Angel Wings

Chapter 17.2

Evabelle stood stunned. Anahalians were good. But they did leave Earth behind. Shaundee's word from back at Kalas Hem came back to her. "They say the Anahalians abandoned the world for the rest of the angel children and those who cared, to pick up the pieces." Evabelle closed her eyes. They're still good. She thought. I have to believe that.

"I've always seen them as the hypocritical pathetic creatures that they are." Averno continued. "That is why I knew I had to find a better kind."

Evabelle's eyes opened and she turned her head to see Averno. "What better kind?"

Averno grinned at her, spreading his black bat wings as far as they could in the small empty room. Evabelle fought back the urge to shrink away as they towered over her. "As you can see, my dear, I no longer have feathers. I gave them up to be stronger."

Evabelle swallowed. "I don't--"

"Demons." Averno's eyes flashed. "Demons who freely use their power. Angels claim they have free will, but they are bound by rules and commandments. Demons are the ones that are truly free. I have made a deal with the Devil, and once my part has been fulfilled I will be a demon king!" The originally calm voice, had a new level of anticipation in it.

"Demon king?" Evabelle whispered.

For the first time, the true Averno took a step towards her. "Indeed. I have fulfilled part of it, but the next step has taken time, but I am a patient man." He had begun to whisper, and it was causing the hair on the back of Evabelle's neck to stand on end. "I must annihilate any and all with angel blood."

Evabelle could feel herself trembling. "You mean..."

"Every elf, every fairy, pixie, mermaid, and anahalian." Averno was now mere inches from Evabelle. "And of course you." He reached out his hand as though to stroke Evabelle's face, while Evabelle herself stood frozen. Just millimeters away, Averno clenched his hand to a fist, his unusually sharp nails piercing his own skin, causing blood to drip down onto Evabelle's face. She flinched away.

Averno chuckled again. "While I gave up the feathers, I also gave up munera, but the demons have given me power far beyond that of Anahalians. How did you think I was able duplicate the appearance of my son? Anahalians can't change form like that, my dear. Deceiving like that, is not within their ability."

Evabelle watched in horror, as the blood dripping from his hand, seemed to slow and crystallize around itself, lengthening into a dagger made of blood.

"Isn't it beautiful?" The fallen Anahalian murmured, gazing at the knife.

Evabelle swallowed, shaking her head. "S-so the w-wings, the tattoos, they're all from the d-demons?" Evabelle hated the quiver that had returned in her voice. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the blade in Averno's hand. Her time was running out.

"It is my new power, my new family." Averno whispered, twirling the blood knife, expertly. "They are far better than the Anahalians."

Evabelle took a small step back again. "W-what makes them great?"

Averno took a step toward her. "Freedom. With them, I've never felt so alive, and so myself."

Evabelle gulped, not feeling so alive, herself. "How are you going to annihilate the Anahalians when their gates are closed?" Her breathing and heart were picking up. "You can't make more Annihilators without them either. You're s-stuck."

Averno never lost his smile. "I'm far from stuck, my dear." His flicked his head to the mirror behind Evabelle as if to tell her something.

She craned her neck. It was a large mirror that went down to the floor, showing her entire body. For just a moment she marveled at the wings on her back. They looked so real. But then her gaze was caught by the frame of the mirror. Kayne had told her the marked gold frames were meant for communicating, but there had to be a silver rimmed mirror at the location on the receiving end. Her eyes narrowed at the silver framed mirror. Evabelle turned all the way around, her mouth dropping in shock. "You're not really here. You're just an illusion!" Evabelle exclaimed, but then she blinked at the smudge of blood on her cheek, crinkling her eyes in confusion.