Into The Light (The Fallen Shadows)

by Rebecca R. Cohen

  “How you doing? I know that wasn’t exactly how you expected things to go with your Dad,” Ash asked kindly.

  “I’m hanging in,” Katharine replied, her voice shaky.

  She couldn’t understand why Ash’s kindness and care for her peace of mind was drawing the tears back to her eyes. She was trying to fight them off especially in front of Davon; he believed she should be strong and she wasn’t in the mood to hear a lecture about what a disappointment she was.

  “He’ll forgive you,” Ash said confidently.

  “Who?” Katharine asked.

  “Your Dad. I know you feel guilty about lying to him and walking out but he’s your Dad, he loves you. He will forgive you,” Ash was so sure of the words he was speaking that it made Katharine believe it too.

  “Thank you.”

  The aircraft began bouncing the way a ball would bounce on a trampoline. Ash and Davon were unaffected by the jerking plane, other than being forced to move with the motions, while Katharine and Molli were grabbing their straps tightly. Katharine could feel the descent of the plane; they had reached their final destination. Her nerves turned on hyper drive and while Ash might too be under scrutiny he was relatively calm as the aircraft touched down on solid ground.

  Once they were sure they landed safely Ash and Davon unbuckled and began going through a few of the boxes entangled in the netting. Ash opened the box closest to his stool revealing a solid black sword with a serpent engraved on the handle. He lifted the back of his shirt and placed the sword in the back of his pants where the lining met his lower back.

  On the other side of the plane Davon was doing the same thing only his sword had an engraving of blue angel wings. Katharine became even more afraid as to what was outside the aircraft. Ash and Davon looked like they were gearing up for battle already.

  “We are just going to meet with Chance right?” Katharine asked Ash as he pulled two blue knives out of the box and placed them through the loops of his pants where a belt would have rested. “You’re not bringing me into battle just yet I hope.”

  “What?” Ash gazed at Katharine and raised one eyebrow.

  Katharine motioned with her head toward the bow and arrow set Ash had just pulled out of the netting beneath the box of weapons he had already cleared out. He looked at all of the weapons he had on his person and laughed.

  “This is just a precaution,” Ash explained, closing the box and snapping the lock back in place. “With the doorway found there is always a possibility that one or two of the Descended have come back.”

  Katharine smiled, feeling relief that she was not about to walk onto a battlefield, although she still feared the wrath of Chance. But something Ash said repeated in her mind. Come back.

  “You said they have come back but back would mean that we’re…” Katharine said to Ash as she watched Davon unlatch the aircraft door and swung it open inviting in a blinding flash of light.

  She covered her eyes with her forearm to block the light from entering her pupils. The smell that accompanied the light was that of freshly baked cookies wafting through the kitchen and out into the yard luring playing children to come inside.

  “The celestial sun is brighter than any sun in any other realm, it will take your eyes a moment to adjust,” Ash said joyfully.

  The celestial sun? But that would mean that we’re in Heaven, but I’m not dead. Katharine thought to herself.

  “Trackers are of celestial descent and therefore they are able to enter certain areas of Heaven as long as their Guides are with them,” Ash said as if he had been able to read Katharine’s thoughts before exiting the aircraft with Davon and Molli directly behind.

  Katharine followed shortly after blinking rapidly as she stepped off the aircraft. Her feet stepped on something soft; it was as if she had stepped directly on a feathery pillow. Her eyes began to adjust to the brightness of the light beaming down on her, a light she thought was the sun, and she could see that she was standing on the greenest grass she had ever seen.

  The scent that met her nose was one of daisies basking in the sunlight. She took in the sensational scent, closing her eyes to concentrate all her senses in one place. The warmth of the celestial sun beaming down on her face, bathing her in its majesty, brought her to a place of stillness, which was unfamiliar territory for her, but she was not afraid. This was one form of change she was willing to run to in slow motion with arms outstretched, the way long-lost lovers did in romance films.

  “Welcome to the Anchorage, the gateway of Heaven,” Davon said.

  Katharine looked up, still blinking wildly but finally being able to see clearly the images before her and she couldn’t believe her eyes. She rubbed them and pinched the skin on her arm to make sure she was not dreaming. In all her life she had never been witness to anything so majestic.

  The Anchorage was a beautiful white building that reminded Katharine of the White House, if only the white had a yellow glow around the edges of the windows. Vines of pink and blue crawled their way from the very edge of the bottom window to the very top one of the tallest chimneys on the roof. The front door hid behind two large white columns that connected the granite walkway to the front exterior.

  The Anchorage was an absolute palace and was surrounded by beautiful gardens with giant topiaries. The topiaries were sculpted into the shapes of angels with fully extended wings in battle formation. Katharine could see three distinctive gardens; on the front and both sides of the palace but she couldn’t see anything toward the back of the palace, it was just filled with white fog and yellow glowing lights.

  The garden growing in the front of the Anchorage was filled with white flowers, the likes of which Katharine had never seen before. They had three layers of petals and in the center a bright purple pearl sat atop white pollen. The flowers stood in clusters of five, spread throughout the entire front garden.

  The second garden, closest to where Ash stood staring at the palace, was covered in the same bright green grass that they were standing upon. On the tips of the grass growing in the garden were golden symbols, which represented every religion known to man. There were however, a few symbols that Katharine did not recognize. The last garden visible to Katharine was full of perfectly formed trees that were growing golden strands as thin as yarn. The strands hung down the way the branches of a willow tree would hang in the midst of summer.

  Davon, Molli, Ash and Katharine stood side-by-side a few feet from the entrance to the Anchorage. Normally Katharine would have found this to be strange; why would anyone stand outside of a building they were supposed to go into, but she was too overwhelmed by the beauty that surrounded her to notice.

  “Beautiful,” Katharine gasped in amazement, feeling her breath fade away from her.

  “You haven’t seen anything yet,” Ash winked.

  Suddenly a bellowing sound echoed all around them shaking the ground on which they stood. Almost in sync with the bellowing echoes the white double doors in front of them began to open. Davon and Ash began walking through the doors before they had completely opened, Molli followed closely behind.

  Katharine stood outside, not following the others. She was mystified by what was unfolding in front of her. She had no knowledge as to where the Anchorage was located. She looked around to find something familiar but the only things around were the small glow of yellow lights in the distance. It was completely secluded and immensely private.

  “Katharine let’s go, we mustn’t keep Chance waiting!” Davon said, poking his head out from inside. Katharine composed herself and followed Davon inside.

  As Katharine stepped inside the Anchorage she immediately took notice of the white walls and granite flooring. The pathway was lit with lanterns of fire that illuminated with a yellow glow. With the help of the firelight Katharine could see that hanging on the walls were pictures framed with beautiful rosewood. Each picture seemed to tell a different story.

  Katharine focused on of one of them in particular, the one that hung in the m
iddle of a group of four and was much larger than the rest. The picture seemed to tell a disturbing story about love. Within the frame stood a strong and strapping angel adorned in a sheer white suit and its glowing white wings exposed behind him. The woman in the picture, with black flowing hair and fierce blue eyes, wore a sheer gown that was sheathed with blood. She held her arms outstretched towards the angel who was crying.

  “Every picture on these walls tells the story of our history and how we came to be,” Ash whispered in Katharine’s ear as she gazed at the picture.

  “What story is this?” she asked, pointing to the frame in front of her.

  Ash stared at the picture for a moment and sighed. His focus was admirable and inspiring. It was as if he were jumping into the minds of the individuals in the picture in order to tell their story.

  “This is the story of Rafael and Serena. Rafael is one of Heaven’s fiercest archangels and was once Michael’s closest confidant that is until he met Serena, a Transporter. It is a rule that archangels are not to fraternize with Transporters, in fact it is absolutely forbidden,” Ash explained, keeping his focus on the picture. “But you see Rafael in all his mightiness couldn’t resist the charms of a woman. The two fell madly in love and when the elders found out, Serena was cast out and Rafael punished for a million years for betraying his laws.”

  “I thought you said the pictures told the story of your history. What does a forbidden romance have to do with that?” Katharine asked.

  “Well here’s where it gets really complicated,” Ash said almost joyfully, “Serena was the very first to be cast out, the first of the Descended,” Katharine’s jaw dropped. She was standing there staring at the picture of the woman who led her to where she stood at that moment. The woman was exquisite with hair as golden as Molli’s but shorter extending just below her ears. Her eyes were an identical color to her golden hair and the cream color of her skin was flawless. She had the body of the girls Katharine saw in romance films many times before. There was nothing unappealing about her, well with the exception of the fact that Serena was the reason for everything that had happened to Katharine in the last few weeks. “Rafael and Serena are the reason why the elders are very strict when it comes to forbidden romances and believe me there have been many.”

  Ash’s voice dropped, he was all too familiar with the punishments brought forth by a forbidden love.

  “You sound like you’ve had some experience in that department,” Katharine teased unaware of just how deep his knowledge went.

  He stood there staring into the eyes of Rafael’s picture and he felt envy. The love of his life was cast out but she would always remember him and the love they shared. He clenched his fists and his face began to become tense and hard.

  “We should keep moving,” he said walking away from the picture leaving, Katharine straggling behind.

  She watched him walk away, fists still tightly clenched, and she felt sorry for him. He always looked so strong and tall to her but now he seemed so weak and so small. She felt afraid, but this time she wasn’t afraid for herself she feared for Ash. He was more breakable than she had ever realized.

  Davon took Molli down a passageway that was nestled in between two large columns with the word, “Yashen,” written on them.

  “Where are you going?” Katharine shouted before they became small silhouettes in the shadows of the passageway.

  “I’m taking Molli to her sleeping quarters. You and Ash need to go see Chance, he’s waiting for you in the east garden,” Davon shouted as they turned into the inevitable silhouettes.

  Katharine and Ash made their way down the lantern lit pathway until they reached an opening that led out into the garden with the white flowers. Katharine stepped onto the soft grass and the scent that met her nose was the same scent that touched one of her senses when she and her parents took a trip to the Botanical Gardens in New York a few years earlier. Only this was intoxicating and ran throughout her entire body calming her nerves and clearing her mind.

  “Welcome Katharine,” Chance said.

  He was nothing like Katharine pictured him. He wasn’t frail and old confined to a wheelchair and bifocals. In fact, he was the exact opposite. He stood tall in the middle of a cluster of the brightest flowers in the garden. His athletic body formed perfectly inside the sheer white robe he wore. His bright yellow hair glimmered in the brilliant light that met Katharine’s eyes as she exited the aircraft. He looked as strong and youthful as Ash and Davon showing only one sign of being weathered, a large scar running down his cheek ending just above his collarbone.

  Katharine wondered if he’d acquired that scar in battle. His hands were clasped together behind his back, military style and he was wearing a sincere and welcoming smile. He wasn’t as scary as Katharine thought he would be. He was not intimidating or lashing out at her or Ash for her lack of obedience, he was standing calmly and talking to her with a gentle almost fatherly tone. “I hope Ash has been a pleasant Guide to you.”

  “Of course I have,” Ash said proudly, with his head held high.

  “Yes I’m sure,” Chance said disparagingly.

  Chance began to walk through the garden carefully as not to disturb any of the flowers, his hands remained clasped together behind his back. The Elder’s movement was fluid, almost as if he were floating rather than walking. Chance made his way closer to Katharine staring at nothing in particular as he did. As he stood in front of Katharine, Chance smiled. He bent down slowly and pulled one of the flowers from one of the clusters, raised it to his nose and took in the illustrious scent.

  “When the first angel fell everything up here changed, it created a domino effect throughout the kingdom and many other angels began to betray their sworn duties and our rules,” Chance explained. “We cast them out as punishment and as a way to keep our home pure and free from sin but our plan backfired and the Descended began a new war, on earth. Somehow they found their way out of Purgatory and into the nearest realm, earth, and so the Guides were born and thus you, the Tracker.”

  He bowed slightly, handing her the flower he had picked from the garden. She removed it from his hand and brought it up to her nose and took in the glorious scent. Ash had made his way over to a bench that sat between two particularly large clusters of flowers. He sat with one arm draped on the head of the bench and his long legs stretched out in front of him.

  “I have to admit,” Katharine said bringing the flower back to her nose. The scent it carried gave her peace and comfort and they were feelings she had not had much of lately. “I was afraid to come here. Afraid of what I might find out and afraid of well, you.”

  Chance chuckled and followed Ash’s lead by taking a seat on the bench beside him. He smacked Ash’s upper thigh the way a father would a child before providing them words of wisdom.

  “I’m not what you should be afraid of. Nothing here can harm you. You are in the presence of those sworn to protect,” Chance said, waving his hand as if to acknowledge the entire garden.

  Katharine looked around the garden but saw nothing but the flower clusters. She thought that maybe there were angels in there with them but she just couldn’t see them. Or perhaps Chance was just being metaphorical. Her eyebrows formed two arches alerting Ash to her confusion. He stood up and walked over to Katharine. He picked one of the smaller flowers from beneath his feet and stroked the petals gently.

  “Each one of these flowers were once warriors of Heaven. Guides, Archangels, Protectors and even a few of the Transporters who never made it through their transitions,” Ash explained.

  “I don’t understand,” Katharine replied looking oddly at the flower Chance had given to her.

  “When a being of Heaven dies, if their death was a noble one, their essence becomes a part of this garden, which is why the flowers are so bright. The essence of Heaven’s finest lives inside them.” Ash took the flower from Katharine’s hand and put it and the one he held in his hand back in the ground. It slid into place as if it had been
there the entire time. “It is a great honor, one that I hope to be given someday.”

  His voice faded off into the background as Katharine’s mind began to race. This wasn’t the kind of funeral she was used to. This burial was one that brought peace to the individuals but it was not as final as it was on earth.

  When her Aunt Mary died five years earlier Katharine cried for weeks. Aunt Mary’s funeral was the worst day of Katharine’s life. The pastor spoke wonderful words of comfort but his words were overshadowed by the sobs and cries of those who knew and loved their dearly departed. None more so than Katharine’s mother. She and her sister were the best of friends and grew up doing everything together.

  Aunt Mary was Katharine’s favorite aunt. She was the life of every party and always gave Katharine the best advice about love and life in general. Aunt Mary was the kind of person who seemed stronger than anything but even her strength wasn’t enough to beat stage four lung cancer. Her death was sudden but not unexpected. She was given the grave news a few weeks before she died; had the doctor’s caught the cancer in time she might have had a few more years. Losing her Aunt was the moment Katharine stopped believing in an afterlife. She never felt her Aunt’s spirit around she; was just gone. But as Katharine stood there in the garden she wondered if it were possible her Aunt’s essence survived, like the essence of the angels within the flowers beneath her.

  “Katharine you are about to embark on a journey that you did not ask to be a part of and for that I am sorry. The Guides give their lives for the cause willingly, Trackers are chosen without their knowledge or consent. It’s a terribly unfair system but it is what it is and we mustn’t focus on anything but the end goal,” Chance said getting to his feet.

  “We must prepare you for the ascension of your abilities. It can be an excruciating process and without the proper preparation it can be terribly frightening. This is why you are here.”