by Susan Reid
He was looking down at me now, though it was hard to tell how he was looking at me through the sunglasses, I assumed it was with peculiarity.
“I’m okay. Just nerves I guess. I had a lot going on this week in addition to everything else. Term papers and finals are in full swing now too, and I haven’t even cracked a book yet,” I hated to lie, which was ironic considering he didn’t seem to believe what I was saying either, but he smiled anyway.
“I can completely understand that but don’t let it all consume and drive you crazy.” He told me.
I laughed a bit, “Easier said than done but I’ll try. Um, you said you wanted to tell me a story?” I then asked with a raised brow.
We began walking side by side again. The cool sensation on my back had dissipated to a light tingle and then was gone, and the dull burn of the scratches also ceased. I wasn’t in the church this time. I swallowed at the thought, all the while looking down at my feet.
“Yes, I did. It’s a story that came to mind actually upon seeing you today. It’s sort of a fable but it is somewhat of a true story with maybe a few embellishments. It was passed down to me and I share it quite often when the opportunity deems it necessary,” He then said.
“Necessary?” I asked inquisitively.
He smiled, “Essential may be the better term. None of us are above needing something positive and guidance once in a while.” He clarified.
“That’s true.” I nodded in total understanding.
He continued, “This story is actually about four young girls and a very notorious bachelor. The girls were of marrying age, and had been well groomed to be selected by an equally well groomed and educated man for courtship and eventually marriage. Well, it just so happens that a new, mysterious, handsome and strong suitor seeking a bride comes into the first small town where the first girl lived one day, arriving on a majestic steed decked out in gold and gems, which made the first girl fall head over heels from the start.
He wooed her with his looks, his riches, and promised them to her if she would promise him one thing in return, her soul. Without question or hesitation she promised her soul to him, and he kept his word in giving her all the fine jewels she could ever want or ask for and she became the envy of the town as well as all her friends, which is what she wanted. She was happy for a while until one night, her home caught fire and every valuable thing she owned, including the jewels were destroyed. This handsome suitor requested to collect what she had promised him and she refused saying her belongings, and her jewels had been destroyed in a fire, and that she no longer even had a home. She asked him for more so she could sell them to buy another home, but he laughed and told her that the deal was that he would give her all the jewels she had asked for, but he never promised she could keep them, in her despair she committed suicide and it was then that he took her soul.” Drake paused.
“Ah, so this suitor guy must have been the devil himself.” I smirked.
He shrugged a shoulder with a sly smirk, “It’s speculation.” He laughed a little.
He went on, “ Her soul made him more powerful, more handsome and more irresistible, and so he moved on to the second girl in the next town; arriving with flowing hair, muscles rippling and the physique of a perfectly chiseled stone statue. Again, he worked his charm and romanced her with skills that no other suitor in her lifetime had ever been able to do and make her feel. Having this handsome, young man on her arm made other women jealous and she became the envy of all her friends. Her courtship with him encouraged other young men to vie for her attention as well, which she thrived on.
Of course you guessed it — the price for this new found popularity was… her soul. It didn’t take her long to agree to that and then one evening she was attacked and sexually assaulted by a group of men who didn’t appreciate her turning them down. When the suitor returned for her soul, she refused him stating he broke her heart and hadn’t been there to protect her when she was attacked. He told her that he never promised his heart or his loyalty in protecting her, and as she lay dying from her injuries, he then took her soul. The third young woman was not easily swayed by material or glamorous things. Her fancy lie in authority and power, and that was exactly what this suitor picked up on and of course, promised her. He made her mayor of her small town and even courted her as she continued to rise in power but her greed got in the way and she began to make enemies who later turned on her. In an uprising they stormed her home and kidnapped her, taking her into the woods in the wee hours of the night where they assassinated her. As she lay dying the suitor came and she cursed him for not being there to protect her or vouch for her when the village townspeople accused her of stealing tax money. He simply laughed and told her he only promised her power, power that she did have for a while, but with power comes responsibility of which she grew careless and with that he took her soul as it left her body.
Upon arriving in the fourth town, he was taken by surprise by the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on and in turn he found himself love struck with her. He knew without a doubt that he had to have her soul, so he began with promises of jewels and riches, which this girl refused. He would not give up so next, he promised her passion but still she did not give in to him. Then he offered her power, the power to rule over men and other Kingdoms with him and still she refused. Well, this angered him now, as well as delivering a blow to his ego because after all, he was the strongest and most handsome suitor. No woman had ever refused him before, and he knew that everyone had a price so a last resort, he promised her infinite youth and beauty as well as riches, passion and power. Still, she refused him.
That was when his wooing turned to wrath, and he resorted to using fear, anger and hate to scare her into changing her mind. He beat her viciously, tortured her physically and mentally, as well as those she loved, all in attempts to break her spirit so she would submit to him, even making her physically ill. Everything he could do short of killing her he did and she still did not give in. Enraged he vowed to claim her soul one day because he hated that she held his heart yet she refused to offer him hers even if it took him a thousand years,” Drake paused.
I was enthralled with this story and I wondered why he stopped.
“Why didn’t he just kill her or take her soul?” I then asked.
He looked at me and smirked, holding a finger up to signify that he wasn’t finished yet.
I shut up and continued to listen with wide eyes.
“Because he couldn’t. As powerful and as handsome as he was, he had no power or right to simply claim a soul. One’s soul has to be willingly given or forfeited.”
Okay, that was freaky — Cam told me the same exact thing at the Purple Tomato the other day.
“So he did all those painful and horrific things to her, to make her surrender to him basically.” I then surmised, getting the gist of what sounded like a biblical story to me.
“Exactly,” Drake smiled with a nod.
“Did she ever give in?” I then asked as we both stopped walking and faced each other.
I looked up at him and Drake stared down at me for a long time, as if he were studying me this time, and I wondered what he was thinking. I wanted to see his pretty eyes, but only seeing myself in the reflection of his sunglasses.
“Her dilemma is still ongoing as is with all of us in some form or another, but you know something? I personally don’t think that she will. I think she is way stronger than even she realizes. What do you think?” He then asked.
I wrinkled my brow looking at him peculiarly as I shrugged a shoulder, “I don’t know. I mean if she hasn’t after all that I don’t think she will either but…” I began as we started walking again.
“But what?” Drake asked softly.
“Seems like he’d just move onto the next girl then I would think, I mean there are plenty out there.” I then said.
“True. But his ego, pride and power is built upon the conquest of each individual soul. The more complicated and harder that he h
ad to work, meant the more powerful the soul was and he thrived on challenges. Not only was he captivated by her spirit and beauty, but he absolutely wanted her for her will and defiance. All the time he spent beating her, torturing her, trying to figure her out, waiting to see if any of his tactics would finally make her give in, being frustrated and enraged and vowing to find some way to make her surrender had taken all his time and attention away from many others. That in turn actually spared the lives of many he would have taken. But if she were to ever give in to him, he would become more powerful than he had ever been before not to mention finally continuing on to the next and the next just as he had been before her.” Drake finished.
I pursed my lips in thought.
“So aside from being beautiful, what was so special or different about her that she wouldn’t give in as opposed to the others? Maybe she just didn’t want to be rich, beautiful or young or have passion and power. Not all girls do.” I then said.
“No?” Drake said in a questioning manner.
I turned to look up at him, “No, I don’t. I mean, maybe the passion but not without respect, love and honor. None of that other stuff is important or matters, at least it won’t soon anyway.” I then said.
It was quiet for a moment between us.
“You still believe in the events of the end of the world in the dreams that you told me about?” he asked curiously.
“Yeah, I do.” I said without hesitation.
He stopped again with an almost sympathetic smile.
“So, you don’t believe there’s any hope left for people at all?” He then asked me with a curious and furrowed brow.
I hadn’t been prepared for that question and honestly, I never thought about hope at all. Hope. That was something that was far and few in between in the world today. Everywhere you looked, people were killing, stealing, assaulting, cheating, abusing, hating, fornicating, twisting religious doctrines to fit their own personal gains or needs…what was the point?
“Me alone having hope doesn’t even matter. It’s kind of hard to hope and care when not many people care themselves. I think I know how God feels sometimes though.” I chuckled.
He laughed too and nodded, “I understand your feelings about that completely. What about the shadows you said were following you? Are they still harming you?” He then asked.
I paused remembering last night and the scratches on my back. Should I tell him about all that?
“Yes.” I finally said softly.
This time he paused and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye to see his expression in regards to hearing that. He appeared to be in deep thought and I wondered what he was thinking about.
I spoke again to break the momentary silence, “I also realized something else recently here too. That you were right or at least I was wrong all along. There are angels always around and I think there’s one following me. In fact, I know there is. I think I have proof,” I then said slowly not sure how he’d react to that part.
He stopped and then I did, and he turned to look down at me.
“You have proof?” I could see that he raised a brow even behind the sunglasses.
I nodded but I wasn’t sure I wanted to even mention the feather.
“I’ve seen and experienced some things in the last few days—both miracles and supernatural things I mean, at least that’s the only way I can explain them.” I then said.
He paused, chewing his lip in thought, “Star, I need to say that you need to be extremely vigilant and careful because demons are very cunning and bold, and they will continue to get more aggressive with you now because you have you have the ability to see them, and you have always defied them. They don’t like that, and you must be aware that not everything or everyone may be as they seem or who they are. Demons can mask themselves in many ways and as any kind of being. Always remember that.” Drake then said pointedly.
What he said made my skin crawl and I thought of the events of last night again. He was absolutely right, and I found that his serious forewarning gave me chills.
“I know. I just wish I knew why they’re after me.” I then said as I swallowed and looked down at my shoes, wondering if I should tell him what happened last night and about my back.
I heard him sigh softly and when I looked up he was looking out across the expanse of the lake. A gaggle of brown ducks from the biggest to the smaller ducklings, fluttered their wings and all skittered across its surface in a line, heading for the shore.
“Maybe that will be revealed in one of your dreams if it hasn’t already. You should write them down and look for patterns. The unconscious mind is the perfect conduit for communication between planes.” Drake then said carefully.
I wrinkled my brow in question. The more I talked to Drake, the more I was concluding that…he couldn’t be a demon, but again I needed definitive proof past just what he was saying and his gentle nature.
Was he the one healing my injuries?
“You mean between the living and the dead?” I asked.
“No not the dead. The human mind in its dream state is the perfect means for the divine as well as demons to enter unfortunately.” Drake then said.
I licked my lips, lost in my own thoughts for a moment, and then I felt myself involuntarily shiver.
“I’m not trying to scare you Star, believe me. I’m just offering some truth and I’ve always believed that miracles are small ways of reminding people that there is a higher force and it hasn’t given up on them, which means they should never give up on themselves or others.” Drake then looked back down at me and smiled.
I smiled then and looked up at him, “I’m not scared, not anymore.” I then told him.
He smiled, “Good.” He replied.
Drake suddenly turned his attention to the left of us; at something behind me and I could see his jaw working. Alarmed, I followed the direction of his gaze and turned around.
I didn’t see anything right away, but I did notice he was looking back in the direction of the trail that I had come out of when I heard that whisper, and was being followed by an invisible entity.
My heart raced as I spun back around to face him and ask him what he was looking at.
“Wha —”
That was all I could get out before Drake gently placed his cool open palm to my forehead —and I instantly collapsed with no memory or recollection of ever hitting the ground.
XV: Cam’ael:
I didn’t recognize this dark fallen when I initially saw him, but my first guess was that he was part of this Toraen Legion going after Star. There had been three of them following her, which I assumed meant that angels and even Drakael might be nearby but that wasn’t going to stop me from stopping them.
I went for the smaller two of the three first, willing my sword and making a clean swipe that cut through the first one with ease. Then, turning and flipping the sword in one movement with a swift twirl I didn’t recognize this dark fallen when I initially saw him but my first guess was that he was part of this Toraen Legion going after Star. There had been three of them following her, which I assumed meant that angels and even Drakael might be nearby but that wasn’t going to stop me from stopping them.
I went for the smaller two of the three first, willing my sword and making a clean swipe that cut through the first one with ease. Then, turning and flipping the sword in one movement with a swift twirl — I stabbing it directly into the throat of the second one; pulling downward before he could even draw his weapon let alone realize that he had just been parted and sliced bilaterally.
Novices. It was obvious these were no kind of fighters or warriors. Upon making that realization though — I was blindsided from behind. I should have known better.
They had both merely been expendable distractions.
The dark fallen whipped his arm back about to thrust downward and slash at me. I spun around and dodged in time but not quick enough before he managed to slash my right wing. I wasted no time returning the slash, as
our swords collided with a hard metal ‘chink,’ and I took that moment to slam a foot into his chest; sending him flailing backwards. He threw some form of sharp, crystallized black dust that turned to wicked looking shards at me, and I turned to shield my eyes.
He used that momentary distraction to recover and lunge towards me once again. Tackling me, we rolled and he grinned in both fury and certain victory this time, while raising his knife once he hovered over me. He brought it swiftly down and directly at my chest. Even though his arm was a blur, I managed to whip my sword up even faster in time to block the attack. I slammed and pressed my hand to his chest, fingers splayed while bringing light to the surface of my palm, and it immediately began to smolder and burn his defiled flesh.
Though I knew he had to be in excruciating pain, he continued to grin maniacally with determination as wisps of acrid dark, oily smoke began to emanate from beneath my palm. I had almost forgotten, these hardcore dark fallen thrived on this kind of pain…I wouldn’t doubt he probably had a hard on too. Without even having to, let alone wanting to look; I made sure to keep us at arms-length for that reason.
He struggled and tried to free himself of my grip, but I held onto him, pressing my hand even firmer in a vice like clutch, digging my fingers in as his flesh began to sizzle with intense heat, and the light began to pulse even brighter around my fingertips.
“We will have her…you alone are not enough Cam`ael…” He hissed vehemently with a roar of defiance. He raised a hand, attempting to slash at me again. I thrust my weight forward and we were both airborne, both of us flying and this time, I slammed him down hard. His back hit the ground with a loud thump and crunch as he grunted and began to howl.
“It’s too bad you won’t be around to warn this Toraen of his doom if they continue to try, but I’ll make sure they know,” I smirked wickedly, yanking his blade from his crumbling hand, just as he began to disintegrate.