Fallen Stars

Chapter Four

Several quiet hours later, we reach our destination. In Harlem, New York City, there's a small theater called the Apollo Theater. We pull up front and Blake parallel parks in between an old Volkswagen and a blue truck. A thought that's been lingering in the back of my mind just can't stay there any longer.

"Okay, now that we're here, may I call my mother? I'm sure she's worried to death." I ask Blake, giving a hint of puppy dog eyes just in case he's the type that can be bribed.

"Make it quick." He says while getting out of the drivers side of the car, and I take that as my cue to also get out.

I grab my school bag from the back seat and search for my phone, not being able to find it.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that I took your phone in case you tried to call someone. Guess I should have trusted you more." he hands me the phone and I immediately notice that it's dead. Great. How could I not have remembered to charge it in the car?

"We need to go inside before someone sees us. You can call her later, I promise. You can use my phone of you have to, but not right now. I'm expecting a very important call."

Blake turns towards the building and I follow close behind him. The front doors to the theater are locked, but Blake doesn't seem to be phased by that setback.

"Unlock the doors, Cass." Blake says while looking at me with a slight smirk and flexing his arms.

I put one hand on my hip and tilt my head up so that he has a good view of the sarcasm that's about to come out of my mouth.

"Does it look like I have a key, Magic Mike?"

Blake throws back his head and laughs. Actually laughs.

"Magic Mike, that's a new one. But seriously, Cass, unlock the door. You know how."

The way he looked at me just then, it's like he knows I can do it. He has faith in me. I look at the door handle, and imagine it unlocking. The gears shift in my head, and I hear a click. Blake pulls on the handle, and the door opens before us.

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When we reach the upper level of the theater, Blake gets a phone call. I look over the balcony and see the vintage seating, red curtains, and two exits on both sides of the back of the theater.

"We're here. Yes, she has a name, you know. You'll have a while to talk, I suppose. They found us, but I think we lost them in Ohio. I haven't seen a sign of them since then. Made you soon." Blake hangs up his phone, and sits in a seat directly behind where I stand.

"Who was that?" I turn around and ask him.

"His name is Rykan. He used to be an archangel, but he escaped to earth to become mortal."

"Why would he want to be mortal when he could be immortal?" I ask him.

"He wanted to fall in love. Or at least that's what he tells everyone."
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Rykan arrives twenty minutes later through the back door. He's tall, but not as tall as Blake, and he's handsome, for an older man. Rykan walks straight up to me, and without saying a word, he looks me up and down.

"Yep, definitely Michael's daughter. Looks just like him." He says turning to Blake.

"'Good job at getting here, Blake. Good job doing it without getting killed, Blake.' Might as well give myself a good pat on the back." Blake says to Rykan while he begins to pat himself on the back.

"So his name was Michael?" I ask, somehow feeling slightly more connected to my biological father. Rykan turns towards me.

"Yes. His name was Michael. Now, Caroline, I'm going to tell you right now that your father was a very mysterious man-"

"Her name is Cassandra." Blake interrupts.

"Yeah, Cassandra, your father didn't exactly... play by the rules, so to speak. It's recently come to my knowledge that he had a connection with a Caden right before you were born. The reason is still unclear, but it seems to be another reason why he was cast out of heaven and killed. Cassandra, you must be careful. The Cadentibusque are after you and they won't stop now that they know who and what exactly you are."

The time it should take me to process this isn't available, so I ask the question that hasn't been clearly answered for me.

"And what exactly is that? I'm half angel, right? Why do they want to kill me so badly? If I'm not the only one, I just don't understand why I'm so important."

"I don't think you were an accident. I think your father needed to make a deal with the Cadentibusque. He had been so close to getting his wings torn out before, and he wanted to have leverage if he ever did. The thing is, I don't know why. I've only found enough evidence to support that much." Rykan gives me an apologetic look, knowing he didn't fully answer my question and that I was not satisfied.

"Why can I move things with my mind?" I ask to change the subject, and honestly it's kind of cool to have this ability.

"Well, your father was powerful. Very powerful. You probably just inherited it from him." Rykan seems to appreciate my simple question.

Blake motions towards the door, "We need to go. If we're going to have a chat we should keep moving."

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As we walk towards Central Park, which is only a few blocks away, Rykan gets a call.

"What? He's here? Oh Lord how is that even possible? Get it under control. Now." Rykan yells at the person on the other end of the phone. Blake asks him who was on the phone and who they were talking about.

"Drake. Cassandra's fake father, or whatever you want to call him. He's here, in New York. And he wants to see her."