The Fall

Chapter Five

Alta waited an hour, then two, and then when the third hour had passed and morning was threatening to rise over the horizon she knew she couldn't wait any longer. She wrapped the book up to save it from being damaged, grabbed at the few things she thought she would need in any situation, such as a spare pair of clothes and the matching set of knives she had purchased a few years back and stowed them all into a bag.

She threw it over her shoulder, slipping on her boots and tiptoed out of her room, soundlessly shutting the door behind her. She paused and waited, listening for any sign that the angels were wondering near but was met with silence.

Taking a deep, steadying breath she made her way down the winding staircase, coming out near the library. She wanted to pack a few more books and the spare pages she had hidden again, the voices in the back of her mind told her she would need them and if she left them she wouldn't get the chance to come back for them.

A part of her didn't want to believe what she was about to do, it was almost like someone else was controlling her body because she knew that if this was completely her; she wouldn't be doing this.

Packing away the other Enochian texts in her bag she hurried to the kitchen and wrapped up some food and bottled water, adding that to the bag. By the time she was done it was heavy on her back.

This was the part she couldn't quite comprehend, out of all the foolish things she had ever done and was bound to do in the future, this had to be the worst, but she knew she had to do it.

She unlocked the door to the cells and slowly walked down the decaying stone steps, wondering how many years of footprints it had taken to carve out the smooth curve in each one.

By the time she hit the bottom step her heart was hammering against her chest and she begged it mentally to slow.

"I can hear you." His voice drifted through the hallway to her, wisps of echoed charm. It sent cold shivers down her spine, every instinct told her to run but the one that told her to keep going was much stronger.

She walked with assured purpose to the very last cell, finding him leaning up against the back wall, waiting as if he expected her to come all this time.

She was struck again by how beautiful he was, it was hard to believe that behind the skin there was a darkness so ugly. "Going somewhere?" He asked with mild curiosity, nodding his head at the bag hanging off one shoulder, his hair falling over his eyes, but it wasn't enough to disguise the piercing blue depths.

Alta cleared her throat, looking down at the ground, swallowing back the urge to stutter and run. "I need the truth first." She said, pulling the bag round and reaching in, retrieving the book of the angels of discord.

She held it up so West could see it, he took slow, deliberate steps closer until he was inches away from the bars, Alta had to physically keep herself still. He scanned the cover, then looked up to catch her gaze, "I don't read Enochian." He pointed out, a hint of sarcasm dripping from his tone; he knew what book she was holding, he just enjoyed her discomfort.

Alta sighed, she didn't want to read to him, she just wanted his clarification, his proof. "The Angel's of Discord, banished from heaven for traitorous behavior." She said.

West smirked, "Sounds about right." He nodded.

Alta glared, "Is it them?" She asked, her voice edging towards a demand.

West raised one eyebrow at her, "Why does it matter?"

He knew why, Alta could tell from the glint in his eyes that he knew, "Because if it is them, then that means they have lied to me all these years, they don't want to return to heaven, they want to overthrow it."