Original Sin

Chapter 11

The crypt was a terrifying place for Hailey. Water knee-deep, the pungent smell of sewage, and rats...There were rats everywhere. If not for her flashlight, Hailey wouldn't be able to see where she stepped. This part of the Church of the Holy Apostles had not been walked through in years. Michael trudged beside her. He showed no emotion; Hailey wondered if he felt anything at all.

Now the cavern came to a stop. The path beyond was interrupted by a single stone pillar, engraved with intricate loops and swirls. Hailey thought they resembled elemental symbols for water and earth. There were no English markings on the walls to indicate where they were, but there was one line, closer to the ceiling. To an untrained eye, it looked like gibberish.

"Nihil juris habes intrare." Hailey wasn't sure about some corroded letters, but the message was clear enough. 

She and Michael were close, and they weren't welcome. 

"Hmm...Do you suppose you could translate for me?" Michael's voice hummed in the cavernous passageway. It sounded creepier and more demeaning than usual. 

"You don't know your Latin?" Hailey muttered, leading the way past the pillar, deeper underground. It annoyed her greatly that she was doing most of the work here; Michael couldn't even bother to light up one of his floating orbs.

"Forgive me, but I'm usually quite busy when I'm among humans," Michael bit back.

Busy mimicking the aristocracy? Hailey didn't say it, but the resemblance was uncanny. 

They must have trudged on for at least a few meters more, climbing a small, partially covered  set of steps that lead to a brilliant opening in the darkness. The ceiling above was at least 18 feet high. It was cathedral-like. Small pores in the ceiling let the light shine brightly in the room below, which held three Byzantian-era sarcophagi. Each was embellished with Eastern Orthodox Christian symbols and phrases from the First Nicaean Creed. It was part of a small sect that broken away from the Council of Nicaea after the first meeting. The group was considered controversial and too powerful, led by Constantine's second son, who led the witch hunt for his own mother, Fausta, and older brother, Crispus.   

Amazing how this survived for so long, Hailey thought.  

This was Constantine II.'s resting place.  Anyone with a secret to hide, a powerful secret like the Rock of Ages, would take that secret to his grave. 

Michael walked to the largest sarcophagus with the most light shining down on it. The lid was craved to look like the face of a king. "This one looks like him," he stated then single handedly shoved the stone lid open.

Again, Hailey was keenly aware of Michael's power as an arch angel. For now, she stood over the open sarcophagus and peered inside. 

Constantine II. died in the fifth century Hailey expected to find a skeleton, but it was more like mummified remains bedecked with jewels and precious metals. Hanging around his neck was an iron key. Without much further thought Hailey, grabbed the object and placed it around her own neck. Glancing sideways at Michael, he seemed satisfied with this little victory. 

Then she heard it. A singular BOOM that shook the ceilings and the walls, causing stones to fall and cracks to appear.

But it didn't stop there.

It seemed the walls around them were on shaky ground. She thought she heard a scream, but it was too far away to decipher. 

"This is unstable!" Michael screamed before another BOOM cut him off. The ground at their feet split in two, trapping them on opposite sides. Centuries-old artifacts sank into the ground, never to be seen again. Larger pieces of the ceiling began falling at alarm speeds. Hailey felt her feet shake, wobbling as the space between her and Michael increased and the crevice widened.

The subsequential BOOMS intensified, made louder by the screaming and now gunfire happening above them. Something horrible was taking place on the surface. Perhaps a bombing? They were quite common in Turkey. 

But if such terror was here, then he would also be here.

Michael appeared to know this as well. "Throw me the key!" he demanded, holding out his hand over the crack in the floor. 

"WHAT??!!" Hailey screamed back at him. Her hand subconsciously wrapped around the iron on her neck. No way in hell was she giving him the key. 

There was another unsettling realization: Michael wasn't leaving to collect souls. Hailey could only assume he was ignoring his angelic duties, but to what purpose?

She noticed his face seething, eyeing the key in her hand. Then his wings unfolded, a spectacular set of white and blue wings, and he lunged forward, over the crevice in the floor, straight towards her. Angels were supposed to protect humans from demonic influences. Michael's face was contorted in a devilish sneer. He meant harm. Hailey knew it. She turned her back to him, curled up close to the floor with the key held tight to her chest. She braced for impact, felt the wind whipping around her from his wings. He'd kill her to get the key, but wouldn't be able to open the gate.

The rocks continued to crumble around her. Hailey waited for what felt like an eternity.

Nothing. 

Slowly, steadily, still crouched down on the cavern floor, Hailey turned her head.

It wasn't Michael she saw there. Instead, Alex stood over her with his wings spread out, protecting them both from the rubble pouring down. His hands reach out for her. She took it without hesitation. He pulled her close to his warm body, wings closing-in so they were enveloped in a glow of orange light. She felt a familiar sensation return, however briefly. The instantaneous connection she felt towards him in Garden resurfaced for a moment. Hailey stared into his eyes. No comforting words were needed; they had been through enough trauma to refrain from cliché expressions. They simply stared at each other. 

At some point, Hailey wasn't sure how long, the rumbling and screaming and cries faded away. Her feet weren't standing on concrete anymore, but soft grass. Alex let his wings fold back. They didn't break eye contact until Hailey turned around to face the sunlight. It was warm and comforting on her face. Alex placed his hands on her shoulders, lightly kissing the top of her head. She felt like she could melt into the warmth that surrounded her.

"Where are we?" Hailey asked.

"Florida Botanical Gardens," he answered in his incredibly seductive, baritone voice.

"How did you know this is exactly what I needed?" A smile crept onto her face. She tilted her head up to see his face. Funny how quickly human emotions can change.

"You hate the cold. So do I." Alex's grin was equal to her's. 

Hailey breathed in the sea-scented air. The abundant floral smell from the gardens assaulted her nose in the best way possible. 

"What's with the key in you hand, Hailey?"

She looked down at the piece of iron, then back up to admire the magnificent array of foliage in front of her, thinking of the key, what it really meant, and, most importantly, why Michael desired it so much. 

"It's either the key to restorative peace or the beginning of the apocalypse," Hailey replied solemnly.

Things were about to change. Hailey sympathized for all the humans that would get caught in the middle.