House of the Angels

The very next morning the residents were ordered to gather in Sybilla’s room for a brief, but unexpected lesson. Each of them took a spot on the floor or wherever they could fit while Sybilla stood in front of her throne with her arms folded. Anne leaned in the doorway, her feet bare and wearing her favorite black sundress with its short sleeves. Erin and Ramiel stood in the other corner of the room while the four little ones sat on the stone steps of the dais.

“It’s my understanding that several of you were attacked last night by the Caulfields on your way home from the swimmin’ hole.” Sybilla began. “Rest assured ya’ll ain’t in trouble. But I do have to ask, were they after anything?”

Eddie raised his hand. “They didn’t say they was aftah anythin’. But they did say all of us had somethin’ that they wanted.”

Sybilla thought for a moment about the two things Hillary and her cohorts could’ve been after. The first obviously could’ve been Grey, but the other was much more likely. “I think I know exactly what it was they were after.” Sybilla remarked.

She took the book from its place on the arm of her throne and held it up before her whispering pupils. “Ya’ll see this?” she questioned. “This is the one thing they’ll stop at nothing to get. Anybody wanna take a guess as to what it is?”

Grey was the only one to raise his hand. “It’s the book of fallen angels.” He answered. “Sometimes referred to as the ‘Book of the Fallen’.”

“Exactly.” Sybilla told him. “Thousands have died to keep this book from falling into the filthy lil’ hands of the hellspawn. Even those who fell to earth from heaven, angels who’ve sacrificed their immortality for the protection of mankind….they wrote this very book….and sealed it with their own blood.”

Hardly a whisper was uttered in the room. Everyone knew the history of these angels who wrote the book of the fallen. They were angels who weren’t perfect, but still had a high sense of justice and would have done anything to protect heaven and earth from the unholy creatures that sought the ruin of man. But their fall came with a price…..their wings turned black as coal and they became mortals. Their book was written, signed and sealed in blood. Blood that stained every corner of every page.

“Seeing as they’ll be comin’ at us more often than they have been,” Sybilla continued. “Everybody’s gotta be on their toes. Do not let your guard down for anything and if you go out, ya’ll better make sure you don’t go alone.”

“Yes ma’am.” Everyone answered in a low, hushed tone.

“Just one more thing before I let you go.” Sybilla added. “Another ceremony is gonna take place mid-month. I need ya’ll to be ready. That’s all.”

One by one the residents left Sybilla’s room but Anne, Erin and Ramiel elected to stay behind. Once everyone had left, the four of them could discuss everything that needed to be said.

“I still can’t believe Grey managed to get this outta that house.” Sybilla remarked. “Ain’t nothing that could get past Sally Caulfield and live to tell the tale.”

“Kid’s got something in him alright.” Ramiel added. “But he’s fortunate that he wasn’t caught.”

“Yeah?” Sybilla asked flatly. “Looks like you’re forgettin something Ramiel.”

Ramiel’s eyebrows knotted together, confused by Sybilla’s remarks. “Oh?” he asked.

“Mmmmhmm.” Sybilla hummed.

Ramiel had no idea what Sybilla was talking about, but the looks on his wife’s and Anne’s faces said otherwise. Something in them told him that he was forgetting a vital detail that shouldn’t have been forgotten.

“You think this is about….”

“Oh yes I do.” Sybilla drawled. “You know exactly what happened to Micha and Hester the last time this book was in our possession.”

Ramiel nodded, remembering two past residents who both met a rather tragic end some years ago. There wasn’t a day that went by when he didn’t think about how dedicated they were to their coven of angels or how awful their demise had been. He shoved the memory to the darkest corners of his mind and tried to turn his thoughts back to the matter at hand.

“Should we tell him?” Ramiel wondered. “Grey that is?”

Sybilla shook her head, her long braids swaying back and forth like the Spanish mosses that hung from the trees. “Po’ lil’ thing has suffered enough.” She lamented. “He’ll know when the time comes.”

Ramiel gave her a brief nod and said nothing more. For now he would keep quiet about the matter. If Sybilla thought it was best to leave it alone, then it was for the best.

“But then there’s another thing to remember.” Anne chimed in. “Sally’s gonna do everything she can to get her hands on that damn book because without it she loses most of her power. She’ll go to any extremes to get it back.”

“You think she’ll kill for it?” Erin supposed.

“Oh I don’t doubt it.” Anne replied. “I think she’s looking for her next victims as we speak.”

Erin shuddered at the thought. Wailing for those who were about to be murdered wasn’t a warning she wanted to give.

“That woman has killed before and she’ll kill again.” Sybilla spat. “She just has to wait. Then when nobody’s lookin she sinks her fangs right in and BAM! You’s as good as dead. Annie’s right. She’s gon’ be lookin for her next victim in order to get to us.”

For one long hour, the four of them conjured up a plan on what to do in case the Caulfields decided to come to Angel Manor. Sybilla ordered everyone to sleep with a weapon either under or next to their beds in case any of them should break in at night. Windows and doors were to stay locked once sunset rolled around and the lights were to remain off unless it was an emergency.

“You think it’ll work?” Erin wondered. “The plan?”

“As long as everyone is on their toes and does their part.” Sybilla answered. “There ain’t no room for mistakes. One lil slip up and somebody dies.”

Erin didn’t want to think about death. From the moment she had come into this world, her entire family had been tainted by death. Its shadow was never far away….and always lurking close behind her.

“Ya’ll can’t dwell on it Erin.” Sybilla told her. “Ya’ll can’t dwell on what happened. It ain’t your fault.”

Erin nodded and excused herself from the room.