Uriel (The Hallowed Chronicles Book 1) (6 page)

Chapter Ten

Jenna spent hours caking makeup over my face and no matter how much I whined and tried to get her to stop, she kept going, intent on turning my innocence into a more "adult-like" manner. We spoke several times as she worked on my face, drawing delicate lines across my eyes. My mind traveled to earlier this morning and the way she acted around Jophiel. She either liked him or something had happened between the two that kept her still clinging to hope that he would one day be more than just the boy walking down the halls, paying little mind to her. Curiosity bit at me and my heart began racing, afraid of what I might find if I pried. "So, you like Jophiel?" I asked plainly, masking all emotions from her radar. Her hand stopped over my eye, seeming to hesitate.

"More than like," she said softly, continuing to apply the makeup. "I'm head over heels for him," she finished.

"So you guys never did anything?"

"No, which sucks. He rejected me when I tried asking him out... Said he was waiting for a special person to enter his life."

My heart dropped. We were discussing the word 'love,' something I knew little to nothing about and she had me wondering what the symptoms of love were. She went on and on about the feeling of a connection, the fact that you can't stop smiling when they are near, the feeling of safety around them, and what she called 'butterflies.' I was trying to think back to the sensations I had felt around him and only came to one conclusion; he made me feel weird... Different. So maybe it was just my human brain and emotions hoping for some mortality in this immortal world I lived in. Sighing, I let her finish up, curtaining her body away so I could view what she had done to my face. As my eyes connected with the me on the other side of the glass, my breath caught in my throat. My hazel eyes were bright against the dark lines of eyeliner while the mascara curled my eyelashes up over my eyes. The pale skin on my face seemed flawless and my lips were dashed with a light, glossy pink. "I look... different," I said, unable to form any other words. "No, you look gorgeous," Jenna replied, coming around behind to touch my hair. "Your hair is too perfect to mess with and your outfit matches your face," she continued.

"Wow, thank you, Jenna."

"Of course, hon. Now to get myself ready... I'm going to try and make Jophiel fall for me with my looks.

At his name, my stomach churned and I got up, facing her. About to speak, I was cut off by her front door slamming. Instantly, Jenna's energy changed and her bedroom door swung open. "Jennaaaaaaa," a man's voice sang from the doorway. Fear filled the room and Jenna’s eyes filled with tears and I stood there, unsure of what to do. "Stop, dad. I have a friend over; we're going to a party. Just leave me alone," she whimpered. The man that now stood in the doorway looked over at me, his eyes trailing up and down my body and it made me feel uneasy. "Hello, Jenna's friend," he said sweetly, smiling to show off decayed teeth through his plump face.

"H-hi, sir," I said quietly. His eyes went back to Jenna and there was a twinkle in them, making me shudder. "Be home by curfew, okay, darling? Don't have me worried," he said before leaving the room. As soon as he left, it was as if the air came rushing back in and I could breathe, but Jenna's energy was still twisted with negative emotions. "Are you okay?" I asked as she sat herself in front of the mirror to do her makeup.

"I'm fine. Thanks, Uriel."

"It's no problem. You can talk to me about anything."

I sat on her bed as she busied herself getting ready, and within five minutes she turned to me abruptly. The energy coming from her didn't let up, instead it was pushed at me, making me wince. "He's an asshole," she said through clenched teeth, startling me.

"Who? Your dad?" I asked, confused. She nodded.

"He's a drunk piece of shit and all he does is ruin my life... ruin me."

"You... Don't have to tell me, but what did he do to ruin you?"

She sat on the bed next to me and put her face in her hands before reaching for mine and looking at me with tear-filled eyes. Her body was shuddering and I knew I was about to be let in on something big... something I didn't think would have happened between parent and daughter. "H-he... touches me and... Does things he shouldn't do," she said with a whimper. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach as she went into detail on how every night he would come to say goodnight and leave with more than he should, a piece of her innocence. This was heavy stuff and something that could not go unpunished in the end. Instead of just sitting there, unable to feed her false hope that things will be okay, I just pulled her into a hug. I had just become her friend, but she had done something she wouldn't have done to anyone else; open up. "I-I don't know how... but you're so easy to talk to, Uriel," she said through tear induced hiccups and all I could do was hold her and send my calming energy to her.

Continuing to soothe her, my eyes caught a book on her bookshelf from across the room and I let go to get it. Taking it from the shelf, I walked back to her with my eyes reading the title.
The Holy Bible.
I put it in her lap and sat next to her. "It is hard to find happiness when the ones you trust the most hurt you in ways they shouldn't," I said looking straight ahead. "Though there is no way to truly escape the scars he gave you, there is always one path, one being, that could guide you to the happiness you deserve." She stared down at the leather bound book before looking up at me, a small smile peeking at the corner of her mouth. "I will read this because I feel you know what's best," she replied before looking at the clock. "For now, let me finish getting ready and we'll go to that party."

Music blared from the house we approached, and a crowd of people were already pushing through the doorway. As we walked inside behind the crowd, the music got louder and the crowd of people had already began dancing to the beat. I was being led by Jenna to the kitchen where it was less crowded and she put a drink in my hand. "Here, have a beer," she said smiling, chugging her own cup. I glared at the stale yellow liquid before sniffing at it and pulling it away. It did not smell pleasant. "Trust me, it tastes a lot better than it smells," she said laughing. Shrugging, I sipped it, but chugged it when Jenna told me it tasted better that way. It didn't really taste better at all, but she kept handing me another cup and we stood around chatting and drinking our beers.

A few hours into the party, I had realized I drank a lot. I was confused when the world became hazy, and I stumbled over myself. The whole time attempting to get us to the couch, Jenna and I fell over each other, laughing and chatting loudly over the music. Boys from our school came over and we talked with them, keeping each other up until I found myself alone with no Jenna. I had only blinked for a second, and she had disappeared. Though I was dazed and unable to stand straight, my wings shuddered against my back, anticipating movement behind me. I was hopeful that it was Jophiel, only to meet the face of Nick who had a small smile across his face. "Hey, Uriel," he said looking me up and down. "You look amazing." Heat crawled up my face as he took my hand and kissed the top of it. "Thank you, Nick. Have you seen Jenna anywhere?" I asked him, still trying to look through the bodies of what seemed like our whole school. "I saw her over with Jophiel. Always trying to make him notice her," he said laughing. Nick then pointed and I followed his finger to spot Jenna hanging over Jophiel, laughing and smiling. Something in my heart twisted and Nick pulled on my hand. "Do you want to meet my friends?" he asked.

"Sure, I have no one else to talk to."

He smiled and led me upstairs where he opened the door to a bedroom where four people sat in a circle. They nodded at us, a thick cloud of smoke cascading from their lips like a waterfall. We sat in the broken part of the circle as the others passed around what looked like a cigarette. When Nick tried to hand it to me, I denied it, not wanting to stir what was already bubbling in my stomach. I blinked again and found that the others who had been in the room disappeared and I was alone with Nick who just sat there staring at the ceiling. "Where did everyone go?" I asked swaying a bit.

Chuckling, Nick stopped me from swaying. "They went to grab a few beers," he replied. Though I wasn't looking at him, I could feel him staring at me. "You're beautiful," he said, leaning over and planting a kiss on my cheek. Surprised, I turned my head to look at him incredulously, only to stop breathing when his lips were forced against mine. The cup I had in my hand fell and spilled onto the floor as he pushed himself onto me. "Nick what are you doing? Stop," I said, panicking.  I inhaled sharply as he dug his elbow in my ribs, trying to fully get on top of me and I found myself unable to control my energy to push him off.

He pulled off his shirt and his pants quickly, pinning me against the floor. I squirmed under him, trying to get out. "Nick, stop," I whined, trying to wrench free of his bodyweight. Images flashed across my mind, an unwanted memory, but one that was necessary to fill me in on what was happening and I screamed, my breath being caught by his hand over my mouth.

"Hush now, Uriel. It will be over soon, I promise, baby," he cooed at me, bending down to push his lips over mine. Struggling, he took his belt and looped them around my arms, preventing me from using my hands and I stared up at him with teary eyes.

"Please, Nick I want you to stop," I pleaded.

He shook his head. "I can't Uriel. You're too beautiful... too innocent," he purred, pressing himself into me. Sobbing, I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and cried for God and his help.

Everything was muffled and as pain hit me below my waist, there was a loud crash and Nick was wrenched from me and out the window. Through blurred vision from my tears, Jophiel stood there, watching as Nick fell outside before releasing the belt from my hands and picking me up. There were screams from the people attending the party as Jophiel held me and rushed me down the stairs as I clung to him and cried. "Uriel, listen to me. Don't move, I'll be right back," he said setting me into his car. I nodded, wiping fiercely at the tears that started to make my makeup run. When the door closed, I heard more shouts and screams and I peered out of the window. Jophiel was standing above Nick who was on the ground and bleeding from his nose and mouth. "Don't you dare touch her again, you piece of shit," Jophiel yelled down at him. "I warned you at school, Nick. You think that's all I have? Try again and see what happens. That'll be the last thing you'll ever do."

Tears flowed from my eyes as I sank into his car seat. He got in and remained silent. As he drove, he hummed a song that seemed all too familiar. It was a lullaby I thought I would have forgotten, but as the notes came from his lips, it came flowing back to me and rocked me into sleep. He was more to me than I thought... He was a bigger part of me and I knew then what all of this meant. Beyond my closed eyes, memories of us from our past played out like a movie and the emotions running through me caressed my heart. He was only protecting me from the human's dark side and I went in blindly. Most of all, I realized that in every life I woke to, he was always there to fend for me. In every life I woke to, I fell in love with him... and I couldn't escape the full circle. I didn't want to. He was the only thing that kept me from falling.

Chapter Eleven

The world came back to me slowly in an increasing headache that pounded behind my forehead. With my eyes still closed, I twisted in my sheets, groaning from the pain that moved to my temples. I had no full recollection of the events from last night; I only remembered Jophiel and his fury toward Nick. I thought to myself that maybe I should have heeded to the warnings laced into our bathroom conversation. Clenching my teeth, I slowly opened my eyes to the sun that lit up my room in a serene light. I turned my head as weight shifted on my bed and found Nikita sitting there with her hand on my leg. As I grew more conscious, I noticed the flow of energy from her hand to my leg and up my body. She was trying to soothe me even after what I had gone out and did. Feeling guilty, I stared at her in silence as she continued to suck away the headache that was eating at my brain. "I should have known this would happen," she said quietly as the pain dulled. Suppressing a sigh, I sat up slowly and put my hand on hers. "No, I should have been more careful with what I was doing," I stated.

"To be honest, Uriel, I should have told you about the dangers of going to human parties. They tend to get... out of control.”

"That's one way to put it. I'm just glad Jophiel was there. Did... Did he tell you what happened?"

There was a moment of silence, a long pause after that question that made me feel uneasy. And then she jumped at me, wrapping her arms around me and sobbed. "Heavens, Uriel, I'm so sorry this happened. I should have been a better Guardian," she cried into my neck. I was shocked; I had never seen Nikita so worried and vulnerable. It was a whole different side of her that I had yet to see. Without warning, tears spilled from my eyes and I found myself clinging to her, seeking comfort. We sat there crying together for a long moment, before our tears turned into small hiccups and we found ourselves laughing at each other. She grew serious. "It was not done in its entirety," she said swallowing a lump in her throat. "Jophiel stopped him before it could get any further." My hands went to my face. I was ashamed of what I had let happen and as if reading my mind, Nikita took my hands. "This wasn't your fault, Uriel. What was in your drink, alcohol, it makes your brain fuzzy and causes you to lose control over a lot of functions... including your energy."

"I should have known better.”

"You couldn't have, honey. To be honest, things happen for a reason and everyone makes mistakes. Even angels make mistakes."

Nikita rummaged through my dresser, amused as she threw clothes onto the floor as she searched for something. Making a small squeal, she pulled something out of the dresser and walked over to me holding something in her hand that looked like a necklace. "I want you to have this," she said holding out the chain so I could look at it. Upon a silver chain was a single feather and a pentacle glimmering in the light of the room. It was beautiful and it took my breath away. I found myself unable to say anything even as she came around behind and put it on. My eyes began to water as my fingers trailed along the delicate lines of detail and I turned to her. "It's... gorgeous. But why?" I asked quietly.

"We won't always be with each other, Uriel. When your task is done, we move on, or during your task, something... anything can happen that would rip us apart eventually. The necklace was my mother's and she gave it to me and to be honest, I feel as if you are my own child though I could never bear one."

My heart sank for her, crying out to empathize, but I knew I would never feel that void that clearly ate away at Nikita. Pulling her into a hug, I wanted her to know that I felt the same, for the word 'mother' seemed it would never escape my lips. I knew I had a mom once, but she was long gone and I needed someone to take care of me and Nikita was that person... but the mom I once had could never be replaced. Could she? Sniffling, Nikita stood once more and made her way to the door. "It's starting to get colder out," she said. "Because it's the weekend, you don't have school, so we should go and shop for some warmer clothes." I nodded in agreement and hopped in the shower, leaving her to get ready.

Long after I got ready, we left and found ourselves at a place she called the mall where humans shopped for things they needed, or in this case, wanted. We went inside several stores, and she pulled clothes off their racks, holding them up to me, debating whether or not I should try them on. While she talked to an employee, I wandered over to the shirts that hung gently on hangers and touched each one, taking in their fabric through my hands and picking out a few turtle necks. "Hey Uriel," someone said from behind me. I turned to see Jenna standing there shyly, and my heart collapsed on itself knowing she knew what had happened. "I'm so sorry that happened to you," she continued as tears brimmed her eyes.

“Stop," I said softly. "It's not like any of us could have prevented it at the time."

"That's the problem. If I didn't leave to swoon over Jophiel, he probably wouldn't have even come up and onto you."

"Life will always challenge us in difficult ways. We have to make something out of what we have. If we keep mulling over the mistakes and bad things that happen to us, we will never find a way to be a stronger person.”

"Wow, you're like... Buddha or something."

"Buddha?"

"Wait, tell me you're kidding. You seriously don't know who Buddha is?"

I shook my head. Should I have known? Jenna started laughing and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "You really are from another world, aren't you?" she asked. Just as I was about to answer, Nikita came up with a small smile and stopped in front of us.

Turning from Jenna, I pointed to Nikita. "Jenna, this is my Guardian, Nikita. Nikita, this is Jenna, my friend," I said introducing the two. They shook hands and made small talk about school and shopping for clothes while I zoned out and felt the ground shake. It was like a calm before the storm, but the calm came and went as quickly as people went to scream. A loud screech followed by a crash shook the floor and people were running, screaming for help. The air shifted, growing colder and Nikita shot me a look. Without another word to Jenna, we ran where people crowded a large hole in the building. In between the hole was a small minivan with bags inflated in the front seat.

Taking my hand, Nikita pulled me forward and told me to check the backseat for anyone in the car and I did so, prying open the locked door with my summoned energy. In a car seat was a young boy around the age of six who sat motionless with an injury to the head. Nikita pulled the injured woman from her chair, waking her from shock. The woman began screaming, trying to claw her way back into the car, calling for her son who was already reaching for the veil between the human world and my world. "Connor!" she screamed and my eyes watched as the boy's spirit turned to her voice and noticed me. He stood there at the veil, looking from me to his mother with a sadness I couldn't bear. I found myself ripping his body from the car seat and putting him on the ground of the mall, bending over him and placing my hands at his temple, willing my energy into his. Every minute glanced up, he had walked closer to me with an innocent expression upon his face until he was standing over my crouched body.
Mommy needs me, doesn't she?
His childish voice whispered in my head.

"Yes, yes she does," I replied in a whisper as I forced more of my energy into his body, willing his spirit to fully attach once more.

My body shook in exhaustion. When I finished, I found an empty space in front of me and a sharp inhale made me look down. Still crouched over his body, I watched as the boy came back and stared up at me with round eyes. He whimpered in pain as I healed the internal bleeding within his body, but he did not scream, all he did was reach out to touch my face. "Can my mommy see me?" he asked hoarsely and I nodded, backing away from him weakly. Nikita seemed to have known what I had done, releasing the frantic mother who kept screaming as I brought him back to himself. She draped herself over her son, weeping and holding him closely, thanking God for the miracle. Nikita helped me up, keeping me steady when I stumbled over my own feet. My knees felt like they were going to give in but she was my weight... my crutch. She ignored Jenna as she helped me to the car, sitting me down in the passenger seat. "Uriel! Jesus, Nikita couldn't you wait for me?" she said gasping for breath. I lied numbly in the seat, keeping my breaths even as I tried keeping myself conscious to gain my strength back. "Is she okay?" she asked.

"She will be fine, Jenna.”

"As long as you're sure.... God, what the hell happened? I could have sworn that kid was dead!"

"You're not helping."

"Was it something Uriel did? Is that why she's like basically drooling over herself right now?"

"Stop asking questions. The boy was bleeding and Uriel doesn't like the sight of blood."

My head was pounding as they continued bickering with each other, and I groaned. They talked with raised voices, and it didn't help anything. All I wanted to do was leave so I could sleep again. Sirens filled the air and grew louder as they approached the mall to take the boy and his mother to the hospital. "Stop, please. I have a massive headache. I think I need to lie down," I said groaning loudly, holding my head. Jenna nodded slowly, still eying me over. "You're right, I'm sorry. Uriel, give me a call when you're feeling better. We need to have a girl's night anyway," she said writing on a piece of paper and putting it in my lap before walking away, looking back every few steps. I knew she was going to try to figure things out, and I knew I had to lay low for a while after this. Nikita packed the bags of clothes into the trunk from the side mirror. When she got in, she put a hand on my knee. "You did great, Uriel. But keep in mind; we cannot save everyone's lives. Some are meant to die, even if it means watching as their friends and family frantically try to bring them back. You used part of your life energy to do so; it is more than just your regular energy. It will take a while for you to gain your strength back," she said silently.

Through the drowsiness and pounding headache, I had the same light feeling I did when I brought the lost girl back to her parents. I allowed the weak feeling to rock me into unconsciousness and as my eyes closed, I heard the same voice that whispered to me the day I woke. From the sound of the voice, I could tell they were proud... whoever it was.
One step closer to your destiny. The Light is always with you.