Winter's Fall

by Alessandra Jay

  ZAP! I felt the lighting strike! I lay on my back and I wait for the rumble to come. When I don't feel Theo following my lead to lay on top of the cloud, I look up to scream at him.

  “Come on! Hurry!” I giggle, as I watch him scramble to lay down. This time I do grab his hand. Only because I don't know just what will happen.

  The rumble growls and begins its tremors. When I feel it in every cell in a dizzying rush, all I can do is uncontrollably laugh. The vibrations tickle me everywhere and I can't help but squeeze my eyes shut while the roaring laughter escapes my lips.

  When it stops, an entire five minutes passes before our laughter subsides. We slowly sit up and wipe the tears from our eyes as we try to get back to normal. ZAP! Another lightning strike.

  This time I don't think I can handle it again, so I get up and fly back above the cloud so my feet don't touch it. I clutch my stomach, trying to breathe through the pain that the laughter brought. Theo follows me up with cheeks tinted red.

  “That was incredible! You just maxed out my favorite thing to do! Wow.” He locks his eyes with mine, and it feels as if I'm under a spell because I can’t look away.

  As hard as I try, my eyes stay glued with his. Before I know what’s happening, the distance between us keeps closing. I know this is bad, I know this is wrong. Then why can’t I stop myself?

  Theo is so close that I can feel his breath on me, and he takes my hands in his. ZAP! We drift back onto the cloud. And that zap is my warning.

  Snapping out of the trance, I back up a good few feet. I'm so embarrassed and disappointed in myself that all I can bring myself to do is give him a curt wave before finding a space in the clouds to fly through. When I see the village roof, I make a beeline right for it.

  The rain falls over my body and clouds my vision, but nothing is stopping me from getting to the roof. When my feet sloppily touch the ground, I run to the door and pull myself through it in record time. Hunched over with hands on my knees, I try to catch my breath.

  “Scar? Are you okay? Where were you? I’ve been looking everywhere.”

  Evan’s soft and deep voice reverberates through me just as loud as the cloud did. And when I see the worry in his eyes, the guilty feeling that runs through my body is way stronger than the zap I got from the lightning.

  Chapter 37

  Victory or Not

  Evan

  My biggest fear since learning about Theo is that Scarlet will push me away from being overwhelmed. I know it’s a lot to deal with. But the pain that I'm already feeling in my heart is not something I look forward to being intensified.

  Now I remember why I never dated before I met Scarlet. Willingly opening your heart to someone is a sure way to get it smashed to pieces. I always thought that with her being my Anima Partem, I would never have to feel that pain…unless she’s called to heaven before I am.

  Now that scenario, I can’t even begin to imagine. I do my hardest to turn my thoughts elsewhere. Thankfully it’s not hard because the reason why I went looking for Scarlet in the first place is because Charlie and Sage discovered the Dark Coven’s next attack.

  With the help of Victoria, who casted a glamour on them, they were able to sneak in and spy on their plans without being detected. Although it was a risky plan and not one I would have cleared, I'm glad they took the initiative and returned safely.

  Since I found Scar, she’s been jumpy and trying extra hard not to be weird, which, of course, is making her weird. But I don't want to make her uncomfortable, so I keep my thoughts to myself. Now that our whole group is gathered in my living room, Scarlet lays her head on my shoulder while we listen to the details of Charlie's report.

  “So they were talking about changing tactics. They’ve been targeting us specifically, which is why the ambushes keep happening where we usually are.” Charlie stands and walks to the fridge, while Sage finishes her sentence.

  “But this time they want to attack a place where it’s busy with mortals. Since we’re in New York, it’s obvious where they plan to hit. Little do they know we learned exactly when it’s going to happen.” Sage smiles as innocently sinister as she possibly can.

  “Which is…?” Hunter and Chloe both say it at the same time.

  “Tonight.” Charlie says, like it’s no big deal.

  Her response is what tips the iceberg. Everyone, aside from the angels, goes into complete panic mode. The fact that we haven't trained with the new members is the biggest concern.

  Although I can see why they're freaking out, panicking is never the answer. Scarlet and I exchange worried glances and decide to let them shout it out. Three minutes pass until Chloe is the one to shut them up.

  “Guys! We have to work together on this. Once we get all of the details in order, then we can easily head downstairs for a quick training session. It’s not like we can’t just cast ourselves clean after.”

  What she said was exactly what I had in mind. But sitting back and watching the disorder seemed like the calmer route to go. Although, this might just be a result of Scarlet and I freaking out internally.

  “Scarlet?” Charlie finally snaps Scar out of her thoughts.

  Which I'm sure is about the news of the attack, but I shouldn’t assume. She looks upset, but I don't want to be pushy and ask her to express to me what’s troubling her mind.

  “Yes, let’s do exactly as Chloe said. We go over the details and use them to our advantage. It’s still early, so it looks like we have time to train for a good while.” She’s almost repeating exactly what Chloe said. I take a good look at Scarlet and notice how tightly closed her mouth is. Something is really bothering her.

  “Alright, you all heard the boss. Let’s put our thinking caps on.” Sage, who seems sweet and bouncy, takes a seat on the floor. Charlie follows and takes the space on the floor next to her.

  “So when we got there some of the Fallen were gossiping about the attack. I heard one of them say that this is going to be the attack that goes down in the history books. Another said they couldn’t wait for the demons to get involved.” Luke sits next to Charlie, who lays her head on his shoulder.

  “Oh, I heard one say they were proud of being chosen to be a personal guard of the Dark Coven. So I guess that means trying to get to them will be tight.” Sage leans back on her elbows as she closes her eyes, trying to remember anything else she might have heard.

  “Did you hear anything about the actual attack? Will they be using weapons? Who their actual target is?” Scarlet looks on and is starting to sound more like herself, but I can tell by how sunken her shoulders are that something is still amiss. At least now she’s more focused on the present.

  “Well, not really. All Vincent said was that the mortals in Central Park tonight will get a glimpse of what the caster world is all about.” Charlie shrugs her shoulders.

  “Alright, so this isn't too bad. We know there will be demons, which we have trained for. We know the location, the time, and we know they're going to expose themselves and start a panic in the park by casting in front of mortals.” Oliver always looks at the positive side, but I can tell he’s slightly nervous, just like the rest of us.

  “True. That’s enough information for us to come up with a concrete plan to execute and come out of this victorious. If tonight is all about the Dark Coven showing their power, I’ll do everything within my means to end this ambush as quickly as possible. While we’re battling the Dark Coven we have to do everything within our power to protect the mortals.”

  Scarlet stands up to start pacing the room.

  “Maybe Hunter and I will train on our own, but with our casts instead of our combat. Is that okay with you, Hunter?” Everyone’s heads shift to Hunter. She smiles nervously.

  “Yes, of course. We can call Ava before we start to bring her up to speed on these new developments. Maybe she has other ideas on how we can fight and protect the mortals at the same time. Forces of heaven, Eden, and earth, let’s work together and do this.”

  Her
voice sounds slightly higher and almost fails to pep us all up. But with everyone on the same nervous wavelength, we lean on each other for support.

  Sage stands up and spreads her arms wide open as she looks at us all expectantly. We slowly stand to give her what she really wants - a group hug - and I notice Scarlet move to the other side of me, the one farthest away from Theo. Is it him making her act weird?

  I can’t let this distract me, but a huge part of me wants to sit her down to help me process all these thoughts in my mind and get them straight. I know, though, this isn't the place or time, when mortal lives are at stake and dependent on us. Oliver and Finn fall in line together as we all make our way out of my suite.

  “Wait until you see our arsenal.” Oliver sounds like a child who’s excited to show his friend his toys, and I can't help but laugh.

  Something I will always be grateful for is this group’s ability to see the silver lining in the darkest clouds. Without their innocent banter we would all be filled with anxiety and not accomplish anything. Spreading the positivity is addicting and it’s something I continue to try and learn from.

  “I’ve heard stories about these Villages. I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited to see what these places are all about.” Finn sounds just as excited as Oliver does. It really must be contagious.

  “Oh, yeah, my friends in Paradise are going to be so jelly! That’s what the mortals say, isn't it?” Sage gets a chorus of giggles as we all fill the hallway.

  “Not for a while. But anythin’ you say will work. Am I right, y’all?” Mack, of course, is the one to answer.

  She’s the one who was most recently mortal, so she would know more than others. The girls in the group all agree except for Scarlet. She stays quietly by my side, with my hand clutched in hers.

  I know that she and Hunter training differently will benefit us in the fight later, but I wish she wouldn't have offered to do that. Scarlet, out of everyone here, seems like she needs to blow off steam with good old-fashioned physical training the most.

  All of us split up into different elevators to meet on the same floor. Scarlet stays silent the entire time we pick our weapons. It isn't until we’re just about to go into different doors that she finally speaks.

  “I love you, Evan. Always remember that.” It was soft and quiet. Not what I was expecting and not something I want to dissect right before we train.

  I watch Scarlet disappear through the door right next to ours and I do everything I can to try and push her bizarre behavior aside. Theo slams his hand on my back as we enter through our own door and, without another word, flashes his bright shiny teeth at me. Why do I feel like I'm in an alternate universe?

  ***

  If it wasn't for Ava sending us a few bottles of the elixir she uses in the Caster Matches, we all would have been worn out and too sore to fight. We trained harder than any of us have ever trained before. The angels liked our casting simulations so much that they just wouldn't stop training. Immediately after we defeated the simulation Fallen angels, they would excitedly shout NEXT!

  We tried to mix it up by adding demons to the mix, just in case they decided to show up. The demons disgusted Finn so much that one of them made him vomit. Owen and Oliver got such a kick out of it that they cast the stench to follow him.

  When the shade of his skin turned a pale green, they decided to leave him alone. We came up with various plans and scenarios for any direction this battle might take. When the clock on the wall struck 6pm and we were dripping sweat, we decided to finally stop.

  Scarlet and Hunter walk in looking energetic and just in time to give us some of the elixir. Each and every one of us is lying on the floor too tired to move. As soon as we drink the blue potion we jump up, revitalized and ready to keep up with the training.

  But we don't, so we can conserve our energy for the upcoming battle. With a single snap of our fingers we clean ourselves and make every trace of strain we just went through disappear. Scarlet snaps her fingers to clean the angels.

  “Now this, I could get used to.” Theo looks down at his sweat-free body with wide and thankful eyes.

  “What is this stuff? I want all of it, forever!” Finn stares at the empty cup in his hands while he high fives Sage.

  “Ava sent it to us for an extra boost. We should get going.” Hunter takes her place next to Owen and heads for the door.

  “We’ll need to split up into two groups to secure each side of the park. When we meet in the middle, we can take our positions in the shadows until they arrive.”

  Scarlet sounds like the valiant leader she is and it starts to get us as pumped as we need to be. With the adrenaline running through our veins, we make it to the park within minutes and the stink of garbage hits us immediately. All at once, each of us turn to look at Finn, who has gone completely white in the face.

  This time Owen and Oliver are not laughing. Finn is a warrior angel, we need him in this fight. Scarlet snaps her fingers beside me and Finn looks around in shock.

  “Whoa! What? How? I can’t smell anything. My nose feels weird, but I can’t smell the demons!” Like a little child, Finn jumps up and down.

  “There’s an invisible clip on your nose. It shouldn't get in the way, though. Just remind one of us to remove it when the demons are gone.”

  Scarlet takes the lead into the park, with each one of us following behind, protecting her back. She leads us to the fork where you can only either go left or right. She takes the first step to the right and spins to face the rest of us.

  “Ladies, let’s take this side. The guys can take that one. We’ll meet in the spot that we arranged. We must try to remain silent and unseen. But first and foremost we absolutely must protect the mortals.”

  She flicks her wrist and an earpiece falls into each of our hands. As we place them in our ears, Scar finishes her orders. As I watch her taking the lead, I can’t help but feel lustful towards her at this moment.

  “We’ll communicate with these, but try to keep your voices down. We can keep each other updated on our kills and what we see before we meet back up. I don't have the slightest doubt that we’re going to be victorious this evening. Let’s kick ass so we can get back home.”

  With our weapons in hand, we all look at each other and nod at the same time - an assurance that we are ready to do some damage to the demons and Fallen alike. I take Scarlet’s face in my hands and place a kiss on her lips with a little more force than usual. She must see the hunger in my eyes because, as her face turns red, she turns away. But not before I notice a shy smile pasted on her face.

  “I love you, Evan. Can’t wait to be yours forever.” Her soft voice fills my head and it takes everything in me not to run up to her for another kiss.

  “I love you.” I look back at her to see that she has also turned back to see me. We share a smile and it fills my heart so much that it takes longer than I would have liked to focus again.

  Falling in line with the other guys, Theo takes a few steps to be beside me and places his hand over the earpiece so nobody else can hear our conversation.

  “You two look happy.” He sounds genuine, but I can definitely tell he is bitter about it.

  “We are. I'm a lucky man. She’s incredible.” I say, covering my own earpiece. I get lost in her trance again, but Theo knocks me right back down to the present.

  “You have no idea.” He says, and just walks away.

  His comment will sit sourly with me for a while. How could he know how incredible she is more than I do? How could he believe something so wrong?

  Unless…I'm the one who is wrong... I have no other choice but to set it aside. What’s important at the moment is the safety of the mortals. I need to put a pin in that until another time.

  “The smell is getting worse. We must be getting closer.” Luke ducks behind a bush and peeks over. He reports to keep us up to date and on our toes, while the rest of us take cover behind trees nearby.

  “The smell is getting further away fro
m us. So the demons must only be on your side.” Scarlet’s report comes through the earpiece. And before any of us can answer, Luke falls back onto his butt.

  “Oh, my Ava. You’re going to want to see this.” Stumbling back on his feet, he makes room for the rest of us to peek over the bush.

  Takin demons have always been on the bottom of my list to hunt. Their will to climb and jump is sometimes too fast for us to keep up with. When I first began training with the fake demons at the Village, I would always summon the Takin demons because those were my toughest kill. And now, as I'm really getting a good look at them, they seem to have grown two or three sizes larger than they were the last time I saw one.

  “Guys? What’s going on? We’re getting nothing but silence. We just found the Dark Coven and some of their Fallen army is here. They can’t see us. Scarlet is casting something for us to hear them. Report back.”

  Hunter’s worried voice whispers into the earpiece. I assume she is much more anxious this time because Owen is now her boyfriend. I can tell she’s trying to play it cool, but it’s also very clear that she’s concerned for him.

  “We’re behind a bush, looking at Takin demons. The good news is it looks like there’s less than fifty. The bad news is that they have grown much, much bigger than I can remember.” Owen responds for us, which we all know is what Hunter wanted.

  “Takin demons? From my research, these are the demons that roam the eighth level of the inferno. They’re climbers, right?” Theo looks around to assess our surroundings.

  “That’s correct. You’ll want to try and kill them before they have the chance to jump or climb on anything.” Victoria responds in our earpieces and continues to relay what they see.

  “It looks like they're split up for a reason. They knew we would be coming and thought we would stay together and follow the smell of the demons. When they get the signal that we have started to kill them, that’s when they plan to hurt mortals. Vincent just confirmed they won’t stop until Ava and Scarlet turn themselves over to him. Oh, no.”