“Gerald finally dying. What a sight to see,” said a voice from behind him.
“Peter.”
Gerald turned to face him.
“Whoa,” Peter said when he saw Gerald’s charred body. He instinctively stepped back.
“Get into a fight with a flamethrower?” he asked.
“You always look on the surface. I look beneath. The shell may change, but you’ve always remained the same underneath that armor. The new version looks good by the way. Is that an angel wing etched on your chest plate? What a joke.”
Peter wore a full suit of polished silver body armor trimmed in black and a helmet with a black visor that covered his face.
Peter leveled his rifle and smirked.
“We’ll have to catch up later.” Gerald looked past Peter. “What’s up, ladies?”
“Turn around slowly, Herrero,” a soft female voice said from behind him. “And put that gun down.”
Peter did as he was told and saw at least ten skia on the roof with them. The one who had spoken forced him to his knees, took his helmet off and set it aside.
“Watch him,” she said to her comrades. “Gerald, I am Feit. May I have a word?”
“I’m in the middle of something actually.”
“This will only take a moment,” she said. “Our teacher and leader Verill took notice of your ascension and sent us to congratulate you.”
“Thank you. But, your numbers say otherwise.”
“We brought them for your protection,” she said. “Herrero was tracking you.”
“He is of no concern to me. But if you were so worried you should have brought his dead body as proof of your consideration. You followed him to get to me. I can’t trust you. What do you want? Tell me and be on your way.”
“Very well. Verill needs your help. He knows that you have been in contact with an angel since he arrived on this planet five days ago.”
“Five days... really?”
“Yes.”
“So it’s Monday?”
“...Yes?”
“Weird.”
“...Can I continue?”
“Oh yeah. Of course.”
“The Curtain wants the angel Gerald. In angels lie powers unexplored: the ultimate power to create and destroy at a whim. The Duo will undoubtedly use that power to eradicate human kind from this world. Who knows what they plan to do after that. Come with us. We can stop Shrazz, take the angel for ourselves and clip The Curtain before it grows too powerful to check. No organization should ever have that sort of dominance.”
“I apologize, but the only thing on my mind right now is flying. I haven’t done it in so many years. Really flown I mean, and if you stand in my way any longer I’ll kill all of you. And really, I can’t trust you. I know of Verill, and I want nothing to do with him. Get out of here. And don’t camouflage. I want to see you fly away. If I see any of you again this evening I’ll burn you alive.”
Flame, brilliant and blue exploded from his wings and the rush of hot air knocked Peter on his back and caused the half-angels to sway backward.
“As you wish.”
The skia left the two of them.
Gerald let the fire of his wings extinguish. He stood Peter up and stared into him. The human did not show any sign of fear, only anger.
“You owe me one, Peter. The same goes for you. Tonight is mine. If I see you again, I’ll bond that armor to your skin with a wave of my hand.”
Peter remained silent, and even though he desired nothing more than a chance to prove Gerald wrong, he merely nodded. He knew Gerald had saved his ass, but that was not why he was going to let him go tonight.
He wanted Gerald to leave so he could get his helmet back to his lab, hook its hard drive up to his computer and see if it recorded their meeting with Feit.
Gerald surged high into the clouds and released a pulse of energy from his angelic body. His detonation’s blinding light filled the sky and crumbled the remaining shreds of his human shell.
Clouds around him shifted, and the split uncovered Gerald’s naked body. His new skin shone with a brilliant blue aura, and his eyes were the depths of the ocean.
He flapped his wings once, sent himself upward through the clouds and slowed when he felt a drastic change in temperature. Gerald fluttered his wings to keep himself aloft.
Yeah, I’m dancing with the cirrus now. I’m just as quick as I used to be it seems.
Gerald folded his wings and dove into the clouds below. He spiraled downward and ascended again to the top of the world. With a land of clouds beneath him and the stars and moon above him, he was home.
Chapter 21
Drean opened his eyes. He was in Heaven, before The Throne of God.
What? Am I dreaming?
“Drean.” A voice boomed behind him.
God. I’m not dreaming.
Drean turned around to the Light of God and dropped to his knees in genuflection.
“Lord,” he said. “I am happy to see you.”
“You have made no progress with your mission. Why is this?” Leoran asked Drean.
“Lord you told me to learn about the humans and find what staunched the Faithstream. I have done so.”
“And?”
Something seems different about him, the inflection in his voice...
“Distrust?” Leoran said. “Your sense of duty is in jeopardy it seems.”
“Father, you just seem different.”
“I am losing strength, angel,” Leoran said.
Angel. He always addressed me by my name after I received it. Proudly. Something is wrong.
“Angel, pay attention!” Leoran grew impatient. “You will dispose of Gerald as the skia and the exous have planned.”
Dispose of him?
“Why, Lord?”
“You dare question me?”
God’s voice reverberated throughout The Sanctuary. The humming celestinite pained Drean’s ears.
“Of course not, Father. I live only to serve you,” Drean answered.
“Drean, Gerald is a fallen, you are aware of this?”
“Yes.”
“He is a betrayer of the light and must be erased. I thought I could trust him, but I cannot,” Leoran said.
“I understand, Lord.”
“The exous and the skia could be used to our advantage,” Leoran said as an afterthought. “Agree to their plan and ally with them to aid our cause.”
“Yes, Lord.”
“When you wake, do this,” Leoran commanded. “If you falter again I will replace you with someone who adheres to my will. I cannot afford a failure.”
“Yes, Lord.”
“I take my leave of you.”
Drean awoke.
God has died. My Father is no longer in existence.
He bawled.
Riell rushed into the room shortly after, alarmed.
“Drean, I was gone for just a few minutes! What happened?” She wrapped herself around him and rocked him back and forth.
Drean was inconsolable. He cried louder and buried his head into her shoulder.
“Calm down! What happened to make you this sad?”
“God, He’s... dead!” he said in-between sobs.
“What?!” Riell exclaimed.
“God came to me in a dream, but it was not God. It didn’t feel like my Father!”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes!”
“I’m sorry, Drean,” she said.
He grieved quietly against her.
“But if He came to you in a dream how do you know He’s dead?” Riell asked.
“You know nothing, nothing about the presence of God, Riell, so don’t question me on this.”
Riell got up.
“I just wanted to help.”
Drean realized his emotions were getting the best of him and tried to get a hold of her hand. She stepped outside of his reach, folded her arms and looked like she could cry herself.
“Riell, don’t leave. You have to under
stand, this is my Father. We have a bond. That was what you heard when you were talking to Shrazz.”
“You mean when you cried out?” she asked and put an arm around his shoulder.
“Yes, I’m sure of it. The pain was caused by God’s separation from me.” He laid his head on her shoulder.
“Oh, Drean.” Riell drew him close, he cried on her shoulder. “I know this is traumatic for you, and I wanted to give you more time to think about it but...”
“I don’t know if I’m ready to make that decision yet.” Drean sat up and wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt. “But the new God said if I do not aid you, he will erase me. I do not know if I can keep him from doing that! I don’t want to be erased. I want to stay with you.”
“If he had the power to do that he would have already,” Riell said,and she gripped his hands in her own.
Drean looked down at the bed.
“Maybe you are right.”
“God gave you freewill. He trusted you to make these decisions, so make them. You know I’m behind you. We can face this together.”
Drean nodded. He did not want to resort to betrayal, but he needed Riell now more than ever, and that need outweighed everything else.
“Alright, Riell.”
Riell smiled.
Shrazz will have to go to the epicenter of the Faithstream to absorb it. Satan will be there. Riell will be at my side. It will be a chance to finish all of it. I will avenge my Father.
He felt tears seep from his eyes like blood from a deep wound. It mirrored the gaping hole in his heart. He knew nothing would be the same: for him or anyone.
“Drean, is there anything I can do to help? We have some time...”
She held him close, kissed his cheek, his neck and his lips.
“This helps.” He smiled.
He knew it was a lie. Nothing could replace the love of his Father. Nothing could make him forget His murder.
So, he kissed her back and tried to enjoy the time he had with her.
He knew where time would lead them, but he did not know where it would take them, or if in the end, it would bring them closer or irrevocably apart.
Chapter 22
Gerald explored the skies and forgot about his duties. He did not even consider why God had given him his divinity back. Wind in his wings made him the undisputed ruler of the sky. What did any of it matter to him now?
Gerald stared at the moon. Her soft light glistened off the lustrous feathers of his wings.
I thought I had found a real life by living inside those humans. Now that I’ve obtained my true self again, I know it was all hollow. I don’t know how I ever lived without my divinity. If I had to make the choice to possess that human when I fell a second time... I think I would rather be erased from this existence than be anyone else. This is who I am. I’m free.
Gerald knew freedom was only as good as where it took him. He had squandered it before. He wouldn’t again.
He needed to see Eliza.
He had to tell her to stay safe while he was gone, and ask her if she would wait for him. She had believed in him for some reason, cared about him and made him believe in love. He had to try to make amends for how insensitive he had acted the evening Drean had arrived. Maybe she wouldn’t forgive him, but he would always regret it if he didn’t try.
He dove, dipped his hands into the clouds and left abrasions in them as he passed over.
He reached out with his mind to try to find Eliza, banked in that direction and remembered he was naked.
“As much as she would enjoy that, I had better get some clothes.”
Gerald slowed his flight considerably and spotted a shopping mall. Gerald camouflaged himself and descended.
Chapter 23
Eliza checked herself in the mirror one last time. She wore a black and red crimson lacy top with a V-neck that dipped into her cleavage slightly and a short red skirt. She wasn’t used to so much skin being out in the open. She kept her hair up so it would not distract from her outfit.
She looked at the time. He would be there any second. She ran to her bathroom, grabbed her black satin robe, donned it and waited.
There was a knock from her balcony.
She walked to the door, opened it and stuck her head out.
“Hey, Gerald. Guess you didn’t mean what you said that night, huh?”
He laughed.
“You knew it was me?”
She laughed and Gerald smiled. He never thought he would hear that delightful sound again.
“Yes, I knew you were coming.”
“Did you know I was coming to apologize too?”
She shook her head.
“There’s no need for that.”
“How did you know I was coming? In fact, how do you even recognize me right now?”
“I’ll show you in a second. First,” she stepped outside, “I want to see your wings. Is that ok? I’ve painted them so much.”
“Painted them?”
“Like I said, I’ll show you in a moment. Please?”
Gerald took his new leather jacket off. His wings wavered into view like black fog and solidified.
Eliza drew in a breath and ran her hands along his feathers like they were made of fragile glass.
“So soft.”
“Hey. You said look not touch. Unless you’re going to finish what you’re starting.”
She grinned at him and tried to hide her crooked teeth before Gerald could see.
“You don’t have to hide your flaws from me, Eliza. I think you’re beautiful.”
“I... I made dinner. Your favorite I think. Spaghetti and meatballs?”
“How did you know?”
She shook her head and smiled again.
“Come in, Gerald.”
Gerald blushed when he saw the multitude of paintings in her apartment. Most of them were of him, shirtless. They depicted his new body.
“I know what this looks like.” Eliza laughed nervously. “It’s not that I’m obsessed with you. I mean every time you come to watch me dance I dream of you, and when I wake I paint what I dream. I have to. My visions cause me so much agony. They put me in the hospital before I realized I had to paint them.”
“I might be able to find someone to stop them for you.”
She shrugged.
“It’s ok. They’re a part of me. And they brought me closer to you.”
“So you can see the future?”
“Recently I have. I see the past mostly. Your past.”
“So you... know me pretty well then,” Gerald said.
“Yes. I do. And I have to say, I have come to care about you a lot.”
“How is that possible?”
“I have some things I want to show you. Hold on.”
She went into her kitchen, plated some spaghetti and meatballs and brought it to Gerald.
“Wow. Huge balls, just like I like them.”
“That’s what she said.”
Gerald laughed. He ran his fingers along the edge of the black plate.
“This plate is awesome. Looks like an angel feather.”
“I designed them myself.”
He put a mouthful of food in his mouth.
“Delicious.”
“Hold that thought, I need to grab some things.”
She set up an easel and set a painting on it.
“This first one; this was after the first night I met you. The dreams I had were so horrible. I don’t even want to speak of them.”
In the painting Gerald stood naked, his scarred skin covered in blood head to toe, to wingtip. He stood on a hill of corpses: women’s corpses.
“This is who you were. I’ll take it away now because I know you know who you were. I wanted you to know that I knew.”
“This spaghetti doesn’t taste as good now...”
“You shouldn’t be embarrassed.”
“It’s just hard to see that stuff.”
“It’s not hard for me to. I was afraid of you once
, Gerald. I knew who you were. What you were capable of. But every night, little by little that changed.”
She put a new painting on the easel.
“This is who you were a few days ago when you came to the club.”
He was at a bar, with a mug of beer in front of him. A young red-haired girl with large breasts and a short skirt was at his side on a stool. One hand gripped the bar counter, and another held the shoulder of the woman. Strain and sweat streaked his face. A transparent naked version of himself, his winged spirit, stretched from his ruined body: seeking to pull Gerald away from his decadent obsessions.
“You’ve changed. You don’t want any of this anymore.”
“And all of these paintings of me around the room. Are me now?”
“Yes. Resurrected. Truthfully I preferred the way you looked before.”
Gerald laughed.
“You’re into all the scars, huh?”
“Maybe.” She giggled. “Or maybe I was just used to it. This body represents all the healing you’ve done inside, your reward for having faith in yourself. And that is beautiful as well.”
“Man, I’m not used to all these compliments.”
“You’re welcome. Want more food?”
“Uh yeah. If there’s some left.
“I made enough for six. I didn’t know how much angels typically eat.”
She dished out more food for him and got some for herself.
“No more paintings to show me? You’re very talented.”
“You think so? It’s partly because of you. I had been concentrating on dancing till my dreams drove me to paint.”
“Forced is more like it. I’m sorry.”
She put a hand on his.
“Don’t be. Want to watch something while we eat?”
“I’m not really into TV.”
“Music? Do you like Sinatra?”
“Hell yeah. Lay it on me.”
She laughed, removed her iPod from her pocket and slid it into an iPod dock inside her black, solid wood entertainment center.
“Fly me to the Moon” played. Gerald closed his eyes and sank into Sinatra’s warm croon. It had been so long since he had been able to appreciate music.
Pictures of Eliza and a taller woman with blond hair, tanned skin and blue eyes stood in the two glass cabinets that flanked the main cabinet of the entertainment center.
From Heaven To Earth (The Faith of the Fallen) Page 15