When Angels Fall [GXG]

Chapter 25

Sofiel struggles to temp down a grimace as another mortal brushes her by, shouldering past her bodily.

"Is there a good reason as to why we're not driving to wherever we're headed to?"

Reflexively, she tightens her grip on the sleeve of Abigail's coat, trying to shake off the repulsion curdling in her stomach. The fresh wave of mortals teeming at the entrance of the subway is doing a jig on her, and she's two parts disgusted — and maybe, one part nervous.

As much as she abhors being confined in one of those metal death trap the mortals call a 'car', she abhors being shoved into an enclosed area, so jam-packed with mortals that she is forced to constantly brush shoulders with them, more.

"It's all part of the outside experience," chirps Abigail, ever so brightly without missing a beat.

Turning to glance at Sofiel sidelong, the grin on her face is wide, warm, and decidedly infectious. So much so that Sofiel ends up returning it with a feeble smile of her own despite herself.

Though, of course, as soon as Abigail's eyes are no longer on her, the smile on her face slips away almost instantly, replaced by a surly scowl.

She's not unused to the notion of travelling in the mortal realm. Cars. Buses. The underground subway system that spans across the city she now resides in. Sofiel knows all about it. Albeit, through Abigail — and through her time observing the world as it passed her by while she lay broken and prone.

But despite being spoilt for choice, it still doesn't change the fact that Sofiel doesn't like to stray far from Abigail's apartment complex. Anything further than a block down their apartment inevitably leads through to the heart of the city where it's sprawling with all sorts of mortals.

Particularly, the bad sort.

The ones that reek heavily of sin.

Even now as they're in the subway, waiting for their train to come, it still reeks.

The air underground is unsurprisingly dank and thick. Musty with the stench of sweat and all sorts of bodily excrements, congealed into one complex cocktail of odour. It stubbornly clings onto the grimy tiled walls of the subway, distinctively reminding Sofiel of everything foul and obnoxious.

Everything mortal.

Even when they finally get on the train, and find themselves seats, the nightmare doesn't end. The white fluorescent lights are still glaringly bright. The stench of mortal and perspiration still lingers on. The incessant cacophony of mindless chatter — a jarring blend of separate conversations, all unrelated from one another — still fills the air.

And Sofiel is still — still — brushing shoulders with the next mortal that sweeps her by along the aisle.

"I hate this," mutters Sofiel darkly under her breath. Surreptitiously, she huddles closer towards Abigail in her seat.

It's one thing to be surrounded by mortals left and right, but it's another thing entirely to be down beneath the earth, hidden away from Father's protective light. Because now, not only is she forced to put up with the reality of being packed together like sardines with the mortals, she's also essentially a step closer towards her brother's — Lucifer's — dominion.

And that thought alone makes her stomach churn — her stigma crawl in anticipation.

It unnerves her more than she'd even think.

"I know you do." Coaxingly, Abigail pats Sofiel on the knee with an overt familiarity that would have only come naturally in the time they have spent together. She squeezes once at Sofiel's knee — a reassuring gesture — and doesn't move her hand after, leaving it to rest limply over Sofiel's thigh.