Black bird 🖋️

Chapter 3

Hester heard a knock coming from her door. She walked over to it and answered. Nathaniel stands there with Anahera. "Council needs to speak with you," Nathaniel says. "Tell them to reschedule," Hester says as she goes to shut the door. Nathaniel places his foot in the way and stops the door from closing.

"It wasn't a request," Nathaniel replies. Hester opens the door and gives an aggravated smile. "And what is the meeting about?" she asks. The two stay silent. Hester pushes past them and starts to walk towards their building.

She enters the hall and looks down, letting out a long sigh. "If this is about the crown, I'm sorry," she starts, "I tried to get it back but then you-" Hester looks up and stops talking. "Oh," Hester says awkwardly. Anahera and Nathaniel make it into the building behind her and kneel.

"You were saying?" a voice beams down. Hester quickly bows down to the person on the large throne. The woman has long white hair that flows at her sides which brings out the dark color in her skin. She wears golden plated armor around the chest, feeding into a white skirt that goes past her ankles.

"Answer me," She roars. Hester jumps slightly but regains her composer. Hester looks up to Her. "I lost the crown the other day, I tried to get it back," once again Hester is cut off by Her. "You what!?" She stands up, staring Hester down. "I tried to get it back, I swear!" Hester quietly yells back. She clenches her jaw and takes a deep breath before sitting back down, resting her head in her hand.

"Do you know what that could mean for us?" She asks Hester. She takes the silence as a no and continues, "that is the object that allows the holder to grant prayers," Hester freezes and looks into Her eyes. "Yes, even them," She answers Hesters silent question.

"Hester, when did you lose it?" Cael asks. Anahera and Nathaniel have already taken their seats. "When Josephine asked for me on the first day," furry floods God's face. "Is that why we had a useless prayer?" Cael questions.

"Cael," God scolds. "How was I supposed to know that the thing gave me powers," Hester says. Cael shoots up, "you should have been responsible enough not to lose it!"

"Cael," She shouts, "enough!" Cael sits back down. "You are banned from the prayer community," She pauses, "For eternity." Hester gives a small smile and nods before turning around to walk out.

"You lied?" Nathaniel asks. Hester stops walking and takes a deep breath before turning around with a guilty frown. "You lied," Nathaniel repeats himself, more stern this time but with a hint of sadness.

"Is this true?" She asks. "Yes, but only because," Hester is cut off. "Silence!" She shouts. "Now I shall have banned two angels in a week," She says, closing her eyes for a moment. Anahera looks sympathetically at Hester causing Hesters stomach to swirl and make her feel nauseous.

"Are you aware as to the location of it?" God asks Hester. "On earth," the lights in the room start to flicker. "I'll try to track it," Cael speaks up. He quickly scurries off into another room. He comes back a few moments later and shakes his head.

"How do you plan on getting it back?" She asks. Hester thinks for a moment but can't find an answer. "If you find it you may come back," She says. Fear floods over Hesters facial features at Her words.

Two men grab Hester and pull her by her arms, dragging her out of the temple as she screams for them to stop. The last thing she sees as she leaves the room is God standing, towering over the others and Cael with a smirk plastered across his face.

The men drag Hester to the place her sister had been taken from her. "Okay, I got it!" she says, pulling herself out of the men's grip. Her feet sink into the clouds some. Hester looks down at her feet which are now covered by clouds.

"Hester, do you understand the charges against you?" Micheal asks, a slight tremble in his voice. Hester nods and takes a deep breath, excepting her fate. "I hereby banish you from heaven, entry upon retrieval of the artifact you have lost," Micheal sighs as he looks at Hester who has screwed her eyes shut and has her arms to her side, waiting for the strike. "Were not going to shoot you Hester," he says. This confuses Hester because they shot her sister when she was banished.

Micheal walks closer to Hester and buts a closed hand before Hester. "Goodbye," he whispers, opening his hand and blowing on the golden powder inside. Hesters body falls numbly off the cloud, tumbling down into the inevitable.

Her wings erupt in a silver dust, shimmering like the stars before her. There was a sharp stinging in her back as something made its way out. She let out a pained scream as it finally burst from her skin. Black wings engulf her as she falls into a cloud of smoke, heat suffocating her.

She lands harshly on a reddened floor which heats her body. "Did you upset mummy?" a young boy asks with a British accent, sitting sideways on an obsidian throne, legs thrown over one side, a crown placed crookedly on his head.

"Where am I?" Hester asked, already knowing the answer. She examined the room, it looked as if she was inside a large beast, the walls a strange squishy material, with arches like ribs. "Hell, of course," the boy says in an irritated tone.

Hester tilts her head and looks at the boy like he's stupid. He has dirty blonde hair that curls intensely on top his head, his skin tanned yet pale with hints of pink. He wears a black dress pants and a grey vest over a long-sleeved white button up, his black jacket draped carelessly over the chair.

Steam erupts from Hesters left and she jumps, letting out a yelp. "You'll get used to it," the boy says. "Who are you?" This amuses the boy. He stands up and faces Hester putting his hands out.

"Why, I'm Satan."