Lucy, Fallen (The Infernal Paradise)

by Yolanda Olson

  “On my honor, I will give myself to you and join your family,” I promised looking into his eyes.

  He searched my eyes for signs of deception, but there were none. Angels can’t be deceptive and even though he knew that he had to be sure. Reaching down he placed his hands on my collar and began to unscrew the bolt that held it place when he realized it wasn’t there. He pulled off the collar and examined it. When he saw the bite marks a knowing smile crossed over his face and he looked at me.

  “I see you’ve met Keilyn.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said with a waiver to my voice.

  “Mm. I’m sure you don’t. She’s such a mischievous child. I could only imagine what she would say if she wanted to speak. She’s not mute you know, she just chooses not to speak. Not to mention that she must like you. Normally she’s the one that attacks and kills the prisoners, not frees them,” he said as he lifted me up into his arms, cradling me close as he walked up the stone winding steps.

  As we reached the main hall, I saw most of his flock was watching us curiously while others did not dare to look in our direction. Sighing, I looked over to the right and I saw a head of white blonde curls jumping up and down in excitement. I knew it was Keilyn and I smiled. The group of children she was playing with looked over at us and one of them gave her a nudge and she turned her eyes to follow the child’s stare and when she saw me she squealed in happiness and waved at me, revealing razor sharp teeth that I had not noticed before.

  No wonder she was able to bite through the chains.

  I waved back at her and she ran over to us, still barefoot but in play clothes; a cute denim ruffle skirt and a black V-neck shirt with a starry glitter patter shooting across the front of it. She looked up at me and Deveraux and lifted her arms. I thought for a moment she wanted him to carry us both, but instead he smiled and placed me into her arms. Keilyn held me with ease and squeezed me close to her before rocking me back and forth for a moment like a baby doll.

  “That’s enough Kei,” Deveraux said reaching for me as she started to walk away with me.

  She looked up at him with a pout before he grabbed me away and I looked at her. How could a child who was as kind and loving as her be such an evil soul? How could she be a killer when all she seemed to want to do was take care of me?

  “She’s never seen an angel before,” he said reading my thoughts again.

  “But doesn’t she know...”

  “Of course she does. She’s very smart; more than some of the greatest minds I know. But she’s still a child and a child is naturally curious, no matter what they might be. And to be honest with you, having Keilyn on our side will greatly improve our chances of getting approval with the other Elders. She scares the hell out of them.”

  He carried me in silence the rest of the way. We went up a grand staircase, then down a hall and took a left. There was another staircase there, but this one looked carpeted and curved slightly to the right. The hallway was dimly lit by small archaic lanterns and as he walked closer to the large double doors at the end of the hall I noticed no other rooms on this floor. I realized that this must be his floor. This entire upper wing of the house was his and his alone, and now he was taking me into his bedroom.

  Eternal damnation, here I come.

  He balanced me in his arms and used a hand to open the heavy wooden doors. The room was big and it was beautiful. There were black curtains that looked to be made of silk carefully hanging on the windows. The bedroom floor was carpeted in gentle scarlet and in the center sat a large bed that was being held together by a black oak frame. The large mattresses were covered in black and white sheets that somehow seemed to fit just right with the décor in the room. The walls held candles in Victorian holders; tapers half burned away and new ones in the holders next to the bed. The faint smell of sandalwood that I had smelled throughout Deveraux’s opulent home was much stronger in here.

  He placed me gently on the bed and went back to the doors and pulled them closed. I lay there with my eyes closed and heard the click of him locking the doors and began to tremble. This was forbidden. What I was about to do to save my brothers and sisters was forbidden. How could I disobey such a request to stay pure? It was a privilege to be as I was and now I was going to throw it all away because the devil with the dreamy amethyst eyes and the perfect touch said that he would give me wings and help me save the other angels.

  “Be still Lucy,” he said as he came back to the bed and lay down next to me. “I have your word on your honor that you will give yourself to me and because you’re a goody-goody, I know that you won’t go back on your word. But I also won’t take advantage of how weak you are right now. I’ll let you rest in my chambers for the next few days and I’ll have Keilyn watch over you and keep the others away. I know she’ll keep you safe. You have three days to get better. We’ll have a meeting with the Elders Council in seven days and I want to show them that you are on our side,” he said as he pulled the sheets over the both of us and closed his eyes.

  I closed my eyes and fell into a deep slumber with his last words of the evening running rampant through my head.

  You have three days to get better.

  Four

  When I awoke the next day that would be morning, I opened my eyes to find myself staring into the large curious eyes of Keilyn. She smiled shyly and jumped off the bed when our eyes met. I pushed myself up and looked over the foot over the bed where she went back to busily coloring a picture.

  There were crayons spread out all over the carpeted floor and she had a hard piece of wood to keep her picture from getting ruined by the carpet. I stretched out over the bed on my stomach and watched her as she drew and colored with a fierce concentration on her face. After a few more touches she smiled and held up the picture to me and I gasped.

  She had drawn me. And she drew me so well that it looked like the picture was alive. I was standing on a mountain top half naked as I was right now and I had wings. Beautiful blue and purple wings with tips of dark orange. She had drawn me with the wings that Deveraux had promised me.

  Keilyn stood up from the floor and clasped her hands in front of her watching me anxiously.

  “Thank you, Keilyn. This is absolutely beautiful and it means so much to me,” I said sitting up and embracing her.

  She let out a happy squeal and hugged me back placing the top of her soft curls against my face.

  The door opened and in he walked looking as glorious as ever in a pair of black slacks and a crisp blue shirt that hugged his strong body like a jealous lover. He was wearing shiny black dress shoes and his hair was in place as it was before.

  And he looked quite amused.

  “I wish I had a camera right now,” he said with a chuckle.

  Kei quickly turned her head and stuck her tongue out before going back into my arms to continue our hug. I brushed my hands softly over her hair and held her close.

  “Is it okay with you if I show him what you drew?” I asked her gently.

  She let me go and nodded, taking a seat next to me on the bed.

  I held the picture up to Deveraux who held it in his hands examining it carefully. Finally after a few moments, he looked at her and crouched in front of her and spoke in a language that I was never meant to understand. I watched as she nodded earnestly and how he placed a hand on the back of her head and gently pulled her forward to kiss her on top of her head.

  “Then I promise that’s how it will be,” he said smiling at her.

  She grinned widely revealing her row of deadly teeth and gave me another hug before she skipped out of the room. He smiled after her before he stood and placed the picture on the bed next to me.

  “She’s great, isn’t she?” he asked thoughtfully.

  “I’m very fond of her,” I agreed getting to my feet.

  “How are you feeling today?” he asked turning his attention back to me.

  “A little better. I can stand on my own so I think that’s a goo
d sign,” I said with a small smile.

  “Very good,” he amended. “Would you like something to wear? I don’t know what angels wear but I’m sure that they aren’t naked all the time. Or half naked anyway,” he said stealing a glance at me.

  I wrapped my hands around myself, covering my breasts, suddenly aware of how I was exposed again and nodded, “That would be nice, thank you,” I said softly.

  “I’ll be back then,” he said as he retreated from the room.

  After a few minutes he came back with a simple sapphire colored slip on dress and some soft black sandals. He also had presented me with a pair of black cotton panties.

  “Don’t worry. I’ve given you three days, and you’ll have them. Well, two now anyway. Also I’ll turn on the water so that you can shower before you get dressed. You look a bit trodden which is understandable. I’m... I’m sorry for the conditions I kept you in,” he said quietly as he hurried through a door into the next room.

  I heard the rush of strong current of water in the next room that reminded me of a waterfall in Brazil I had once went to. The tropical surrounding was beautiful and the water was so crystal clear that you could see everything below you. I remember swaying in the water watching the different fish as they swam below me and how the water felt as it crashed on top of me.

  “Are you okay, Lucy?” he asked curiously.

  My face turned red when I realized that he had caught me reliving that moment.

  “Yes.” I cleared my throat. “I’ll be out in a few moments,” I said walking past him.

  I stepped into the water and let it run over my face, going back to Brazil in my mind. I had gone there of my own volition because I remember one of my brothers telling us how it had to be one of the more beautiful spots on Earth. I left that next dawn rising and found the waterfall. He hadn’t mentioned it so I felt proud of myself; almost as if I had made some discovery no one had known about. That’s where I slept that night as well. I didn’t want to leave just yet so I crawled inside the cavern and lay next to a jaguar that had made her home in there as well. She, noticing me for what I was, had moved to the back wall to allow me room as to not get splashed by the water as we slept. The next morning I awoke with her head in my lap, her ears flicking to the sounds of the jungle. I remembered running my hands affectionately over her head causing her to purr before she got to her feet and nudged me to do the same. Then she licked my hand before she disappeared into the jungle. I remembered stepping out from behind the waterfall and –

  The pounding on the door cut through my thoughts like a knife through butter and I dropped the wash cloth I was using in surprise. The pounding grew more frantic as I could hear faintly over the water the sound of blaring in the sky.

  The next thing I knew Deveraux put his weight into the door to bust it open and pulled the curtains back. In a frantic motion he threw a towel around and grabbed me, soaking wet out of the shower.

  “What’s going on?” I asked in a panic.

  “The Thunderbirds know there’s an angel hiding in our Province. They’re coming to find this angel and execute it, I have to hide you,” he explained as he ran down the hall and jumped down the staircases holding tightly onto me.

  The devils in the House of Deveraux were moving quickly and with determination. Windows were being reinforced with steel and doors were barricaded with metal beams. The children were being ushered away by the women devils.

  It looked like a war was going to be waged right here.

  “NO! I have to hide her!” A small voice shouted so loudly that the walls about shook.

  There was a collective gasp in the room. It was Keilyn. She spoke and she was so forceful that it caused all the activity to stop. Spotting me and Deveraux, she ran over to us and pushed him as hard as she could which caused him to fall over and me with him.

  “Kei, what are you doing?” he shouted at her.

  She immediately gave him a deadly stare before grabbing my hand and running half dragging me along with her. It took me a few steps to be able to keep up with her and even though I didn’t know where she was taking me, I trusted her fully as she led me down toward the catacombs and pushed aside a stone wall that seemed to be a secret passage. She pulled me in and then moved the door back into place before she grabbed my hand again and we ran down the narrow hallway. I had to run half bent because the ceiling was low, but I followed the bouncing head of curls as she lead the way through the darkness. When we reached what looked to be a dead end, she put her weight into the stones and another door opened into a larger well lit room. She had me follow her in and she pushed the stone closed behind us. She looked around frantically with tears in her eyes. When she found a piece of paper and a pen she began to frantically write before handing it to me.

  I have to help them. I don’t want to leave you alone but I have to go. Stay here and you’ll be safe. I’ll bring Master Deveraux back to you once we get rid of them. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

  She gave me a strong hug before she ran out of the room like a shot shoving the stone door behind her firmly into place before I had a chance to argue with her. I couldn’t hear anything in this room so I didn’t know if anything was happening and if so, what. I was terrified, pacing back and forth hoping they would be okay especially her. I would be beside myself if something happened to Keilyn and I would do something irrational. I glanced around the room and saw some old layers of linen and cotton lying in piles and grabbed some of them to dry myself off and make a makeshift dress. I felt like a Roman princess the way the dress wrapped around me, but if I had to run out and help them, I wanted to make sure that I was dressed and ready.

  I settled myself onto the floor and wrapped my legs around myself praying that they would all be okay. I couldn’t believe I was actually praying for the safety of devils, but Deveraux and Keilyn had been nothing but good to me, and I needed them to be okay along with the rest of their family.

  Suddenly I heard the muffled sounds of one of the loudest screams I had ever witnessed in the history of creation. It lasted for at least one solid minute before the silence took over again.

  A half an hour of the pure agony of waiting passed before the door was being rustled. I looked around the room and grabbed an old rusty dagger to defend myself and crouched where I was ready to kill anything that came through the door that wasn’t a devil. I watched as the door slowly was pushed aside and tightened my grip on the hilt, tensing up.

  Then a small, familiar face peeked around the corner with a smile and a slightly dirty face. Kei ran toward me and hugged me tightly with Deveraux following close behind her.

  I started to weep in relief as I held her tightly and dropped the dagger.

  “I never knew this place existed,” he said in an awed voice, as he looked around. I sniffled as I tried to calm myself and he looked over at Kei and myself still hugging each other before he spoke again. “She saved everyone you know,” he said softly.

  “How?” I asked looking up at him.

  “That child has the damnedest scream I’ve ever heard in my life. It caused the Thunderbirds that were in close by to fall from the skies dead,” he explained with a chuckle.

  She looked up at me with a big smile and hopeful eyes.

  “You’re one brave little girl, Kei. I’m very proud of you. Thank you for helping them and for hiding me,” I said to her.

  She gave me one quick nod and walked over to Deveraux, grabbing him by his hand and pushing him toward me, before leaving us in the room with the door slightly cracked. I looked up at him as he stood next to me.

  “Up you go,” he said gently as he reached down and pulled me to my feet.

  I looked into his eyes for a lingering moment. I could kiss him right now and I wasn’t sure why. But I had two days left and he would have to wait until then.

  “I’m glad you’re okay,” I said.

  Smiling, he pushed my hair back out of my face, “They wouldn’t have stood a chance if they got any closer. We need you, L
ucy. My Province, my family, Keilyn; we need you. I need you,” he said bringing his face close to mine.

  I could feel his breath on me and my heart began to race.

  I pulled away from him before our lips touched.

  “My brothers and sisters need me too, Deveraux,” I reminded him.

  “I haven’t forgotten my promise. I will help you find them and we will help you keep them safe until it’s time to return them where they belong. But you... you’re mine.”

  “As agreed.”

  I felt his hands gently grip my shoulders and his breath on the back of my neck. The sensation was enough to make me weak in the knees.

  Fight it, I commanded myself.

  I didn’t have to fight too hard though.

  There was a sound of erratic footsteps coming our way and one of the male devils was shouting for Deveraux.

  “Sire! Sire! They took her!” he was yelling down the hallway.

  “Took who?” he asked letting go of me and turning to face him.

  “Keilyn!”

  Five

  My heart broke into a million pieces. They took the little girl that I had grown to love so fiercely in a matter of days. I fell to my knees and tried to think of what I could possibly to do save her in my current state.

  Nothing.

  I got to my feet and looked Deveraux straight in the eyes.

  “Give me my wings,” I said fiercely.

  “What?”

  “My wings. Give them to me you promised! It’s the only way I can save her. Give them to me,” I shouted lunging at him and hitting him in his chest.

  “It’s not that simple Lucy,” he said grabbing me by the wrists. “I can only give them to you at our highest point of ecstasy. That’s why I’ve given you the time to heal, because I’m afraid that if you get them before then the pain could kill you.”

  I looked at him in shock. He wasn’t waiting for the right time for no reason at all. He was waiting to make sure I would survive.