“Penemue.”
“Jake.”
“We are drinking.”
“Sounds good to me.” Penemue stared at Kokabiel, concerned as he entered.
“He’s fine, nothing whiskey won’t fix.”
“I’ll miss this, whichever way this ends up, I will definitely miss whiskey,” Kokabiel said.
“Me too, and beer,” Jake threw in.
“I’m shocked,” Penemue said with his usual cold stare, before breaking into a large grin.
“Tonight we drink and tomorrow we live each day as if it were our last,” Jake said with a nod.
“Until my dying breath,” Kokabiel said raising his glass. “We fight for the lives of our children.”
Penemue poured himself a glass, “And for our kind.”
“And for those we have lost along the way,” Jake said with glossy eyes holding the bottle up.
“The bottle, really, Jake?” Penemue asked.
“Would you love me any other way?” Jake joked.
“And to Alice,” Kokabiel said.
“And to Cole,” Penemue added.
“Here, here,” they said in unison before slamming their drinks.
And may God have mercy on all our souls. Kokabiel’s voice rang through all the Fallen as he hadn’t dared to block a single one.
COLE
ALICE AWOKE FEELING RELAXED AND refreshed for the first time in weeks. She rolled over, wrapping her arm and leg around the very sound asleep Cole. She had never felt more alive, more loved than in that moment. She didn’t dare wake him as she could feel his love for her emanating from his soul while he slept, and he was peaceful in his slumber. She stifled a giggle and wondered if when she slept, he felt the same thing. Even with such impending doom, she could only feel love wash over her like a waterfall, cleansing all her wounds and emotional turmoil . Cole’s eyes opened sleepily, with a high eyebrow raise.
“What is so funny?” his raspy voice asked.
“You’re just adorable is all,” she said with an enormous grin plastered across her face.
“Oh, I am, huh?” His sleepy grin turned into his trademark wolfish grin quickly, and she began contemplating running out of the room. She managed to get one leg off of the bed before he pounced on her, pinning her to the bed. They both smiled with such love for each other, they wondered if any human could fathom or handle a love like theirs. Cole wrapped his hands along her jawline, pulling her in gently before pressing his lips against hers with a feverish need. A familiar electric surge coursed through her body, causing her to gasp against his lips. That was all the permission he needed to take her and she went willingly.
PENEMUE
PAUL AWOKE WITH A PRESSURE in his head and though he opened his eyes, his vision remained blurry. “Oh…,” he moaned as he began to focus on the empty bottles lying on the ground around Jake’s body.
“My sentiments exactly,” Kokabiel said.
“You’d think you two would be able to handle your liquor by now,” Jake said with a chuckle.
“Har har,” Kokabiel said. They all laughed at their condition. A group of Fallen with what humans called a hangover. One of the many things they were able to enjoy since the fall, though their days were numbered at this point and they were all feeling the strain of that. Paul sat upright, rubbing his bloodshot eyes and remembering the last few day’s struggles. He hoped his daughter was doing better than he was. Because of their new connection, he could feel the happiness emanating from her soul, and through her connection to them all, he could tell by looking at the others that they did too, without any effort to do so.
“She is remarkable,” Kokabiel said.
“That she is, brother,” Paul replied with a fatherly glow about him, even through the hangover he was dealing with. Jake sat up and ventured into the kitchen to make them all some coffee. He mumbled to himself some random rock song that was stuck in his head.
“You seem chipper this morning,” Kokabiel observed.
“Well, I have been making drinking one of my more fun qualities over the years. Those hangovers don’t really bother me anymore. If anything, they make me feel more alive. Now this is the time to heavily drink coffee, my brothers,” he said, passing a mug of coffee to his Fallen brothers.
“Anytime is a good time to drink coffee,” Kokabiel said, accepting his mug of strong roasted coffee. They sat in silence drinking their coffee while willing away the symptoms of a night filled with too much drinking.
“It’s sort of sad that a half breed can tank a bottle of vodka and function the next day and we split a few bottles of whiskey and are in such horrid condition,” Jake said with a laugh.
“True,” Kokabiel said. They smiled at all the ways she proved herself to be stronger and better than all of them. Paul was always amazed at her ability to persevere through anything she was forced to go through. He thought it was mostly a gift from her mother, but he hoped it was something they both gave her.
A surge started to surface under their skin and Paul sat upright, willing that familiar feeling to stop. “The sixth seal?” It stopped as soon as the words left his brother’s lips.
“Just a warning. The Lamb is close to opening it and we are far from ready for this battle,” Paul’s concern dripped from him like madness.
ALICE
BRIATHOS HAD TOLD ALICE WHEN she emerged from her bedroom of bliss that the time for opening the sixth seal was near. She decided to go work at school and bring him along so that he could see Theresa at the very least, one last time. They rode in silence along the winding roads that would eventually lead them to the AIH. She hadn’t really taken the time to process that it was highly probable, regardless of the outcome of the battle, that she would never see this place again or any other earthly place, or Max. A tear escaped her eyes and she wiped it away quickly. With all that was going on and with all she felt she was compelled to do, she hadn’t had the time she wanted to spend with Max. A strong part of her was hopeful they could win, but a piece of her was sure she would be dead any day now, they all would be.
“It’s a heavy burden to carry,” Briathos said, interrupting her vicious thought cycle.
“Excuse me?”
“It’s a heavy burden to be who you are and do what you are asked to do. I hold you in the highest regard, as your strength and bravery are astounding. Even now you are making sure I get my goodbyes, putting me before your own needs and wants. I have no doubt you are, in fact, the savior as I have never met anyone more selfless, except a long time ago, and He is the cause of our current difficulties.”
“You are not comparing me to the Lamb, are you?” She was flabbergasted.
“Why would that be such a difficult thing for you to believe? You are doing for our kind what he felt he was doing for his. On a basic level, it is the same.”
She didn’t respond; she only continued to think about that idea with great depth. She wondered if that made her the false Christ as that would bring her an entirely new bundle of problems, at least in her mind. Then, a whisper in her mind gave her hope since the Lamb did save mankind so perhaps she could, too. Unfortunately, because of His prophecy to return, His gift could come full circle, killing most of mankind and all of the Fallen and their kin. She didn’t understand why it was always a choice to eradicate the opposing sign. She now knew that He was very real and a part of her had always believed it was true, but the rest of her was furious with Him. She felt it was a little overkill to allow most of His children to be condemned and only save those with blind faith in a Being that has never showed a sign of humanity. She was getting angry again and she felt the concern of her riding partner as it leaked out of her. “Sorry Briathos, sometimes I let my emotions take control of me.” She looked ashamed and felt that way too. She pulled into the parking lot of the university.
“If I have learned anything from you, Alice, it is to not feel ashamed for who or what you are or what you feel. We are all creatures of God who strive for a love He never felt we wer
e worthy of. Yet you were granted the gift of God. There doesn’t have to be a reason, perhaps it’s a message.”
“A message? Like what?”
“Maybe He’s letting you know He hears you and He’s watching. Maybe He’s basing His decision on what you have done and are willing to do. I don’t know, I spend a lot of time dwelling on the possibilities ahead.”
“It’s entirely possible this all is our trial with Him. I just hope I get the opportunity to voice my plea.”
“I have faith you will, Alice, I truly believe that,” Briathos smiled, bringing Alice into a hug. He had grown very fond of her and he felt it was mutual. Her smile beamed as she leaned into his welcoming arms. Theresa walked about, clearing her throat, but Alice didn’t mind the interruption. Alice knew that her teacher knew of the impending doom and that her days with Briathos were numbered. Alice reached up and gave Briathos a kiss on his cheek.
“Thank you, Briathos. Enjoy your afternoon, I’ll let you know when I’m ready to go.” He nodded in response as he took Theresa’s arm in his and walked off toward the garden.
“You’ve really done a number on them all, haven’t you?” James asked as he walked up to her.
“I suppose I have.”
“I just hope it wasn’t all for nothing.”
“No, it was definitely not for nothing. It was everything.” As the words left her lips it was as if they echoed off of her soul. Each of the Fallen and Nephilim could hear it as if it were a part of their own heartbeat.
COLE
COLE WAS DRESSED IN ONLY a pair of sneakers and long black gym shorts. He considered working on his car but chose to work out to blow off some steam. After a few sets of push-ups and crunches, he did pull-ups off of the bedroom doorframe. He was frustrated that Rogziel always had the upper hand, and though he wished he could be more helpful, he promised Alice he wouldn’t go off and do anything on his own and get them killed, as he had almost done the last time he went off half-cocked. He listened to the news in the background as he switched through his sets, a gentle bead of sweat crawled across his skin.
“This war seems more like an eradication. I’m sorry to inform you, the people of the United States of America, that though this war seems as if it is finally dwindling down, there is an estimated 1,796,931,525 deaths worldwide. This is Jordan McKintil, Fox News.”
The fourth seal is completed. Jake’s voice rang through all Nephilim and Fallen minds.
“Shit.” Cole leaned against the doorway with nothing to hold onto except Alice’s blind faith. For now, that was going to have to do.
ALICE
ALICE AND BRIATHOS WALKED IN the door, laughing about his poor driving skills as she had decided to teach him how to drive. She told him she felt he needed to experience as much as he could before it was all over.
“Okay, it was a little more fun once I got the hang of it,” Briathos said with a smile.
“Told you it would be, though I was a little more nervous than I expected to be. I thought you were going to drive into that tree.”
“If you hadn’t kept your nerves to yourself, I may have done that.”
Cole walked into the room looking solemn but quickly adjusted, curious as to their great mood.
“Wait, you drove home?” Cole asked.
“Yes, it was interesting to say the least.”
“How did he do?” Cole asked. They both stared at her expectantly.
“Not too bad for his first time, though I now know why parents are terrified at teaching their children to drive. Their instinct is always so heavy footed on the accelerator or the brakes. There may have been couple of times I almost cracked the dashboard with my forehead - almost.”
“I do apologize for that, Alice,” Briathos said, the laughter leaving him.
“Stop it, I’m fine and you are fine. I’m just teasing you a little.”
“If you say so.”
“I do. Now shush about it.” She turned to Cole, feeling his concern, but it wasn’t for her exactly. “Cole? What’s going on?”
“The news today, the death toll finally reached a quarter of the population.”
“The seal has been completed. I didn’t want to ruin your high spirits with something that cannot be changed,” Briathos whispered.
“Those poor souls,” Alice’s soul ached for them and they all felt it. She blocked the best she could but a fraction leaked out, sending a warning out to all of their kind that the end was coming, faster than anyone of them had thought.
ALICE WALKED ARM IN ARM with Cole into the movie theater downtown. It was the middle of the week so they knew it would be mostly empty. Jake tagged along as their security detail, orders straight from Paul. They were no longer taking any chances when they all felt the end getting closer. Jake convinced Alice to go relax and see a movie after she was banned from going to the Field of the Damned to speak with their mothers because they had seen that it would be their future battlefield. During the previews, Jake and Alice tossed popcorn at each other from row to row laughing like child siblings. “Knock it off, Jake!”
“As if you weren’t retaliating,” he said with a wicked grin.
Cole just reached into the bucket, nonchalantly grabbing a handful while dodging the popcorn war near him. They settled down as the movie began to play. Alice rested her head on Cole’s shoulder, snuggling closer. He kissed the top of her head in return.
“Thank you for this. I almost forgot what it was like to be human,” Alice said.
“Anytime, Love,” Cole said before kissing her briefly.
Hey I’m actually watching this movie, you two. Jake thought.
“Sorry,” Alice whispered. A word she had said far too many times for far too many reasons. She turned her head back to the big screen before her, wishing her story was a movie that could be rewritten or at least that she could see what was to come and how it would all unfold. She hated being in the dark and the closer the end was upon them, the more she feared that she would die, that they all would.
We have to go. Jake ordered as the credits had barely begun to play.
“What’s wrong?” Alice asked.
“It’s Rogziel, can’t you sense him? I think he’s here. We have to get you out of here,” Jake said.
“What about these people? He’ll kill them to get to me.”
“We have to worry about you right now. If something happens to you, they all die.” He grabbed her hand pulling her toward a nearby exit. Cole’s hand was clutched on the other side following behind them. Her anxiety rocketed and all the joy she had just felt washed away, dripping off of her skin like water. Only the memory was left on her skin. She was tired of having the good moments in her life stripped away from her. Anger climbed her spine threatening to explode behind her eyes.
“Alice? You might want to calm down before we can’t defend you.” Alice blocked her rage from them with purpose and just as they exited the building, Rogziel dropped in front of them with a thrill in his cruel eyes.
“Did I already push a button, abomination?”
“What would make you think that?” she spat. She turned to yell to look out and before the words left her mouth they stuck to her tongue as a half dozen angels landed behind them, grabbing a strong hold on Jake and Cole. Cole’s anxiety attacked Alice but he reached his shield out to her as if begging her to be rational, and careful.
“I came to tell you the sixth seal is being broken as we speak. You and all your kind will be nothing but a memory carved into a cave wall for no one to see. I also wanted to visit and remind you that soon your demise will come to pass at my hand. That, although our battle will be in that horrid field you all hold so dear, I could if I chose, take you whenever I deem the right time.” He reached into the sky and, as his sword dove from the heaven’s, one of the angels came up behind her, wrapping his arms in hers and pressing her back to his chest, holding her still.
“And, yes, this does bring me much pleasure. I am sure He will be pleased.”
&n
bsp; “Don’t pretend you’re doing this for anyone but yourself. You think you are better than us all and truly you are a far worse creature than we are all combined, and when I speak with Him, He will know the truth of what you have become and what you do in His name!” Alice said fiercely.
Rogziel jammed his sword into her torso, smiling wildly.
COLE
“NO!” JAKE AND COLE SCREAMED.
“That felt better than I thought it would. I’m sure you will survive this just fine. I will see you soon, and I won’t take it so easy on you.” With that he shot into the dark sky with his brothers following closely behind him.
Cole and Jake rushed to Alice’s side, lifting her crumpled body from the concrete. “Alice! Wake up!” Cole screamed. Cole carried her to his car demanding Jake sit in the back seat with her. “Hold on, Alice, we’ll get you home. We’ll get you fixed, all fixed up,” he said through tears. “Jake, tell the others to meet us at the house.”
“Done.”
Cole was doing nearly twenty over the speed limit as he barreled down the road. No matter what he did, he couldn’t keep her safe. They could not even have one human moment to do something as mundane as going to the movies. He knew she was strong, but a part of his brain question if she would survive such an injury.
“She’s going to be okay, but you might want to slow down a tad.”
“There’s no time.” A mile from the hous,e Cole began to calm until he felt through his connection with Alice, Jake’s panic.
“Look out!” Jake screamed pointing at an angel in the center of the road. Cole swerved in an attempt to miss him, losing control of the car. His car spun in a circle before hitting the angel in the road and sending the car over top of him, landing on its hood. “Cole?”
“Yeah?”
“We have to get out of this car. The others are on their way, but that angel is still out there. I can feel his hate.”
Alice's Insurrection (Alice Clark Series) Page 11