Seraphina: Initiation

by Sheena Hutchinson

  He’s staring at me from the lowest branch on a tree at the edge of the forest. When our eyes meet he winks his black eye at me and blows me a kiss with his good hand before jumping down and becoming lost in the crowd below. Gabe, I should have known.

  I see the crowd part for him like they sense his approaching presence and authority, only he doesn’t seem to be heading for me… he’s going towards Nate.

  NATE! Incoming! I call and he looks up to lock eyes with Gabe. Oh, if looks could kill, they’d both disintegrate. Nate fire blasts the remainder of possessed between them and Gabe passes through their shriveling bodies to twirl into a kick aimed at Nate’s face, he deflects and goes in for his own attack before attackers begin to block my view. Out of sheer anger, I throw someone out of my way, but all I can see is the chestnut hair glistening in the sun over the crowd. I punch my fist clean through a woman’s face as I pull my arm back, someone else tries to come up behind me and put their arm around my throat. Smiling to myself, I kick off the face of the possessed in front of me, flip over the attacker and stab him in the back with a dagger from my waistband as I land. Pulling my dagger back out more attackers are on me, I’m wildly outnumbered. I try again to run towards where I last saw Nate, I punch, elbow, kick and stab my way back to the front of the house. I can’t seem to see him or Gabe now and panic begins to set in. Nate! I call to him—no answer. I close my eyes and attempt to sense his whereabouts, but I can’t seem to feel anything over this mountain of evil. My anxiety rises and it must have some effect on my powers because I push five grown men out of my way with a burst of my shield power. I then turn to punch my fist through a person’s chest. NATE! I scream now, Where are you?! Still receiving no response. Can we be out of range?

  Without warning, I feel something stab me in the back, I turn but there is no one there. But … I feel it. I feel the pain, the sharp edge between my shoulder blades, and I can taste the slimy blood in my mouth. I bring my hand to my lip and it’s dry…

  “NATE!” I scream out loud and a few possessions tilt their head horizontally at me like a curious dog before approaching me offensively.

  I feel my emotions grow out of control inside of me. All my emotions and anxiety rise up to the surface, swaying back and forth inside of me. I can feel my blood coursing through my veins and my power mounting. I crouch to my knees, my fists clench at my sides as my power overwhelms me. I vaguely feel the enemy crowd around me and put their hands on me. I feel them scratch me, bite me, pull my hair, strangling me. All of them trying to get a piece of me. Their disgusting touch makes me fume with anger. Anger—my volatile emotion. I gather my emotions and my overwhelming anger and I hold it like Nate taught me. Control it, I encourage myself. It’s building slowly, boiling up and just before it’s about to bubble over, I hear it.

  Sera… so low, so hurt, so weak, it’s the last straw—I lose all control. Jumping to my feet as the raw power inside me can no longer be contained. I take one step before my power bursts out of me. Pure, blinding white power explodes out of me from every inch of my body and spreads outward through the length of the field until it disappears past the forest. As my power shoots outward, I hear them all scream horribly in unison like they are on fire before convulsing in pain and vanishing. When I’m finished releasing the last of my pent-up power, I collapse to my knees. I feel completely drained, like I have release a lifetime of anger. I lean my head against my knee when I begin to catch my breath again. Once I get some oxygen back into my lungs I remember, Nate! I look up and scan the yard, the forest, anything my eyes can see. The possessed have all disappeared, I’m alone.

  Finally reaching desperation, I struggle to climb to my feet. Weak in the knees I stumble around looking for any sign of Nate. I pass spots on the ground that are scorched by his flames, but he is nowhere in sight. I close my eyes and try to sense him, but I find that I’m too week. I stumble towards the back of the house, where I last saw them desperately searching. When I still can’t find him, I feel the tears well up behind my eyes and slowly trace their way down my cheeks, Nate! Nate?! I scream in panic as the tears blur my vision. I must trip a million times as my weak legs can barely hold me up, but somehow I make it to the back of the house. I need to lean on the side of the house for support as I try to look for him. My eyes pass over more fire damaged grass, but I don’t lay eyes on the one thing my heart is looking for. Full on panic has officially set in as I realize my worst fear, I collapse to my knees and peer over the cliff. He still isn’t here. There is no sign of him, a body, nothing. Tears are streaming their way down my face now as I try to climb to my feet until a glimmer of something catches my eye. I think for a second it’s a flash of purple wings, but turning to face it I see him. Nate! He’s hanging from the cliff by one hand, just dangling over the vast drop to the river below. I run over to the side of the cliff above where he is hanging and reach down for him. I find he’s still too far, he must be unconscious because his head is leaning against the cliff with his eyes closed. Closing my eyes, I feel him begin to lose his grip, I feel his energy is low, his life force is fading. I can feel him dying. I begin to freak out a little as I awkwardly begin to pace back and forth trying to come up with a plan to save him. I freeze when suddenly I feel it, like it was my own hand, my own grip slipping. Times up. My eyes watch as my body feels the rock beneath his hand slip through his fingers. He’s free falling. I don’t know what possesses me to do this, maybe it’s the strange belief that not all my dreams are bad, but I find my body echoing my dream a few weeks ago. I break into a run towards the edge of the cliff and jump off arms extended outward. Nate’s in trouble, there is no thinking, no over processing because in this moment of freefalling I realize I don’t want to be alive if my life doesn’t involve Nate. I dive deeper, keeping my head down and my arms at my sides like a bullet, until my body catches up with the limp, tumbling one of my Fallen Angel boyfriend. I wrap my arms under his and pull him close. I see the rocks jutting out from the cliff rapidly approaching us now. Glancing back to Nate’s peaceful face, the wind is whipping his hair about his face and his calm expression makes him look so beautiful. It’s the last thing I want to see, I think as I close my eyes and press my face closer into his. At least we die like this, together. My last thought of solace before bracing for the inevitable impact. Clenching him tighter preparing myself for the pain.

  PFFFTTT

  Is all I hear before my body is yanked backwards and I feel Nate’s body pulling beneath me as gravity is trying to wrench us apart. I grip him tighter under his arms before thinking, wow! who would have thought these suits have parachutes?! We are gliding now, I can feel the wind whipping my hair back and the soft floating feeling. I’m scared to open my eyes, I’m scared I’ll find that it’s not real. There’s also the fact that I’m using all of my energy to make sure Nate’s body doesn’t fall. Curiosity wins the best of me and I end up opening my eyes to check on Nate. As we soar over the rushing water of the river below, he doesn’t seem to be breathing anymore. His head is lolling around and it takes all that I have not to cry. I finally look up to take in the parachute when I almost drop Nate out of sheer astonishment. It’s not a parachute at all, I can’t believe I would even think that… I never pulled a cord. Behind me gliding in the wind are two glorious white-feathered wings. Extending from the V in my back and out longer than the length of my arms. We aren’t gliding… we are flying! I’m flying! As if answering my internal questions they stretch out and flap up and down once as if telling me they are mine. How the hell do I get down from here? Is all I have to think before my wings takeover. They arch into a dive towards the rocky shore, oh crap! I think as I brace for impact for the second time today. Only they pull up when we get closer and flap a few times behind me before setting me on my feet. Nate’s limp body slumps onto me and I lay him face down across the riverbed to inspect the damage. I don’t seem to know what to do with my wings now that I’m on the ground. It’s like having two extra useless arms. Trying not to think about
it, I focus on the dagger sticking out of his back. Gasping when I see it is the total opposite of the dagger I’m so infatuated with in the basement. It’s matte black with a red-jewel encrusted handle sticking out from between his shoulder blades. I intuitively reach out and pull the dagger out of his back and fling it into the river. Leaning forward onto my knees I see that the dagger has release some kind of substance into Nate’s body. Starting to sense the urgency the black goop begins to bubble. Needing to act fast, I try and gather my emotions to heal him, but my hands are shaking in fear. Fear that I’m too late, and the fear that I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I’m starting to regret not adding that to the list of things I needed to be trained in. First things first, I need to get this black gunk out of him. I don’t know what the hell it is, but it can’t be good. It’s coursing it’s way through his system right now when I just reflexively reach out and grab it. Treating it like a snake, slithering it’s way around his body uninvited. I grasp my hands around it and begin to pull it out. I pull with one hand in front of the other like a game of Tug-o-war, it puts up a fight, squirming against me but I never give in. I clench my fist tighter and pull until I feel the last of it slide through my hands and fall to the ground. Next step, the one I’m scared of most, healing Nate. Fear is the only emotion in me right now, so I jump on it. I let it collect and bring the power to my hands. They are glowing lightly now, my energy is so low still from before. I have to try something else, coming up with another plan, I try and focus on Nate. Nate, my love for Nate, my fear for him, my hopes for us, his unending faith in me, even in the overbearing way he protects me—it’s my turn. With my thoughts of Nate my power surges with in me. Rising up to the surface before I lean over his limp body as my hands become so white I can’t make out the outline of my fingers any longer. I lean them over his open wound and focus on healing it. Closing like I would a zipper, just close it up, I think. Easier said than done, it doesn’t seem to be working. Panic and anxiety are beginning to set in and I feel my hands grow brighter and brighter still with the sudden surge of more power. My emotions swaying and the heat under my hands is growing hotter and hotter. You can do this Sera, focus. All those times he’s saved you—you owe him. Suddenly, my power explodes out of my hands and I don’t stop. I don’t dare take my hands away until I feel like everything within me has been released as a last hope of saving him. I’d give him everything I have as long as he would live, just live. I stare as my hands grow dimmer before I become lightheaded, my body slumps to the side and Nate’s peaceful face is all I see before everything turns black.

  Chapter 25: Awakening

  The empty green chair is the first thing I see when I open my eyes. I blink again and I can make out the bookshelves behind it along with the empty fireplace. Slowly I roll over to face the door to my room. I’m alone. Trying to remember exactly how I got here the last memories I have are from the fight, of Nate. NATE!

  Suddenly, I’m throwing the covers off myself and stumbling out of bed ignoring the headache and screaming, “NATE! NATE!” at the top of my lungs before my feet get tangled in the web of sheets and I fall to the floor. On the floor I curl onto my knees before tears flood my vision. My body begins convulsing into sobs as my hands find their way to cover my face, “Nate!” I whisper one more time.

  Before I can shed another tear, the door to my room swings open so hard it smacks against the wall with a thud. A shadow is all I see standing in the darkness of the doorframe. A serious silhouette with their arm still plastered to the door like it might try to escape. Slowly lowering my hands to my lap I feel my heart beat speed up, I can’t tell whether the reaction is adrenaline for evil or excitement for love. It isn’t until the shadow shifts and takes a step into the sunlight streaming in through my half closed blinds that I’m sure. It’s nothing but love. Sun shines off his porcelain skin and chestnut hair as he pauses for a second as if making sure I’m okay. In this light the way it reflects off his bare chest and his blue jeans bring out the color in his eyes. It’s as if I can picture him in heaven with long gorgeous feathered wings behind him.

  Nate! I whisper without words one last time as if making sure I’m seeing correctly through my unshed tears, only he answers my thoughts.

  Yes. Is all he tells me before he’s running toward me and lifts me into his arms with a spin as if completing his own analysis of my well being. I’m so surprised all I can do is stare at him in complete disbelief as my tears drip down onto his chest. Lowering me down to his lips, he kisses me. Softly at first, tender almost, before I feel his desperation, his passion, his pain with every motion. I return it, grasping for his face like I never thought I would see it again. My fingers curl themselves into his hair pulling him closer to me as if I almost don’t believe he is real. I feel his hands exploring me, making sure I’m all in one piece too. It’s me who eventually pulls away and he places me back on my feet. That’s when I begin my own inspection, my fingers trace their way over his hard chest as I walk around him—I can see it. A light scar of healed flesh between his shoulder blades where that knife had been. I run my fingers over the only imperfection on his entire body and sigh in relief. He’s alive. I’m alive. I pull his back into a hug wrapping my arms around him before I feel him place his hand on top of mine. Slipping my hands back I place them on his waist and spin him to face me again finally finding my voice.

  “I thought you were dead, I thought I lost you…” the last of my words turn into a squeak when my memories rake my emotions once more.

  “I’m fine Love, you saved me,” he replies pulling me close and resting my head on his chest. I feel his heart beating at our proximity to each other.

  Pulling away to look at him, “I have so many questions, I don’t even know where to start!”

  “Okay,” he smirks, “Give it your best shot!” he takes a step back from me, spreading his hands showing his point.

  “No,” I desperately reach for him, “I don’t want to be apart, not even for a second!” I link my fingers with his. The smile that crosses his face is unexplainable, but it’s the kind that tells me he feels the same way. His mind pulls the green chair behind him and he takes a seat slowly pulling me into his lap. Throwing my legs over the arm of the chair I settle in beside him. As if on cue, a table appears in front of us with a pizza box, I glance over at him to smile before lifting the lid to spy a pepperoni pizza. Letting the lid close I finally read the logo etched into the top. “Angelic Delivery” and their motto, “We’ll be there in a snap!”

  “You think you’re pretty clever, huh?” I get out before a slight chuckle.

  “I’ll have you know I’ve been told I’m pretty charming!”

  We are both in giggles now before the tone switches back to an ominous one. “You know, I thought I lost you too,” he softly tells my ear. I turn to look at him, “I’ve never felt anything like it Sera, I woke up feeling like someone jump started my heart. Then I look over and see you lying there on the rocks, blood was dripping from your nose, and I thought my heart stopped again.”

  I open my mouth to say something, but stop when he shakes his head at something, “Sera, you had wings!” I suddenly remember and struggle to reach my shoulder blades. “They are gone, retracted themselves once I laid you into bed,” he answers my thoughts, “but seeing you against the cream colored linens with your red hair and white wings behind you, was the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen, you are truly Angelic in every sense of the word.”

  I’m turning to shy away from the compliment when his fingers grab my chin, “How did you know you’d have wings?” he asks me in awe. As his eyes explore mine, I explore my own mind, hmm.

  “I guess it was just a reflex, the dream I had about the cliff felt the same, I just know… it’s like it was telling me… maybe my dreams weren’t all bad.”

  “Well, Sera, I was thinking the same thing. Maybe Lucifer was hijacking your dreams, but I think that God might have been helping as well.”

  “What do you
mean?”

  “After you almost traipsed your way off the cliff—the first time, I installed cameras outside of the house just in case.”

  “What?!” I should have known, why didn’t I think of that?!

  “On nights you would sleep walk I’d play them the next morning and it didn’t make sense then.”

  “Why, what did you see?!” I can’t contain my excitement at finally getting some answers.

  “It just looked like you were playing in the dirt, until you’d disappear off the camera like a ghost. I’d blink and you’d be gone, believe me I tried replaying it, slow mo, you name it, I tried it. You know I did!” he smirks at our knowledge of his extensive overprotectiveness. “Sera, those bombs in the ground were from you,” he whispers connecting his points for me.

  “Me?!” I question, but it all makes sense. The dirty hands, the waking up tired—I was using power.

  “When the first one went off I my eyes flew to you, you didn’t flinch—it’s almost like your body knew it was coming. It was a pocket of power triggered by the proximity of evil. It was genius! You weaponized your power! Totally caught them off guard!”

  “But we still don’t know what I was going when I went off camera?!” I question knowing he’s avoiding the big stuff.

  “No, like I said you’d just disappear.”

  If my dreams meant more than what they appear, what about my dreams with Jack were they dreams… or memories?

  I shiver at the thought, but shove it under before looking back to Nate, I’m not going to ruin this moment with nonsense. “What was that dagger? When I pulled it out it left a black substance in you!”