Genesis: Falling Angel (11 page)

It must’ve been thirty minutes before I healed completely. He watched the entire time. I’d known he was a sadist, but this was a bit extreme. My bones snapped back into place, my wounds sealed. My energy was being sapped away to accommodate the healing process.

He was going to kill me slowly, he’d said. I hadn’t realized what that meant. With each instance of healing, more of my energy seeped away. My body would not just stop healing to conserve energy. It would keep going until I was drained. In this way, he would kill me.

What a pathetic way to die! I was on my back, at the mercy of a psycho. I would be drained ins
tead of dying while fighting for some cause. I was just a pawn about to be destroyed by another pawn.

The next time he swung at me, I rolled away and jumped to my feet. I made a mad dash toward the chain, reaching it before he even had the chance to run after me. I yanked it free from the wall. It wasn’t too long, but long enough for what I planned to do with it. I walked away from Gabrielle to make sure she wasn’t pulled into the fight.

“So you picked up a toy,” Judas grumbled. “What do you plan on doing with that?”

I didn’t answer him. Personally, I don’t think he was expecting an answer. He charged at me once more. He was much faster than me. I could only hope he was too dumb to expect what was coming. If I failed at the first attempt, he’d have me back on my back and covered in slashes. If I had to heal that much again, there was no getting up.

I jumped into the air just as he made to grab me. I was over him, twisting so that I could grab a firm hold of his shoulder. As I clung to his back, I wrapped the chain around his neck and pulled backwards. I crossed the two ends to wrap it fully around his neck. Strange noises rose from his maw. His paws tried to swipe at me, but his movements were too frantic to have any effect. I tightened the chain. He grabbed at it, pulling weakly.

Soon, he slumped to the ground. I only had a moment to free Gabrielle and lift her into my arms. She reached out to touch my wings, mumbling, “Like me.”

I honestly had no idea what she was talking about. I flew into the air, breaking the dome with ease while covering Gabrielle’s body from the shards of glass. My back was torn from the shards, and most likely some were embedded into my flesh, which meant I’d heal with them trapped inside me. I would dig them out later. Maybe I’d find a new shirt while I was at it.

I heard Judas’ angry cry only seconds later, but I continued to fly over the walls of Gula where I knew Noah would be waiting. I had to stop being pessimistic. I always had to come out on top.

I heard Gabrielle whisper something as she closed her eyes to drift off to sleep, fingers slipping from my leathery wings. “What was that?” I asked.

She briefly opened her eyes once more to tell me, “Beautiful.”

I said nothing else as she fell asleep in my arms. I chanced a look at her before we flew over the walls of Gula.

Beautiful, indeed.

Chapter 15 – Gabrielle

When I came to, I was flying. The clouds were passing by, and the beautiful blue sky was endless. Then, I realized I was on Noah’s back. One of Adrian’s arms was tightly wrapped around my waist, and my head was resting against his chest.

I jumped, nearly falling off Noah’s back. Adrian held me even more tightly. “Relax,” he whispered. “You’re safe now.”

My head felt like it was splitting open. T
he memories came rushing back: the ambush of the werewolves, Luna leading me to Gula, meeting Judas, being injected with Fallen blood, and then darkness. There was some huge gap in my memory that I was slightly desperate to fill.

Adrian was holding something in his other hand that was shiny and red. Upon further inspection, I realized the red was blood. I gasped. “What is that?” I demanded.

He tossed it. After it disappeared from view, he said, “You were out for a bit. More like a day. I had to break some glass to save you. A lot of it is in my back. That one was in my arm.”

His back was full of glass shards because he had to save me. He was probably in more pain than he let on. Blood made me squeamish, but it was still my fault. “Do you want me to help you remove them? It is my fault, after all.”

His fingers brushed mine. “I already got it. It was more work than you’d think, but it’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault. Judas is a psycho. So just relax. That injection really knocked you out.”

“Thank you,” I said.

He was silent for what seemed like ages. “It was nothing, really.”

Noah snorted.

“How did you escape Judas?” I asked.

“It’s complicated. I had to snatch you while he wasn’t looking,” Adrian replied.

I pondered this in silence for a moment. “Where are we going?”

“Acedia. It’s the home of S
loth. We’ll be safe there.”

I did not question this. If Adrian thought it was safe, I would trust him. He had been taking c
are of me since his awakening. He was arrogant and rude, yet still loyal and trustworthy. He was a strange combination.

His touch still made me nervous. Even though his arm was merely locking me in place so that I didn’t fall, it felt much more intimate. My face was hot, and I tried to put a bit of distance between us. He must’ve noticed because he leaned in closer, saying, “I’m not going to do anything to you, Gabrielle.”

His voice held that strange power once more. I wasn’t sure if it was his tone or something else entirely, but it was hypnotic. I nodded slightly, and he chuckled softly. I felt warm and tingly all over. It was such a pleasant feeling that I caught myself smiling despite my horrible headache.

There were no more words exchanged between us. Forests passed below. Rivers, lakes, rock formations all came into view. The scenery was so marvelous that I couldn’t help but look over Noah’s side to get a better view.

Everything became cold. Snow blanketed the ground. Below us, there was hardly any vegetation in sight. This continued for several miles before Noah began to descend. As he was doing so, I caught sight of the city.

Well, it was hardly a city. It was a network of caves and tents that dotted a wide area. There were no real sights. There was no wall.
Even worse, there was one thing that sent chills down my spine.

Where were the inhabitants?

“Land outside the city, Noah,” Adrian ordered. “This is close enough.”

Noah obeyed without complaint. His massive face turned so that we could make eye contact for a second. He was probably just as confused as I was.

Once we landed, Adrian jumped off. I followed suit, only to be grabbed by him. He shoved a black, wooly sweater into my hands. He must’ve kept it in the pack he brought. “It changes shape every week. It’s a trap. This entire city is a trap. If you don’t know what to expect, you’ll never leave. The place is teeming with inhabitants. Mortals just can’t see them unless they wish to make themselves known. We’re staying in the city tonight because there’s no shelter out here. Stay close to me.” Despite saying this, he quickly walked away from me.

Noah came up behind me, huddling close to me. “What are you doing?” I whispered, inching away.

He blinked, pulling away from me and walking by my side. “Sorry. I’m cold-blooded. I need to get to something warm soon or I’ll fall asleep and die.” He said it with such innocent sureness that I immediately felt like hugging him. When I made to, my body forced me to keep my distance.

The city looked just as empty as before. Adrian waited long enough to grasp my arm when we stepped into it. I immediately didn’t like it. There was no sound besides the crunching of snow at our feet. There were no smells. There were no living
creatures. It was cold and empty.

“Where are they?” I whispered to Noah.

Adrian answered. “They’re everywhere. We just can’t see them.” his eyes were flicking around nervously. I had a feeling he saw plenty, but I did not question him. He seemed even tenser than when we’d entered Gula.

His arm wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me closer. I attempted to move away, but he leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Gabrielle, the less you smell like some otherworldly being, the better. Stay close.”

So I didn’t move away. We finally stopped at a large stone cavern. The three of us entered it, following a path lit by torches. Noah grabbed a torch and stuck his arm directly into the flame, sighing in contentment.

The moment we finally reached the end of one corridor, we all stopped. Three little beds had been made. The room was filled with food. A fire was crackling in an enclave in the wall. Noah ran to it and kicked off his shoes, sticking his feet into the fire with a grin.

“This is completely wrong,” Adrian said. “I know we’re in the right room. It’s huge, but it looks wrong.”

“What do you mean? It looks nice,” I said, marveling at Noah’s antics.

“I mean, there’s no way any of this could be here. My memory of this place is absolutely flawless. That is, unless,” he trailed off. His eyes traced the walls, finally stopping on the ceiling. He scowled. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Gabrielle—”

As he spoke, he was fading away. Noah had f
aded as well. I glanced around frantically, but found no one. The food seemed to beckon. Every type of fruit imaginable was spread out on a table at the far wall of the room. I found myself drawn to it, fingers brushing over an apple. I picked it up, attempting to take a small bite.

“I’m starving, myself.”

I whirled around. Adrian was standing at the entrance to the cavern, eyes locked on me. Hunger was evident in his gaze, and I suddenly felt bad for being so inconsiderate. I held the apple out in a gesture of apology.

He came to me then. His movements were strangely slow. It was like he was almost lazy, confident that he could accomplish anything with minimal effort. It was different from the fast, long strides he normally had. Fear buzzed in the back of my mind like an angry bee.

He grabbed my wrist, squeezing it to make me drop the apple. “This food isn’t too filling. Want to try something else?”

The buzzing grew louder, more prominent. His grip was beginning to hurt my wrist. “Like what?” I said.

A slow, lazy grin crept onto his face. “What, indeed.”

I looked around. Every bit of furniture in the room had vanished. It was just an empty cavern. I felt his hands sliding down my sides, reaching for the button of my pants. I stumbled away, breaking free of his grasp.

Annoyance flashed in his eyes. “I don’t like a challenge. I thought you trusted me.”

He reached for me once more, and I turned and ran. The torches had gone out, flooding the co
rridors in darkness. His touch had felt wrong. Adrian had never been so harsh or cold. He had never tried to hurt me in any way.

One arm wrapped around my waist, the other over my chest. I screamed in terror, hearing it echo for
what felt like an eternity. Lips pressed to my throat, and he smiled. “You can’t run from me, you know. I’m not too fond of doing this in the dark. I’d like to see your pretty face.” Light flooded the cavern, seemingly from nowhere.

He whirled me around to face him, eyes locking onto mine. My heart was pounding. I may have been naïve, but even the most naïve of women could tell what would come next. I had no strength or power. I was stuck in a weak, female body. I was—

Wait. Blue?

His eyes had flickered for merely a second to a pale, unnatural blue. My horror faded into wonder, and I gaped at him. He suddenly stopped, hands frozen on the hem of my sweater. He arched an eyebrow. “It’s the eyes, isn’t it?”

I nodded slightly. “You can’t be Adrian? Who are you?” I squeaked.

He released me. “Well, this is awkward. I really have to fix that, you know. I’ve got a bit of a fetish for impersonating loved ones. Once they see the eyes, I have to kill them. They’re so boring.”

His hair became snow white. His skin became much paler. Two long, white, leathery wings stretched out behind him. His eyes were a pale, icy blue instead of violet.

“I figured you’d relax if
I was him. You know, considering that human bodies have, well, needs. I figured you’d start feeling them some time or another. If you’d fought me too long, I was going to let you go anyways. I don’t work for my prey.”

Suddenly, I awoke. Noah and Adrian were lying on either side of me. I pushed myself into a sitting position. It had only been a dream. The moment we’d stepped into the cavern, we’d probably all collapsed. My head hurt slightly, and I groaned.

“You three didn’t honestly think you’d step into my lair without me having a bit of fun, now did you?”

I looked up to see that the area was empty save for an icy throne. Upon it, the man from my dream was seated. Or rather, the demon. I stumbled back, quickly kneeling down to Adrian to wake him up and fight off the monster. I wasn’t sure what he could do, but it was worth a shot.

“He won’t wake up, you know. I hold power here. My city, my rules.” He was slumped in his throne, propping his chin up on his fist. “You three should’ve known better, and you should’ve struggled less. I don’t like touching unwilling people. You’re lucky you know Adrian here, or I would’ve killed you.”

“Why do you still look like him?”

He seemed surprised by this, gently tracing his features with a finger. “I think the term is half-brothers in the human language. His parents were mortal, though our mother was once visited by an incubus. There are no half-human incubi, so naturally I’m a pureblooded demon.” He rushed through the story as though it were uninteresting.

“Incubus?” I asked.

He looked at me as though I was stupid. He rolled his eyes. “Really, now. You ask too many questions. You realize what Sloth is, right? Laziness. Not willing to work. You are making me work.”

My face heated up. “Sorry,” I mumbled. Then, remembering how he’d treated me, I said, “Actually, I’m not. Tell me what you are.”

“A night demon, you stupid girl,” he said with a sigh. “The demons that visit women and men in the night. We feed off of sexual energy. Though you’re about as sexual as one of those apples you tried to steal.” He looked more closely at me, smiling slightly. “You’re about as red as it, too.”

I had never heard of such demons. It seemed like something Gabriel should’ve warned me about. Demons that take away chastity would be very large threats. Loss of purity could cause my true Fall.

“You have no idea what would’ve happened to me,” I shouted.

He arched an eyebrow. “What can you do? When you’re hungry, you’re hungry. I don’t get many visitors anymore. I get bored. What other ways can an incubus pass the time?”

“Do a puzzle! Maybe try cooking something! Gardening! I don’t know!” I was hysterical now.

“Calm down,” he ordered.

A wave of calm swept over me. His voice was hypnotic and smooth. Suddenly, I believed I would’ve done anything he asked without question. I slumped to my knees from the sheer weight of it. I placed my head into my hands, sniffling slightly. I was trapped in a cavern with a hypnotic night demon while my two companions were passed out on the floor. This was almost worse than Judas. At least he had kept me partially unconscious during the whole ordeal.

“I don’t care for crying. Talk to me. Like I said, I don’t get visitors too often.”

I looked at him incredulously. Was he insane? He had just tried to attack me and now he wanted to make conversation? I shook my head.

“Well, tell me about Gula, then. I hear Judas is very unhappy with Adrian now,” he said.

“First tell me your name,” I demanded, realizing he’d never said it.

He smiled in an amused sort of way. “Flint.”

So I decided to introduce myself in return. Anything to keep him busy before Adrian and Noah woke up. “My name is Gabrielle.”

His smile faded. “Trust me, I know. I’ve heard a lot about you from the others.”

Who was he talking about? I decided to distract him with stories of Gula. I told him of the werewolf ambush, my kidnapping, meeting Judas, and my eventual awakening on Noah’s back.

“Adrian beat Judas? Very interesting. Judas is a wild one,” Flint noted with an air of someone who really doesn’t care about anything. Or anyone.