Divinity: The Gathering: Book One

by Susan Reid

  I thanked Elohim silently.

  I was glad that it had ended the way it did, because Elohim had taken care of Drakael as I knew he would, once he shed her blood. Morning Stars’ cry and fury over her death was also satisfying enough for me to know that she’d be safe from him as well. Elohim apparently didn’t appreciate him trying to take her without her accepting him willingly, but we both knew that he would never give up. I knew he still wanted her, maybe even more now.

  The price had been too high, because I wasn’t ready to let her go. The short time spent together would be a lost memory to her, but it would never be that to me.

  I loved her. I’d never loved anything more in my entire existence, and I would always love her this much. For what good it did, I gave her my true name with a small sense of hope that just maybe…she would remember. Maybe remember enough to kill me and end my suffering if anything.

  “I love you Cam`ael,” She had whispered, and those words alone filled me with a new sense of hope that I’d never had before, not just for myself.

  I prayed that her declaration would not condemn her own destiny as a divine warrior, even though it had meant so much to me to have been able to hear it from her lips.

  When her cold hand fell away from my face and her heart ceased to beat, I heard and sensed Morning Star somewhere nearby.

  Though I didn’t want this confrontation now, having her lifeless body in my arms was all the rage, sorrow, hate, power and determination that I needed to kill him right and save the entire world, but I remained where I was, making no sudden moves or acknowledging where he stood.

  In a way, I think I wanted him to kill me if he thought he could. I wouldn’t have fought back or tried to defend myself either.

  “I thought you were a better fighter than that! How could you let him do this? You stood by and let him kill her! I know better —you did this on purpose! I thought you loved her!” He raged.

  I did, that’s why you will never have her now, I wanted to say to him but I remained silent.

  “This…this isn’t over Cam`ael. It has just begun! I hope that she destroys you in the worst way possible and cuts your heart out literally, in fact…I know she will one day now,” He angrily hissed in a warning tone and then laughed.

  The growing animosity and possible war between us, which had always been there, had just been escalated. The feeling was mutual, though I didn’t respond. In fact, I didn’t move or look up at him at all, still kneeling and cradling her to me as he ghosted away in his frustrated anger to which, I could care less. I hoped she would kill me too, I then thought as his last words echoed in my ears.

  In the next moment, I felt the presence of Edanai, Rahab Ryziel and Macai approaching me, and they moved in to form a semi-circle around me. Three flickering super, reflective mirrored lights in the distance were coming towards us. We knew who they were and what it would mean. They were coming for her, which meant I hadn’t tainted her after all — she was going to be rebirthed. That alone gave me both sadness and a renewed hope.

  She was special, but I had long since known that.

  “Why didn’t you summon us?” Rahab was angry with me.

  I was too devastated to even think of an answer right away, even though I had my reasons.

  “Damn, could he be any more fucking psychotic?” Ry commented to lighten the mood, referring to Morning Star.

  His humor didn’t work for me at the moment.

  “We would have all come, every single one of us,” Ry then said to me.

  “Cam, I’m sorry.” Rahab said, hanging his head down low.

  He was just as sorrowful as I was.

  “Me too.” Edanai whispered.

  “We’ll wait with you.” Ry then said. Even I had never seen him this emotional and serious.

  I continued to cradle her lifeless body in my arms protectively. The glow of the moonlight and shadows played softly against the curves of her beautiful face. Her eyes were closed as if she were merely at peace and sleeping, and it would have appeared that way if it weren’t for her blood spattered face and blood soaked clothing.

  I inhaled her scent, touching her face softly again.

  “No, you guys don’t have to. I’ll see you back home.” I whispered.

  They knew what I meant when I said back home.

  The spirit realm.

  I had had enough of the mortal realm for a while. Once she was gone, I no longer wanted to be or spend time here for a long while.

  “Well, I know it’s probably not going to make you feel better but at least she isn’t dead.” Ryziel then said.

  Edanai sighed and Rahab remained with his head bowed, as if showing respect.

  The three glimmering light orbs of glory landed a few feet away. Three seraphim soldiers from Elohim’s army stood in wait, to take Star.

  I hoped they would tell me that I would receive another reward for keeping her from Morning Star and Drakael…like letting her live a little longer for me, but they said nothing.

  I gently lay her fragile, light body down upon the ground and sighed painfully as I stood and backed away.

  Seeing her small form engulfed into the immense light and glory, was powerfully blinding and though it hurt my own eyes, not being able to withstand it anymore as a fallen, I didn’t look away.

  The complete purification transitioning of her entire body had taken a mere few seconds, but to me it seemed like an eternity. Once the pure white light had dissipated completely…the angels were gone and so was she.

  I don’t know how long I simply just stood there, staring at the ground where she had lain, trying to make sure I had the perfect picture of her in my mind. It was then that I remembered —I had something a little better than a mere memory of an image alone.

  I returned to her apartment, cloaked…wanting to take a few things of hers both to keep for her and for my own keepsake. I also had a plan, and I wanted to arrange things just in case for both her and all her friends’ sakes, when they learned of her absence soon.

  Her roommate China and her boyfriend were both still asleep in her bedroom when I arrived. After checking on them, I left a note in Star’s handwriting to her friend China; taking care to remove some of her items and clothing to look as if she had done so herself, and then left the note lying on the pillow in her room — after cleaning it all up again. I didn’t know if any of these acts would be considered breaking the rules, or that they would even mean anything to her friends or her, but I was banking on the notion that she would remember some fragments of her former life at some point.

  From the cell phone I had used; I still had the photo of her and I at the concert that she had sent me. I drew the image out and magically imposed it onto poster sized paper, and then had the photo mounted, framed and set in a pure gold, ten by sixteen portrait frame. I took it with me into the spirit realm, into my dwelling and hung it over my bed in my bed chamber.

  She was so beautiful tonight. This would be a night I would never, ever forget, even with the blemish of seeing other shadows and angels in the background, which I left untouched. Her aura was captured, and it was striking even amid the images of the angels and shadows behind us.

  This memento of us together, served as a bittersweet and painful reminder, and I found it hard to look at it sometimes without feeling deep anguish.

  I hadn’t visited the mortal realm since her mortal death. What were a few days in the mortal world was nothing but a few hours in the spirit realm, in time calculation.

  I had no desire to visit let alone even think of Morning Star’s domain, which I doubted he would have allowed me to set foot inside its boundaries ever again anyway. We were already both on the brink of a personal battle that could take place at any given moment. That was fine with me, it was for the best…I had needed to kick the habit anyway and I had when I met Star.

  I stepped outside, onto the ledge of my domicile, gazing out towards the west. Far in the distance, lie the Divine Hall, and the sun was dipping into th
e horizon above it; casting a celestial purplish pink glow over its grand white walls and steeples.

  Though it would take a while for her to finish her training and education, I was patient…I would be for her.

  I smiled to myself.

  They trained new warriors often in the Forests of Light and sometimes in the stone forests near the dark lands and neutral areas.

  I know the rules and I also knew how to get around them… however here in the spirit realm, there were no rules. I had all the infinite time in the world.

  Though I have yet to see her or her aura; all that I needed to know in order to continue to go on in my existence, was that she was there now, as an immortal, soon to be divine warrior — and so I would keep watch … and wait.

  DIVINITY: TRANSCENDENCE: BOOK TWO is coming…

  Copyright © 2013 by Susan Reid