Dark Angel: Book of Souls

The Nightingale

            The body was mangled. The throat was ripped apart, the hair torn and matted with blood. The eyes had rolled back into her head. There were inscriptions all up and down her arms and legs in a language unfamiliar to me. A pentagram was carved in her chest.

            The screaming slowly brought me to reality. I snapped my head back to meet Samara’s tortured glare. Her silver eyes explained it all.

            “Casiana.” I murmured. Every set of eyes focused on me. Cicero stepped forward with a sheet, placing it over the Spinner’s mangled body.

            A meeting was called for our section of the Order. Leo, Cicero, Same, Samara, I, and many others gathered in the underground chamber. The Elders were panicking. They stood in the corner, whispering in hushed voices. The other members held blank expressions, their eyes all focusing on me, looking for guidance.

            “There is someone challenging us, challenging the Order, and challenging the oldest beings in existence. Casiana was powerful, ancient, and look what has been done to her. Something is coming. Something we have never seen. Something we do not know how to destroy. Starting tonight, everyone will be armed, trained, and sanctuaries will be prepared. We are on sacred grounds. For now, we are safe.” It was Cicero who spoke. I met his ancient yellow eyes and felt my heart thud to a stop. There was fear, present and dangerous. There was fear everywhere. The gazes on me suddenly burned as I realized these people wanted reassurance. They wanted an explanation. They would never get one…

            “We follow Cicero’s orders for now. You may all return and begin your work. Leo, Samara, Cicero, Sam, and I will remain.” I echoed.

            My friends gathered around me, waiting for me to speak. I held out my hands, taking one of theirs in mine and calming them.

            “I think we have an advantage. We have the baby. We don’t know what she is but we know she can help.” I met Samara’s gaze. “What’s her progress?”

            “She has begun to age. She is now about the age of three. She has been increasing her age rapidly. I estimate she will be ten by the next month. This is good. We may stand a chance.”

            Leo looked at me, and I felt the stir of emotion, mostly anger. “Not all of us are going to survive. I doubt even half of us will make it. Do you know what happened to the Spinner? She was condemned. Her soul was removed from her body and devoured. She is dead, and can not come back, can not even become a ghost. This thing that is coming, it can kill all of us. It is older than we have recorded, than we have been alive. We are all already dead.”

            “We aren’t dead yet.” I retaliated. A smile played on his lips. This is what he wanted. Anger. We had to fight. All of us.

            A storm began to rage outside and we all retired to our own chambers for the night. Samara and I stayed in my room. I had convinced Cicero to allow me a TV and we had a show on. It was about the supernatural occurrences and the life of two brothers. She was howling with laughter at it. If only humanity knew.

            “Ev-.”I grabbed onto Samara’s shoulders as she fell to her knees, screeching in pain. Then she stopped.

            “Master.” She bowed her head to a figure looming behind me.

            “Good evening.” He responded, stepping out of the shadows. His hair was blacker than midnight and pushed back, it reached to the top of his neck. His eyes were brighter silver than Samara’s, making her’s look dull. He was flawless, almost unreal. There was nothing mundane about him. His skin was bone white, and his features perfect. “Dark Angel, I am the Angel of Death. Of course I prefer to be called by my original name. Please, call me Alexander.”

            So Death is beautiful, then? “Good evening. Please, call me Ever.” I held out my hand shaking his. He radiated life energy. I gasped at the coldness of his hands.

            “They have been calling it the Harbinger. The Harbinger of the End. He has become the sign they hoped to never see, that we are all going to die. The world will end; unless he is stopped.” Alexander met my eyes. “The child.”

            I turned to pick her up, and when I spun around he was gone.

            “Harbinger…but how do we destroy it…?” I spoke to empty air.

            “Only I will be able to destroy my father.” A tiny voice spoke. The child evaporated from my arms and reappeared in front of me. “I can lead you to the Book of Souls, and I can destroy the Harbinger. My name is Luscinia.”