by M A Roth
I didn’t reply.
“I thought as much,” Nicolas said.
“Nicolas, stop,” I whispered. “Stop...” I cut him off. “Yeah, we’re surrounded,” I whispered. We had attracted a lot of attention. Nicolas didn’t move his head, but his eyes scanned the road on either side.
They moved out of the shadows: men and woman who looked half-starved. Their clothes were torn and dirty. I wouldn’t have been so afraid if they didn’t all possess deadly weapons. The woman to my left held a hatchet in both hands.
“It’s time you did your vanishing thing,” I said to Nicolas.
“I can’t. I used everything saving you.” He moved around slowly in a full circle, watching the growing crowd.
Dread filled my stomach. “What now...” I moved closer to Nicolas.
“I’m thinking...”
“Think faster.” I tried to find the ringleader, but no matter how many times I turned, I couldn’t identify one.
“You need to use your powers,” Nicolas said as we moved back-to-back.
“I don’t have any.” My heart was starting to race. This wasn’t good.
“You do. You can control fire. The alcohol was keeping it at bay. Just get mad.” He sounded frustrated with me.
I could control fire. I didn’t think too much, but reached for my old buddy, old pal, anger, and found it easily. “Nothing’s happening,” I said after a moment.
Nicolas withdrew two large swords from thin air and handed me one.
“I don’t know how to use it!” Panic clawed at me.
A man with a small penknife moved from foot to foot in front of me. He threw the penknife from hand to hand. I could only hope he would let it fall. No luck. He dived at the same time that another attacked Nicolas.
I could hear the sound of steel hitting steel. I tried to focus on the man in front of me. I swung the sword wide and nearly fell over. A few of my attackers laughed, but at least I had dodged the penknife.
I was now away from Nicolas, and a circle grew around me. We were so outnumbered; there had to be at least twenty of them. I swung the sword in a full circle and was surprised when two fell to the ground. Shock followed—the bodies seemed to vanish, leaving behind nothing but the clothing on their backs.
“Yeah, want some of this?” The crowd turned to Sandy, who stood holding a flamethrower, her legs firmly apart. She was like something out of a movie. I was impressed, and even more so when she lit about six of them on fire at once.
Nicolas was still chopping away at them. I had only one left: the woman with the ax. Her cheek bones were poking out of her skin, her jaw hollow and sunken as her eye sockets.
I held the sword tight.
She looked like she knew what she was doing with the ax. She held it like an extension of herself. As for me, I wasn’t so great. She swiped; I jumped back, the ax slicing the air where I once stood. She didn’t give me a moment, but swung again. I swung too, my sword stopping her ax. The vibrations raced up my arms, nearly making me drop the sword.
Nicolas put me out of my misery. His sword sliced clean through the woman’s neck; she hadn’t seen him coming. Neither had I. I dropped the sword, but it never hit the ground. It just disappeared, along with Nicolas’s.
He was making his way over to Sandy. Her flamethrower still held a small flame. I looked around at all the bodies and watched as they turned to black ash, leaving behind clothes.
I could hear Nicolas and Sandy exchange a few words. She finally looked up at me, gave me a curt nod, and left.
“We need to keep moving.” Nicolas moved past me, the air freezing with his words. I shivered.
I don’t think I was ever so happy to see a forest. I was exhausted, hungry, and just needed to rest, so the sight of the forest told me we weren’t far from Nicolas’ place. The snow that covered the ground was another welcome sight. We were in safer territory. I could visibly see Nicolas relax more. He still hadn’t spoken to me, but his body language told me he had lots to say.
We stopped to rest near a stream. Nicolas bent down and scooped water into his hands. He drank the first handful; the second, he splashed on his face. “You drank,” Nicolas said, shaking the water from his hands. He had risen, and now stared at me. The anger in his eyes made me blanch. “You drank alcohol,” he said, taking a step towards me.
“What about it,” I said. A sense of shame was flooding me.
“You snuck out last night; that was bad enough. But to pretend it was for your mother when it was to drink?” Nicolas took a step towards me. The droplets that had clung to his hands were now frozen solid. “You nearly cost me everything with Lucifer. I now owe a debt to Siebel.” Nicolas took another step towards me.
Shame now flooded my face, and I reached for my anger’s support. “I never asked you to save me, Nicolas. No one is asking you to be the hero. That’s just what you want to be. This is your issue, not mine.” The cold air stung my lungs.
“You selfish...” He didn’t finish that sentence but stared at me—it felt more like into me. I wanted to hide. I felt so naked, but he turned his back on me. “You should have told me you hadn’t died.” he glanced at me over his shoulder. Anger smouldered in his eyes, but he looked tired. “Sandy can see your true form, you human. How did you get here?” He left his question hanging.
“The tree of life,” I answered.
He didn’t look surprised; he just looked angry. He turned away now. “Once we get back, I’m taking you home.” He started walking, but I stood frozen.
“Home? I can’t leave Kathy and Daniel.” I got a sharp look at Daniel’s name.
“It’s not up for debate. You shouldn’t be here, and it’s upsetting the balance.” Nicolas walked away again.
“Oh, tell balance I’m sorry, but I’m not leaving without my friends.”
A cold laugh from Nicolas felt like a slap in the face. “Oh, Abigail, trying to be noble. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. You can leave.” He stopped walking and turned to me now. “I promise I will tell them how you begged me to find them, how I had to drag you out of hell screaming.”
My hands balled into fists. “You don’t know me. Don’t pretend that you do, Nicolas.” He nodded before walking back towards me. I held my ground.
“What I do know is that you lie. You’re selfish. You have no loyalty. You let people die.” He paused to let his list sink in. “I know this. It’s not from some assumption I’ve made about the poor little orphan girl. No, I know this from your actions.”
I pushed him. “What about you? Let’s analyze you” I pushed him again, and he didn’t budge. “The man who slit my throat. The man who thinks I, Blake, whoever else is a pawn in this, are disposable and nothing more. And I don’t make my assumptions from some poor little orphan boy’s perspective.” I shoved him again. “No, it’s from what I have seen. So don’t push me.” I was breathing heavy, the air freezing in my lungs. “Get away from me,” I said.
It was like he vanished, taking the sharp, cold air with him. I was left feeling lost, broken, confused. And I found myself asking the same questions I had asked my entire life: where the fuck was God?
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Once we got back to Nicolas’s, we didn’t speak to each other. In fact, I never saw him. I spent most of my time in the forest, away from everyone. I wasn’t sure what I was doing; maybe we could call it soul-searching. I didn’t try to escape. I didn’t try anything. I just wanted to be alone and reflect. I wasn’t sure. My head hurt from thinking.
The sight of a beautiful deer was a welcome distraction. I smiled as I watched him eat. His large eyes were still alert, and he glanced around himself, looking for danger. Our eyes met, and the deer froze: so did I. I held my breath, not wanting this moment to end. But it did, all too quickly; the deer raced away.
I found myself walking again through the snow-covered forest. There was beauty in the cold; I smiled for the second time that day. I sat on a falling log, my back against the tree, and closed m
y eyes, letting my ears take in the world around me.
***
A breeze and the smell of freshly cut grass made me rise slowly. Fear made my heart pound. Where was I? Where was the forest? I stood slowly and looked around me. My stomach fluttered as my eyes landed on Zee, my vision blurring with tears.
Standing there, he looked absolutely heart-breaking. He wore black slacks and a black shirt, making his flawless white skin stand out even more. His intense blue eyes were trained on me. I watched as he pushed his hair away from his forehead, one of his normal gestures. That made laughter bubble up through my tears.
I knew this wasn’t real. I didn’t remember falling. Would I have to watch him die? I wanted to enjoy this moment, whether it was real or not. I ran to him, and he caught me in his strong arms, squeezing me tightly. I could feel his lips brush my forehead.
“I missed you,” he whispered.
I pulled back to see the truth on his face. My stomach fluttered again as I gazed into his eyes, and I did what I should have done a long time ago. My lips pushed against his.
My heart pounded, and my body tingled. It was more than what I could have ever imagined, and he kissed me back with so much love that I got lost.
“I love you, Zee,” I whispered against his lips.
He pulled back, and a perfect smile lit up his face. “I love you too,” he said. This time he kissed me with a hunger and passion that had my knees wobbling. He pushed me back, and we fell onto a soft bed as he continued to kiss me. His kisses trailed down my neck. My eyes were shut in pure bliss.
Then, realizing I was on a bed made me stop. I had never gone this far with anyone before, I wanted it to be with Zee, but not here, not like this. “Zee,” I said.
“Mmm-mmm?” he replied, making me smile. As he continued to kiss my neck, his hands moved for my trousers.
I froze. “Zee, wait,” I said, but he wasn’t listening. “Zee, I said stop.” My voice took on an angry tone, but once again, it wasn’t working. I pushed him to get up, and he pushed me back down, my body froze with fear as I watched a coldness fill his eyes.
“Daniel let me up,” I said, but he laid his body back on top of mine and continued what he was doing. I pushed him hard, but he didn’t budge or move. My fear and panic escalated. “Get off me” I screamed, but it was as if he couldn’t hear me. Tears of fear sprang to my eyes. “Zee, please,” I said in a sob.
“Abigail, Abigail!” I sat up quickly. My head collided with Nicolas’s.
“Ouch!” I rubbed my head and looked at him; I was sitting on the log.
He stood away from me. “You were having a nightmare.”
I tried to suck in deep breaths, but the air was catching in my lungs.
Nicolas moved quickly towards me. “Breathe.”
I did, and the air filled my lungs. It was cold, and I coughed. I took several deep breaths until my breathing was under control.
Nicolas moved away again. He stood, looking awkward. “What was your dream about?” Nicolas finally asked.
I could feel myself blush. “I don’t want to talk about it,” I said, and stood up, I had fallen asleep against the tree. My body wore a tell-tale sign—my back ached. “What are you doing out here?” I asked Nicolas. It was weird seeing him after three days of silence. It felt strange.
“I could ask you the same thing,” he said without looking at me. But he didn’t ask; instead, he left.
I wondered had he been keeping an eye on me all this time. I shivered as I looked at the snowy landscape. Who else could be watching me?
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Nicolas disappeared again after waking me up from my nightmare. He had left the place; he was needed somewhere else. I was kept out of everything, and Cecelia and Elena barely spoke to me. We were all just unsociable. I had avoided the forest since the nightmare, but hanging out in the castle with no one to talk to and nothing to do had me pulling on a fur cloak and making my way to the forest regularly.
No one stopped and questioned me. I think everyone hoped I wouldn’t return. Anyone I encountered looked at me with hate. For what, who knows...did I care? Not really.
Not until one man who looked at me with holy murder in his eyes. I moved quickly, but knew he followed me into the forest. Most people would go back to where others were, it was a safer place. But not for me as I would expect them to all gang up on me. I assumed no one would help, so I took my chances alone with the forest. The man followed, and I picked up the pace, and put distance between us quickly. I felt proud of how quiet I had become in the forest and how easily I had lost him.
I felt confused when the tree branch barrelled towards my head. I had seconds to see the arm of the man I thought I’d lost. The impact of the branch on my head had me tumbling to the ground in pain.
Before rising, I took several deep breaths, preparing myself for what I was about to face. The floor I lay on looked plastic, and the white of the floor and the walls made the room feel sterile. There were no contents in this space—just me inside a white cube of emptiness. The light was way too bright, and turning in a full circle made me feel claustrophobic. I needed to stand still and focus on one spot.
The hairs on the back of my neck rose, alerting me that I was no longer alone. I felt his presence before he started to clap. I turned and faced a man who made the cube feel small. I took in his towering height, large build, and long limbs, which filled the cube and made it even more claustrophobic. A smile stretched across his face. It didn’t give me comfort; it only caused my anxiety to rise. “Abigail Thornton, we meet again.”
His knees bent as he dipped in a sitting position. I was tempted to tell him there was no chair, but as his body nearly reached a sitting position, a chair materialized under him. He smiled at me. “Sit, Abigail.”
I looked, and a chair was behind my knees. Folding my arms, I stayed up. “No thanks; I prefer to stand.”
The man wasn’t fazed and waved a hand towards me, smiling. “Suit yourself. I have a story to tell you, Abigail Thornton. So my advice is for you to sit.”
I stared at him, keeping my arms firmly folded, letting him know I was not sitting.
“Very well, Abigail. You are an unusual one. You haven’t even asked who I am, or what I want.”
The need to roll my eyes almost won. “I’m sure you are going to tell me. I just hope you hurry up.”
A small humorless laugh left his mouth before he grew serious. “Lucifer created six children who would help him at the end of the worlds as we know them. Each child was given a power that would grow as they did. When that day arrived, his children would be brought to him and complete the task he had set out for them.”
My heart was pounding.
“He wanted to end the world. The three worlds would come together; Heaven on Earth, Hell on Earth; we’d all live on Middle Earth. No more divisions.”
“That’s ludicrous.” it sounded like the end of the world, and also impossible. I rubbed my forehead. Still, I had seen the impossible many times before.
“May I continue, or do you need a moment to digest what I am telling you?” His smile was not kind, it was creepy.
“Go on.” I folded my arms tighter around myself, feeling a coldness creep inside the cube.
“Lucifer was happy with his plan until one of his creations couldn’t be controlled by the demon he had assigned to her. I was sent to kill her. To kill you.”
A fluttering started in the middle of my chest—not at the mention of him killing me, but the word demon.
“Your memories of the night your father and brother died aren’t exactly correct.” He stood.
My mouth dried up. “What?” Confusion and fear had my mind reeling.
His hands landed heavily on my shoulders, and we were transported from the cube and back to my house, to my room.
My dad held the gun. Me and Sam were so small. The Room was frozen; everything in it was frozen.
“Now I will show you what really happened.”
&nbs
p; A part of me didn’t want to know, but the click of his fingers had everyone moving. I became a spectator again to my family’s death, only this time, I could feel something was different. My father’s face twisted and changed into the face of the man who stood beside me now.
Zee was also visible. “Don’t do this, Addanc. I have it under control.” Zee’s words sounded afraid. His eyes darted to the young me. I never remembered Him talking. How come I don’t remember any of this?
“She’s too powerful. She has to die, Daniel.”
Now I looked at Addanc, shaking my head. “This makes no sense. I would have remembered.”
“Keep watching,” Addanc informed me, and with dread, I did.
“Daniel, you were only sent her to control her powers, so stand aside.”
My stomach plummeted at Addanc’s words, but Zee wouldn’t give in. I watched in horror as Addanc threatened to shoot Sam if he wouldn’t hand me over.
“Just hand me over!” I screamed, yet knowing it would do nothing to prevent the death of Sam and my dad. I watched as Addanc killed Sam, and then reloaded to shoot me.
Daniel covered me with his wings. “Put the gun in your mouth,” Daniel commanded, and Addanc did. That was when my father's pained face returned, just as Daniel commanded him to pull the trigger. He did.
The scene before me dissolved, and I found myself back in the white cube with Addanc. “I don’t believe you,” I said as tears ran down my cheeks. The pain of watching my family die was all too real.
Addanc moved towards me.
I moved back. “Don’t touch me. No more games.”
My words made him smile. “It’s not a game. I have a gift for you.” He was too quick for me to stop. His hands grabbed mine, and I spun. Memories poured into my mind—ones that I’d never had, ones that I didn’t remember, because Daniel had wiped each of them clean from my mind.