Cast Down (The Immortal Balances- Book 2)

Chapter Nine: Personal Feelings

All that was running through my head as I ran after Rachel was how in the world I was going to fix this. As I took hold of the handle and opened the front door, all I could think of was her face; how she'd had looked at me, the flicker of confusion in her eyes flashing through as Helios and I argued. Panicking, I ran into the road, desperately flicking my gaze from left to right to seek her out. A chill ran down my spine when I couldn't see her immediately through all the rain, and I was about to run back inside for my siblings' assistance, only to see Rachel's faded form halfway down the street, almost out of sight. When had she gotten this fast? Could it be that this was another power the celestials had, increased speed? It wasn't unheard of in Hell, but I'd never thought Angels would have such enhanced abilities.

What if there were more abilities Rachel had that we hadn't even considered? Could I help her, train her? Would I be able to keep her safe here in our little house?

My mind told me I had a slim shot of being able to convince her into coming back with me.

Fuck, how was I going to fix this?

"Rachel!" I called out desperately, beginning to run after her. Despite being so far away, I could tell she didn't bother looking back and just kept running, as if she hadn't heard me. Maybe she hadn't heard me; the rain pattered hard onto the ground, and the thunder sounding was barely seconds apart from each crack, as if the sky was getting ready to completely smash and fall. I had barely been outside for more than a few moments I was already drenched through.

Continuing to run, I felt a surge of adrenaline I hadn't had before kick in and any pain I'd felt before was disappearing and replacing itself with a need to reach Rachel as quickly as I could.

When I saw Rachel make a turn towards the beach, it clicked as to where she was headed. I pushed forward through the rain until I began nearing The Spot.

The Spot was reachable by climbing through a hole in a wire fence a few minutes from the main beach. There were signs all over the fence claiming it as private property, dangerous and federal owned, but having been in the Living World for a year had taught me on thing- signs didn't always mean shit.

Through the hole, it lead to a secluded and often overlooked miniature beach where a tree hung low enough for you to sit on and watch the sunset as the waves rolled in, allowing you to let all your troubles wash away. The last time either Rachel or I had been here was just after I'd become mortal and we'd wanted to see Marcel since he was the only one concerned as to where Rachel had disappeared to when Jonathan kidnapped her. Before that, it had been to pay respects to their best friend Berlie, who'd ended up being one of Johnathan's victims as a newly powerful and death-thirsty Cambion.

I bent beneath the wire, brushing against it hard enough that water droplets lingering off the metal all cascaded on top of me, adding to the half a tone of liquid I was already carrying soaked into my clothes and hair. The path thought the trees and bushes was a quite overgrown, to the point I wondered if Rachel really had come here, but nonetheless, I pursued. The sand-now-mud was slick and slipperly beneath my sneakers, causing me to almost lose my balance a near few times. I trudged down the stone steps to see Rachel stood beyond the seating tree facing the ocean, its waves crashing against the shore with such force, if Rachel had been just a few steps closer, it would take her into its clutches and pull her in. I stopped by the tree, a few feet from where she stood grounded. The rain still hammered around us.

"I won't hurt you," Rachel called out, startling me since I didn't know she knew I was here. She didn't turn round though. "It seems only intense emotion makes me go crazy, I don't think extreme sadness counts."

I didn't say anything.

"You know, if you'd told me a year ago what my life would be like now, I would have laughed," she said, now turning to face me. She looked like my Rachel, the girl I'd fallen in love with, but behind the tear filled eyes I could see a fear and panic that was new for both of us.