Angel Wings

Chapter 10.2

                  

Evabelle awoke to the world falling apart.

            Her eyes flashed opened.  She heard crashes and felt the vibrations renting the room.  She rolled out of bed and collapsed.  The shaking was too much.  Earthquake.  Evabelle grasped at the bedpost, lifting herself up and clinging to it for support.  She opened her mouth to cry out, but just then her door swung open revealing Aza, still wearing what she wore yesterday, her hair in a big blonde rat nest, and her eyes wide. 

            She stumbled into the room, looking completely frazzled.  She clutched at the same post as Evabelle.  "What's going on?"  Aza shouted through clenched teeth.

            "You think I know?"  Evabelle yelled back.

            A terrible, blood-curdling scream rent the air, making the hairs on the back of Evabelle's neck stand on end.  It was a cry of awful pain that tore at Evabelle as her grip on the bed post tightened. 

            "Come on!"  Aza yelled through the chaos.  "We have to go help!"

            Evabelle nodded numbly, releasing her hold, and was instantly thrown to the side, crashing into the wardrobe.  Aza reached out a hand to Evabelle, who grasped it.  The two miraculously managed to get out of the room and made an awkward dash to the stairs. 

            It was amazing that none of the windows had broken and the Sanctuary itself wasn't collapsing on them.  It was just the small objects in the house that were falling from the walls and shelves.  Evabelle felt as though she were on some strange rollercoaster that was making her stomach race sporadically inside her as the house shook forward and backward. 

            The same excruciating scream echoed up the stairwell as the two reached it.  This time Evabelle recognized it to be Calandra.  "We have to get her!"  Evabelle cried.  Getting to the stairs was one thing; climbing down them was another.  The place was shaking so badly, it was practically guaranteed to be a long painful fall.  But Aza just swung her leg over the banister and hung on for her life, sliding it down as the jerking of the Earth threatened to toss her over the side.  "Aza!"  Evabelle cried after her.  "Wait you—" Suddenly warm arms were around her again, swooping her from the floor in one movement, and soaring down the stairs, right where Lucis stood with his arms around the beautiful mage, who was hunched over and pale.

            Evabelle jumped from Del's arms and ran to them.  It was the first time Evabelle had ever seen Calandra look so disheveled.  Her dark red hair was ratty and messy, her eyes were surrounded by dark circles as though she hadn't slept in months, and her skin was white and icy to the touch.  "What's wrong?"  Evabelle cried desperately as Aza jumped the last bit of the railing to the floor and staggered over to them.    

Lucis opened his mouth.  "I don't—"

"WHAT IN ALL THINGS IS GOING ON!"  Tru screeched over everyone as she descended on her blue wings. 

"That is the question, isn't it."  Del grumbled.

"Shut up.  I wasn't talking to you."  Tru snapped at him.  She knelt by Calandra, who was breathing heavily.  "Calandra, what is happening?  Why is—?"  Another ground trembling jolt went through them, bringing everyone to their hands and knees.

Evabelle felt someone's hand on her shoulder.  CJ had seemed to have materialized out of nowhere.  His eyes were wide with apparent fear.  "Are you alright?"  He gasped.  Evabelle nodded numbly then turned back to Calandra, who had begun speaking.