Descending

by Sophia Florenza

  My observation of B's wings suddenly stops because the ground is shaking violently underneath me. I lose my air grip that was holding B to the ceiling, and I fall to the ground. B floats gently to the floor, standing no more than ten feet away from me.

  I attempt to stand, but the shaking only increases. It feels like B is trying to rip open a hole underneath me. Which is precisely what he's doing! I feel the ground underneath me starting to give way to my weight. Fucker has no idea who he's messing with!

  I turn and stare at my mates and FMC. I feel confused about why they haven't interfered with this pissing contest happening between B and myself. They are all just watching the battle with interest. Not moving a muscle. Uh oh!

  Letting my wings unfurl, I hop into the air and use my air energy to help me hover. I then grab Cal's sword handle and unsheathe the sword strapped to my back. Cal is glowing a beautiful teal color. 'Ready to go to work, Cal?' I ask the sword in my head.

  'Be careful, little one,' Cal says in my head. 'This Archangel is clever.'

  I slip into the stream, but I am immediately tossed out. The shaking of the earth is causing everything in the surrounding physical area to vibrate intensely. The vibration is causing the stream corridor to become extremely unstable.

  The realization hits me that B has an affinity for the Earth Element. Which makes his energy extremely powerful. 'I need to get him to deplete his energy,' I think to Cal. 'I need to create a counter frequency somehow to force B to use more of his energy.' I know what I am about to do is extremely dangerous. But what choice do I have? My four mates and FMC are imprisoned by whatever force B is using on them.

  Feeling out to the shaking floor, I start seeing the distinct energies in the frequency caused by the floor vibrations. Tapping into my own power, I begin making the ground shake, trying to tune the counter-frequency correctly. I see that my efforts are beginning to work because the ground shaking is diminishing.

  B stares at me in amazement but glares at me determinedly. I feel the vibrations created by B getting stronger. With determination, I countermand his power and start using more energy to counter B's strike.

  We keep at this tug of war game going for a long time. It's when my nose starts to bleed that I know my strength is almost depleted. But I see that B is beginning to struggle at keeping and increasing his momentum every time I match his frequency.

  I grit my teeth and keep pushing B. My nose starts bleeding profusely, and B smiles. Fucker thinks he's won! I suddenly feel my opening to stab B with Cal. The opportunity is so small that I nearly miss it. There's a tiny break in the frequency from B.

  I take advantage of that break and use the rest of my energy to slip into the stream beyond ludicrous speed. The stream is almost too flimsy for me to reach B. But when I do reach him, I definitely catch B by surprise as I stab him with Cal.

  I am too exhausted when I feel the give of flesh and the crunch of bone as I slide Cal through B's stomach. The world suddenly goes black.

  Chapter Eight: Break On Through

  Blackness. Soul crushing, darkness is surrounding me. I feel lost and abandoned. I've been here once before, and I am scared!

  'SERA! FIGHT!' a familiar female voice screams in my head. I still don't know how or why I know that voice.

  'I Can't!' I scream back in my head.

  'YOOOUUU CAAAAN! FIGHT, GIRL!' This thing WILL NOT beat me!

  I start fighting. Trying anything by kicking and punching my way out of the cold blackness. Suddenly there's a buzzing in my ears. The buzzing is slowly turning into distinctive sounds. I hear voices! My mates' voices! I use the sounds of their voices as an anchor to pull my soul out of the clutches of The Void.

  I startle awake, sitting up and gasping for air. "SHIT!" Raph bellows. I look towards him, and he looks at me as if he has seen a ghost. His skin is ashen, eyes wide in horror, and mouth gaping. He's looking directly at me! Fuck! Must have died again! Raph didn't witness my first resurrection.

  "I'm guessing I died again?" I ask the room. I see Red and Virgil are sitting in chairs against the wall. They look better than the last time I died. They both nodded a silent "Yes" to my question. I'm hoping that my resurrecting from death will be a reoccurring event for an unforeseeable future.

  I look around, and I find G. He looks like hell! There is an air of loss and vulnerability around him. G's posture is rigid, signaling me that he's been trying to keep himself together. "Hey," I whisper to G. He brings up his dull green eyes to mind. "I'm okay. You won't get rid of me that easily," I teasingly tell him. But he doesn't respond. No smile or anything. G suddenly gets up and walks out a door, closing it hard behind him. What now?! Why can't he talk to me?!

  Ignoring any feelings of hurt from G's sudden absence, I refocus my attention to the rest of the men still in the room. "How long was I gone this time?" I ask the room.

  "Three days," Virgil and Red say together. Huh? Same as last time.

  Looking around, I start taking in the room I was revived in.

  I observe that I'm in a huge bedroom, and everything is colored in plain white. The place is almost bare of furniture. There is the bed that I am lying on. And the chairs that Virgil and Red are sitting on while performing their vigil over my dead body. That's it.

  Turning to Raph, I also see that he also looks worse for wear. "Raph," I say gently. "Come here." Raph doesn't move, still disbelieving that I came back to life. I sigh and shake my head.

  I get up and crawl to the end of the large bed. Getting off the bed, I slowly walk towards Raph, softly saying in my head, 'It's me.' When I am standing right in front of Raph, I slowly reach my hand towards one of his hands. Raph watches my every move, his eyes full of skepticism. He's not sure if I'm a hoax or if I'm one of Lucifer's fucked up illusions. I can decipher the doubt that it is going through Raph's mind at a rapid pace.

  "Lucifer is NOT that good at illusions," I say teasingly to Raph. "Would Lucifer create an illusion who talks shit about him? You know him better than me. But so far, his ego is bigger than any of the Archangels I've met so far. And I'm still beating the shit out of him at my first opportunity!" I vehemently state.

  "She's right, Raphael," Red tells him. "You've known Lucifer longer than me. Would he create an illusion that will allow them to talk bad about him?" Red asks.

  At the end of Red's rhetorical question, Raph grins. I grab his hand. Without hesitation, Raph pulls me into him and kisses me ardently. I return his kiss, but now is not the time to take the kiss further. This Sucks!

  Raph heard my inner monologue and is laughing when he breaks our kiss. "See? It's me!" I tell him. Raph smiles at me brilliantly. His whole face is lit up, and he's looking at me in adoration. God, I love him!

  Raph's smile gets bigger. "Speaking of egos," I teasingly say out loud. Stepping out of Raph's embrace, I turn towards Red and Virgil. My love for all of them is equal. Remember?

  I saunter over to Red and Virgil. They are both still sitting in their chairs and are watching me with interest. I first sit on Red's lap and wrap my arms around him. I kiss him passionately. Letting him know that I'm okay. 'Love you,' I mentally state.

  When I'm done kissing Red, I feel arms pulling me off of Red's lap. Virgil couldn't wait much longer for me to be in his arms. Once I'm settled onto Virgil's lap, I wrap my arms around his neck. We kiss each other hungrily and without reservation. But I need to assure G that I'm fine.

  Virgil waits for the kiss to naturally end before telling me, "Go fix things with Gabriel. Barachial is not yet ready to talk to us or you anyway," Virgil states while giving me an understanding smile.

  I return his smile and give him a small kiss on the lips. "I love you," I whisper on his lips and looking into his eyes. Swirling silver pools that I could easily drown in.

  I get up off of Virgil's lap and head towards the only door in the room. Reaching the handle, I open the door and think on a different outfit from the one I'm wearing. Swallowing down my nervousness, I walk through the door. I'm
going to convince G to talk to me. Even if it kills me!

  I decided to wear provocative clothing but also practical for combat. I exit the room, walking into a living room wearing a tight, soft red leather halter top and matching pants, with black leather knee-high boots. Cal is still strapped to my back. The sword was not removed from me during my death.

  Looking around the spartan living room, I see multiple doors, five of the entries have markings etched into them. I also spy FMC sleeping in the corner. I guess she wasn't worried about me not coming back.

  Feeling for G's energy, I walk towards a door and politely knock. I wait a few seconds until the door opens.

  G is standing in the doorway, looking better than when I first came back to life. His black hair is still tousled, but his green eyes are not as dull. G has a little bit of stubble on his chin, making him look feral. He has no shirt on but is still wearing his black tactical pants and boots. Damn! He's gorgeous!

  "Want to spar with me?" I ask, trying to hide the lust caused by G's physical appearance. G doesn't say anything. He starts walking forward and brushes past me, closing his door behind him. G walks to one of the doors without a marking etched on it and opens it.

  I don't move, wondering what G is about. G turns his head to me and raises an eyebrow. "Coming?" he asks and walks through the open doorway.

  I walk quickly through the doorway and stop. G created a vast room with nothing in it, and the floor and walls are matted. Everything is white, making the place seem sterile and should be used for medical purposes. Guess we're going to beat the shit out of each other first.

  I don't see G, but I feel his energy above me. Looking up, G is in full Archangel mode with black wings out, black sword drawn and hovering about two hundred feet above my head. "Shit," I mutter.

  "Get your ass up here, little girl. Time to learn how to fight while flying," G angrily commands. Unfurling my wings and drawing Cal, I leap into the air. I flap my wings and use my air energy to reach G's height.

  When I'm hovering across from G, he immediately goes on the attack. Sparing and flying is hard! So many moves and variables to consider! Plus, my body is weak when it comes to flying.

  I'm barely holding my own, blocking G's hits and thrusts. G kicks me in the gut, sending me into a padded wall. That hurts!

  "Pathetic," G growls at me. "You are worse than a fledgling angel. You think you're hot shit because you can come back after dying? You have yet to impress me with your powers and skills. Although, I will admit. You are one of the best lays I've had in a long time." What the fuck did he just say?

  Rage. Pure burning rage fills my body and soul. I let that rage take over, and I'm on autopilot. I feel myself floating away from the padded wall. Immense power is rippling all over my body.

  I know in my soul that I could destroy this whole Circle. Looking down at my hands that are still holding Cal, I see the black and blue fire burning all over the top of my skin.

  Looking back up, I see G swallowing hard, and there is a pure terror on his face. "Guess I impress you now, G," I say quietly. It wasn't a question. "I don't know what I have said or done for you to treat me like shit. I reforged the bond, knowing that you will never love me. Care for me, yes. Love me? Never. And I've accepted that fact. Even though I will love you forever. I know you are hiding things from me, and I was going to wait for you to trust me. But now? Now I don't care anymore," I finish.

  I float gently down to the ground, and I notice that there is a massive crack in the floor. The break runs and splinters all the way up the walls. Oops! I cracked the floor and walls again.

  I slide Cal back into its sheath, and I walk out the door. I hear a roar of frustration behind me. I slam the door shut, not wanting to hear G at all. Stepping into the living room, I hear a whine and see FMC huddled into a corner.

  Looking down, I see I'm still covered in black and blue flames. Hearing FMC's whine, Raph, Red, and Virgil run into the living room and stop dead in their tracks when they see me. "Holy fucking shit," states Raph.

  "Sera? What happened?" Virgil inquires softly. I shrug my shoulders.

  "Nothing happened. I need to go cool off. I'll talk with you guys later," I say hurriedly as I walk past them into my room and slam my door shut. I need to be left alone.

  I spend the rest of my day crying and watching tear-jerker movies like The Green Mile or Legends of the Fall.

  The blue and black flames disappear after I calm down during the first movie. A couple of hours later, I am struggling to keep my eyes open. I let sleep overtake me and wondering at the same time. Why does G resent me?.

  I hear voices. I'm surrounded in a darkness that's starting to give way to light. Once the scene in front of me is formed, I can see that Red, Raph, and Virgil are surrounding a prostrated G on the ground. The view is taking place in the gym that I left G in.

  "Why do you insist on trying to destroy her, Gabriel?" Virgil asks, sounding pissed.

  "Because every time I see her in pain or when I feel that she has died, I feel like my soul is being shredded. Sera is tearing me apart!" G exclaims.

  "And we don't feel that, Gabriel?" Red is chiming in. "We all love her. Except for you, because you're too fucking afraid to admit it. Our job is to train her, guide her, and perhaps love her. Those are our roles. She needs us so she can defeat whatever the fuck is heading our way. You're hindering the process for Sera from reaching her full power. Do you even care if she dies trying to save us and may never return?"

  Suddenly G punches Red in the face. The punch causes Red to go flying about ten feet away. Red performs a beautiful feat in acrobatics to somehow land on his feet.

  Virgil and Raph are holding down a wrathful G while Red is testing his bottom jaw with his hand. Red's eyes are glowing a freaky red color. "Do you love her, Gabriel?" Red asks.

  G shrugs away Virgil and Raph, looking like a defeated man. "It's complicated," he answers quietly. The image suddenly disappears, and I feel something on my arm, startlingly me awake.

  Snapping my eyes open, there is awareness flooding my body. My heart skips a few beats, and I'm instinctively jerking my head back in fear because I'm looking into a handsome face with teal eyes and red hair. Barachial.

  Once I get my heartbeat back to normal, I calmly say, "Hello B. What may I help you with?" The tone in my voice is clearly reflecting the confusion I'm feeling about B being in my room and scaring me awake. I don't bother with sitting up, because I'm too physically and emotionally exhausted to move.

  "I wanted to thank ye for saving me," B sincerely says with a big smile on his face in that sexy Scottish brogue. My jaw drops. None of the other Archangels were as pleasant to me after I saved them!

  Snapping my jaw shut and recovering from the shock, I humbly reply, "You're very welcome," matching B's sincerity. Looking deeply into B's teal eyes, I notice that they are filled will kindness. They were hard and cold before I stabbed him.

  "I'm sorry that I had to stab you," I blurt out. Damn! I keep putting my foot in my mouth! B doesn't seem to mind my outburst. In fact, he's smiling down at me in amusement. And then it clicks.

  "You're the embodiment of the heavenly virtue Charity," I say matter of factly. "No wonder that you're taking this whole situation like a champ," my verbal diarrhea not stopping.

  B's smile gets more extensive, teal eyes twinkling with merriment. A small lock of red hair is curling in front of his forehead, making him look a little naughty. He is so personable and friendly! And drop-dead handsome! B's open friendliness is helping me forget G's rejection and coldness towards me. Again.

  B's whole demeanor looks relaxed. Not the tight-ass I had to fight in our first encounter, which was wearing a business suit and hair slicked back.

  From the angle that I'm laying down in, I could see that B is wearing comfortable clothes. A soft t-shirt in blue color and comfortable jeans. And he's squatting next to the bed. Must be hurting his knees sitting in that position for too long.

  "B, would you like
to sit down next to me on the bed? I really could do with some friendly conversation," I tell him.

  "Sure!" B replies. He enthusiastically jumps over me and sits next to me.

  I roll over so I can look up into B's face. I feel as if his presence is the type of medicine I need to help me deal with the hurt that G throws at me time and again.

  "So," I say, unsure where to start. "Did you want to ask me anything? I'll try to answer any questions you may have," I tell B.

  B looks down at me, asking me his first question. "Are you the angel from the prophecy?"

  I sigh and shrug. "I honestly don't know," I reply.

  "Fair enough," B says.

  "Next question," B states. "Why were ye sent here?" I cringe inwardly. The million-dollar question.

  "B, please hear me out before you make any decisions," I say calmly. "Some of your brethren Archangels didn't take too kindly about my purpose in the grand scheme of things. Some still resent me," my voice wavering a little. B nods, agreeing to my request.

  Taking a deep breath, I begin. "Lucifer lost a bet with The Creator. I was sent here to collect and save seven Archangels and one pure soul from Hell. During my journey through Hell, I discovered that the eight of you will have to become my mates. For me to obtain all my power. Something is coming, The Void. And as the prophecy suggests, if I do not destroy this thing, it will destroy the entire Universe."

  B sits motionless, letting the information sink in and processing it. I sit and wait patiently. When he's ready, he looks at me and asks, "How do we become mates?" Oh Boy.

  "Well," I say shyly, looking away from his handsome face. "We have sex. A soul bond is then forged," I quietly state. I'm too afraid to look up and see B's reaction.

  I see B's hand reaching out for mine and quickly grabs and holds my hand gently. Confused for the second time since waking up, I look up into B's kind face. And then I remember. Charity.