Even Angels Fall (Book 3)

Need more convincing that he would give in to the ruling. Maybe he wanted to get caught but why? Maybe the cult angels took Kyla and wouldn’t give her back and the only way to get her back was by involving the ruling?

Alexander

“Come along. It isn’t much further.”

My heavy breathing and our stumbling footsteps is the only other sound out in the wilderness. The full moon is my compass and I peek through the looming trees, assuring myself of the direction I hustle towards.

“Alexander, this is foolish.” Ariel grumbles behind me. She is unbothered by the hike as I am. We’ve walked over a mile up the mountain and still she continues resilient. “Will you reveal your secret to me or not?”

“It is something I must show you. Words only fall flat.” I turn and grasp her hand, hauling her up a deep incline. “Here, look.” I watch her as she steps forward, the white fur of her vest glimmering as the moonlight breaks through the clearing. Her blond hair flows down over her bare shoulders and though it’s near freezing in temperature, she is immune. I ignore the sight I’ve laid before her: the cliff she stands in front, our village that lays beneath it, and the icy river shining a mystic blue coat as it reflects the light of the moon. I gaze only on her magnificence. “It’s beauty is enchanting.” I murmur. “Is it not?”

On the edge, she stands. A rigid pose I know too well. As other Angels dread such heights, she is impervious. What does an Erelim Elder have to fear? “Nothing I’ve not seen before.” She responds taciturn, her breath seen in the air. “Is this it? You waste my time.”

I cackle, my own body not so resistant to the chill in the air and I shiver as I tentatively approach, smartly keeping my distance from the edge. “Time with me, beloved, is never wasteful.” She turns to scold me and I latch onto her arms, stalling any harsh words, “Tell me.” I murmur, leaning down, if only to be closer, to reach her warm lips, “Tell me, you don’t loath me as much as you display.”

It’s a moment her features soften. I know it’s not my imagination. It’s not the light of the moon. The affection is there. I wish only to grasp it, bring it forward, and embrace her. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me. Why do you deny it when I can see it in the reflection of your eyes?”

“You are a Newborn-”

“I am a man. And you are a woman. Is there anything else we need to concern ourselves with?”

A suppressed, barely existing smile touches her lips, one she tries to force away but it’s what I’ve been searching. It’s the confirmation I need. Despite how hard she pretends, I’m breaking the ice around her.

“Erelim Elder Ariel.” A voice whispers from the tree line.

Ariel pulls me behind her, pushing me against the ledge. My fear escalates as I notice how close my foot is to the cliff. I cling to her arm but she yanks away stepping boldly forward as four Undead appear with silver chains around their necks and cloaks weigh heavy on their forms. They spread out, blocking any quick exit and keep their faces covered from the light.

Ariel growls, “What a daring lot you are.”

“Why such alarm, your grace? We are but humble servants, following the will of our Lord. Your knowledge can be of use to us. Share with us, your grace and we will stop our pursuit.”

“Ariel?” I whimper in confusion.

“Here is a chance to dampen your witlessness, Alexander.” She speaks but never takes her eyes off the foes before us. “This is why I never roam far from camp. You take me blindly because you are an ignorant lamb. But heed this warning if nothing else. Do not trust the Ruling, Alexander. They will destroy this world to make it their own.”

--

I surrendered myself to the Ruling. It’s incredibly stupid but at the time it was only choice left. I got to face the fact that I’m not up to par with the crazy that exists in this world. There is only so much a normal guy like me can do until I really don’t know where to go or what to do anymore.

Kyla was taken from me by a cult of Jesus lovers. They have some idiotic hope that Kayla is Jesus reborn. They have a whole society underground and by the time I realized what was going on, it was too late. I couldn’t reach her. So as much as I’ll regret this, I’m hoping the ruling can help me get her back. I’m choosing the less of two evils.

I spent my whole life avoiding the ruling and now here I am in the under belly of the monster. When I imagined what the Ruling looked like, it was much more intimidating than this. I thought there would be fire and brimstone, as cliche as that might sound. I thought there’d be blood and bodies and screams. But instead it’s a typical human courtroom with rows of empty seats and a panel for the judges. It’s somewhat peaceful.

I had a good run, I think. I managed to run for a long time. And I don’t know if its failure I feel or relief but it’s something heavy. It’s an end of an era. Kyla will never realize how much I’m sacrificing for her. And part of me never wants her to know. She’s innocent in all this. Never asked for any of it. She’s a child, caught in a storm and I am simply the person holding the umbrella.

The door echoes in the vastness of the empty space alerting my senses and I watch as seven judges wearing black thick robes come from the corner entry. They step up into the podium, filing down, filling each spot. There is no telling Fallen from Angel and there is no saying who’s an Elder. The shrouds keep us all equal here and yet I’m the only on my knees.

It’s funny because if I were the man I used to be, I’d stand in front of these creatures with the bright arrogance I was born with and yet here I don’t have the energy.

In this moment, I realize it is not relief or shock, it’s exhaustion. I don’t have to run anymore.

Out of all the creatures that are after me, the Ruling is perhaps the least likely to rip out my heart. They’re a judicial court. The worst they will do is put me in a cell for the rest of my life and let’s face it, don’t I deserve that? I’ve killed people. A prison is a small punishment for all that I’ve done.

The center man with the bearded face speaks out, looking down with oval eyes, “Alexander Stamford, I am the presiding judge Osamu and you have been brought to the Supreme Court of Angel and Fallen Rule. Do you know why you are here?”

I could really use a glass of water. “Yes.” I force a timid smile. “I’ve broken dozens of laws by the Merci. Since I can remember I’ve run from your organization, changed my name dozens of times, committed fraud, racketeering, and swindle many humans out of their life savings.” I continue after a breather, “But if you are talking about recently: I’m pretty sure I’m the cause of four of five deaths because the Vetatlas attached themselves to my Soul and I’ve used them to run.”

There is silence. I don’t know what to make of it. I thought they would attack me with their virtuous talk and have a ready judgment on hand.

The center judge speaks again, “Alexander, your Vetalas have killed twenty-one Souls.”

Tears breach my eyes.

“You’ve caused over two million dollars in damage around the United States. Because you did this knowingly, tapping into the Darkness, treading the line of Sheol, the case we bring against you if won, will land you in prison for six thousand years.”

My grief is instant. I can barely suppress my misery. I thought I would be fine with the image of prison but hearing the words spring from his lips, I can’t find comfort in them.

What have I done?

His voice reaches through the terrible heartache, offering a comfort, “We wish to help you, Alexander. You are slipping and we understand your heartache.”

The term ‘slipping’ sets my heart into a rapid fear. I keep hearing it as if it’s meant to stop me. But ‘slipping’ is the term they use for Angels that are extremely close to falling.

“We wish to assist you, revive your Soul, and rejuvenate your Faith. Rumors consistently drench the Ruling with such wicked intentions but truly our mission is to aid beings much like yourself, Alexander. Weak souls abused by others that are stronger and wiser. We are here for you.”

Ariel told me that the Ruling is full of malicious intent. They would come after me if only to get to her. But I have been away from Ariel for too long. Surely I have no more use for them. So maybe, they really want to help me.

Help is all I’ve wanted for the past month running around this planet with Kyla. I want someone that knows how to protect her to take over and keep her safe.

“Look at me, Alexander.”

I lift my head, despite the tears.

“We want to save you. Do you believe me? Will you let us?”

I nod, suddenly so very desperate.

“We’ve concluded the reason for the terrible atrocities that have afflicted you recently. It just so happens, this creature that you travel with is exactly who we search for.”

My grief pauses.

“If you help us capture this hybrid that is the cause of all of your anguish, we will overlook your years of disobedience. The Merci will forgive you. God will open Her arms.”

I stare at the floor. If I give them Kyla, all my sins will be washed away and I’ll start anew. God is here, in them, and I feel that Light wash over me, give me hope, give me peace. I will no longer suffer from the clutches of the Darkness creeping at my Soul. Can it be that easy? Is it possible that this panel of my peers, they are actually on my side?

Ariel told me not to trust them but how can I trust her? She has done nothing but shun me my whole life. She is a cold beast. Her frozen heart has made her enemies. But they don’t have to be my enemies.

“How can you help her?”

“We will keep her alive, Alexander. Isn’t that the goal at which you have sacrificed so much for?”

“You won’t hurt her?”

“She is a creature of God. She belongs with God. Don’t you trust us, Alexander?”

I look onto the board of judges. Angels, holy and just that were chosen for their dedication to God. I fear them because I sin. I am not good enough in the eyes of their pious devotion.

I wish Kyla would fill my head so I would know what route she wants me to take. I could always feel Kyla telling me things. It was muted and so distant but the tug on my consciousness was there, barely noticeable until it was too late.

What will her powers be like when she wakes? I wonder if she will possess any. Perhaps she will be a normal kid with a giddy laugh and a gorgeous smile. Or maybe she will be like Ariel: Transcending beyond all means of ordinary. Will she understand why people are chasing after her? She’s been asleep all this time. Tymician had no idea she was a hybrid, there’s a possibility she doesn’t know it herself. She might believe she’s a typical Fallen with average abilities. She’ll be scared. She’ll want Tymician.

“Promise me one thing.”

They glance to one another, hesitant.

I rub my face, clearing myself of any doubt. “Promise you’ll allow me to stay with her. She trusts me, you see. She knows me.”

He slowly nods his head, “We might be able to arrange that request.”

I gather myself to my feet. “Alright. I’ll take you.”

--

London is a big city and I possess only a few locations to memory. We arrive south of the town.

Four members of the Law Branch stay with me and I explain to them the situation.

Kyla is underground in a small bunker with a cult of Angels that seem to me more mentally unhinged than usual. I met up with Vaul yesterday and he was urgent to find a new location for Kyla. He seemed convinced that the Children of God were no longer a safe location. When we went to get her, that’s when their insanity sparked chaos. Vaul pretended to be on their side if only to be able to stay with Kyla while he sent me to get help. I hope the help I’ve brought is enough.

We travel through concealed tunnels, moving through the layout. Angels are the only ones allowed in so the two Fallen Ruling members stay back as the rest of us move forward.

The cult is fairly well known, originating in the United States. The Family International or recently known as the Children of God is a partial house of its enlarged family but all the oddities are surely enhanced. I don’t know why Vaul thought Kyla would be safe there. Perhaps it didn’t matter to him what kind of people surrounded her, as long as she was away from the Darkness.

TFI is a religious cult that began with the simple ideal of love. But as every cult, it twisted that love into a satanic lust. I am not too keen on details. I read only what I heard in newspapers and on TV reports. I know one particular fact that rolls chills down my spine. Members are said to envision Jesus when they have intercourse, to love him in all his holiness. Male members must view themselves as female so not to have a homosexual thought. They worship Jesus and praise him, making love to him in their minds.

Now I’m all about intercourse- ‘make love, not war’ remember?- but I don’t know if I could do this, even for my faith.

Walking down the steps, I see the door Vaul brought me into yesterday. It’s wide open to my surprise. Light beams on the stairway. I look up to the Angels following me and put a finger to my lips, slowly sinking further down. The closer I get, the sounds become clearer.

Footsteps hasten toward us and I squeeze against the wall. A soldier prepares to capture them, tightening his hold on the metal cuffs. It proves to be pointless. The person runs right by us, scared out of her wits.

I only think upon it for a moment before I dash down the steps and run through the hallways. People rush by, careless of who I am and the Ruling that follows at my feet. I hear screaming and pounding against walls. The very ground vibrates.

Something has gotten to Kyla. Something is harming her. The terror that is inside me is coming from her and the rage that pounds against my chest is not my own.

I round the hall and shattered wood and concrete spatters along the hall. “Kyla!” I cry out, stumbling as I latch onto the doorway.

I notice the bed is empty.

Candles light up the room, illuminating the religious art covering the walls. It wasn’t there yesterday when I visited. The paint is newly dry, written in Latin and Hebrew. I flip my eyes over quickly and find a body on the floor, blood pools around them sinking into the written scriptures on the ground.

By the second entrance, I meet the orbs I have been longing to see.

Kyla’s narrowed gaze is only on her prey. Her lips curl and her teeth clench as she holds in her tiny fingers Vaul’s massive neck. She squeezes the air from his larynx and he sputters and ceases movement as he sits on his knees with his arms collapsed at his side.

“Kyla?”

Her eyes lighten and all the rage in her face recedes like a storm withdrawing from a serene town. Her mouth widens, her eyes expand in tangible fear and she stutters looking down at the man in her hand. Her black long hair flickers with her movement, baring the protruding scar on her neck, leaving me with no question that this is the girl I’ve cared for.

“Wh…What are you doing?”

Tears billow and spill over her cheeks, “Stop me.”

Her voice, a voice I’ve craved to hear but the sound of that desperate request shatters me. I step forward and she screams.

“Don’t!” Kyla throws Vaul hard and he slams into the sidewall. It splinters and fragments as he goes straight through it. Kyla stands rigid. Her tiny body shakes and quivers. Her fists curl at her side. She keeps her eyes on the floor and her tears drop with consistence. “Stop it. Stop it.” She murmurs. “Don’t do this.”

Her head suddenly twists and her voice solidifies, “They were hurting you!” It bites with a rush of bitterness and venom that shocks me.

Kyla curls in on herself, her arms reaching up to hug her chest. Her voice returns to a whimpering and gentle tone, “They were trying to help us.”

Confusion doesn’t stop me from reaching out to her, “Kyla?”

Her head snaps up, “You know me?” She whimpers hopeful.

I smile, tears burning my orbs. “Yeah.” I chuckle, “A little bit.”

Her face crumbles and with yearning clear in her tearing tone she asks, “What’s wrong with me?”

I shake my head, rubbing at the stray tear, “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” I step forward but she’s so terribly afraid. I hold up a hand, “I’d never hurt you. You see, Tymician, he--”

Her eyes widen, hope shines readily in her gaze. “Ty, where is he? We were going somewhere safe and then I woke up and I’m here. I want Ty.”

I nod full of sympathy, rounding the bed, coming closer. “I know you do. Tymician left you in my care, Kyla. My name is Alexander.”

She wipes her face. Kyla looks around for a moment, hesitant. “Oh.” She holds out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

I laugh at the absurdity. I grasp her hand even though tears fall down my cheeks. “You too.” I linger too long and she pulls away.

“Can you take me home?”

I wouldn’t doubt if she went back into another long sleep. It’s usually what happens to coma patients. They wake up, learn of terrible events during their sleep and then seek the comfort of their dream worlds. It’s a luxury not knowing the things you’ve lost.

Movement suddenly alerts her. The black suits are moving too swiftly. My fear escalates and she readily senses it. I can’t move back fast enough. Her palm hits me hard in the center of my chest and I fly back hitting the wall. The air rushes from my lungs and I hit the ground hard, coughing and choking, gasping for breath that won’t come. I can barely make out her form as she fleas past the men that stand in her way.

I run after her. She isn’t a fast runner thankfully and I’ve been running long enough to keep up with her. “Kyla, we won’t hurt you!” She makes random turns, yet somehow finds a way out of this maze of a labyrinth. She bounds up the steps, grasping the stairway where I notice she is already out of breath. I stay near the bottom, hoping to keep her from running. “Please--”

“She doesn’t want you!” Kyla yells back at me. “Stay away from me or you’ll get hurt.”

Kyla takes off again and I push up the steps and follow. “You don’t know what’s chasing after you, Kyla. This is dangerous!”

She darts down a random corridor, clueless about where to go. It winds up being a dead-end. I keep at its entrance. I don’t want her to use her Light. She is well aware of her strength and she is mightily more powerful than I.

“I can get you home.”

“I can’t go home, can I? Tymician knew that. Don’t lie to me. She knows.” Kyla paces, running her hands through her hair. “Where am I?”

“You’re in London.”

Kyla stops and swings her head toward me, “How. How did I get here? I was just--”

“You’ve been in a coma for weeks.” She attempts to deny it but I push. “I’ve been protecting you this entire time. I’ve been waiting for you. To meet you.”

She shoves her knuckles into her sockets, her lips curling as if to cry but Kyla throws her arms down and sets a strong glare. She is stubborn. I thought she would be. Something about her made me believe she’d have that pride in her. I’m glad to see it.

“There you are, dream girl.” A voice from above interrupts the moment and in the mid-day sun, I find the dark shadow leaning over the building, staring down at us. His skinny form stretches thin. His hands stick in his side pockets. I can make out the spikey white hair and even the black of his skin but his features are impossible to see.

It is Kyla that speaks. “Sloth?” She murmurs with odd curiosity, unsure herself but how can you mistake a Sin?

His brother Wrath comes beside him, his form thick and fat, a hand gripping tight to his club that rests on his shoulder. He chuckles, “Well, guess the bitch was right. She’s actually here.” He slaps the butt of his weapon into the other hand, “I’m starving. Let’s finish this.”

I connect to the Source and snatch Kyla’s hand running for the entrance but Sloth and Wrath have already transported to its front. They stare at us with glowing smirks on their black lips.

Sloth meets my gaze. “Did you have fun with my little gift?” I can’t think of what he’s talking about and my brows knit in response. “Don’t you wish those little bastards would come shrieking out of the sky about now?”

Breath fills my chest as I stare. Sloth was the one to curse my Soul. He placed the Vetalas on my head. Why hadn’t I thought of that? He was the only one with the plain objective. At least I can spit it back in his face. “Yeah, thanks for that, they were a big help.”

Wrath finally catches up, “Hey isn’t this the guy that Tymician was with that day?”

Sloth dutifully ignores him staring plainly at Kyla. I glance over at her. She silently gazes at him, meeting his eyes fearlessly with perplexity knit on her dark brows. She’s never seen him before. How could she have known his name? Why do they seem to acknowledge each other?

I uneasily begin to step back, keeping a hold of Kyla’s hand, “Well fellas, it was great catching up.”

Sloth moves for Kyla’s arm and I twist around, snatching the knife clipped to my ankle and come up slicing at thin air. He jumps back with a wicked grin upon his lips, cackling with glee. “Now that’s interesting.” He remarks. “Last I remember you were deemed useless.”

“I’ve changed a little.” I reach behind me and pull out my gun. Cocking it, I hold both weapons at the ready.

Sloth stuffs his hands in his pockets, “I see. Well, brother, have your fun. I’ll sit this one out.”

Wrath cracks his neck, rotating his shoulders, “Gladly.”