Uriel (The Hallowed Chronicles Book 1)

by Angie Anomalous

  Jophiel and I stood in front of them and I concentrated hard on bringing out that power; that state of lost control. As scared as I was to let it overcome me, I knew it had to be done. Both demons began to bubble, stopping my concentration as I watched in horror while they split again, creating more of them with a satisfied grin. My heart was racing and fear was striking a chord in my chest, paralyzing me. "Stop watching them and concentrate! If you don't, we will all die," Gazardiel yelled. Straightening up, I pulled my shoulders back and stretched my wings, cracking my neck to relieve the stress building there. Crossing my blades in front of me, I stared through one of the demons and pleaded myself to summon the power I still couldn't control, even as they continued to multiply into a circle to surround us. I could feel the fear growing in Jophiel, a sense of knowing we wouldn't be able to defeat them without this power. Tears fell from my eyes as I pushed myself, trying to steady my breathing. The world went black.

  I could hear the worried screams of those around me as I let my body fall to the ground. I couldn't let this happen; there was no way I'd be the reason for us all to die. I began to feel as if the wind was carrying me, cradling me in its whispered embrace and I listened. Breathe, my child. You can control this, we all know you can. Nikita. Something gripped at my heart and tore at it, a sign that I really wasn't breathing. Had I fainted from trying so hard? Anger doesn't need to be the trigger to your power. Look inside yourself; you will find the key. Everything was going in slow motion but as I escaped into myself, a light began to shine, echoing the word 'self-control.' My hand reached out to grab it as the screaming grew louder. Abstinence is the key to unlocking the power that has controlled you. It is self-control that will guide you to greatness. Nikita's voice faded as my fingers wrapped around the light. I opened my eyes.

  The demons had multiplied several times while I was falling and on the ground, they had moved toward us and Jophiel had been standing over me, facing them. I stood and pushed him to the side, saying nothing, but holding the ball of light that had materialized in my hand. Crushing it into my fist, I found myself finally unlocking the power and drowned in it, allowing the world to change. Fusing my swords into one, I smashed it into the ground, causing it to shake and explode beneath us. Blades of energy had shot out from the ground and flew toward each demon, piercing them through their chests. Their wails pierced through the silence that hung over the area, fading out as their bodies sizzled and evaporated into oblivion. I fell to my knees and Jophiel picked me up, cradling me in his arms while I tried to control the sudden shaking of my body. "How the hell did you do that?" he asked bewildered. Shaking my head to relieve myself of the dizziness, I looked to the sky and closed my eyes.

  "Nikita helped me," I said, drawing Gazardiel's attention.

  He looked up as well and smiled. "She truly works her magic even when no longer physically present," he said proudly. I couldn't help but smile even as Jophiel put me down and I swayed a bit.

  Jenna walked up hesitantly and stared at Jophiel and me. My eyes locked on hers and I realized she was still trying to put the pieces together; she still didn't figure out our relationship. Sighing, I took his hand in mine and looked back to her with an almost apologetic expression. Finally, she understood and blushed, but I somehow knew she wouldn't be mad. "I'm glad you two are okay," she said looking at the ground. I took her hand and stared at her. "You must stay with us," I said, ignoring Gazardiel's irritated noise. "You know too much to think that you will be safe from our world." Jophiel moved closer and put a hand on her shoulder. "Uriel is right and He hasn't punished us yet for your presence here or your knowledge of us," he said looking at me.

  "It wouldn't be all of us He would punish. There has to be times where angels have revealed themselves to humans."

  "There has."

  Gazardiel came up to us and nodded, looking to the skies. "There were few accounts, but none like this. However, I am sure He does not mind, for He has much more to worry about. Jenna, you may stay here and you may also call me Gazardiel. For now, I am their new Guardian," he said sternly, taking a bit too much credit for his presence. I laughed outright at him, shaking my head as he shot me a look. About to head inside, I noticed something; a sound growing in power that echoed in the sky. Looking up, I found nothing, but the noise was clearly increasing. "Do you hear that?" I asked. Everyone stopped in mid-stride. We stood looking up at the sky as the noise faded, only to come back stronger and more powerful; almost too loud to not be heard. "Is that...?" Gazardiel started asking only for his breath to be caught in his throat. The sound boomed in the skies, opening the clouds above us. It was a soothing, yet alarming sound; something inside me had been rattled by it, knowing not to be distracted by its beauty. "What?" I asked desperately.

  "That sound. It's Gabriel's horn."

  "Gabriel?”

  "Yes. Another Archangel. Thank the Heavens I know at least another is alive."

  "But where is it coming from? What does it mean?"

  My head was spinning. Another one of us is sounding a horn, but as deep as I looked into myself, I couldn't find the reason to this horn. All I cared to know is if they were near and trying to find us. "It could be coming from across the world, Uriel. But her horn is not a glorious sound; it is a warning. The End Times are truly beginning and we must prepare ourselves," Gazardiel said coldly. So Gabriel was female and it did not mean she found us; it was just confirming our beliefs, causing my heart to sink. Sighing, I rubbed at my temples but continued to look up, hope rising within my chest, only to be replaced by fear as the clouds were sealed back up and replaced with a heavy darkness. All of us were silent as the horn faded and overpowered by an unnatural roar coming from the large shadow that flew in the sky, shrouded by the dark clouds. "What is that...?" I asked with a shaking voice. Something told me this wasn't a good sign. "Fear dragon," Gazardiel said, swallowing a lump in his throat. My heart began to stutter as it circle above us.

  The clouds broke free as the shadows that formed the dragon manifested and raced toward us with open jaws, teeth razor-sharp and lusting for contact. We shielded ourselves as it dove at us with full force, roaring violently. Its shadow form dissipated before it could swallow us whole, leaving us all shaking in fear with its residual battle cry imprinted in the silence.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Clouds scattered the blackened sky, blocking out all Light that tried shining from the Heavens. The world reeked of corruption and it was shattering; becoming nothing but cracks and earth. Human screams filled the air as they tried to escape the horrible demise of an eternal death by Hell. If they died, their souls were dragged into Hell. No one was safe. Thunder boomed, greeted by immediate strikes of lightning that cracked the earth like a whip. This was Armageddon? It was worse than I thought. Armies of demons had entered the area with weapons poised and I was ready for the biggest battle of my life. Fire was the only thing that provided light, save for what radiated from me.

  In the distance, a dragon roared its violent cry for battle, lusting for bloodshed as it fed on the fear pouring from the humans that attempted to flee. With no Light breaking through the sky, it seemed like all hope was lost, but not when we were here. Jophiel and I stood side by side and I could see my own eyes; white and colorless; Light bursting from within. My blades were held perfectly in my hand and Jophiel took a hold of my arms. "Ready for this?" he said. Though I wasn't sure what he was implying, I nodded. I trusted him and knew he would come through with his plans. I jumped up and he locked his arms tight around mine and swung in a circle. I used my energy and shaped blades coming from my feet, sticking them out to slit the throats of those coming at as from all around us. I knew what our power could do, but when my energy actually worked with me, it startled me. Placing me down, Jophiel nodded to me and we went our separate ways, taking down the variety of demons that had been coming at us.

  We were only two archangels, but I could see why we were deemed such a high rank; our power was immense alone, and together,
it was like we were unstoppable. Several times I dodged the lightning that attempted to strike me down and wound me, weaving in and out of obstacles that wanted to block my path. I was still the girl I had been, pacifism aside and I knew Light more than anything in this moment. I knew I couldn't give up. I could feel the distress and fear coming from Jophiel and I stopped short and turned. Upon the hill, he faced the fear dragon that hovered, watching him with soulless eyes. "Jophiel!" I screamed, breaking out my wings to meet him there, to fight until death and as I grew closer, the dragon lashed out, emitting a roar deep from within its chest and brought its jaws upon him.

  * * *

  I woke with a start, forcing myself to open my eyes for I was too afraid to see what was to become of him, though something inside me knew how it would have ended. It was just a nightmare. I sent a silent thank you to the Heavens and shivered under the covers, bolting up when I heard someone at the door. "It's just me," Jophiel's voice said in the darkness.

  Exhaling loudly, I was relieved to hear his voice. "You can come in you know," I said with a small smile across my face. He hesitated by the door for a moment and walked inside, going around my bed onto the empty side and laid next to me. We lay there in silence for a while until I turned around to face him and stared at the outline of his body.

  "I had a nightmare," he said, causing my heart to speed up in my chest. Steadying my breathing, I inched closer to him, seeking comfort.

  "What happened?" I asked, hoping I wouldn't regret it.

  He spoke of the same nightmare, the same ending and I couldn't help but feel paralyzed in my own skin. It was one thing when it was just me having the nightmare, but it was definitely another when we both had it. What did this mean for us? "I had... the same nightmare," I admitted, my stomach tying into large knots. He turned to me and looked me in the eyes with a serious expression. His hand was flat against the air in front of me and I stared at it for a moment before putting my hand to his, entwining our fingers together. Though the hollow pit in my stomach kept my mind running with all the possibilities of our same nightmare, his energy was soothing and melodic, attempting to calm my speeding heart. "I don't know what this means, Uriel. To be honest, I'm scared. But remember what I said the day I confessed my love for you," he said with an even tone.

  "Stop, I don't want to hear it."

  "But Uriel--"

  "I'm serious. It could just be a nightmare we shared. We do have a strong connection and remember, I saw through your eyes."

  Silence greeted the ending of the sentence and it made me regret telling him I didn't want to hear what he had to say. His other arm moved and smoothed my hair as it pulled me closer to him and he wrapped both around me. "You're right," he said. "We shouldn't live in the so-called future; we should live in the moment." Sighing heavily, I pressed myself into him and kissed his neck, feeling him tense from my lips. Looking up, I smiled at him when he gave me a look. "I know I shouldn't shut you up when there's the possibility that we saw what is to come in the future," I began to say with a shaky voice. "But I want you to know I didn't forget our past; I know we loved each other before. I will always love you and no one else. There's a reason we kept falling in love; it has to be part of Father's plan.”

  "It could very well be. Love makes us strong, but it also exploits our weaknesses. When love is at stake, we tend to not think about the outcome, for as long as we save the one we love, things won't go wrong, right? No."

  "What are you saying?"

  "I'm saying that if you had to choose between me and saving the lives of the humans we agreed to save, choose them. My life isn't as important as they are and in the end, we will always find each other."

  Tears built up in my eyes, but he was there to catch them when they fell, caressing his thumb across the bottom of my eye. He was right; we couldn't be selfish. We agreed to save the human race and fulfill our duties as archangels on this world. It was a Divine agreement that if broken, could prevent us from being with each other for eternity. Staring at him, my hands cupped his face. I wanted him to look straight at me when I said what I needed to tell him, what hadn't been said when it should have. "Jophiel, I love you," I said, my voice cracking. Putting his hands over my face, he kissed my nose. "And I love you, Uriel," he said sweetly putting his forehead to mine. I let go then, twisting my arms around his neck and pulling myself closer. He tilted my head and pressed his lips to mine, making my heart explode and I drowned in him, kissing him back the best way I knew how. A gasp escaped my lips as he pushed me down and rolled on top of me, deepening the kiss.

  Love. I thought I knew it when I told Nikita I loved her and I did, but this kind of love was different, feeding me the power I needed to get by in life. It was the safe feeling, the happiness, the balance of positive emotions that I needed to be sane in a world that provided no comfort; the reassurance I needed to know that in the end, things will get better. Though Dark was overpowering the Light, there was always a way for that Light to shine through and eliminate the pain, the tears, the loneliness... enough to hope for the best, even when it seems that all hope is lost.

  When I had woken for the second time, I found myself still unclothed from before and felt my body heat up, the blood rushing to my cheeks when I realized he was sleeping beside me. I silently picked up my clothes and put them in the hamper, replacing them with fresh ones from the dresser. Someone moved downstairs and I strained my ears to hear Jenna and Gazardiel talking quietly among themselves and I went over to Jophiel and shook him awake. His sleepiness melted away and was replaced by the same blushing feeling I had when I realized what had happened not too long ago. Handing him his clothes, I still respectively turned from him and let him get changed before we headed downstairs to meet them. "Good morning you two. I hope you slept well," Gazardiel said looking at us weirdly as Jenna giggled. My face flushed and I sat down, needing to change the subject before it went too deep. "Not really," I said, partly truthful.

  "Why? What happened?"

  "We both had a nightmare... The same one."

  "Hmmm. This could mean a little intuition into the future or could mean that your connection became stronger and therefor, one of you got inside the other's head during your sleep. What was it about?"

  "Jophiel and I were fighting hordes of demons, but in the end, the... fear dragon got a hold of him."

  There was silence in the room and I stole a glance at Jophiel who sat looking down at the table. The house began to shake uncontrollably as the skies opened up and spewed fire, one landing into the house, causing us to jump. "What the--" Thunder roared above us as air sirens screamed with warning and the sound of people screaming in fear. My heart dropped into my stomach, wanting to be eaten away by the acid threatening to rise in my throat. This couldn't be happening, not now. We ran to the window and looked out. It was like the sky had fallen and the world was crumbling in on itself. The cement roads were split apart. Through the cracks, lava flowed like blood in veins and the sky was pitch black. My heart beat rapidly within my chest as Jophiel grabbed my hand, entwining our fingers together. He looked down at me with sad eyes. "Remember what I said, okay?" he asked me seriously. Nodding meekly, we walked to the front door and opened it as few humans ran with demons chasing them, hopping on them and devouring their souls.

  My stomach lurched at the scene, and all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball. Jophiel pulled me into a hug and our lips found each other, needing for the reassurance our love gave us and we stepped apart, staring into each other's eyes for one last second. When he looked away, I choked on tears, hoping this wouldn't play out like the nightmare. I summoned my blades, releasing my wings and ran into our made battlefield. We slashed at the demons that spotted and leapt at us; we were always best as a team and the roar of the dragon stopped me in my tracks. No, this couldn't happen. "Uriel!" Jophiel screamed, leaping forward to slice a demon that had gotten too close to me while I was distracted. "I know this is hard," he said over the booming thunder. "But remember, this isn't a
bout us. It's about this world and our world. If we don't succeed in our mission, we will never be together." The truth hurt and it made me want to die inside, but with a quick kiss to his hand, I nodded even as the tears fell from my eyes.

  We drew the attention of distant demons and we sliced our way through them, helping the humans escape to safety, though something told me safe was no longer a word to use. The roar of the dragon boomed in the sky, louder than the thunder that had shook the earth and my eyes found the sky where it circled before descending quickly, its wings outstretched and its claws open. My heart shot to my stomach and I ran for Jophiel as a canine-like demon lunged for me, knocking me down and pinning me. I struggled against it, snarling at it and banging its nose with the hilt of my sword. "Damn it, get off!" I screamed, my heart racing in my chest. A group of demons followed suit of the canine and descended on me as I watched in horror as the dragon, at full force with jaws wide open, plummet to the earth where Jophiel stood. "No!" I yelled, tears stinging my face. The ground shook violently. Power exploded from me, knocking the horde back at full force and piercing them with shards of the angry energy. I rushed to the crater made by the dragon's force, small hope tugging at my chest, only to flat line when only his sword remained.

  Descending into the crater, I picked it up with tears pouring from my eyes. An ugly sob escaped me as I ran my hand down the cool steel that was made physical. It was then that I realized what had happened; the nightmare became the cold, harsh reality I was now to live alone. Stabbing the ground with his sword, I screamed; sadness laced with an undeniable hatred and power exploded from me, pushing me deeper into the solid dirt. In response, the dragon roared, a mocking tone that came from its grinning mouth and disappeared. I screamed at the empty skies, forcing my power upward in a beacon of light, wanting the pain to escape me... but it didn't and I succumbed to the darkness that clouded my vision. No one will be forgiven.