Winter's Fall

by Alessandra Jay

  I begin to tremble with adrenaline as I eagerly await for him to be fully recovered. Finally, when there is nothing left to heal, I sit Derek up against the wall and run back out to the fight, leaving him to be protected by the guard. As I confront the battle, again the time slows down.

  Charlie is mere inches away from Lenora's position. Anger fills my soul as I realize she’s going to do something to escape her predicament and get away once again. Apparently at the same time, anger fills Lenora, as well. She screams like a child having a tantrum and stomps her feet, kicking her shoes off.

  “You think you're so clever, but you are not! Now I must go, but I'm not taking my friends with me. Have fun fighting them off.” Lenora spins around to head back into the alley, but I am too furious to let her go that easily.

  With my palm out in front of me I focus on keeping her still, her body like a statue. Even with all of the power inside of me, it still overwhelms me when my challenging casts work so well.

  Now, because anger has taken over my logical side, my wings come out. But I don't use them to fly to her. I let them open as wide as my span can reach. They feel like they are a part of me, they don’t feel like a burden on my back. With pride and fury, I slowly place myself directly in front of Lenora.

  “You do not get to play games with people. YOU do not have that right. NOBODY does. NOT you, NOT your brother, NOT your demons, and NOT your evil angels. I will not let any of you hurt anyone ever again.”

  I speak to Lenora out loud and mentally to make sure the message gets across. However, in her frozen state I can’t tell if she is able to hear me, so I do the dumbest thing and unfreeze her.

  Lenora falls to her knees and stares up at me with wide eyes full of fear. Although I was not expecting this reaction, it’s one I want to capture and remember forever. She hasn't said a word. When I point to the battle still going on, Lenora flicks her wrist to undo her own cast. When I hear a loud scream coming from the crowd, I know it is from one of our warriors.

  In the few seconds that I am distracted, Lenora uses the opportunity to once again escape my wrath. Although she got away, the look I saw in her eyes before she vanished into the darkness was like a shimmer of light to me. We can defeat the darkness. And we will.

  Chapter 34

  Help From Above

  The scream that distracts me infuriates me because it’s Mack that does it, just because she got some demon goo in her mouth. Something that silly is the reason I couldn't catch Lenora. But then again, if I had Argali blood in my mouth, I probably would have thrown up.

  It would’ve been simple enough for her to cast it out of her mouth, but she must have just been too focused on it to think clearly, so I do it for her. I'm grateful Derek is back in the fight because he has her back. After she has her demon goo melt-down and finally realizes it’s gone, she returns to the fight, as if it never happened.

  There have to be at least thirty more demons trying to do some serious damage to us. This has to stop, and I have no idea how I am going to go about ridding the Village of these demons.

  All of a sudden, somehow the solution comes to me naturally, like it’s something I’ve done many times before. Even though I know I never would do anything like it. Cleaning my dagger off on my pants, I paste myself against the wall and I drag the knife down the palm of my hand. As if he felt it himself, in my peripheral vision I see Evan’s head snap in my direction. No one here has ever taught me anything about blood magic so I’m winging it and hoping it works.

  There is no time to waste and I can't get distracted. Closing my eyes, I center my breathing and focus on one thing and one thing only. The beasts returning to where they belong. The blood drips from my hand to the ground and for a brief moment I concentrate all of my power on the blood in my hands.

  Raising my palms to face the sky, I chant the words

  “Beasts that don't belong, To the inferno now. Be gone!”

  Evan screaming ‘noooo’ is the last thing I hear before a piercing ringing fills my ears. Squeezing my eyes shut and covering my ears with my hands, I try to stop the painful sound. Thankfully it only lasts a second longer. And when it’s over, I have to catch my breath. I hear gasps and I smell a disgusting odor, so I look up to see the Argali demons melting into black puddles of muck on the ground before us.

  “What in all of the worlds? I have never seen anything like this before. Never heard of it happening. WE are witnessing new and wondrous things that we never thought could be possible in the caster world!” Chloe looks at me in awe.

  But the look Charlie and Evan gave me was the complete opposite. They both look shocked and disappointed. Which is not what I expected from either of them. Avoiding the black puddles, we make our way to each other.

  “Thanks for saving me, Scar. I owe you one.” Derek says, with eyes full of loyalty.

  “What you did, Scarlet... Even though I know that was dangerous...” Charlie begins the chastise.

  “You’re welcome.” I can't help the bitterness showing in my tone. They should be happy that I actually managed to send them back. I wasn't even sure it would work.

  “How did you even know to do that, love?”

  Evan, who is clearly on Charlie's side, knows just how to make himself sound less judgmental. All I could do was shrug my shoulders to his question. That was my answer, a shrug. Charlie sucks her teeth and turns away from us.

  “They’re calling for me. Probably about what you just did. I thought you would know not to mess with blood magic, Scar. Everyone go inside and stay together. Be safe. I’ll be back in a bit. And yes, Scar, thanks for making it easy. But I know we could have had them with or without that cast.”

  Charlie flies off into the clouds without a look back. She made me feel crummy about what I did, but I still don't regret it. I know we could have taken them, but I thought we could skip the fighting part and the possibility of someone else getting hurt.

  They were demons, for goodness sakes. It’s not like they were people. Annoyed with how I think she is overreacting, I spin on my heel and march my way into the Village.

  “Aw man, now we have to clean this up, don't we?” Owen drags his voice as he complains about the mess. So before I enter through the doors, with a single flick of my middle finger, the entire ground is back to its semi-clean state.

  Pushing through the doors with as much force as I can, I beeline right to the elevator. I don't want to be in it with anyone, so I tap the button until the doors open. Stepping in, I almost get away with the solo elevator ride, but just as the doors are about to close they suddenly open at the last moment.

  “You're not escaping me that easily.” Evan steps in and closes the door behind him. Although I want to be alone, I'm grateful it’s just him and not everyone else.

  “I know you're upset, so I won’t bother you with a lecture or anything. Just know that no matter what happens, I will always have your back. Even if I disagree with your actions myself.” I can see he is trying to be light and cute, and it almost works.

  “So you disagree with what I did then?” I came off as being a few more levels angrier than I actually am. Watching Evan cringe to the sound of my angry tone is enough to set me back.

  “No, love. Your safety is always my number one concern. So if you’re ever placed in the line of danger, it scares the lights out of me. Casting with blood isn't safe and the first step to becoming dark. That’s all. Just worrying about the woman I love.” The elevator dings and opens to his floor, where he waits for me to exit first.

  “Thanks.” I mumble, as I pass his smug face.

  Entering the room, I think I am going to be able to go straight to the shower to wash off the little splashes of demon blood that made their way onto my body. But Charlie is standing on his balcony making sure to keep her wings in while she’s here, which both confuses and irritates me because I don't want her to keep judging me. Evan snaps his fingers and unlocks the balcony doors.

  “That was fast.” I say to her as
she enters, looking just as annoyed as I feel.

  “Yeah, well, it was a fast message. They're sending the angels to help us. I have to go pick them up in an hour.” Charlie slowly walks to the front door.

  “Like at an angel airport?” I snort at my own lame joke momentarily, forgetting that we’re upset with each other.

  “No. Like at the gates.” All Charlie was missing from her reply was the word ‘duh.’ Rolling my eyes, I make my way to the shower without another word to her.

  “Thanks for letting us know, Charlie.” Evan walks her to the door, where she leaves to go next door to the suite Luke is sharing with Derek and Mack.

  As I numbly enter the shower, I let the steaming hot water wash away all traces of the Argali. I get lost in a trance as I watch the black blood spin with the clean water. Since there wasn't too much of a fight, there wasn't very much to wash away.

  As I scrub myself clean, I realize Evan still hasn't joined me. Maybe I should hear Charlie's side, because it seems to be affecting Evan, as well. Still, a part of me is upset he didn't come in here.

  Shutting the water off, I grab a towel off the rack and hurriedly make my way to the bedroom. I want to see where he is because whatever he is doing obviously has to be more important. So when I see him sitting in his chair going through paperwork, I suddenly get hot with anger.

  Annoyed that he chose now to work, I drop my towel and search for my clothes in the nude. If he didn't want to show his attention before, this will surely make him squirm. Without looking back, I gather my outfit and my undergarments and I throw them on the bed.

  One by one I put the pieces of clothes on and still nothing. When I put on my last piece of clothing, I could swear that my face is as red as a pepper. Just as I am about to spin around to confront him, his arms come around from behind me.

  “I could watch you do that every single day.” Evan whispers, as he leaves a trail of soft kisses down my neck.

  “You smell so good.” His voice sounds like it’s getting lower. And I bet now he wishes he had showered with me.

  “Too busy to shower?”

  I don't want to sound crazy, but I don't want to skirt around it, either. Evan turns me around to face him and a smirk is plastered on his face. Now my cheeks are turning red for a totally different reason.

  “I just thought you wanted to be alone. Trust me, it took everything in me not to join you.” Of course. Now I feel embarrassed. Especially after the nude show.

  “Why don't you go get lost in my pantry while I jump in the shower.” And now that he’s about to shower, I want to take one again. Just to be next to him. But his offer to bake sounds just as lovely. Now that the angels are coming, my mind is racing.

  He kisses me on my forehead and turns away to go clean himself off. As I use my angel speed to get to the kitchen, I smile at the roll of paper towels that spin loose from the breeze I leave behind. With a flick of my wrist, all I have to do is focus on getting it rolled back up.

  And instantly, before my eyes, that’s exactly what it does. It still shocks me how surprised I get when my power actually works. I spent so much time believing I didn't have any. And now…I have so much.

  Lost in my own thoughts, I begin to pick and choose ingredients without really focusing on what I'm grabbing. When I get to the counter full of random ingredients, I look down confused about what I picked. I rummage through to see what I have and, as soon as I spread them all out I know what I can make - cream puffs.

  Looking through my phone, I find a playlist and place it on shuffle. The first song to play is one that used to keep me sane. The Sun by Maroon 5 blasts through my speakers, giving me the perfect vibe for this dessert session.

  Singing along, I get lost in my baking. Ten songs later Charlie comes back. She seems less bothered by my actions and I also feel less annoyed. I give her a small smile and continue with my baking. Charlie comes around to lower my music a little and sticks her finger into my buttercream filling.

  “So, before I leave to get these angels I just want to be sure you know exactly what to expect.” She grabs a small bowl from a cabinet and pours in some filling. As she eats her portion with some of the strawberries that are out, she fills me in.

  “Sage and Finn are super chill and super intense at the same time. Like you know not to mess with them, but you also know that if you need a hug, they'll give it to you.”

  “They sound…nice?” I can hear the nervousness in my own voice. Charlie puts her bowl in the sink and washes it as she continues on.

  “Now, Theo. He is…perfect? I mean, I don't know how else to explain him. He’s stubborn, but it’s only because he cares. If you would have been raised by your mom, you would have probably heard the story about how you and him are connected.” She dries her hands and takes a seat across from me.

  “That’s actually why your mom fell…she didn't want to be with Theo’s uncle. And because of that, she left. I might be telling you too much, but I’m just trying to fill in some of the blanks.

  I'm sure Theo won’t hold back. Anyway, you two are practically destined to be together. Well, in the world of the Divine, at least. Who knows, maybe he’ll be like your big brother now that you're about to be a married woman.”

  Charlie wiggles her eyebrows and forces a smile.

  “Listen, I know this is hard. All of this. The fighting, the looking over your shoulder, the new information. Unfortunately, there’s a lot more to add to that list. But just try to remember you're not alone. You can take a step back for a moment to rethink things. With our situation, the best bet will be to plan ahead so nothing dangerous happens to you and everyone you love.”

  I know she isn't throwing a jab about her own death, but that’s what flashes in my mind.

  “You’re right, Charlie. Thanks for the information and the intel on the angels.” I still continue with my baking, because if I wasn't baking I would be a wreck.

  Hearing about Theo and what he means to me feels weird and out of place. A whole other life and a whole other story follows me. It just feels so wrong. And yet, I can't wait to meet him…them.

  “Gotta go. It’s time. I’ll be back soon. Tell everyone to meet at your dad’s gym so we don’t have to hold anything back, as angels.” Charlie takes another scoop of the filling and stuffs it into her mouth before going to the balcony to take off.

  Just on time, Evan comes around the corner with a look of dismay. His eyes seem droopy and his lips are in a slight frown. He must have heard what Charlie was saying. I feel terrible.

  I can’t imagine what he’s feeling. All I can do is try to reassure him that it’s us, me and him, Anima Partem. Forever.

  Chapter 35

  A Different Kind of Bad

  Evan gave everyone the message about meeting at my dad’s gym and there was no hesitation. After the cream puffs were done baking, I casted everything to transfer to the kitchen in the basement at the gym. Evan and I left before everyone else did and were the first ones to arrive.

  Something that always makes me wary is perfect timing. It’s like balancing on a tightrope; something that makes you feel off balance for a second and nothing can explain it. Like now, I just finished putting the fresh berries on the cream puffs when there’s a knock on the door.

  Evan has been trying to avoid eye contact with me and he keeps chewing on his bottom lip. He’s kind of angry about his rival showing up and I’m just nervous about meeting him face to face for the first time. He flicks his wrist to unlock the door, then stands and gently takes my hand in his.

  We both wait in the kitchen for the warrior angels to arrive and it’s making my stomach do flips and flops. I could swear that at any moment I’m going to throw up from the pressure. Charlie whistles as she enters the kitchen, her wings already tucked back away. Without hesitation, she runs over to the dessert and bites half of a cream puff.

  “Holy…wow. This is incredible. My new favorite.”

  Charlie points at the dessert to show her enthusias
m and, for just a moment, I crack a small smile. She places three in one hand and takes one with the other for herself. She walks over to the other angels she has brought with her and delicately places one of my stressed-out creations in their palms.

  “You're right, Charlie. These are one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.”

  The only other female angel, who must be Sage, says as she tucks in her enormous light gray wings into her back. She walks over to the trays that are full of them and takes two more. She towers over us with her long legs as she pulls Evan and I in for a side hug with her empty hand. She smells like what I would imagine sunshine smells like, a mix of oranges and vanilla.

  Her bouncy blond curls fall long over her shoulders. With her light blue eyes and teeny nose, she looks like she could be my age. But I know better than that. She is flawless from head to toe.

  “I'm Sage. The coolest angel in the room. Right, Finn?” She winks her eye and takes a seat on the counter.

  The angel with the white-blue wings tucks them away and stomps over to our side. He is gigantic with muscles the size of my entire body. His skin is a cinnamon color and his wavy dark brown hair is tied in a low bun by his neck.

  His eyes are as gray as my own, piercing right through to my soul. He raises his enormous hand and closes it into a fist. Evan looks at me for a split second before raising his own fist and bumping it with Finn’s.

  “Sage wishes she was cooler than me. I'm Finn. One of Paradise’s coolest warriors. It’s an honor to fight along your side, chosen one. Who, might I add, can bake her buns off.” He says in a deep low raspy voice.

  He turns and fits four into his plate-sized hand as he chuckles at his own baking pun. He seems nice, like one of those giant teddy bears they sell for Valentine’s Day.

  Now, the last angel, who is obviously Theo, walks forward without putting his wings away. They are the exact opposite of what mine look like, but weirdly the same. His are a bright white. So bright that they shimmer and shine against any reflection.