Fallen

Chapter Three

THREE

            The words that Jen said to me after our lessons stuck in my mind as I made my way to the library to meet my father. “Don’t be bothered with all of these. Just make your own destiny.” I sighed as I stood in front of the two huge doors of the library. If only I could ask my father about this.

          I slowly turned the knob and pushed the door back to open it. It was an enormous room in a circular form. Stacks of books were placed around the walls, which stretched all the way to the top. A long ladder leaned by the corner. A large circular table stood in the middle of the room where I saw my father, sitting. He was currently reading a book when I walked towards him.

            “You wanted to talk to me, father?” I asked him as I sat down beside him. He looked up and closed the book.

            “Yes. I wanted to talk to you about taking over my place,” he said. I gulped as I waited for him to speak. “Two weeks from now, there will be a ball, which you already knew.”

            I nodded silently and continued to stare at him. His face was blank but his eyes were full of emotions. “And at the ball, you will then take over my position as the Head of the Council,” he finally said.

            I couldn’t move from my seat. My heart stopped for a moment, my throat became dry, and I couldn’t speak. He put his hand on my shoulder and looked at me with so much emotion. “I know that this is going too fast for you, my dear. But the Council already decided. I couldn’t do anything about that anymore.”

            “I—I’m not yet ready,” I said in a shaky voice.

            “No, Samantha. You are ready. You’ve been preparing for this moment since you attended the school I established,” he said.

            “I can’t do it, father.” I cried silently. I couldn’t stop my tears anymore. I panicked and I felt my heart pounding fast.

            “Samantha, listen to me. You can do it and you will. You are the only heir to this position. Our entire kind needs you. I am now old and can no longer continue. You have to take over,” he said firmly.

            “How am I supposed to control the Council, much more our kind?”

            “I’ll help you. I’ll be there beside you,” he said, trying to comfort me, “and we’ll start with these.” He said grabbing a stack of books beside his chair and putting it on the table.

            “What are these?” I asked him.

            “Rules. Laws. And everything else you need to know as the Head,” He said, “read all of these. It’ll help.”

            I only found myself nodding silently at him. He smiled and kissed my forehead lightly before leaving the place. The door slammed shut and I was left alone in silence. I stared at the books, not even bothering to open them. I never wanted this. All I ever wanted was to be normal, to have a normal life and a destiny that I could make. But I could never say that to my father. I know that I have a big responsibility and I can’t run away from it. I was born to do this.

            A few days later, the entire manor was preparing for the upcoming ball. And I was stuck in reading the books that my father gave me. I remained inside my room for days, reading every book. I had learned about the laws of the Council. I learned more about our kind and our ancestors. We were the descendants of the fallen angel, Lucifer. We were demons. But that was a long time ago. We were nothing to our ancestors back then who were too cruel to every human, every angel. We were now remote and civilized; although we couldn’t deny that there is still some evil inside us. But we had learned to control it and now, we were living among humans discreetly. But the war between the angels and our kind still remained.