Fallen

Chapter 22

Gavin

I took Eliza back the church. As eager as she was to keep playing detective with me, she looked like hell, and I could tell that her spirit was drained. It had recovered somewhat, but it was nowhere near strong enough to manage a fight if she needed it. Food and rest were what she needed, and a shower, and a change of clothes, and I was guessing she would also need a refill on bullets. Ugh, maybe she needed a replacement brain too.

I took us right to the hidden basement of the church, skipping past the scene of depression that had made its home in the hall above. My heat twinged as I thought about all those people above and others like them all over the city, all suffering because of my brother, and because I had been too slow. I'd burned through each blaze I'd come across as fast as I could, pushing my power as far as I could without causing harm to anyone in the vicinity. The problem with having great power is knowing that you can move faster or hit harder than what you are, but also knowing that people around you will be hurt if you do. So you're stuck with the fact that if you don't push it further, people could be hurt or die, but if you do, then people will definitely suffer as a result. Life sucks.

"Some fresh clothes should be in the lockers over there," I said, pointing to a row of storage lockers across from the circular arena. "Showers are in a room off the wall of melee weapons with everything you might need. I don't want to smell you all day so do us both a favor and use them."

"Ever the charmer," Eliza replied sarcastically, heading for the lockers. She pulled out a pair of jeans and held them up to her waist to check the fit. "If you're not careful, I might think you have a thing for me."

"You wish, sweetheart," I answered with a chuckle. "But please, feel free to try me, but if you want a ride on this horse, you gonna have to run a lot faster to catch him."

"How about no," Eliza replied, wrinkling her nose. She snatched more clothes from the locker and rushed for the showers, disappearing behind a closed door. I laughed, going over to the ammunition cabinets and grabbing a box of .45 caliber silver alloy rounds that had yet to be blessed along with magazines fit for Eliza's 1911. I took a seat at a small, round table and opened the box, pulling out a bullet and staring at its unmarred silver head. I pointed my finger at it, and tiny symbols began burning into the metal, spelling out the blessings that would make this bullet a weapon against the forces of hell, and heaven. I paused halfway through, that thought saddening me. I finished the bullet and moved on to the next.

"This is what they see in Eliza," I said to myself, starring down at each bullet as I worked. "A weapon. A tool to be used and discarded after its usefulness has run its course. That's all they ever see. Demons or angels, it makes no difference. They can't see what humans truly are."

"And what are we?" Nathan asked, coming into the room. It didn't startle me. I'd heard him coming from the hall over a minute ago. He took the seat across from me and watched as I worked. "Are you going to answer me?"

"No," I replied simply, finishing another round. Nathan took one of the magazines and began loading the finished rounds into it.

"What will happen to her when this is over?" he asked, his eyes not looking up from his work, but his voice was touched by fear. I sighed, putting another finished bullet down on the table.

"She'll most likely be forced to choose a side, and since she's already slain a demon or two, I imagine she'll think the angels are the way to go. I'd rather that than the demons for sure, but I won't like it either way."

"And after that? What will the angels do with her?"

"I can only guess," I answered dismally, my hands starting to shake slightly, but I managed to keep the blessings even on the tiny surface. "They'll take her somewhere they can have complete control over her. They won't let her have any access with the outside world. That would allow her too much power over her own desires. They'll assign a taskmaster to train her, but it won't be training. They'll break her down, physically and mentally until Eliza is gone and there's nothing left but a blank slate. Then they'll build her back up and mold her into the perfect soldier of heaven, an agent of Michael's will in the war against demons."