Against the Fallen

by Devin Lee Carlson

  A woman’s voice gasped as she hit the floor with a loud thump. “What’s your problem?” Ariane climbed to her feet, wrapping her arms around her nude body.

  No brother should have to see his sister this way. Certainly not as many times as I have. Out of habit, I tossed the bomber jacket her way. It seemed a decade of babysitting monks did nothing to sharpen her common sense. She was supposed to stop morphing into insects because of the way it warped her mind. My voice squeaked before I could get the words out. “I almost squashed you.”

  “Sorry, I needed to hitch a ride. Had to morph into something small enough to hide under your collar. Small enough so those Fallen punks wouldn’t spot me.” She slipped into my leather jacket and wrapped it tight. “Good thing you don’t have dandruff.”

  Dandruff? I stared at her, easier now that she had covered up. After ten years of studies under the Teachers, when did total cluelessness invade my sister’s mind? Speaking of clueless, a familiar mist took shape behind us. “Not you too. Newsflash, I could’ve done this by myself.”

  Sabree bowed and waved me off. “You would have ended up a prisoner with a broken neck healed crookedly if not for me.” He nodded at Ariane. “Here,” he said, handing her the clothes she had asked him to bring. Sabree flashed her a wicked smile. “Go back to the hotel room. The A team doesn’t include you.”

  Ariane’s mouth hung open. “Stop being so mean. Besides, Brian and I are the A team—Anti-Beings. You aren’t.” Ariane stuck her tongue out at him.

  Time to intervene, I said, “In all fairness, Sabree, the more, the merrier.” The slight twitch of his lip lifted enough to reveal an eyetooth. He probably meant it to intimidate me; however, the gesture made me laugh instead. I headed to the back of the library. If they followed, fine. If not, I cared less.

  Just as Galleen claimed, the wooden door in back was hard to miss. I paused in front of the hand-carved heads of a ferocious bear and frightened deer. Both hunter and prey stared at me with lifeless eyes. The couple arguing behind me, the fierce wood carvings, and the idea of seeing Wayde after all these months had nothing to do with my hesitation. My attempt to talk Wayde out of using the weapon, most likely disastrous, triggered my pause. Whether he purchased it or not, Farian had probably installed the tampered neutralizer to activate at will.

  Sucking in a breath, I tugged on the door until the lock gave way. No reason to announce myself, I walked in on Wayde and Abyss. The unannounced visit must have interrupted her update from Farian. The only mister on their team that I knew of, Abyss had to perform most of the communications, most of it lies. I stepped aside, so they could see the two Musketeers behind me.

  “What’s the meaning of this, Colton?” Wayde asked.

  “Brian’s the name, intruding’s the game.” I leaned on the desk with both arms spread out. “So, Abyss, are you here to spread your evil lies.” Ten to one she had already done so.

  Sabree approached from behind. “Farian intends to destroy the entire planet, leaving no survivors. Even your underground safehouses won’t protect you. The Earth will take thousands of years to recuperate from the flaming atmosphere.”

  Lately, Sabree had a flair for stealing the show. To announce the bad news before anyone else. Since his rise from the dead, it seemed he acquired this skill along with stealth. Staring wide eyed, I stepped aside as he pushed forward to the edge of the mahogany desk. Ariane flanked the other side. Feeling left out, but never useless, I relinquished command. Let the couple take charge.

  Ariane ignored Abyss and sneered at Wayde. “Hello there. After all that grief you and I had to put up with, my brother destroyed the journal anyway. We missed you after the hike up Joker Mountain.”

  “That’s right, Sis, make me look the idiot.” My arms folded over my chest, I shrugged innocently when Wayde glanced my way.

  “The journal never mattered,” Wayde said. “What did matter was how you two continued to evolve.” He eyed Ariane up and down, appreciating her feminine beauty. “And develop you did, my dear.” He glanced over at me as though he dared me to intervene.

  “Okay, that’s creepy.” I rushed up and slammed a fist on the desk. “This is serious! The Earth will expire if we don’t combine our resources to stop Farian’s suicidal mission.”

  My gaze searched the others for their reaction. Seeing none from across the desk, especially Abyss’s twisted smirk, I opened my tablet to an image. “This is the original neutralizer.” My finger stabbed the next image, the one glowing neon green. “This is the neutralizer on steroids. Farian ordered Caderen scientists to tweak the original intent of the device. He has already placed the bomb somewhere on Earth. Maybe placed another one as backup. All he has to do is activate them.”

  Dull faces stared back.

  Both hands held up in front, my fingers popped out and splayed at the same time as I hollered, “Boom!” Hopefully the hand gesture grabbed Wayde’s attention. “The Earth as we know it will be no more.” Sadly, my opponent gestured with a comeback of his own.

  Wayde’s claps thundered in the small office. Then he leaned forward, his hands cupping one another. “Good show, Colton. I’m ready for anything. Going by your frantic hoopla, I’d say you are worried for yourselves more than for humanity.”

  Could Wayde be as suicidal? I leaned on the desk, my gaze aiming a dagger-like glare. “No worries, because unlike you or Farian, there’s a backup world we can escape to—several planets superior to Earth. And they inhabit bountiful lifeforms, minus inferior beings such as yourselves.” I hated to refer to humans as inferior, but the few bad seeds undermined the good.

  “Brian’s right,” Ariane said. “We have a backup plan, so our mission isn’t to save ourselves. Earth has always been our home as well as a second home to some of the Originals. Why would we want to see such a beautiful world destroyed? What would we have to gain?” She glanced at Sabree and nudged him in the ribs. “Why so quiet? Help out.”

  My sister’s sudden concern over Sabree’s silence snared my attention as well. The contorted fractures of his features worried me. It seemed Sabree was elsewhere, his eyes glazed over as he stared at my tablet. “Sabree?” Ariane moved aside so I could snap a finger to snare his attention. “Earth to Sabree.”

  Teal eyes ablaze stared back at me. “Zoeree needs my help.” Sabree pointed at the tablet, his finger trembling as it hovered over the image of the neutralizer. “There. It’s her. The bastard stuffed my daughter inside the capsule. When it blows, she will blow with it.”

  I exchanged glances with Ariane and then at Wayde, who grew tired of our visit and impatient with Sabree’s off-the-wall claim. At least that’s how I perceived his reaction. Again, I regretted not coming by myself. “Zoeree is safe,” I said, patting his arm. “Mist back to the hotel and see for yourself. We’ll catch up.”

  Sabree swiped my arm away and smacked my ear. “We have to save her!” He grabbed the tablet and threw it across the room.

  The cost of my iPad had nothing to do with me racing to the back wall to catch the tablet before it smashed into pieces. The information, however, stored inside was irreplaceable, not all of it backed up onto the iCloud. As I cradled the tablet from a charging Sabree, I darted beside Ariane.

  Sabree slammed into the wall and spun around. Tears pooled in his eyes as he squeezed his skull and dropped to his knees. Ariane raced to his side.

  “Mist to the hotel so I can hitch a ride with you,” she said. “We’ll check on Zoeree together.” Ariane glanced up at me. “You’re on your own.” She morphed into a hummingbird and flew into Sabree’s hair. A mist formed until it dissipated and slipped under the doorstop.

  What just happened? Biting my lower lip, I stole a glimpse at Wayde and shrugged. “Sorry about the sideshow. We’re all under a lot of stress.” I kicked aside my sister’s discarded clothes to confront the unsympathetic cackles coming from Abyss. The heartless she-devil grated on what was left of my frayed nerves. Lowering my head, my eyes focused on her, I sent her a wee remi
nder of how easily I could dust her where she stood. Her whimper went unheard as I addressed Wayde next. “Will you help us?” The pained expression in the man’s eyes destroyed my optimism. I held my breath in anticipation.

  “I fear you speak the truth. I, too, believe Farian has his own agenda. Unfortunately, he sent my team an unarmed paperweight. Found out yesterday.” He shot a glare at Abyss. “Were you aware of this deception?”

  She shook her head, whipping her short hair about. “Farian might be twisted, but he’d never destroy the entire world.” She turned to me and pointed a finger. “Don’t trust this man.”

  “Why? What have I done to you? In fact, I saved your ass plenty of times.” I flicked a hand at Abyss to dismiss her. My voice steady, I said, “I hear what you’re saying, Wayde. If you have any idea where Farian planted the neutralizer, please tell me. I will take it into the portal before it detonates. Be a hero to humankind. Forget about the Fallen. I will keep them in line.”

  “Like you did these past three years?” Abyss asked, hissing her question in my ear. “Things got out of control because of your neglect. Cayiel lost his nerve and wiggles like a worm under Farian’s thumb. All is lost because of you.”

  I offered Wayde a final plea. “Are you in or not?”

  “Not. I fight my own battles.”

  “Your fancy underground bunkers won’t protect you. Nothing will be left of the planet. The bastard will destroy every human, animal, and insect just to rid himself of all Earthly desires.” Too much bad news to bear, I hung my head. “You made your bed, now lie in it.” Spirit deflated, I walked out the door, hoping Wayde would call out for help. The lock clicked behind me. If not now, then I’d bet my fortune that Wayde would contact me before the day’s end.

  3 3 3

  Back in the hotel room, Sabree materialized alongside a buzzing hummingbird. The bird flitted around the room in search of another. She flew onto the patio and hovered to survey the grounds below. It whipped inside the room and buzzed about in front of Sabree’s face. The bird continued to flit about until it landed on the queen-sized bed and expanded in depth until a woman formed.

  “What’s with you, Sabree?” Ariane grabbed her robe and placed a hand on his cheek as he stared outside the French doors leading to the patio. His eyes twitched every so often. Her concern for the man she loved grew. “Zoeree is in the courtyard reading. She’s safe.”

  “Not for long,” he said as though mesmerized. “I saw her inside the capsule. I saw her blow up into millions of pieces, her body churning with fireballs that formed a massive tsunami wave, a giant wall of destruction that consumed the entire planet. The flames devoured every living creature.” Sabree buried his face in his hands. His shoulders jiggled at first and then racked in throes.

  Ariane could only sit and stare. The devastation haunted her own dreams. More often of late. Where did the visions come from? Brian used to have these premonitions, now her and Sabree joined in more often than they preferred. She’d take him aside later and speak to him about the flashbacks.

  Zoeree bounded into the room and gasped at the emotional sight of her father. “Don’t worry, Zoeree,” Ariane said to calm her daughter. “He’s going to be all right.”

  Sabree wiped his eyes and patted the bed next to him. “Have a seat, Zoeree. I missed you at breakfast this morning,” he said as he gave her a hug. “Let’s have dinner tonight at the steakhouse down the street. I swear I can smell the thick slabs of meat sizzling on the open pit. Oui, filet mignon and merlot should hit the spot.” He licked his lips and gave Zoeree a goofy smile as though nothing bad had happened.

  Ariane nodded at the idea of dining on rare steak. She nudged the chair, so her daughter could sit next to her father. “Everything’s fine, honey. We’re just worried about Uncle Brian. He’s taking this mission way too seriously.” Telling a white lie in this situation seemed best. How does a mother tell her child that her father had a vision of loved ones exploding along with the world? Ariane shuddered from the bone-chilling image and rose off the bed to put a hand on Sabree’s shoulder. She pulled away when he winced under her touch. “Sirloin sounds great. I’ll go wash up.”

  Inside the bathroom, Ariane overheard the two chatting about Uncle Brian. She glanced in the mirror to stare at her reflection. She looked as young as her daughter; however, stress had dimmed some of her brightness. Her amber eyes shimmered for a second. She blinked until the glow faded. She had seen this particular warning sign before when she used to morph into an insect on a daily basis. Although the monks taught her how to compensate for turning into an insect and dismiss the insect realm, she promised herself that after today, never again. Ten years away from family was too heavy a price to pay.

  After Ariane splashed water on her face, she applied light eye makeup. Her ears perked when Brian showered Sabree with questions. He apologized and then spoke in a sweeter tone to Zoeree. “Hello, my dear little niece. Why all smiles?”

  “We’re going out for steaks tonight. Please come with us.”

  Ariane paused before she sprayed her hair, making sure he replied. Her brother always referred to Zoeree as his little dear or little princess. He rarely disappointed his niece. Hearing a jovial “aye,” she sprayed away. Life would be good if only for tonight. Ariane danced out of the master bathroom into the suite and stopped short of the bed. Her scream made her sway and she almost fainted dead away.

  As she clung onto consciousness, Brian and Sabree lifted her onto the edge of the bed. Sabree told Zoe to get a wet washcloth.

  When she moaned to let them know she was conscious, Brian’s amber eyes full of concern gazed down at her. He asked, “Why did you scream?”

  Her head shook as she placed a hand on her forehead. The coolness soothed the fever that plagued her. She squeezed her eyes shut to block the vision of the green wall of flame until it faded. Fearful of admitting the truth, Ariane lied, “No idea. We were planning a family dinner. Everyone seemed so happy. Just dizzy, I guess.”

  “Take it easy, Sis. We’re all dealing with a lot of BS.” Brian turned to Sabree. “What about you? What happened back there? At Wayde’s office?” He covered Ariane with a throw. “Never seen you lose it like that before.”

  Sabree placed a hand on Brian’s shoulder. “Nothing’s been the same since you pulled me back from the dead. Like Ariane, I, too, have been experiencing visions.” He stood taller when Zoeree entered the room with a cloth. “We’ll talk later.” Sabree squeezed Ariane’s hand. “Let’s work on you. I’m in the mood for a juicy steak.”

  Surprising the two men and her daughter, Ariane tried to sit up when the washcloth touched her forehead. Her saucer-shaped eyes shot a glance at Sabree and then at Zoeree. She clutched Brian’s arm, squeezing tight. “I saw it.” A shudder ran through her spine. “I saw the end. The wall of flame as green as the aurora borealis.”

  Sabree hung his head and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Do you still feel like going out?”

  “Sorry, but I lost my appetite. Why don’t all of you go instead. We can try again tomorrow night.” After Sabree nodded and told Zoeree to get ready, Ariane grabbed her brother’s arm. “The three of us need to talk later. Promise?”

  Brian glared at Sabree and said, “Aye, the two of you have some explaining to do. No more secrets or we’ll lose this battle.”

  For once, Ariane agreed with him. The green flames filled her vision again. The end all. No choice but to lay down and close her eyes.

  48

  IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE

  T he four-hour debriefing had dragged on without a hitch. Azrian worried Abyss had already snitched on him. After several personal questions about his previous employment, hobbies, relationships, and family, they confiscated his cell phone and tablet. The only access to the internet was from the main campus library, all of their computers monitored. Azrian got along fine without technology, relying on telepathic communiques instead.

  Exhausted, his mouth parched, he returned to the cabin
, grabbed a bottled water, and looked for Liz, relieved she wasn’t there. His new position in computer networking would not start until Monday. Supper was in two hours at table twelve where he’d meet his coworkers. Tomorrow, on Saturday, the facility scheduled skiing and snowshoeing activities for those seeking adventure.

  Azrian tossed the duffle bag next to the closet and dropped on top of the bed. The soft mattress nestled his aching bones. As his mind wandered near the void of sleep, he wondered why he hadn’t heard from Ariane about Abyss. What if the mission was a bust? What if… his mind slipped into dream state.

  Next morning, Azrian woke to sunlight pouring through the window. Missing dinner, his stomach growled while he showered and dressed. He unpacked the outdoor gear for the snowshoe hike he had signed up for the late morning. A seven-mile trek to a spectacular vista sounded like a fun way to spend a Saturday. Liz never returned to the cabin that morning.

  On his way to the dining hall for a quick breakfast, Abyss misted in front of him and pulled him aside. She eyed him up and down. “You’re easier on the eyes than your father.” She hissed displeasure when he tried to push away. “Just as obnoxious. Look, we know why you’re here, although we’re not sure what Daddy expects to gain. I begged the others not to expose you yet. I hate to see…” Abyss hung on silence until her eyes shone bright. “What the Guardians might do to you. But none of us would survive the repercussions from the avenging anti-being—alas, dear old Dad.”

  “Should I leave then?” Azrian had no idea what to do at this point except continue the mission, especially if the rogues didn’t expose him to the Guardians.

  “No, we’re pretty sure Brian sent you to spy on us, but when you find out our true purpose, you may refuse to complete his mission. He has this outlandish idea that we want to destroy the world, but for what purpose? You will come to understand the desperate measures we had to take to control humankind. It will be an ugly war if not a necessary evil.”