Divinity: The Gathering: Book One (69 page)

“
Ok, thanks. Where are you
?”

“
I’ve had enough of the human realm for now. Too much tragedy and dark fallen around...I’m heading back to your place on the other side. See you later, you be careful…you have two more daybreaks before I expect you to check back in
.” She said.

“Deal.”
I replied.

             
I was content for now, about to lean in and kiss Star again when Drakael’s voice invaded my mind, dripping with anger and iniquity.

“Bring her outside, she is not yours Cam`ael.”
He whispered.

I immediately shot up, tense, my muscles flexing and not even realizing Star was looking at me with both fear and confusion.

“What? What’s the matter?” She asked.

He was here
, and it didn’t sound like Drakael, not just his tone but the fact that he was expressing both anger and favoritism in his words.

I heard both Rahab and Ryziel’s footsteps stomping wildly downstairs. They had brought in a television and had been watching it downstairs
, so when they moved, I knew something what happening.

“Stay here, I mean that. You’ll be protected in here.” I then said.

“Is it the same guy?” She asked worriedly.

“No,” I said kissing her one more time before I left the room and sealed it shut with magic of pr
otection.

             
Rahab was ready for battle, looking out of the front windows with his claws out and weapon wielded in the other hand.

Ryziel twirled his long, onyx colored, diamond grade scimitar with a wicked glint in his flaming red and black eyes, he was ready to fight without
a doubt.

“Who is it?” I asked.

“It’s Drakael.” Ry spat.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Yes!” Rahab boomed, waiting for the cue to attack.

I ghosted onto the roof to take the height a
dvantage, and scoped the area.

Why were there so many fallen hidden in the shadows with Drakael here?

And then…it dawned on me.

Shit! I should have known! Why hadn’t I seen or detected it earlier?

              I stepped to the edge of the rooftop with my obsidian sword wielded. He automatically trained his eyes up to the rooftop, still looking the same, but the difference was now evident.

“Toraen!” I shouted.

He laughed and pointed to himself, “Who me? As if you even remember what that means.” He played innocent.

“When did you fall Drake?” I asked harshly.

Suddenly he was on the roof with me, standing at the opposite end.

“I told you this would end badly for you Cam`ael. I tried to save you the heartache and looking the fool. I even tried to give you some honorable di
gnity, by making you believe you were actually being obedient, but you’ve always been the stubborn one,” He grinned as he began to circle me.

I gripped my sword firmly and glared at him, watching him carefully.

“I’d rather be stubborn than a doomed fool, and one who is willing to repeat the failed mistakes of so many countless others before him at that.” I retorted.

He laughed, “Many others who had no idea what they were doing let alone had the opportunity to reclaim the Earth. Why fight against it? The h
umans don’t need it, they don’t even deserve it.” Drakael said with a shrug of his shoulders.

“And you do?”

“We all do. You fight so hard against your own kin in order to save mortals who are unworthy to remain free on it when they’ve managed to destroy enough…so who’s really the fool here?” He grinned.

             
Though it happened all the time, it was still unsettling to see an angel become fallen so quickly and so easily, even though I had seen it coming for him.

“What does any of that have to do with Star?” I asked him out of curiosity. Maybe it would be the same reason as to why Morning Star wanted her too.

“You were right in thinking Star is different from the other chosen. She is and before you ask — no, I don’t know what it is exactly yet, but I will enjoy finding out. So summon your legion now if you want. This doesn’t have to turn bloody though, just give me Star and we’ll leave this peaceful. I don’t want to have to kill you Cam`ael, it would be a waste,” He finally stopped pacing and faced me with his sword drawn and at the ready by his side.

             
Now it all made sense. It had been him all along; he played the role behind the scenes in gathering his own legion together for the same purpose as Morning Star, while still posing as an angel. But he had still been an angel in between the time we met in the spirit realm, up until that day at the walking trail. Why did Elohim allow this to continue and go on, surely he already knew Drakaels heart and intentions before he even started.

Then again, Elohim always has his reasons.

My guess was that Drakael’s fall had been at the park. He had killed that fallen right before he could have possibly given away his name or secret. That was what that fallen had meant when he said we were alike, which we were nothing remotely close.

He didn’t ghost away
— he had been summoned away to be sentenced for punishment, stripped of his glory and cast out. I have a feeling that it had been his own request for me to bring Star to the concert tonight, making me believe it had been Elohim. He played off of my loyalty to Elohim, and essentially used me to get Star for him, while keeping himself out of it technically. At the same time, he employed other dark fallen with the promise of something greater after the end came.

The dark angel in Star’s dream, had it been
Drakael?

“Why Drakael? If I wouldn’t hand her over to Morning Star, why the hell would I hand her over to you?”

“You’re outnumbered. Morning Star still wants you around though —for whatever reason, I don’t know but I could care less. She can only belong to one of us, and I refuse to share,” He shrugged with confidence.

I shook my head and smirked, “So, how did it feel to be stripped so quickly? Was it worth it?” I asked him with anger and hate bubbling b
eneath the surface of my skin.                               He was no longer of light, but I still had a little, did he really want to challenge me? Was he that sure of himself?

I quickly summoned every being in my legion
, letting them know what was happening and what to prepare for, to bring their best magic and weapons.

“It’s not bad when you’ve been anticipating it. I have to admit, I was a bit surprised that it took him so long to do it too
, but I know that’s how he works.” Drakael smiled.

“Then you already know how this will turn out.” I came back.

              He thought for a moment, “Maybe if the circumstances were different, but he’s giving us Earth this time. We get free reign to rule upon it without interference, rules or threat of being destroyed. That is the only difference now. It will be like…an Eden for us finally.” He smiled malevolently.

“Too bad you won’t be there to see any of it though,” He then grimaced through clenched teeth as he flung a spray of dark matter towards me.

I dodged to the left into a somersault, pulling light to the surface in the form of an arrow.

I threw it like a javelin towards Drakael
, and it sailed towards him in a white blurred streak, ricocheting off of his own sword with a spark that made him curse, as he gripped his forearm in pain.

             
His face twisted into a façade as diabolical and dark as his own soul had become. He no longer resembled anything remotely close to what he had been as an angel. It was as if he was morphing right before my eyes in his rage.

The crashing of glass below
and all around the house distracted me, even though my legion was already here. I cursed angrily at myself then, realizing that I had forgotten to seal the windows too — in the room where Star was.

XXII: Starling:

I
already felt the pangs of a full blown panic attack coming on. Cam said he wouldn’t leave me again, but he had and he didn’t tell me why. All the flashbacks and the feelings of uncertainty, fear, isolation and pain that I had felt and kept tightly lidded — like when my parents told us they were going to swim for help and leaving me and my grandmother behind, came rushing back to me in full force.

I was scared for him, scared that I may not ever see him again
, because I knew something bad was happening. There were demons outside, darker ones that made me sick to my stomach, and I was already beginning to gag, my stomach cramping and my esophagus burned with pure bile. I couldn’t breathe, I felt like I was going to die.

Was this how I was going to die? During a panic attack? Or maybe a heart attack? No! I had to see Cam one last time at least; to let China know that the living will I had made up and go
tten notarized a while back was under her mattress; to tell Joel that I wasn’t mad at him, and that maybe in another time or place, we could have been together as more than friends.

             
There were loud thumps on the roof that startled me. I crawled to the door and listened, bracing myself against it for support, once the sick feeling began to make me dizzy. The room was spinning, and I gripped the door knob to steady myself. I managed to turn the knob, but it wouldn’t even move; my damp palm sliding uselessly over the metal. I tugged and pulled, hopelessly falling against the door as another pang of nausea hit me like a wrecking ball. I had to lie down, I was going to pass out or faint at any second.

I clumsily stumbled to the bed and lay partially on it
, still feeling no relief as I gripped the comforter trying to suck in a cleansing breath, yet feeling as if I were suffocating at the same time still; my chest was tight, feeling constricted from within.

Maybe…maybe if I just ended myself, none of this would be an issue. Whatever the reason these dark angels wanted me, they couldn’t have me if I killed myself right? Then Cam wouldn’t have to fight and possibly be killed for me.
I slid off the bed and sat with my back against it, drawing my knees up to my chest and burying my face in my hands, as I cried. I now knew why I was being punished.

I was never truth
ful to China about needing help and someone to talk to about the grief I had suppressed for years. I had been in denial, thinking if I did show vulnerability and weakness, the demons would have been able to take or kill me a long time ago. There were thoughts that I had and things that I had felt that I couldn’t even tell my grandmother, even though I knew she would understand and make it all better. It would’ve broken her heart. The harder I thought of these things, the harder I cried and I couldn’t stop.

I had thought many times of taking my own life, coming close a few times a
ctually, but something from deep within me always stopped me. Those reasons were why I was being taken to hell, why these demons were after me now and wouldn’t leave me alone.

There was o
nly one thing to do now then — because it would never stop, and though I think I actually loved one of them, a fallen…I think that loving him only added more to my sins and my doom. But how could love be a sin? We can’t help who we love can we? Even if it is a dark being, right?

I sniffed and caught my breath; moving over to the window while saying a silent prayer in my head for forgiveness for what I was about to do
. If I had to spend eternity in Hell for this, would Cam be able to visit me if he was a fallen? Would he forgive me for hurting him in taking my own life? Would God forgive me? I scolded myself for how stupid and ridiculous the idea and the thought of all that was. What was I thinking? I was obviously emotionally delirious, frightened and ill, and now desperation was talking.

The banging and crashing of glass dow
nstairs made me gasp and jump in alarm, although it was similar to what I had heard downstairs earlier, so I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I sort of wished that no name fallen girl was with me right now as rude as she had been. At least I wouldn’t feel so scared and alone right now.

I thought of everyone; my parents, my gran
dmother, China, Joel, Ms. Hawthorne, Lenell and Drake, Cam…Drake?

             
I glimpsed out of the window to see him jump from the roof in one bounding leap like a superhuman acrobat, and he had a weapon…a silver, wicked looking sword with a curved tip. He looked…different. No longer beautiful and serene or even human for that matter; he was twisted and ugly like the dark angel in my dream.