The door to his room swings open, his mother rushes across the room and kneels at his side. Aaron’s eyes flicker open.
“Aaron, what have you done?” she cries, as she picks up his head, cradling it to her chest.
Aaron’s eyes slip closed as his mind takes over, panic sets in and his breathing becomes erratic. The last thing he remembers is asking one question.
“Am I dead?”
To be continued in The Magician and the Angels. (Wide Set)
* * *
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The Cursed Angels
Amanda J Evans
1
Centuries ago, a war between angels raged. It is said, the light side would have won if my mother hadn’t betrayed them.
She fell in love with Marcus the leader of the fallen. Their forbidden passion created my twin brother, Jonathan, and I. In a fit of rage, Charles, leader of the light sought the most powerful witch in the land. The resulting curse, my mother’s punishment, made me what I am today. A light angel, trapped inside a dark angel’s body. I’d been told my mother pleaded and begged for forgiveness. She screamed, “Love is light,” as magic took its toll. Her two newborn sons bonded in more ways than twins should be.
She’d hidden the identity of our father throughout her pregnancy, knowing the devastation it would bring. As Jonathan and I came into this world, her lies were uncovered. Light angels were never born with dark hair, but I was. Dark in appearance like my father with the soul of the light shining through. Jonathan looked like our mother, beautiful in every way, but his soul was dark and cruel, our father’s gift.
The outcry following our birth brought rise to our curse. Our mother’s pleas to have us spared and allow our true essences to shine was denied. The witch cursed me to live as darkness, like my appearance. I remained with my mother to torment and torture her. Jonathan was given to our father.
Everyone in the realm became part of the curse. No one remembered our true identities or the color of our souls. They saw only the outside appearance. In a battle between dark and light, my existence became my greatest torment.
I grew up hidden in the shadows. My mother hated to look at me. She refused to acknowledge that I was her son. Her punishment for betraying her kind was me, and for an eternal being this was more than she could bare. She fled when I was ten, the day dark feathers appeared on my back and my wings unfolded for the first time. The look of horror on her face is something I will never forget. Even after all these centuries, it haunts me.
Jonathan had it easier. Raised with the fallen, they rejoiced in converting one of the light. They thought him how to blend in, manipulate, torture, and so much more. When our mother fled, Jonathan felt my despair. He sought me out and took me to his home. He said I would be accepted there. At ten, this was all I wished for. How wrong I was. I received acceptance, but only for my outside appearance. The fallen wanted nothing of my soul, my light. They wanted only destruction. I believed Jonathan, his lies, but when I finally witnessed the true evil inside him, I fled. I took to the skies and never looked back. I was sixteen.
I searched for days until I found a safe place. Away from both factions, away from the war. The abandoned castle, forgotten by time, stood alone in the outer reaches of the universe. No mortal or immortal strayed here. I found my new home. The castle and I became one, forgotten by all.
Breaking the curse became my focus and I vowed I would succeed. I would restore my true nature for all to see. I would return home and find my place among the light.
I thought it would be easy. Jonathan had other ideas. He left me alone for two years. During that time, I started my library. I collected books and as much information as possible on witches and curse magic, and how to break it. When Jonathan found me, I had a plan of action. Only a powerful witch could undo the curse and I intended to find one. Jonathan agreed to help. I believed him.
“How do you plan to track down this witch, brother?” he asked as he surveyed my home.
“I don’t know. I haven’t figured it out yet.” I watched as he took in my home. The solid stone walls, cold and bare. It wasn’t inviting, but it was mine.
He stopped in front of the large open fire. His brows arched as he watched me. “Not much of a plan, is it?”
“It’s something,” I snapped. “What have you done to break this curse?”
He laughed and bent over clutching his stomach. “Oh, Flynn.” He shook his head. “Why would I want to break the curse? I have the best of both worlds. You should try it, you know, that thing called fun. It would do you good.”
I scowled. “If all you’ve come here to do is sneer, Jonathan, you can leave. I don’t need your help.”
He stopped smiling and looked directly at me. “Unfortunately, brother, that is where you are wrong. You do need me. The curse can only be broken if we’re both present.”
“And how would you know?”
“I know a lot more than you it would seem. You are right about a powerful witch being needed though.”
I leapt from the chair I’d been sitting in. In one swift move, my hand tightened around his neck. “Tell me what you know,” I said through gritted teeth.
He grinned. “That’s it brother, let the darkness out.”
I released my hand and stumbled backwards. Jonathan regained his composure. “Something else you don’t know about, brother.”
My gaze met his. “What are you talking about?”
Jonathan tapped his finger against his bottom lip. “It seems dear brother that while your soul may be light, a piece of darkness exists inside you. You can choose either.”
“Never,” I shouted. “You are a liar. There is no darkness in me.”
“Oh, but there is, just as there is a tiny sliver of light somewhere inside me. You can come with me, Flynn, leave this desolate place. I’ll teach you, show you how to locate the darkness. We can be a family, the way it should be.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Darkness inside me. It can’t be right. I’d have known about it.
“They never did tell you all the details of the curse, did they?” Jonathan smiled. He was enjoying torturing me.
“Tell me what you know. Then I’ll make my decision.”
For the next hour Jonathan spoke and I listened. It seemed the Fallen were a lot more forthcoming than the light had ever been. The curse could be broken by a witch. I had that much right. What I didn’t know was that the witch to break the curse was special. She had to have the gift of sight. Visions Jonathan had called them. He also explained that both of us had the power to sense witch magic. He could sense dark witches and me, well I could sense the light witches. In order to break the curse, we both needed to be present.
When he finished, I puffed out a breath. “What about darkness in me? You said…”
He cut me off. “We are the product of light and dark, brother, and while it may seem that we each took one side, that is not the case. A small piece of darkness resides in you as a sliver of light hides in me. Feed either and they grow.”
I shivered at the thought. I couldn’t be dark. My own reflection in the mirror was enough for me. I hated my dark hair and the permanent scowl on my face.
Jonathan stood in front of me. “Now you know the truth, what will you choose?”
“I don’t know.” I was being honest. I had no idea what to do with the information Jonathan had shared. I needed time to think.
“You’ll have to decide one way or the other, Flynn. You can’t stay here forever.”
My head snapped up. “I can if I want to.”
“We’ll see.” Jonathan spread his wings. “I’ll give you three days and then I’ll be back.”
He left. I stood and watched out the window. Everything he’d said went around in my head. It takes both to break the curse. Can I trust him?
True to his word Jonathan returned after t
hree days and I agreed to work with him to find a witch.
“How are we supposed to locate her?” I asked as Jonathan stood waiting for me.
“We’ll sense her of course and when we do we’ll be pulled into her visions.”
“How come this has never happened before?”
“Because, brother, obviously a witch with such power hasn’t been born yet.” Jonathan grinned before leaping out my window and into the sky.
I sensed he was lying but followed anyway.
The open air and the feeling of wind fluttering through my feathers was refreshing. I loved flying, the sense of freedom it brought. I flew behind Jonathan. When he turned towards land my heart rate increased. I’d assumed we’d be going to his realm, even prepared myself for it, but this, I hadn’t planned for.
He landed in a small clearing beside a large forest. My feet touched the ground and sank into the lush grass. “What’s going on? Why are we here?”
Jonathan looked back at me, confusion on his face. “If we’re to find a witch, we need to blend, brother. Become one of them.”
“Human?” I spluttered.
“Exactly.” The grin on his face told me he was enjoying seeing me squirm.
“And I suppose you’ve done this before?”
“Of course, all Fallen learn to do this. You’d know if you’d bothered to stick around.”
Another dig, another way to remind me how much of a failure I was. I didn’t respond.
“You’ll have to hide your wings, and try to smile would you.”
Jonathan laughed as I folded my wings back. I didn’t know how to hide them. I’d never had to. “Fold them back and then pull them in. Feel them enter your body.”
I did as he said.
“Good, now let’s go mingle, shall we?” Jonathan walked towards the forest, checking over his shoulder to make sure I followed.
“Where are we going?” I asked, catching up with him.
“There’s a coven deep in the forest. I thought we’d start there.”
“How do you know this?”
“I have my sources.” He winked, his face lighting up as a smile crept across his lips. A smile that should have been mine. I hated how good and pure he looked. Dimples in his cheeks, sparkling blue eyes, and of course his crowning glory – blond curls. It’s what I should have looked like.
“You coming or what?” Jonathan asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Lead on.”
* * *
We walked for twenty minutes before my nostrils filled with smoke. The air was full of it, along with something else I couldn’t place. “What’s that smell?”
Jonathan stopped and sniffed air. “Fire.” He looked at me as if I’d gone mad.
“No, not the smoke. There’s something else. It’s sweet not smoky and…”
“What?”
“I can’t explain it. The smell, it’s making my insides tingle.”
Jonathan grinned. “That brother, is magic. We’re almost there.”
“You smell it too?”
“No, afraid not. It’s too light for me and probably not powerful enough.”
I shook my head. I had so many questions, but decided they could wait until later. Jonathan had taken me this far, perhaps it was time to trust him for once.
“I know what you’re talking about, Flynn. The tingling sensation, I get it too but with dark magic. I’m guessing you sense light magic and that is exactly what we are looking for.”
“I didn’t say anything,” I muttered, falling into step beside him.
“You didn’t have to. We’re connected remember?”
The tingling sensation grew as we made our way through the forest. My insides felt as if they were being tickled and I wanted to squeal with excitement. It was a new sensation and one I hoped to feel over and over again.
Jonathan noticed me squirm. “We’re close. How intense is it?”
“Is what?”
“The sensation. Are you ready to scream yet?”
“Scream! No, but I am close to bursting out laughing.”
“Close enough,” he said. “Keep your eyes peeled.”
I scanned the trees looking for any signs of movement. Everything was still. We continued walking, branches hung low and I ducked to avoid snagging my clothes. Without warning, we stepped into a clearing. “What the?” I turned. The forest was still behind me, but the trees that had been in front of us had disappeared.
“Magic,” Jonathan said, placing his hand on my shoulder. “Let me do the talking.”
A young woman, barely an adult sat in the middle of the clearing. She was doing something with her hands, twisting pieces of grass together. She looked up and smiled at Jonathan. “Welcome traveler.”
Jonathan nodded and stepped in front of me. He blocked me from her view. “We seek council with your coven leader.”
The young woman looked him up and down. She leaned to the left to get a look at me. “Why is he hidden?”
“My brother is shy. He will do no harm,” Jonathan said before giving her his sweetest smile.
She nodded. “Come forward both of you. I will decide.”
“Don’t speak,” Jonathan whispered to me as we inched forward and he moved to my side.
The woman gasped and her hand shot to her mouth. “You’re one of them. How did you get in here?”
“No,” Jonathan said as she leapt to her feet. “It’s a spell, an illusion. We need to see your coven leader to have it removed.”
The woman stopped. She’d believe anything from Jonathan’s mouth. “Who did this?”
“I didn’t get his name, a warlock from the Eastern province. Can you help?”
She glanced at me and sucked in a deep breath. “Magda may be able to undo it. She is our most powerful. She comes at a price though, can you pay?”
“We can,” Jonathan said.
“Step forward dark one.”
I did as she asked and watched her flinch as she stretched out a hand to touch my face. Her body trembled. “This is a powerful spell, but I can sense the illusion. You are not what you seem.”
“You see me, the real me?” I couldn’t believe it. Did she know the truth?
She pulled her hand back at the sound of my deep, gruff voice. It took her a moment to compose herself. “I do not see, but I feel no darkness in you. Come, I will take you to Magda.
Jonathan smiled and winked at me.
* * *
We followed the woman through the clearing towards a large fire. Wood crackled as it burned and I heard low murmurs and whispers. I raised my head and peeked out from under my hair. I counted five women in a circle, their hands moving in unison. I wanted to ask what they were doing, but remembered Jonathan’s warning and how the woman reacted to my voice.
As we approached the mumbling stopped and all heads turned. “Who do you bring into our sacred space, Miriam?”
I looked up to see who had spoken. It was an old lady, her grey hair pulled tight against her head. Steely blue eyes took in every inch of Jonathan and me. If I didn’t know better, I’d have sworn she could look into my soul. My body trembled.
“They seek your help, Magda. This one has been cursed,” Miriam, said, extending her arm towards me. “I sense no darkness in him.”
“Step forward,” Magda said.
I swallowed hard and carefully placed one foot in front of the other.
“What is your name?”
“Flynn.”
They all gasped. “He’s one of them, the evil ones,” a small lady to Magda’s right shouted.
Magda held her hand up and the whispers stopped. She stood and moved towards me. “Don’t move.”
I nodded. The tingling sensation I’d felt earlier returned. Jonathan had explained it as good magic. He stood, a smile plastered across his face. The women around the fire moved their gaze between us. A slow grin crept across their faces and their eyes softened as they looked at Jonathan. I produced the opposite effect. Their lips
curled in disgust, eyes pin sharp. They looked like they wanted to incinerate me.
Magda stopped in front of me. “Look at me.” She didn’t believe Miriam, I could tell from the harsh tone.
Her gaze met mine. “Your eyes are different to theirs, did you know that? It’s slight, but it is there, a crimson, hovering on the outside rim.” She lowered her head and rummaged inside her own gown. She pulled out a long thin piece of wood and ran it through the air around my body. It felt strange and produced a shiver along my skin. She returned the stick to its hiding place and her eyes widened. “Miriam spoke the truth. I will talk to the boy.” She turned to Jonathan then. “What about you? Are you what you seem?”
Jonathan smiled at her. “I am. It is my brother who was attacked. I couldn’t get to him on time.”
His expression was that of remorse as he cast his gaze at the ground. Even I believed him.
“You may wait by the fire. I will see what I can do for your brother.”
Jonathan smiled and thanked her.
“Miriam, bring out guest some food and water. I will take this one to my tent. I am not to be disturbed.”
Miriam rushed forward and led Jonathan away. His charms worked well and as I followed Magda towards the large tent behind the fire, I heard laughter and Jonathan regaling tales of battles he’d been in. He was such a liar.
Magda pulled back the tanned piece of rawhide that hung across the opening of the tent and ushered me inside. It smelled of herbs and damp earth. “Sit,” she said, pointing to a pile of furs to the right.
I did as she asked and watched as she moved around the small space, picking handfuls of herbs that hung from the roof of her tent. She rubbed them together in her palms and then inhaled them deeply. She blew the remaining particles into the air.
A pungent aroma filled the small space. “What is that?” I asked, a hand clamped over my face.
“Purifying herbs to cleanse the space before we begin.”
Magda sat opposite me and I felt my heart rate increase. “There’s no need to fear me. If you’ve told the truth no harm will come to you or your brother.”
Angels & Magic: A Bonus Collection Page 3