by Megan Linski
The boys and Cass realize this, too. Our eyes pass around each other in a circle, wondering who’s going to be the one to do it.
I guess… it’s whoever gets to him first. One of us is going to die tonight. Whether it be a brother, a sister, the love of my life… or me… I’m going to lose something when Roman goes down.
This can’t end in any other way but in death.
The golden chains that Roman used to contain Cassia catch her eye. She bends down and picks them up. Roman’s eyes widen as he watches her proceed toward him slowly, deadly intent written across her face.
I bring my wings out, to match my friends. Broken or not, they’re still the wings of a Nephilim. I’m not going down without them.
Thames moves first. He fires up into his main form and charges at Roman. Roman summons his weapon, a golden spear that is eerily similar to Cassia’s, and plunges it at Thames. Thames spins out of the way and Cairo takes a chance. He swings his gladius at Roman’s heart, but Roman easily sidesteps him and trips him up so that he goes sprawling onto the ground.
Cassia springs. She swings the chains overhead and at Roman, aiming for the head. Roman smacks her across the face with one wing, and she goes flying back.
Cairo and Thames both move in on him at once. Roman smacks Cairo across the chest with his spear. He goes careening into Cassia and onto the ground. Thames flies upward into the sky, and then dives, hurtling toward Roman as a flaming fireball. Roman rolls to the side and Thames crashes to the ground. My boyfriend sits up, stunned and weak.
I run at Roman full speed, my sword arm out. Roman sees me coming, and we begin a vicious duel like we’ve never had before, in training or otherwise. My blade meets his spear blow for blow. I’ve done this a million times before— in practice, but yet, I know him. I can beat him, because I remember his fighting style, intimately know each move and counter-move he’s going to make.
But he’s strong, and each familiar strike I make causes a ripple of pain to shiver down my back, where my wings are. It feels like they’re being ripped from my body all over again. Tears sting my eyes with the pain. I can’t help but cry out as I battle, but I force my body to oblige.
“I told you I would break you, Faline,” Roman says breathlessly. He bats his wings, and the gust of wind they create knocks me off my feet. I land on my back, directly on my wings, and cry out in pain.
He stands over me. “Look at you. It’s a shame a beautiful thing like you had to be ruined for the sake of the world.”
“Leave her alone!” Fireballs whizz past Roman’s head as Thames chucks one right after the other at him. Roman ducks. Using his power, Roman reaches out and snatches the fireball from the air.
The fireball changes into a glowing ball of light. He hurtles it at Thames, and the effect is like a bomb.
When it hits him, Thames goes flying through the air and into a nearby building. He slams against it and crashes helplessly against the ground.
Cassia and Cairo attack when Roman’s back is turned, but it seems even a surprise attack can’t give us the advantage. Roman meets each of their attacks flawlessly.
Thames and I can’t help. Both of us are struggling to get back up.
Despite Roman being terribly outnumbered, he’s better than us. He’s better than all of us.
This is hopeless.
Let the ancestors be your guide. Mala is once again in my head, insistent this time. I crawl to all fours and let my head hang to the ground.
“Mom,” I whimper. Tears drop like starlight from my eyes and dot the ground. “Mom, I don’t know what to do. We need help.”
Nobody answers, as I expected. But… I begin to see colors. Shapes form around the fight that Cairo and Cassia battle with Roman.
They’re illusions, like a watercolor painting. Figures twirl around me in an intricate dance. From afar, I hear the sound of a Romani tune being played on a flute.
My mother’s voice breaks into my head. “I’m here, honey. I’m always here.”
“Mom?” I ask. The figures dissolve, and the music fades. “Mom, don’t go! Don’t leave me!”
As the last echo of my mother’s voice leaves my head, a massive epiphany slams into me, uprooting my world and shaking me to my core.
My ancestors are with us, protecting us. They remember what it’s like to live in a world where the law hunts you and judgmental people try to kill you. And now, they’re free.
But they didn’t last through the ages by doing it alone. The only way my people survived is by sticking together.
Each of them made a sacrifice, throughout centuries of loss and persecution. Which is what we’ll have to do.
Get to Thames, I think. Slowly, I crawl to the other side of the courtyard. Thames has managed to pull himself to his knees. I reach out and grab his ashen hand. At my touch, his true form dissolves, and he turns back into a human. His face is barren and forlorn.
“We can’t do this, Faline,” he says quietly. “It’s done.”
“Yes, we can,” I insist. “But not this way.”
“What do you mean?” Questions burn in his gaze.
Roman rises into the air and beats all four of his wings at once. Cassia and Cairo are thrown backwards. They crash into the building next to us. The metal tears and makes a screeching noise as their bodies slide down to the ground.
“Lena,” Cass gasps. She’s barely holding onto the chains. They’re loose and slack in her fingers.
“There’s a way, guys,” I tell them. Cairo wavers as he sits up. Roman lands and slowly approaches us, his footsteps deliberate. “But none of us can do it alone.”
“You mean…” Cairo trails off. Cassia looks at him and clenches his fingers. He swallows before going completely pale.
“It’s better than the other way,” Thames says quietly. “At least all of us will go together.”
Cassia looks at me. She seems so scared. But not as scared as she was before.
“What do we do?” Cass asks. She slowly rises to her feet, helping me to stand, too. The boys follow us, leaning on each other.
“Cass, I’ll shield you with my wings. They’re useless anyway— they can take a hit. You boys distract him,” I tell them. “When we get close enough, make sure to hold him so I can get in a good hit.”
We’ve all got an equal part to play. With difficulty, I spread my wings. They ache and jolt, but they won’t hurt me for much longer.
I spread them, protecting Cassia. We advance directly on Roman as the boys come in from the sides.
“Don’t you understand it’s useless?” Roman hisses. “Surrender, before I have to kill you!”
“Well, sorry. You’re gonna have to kill us, because we’re not giving up,” I tell him.
Roman bares his teeth. “Very well. If I have to lose my daughters to save this world, so be it.”
I run at Roman, and Cassia follows. Roman swings his spear down. In one clean movement he cuts through feathers, bone and sinew.
I scream. Roman gives another upward movement with his weapon. The spear slices through my wing once again.
My head has gone fuzzy. Thoughts are far away and distant. I’m getting lightheaded… my back is gushing blood.
Both of my wings are lying on the ground. They’ve been completely severed from my body. If my death wasn’t certain before, it is now. A Nephilim can’t live without her wings.
Cassia steps in front of me. She swings the chains around and loops them around Roman’s body, binding his wings to his chest so he can’t fly away. With all her strength, she grimaces as he struggles to hold him. His arms, still free, swing the spear wide.
“Release me!” Roman cries. Cairo and Thames proceed in, but Roman keeps them at bay with the spear. Panic grows in my chest. This isn’t working. The loss of my wings was for nothing.
Then, there’s a scream. Roman drops his spear in shock. I glance down… Athias. He’s crawled to where we are. The spearhead that was in his chest is now in Roman’s foot. Athias give
s a gasping breath and then is still, bloody fingers still gripping the blade.
With Roman weaponless, Cairo and Thames each reach out and take an arm. The boys struggle to contain Roman as he attempts to pull free.
The look in my father’s eyes can only be described as betrayal when I pull my sword back. It hurts. But not as much as the realization that I will never get to marry Thames, never get to have his children, or grow old with him. I won’t even get to celebrate my next birthday.
My father took that away from me, and for that he will pay.
I plunge my sword into Roman’s heart. I push it in as far as I can, until the point is sticking out the other side and the hilt is buried against his chest.
With extreme difficulty, I reach out and take Thames’ hand. With my other, I grab Cassia’s. Their grip keeps me aloft, and prevents me from fainting. Cassia’s other hand links with Cairo’s, and Cairo latches onto Thames. We form a circle around Roman, boxing him in.
I can’t die just yet. There’s one more thing we have to do.
“I give of myself to return you from where you came,” we chant together in unison, Cairo, Cassia, Thames and I. “Go, and be judged.”
Roman’s eyes widen. He screams— the sound is a ruthless, angry roar from his chest, enraged that he’s been defeated.
A great, glowing light shines from every pore of Roman’s body. I shut my eyes to avoid going blind… Roman’s scream only amplifies with intensity, and as I peek through my closed lids at the last second to witness what’ll happen to him, he explodes into dozens of particles of light.
Not even his spear is left behind. He’s finished.
I hoped I’d be the only one to die, as I was the one who plunged the sword into his heart. But it’s not to be. At Roman’s disappearance, the four of us sink to the earth, boneless and weak.
“Thames,” I whimper. I can’t move. I’m still bleeding from my back. With the last of his strength, Thames reaches over and pulls me against him.
“It’s okay, Lena,” Thames murmurs. His eyes slowly close, like he’s tired, and is about to take a long nap.
“Thames,” I whisper. “Thames.”
He doesn’t hear me. His body has already stilled, and the fire in him has gone cold.
Thames’ body is never cold… but now it is. His skin is chilly, and his movements still. He’s already gone.
A great tiredness cacoons itself around my body. Nearby, Cairo and Cass are wrapped up in a tight embrace. Cairo bats his eyes in a useless attempt to keep himself awake. His arms slacken as he fades, and Cassia falls. Her fingertips reach out to me. I brush them with my own.
“We did it, sis,” I say. I wish it didn’t have to be this way, but it’s too late for regrets.
“We did.” She smiles weakly. “What do you think heaven will be like?”
“I don’t know,” I say back, hoarsely. “But I don’t want to go unless you guys are there with me.”
Cassia sighs. Her body curls up against Cairo’s, and stiffens. My breaths become shallow. I fade away as the sun rises over a new day.
Light turns to darkness. My last thought is a prayer, pleading to the Almighty that Thames won’t get sent to hell and that he’ll be with me.
“I’m coming, Mom,” I whisper.
And that’s all I have strength left to say.
Night conceals me as I enter the camp. I have to find Roman’s headquarters. I don’t know if angels sleep, but even if he’s just walking around unaware, it’ll still give me a chance to kill him.
Two steps. Stab him in the heart. Recite the chant.
“I give of myself to return you from where you came. Go, and be judged.”
At least Roman is true to his ideology. Every house in the camp is the same, with no differences due to status or rank. It’s impossible to judge where he’s staying due to the uniformity of it.
“Cassia!”
I jump when I hear my name. My wings open wide and I whirl around with my spear out, but the person standing behind me has his hands up in surrender.
It’s Athias.
“What are you doing here?” I hiss, hoping my plan isn’t foiled and everyone’s come after me already.
“You have to come with me. We need to get you out of here,” he says. He grabs me by the wrist and pulls me back toward the wood, but I yank myself free of his grip.
“No,” I say. Athias’ expression becomes bewildered. “I can’t leave. I have to do what’s needed to be done.”
“What are you saying? Roman can’t be stopped!” Athias argues. “You must run, now, while you still have the chance!”
“I can’t. I know how to kill him.” I take a deep breath. “This is about more than me. I have to protect my friends. Protect the world.”
I shudder. “Otherwise, the same thing will happen to everyone else on it. I was ruined because my father abandoned me. He can’t be in charge of the entire planet, Athias. He’ll destroy it, like he destroyed me.”
Athias pauses. “You’re quite serious about this, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” My eyes beg him. “Please, Athias. I have to try.”
He takes a momentary pause before he nods. “All right. Come with me.”
Athias winds me through the neat and too-tidy camp, skirting around the lights. A few guards patrol the area. Athias avoids them by staying in the shadows and running past them when they’re not looking.
“How do you know where he is?” I ask, confused. Athias is walking around like he knows the place.
“I’ll explain later. Hurry!” he hushes. I increase my pace and Athias steps up into a jog. He leads us to a long building in the center of the camp, and opens the door. “In here.”
Athias gestures inside. I step in— as I do, I feel a sharp push on my back.
I stumble forward, and trip. The sound of a door slamming shut echoes around me.
Lights come on. I’m inside a warehouse… and trapped within a jail cell.
“Athias.” I wrap my hands around the bars. He stares at me meekly from the other side.
Roman laid a trap, and I walked right into it.
“I’m sorry, Cassia.” Athias truly is sorry. I can tell by the sound of his voice. “If there was another way, I would’ve taken it.”
“Why, Athias?” I whisper. “Why would you betray us like this?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” he laughs miserably. “You should know me better than that, Cassia.”
“You were the one who told Roman where to find us,” I accuse. “You’ve been working with him all along.”
“Only since you returned from Greece and Christopher refused to aid us,” Athias explains. “If Roman had merely threatened my life, I would’ve refused. But I couldn’t, Cassia.”
His tone becomes pleading. “He has them, you see. I had no choice.”
Isolde and Clara. “He took them, didn’t he?” I ask. “He’s forcing you to do this.”
The answer’s so clear I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. Athias loves them— both of them.
But I can’t escape. I love them, too. And if I get out of here they’ll be killed, along with Athias.
“He’s been threatening to take them for weeks, but his patience ran out last night. He demands I turn you and your sister over to him immediately, or they’ll be killed for his cause,” Athias pleads.
I straighten up. “Very well. I’m ready to meet him, then.”
“He’ll have you brought to him. I regret to say I cannot help you when you face him— to do so would put your mother, and Clara, at risk.”
Athias turns on his heel. He puts his hand on the door to the outside world before he pauses.
“He doesn’t want you dead, Cassia. Nor your sister. Use it to your advantage against him,” Athias says lowly.
Athias leaves the lights on for me as he exits. I put my forehead on the cool bars and tell myself how stupid I am for falling for this.
I try to break the bars, but not even my Nephilim strengt
h can bend them. The material’s too strong. Roman planned ahead of time.
I sink down against the wall and onto the floor. This changes nothing. I lose the element of surprise, but the mission is the same. I’m still going to face Roman. And, as you can’t take away a Nephilim’s weapon, I still have my spear. I’m still going to kill him.
Despite the looming death approaching, I’m able to doze off for a few hours. It’s like reconciling with my end helps me sleep, aids me in being at peace.
At least it’s better than not knowing.
When dawn beams through the windows in the ceiling of the warehouse, the door opens. Two Nephilim, young ones who were on the council with me, open my cell door, grab me by the arms, and drag me out.
I don’t resist. They take me to an open area, a vast courtyard surrounded by buildings.
Roman is there. He has his back turned to me. Clara and Isolde are tied up, back to back, imprisoned in a cage. They’re unconscious. Athias is next to the cage. He seems nervous.
“Let her go,” Roman says to the gaurds. He turns to face me. The two Nephilim at my side release my arms and step away.
He looks as heartless and unfeeling as the day I met him. I’m glad I look like my mom. Despite being on opposite sides, I feel he and Christopher are the same.
At least Alexander had some sort of emotion before I slaughtered him.
“Your sister will be joining us soon,” Roman says. “She is, no doubt, on her way to save you.”
“She’s not going to get that chance,” I snarl. “What do you want with us?”
“What do I want? To create the perfect family,” Roman responds coolly. “You are a powerful Nephilim, Cassia. As is… was… your sister. Both of you are critical pieces that must find their place in the Order.”
“You know I’ll refuse you every time,” I respond.
“You can’t avoid me forever. This is the only way to make up for the sins of the past,” Roman says. He advances toward me. I tighten my fists. Not yet. I can’t let my spear show up until the last second.
“I want us to be together again. It is only a matter of time before the Perfect Order takes control of the world,” Roman says. “Don’t you want to be a part of that? Be a part of history?”