SWNOVELS Chapter Face to Face
My Dearest Cassandra,
I was not expecting to meet you again for some millennia— I must admit I was shocked you came back so quickly, and what with the human race becoming more and more childish and marrying at such a later date— I fear this may be the last time we meet, my love. There is no child to continue your legacy, not this time. You told me once this day would come, that we would forever part ways and God would again forgive your sins— setting you free to live in the pearly white of my beloved heaven— while I was cursed to roam in torture for all generations in hell. Our love story has been going on for centuries— and too soon it will be over for the last time. I am not ready for such purgatory.
When I saw you in the garden I was overwhelmed at the sight of two of you standing so close— and realized that your grandmother hid you from me, for the tale of our love has been passed down through the centuries! Your grandmother in this body has ignored the rules of our game— she has not just changed your name, trying to hide from me— but not passed on the instructions to your older self, the woman masquerading as your mother. It makes me sick to think that she has taken our love away from us— but perhaps this is why you have been born again, my sweet sweet angel, twice in one century— for we are forever twisted together since the fall of Adam. Oh daughter of Eve, how I have loved you— and what price I have paid for it, what price is still to pay for my deceiving you— my love. You are as an angel— light to the blackness of my soul, a shining beacon reminding me that I have lost Eden forever… damned to live in shadows, hidden away from the world.
I knew you would come to me if you saw my tears— my remorse at the pain of your heart— being born twice, and not knowing why but always knowing something was amiss. I have looked into your grandmother’s sin. So much folly was bound in her heart as to keep your history from you. Telling that man— your father instead of you— and it went with him to his grave. There is still time— I have given you a new mark my love, to remind you of us, of who you are. Soon, yes so soon you will come to me and I will make you mine again— innocence shall be gone when I take you as I first did, in the beginning when everything was new— and you shall belong to me— and your seed shall increase my children and your death shall wound my heart again.
If it is the last that I shall see you in this life— I want to make it such a last as to break heaven and hell— then I shall rage in war until it is finished— either I will be imprisoned or I shall rule, no more hiding. No more shadows, just night— blackness, fire and smoke forever more.
With all the love my dark heart can give,
Lucas Farrelli
“Cassandra, come back here!”
Mark and I had argued about me going down the steps into the darkness below to explore the secret chamber that had opened when I had stepped on a loose tile for at least ten minutes. I had a feeling he knew more about Saint Mary’s then he was willing to say, and I was tired of being left out of the loop. Eventually I had pulled out my iPod to put on its flashlight and ignoring Mark, started down the stairs— with Mark on my heels.
“So glad you decided to join me.”
“This is not a good idea. Look Cassandra— I’m telling you, turn back and go home— see your family again while there is still time!”
“Oh, I will, you dolt. Once I figure out what is going on down here I swear I will turn around, alright? I just have to know— maybe this has something to do with my nightmares.”
“If that’s not the understatement of the year then I don’t know what is.” Mark mumbled so incoherently I had to guess what he might be saying.
“Sorry what?”
“Oh, nothing. I’m sure you would have ignored me anyways.”
I reached the bottom of the descending dark staircase and found myself at a wooden door similar to the one leading into the church above. I reached out and pushed the door, and just as the door upstairs had, it swung open with ease. I’m not sure what I was expecting to see but it hadn’t been an intricate hallway lined with statues of marble, or torches casting an eerie glow for as far as I could see. The same black and white marble tiles as from the church above covered the floor. What was this place? I stepped into the hallway, my feet itching to walk down its paths, to see how long this underground palace extended but instead I looked to my right where bright light shone out of an open doorway.
“Cass, please.” Mark reached out and took hold of my arm. “Let’s get you out of here.”
I shook his hand off. “In a minute.” I took another step towards the room. “Just as soon as I look in there… won’t take more than five minutes. I promise.”
“CASSANDRA!” Mark hollered.
At that moment something happened I did not expect, there was a shadow blocking the doorway, a shadow caused by a tall man with red eyes and black wings. I knew instantaneously who he was. He was the man from my nightmare. I screamed and fell backwards into Mark’s arms.
I don’t know how long I was unconscious for, but when I came to I found myself alone, sitting on a large burgundy armchair facing a blazing fireplace in what appeared to be a library. From behind the chair I heard tinkering of some sort, and despite my fear of seeing that man again, I slowly peeked over my shoulder to see what might be happening. The room I was in was very strange— the half I was sitting in was an old fashioned library with built-in shelves, a desk, books, a fireplace and armchair… the other half of the room? It looked like a science lab out of a horror movie or from the set of Frankenstein. I shivered. The tinkering I heard? The man with black wings pouring ambiguous liquid into a beaker over a Bunsen burner.
“Ahhh, you’re awake.”
While I wanted to respond I really didn’t know what to say. The man slowly turned to face me, his black wings flitting slowly, small black feathers falling as he moved. He was wearing black pants, but was shirtless, black tattoos covering his skin in a Sanskrit language. I couldn’t tell how old he was, just as I hadn’t been able to tell that in my dream. I should have been repulsed, instead all I felt was a horrible curiosity and a sense that I was very much a mouse in a trap. “Cassandra. Finally we meet, face to face.”
“You’re real?”
“I am.”
“Who are you?”
There was a look in the man’s red eyes that was akin to sorrow— if he was capable of feeling such a thing. “Ahh, my dearest. It pains me to think that your wretched great grandmother hid your grandmother and your mother from me, and now that the story of your heritage was so unjustly hidden from you.”
He knew of my family? How this-this strange creature from my nightmare know about my family? What did he mean my great grandmother had hidden my grandma and my mother from him? “That’s not the question I asked.” My voice wavered, I could feel a chill spreading over me. “Who are you?”
“I am Lucas.”
“Well I’ve never heard of you. What are you?”
“Of course you haven’t.” Lucas took a step towards me, his wings spreading further open, stretching and filling the room. “Your past was hidden from you.”
I stood. I had to get out of here. Mark was right, I should never have come. If I was quick I would be able to duck under Lucas’ wings and make a run for it.
“I am the father of the Fallen.”
“Fallen from where?” I boldly stepped towards him, looking for a way to duck under his wings. “Heaven?”
Lucas laughed, but it was hollow sounding. “Yes.” His wings had almost completely unfolded, filling the open spaces in the small room, he took another step towards me. If he hadn’t had wings or red eyes I might have thought he was quite handsome, and not older than twenty at the most. “Yes.” Lucas repeated, as I realized we were standing face to face. “And if you hadn’t been here to guide me through the centuries it would have been too much for me to bear.”
If I was going to leave it would have been then, but I was frozen in place.
“You do not remember me, but I know a way to show you.” Lucas’ wings closed about me and his arms pulled me into a tight embrace. I closed my eyes expecting to see flames to feel the lava that always accompanied this man in my dreams but instead I felt cool skin against my own and a heartbeat thumping away. “Breath deeply, and let go.” I had no idea what that meant but I took a deep breath and tried to relax.
I opened my eyes. I was standing in a beautiful garden, so beautiful it hurt to look at. There were massive palm trees, huge magnolia bushes, tall grass— everything looked bigger and brighter, younger even. I skipped along through the grass towards a pond, my hair flowing out behind me in the cool breeze. It felt so good to be alive! I came to a stop by the water and looked down at my reflection; there were flowers braided in my hair, and I was naked, but I didn’t care. I laughed and ran into the pond sending water flying everywhere.
“Cassandra!”
I turned to see a man with white wings standing at the edge of the water, he was so bright that he was glowing. I knew it was wrong, but he was mine. I lifted my arms and he flew towards me, picking me up from the ground and soaring into the blue sky above.
“I love you Luc.” I wrapped my arms around him as we flew.
The image faded. I blinked and found I was standing in a hut, a broom in my hand and a fur skin dress tied loosely hanging off me. Whatever was the point of sweeping a dirt floor— it would never be clean. With a sigh, I put the broom down and went outside. There was a man and boy there. I knew the man was my husband and the child my son, the man was sending my son off with relatives. The boy looked back at me once, tears in his eyes— but I knew what had to be done. My mother had told me this day would come. I could still hear her soft whispers and feel her arms about me.
“When he comes, you must send everyone away. There will be death, yes. It is our curse.”
I had seen him in my dreams. Calling me. Telling me it was time. I knew my husband was going to die. He had to die so I could be free… free for him— for Luc. I felt no remorse, only a solemn sadness that I would not see my child grow into a man, but he could not die, our line must continue.
Again the image faded and when I opened my eyes I was sitting on a bench dressed in a pale pink toga. I giggled. Father had sent my first husband to war, he was an ignorant oaf, and the maid was raising my daughter. I was free to go to be with the one I loved. I put my hand on my abdomen. I hadn’t told anyone I had married Luc, but I would not be able to hide for much longer that I was pregnant with his child. I was going to tell him tonight. I felt a swell of pride that he would certainly feel as well, since I felt certain it was a boy child.
I closed my eyes— and over and over again all I saw and felt was images from the past, pictures frozen in time of women who looked exactly like me, all loving the same man, Luc or Lucas, as he was calling himself these days. Only I knew the truth— Luc wasn’t short for Lucas, it was short for Lucifer. The last image I saw that burned into my eyes was of my great great grandmother as a seventeen year old, she was very pregnant lying on a bed alone— the midwife just out of sight.
“I don’t know what’s wrong, Cass. It should be a normal delivery, but you keep telling me it doesn’t feel the same as your first and I have yet to see the appearance of the little man. Perhaps he’s just taking his time?”
“No, he’s coming. Bring Arabella here. I want to say goodbye.”
“Now don’t talk like that!”
“Please?”
There was a rustle of cloth and then a small girlish face in my view. “Goodbye, my love. Remember to tell my story, it must be passed down. It is our curse, but someday it will end and we will be free. Remember, mama loves you.” There was an ache so strong it made me gasp. “It’s time.” I could hear the midwife passing Arabella on to someone beyond the confines of this room.
“You really shouldn’t talk like that.” The midwife was chiding me. “Scaring your daughter so. I’m sure your new husband will be back soon and he’ll look after all four of you and—”
There was a ripping sound and a burning sensation of pain as a tiny fist pushed its way out of my abdomen. The midwife was screaming. The fist was followed by black wings and an infant’s first cry. I fell lifeless onto the table.
There were tears on my face that I didn’t remember crying.
“There there my dear. Hush, it’s alright. It’s alright.” Lucas rubbed my back but it did not ease the suffering of what I had just seen.
I knew now that my family was cursed. I wondered if that was really why my father was dead. Was Lucas ready to swoop in and take her? Is that why she had married Ray so quickly? Why she had suddenly been so interested in our family heritage? I shivered. Why she acted like she already knew what I’d seen in my nightmares? I wanted fresh air, I wanted to be as far away from here as possible. Wiping my tears away I looked up.
Lucas stood transformed— his arms were still wrapped loosely about my waist, but his wings were gone and his eyes no longer rimmed in red. I blinked, had I imagined it all? The guy who was standing here with me had dark brown hair, green eyes and pale tattooed skin, not topless, but wearing a white tee with a black leather jacket, in fact, if I hadn’t known better I would have thought he was Mark.
“What?” I stammered.
“You don’t really expect me to go out and reveal my true form to everyone do you?”
“But-”
“Shhh.” Lucas whispered. “Let’s go meet your parents. I’m sure they would love to meet the most important man in your life.” Lucas released me from his arms and took my hand. “After all, this should be a most intriguing conversation. Don’t you think?”