White Wings

by Aimee Jessica Russ

  With a roar of pain from Teal, Cillian gripped Teal’s wings and was trying to rip them out of his skin. Cillian aggressively shook his leg and Isabel went flying through the air. She started screaming. Mace hastily flew to catch Isabel to save her from falling to her death. He took a swift look behind him and saw that Mischa was now attacking Teal. Mace was tempted to help Teal, but he had to save Isabel first. He continued soaring through the sky towards Isabel. He caught her and her scream ended. Her bruised face looked at Mace.

  “Benjamin,” she said softly through her cut lip.

  Mace could feel her heart beating rapidly against his body.

  “It’s okay,” he said, trying to calm her.

  Mace looked up and saw Channing going to Teal’s aid. He felt relieved, but he still wanted to help. Mace started to fly in Teal’s direction until he felt a hand wrap around his leg. With a rush of air, Mace and Isabel were thrown towards the ground. Mace tried to steady himself, but the force was too strong. Mace and Isabel plunged into the Earth. Isabel went skidding across the ground until she was hurled into a tree. Mace also skidded and hit a fallen tree that lay on the ground. His wings fluttered with pain. His eyes opened, and he saw Drake standing in front of him.

  “Look who’s back,” he said, kicking Mace in the stomach. “Couldn’t get enough of me?”

  Mace looked over at Isabel. She wasn’t moving. He feared for her life.

  “The bitch isn’t dead,” Drake said with a grin.

  A woman with white blonde hair appeared from behind the tree, wearing long, black pants with a black singlet top. Her light blue eyes pierced through the darkness. She grabbed Isabel by the hair and dragged her along the ground. She had a pure evil smile across her mouth. She threw the body on the ground, and Drake walked over to her. His lips kissed her neck. Mace leapt to his feet.

  “Well, well, well. Look what we have here,” she said with a sly voice. “It’s Benjamin, isn’t it? Or should I say Mace?”

  Disgust fell over Mace. “Miss Hades, is it?”

  She laughed. “It was so hard just to sit back and watch you and Millie. I was tempted to kill you a few times.”

  Mace’s heart skipped a beat when she mentioned Millie’s name. He wondered if she was safe, if she was okay. He hadn’t felt anything from her since she left him. He had to believe that she was okay.

  “So you just became a teacher to watch us?” Mace asked.

  “Precisely,” she said as they all noticed Isabel’s body slowly moving.

  “It was just so great that a teacher mysteriously won a vacation,” she said with a smile.

  “What did you do to him?” Mace asked.

  “Don’t worry. No one killed him, but it was very tempting. We just sent him on a small trip to get him out of the way.”

  “How kind,” Mace said, watching as Isabel tried to sit up.

  Miss Hades grabbed Isabel by the hair and pulled her to her knees. Isabel screeched in pain. There was a cut on her head that sent blood down her face. Her shoulder was dislocated and one of her legs looked broken in multiple places. Her eyes were barely open.

  “I’m not going to be exactly nice right now,” she said with a smirk.

  “Don’t hurt her,” Mace ordered.

  “Don’t you dare tell me what to do, you pathetic Angel.”

  Mace stood there wondering how an Angel of the Lord could become so evil and wicked. “Don’t harm her. You used to be pure. You used to love humans.” Mace tried to convince her to let Isabel go.

  “Not anymore,” she said as her hand grabbed a small, silver blade from her back pocket. “I’m pure evil,” she said as she slit Isabel’s throat.

  Isabel fell to the ground lifeless. The blood poured out of her neck and flowed around her. Mace closed his eyes. He couldn’t bear to think how Millie would react. He felt sorry for her. He thought about all the pain she must have gone through just because she was friends with Millie. He knew she was not in pain anymore, that she would be going to Heaven--a place that Mace hadn’t seen for a long time.

  Cillian and Mischa flew down from the sky and landed next to Drake.

  “We missed out on all the fun,” Mischa said with a slight laugh.

  Mace wondered if Teal and Channing were okay, if they were even still alive.

  “The fun is just beginning,” Miss Hades said.

  “Find her!” Drake ordered.

  Cillian and Mischa disappeared into the woods. Drake smiled and threw a fireball at Mace. Mace flew up in the air and threw a white cosmos back at him. Drake simply moved his head and it missed him. His lips touched Miss Hades’ lips hard. He placed his large hand on her cheek, and a smile came across her face. She turned her head whilst Drake looked at Mace. She ran into the woods, and Drake flew towards Mace.

  Nineteen

  The Fight for Millie

  Millie tapped her finger on her knees. Time was going slow. Sweat dripped down her forehead. She was nervous about what was happening and what was going to happen. Her mouth desired water. The heat was making her sweat even more. Every time her mind tried to think of something to pass the time, her thoughts came back to Mace. She was scared for him. She looked around, trying to find something to concentrate on. She could hardly see anything. The darkness of the night had settled in.

  Hudson was sitting up on a tree branch, dangling one leg whilst his back leant against the trunk. He looked calm, but his eyes were watchful. Lilly walked around, stretching her legs. Her long, golden hair flowed down her back--she looked like a goddess in the moonlight. Every time a sound came from the forest, Lilly would stop for a moment, then continue walking.

  Millie could smell a familiar smell. It was lingering in the air, and it irritated her nose. She sneezed, breaking the silence. Hudson looked at her and smiled. She rubbed her nose. It was getting thicker. She recognised the smell: Smoke. Memories came back to her when Henry’s family holiday house blew up in flames--when the forest was ablaze and the smoke was thick. She felt soft hands on her shoulders. She looked up to find Lilly’s calming smile.

  “It’s okay, Millie,” she said.

  “The smoke?” Millie asked as she tried to escape the bad memories.

  “It’s fine. It’s just the more experienced Fallen showing off,” she said with a smile.

  “If the smoke is close, doesn’t that mean they’re coming closer?” Millie asked.

  “Smoke can travel a vast distance before the fire comes.”

  “Okay,” Millie said, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

  Lilly stood up and continued circling around the small open area.

  Millie didn’t like being in the woods where her friends had died. It brought back too many memories, and the smoke made it harder to not think about it. That weekend was supposed to be fun and memorable, and it had turned out to be horrific. Millie clenched her head in her hands. She wanted to forget the memories, but she was scared she never would.

  Hudson’s leg stopped moving and he sat up straight. His face was full of concern. Lilly stopped walking around, and this time, she did not continue. Hudson and Lilly stared at each other. He jumped out of the tree with a loud thud. Millie looked up. Lilly ran over to her and pulled her to her feet.

  “What’s happening?” Millie asked, starting to panic.

  “They’re coming,” Lilly said.

  Millie was speechless. They went into the middle of the small clearing. Lilly stood in front of her and Hudson stood behind. Their eyes watched every direction. Millie’s breathing became more rapid. She wondered how many were coming. She wondered if this was the last moment she would see Lilly and Hudson alive. She saw a figure coming out of the trees. It was Cillian. His smile sent chills down Millie’s spine. She looked over her shoulder and saw Mischa. She looked back and forth, wondering what the plan was going to be. She became nervous, and her palms became sweaty.

  “Give her to us,” Cillian said in a loud voice.

  “In your dreams,” Lilly said boldly.

&nb
sp; Cillian chuckled. “I’ll make you a deal,” he said. “If you fall, we will leave Millie alone.”

  Lilly was confused, but she knew he was playing a game.

  Millie didn’t want Lilly to fall for her. She wished Lilly would decline.

  “Why would you want me to fall?” Lilly asked, full of confidence.

  “So I can have you on your back whenever I want,” he said with a cunning grin.

  Millie looked at Hudson. His body seemed to remain perfectly still, but she saw his hands formed fists and his jaw flexed.

  “Or better yet, have you on top of me.”

  “You wish,” Lilly said, as her wings spread through her skin. Hudson immediately followed. The wings barricaded Millie until Lilly and Hudson charged at them. Millie was left alone and helpless.

  Hudson tackled Mischa and they fell to the ground. Mischa pushed him off and punched him in the jaw. Hudson kicked him in the ribs and they both went flying through the trees. Lilly ran up a tree and landed on Cillian’s shoulders. Her legs tried to crack his neck, but he threw her to the ground.

  “Now, this is what I’m talking about,” he said looking at Lilly lying on the forest floor.

  Lilly jumped to her feet and pushed him into a tree, pinning his arms.

  “If you wanted to get closer to me, all you had to do is ask,” he said with a smile.

  He tried to kiss her, but before his lips could touch hers, she head-butted him.

  “I see you like to play rough,” he said as he wrapped his legs around her waist and leaped into the air. They landed flat on the ground with Cillian on top of her. “I wish you were on top.”

  Lilly hit her wings into his face. She kicked him off her, and he stood at her feet. Lilly stood up and entered into arm-to-arm combat.

  Millie stood there, staring. She hadn’t moved. She didn’t know what to do. She thought if she hid, someone could easily grab her without Lilly or Hudson even noticing. Suddenly, she saw a familiar face appear out of the darkness. Her hair stood out in the dark as if it were a candle--it glowed. As she came closer and closer, Millie gasped.

  “Miss Hades?” she said in shock.

  “When I’m not in school, I like to be called Vania,” she said with a grin.

  Lilly noticed her, and Cillian took his advantage by pulling on her arm and throwing her into the air. He kicked her stomach and she flew into the high branches. Hudson came flying out of the trees and grabbed Vania by the hips, flinging her into the darkness. Hudson followed her. Lilly jumped out of the branches and kicked Cillian in the side of the head. He stumbled towards the ground but grabbed onto her foot. Lilly kicked his head again, then landed on the floor and started to run to Millie. Cillian pulled Lilly back to him by her wings. He pulled her close to him, and his mouth opened and he bit her neck. He ripped the skin and blood started to pour out of the wound. Cillian pushed her to the ground, and Lilly fell in pain, her hand clenched her neck. She looked up at Millie.

  “Run,” she said. When Millie didn’t move, she said again, “Run, Millie!”

  Millie jolted and started to run. She looked back and saw the glow of Lilly’s wings fading into the distance. She continued to run with fear. Her eyes could hardly see a thing; the moon was her only light. She could vaguely hear booming sounds from the battle. She feared for her life. She was alone, helpless, and vulnerable to attack. Her legs avoided twigs and rocks whilst her body dodged trees and branches. Her breathing rapidly quickened, and her shirt clung to her body with sweat.

  It all brought back memories of her running through these exact same woods. Her eyes fought back tears at the memory of all of her friends running and one by one dropping like flies. The wind blew in her hair as she ran. She was running swiftly--her legs had never run this fast before. The trees were flying by at a rapid pace. The grace was helping her run away from the enemy faster than she ever could before, although she did not know where she was running to. She was scared.

  Without warning, she saw silver electrical currents fly by her. It was a black cosmos. She was frightened. Her legs kept running, even though she wanted to stop and cry. She knew she was not alone now. Abruptly, someone knocked her to the ground. She started to scream until he covered her mouth. Her legs kicked him and her hands slapped him.

  “Millie, it’s me, Zeke,” he said softly.

  She stopped moving. Her mouth would have opened in shock if he wasn’t holding it. His voice was calming. She felt safe now. He slowly removed his hot hand from her mouth. His nose was nearly touching hers.

  “Zeke? What are you doing here?” Millie asked softly.

  “I’m here to protect you. Sorry I couldn’t get to you earlier. It was too risky,” he said. His body felt hot against Millie’s. It made her sweat more. Her cheeks flushed.

  “You need to be as quiet as you can. There are Fallen nearby and they’re trying to capture you. They know you’re very close.”

  “They tried to kill me.”

  “That was a warning shot to scare you.”

  Millie’s breathing should have been calming down, but Zeke on top of her made it worse.

  “Why are you helping me?” she asked.

  “I think you know why,” he said as his black hair dangled over his forehead.

  Millie didn’t know what to say.

  “Do you know where Mace is?” she asked.

  His face moved away from Millie’s. “I don’t know,” he said, rolling off her. “I was sent to keep an eye on the battle. I saw him there, but he left.”

  “Did you find her?” a distant voice said.

  Millie was frightened.

  “Climb into the trunk,” Zeke whispered.

  Millie crawled along the ground and hid in a small opening of a tree trunk. It was dark. Zeke crawled after her.

  “Stay here until I get back. If something happens to me, I want you to run,” he said, standing up.

  “Thank you,” Millie said.

  She could see a faint outline of a smile. He walked away and disappeared quickly into the dark. He was wearing all black, which camouflaged him in the darkness. Millie looked around the cramped hole she was in. It was dark and dry. Her feet crackled on leaves. She wondered if any creatures were hiding in the hole as well. The cramped space made her sweat even more. She tried to collect her thoughts and breathe normally. She poked her head slightly out of the hole to see if she could hear anything.

  “Did you find her?” Zeke asked as he approached two Fallen.

  “Nope. What about you?” one asked.

  “I lost her in the darkness,” Zeke replied.

  “She is a fast runner. Too fast for a human,” the other Fallen said.

  “It’s the grace from the Angel,” Zeke said.

  “She must be getting lucky then,” one commented.

  The other one laughed. Zeke didn’t look too pleased.

  “Well, we should split up and keep looking for her,” Zeke suggested.

  “Yep. Good luck, boys.”

  They started to head off in different directions, until they heard a voice.

  “Well, well. Look what we have here.”

  Millie felt a hand grab her hair. The hand pulled her out of the hole. He picked her up and flung her against the tree.

  “You’ve been causing a lot of trouble, missy,” the Fallen said in an icy-cold tone.

  He picked her up and threw her until she landed in front of Zeke and the two Fallen.

  “I have found our trophy,” the icy-voiced Fallen said as he landed at Millie’s feet. “Finally. She was beginning to bore me.”

  “But it was a good excuse to kill us some Angels.”

  They all laughed. Zeke laughed as well. It was very convincing that she started to think that he was just protecting her this whole time to gain her trust then backstab her. He told me that he loved me. It seemed real.

  “We should take her to Drake now.”

  “He will be very pleased.”

  “Hopefully, Lucifer will give us a reward.
”

  Millie steadied herself on her feet. She clenched her right arm. It was in pain.

  “Should we have a little fun with her before we bring her to Drake?” the icy-voiced one asked.

  “I like that idea.”

  “I haven’t had me a human in weeks.”

  One of them grabbed her by the hips and pressed her body against theirs.

  “Let go,” she said. She tried to pull herself away from him but he was too strong.

  “As you wish.”

  The man let her go and she felt another set of hands on her hips. He pulled her close to his body. She tried to pull herself away from him, but it was no use. She felt a familiar pair of lips kiss her neck. He turned her around and saw it was Zeke. Suddenly, he pulled her behind him. Zeke started to back up with Millie clinging to the back of his shirt. I knew it Millie thought. His feelings towards me are real.

  “What are you doing?” one of them asked.

  “Saving her,” Zeke replied.

  They all looked confused but angry. Zeke turned his head towards Millie.

  “Remember what I said,” he said as he leapt into the air and on top of them.

  Millie turned around and started to run again. Her breathing picked up and her legs ran as fast as they could. Her right arm hung useless beside her body in pain.

  After running for several minutes, her legs were beginning to tire. Her throat started to choke with dryness, but she pushed on. She knew if she stopped, the Fallen would be upon her. Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her. They were coming up to her rapidly. She wondered if it was Zeke or Lilly or Hudson or Mace. She wanted to stop, but what if it was Drake? Her legs ran. They gave everything they could until she fell over a fallen branch. Her body skidded along the forest floor for several inches. She opened her eyes to find Lexi standing above her.

  “Are you okay?” she asked in concern.

  Lexi helped her to her feet. Millie’s knees were tender and bleeding. There was a scratch above her eyebrow that was bleeding as well.

  “Everything hurts, but besides that, I’m okay,” Millie answered.