It's Not Hers ✔️

36. The First of the Last

Rhea's POV

"Bye Tom!" I waved to him and made my way to the library where Hadrian's note told me to meet him. I found him slumped at one of the tables, looking as though he was asleep with books laid out next to him

"Hadrian?" I said tapping his shoulder gently.

"I'm awake," he replied without moving. "Sit down."

I cautiously sat down in front of him. He didn't immediately speak so it soon became tense and awkward. I fiddled with my fingers to try and ease the feeling of not knowing what to do.

"Rhea, stop looking so scared. I'm not going to do anything," he assured me with a resigned expression.

"You told me to come here so you can explain."

"Straight to the point I see. Now where should I start from?" He raised his head to look at me with his now pale grey eyes.

"You can start from the whole angel dating rules thing." Hadrian leaned back in his chair causing a strong smell of cigarettes to hit me. "When did you start smoking?"

"Ever since I decided to give up alcohol."

"When was that?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"An hour ago. So, angels have a thing where we can in a way claim humans."

"Like reserve them?"

"No, they belong to you. We tend not to claim many because it leads to trouble, but it's usually just people who a dear to you, that kind of sh*t. But the problem is another angel can't date or harm the ones you've claimed as yours unless you verbally release them."

"So you're saying someone claimed me?"

Hadrian gave me a tight smile. "Yep. There's only one other angel in the school beside me so it's obvious who it is."

"Noah."

"Mmhmm. He's just being salty because I threatened to kill him," he stated, irritation laced in his voice. He rubbed his jaw in thought then a bottle of beer appeared in front of him.

"What exactly happened between you two? I thought you were family."

"So did I but I know better now. Because of him, I'm just a human who lives forever."

*****

Hadrian's POV - 13 years old

"Hadrian! Hadrian!" called out Noah, running across the garden. We were hosting a party at my house and my father had told me we had very important guests so I should play outside with my one of my cousins. Luckily, Noah came and he was one of my best friends.

"I'm over here," I shouted back from behind a bush. I was trying to learn the growing spell we learnt in school but all I had managed to do was cause them to wilt.

He peered over the bush and stared at the growing pile of dead roses. "Your dad will be so angry."

"I know," I replied frustrated. "But I need to learn how to do it. Ryan can do it already so I should be able to as well."

"Well, I have something even better to show you," he said mischievously. Noah always got both of us in trouble by doing pranks but this time it seemed like he had something more than the usual joke.

"What is it?"

"I'll show you now. Come on." He ran towards the woods we had behind the mansion and I followed him curious. It wasn't dark because it was early in the afternoons but as we went deeper there were more shadows than light.

"Are we there yet?" I asked tired of stumbling in the dark. He stopped walking and I stood beside him. "What is that?"

In front of us was a group of stones laid out in a circle where a small hole was dug up inside the ring with a candle in the middle. "Apparently, this is the way to open up portals," Noah said.

"How'd you know that?" I was skeptical that it could do that as it looked more like pixie ring. My cousin brought out a small blade from his pocket.

"I heard dad and Nana talking about it. I didn't know how to activate it but I asked cousin Cupid and she told me. All we need is a little blood." Noah gripped the blade with his left hand and swiftly slit his wrist on the other. His face squeezed up in pain but he hovered his bleeding hand over the ring.

Nothing happened. "Maybe I did something wrong-" Noah didn't get to finish his sentence as the candle burst into flames, startling us. The ground within the circle began to sink leaving pitch black hole. I hesitantly looked inside.

A translucent grey hand stretched out of the hole, pushing the rest of its body up. The creature hissed at us which signaled more of its kind to emerge. I started moving backwards to create distance between the horrifying creature with no face. Snap. A twig broke in half under my feet drawing attention to Noah and I. Their heads turned to us and began to charge.

"We need to go now," I screamed to Noah. He ran ahead with me trailing behind him. I dodged past the trees, hoping to reach the clearing which was now visible. Noah glanced at me, the fear visible in his eyes, and...

Pushed me to the f*cking ground. Hard.

"What was that for?" I panted out of breath, trying to get up. Noah continued running but turned. I smiled at him expecting his help.

"I can't get in trouble for this. You're one of the princes, you can take the fall," he said unemotionally. He walked away. Away from the trouble he caused. Away from me.

I tried to shout for him to come back but I felt something cold hold onto my leg. Suddenly, with great force, I was dragged by my legs back to the shrine, my mouth full of dirt. Then the pain came.

One of the creatures' hands pushed its way into my back causing me wail out from the feeling. It grabbed onto the joints that connected my wings to my back, which were invisible at the time, and pulled. A rip was heard as they were stripped away from me. Crying, I turned to see the black feathers from my wings turn into ash. I knew that I was no longer a full angel.

The creatures crawled back into their hole, still hissing, leaving me on the ground mourning for the wings I never got to use. A little girl appeared in front of me, looking sorrowful.

"Hello brother," she said in a voice that sounded like tinkling bells.

"I don't know who you are. Are you here to kill me?" I whispered wanting my life to end.

"No, Hadrian. I'm Alecto, one of the Furies from the Underworld. I'm here to punish you." I sighed in despair. She rubbed my back, causing my body to slump in numbness, relieving me from the pain. "Your cousin opened a portal to a place that shouldn't be entered."

"Hell?"

"Yes, my dear. He ran away but someone must pay the price and that person is you." She touched my left side gently. "Here is the place where thou shall bare the story of the Fallen Angels for eternity."

The place she touched began to get hotter and hotter that I screamed. Alecto removed her hand and the heat disappeared. I moved my head to make out the beginning of a letter tattooed onto my skin. I stared at it for a while to see that it was completing itself.

"You, Hadrian DiRomero, shall be immortal but you shall live with the fate of humans. That is all."

"You're not adding anything extra?"

She smiled. "No. But this can all be reversed. You can't give some of the payment for entry to Hell. It needs more."

It dawned on me. "You need Noah's blood."

Alecto nodded then vanished into the breeze.

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