Rebirth - The Beautiful Fallen

by K. D. Peters

  “I do. In fact, looking at you, it’s quite obvious to me. I'd known him very well at one time, or at least as well as any of us could have.” Kinsley admitted, shaking his head.

  “What are you? You’re not human.” I said, scooting myself back a little bit. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable about this. Even with the peaceful atmosphere there, I didn’t know exactly who, or what, this man was. Or even why I’d ended up there for that matter.

  “Don’t be afraid of me child. I have no intentions of harming you. In fact, I may even be able to help you and those like you.” Kinsley told me.

  “Help us?” I repeated.

  “Yes.” Kinsley replied. He bowed slightly as he stood up, apparently trying to be polite. But to my shock, very large wings unfurled from his back. They had a beautiful tint of violet in the feathers that seemed to match his eyes. “Don’t be afraid. I am a Seraph of the Violet Flame, and the leader of the Martell Nephilim clan.”

  You have to be kidding me, I thought. I’d just brought myself right to an angel, and a Seraphim at that. And yet, he wasn’t being threatening at all. In fact, he was being extremely kind towards me. Still, I quickly stood myself up and backed away from him. “What is this all about? Why am I here?” I demanded. I just hoped I could defend myself there. I’d never had to do it in the dream state before.

  Kinsley didn’t seem bothered at all by my fear of him. Instead, he gave me an understanding look. “It’s all right. I would never cause you any harm. Although I do wonder about this myself. It seems odd that you’d just appear here all at once, and in a dream state at that. But at the same time, I see this as a good opportunity as well. Perhaps this will offer us the leverage we need to stop the nonsense now.” Kinsley said, walking over to me once again. To my surprise, he quickly reached over and took my hands in his. And almost instantly, I saw a barrage of images. Angels hunting Shadow Wings, families with large colored wings of blue, violet, and green. And the attack that I’d seen through Zane on the Shadow Wings decades before in Rome. After what seemed like an eternity, Kinsley finally released my hands. “I see now. So that’s how it’s been.”

  “What was that?” I asked in shock.

  “The past. You are a strong reader, so you can bring any of it up if you really put your mind to it. And within your blood, you carry Saffron’s memories as well as what you’ve been allowed to witness. And that includes witnessing the extermination attempts made on the dark winged Nephilims from both sides. That is why Saffron has been so desperate to have you hidden all of these years. He knows that there is a mark on your head for what you are. And you are the only thing in existence that brings him any meaning anymore. Without you, he very well may lose himself completely at this point.” Kinsley explained.

  “So why does this even matter? I’ve been born to die anyways, and even he could turn on me.” I said bitterly as I looked down. Again, I thought of Chris. And again, I felt my heart ache. It just wasn’t fair. All I'd ever wanted was to be with him forever.

  “Don’t be so afraid little one.” Kinsley comforted me as he touched my cheek and made me look at him. “If this works, it may not have to be so.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked him. I couldn’t believe how gentle he was. Were angels really supposed to be like this? I wouldn’t know, considering the only others I had gotten to see were trying to kill me.

  “We converse much between one another, and with the formation of the clans, there has been much talk of the originals who still walk in the mortal world. The original Nephilim still exist, and many of us believe now that they should not be hunted down unless they do something to break the rules of the realms. For that, we’ve been gathering to move against it all. And having what you have given me in memories, I believe there is more leverage for us now to finally put an end to it all.” Kinsley explained.

  “Really? So they’ll leave us alone?” I asked hopefully.

  “That is the aim. I’m quite grateful that you came to me, even if it was by accident, and I will do everything I can to help you. But for now, it may be better if you returned to yourself. It will be much safer for you. I will keep my contact with you to help though. Be safe child.” Kinsley said, gently kissing my forehead.

  I awoke quickly then, still feeling the gentle kiss. Sitting myself up, I looked around and realized that I was back in my bed, right where I’d fallen asleep. The room was quiet, and I could hear the rain falling outside. Was that dream real? I wondered. Had I really meet a good angel?

  Finally realizing that I heard the rain, I looked back out of the window. And as I watched it hitting the window panes, I thought again of what Kinsley had said. If it was real, and he was telling the truth, then maybe they were finally going to help us. I felt myself smile as I thought about that. For the first time, the higher powers were beginning to realize that we were living beings, not just abominations.

  For the first time ever, the Shadow Wings may be free.

  Getting myself back up from the bed, I went over to the door and peeked out into the hallway. Everything looked the same though. Frowning a little bit at the darkness, I went out and searched for a light switch. There had to be one somewhere. By then, I was finding that I was getting tired of darkness. Tired of it being around, and tired of living in it. There had to be a light at the end of this long tunnel. And I could start that by adding light to my world around me.

  Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any light switches up there though. Frowning slightly to myself, I made my way back down the stairs. Coming into the kitchen though, I stopped in the doorway. Mama was in there, quietly chopping up some meat for dinner later. Looking at her, I felt a little bit more than startled. She had aged quite drastically in that little bit of time since I’d last seen her. Her hair was now almost completely grey, and the wrinkles on her face had deepened terribly. I slowly managed to make myself speak up as I stared at her. “Mama?” I said, sounding as unsure as I felt.

  “So the demon child awakens. She always will awaken. But then, he never sleeps. He’ll never sleep. He doesn’t need to sleep, and maybe she doesn’t either.” Mama said, not bothering to look back at me.

  Now I really felt uneasy. Something didn’t feel right about this. Slowly, I took a step in there. “Mama, are you all right?” I asked, still feeling very unsure.

  Mama stopped, but still didn’t look at me. Instead, she stared straight ahead of her. “Why did you have to pick that one? Why couldn’t you just choose the other? He’s much better for you. And he’s still living. He’s cultured and strong. He would make the better choice. It's much better than pining for an evil boy who’s the enemy.” She said evenly.

  I just stood there for a moment, wondering what in the world she was going on about. Then, it slowly dawned on me. She was talking about Chris. Obviously, she had never liked that I’d fallen in love with him. She didn’t even like the fact that Saffron had predicted it. But who in the world was she talking about me choosing instead?

  At that time, I felt someone come up behind me. “Now Miss Mabel, didn’t I ask you to go upstairs and get yourself some rest? You’ve been very tired lately, and it’s not good for you.” I heard Zane say. I looked over my shoulder to see him standing there with a protective arm wrapped around my waist.

  Mama carefully turned, and for the first time, I noticed that she was limping a little bit. Obviously, her health was deteriorating very rapidly now. “Oh, you have returned again.” She said, although she didn’t sound too concerned.

  “I have. So please go and get your rest. We’ll take care of things from here.” Zane told her.

  Mama watched us for a moment, then limped away. But I could still hear her muttering under her breath as she did. Behind me, Zane waited until she was gone before he released his hold of me. “I’m sorry. I thought that perhaps she’d stay in bed. It may be better if I go up shortly and lock the door to her room.” He admitted.

  “Has it really gotten that bad this fast?” I heard myself ask as I star
ed at the doorway where she’d walked out.

  “Unfortunately it has. And it may only get worse. It’s better if you just stay away from her for now. I don’t think I need to tell you why.” Zane said.

  I felt myself nod at his words. He was probably right about that. But it still kind of hurt. Mama had always been so protective of me before. Now, she very well might harm me in her coming dementia.

  I would end up spending the next three hours down there with Zane. Shortly after Mama had gone up to her room, he’d gone up and discreetly locked the door from the outside. And afterwards, he’d tried to keep me company to distract me from her. I had to admit that I really didn’t mind it either. I’d always found that I liked Zane’s company anyways. A few times, I thought about mentioning my dream to him. But then, I thought that perhaps it would be better for me to wait until after I spoke to Saffron. Surely he’d be the one to tell me for certain about whether or not I should listen to Kinsley Martell. Maybe he could even offer me some insight as to why this Seraph had decided he wanted to help us now. So I decided to wait on it for the time being. It would probably be better if I did.

  Saffron himself finally decided to return after those three hours had passed. Of course, as soon as he did, he had decided that I would spend quality time with him only. Zane didn’t argue it with him about it either. Instead, he simply agreed, then excused himself and went back upstairs. I didn’t doubt that he knew better than to get in Saffron’s way when it came to me. But going back with Saffron to the parlor, I decided to tell him about the dream I’d had and my meeting with Kinsley Martell right away. With just the two of us, I felt like it was now safe to do so. Of course, it immediately perked his interest once I told him the whole story.

  “So they’re finally deciding to step in. It’s about time they went completely soft.” Saffron said as he sat back in the chair with me. By then, the evening was coming in, and I could see the shadows growing longer outside in the dim light.

  “You don’t think he’s trying to trick us, do you?” I asked him, keeping my eyes closed.

  “No. Kinsley’s not in a position to do so. And he’s not the same as Judiel either. If anything, he’s much higher. I suppose all of the death and destruction has finally gotten to him. But then again, he did have to go through that war as well. I’m sure rescuing that lovely little lady of his back then affected him far deeper then he wants to admit. He’s always been the type to feel pity.” Saffron replied.

  “So he’s really one of the clan leaders?” I asked, cringing again as Mama screamed from her room upstairs. She’d taken to doing that in the last hour off and on, and it was horrible.

  “Yes. He’s one of the three. But it doesn’t surprise me too much because of what he represents that he would try to mediate in situations such as these. Violets are typically the more peaceful types, although they will fight if they have to.” Saffron said. I felt him tense slightly as we heard another scream. “She’d better shut up before I go up there. I have half a mind to snap her neck for that.”

  “Couldn’t you just make it so that she’s not suffering? She’s screaming because she’s in terrible pain and her mind is going crazy.” I told him.

  “Not at all. Suffering before death is a beautiful thing.” Saffron replied.

  Of course he’d say that. Saffron would always think that death was beautiful. And the more suffering in it, the better. Not to mention that he seemed to be growing tired of her presence already. But it seemed like such a waste to me. Mama had always been so loyal to him and me. “So, why would you pick her to take care of me anyways if you’re just letting her die like this now?” I asked.

  “She was just the best candidate for the job then. She practiced the dark arts, and she was more than willing to save her own skin by any means necessary. Besides, she kept on saying that she wanted a baby before she died. So, I gave her one to take care of in her time left.” Saffron said.

  I sighed, closing my eyes. May as well change the subject. I didn’t really like thinking about this now. It made me sad to think that she was dying. Too many people seemed to be dying all at once. I found myself feeling a little more than grateful to think that Will wasn’t. “So, where did you go today? You were gone a long time. I guess you still had things you wanted to do now that you’re out.” I said, dropping our previous conversation. Hopefully he wouldn’t get too irritated now and go up there to do something about her with my showing an interest in him.

  Saffron held me close again. “Just taking care of a few small things. But more importantly, I wanted to check on what Jade was up to. I didn’t find him, but I did manage to find someone who might talk about what his recent actions have been.” he said quietly.

  “Really? So you’re that interested in knowing whether Chris is dead or alive?” I asked him.

  “Not really. It doesn’t matter that much to me if that boy lived or died. I have two perfectly good Fallen male children here to serve any needs you may have. Not to mention that I’m certain one will be beyond loyal to you now. My concern is what Jade may be planning against me and my own. I don’t doubt that he blames me and you for what happened there. And here I thought that perhaps I could get back into good graces with him again. But it won’t happen. I’m sure of it. Oh well. There’s nothing more that can be done as of now. I’ll simply have to use what I have left here.” Saffron replied.

  “You’re probably right.” I agreed. I couldn’t help but feel a bit sad as I thought of Chris. So much for my chances there. But I didn’t miss Saffron’s words either. Two other male Fallen children that could serve any needs I had. Like I would use Will and Zane like that. I wouldn’t do that.

  Or, at least, I hoped I wouldn’t.

  “However,” Saffron suddenly said, “my source was quite adamant that Christoff is still alive. He’s usually quite reliable too. I actually am rather glad to hear it. That chance is still there, and it also cuts the risk of Jade attacking you again more than in half.”

  “The chance for what?” I said, looking back at him.

  Saffron smiled at me. “What else? I want you to completely reel Christoff in. I know he’s been infatuated with you, and I know that he’s had you at least once. So all that needs to be done now is to make sure his heart will never look to anyone else.” he explained.

  “Okay, so just why are you so set on this? It doesn’t make any sense. He’s Jade’s son, the one you didn’t even want to be born in the first place. But you’ve been working hard on putting us together since the day I was born. Is this all some kind of revenge plan for you against Jade? Because if it is, I don’t want any part of it. I’m not using Chris like that.” I told him.

  “Not really. Christoff is simply the best suited for you. I know that eventually, you will have to choose consorts. No female Shadow Wing ever goes into a long life without them to help protect her. You are simply not born to fight on the level that they are. And I know that I cannot always be around at a moment’s notice. So I’m going for the next best option. And that would be putting you with their so called prince. And if that doesn’t work out, we still have the other two oldest to fall back on.” Saffron explained.

  “So basically, that’s why you’re keeping Zane and Will. And you’re hoping to get Chris back eventually. You just want me to be protected and served.” I said. I couldn’t help but think that it was all a little more than sickening. I didn’t want a consort. I wanted one person that I could love and who would love me in return.

  “You could say that. However, I’m stepping in now as well because of what I’ve seen happen. Those two others are interested in you, but they tend to be too unstable to keep you completely safe. My best bet in all of this lies with Christoff, if he indeed still lives. And if that is unable to happen, then I have another plan in order. But for now, we’ll stay with the original.” Saffron said.

  Well, I had to admit that he had some points in all of that. But I also knew how I felt in my heart about all of it. And I knew exactl
y how I felt about Chris now. Being in this situation, not even knowing for sure if he was still alive, had definitely opened my eye to how my heart felt. It didn’t matter about anything else in this. What mattered to me was that I had fallen deeply in love with Chris. Somehow, someway, I’d managed to fall in love with that stubborn, withdrawn Shadow Wing. Oh the irony of fate….

  My thoughts were interrupted though by the sound of the door opening. I looked up and followed Saffron’s gaze to see Will peeking in. “Hey, I hate to interrupt, but I think you might want to come out here. We’ve got a visitor.” he said. He didn’t look too happy as he said it either.

  Saffron looked at him for a moment, frowning slightly. Then he made us get up. “I had a feeling that he might show up here. Come along Ariana.” he ordered.

  The two of us followed Will outside to the wrap around porch. I immediately felt the temperature drop as we stepped out there. Looking ahead of us, I could see Zane sitting on the bottom step of the long stairs near us. And he wasn’t alone. Astaroth stood near him. He was the same as before, clothed in black with piercing red eyes and skin as pale as the moon. As soon as Saffron saw him, he nodded towards at Will. “Keep her close to you. He’s mine to handle.” he ordered quietly.

  “Got it.” Will agreed, reaching over and pulling me close against him by my waist. I didn’t fight it. Instead, I turned into his arms and watched. I definitely didn’t want Astaroth anywhere close to me again. Not after the last time. But I was also worried about Zane now. Looking at him there, I couldn’t help but wonder why he wasn’t fighting back. That didn’t seem right…

  “Well, this is a surprise. I didn’t think you’d show up here again this soon.” Saffron said as he walked to the top of the stairs.

  “You expected me to stand by after what’s happened? After all, it did involve my own.” Astaroth told him. His voice remained deep and penetrating, and chilled me to the core.