilim, which is putting his son in great danger, that there might be a good chance he will help us.
“I know that he is very protective of his son, and because of the rift between him and Lucian, this might be the perfect storm to end it all… once and for all. The only thing I’m concerned about is that with Lucifer, everything has a price. I just hope he’ll be lenient, knowing that his son’s life is at stake too.”
“Okay wait. Lucifer has a Nephilim son, and he wasn’t sentenced to death?”
“He’s not his real son. He was his brother’s son, and his brother was executed for disobeying the law. I don’t know the whole story, but I’m sure Samuel does. You should ask him about it. It was a pretty big deal in the Underworld.”
“Okay. I will ask him when I get a chance, but…what I really want to know is what happened to you? Alaine told us last night that you had become human. But how is that even possible? You can’t just change from immortal to mortal…can you? I mean, I can tell that something has changed; something is different. I don’t feel that familiar warmth or tingles that let me know when you’re near,” I said sadly.
His sad eyes found mine and they spoke very loud and clear. He knew exactly what I was talking about, because he probably didn’t feel them either.
“It’s not that I don’t have any feelings for you, Kade, because I do. But it’s the other, overwhelming feelings that used to happen when you were close, or we touched. They’re not there anymore.”
Kade sighed and closed his eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Emma. It was the only thing I could do to help.” He took in a deep breath and exhaled. “I requested to the head of the Midway, that they make me mortal. Every immortal has that choice, and can only make it once. I was assigned to protect you, no matter what the cost, and if that cost was becoming mortal so I could travel into Hell with you to keep you safe, then it was an easy decision. A decision I consciously made on my own.”