The Fall

Chapter Four

Her stomach turned violently when she landed heavily on her feet, Alexander swooping an arm around her before she could collapse, he steadied her and laughed, "It takes some getting used to." He informed her, and Alta felt that that was an understatement; she had traveled twice now the angel way and she still felt like she had just been on a two week long boating trip across a stormy sea.

She simply nodded her head in agreement, bringing her hands up to massage her temples. She couldn't get his words out of her head, and why they caused so much doubt in her mind, he was trying to trick her of course, but that didn't stop the niggling of wonder why he was trying to do it in the first place.

"I'm tired." She said, though that was far from the truth. Alex gazed down at her, studying her face, "Yes," he replied, "you have had a long day, go to bed."

She left without argue, heading back inside. The others were coming up the stairs that led to the cells when she came in, a sick feeling started to pool in her gut, knowing that there was a demon right below her feet. Grace, Clara, Han and Zach all passed her, saying goodnight as they went, she was glad they didn't linger to talk about it, she didn't think she could without the threat of throwing up.

Ezekiel stayed behind, his hard green eyes settled on her. Alta looked up and met his gaze, there was something about this brother, how silent he could stand and how deep he could think. He was their protector, the eldest brother, and yet Alta felt something was different about him, she didn't know if it had anything to do with her being a prophet, but she felt like she knew more about Ezekiel than he or she thought.

"You did well." He spoke gruffly, looking away from her and headed over to the courtyard door, Alta knew Ezekiel and Alexander were close, they often spent time together, talking or just standing silently in each others company, their brotherly bond was a strong one. "Thank you." She answered, though she wasn't sure she had done well at all.

Ezekiel looked back at her then, something strange written in his eyes, "You're doing the right thing." He said surely, and with that he left her.

Alta wanted to shake that from her mind, she didn't want to think about them going back to heaven when there was a possibility she wouldn't be going with them, even though all this time had been spent on her desperately trying to get them home, now that it was really happening, she was afraid.

She tried to rid herself of that fear and all but ran up to her room and shut the door firmly behind her, anything to block out the whispers that something was very wrong here.

She wanted to sleep away all the darkness that had started seeping up inside of her, and the strange pulling she felt towards the old cells below her where he was being kept. She had never been in there before today when she went down to draw the devils trap in one of the cells and ward the bars with Enochian, and the idea of going back down when hewas in there was not a smart one.

She fell unceremoniously onto her bed, face first and smothered herself with the pillow. Why did he have to say it, and why was she even considering believing him, she had no reason to.

She lay silently, still as stone as she willed sleep to take over. She could faintly hear the angels, they didn't sleep but it wasn't often they could be heard, which made Alta wonder what they were doing so late in the night. She pushed those thoughts away, if she started questioning them now then she was no better than what that demon thought of her; weak willed and easy to manipulate.

Another hour passed, thoughts and doubt a swimming in currents until they became too heavy in her mind and she shot up in bed, she had to know.

Alta stepped silently into the hall of old stone cells, the iron bars crossed over large holes in each, in the very last cell she found the demon, cross legged in the center of the room on the floor with his eyes closed.