Authors: Laura Kreitzer
“
Will you stay with me?” I breathed.
He let out a breath, one I didn’t know he was holding. “Of course I will.”
He took off his shoes and shirt. The image of him was the same but still breathtaking. I scooted across the bed and sat with my knees against my chest. He perched beside me, put his arm around me, and pulled me down onto the bed, holding me there. I clung to him because I knew this night would be the most difficult night of my life. Andrew murmured something in Italian, and the lights went out.
His chin was on top of my forehead, and my head was in the crook of his neck. He was warm and soothed me just by holding me. His palm was on my cheek while this thumb rubbed comforting circles on my face. I listened as his heart beat steadily in his chest, the one thing Abelie would never have again. She had left this world—she had left me.
“
Why?” The word was almost inaudible.
“
Why what, sweetheart?” Andrew murmured.
The sobs were back, and my body shook with my overwhelming feelings of loss. “I just don’t understand . . . Why? She was immortal and now she’s . . . not. And I just don’t know how that can be, why that is. It’s stupid and doesn’t make sense, and I just can’t . . . I just don’t . . . It just doesn’t make any sense and I— I.” Each second I choked on my words, and my grief threatened to overpower me. My tears came at an alarming rate. The words were incoherent and blubbering, but I couldn’t stop them for fear that I’d lose any sanity I had left. “She was my mom, and those Shadows took her away from me. And now she can’t get back into her body . . . I can’t accept that, I can’t register the fact that she’ll no longer breathe or talk in her sweet voice or hold me. I only had minutes, mere seconds with her, and then she was taken away. It isn’t fair, it just isn’t and—”
“
I know,” Andrew breathed.
There was silence between us for a second.
“
It’s not. It really isn’t. Shh. I’ll hold you all night; I’ll be here with you. I’ll take care of you,” Andrew’s voice whispered in my ear. His thumb wiped away the tears that covered my face. I was glad he had the impulse to comfort me because I needed it now more than ever. “Close your eyes. Dream about your mother.”
I obeyed and closed my eyes, begging sleep to take me. As I lay there, I knew I was still shaking and whimpering, but I wasn’t embarrassed. It was necessary. My world had crumbled all around me in the last forty-eight hours, and now all I could do was try to pick up the pieces. But not tonight. Not while each second brought on another round of earth-shattering thoughts and images. I was nearly at the end of my emotional rope, and I didn’t know how I could have made it without Andrew there, holding me.
Somehow I slept, and my mother’s worst moments flowed into my mind.
CHAPTER
25: ANCIENT BATTLE
“
Can you believe it?” I said through gritted teeth to Aiden. “For thousands of years we have protected mankind, guarded them, and now the Ladies of Light think that it’s okay to . . . to . . . kill them.” I threw my key to the Divine Library. It clanged against a golden artifact, and a chip of metal soared through the air, reflecting in the soft light.
“
Abelie, don’t worry,” Aiden soothed. “Everything will work out, I promise.”
I sat down with a huff. “How can you say that? What is it that you think you can do?”
“
You know that the Guardians won’t let them go through with their plans.” He placed his hand over mine in comfort.
“
Plans?” I snapped. “You mean the mass extermination of mankind? ‘Plans’ is just not a dirty enough word for what they have in store. How about genocide or massacre or . . . or slaughter?”
He sighed heavily at my disdainful look. “I know you’re upset, love. We all are, really. How could they make that kind of a decision without conferring with the Halo of the Sun? Andrew and Ehno are especially angry. Trust me, I hear their thoughts.”
“
Okay,” I bit back, swelling with the deepest of loathing toward the Ladies of Light. “What are the Halos going to do about it? What if the Ladies of Light refuse to back down? You know how powerful they are, how easily they could strike an angel down. Their power sometimes disgusts me. They wear their title on their skin like they’re gods. Haven’t we already made that mistake in the past—you know, with the Soul Stalker’s brothers? Stupid worthless fools,” I responded in a tone of revulsion. I took my hand back and folded my arms angrily. I was so overwhelmed with irritation.
Aiden stared at me with pure love in his eyes. He knew I was livid, but he knew I still loved him with all of my heart. “The Ladies of Light know not to do anything rashly. They’ll probably speak to the Prophetess. The Guardians are already planning a meeting.” He leaned in closer to me and put his hand on my arm. “I can understand your anger. I’m also enraged. What they’ve proposed is ludicrous.”
I deflated some at his words. “Well, you aren’t having any sort of meeting without the Elders. Count us in.”
He smiled at me. “I wouldn’t think anything different.”
We were silent for several lengthy seconds. Unfolding my arms, I leaned even closer to Aiden. I was sure the terror was evident on my face. “But what if this doesn’t work out? What if they go ahead with their plans? The humans will be helpless. And what if they fight back against you?” I cringed at the thought. “I love you, and it would kill me, literally, if something were to happen to you.”
He smirked, trying to lighten the mood. “Nothing is going to happen to me.”
“
You don’t know that.”
“
I do,” he insisted, rather smugly. “We’re immortal; we’ll never die.”
“ ‘
Never’ is a word I wouldn’t use when it comes to the inevitable fate even us angels possess,” I countered. I hated how calm he seemed about the whole situation. What were the Ladies of Light thinking? “Are they going to be invited to this meeting?”
He looked as though he was deep in thought, but I knew he was communicating telepathically with his brothers. “I suppose it’s best if they do come.” He rubbed his jaw in thought. “Abelie, please don’t let this worry you, not until we talk things through and figure this whole ordeal out.” He leaned in and cupped my face. His breath was warm on my lips. “No matter what happens, I’ll do everything in my power to protect you and to protect mankind.”
When I was about to protest the fact I didn’t need him to protect me, he closed the distance between our lips. The warm, soft embrace was enough to make me forget about the threat, at least for the moment.
<>
“
Quiet!” sounded a booming voice in the crowded theatre. Whispers died down immediately. There was a charge in the room as everyone focused their attention front and center. There was not enough seating for all of the angels; luckily only a select group of elite was invited. We had not met there in several hundred years, but the Pompeii Odeum was the only place we could find at short notice. It was old but useful.
“
We’ve gathered to discuss an alternative proposal to our previous proposition,” Liz, a Lady of Light, addressed us while she smirked unpleasantly. She wore her usual white, silk robes that conformed perfectly to her body. Through the silk you could see tattoos covered every inch of her skin. She was tall and striking with her long white hair, which matched perfectly with her white eyes. “After speaking with the Halo of the Sun and the Prophetess, we have decided that mass extermination is probably not the best idea.” She looked displeased with having to agree to that fact. “Our alternative suggestion would be to enslave mankind.”
There was uproar in the crowed. Liz continued through the commotion. “They’re killing this planet. They’re evil and murderous. They’re filthy creatures.”
I leaned over to whisper furiously into Aiden’s ear. “And you agreed to this ‘idea’?”
He turned to look at me, his eyes wide with innocence. He shook his head back and forth. “No, we disagreed.”
“
So why isn’t anyone doing anything about it?” I snapped, wild with impatience. “Killing humans is probably better than making them into slaves. This is outrageous! You’d think they would remember when we were mere mortals. Things weren’t so wonderful when we were slaves of that repugnant king. But humans now a days don’t even possess magic like we did. This just . . . I just can’t believe . . . it’s revolting!”
“
We’ll come together to build a better, more peaceful world where angels and humans coexist,” Liz continued, barely able to conceal her broad grin.
There was another outbreak of muttering among the masses.
“
Coexist?” I bit in a low, furious whisper. “How is slavery coexisting?” My voice had a note of hysteria in it.
“
It’s sickening,” Aiden agreed.
“
Why aren’t you speaking up? I would, but I’m only an Elder.”
“
Because”—he looked at me like I had lost my mind—“if someone speaks out of turn, or does anything to humiliate one of the Ladies, then they might get struck down.” His voice lowered. “They have killed immortals before. They won’t stand for disobedience. We’ll need time to think of another strategy. We thought we had talked them down, but apparently this only opened them up to more brutal ideas.”
“
Obviously,” I said angrily, looking back down at the three women with distaste, casting them a venomous look.
Liz appeared rather smug that no one had stopped her from her from making her proclamation. Mimi, another Lady of Light, stood only a foot or so behind her. She closed the distance and leaned over to whisper something into Liz’s ear. The superior look on Liz’s face twisted as she broke out into a wicked smile. Shivers shot up my spine. What now?
“
We will start the integration of humans into our lives shortly. Mimi has already devised a plan to make things run smoothly,” Liz continued in her horrible, honeyed voice while she smiled self-righteously.
I wanted to slap that awful look right off of her face. And at that thought, I smiled. Lucia, the other Lady of Light, stood farther back. She had the same expression on her face as I did: revulsion and abhorrence. I had always liked Lucia, and her expression only made me like her more. I wondered why she wasn’t doing something to stop this. Of all the angels present, she had the most power. She was the number one pick for the Ladies of Light.
When the small murmurings of the crowed died down, Liz raised her arms in a gesture to let us know the meeting was over. There was a dubious smile stretching her wide mouth. “That is all. You’re dismissed. We’ll gather again shortly to discuss our next move.”
<>
Behind the closed doors of the Divine Library, the Halo of the Sun, the Elders, and even some of the Guardian angels gathered around in the confined space. The noise was heightened when Andrew, Ehno, and Aiden stepped up on a small landing next to artifacts from ancient Greece. I sat next to Luke and Carmela. Of all the Elders, they were my favorites. I was quiet, but they both spoke animatedly about a topic I couldn’t hear. As Luke spoke, he would gently place his hand on her knee, and she would lightly touch his arm when she leaned in to say something. Even after four thousand years, their love had not gone any farther than the longing in their burning gazes.
Suddenly, all the Halo of the Sun quit talking. That was everyone’s cue to quiet down and listen. Briefly, I wondered what it would be like to be a Halo and have your thoughts shared when you wished.
“
We’ve met with the Ladies of Light twice now, and they refuse to back down from their plans,” Andrew said. “Mimi has already devised a well thought-out plan that will have Italy under our thumb in a matter of weeks.” Angry shouts erupted from the crowd. “We can’t allow it, but their cycle won’t be up for another fifty years. This is a problem.”
“
So what do you plan on doing about it?” a Guardian shouted.
“
I don’t plan on doing anything,” Andrew countered. “But we can work together to strategize so we can stop them from making this horrific mistake.”
“
And when you say strategize you mean what?” the Guardian shot back.
“
We fight back,” Aiden stated firmly. There was a murmur of general agreement. Aiden was a force to be reckoned with, and the Guardian knew it. He backed down from his line of questioning. “They aren’t going to let this go. Whether we like it or not they’re planning on enslaving mankind.”
Luke and Carmela looked at me with wide eyes.
“
Don’t look at me like that,” I whispered crossly. “What else would you have us do? Fight, or go against everything we’ve always believed? Hum?”