by Megan Linski
“No, you’re not,” Cairo says roughly. “We have to confront him together. It’s the only way to survive.”
“Bro, by the time you get Mom and Isolde to safety Sydney’s time might be up,” Thames reminds him. “Let us go ahead.”
“Cody kidnapped Sydney because he wants Faline to come alone, or outnumbered,” Cairo snaps. He seems close to losing control… a strange thing for him. “His entire focus since he got to GLS has been on her. Why?”
“I don’t want you to go alone either, Lena,” Cassia says, worried. “You’re the only family I have left. I can’t lose you.”
“I won’t be alone.” I take Thames’ hand. “I have Thames. He would never let anything happen to me.”
Cassia starts to tear up again. “I can’t lose him, either.”
“You aren’t going to lose either of us,” Thames says, and he gives her a one-armed hug. He grips her tightly before he moves onto Cairo, doing the same. “We’ll look out for each other.”
Cairo is stiff. Cassia backs away and says, “Stay alive, Lena. And save Sydney. Cairo and I will be right behind you.”
“This is the location of the safehouse,” Cairo says. He grabs a sticky note, writes down an address, then hands it to Thames. “If things go wrong, get out of there.”
Thames nods. “I will, brother.”
Cairo vanishes. So does Cassia. Their absence makes me realize we have little time to waste.
“Come on, Thames.” I run outside, and Thames follows. I spread my wings and take to the air. Thames does the same behind me, his bat-like appendages beating furiously against the cold.
It’s starting to blizzard. A storm whips up furiously, as if it’s a warning meant to keep us away. The snow fall is so thick I can’t see, the wind making it difficult to keep aloft. I’m only in jeans and a t-shirt, but I’m not cold. My Nephilim blood keeps me hot, along with my grief, my rage.
I’m going to make Cody pay for everything he’s done. Everything.
I look to Thames. His entire form is burning, arms rippling with fire.
I smirk. Cody might be a demon, but he has no idea that hell itself is coming for him.
Athias wasn’t being specific when he said Cody was somewhere in the Porcupine Mountains. They span over two counties and thousands of acres, not to mention the tree cover makes it hard to see anything on the ground… Thames and I have been searching for awhile now and we haven’t found anything…
“Down there!” Thames points.
I look down and see a group of Nephilim collected on the ground, ten or so, many of them their wings out and spread wide. At first, I get excited, thinking we got lucky, but no…
Cody wants to be found. He chose somewhere out in the open. So I’d know exactly where to find him.
Thames and I spiral down into the trees and take cover. We hang out in the topmost branches, looking downward.
Cody is milling around them. My original prediction is right… he is a demon. He’s got bat wings, like Thames, but they’re red in color, not black. Dark flames ripple around them, and the Nephilim council backs up warily— though they’ve agreed to work with him, it’s obvious they’re scared of him, too.
Then I see a familiar figure lying on the ground. Thames spots her the second I do.
“Lena, wait—”
I don’t listen. I drop down from the trees and flutter to Sydney’s side, in front of Cody and the entire council. I grab her shoulders and shake her, speaking to her loudly. “Sydney. Sydney, wake up! Hey! Sydney!”
She’s breathing. Her eyes are open and blinking, and warmth still radiates from her skin.
But there’s nothing there. No vibrancy, no movement. No sign she even exists, except that her shell is still left behind. Cody did something worse than what he did to Emalee. Emalee died, but she got to keep her soul.
Cody took Sydney’s from her. What’s the point of having a life if you lose your soul?
“She can’t hear you,” Cody says in a sickening sing-song voice, teasing.
“You… you sick…”
Cody lets out a cruel laugh. “Name-calling isn’t going to help you now, Faline.”
He spreads his arms wide. “You still have a chance to join me. I’m more than willing to let you stand by my side.” He points to the council members behind him.
The scars on his neck glint. It makes me thrilled. “I see you can’t get rid of the reminder of what Thames did to you.” I smirk.
Cody snarls. He moves forward and grabs me by the front of my shirt, and lifts me up. “You’d better not mention that to me ever again,” he growls. “Or I might just revoke my offer.”
“Let go of her.” Thames arrived so quietly I never even heard the rush of his wings. He’s silent. Deadly.
Cody chuckles, but he slowly releases his grasp on my shirt. “If you think I’m afraid of you, cambion, you’re sorely mistaken.”
“Didn’t seem that way when I threw you through a wall,” he snarls. “I should’ve broken your neck.”
“What does she feel like? Have you even had her?” Cody taunts. He tilts his head and looks at me. “No? I guess not. Good. I like virgins.”
“I said get away from her!” Thames’ tone is even scaring me; Cody is foolish to play with him right now. Or asking for a death wish.
“Oh, don’t worry,” Cody says. He reaches out to run his fingers through the tendrils of my hair, and I shiver. “I’ll take good care of her after you’re dead. She’ll be screaming my name tonight one way or another.”
“I’m going to kill you,” Thames growls. Then, he changes.
His form becomes different. His skin is replaced by clumps of burning ash, molten lava rolling in the place of veins. A black, jagged sword forms in his hand, and fire erupts until it has encased his body entirely. Cinders fall upon the ground as he takes a step forward. His wings become larger and his spikes grow more twisted.
Thames… he’s scary in his main form. I back away, frightened. This is who he truly is. Beneath that handsome exterior smolders a monster dying to be let out. It can’t be contained, or controlled. Whatever this thing is… it’s… it’s ruthless.
But underneath the demon from the underworld is my boyfriend. My true love. My Thames.
Cody grins widely, and it’s a horrifying grin. “This should be fun.”
Cody mutates, too. His skin is replaced with red, pointy scales, each of them emitting their own flame. Curled horns sprout from the top of his head. His jaws widen so that his teeth are sharper than daggers. Claws tipped in flame grow from his hands, and his boots rip apart as monster feet burst free.
When he laughs again, the sound is treacherous and deep… a gluttonous laugh from the depths of hell.
I know better than to get in-between Thames and his prey. Two demons warring is not a place for anyone to be, not even a Nephilim.
The cambion and the demon charge. Cody gets his hands on Thames and ash sprays everywhere, but Thames digs his feet into the earth and holds his ground. Thames tosses Cody several feet and opens his palms to spray flames toward the demon, but Cody spins out of the way. He opens his wings and soars toward Thames with his spikes directed at my boyfriend’s heart.
I scream, and run toward Thames to knock him out of the way, but Thames ducks and rams his shoulder into Cody’s gut. Cody tumbles, then falls. He lands on his back. Thames tackles him, wraps his hands around his neck and squeezes.
Cody kicks Thames off of him. Thames goes flying across the area and into a tree; the impact causes it to topple over, and set fire. The tree tumbles into the rest of the forest, and the woods ignite. It begins a forest fire that quickly spreads throughout the Porcupine Mountains.
Thames is fast, but Cody has the advantage. As a full-blooded demon, he’s quicker, and has more power. Thames shoots a fireball at Cody. When it hits him, Cody just laughs. Fire can’t hurt him— not when he’s in his true form.
Thames realizes this. He grabs Cody and throws him back on the ground.
With brute force, Thames begins pummeling Cody’s face with every inch of force he can muster, trying to get him to change back into his human form.
“What are you going to do?” Cody asks in that hellish voice. “Beat me to death?”
“If that’s what I have to do,” Thames snarls before punching Cody across the face once more. Scales come off, and Cody gags. He grabs Thames by the neck and tosses him away… the two demons begin circling each other once again… looking for an in.
The Nephilim council is observing the battle in a very impassive way. Cody has friends… and Thames needs my help. He can’t take them all on by himself, even if he manages to defeat Cody.
I pick up Sydney’s body and move her out of the way, to the edge of the clearing so she won’t be hurt in the brawl. The Nephilim council is too immersed in the fight to realize I’m going to attack.
I open my hand. My sword spawns with a great light, blinding the council members. They cringe away. I leap into the air and emit a roar, attacking them three at a time.
“Resisting him is futile! Spare yourself, and join us!” a Nephilim screams as I parry away his blow. I dive in my sword as a feint, then whip it backwards and lop off the head of one of his friends.
“I’d rather die than join Cody!” I swear. I’m outnumbered, and the Nephilim are closing in. I don’t have much time…
“Lena!”
I look up. Asigh of relief ripples through me when I see two pairs of wings… one black, another white tinged with blue. Clouds part, revealing their faces. Cairo and Cass! They land beside me, Cairo’s sword aloft and Cassia’s spear in hand. We begin dueling together, fighting back against the council that was once closing me in.
Now the fight’s fairer. With Cassia and Cairo helping me, we stand a chance. The sound of steel clashing and wings beating, permeate the air. Smoke rises thickly into the sky as the forest continues burning around us. Cody and Thames continue to go at it, neither of them gaining any advantage.
We’re too well matched. Despite being outnumbered, Cassia, Cairo and I can stand up to the council, but not take them down. This fight will go on forever, into the edge of eternity…
“ENOUGH OF THIS!”
A thunderous voice erupts, cracking like thunder over the land. Everyone stops what they’re doing and looks up.
A cry of joy ripples from my lungs as I witness my Dad hovering over the scene.
Down from the heavens comes my father. His main form is so beautiful that it brings tears to my eyes. Each part of him is shimmering, a perfect halo that creates a sun over the frozen land. Snow begins to thaw. The air immediately gets warmer, winter turning to spring. His skin is golden and it ripples, like water. He has three golden eyes in a row, all down the middle of his forehead, and four wings sprout behind his back.
I can see why humans perish while witnessing such a sight. As a Nephilim, I can hardly comprehend it myself, how blameless my father is, how… holy.
We are saved.
As my father lands, he changes. He turns back into his human self. The only part of him angel that remains is his perfectly white wings.
“Dad!” I scream. “You came for us!”
Dad stares at me. He crosses the open area intently and proceeds toward Cody with deadly intent written on his face. He pushes Thames out of the way, reaches out his arm—
And shakes Cody’s hand.
There… there is nothing on earth that hurts more than the sight of my father shaking hands with Cody.
Not growing up alone and isolated from the world.
Not my mother’s death.
Nothing.
“Dad?” I whimper. My sword drops, tip pointing into the earth. Roman releases Cody’s hand and looks at me.
“I told you I had to talk to you, Faline,” Roman says quietly. “I really wish you listened.”
Roman waves his hand, and the Nephilim council backs off, Cody drops his main form, turning human again— I swear, the wicked expression on his face is far more terrifying than the horns.
Only when Cody changes does Thames turn back, too. He morphs into his human form, although his wings stay firmly put. He coughs. A bit of ash filters out of his mouth and plops on the ground.
“What is this?” I ask quietly. “I want an explanation.”
“Faline. Be careful.” Cairo is at my side. He has one hand on my shoulder and the other on Cassia’s. Protecting us girls.
Cody snorts. “Forget it, goody-two-shoes. If Roman wanted you dead you’d already be in heaven singing the Hallelujah chorys.”
The way Cody talks about heaven… it’s with contempt. Bitterness. Like he can remember being there, and misses it, but yet despises it at the same time.
Roman waves him off, and Cody falls silent.
“Cody is no more than a pawn, my dear,” Roman says, and Cody flinches. “He is simply the means to an end.” Roman glances at him. “Though a necessary one.”
“What’s necessary?” I whisper. “How could you team up with… that?”
Cassia doesn’t say anything. She stays rigidly by my side, hand still tightly wrapped around her spear.
She doesn’t trust him. No matter what he says.
Roman proceeds toward me but Thames takes a step in front of him.
Roman sighs. “Let me speak to my daughter, please.”
Roman waves a hand and Thames is thrown backwards. He sails up into the sky, several hundred feet, and is frozen there before he’s brought smashing back down. I scream; Thames’ body pummels the earth with such force that a hole is left around his body as he lands. The earth trembles. He groans, face twisted in pain. Thames tries to get up, but he can’t.
“I’m going to—” I start forward, but Roman raises his hand again.
“If you attempt to harm me, I will kill him,” Roman says. “Just hear me out.”
I glance at Thames. He’s still writhing on the ground. I long to go to him, but I have to figure out a way to get out of this mess… the mess I created. “Okay. Speak.”
Roman’s face is cool and calm. “Since your birth I have been training you for this ascension, Faline. I was sent to Earth by powers above to track down the fallen angels, the demons that plague this land, and bring them back to hell.”
He shakes his head. “But I quickly found through the millennia that no matter how many demons I killed or banished, more would always come. Even worse than the demons were mankind— how sinful and treacherous they are. I believed there was good in the world when I came, Faline, but humanity has convinced me otherwise. There is no saving them.”
“No,” I whisper. “It’s not true.”
Roman ignores my outburst and continues. “Everywhere I went I saw crimes. Murder. Theft. Rape. Abuse. Much of it without demonic influence. Despite countless second chances, humans continue to mistreat the world that God has given them. So, I’ve decided to create a new way.”
“A perfect world,” Cody subs in. Roman glares at him, and Cody shuts up.
Roman proceeds toward me. “Imagine it, Faline. A world without pain or suffering, with us at its head. With the Nephilim council at our side and demons working for us, we can create a new world, a better world where people don’t have to be afraid. We will protect those who follow the law, and eliminate those who do not. Disobeying the rules will lead to execution. Murderers, rapists, greedy politicians and scheming businessmen… all of them will be gone. The world will be clean again. There will be peace.”
“What does this have to do with me?” I ask, though a churning feeling in my stomach makes me feel I already know.
“I knew I would have to make an army, create an elite set of warriors who would enforce these rules and make the humans behave,” Roman says. “I would need to raise someone from birth to become the leader of this army, someone who could train my soldiers and who would follow me without question… someone who both the angels and the humans would listen to.”
His eyes lock on mine. “Someone who was half-human, hal
f-angel.”
Roman looks to Cassia. “I thought your sister would be the one. But when her powers did not Awaken, I conceived another with your mother, and chose you.”
“You bastard.” Cairo’s pain rips out of him. His agony for Cassia is voiced aloud, for all to hear. In that moment I realize how much he loves her, and I admire him for it.
Cassia doesn’t seem affected by this… at all. It’s like she expected our father to pull something like this, believed from the start he was bound to hurt her.
It only makes me hate him more.
I pause. I look at Cassia, and her black wings. What if… what if he’s right?
Going against my dad seems like a wrong, sick thing to do, even though what he’s planning to do is even more sick and wrong. My God, am I that conditioned to follow his every command?
“I… I don’t know,” I admit. “Maybe we are obligated to make the world better.” I take a shuddering breath. “But is this the only way?”
Thames killed Cassia’s rapist. What my dad is doing is similar, right? He just wants to get rid of all the bad people and keep the good.
Should I join him?
“Lena. No.” Cassia leans over and grabs my arm. “I know what you’re thinking. The world isn’t black and white. Morality isn’t that way. Sometimes you’ve got to do bad to get good. But this… there’s no way to put it in a shade of gray.” Her black wings flutter. “This is wrong. It’s playing God.”
Roman says nothing, just waits patiently for my answer. The answer comes to me clearly, though painfully. Cairo’s right. We can’t play judge over this world, no matter how badly we want to make it better by doing so. It isn’t our place.
“I’m not going to do this!” I say. “I’m not going to be a general for this sick dystopia you want to create! It’s not right!”
“Not right?” Roman’s eyes flash. “What’s not right is the thousands of sins humans commit every day against each other! Genocide, starvation, human trafficking, the list goes on and on! You and I have the power to stop all of it, and you say no?”
“It’s at the cost of their freedom! Humans aren’t animals, or slaves! They’re… they deserve to have a say in how their lives are run!” I object.