Ever since the falling, Angels have walked among humans, but not in harmony. Destruction and bloodshed wherever they go, the fallen are finished with being humanity's protectors.
Armed with three daggers and angel poison, Keira has dedicated her lif...
The room, grand with high ceilings and lush furniture in shades of cream and rich ochre is lit only by a small window on the far left. The figures disguised by dark shadows.
"Sophie tells us you have brought a human, Azrael," one of them query, their voice dripping in honey.
I step out meekly from behind the angel, feeling vulnerable without my daggers.
Azrael steps in front of me again, casting a strong arm across me, keeping me in the shadows.
"I had to, she saw me, I could not risk her telling others of our existence," he exclaims smoothly. "Besides, she could help us."
Help how? I frown, why would I help an angel?
A low cackle resonates from the silhouettes in front of me, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Don't give us that, Azrael." A feminine voice drawls, one of the shadowy figures breaking off from the others and slowly moving forward. An extravagant women saunters out, dressed in a flowing golden gown that sets off her amber eyes and caramel skin.
Azrael's arm tenses, pushing me further into the shadows. His jaw clenching as he moves away from me, wings flare, blocking out my view.
"You will not touch her Diana!" He states loudly, his voice echoing loudly on all four walls of the room.
"One human Azrael, one doesn't count," Diana persuades, glancing over Azrael's shoulder, her unhinged stare catching mine. A sly smile grows across her face.
I step back, clutching my bottle of qeres like a lifeline.
"Just one taste!" She screeches, lunging between Azrael's legs, her yellow amber eyes crazed and wide.
I scream as her red painted nails claw at my ankles, dragging me towards her like a lion with its prey.
Azrael curses loudly, turning to grab the waist of the insane woman, her snowy white wings flapping as she thrashes to get out of his grip.
"Let me feed, Azrael." Diana hisses, clawing at the arms tangled around her.
"No," Azrael growls, "remember your oath, remember your promise!" He softens his tone,"This isn't you anymore."
Diana stops thrashing, her chest heaving as she slows her breath. "The oath," she repeats, barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry Azrael," Diana pulls away, staring at her shaking hands in horror. "I don't know what came over me, the need was so strong." She croaks, pushing past me, recoiling away as she runs out the door.
I gaze wide eyed in shock. "This is insane, I cant stay here." I protest, looking around widely for weapon, anything I can use to defend myself.
"You know we can't allow that Keira," Azrael utters, staring me down. I look away, unable to meet his intense silvery gaze. "We aren't going to hurt you."
"How do I know that? One of your own just tried to kill me," I stammer. "Please, I promise I wont tell of your existence, I'll keep quiet you can trust me this time." Even as I speak, I'm not quite sure I mean it.
"Can we?" Azrael questions, looking me over. "We'll see about that," he utters lightly before turning back to face the angels.
"I suppose it's time you all introduce yourselves," he suggests with a polished grin. "Everyone, this is Keira Starling, and she will be joining us." Azrael nudges me into the light. "Keira, you have met Diana and Sophie, one of which wasn't quite so polite."
"This is Uriel," Azrael points to the left of me. An older gent rises up out of the shadows, a scar adorns one of his icey blue eyes and a trim white beard hides his face.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Uriel grunts, before sitting back down.
Azrael walks over to a girl about my age with long black hair and gleaming slanted eyes. "This is Remiah, she's handy with a bow and arrow," Azrael nods to her. Remiah smiles gently to me, a look of pity in her eyes.
"Over here is Tabbris and Cassian," Azrael beckons to a tall messy haired guy with a smirk on his face and a solemn boy with big brown eyes and a splattering of freckles. Cassian stares vacantly at me, before turning his attention back to a large book in his hands.
"Have you checked if she's human, Azrael?" Remiah pipes up from her seat on the plush sofa, braiding her long inky black hair.
"We have gone through that," I say through my teeth, Azrael catching my accusing glance.
Something thumps against the roof, I look up in surprise. "Whats that?" I ask worriedly.
A muffled shriek fills the silence, "Help!" a voice screams hoarsely.
"Diana!" Uriel exclaims with distress, swinging open the granite door roughly.
a drumming of footprints shake the house. Ghallows, it must be. Instantly, the rest of the angels are on their feet, wings raised, they draw their weapons, rushing for the door. I follow, charging after them.
"What is going on?" I yell over the screeches of the ghallows. There must be at least 50, patrolling the sky.
"They can smell you, stay back!" Azrael shoves me to the ground as a ghallow swoops for my head.
Blue fire shooting through the air, I watch as the angels tear and slice into the ghallows, a parade of blood and gore. Never have I seen so many ghallows in one spot, each launching themselves to their attackers, jaws unhinged and mottled wings flapping. If only I had my daggers.
"DUCK!" Remiah yells, I obey her order as an arrow whistles over my head, skewing a ghallow I didn't know was stalking me.
A blood curdling scream shrills over the valley. I whip around to see a ghallow trying to take off with Sophie as she thrashes against its grasp. I stare horrified, watching her with panic. Why should you help her? A voice snarls in my head. She's just an angel. I lock eyes with Sophie, her face contorted with pain as the ghallows talons dig into her shoulders.
Thinking quickly, I grab a sharp stick on the ground and drench it in my bottle of qeres.
"I'm coming!" I yell, sprinting towards a nearby ghallow and throwing myself onto its bony back.
"Fly you moron," I roar, pressing my qere soaked stick into its eye. The ghallow screeches in pain, rising into the air with me gripping tightly onto it. Spitting and squawking, the ghallow takes me high into the sky, I gulp nervously. Waiting for my chosen moment, I leap off, aiming for the ghallow carrying Sophie below me. Fighting the urge to throw up, I fall once again.
I feel it's rib bones crack as I land upon it. "Hold on!" I call out to Sophie, dangling below me. With blunt force, I drive the stick through the ghallow's abdomen, meeting a spray of warm black blood. It shrieks in pain, vacant eyes rolling back. I cling to its limp body as we tumble through the air.
I hit the ground forcefully, knocking the air out of my lungs.
"Keira!" someone cries out as my vision starts to blur, everything goes black.
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~Authors note
Hey guys! Wow this week is a jumble of writing, painting and studying. I'm ready for summer, need an excuse to eat ice-cream everyday and chill out.
So here we are with Keira's inner battle on who to trust and who to fight for. Azrael thinks she can help, but help what? I'm ready for some answers amiright??? 🦋
