My Fallen Angel

Chapter 8

I ran with everything I had. I had to get back before it was too late. But my legs weren't fast enough, even though they burned as I thundered down the hill at breakneck speed. 

My knees hit the pavement. Tears sprang to my eyes at the stinging sensation spreading from my legs, but I shrugged it off and stumbled to my feet again. The unsteady pounding of my footsteps thudded in my ears as I ran blindly toward the desperate tug in my gut that would lead me back into danger. 

But my desperation made me clumsy, and I went down hard again, this time hitting my head against a stone wall as I fell. Black spots sprang to my vision, swallowing me whole. 

When I opened my eyes, I felt a brief moment of utter panic. Everything was pitch black. I couldn't see a thing. I felt blindly in the darkness, searching for something to help me reclaim my grip on reality. 

That's when a soft voice spoke. 

"You're stronger than I imagined you'd be."

I turned wildly around, searching for the source and coming up empty. A soft, feminine laugh rippled through the dark. 

"Calm down. You need to get ahold of yourself if you're going to save him... that's it. Breathe. Keep breathing. You'll be okay."

My heart rate slowed as I did as she said. I felt more clearheaded now. Slowly, ever so slowly, I began to make out a dim light at the edge of my vision.

The light traveled closer to me, coming to a more definitive shape until a woman, bathed in white light, stood before me. 

"Who are you?" I whispered, feeling wary and unsure.

She gave me a sad smile. "Take a guess," she murmured sardonically. 

The answer came to me more easily than I'd expected. "Bianca?"

She grinned, a dazzling, perfect smile. Though I couldn't make out her features very well in the blinding light, I could tell that she was one of the most lovely people I'd ever seen. 

"How are you here?" I asked. "I mean... you're... you..."

"I'm dead. It's okay, you can say it." 

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, I stifled a laugh. 

She sighed. "I think that I have you to thank for keeping a part of me here," She lifted a hand, examining the glow between her fingers with detached curiosity. "You know, it's kind of funny. I became so obsessed with this power that it consumed the rest of my life. And now it's the only thing left of me," her eyes met mine, shining and tragic. "And it's not even mine anymore."

As though in answer to her mournful words, my own hands began to glow. I looked down at them, surprised and relieved to see that my vision was beginning to return and I could, at last, see myself, and even the ground I stood on. When I looked back up at Bianca, she was a little less brilliant, beginning to fade into the dark fog around her.

And that's when I noticed the glittering tears rolling gracefully down her cheeks. She said, in a trembling voice, "I loved him, more than he ever knew. But not more than I loved my calling. I lost sight of that, maybe in part because of my conflicting feelings for him. I felt like I had to choose between my role and my heart, and in the end, I lost them both."

When Jungkook had told me Bianca's story, part of me felt resentful and judgemental that she had become so greedy and obsessed with power that she ruined his life, and then left him to pick up the pieces alone. But, in this moment, I finally understood a little bit about what she might have felt. 

Seeing the sympathy in my eyes, the corner of Bianca's mouth tilted upward. "But I don't think you'll have to worry about that. You will always put him first. You could never be as selfish as I was. Maybe that makes you the rightful owner of this divine power." She shrugged. "Of course, none of this matters if you don't save him. He needs you, Evangeline."

My eyes widened in alarm, remembering that at this very moment, he was fighting for his life in a battle he knew he couldn't win. 

"No, that's not what I meant, though that is also a problem you'll have to deal with—quickly. I meant that he is falling. He's drowning in his own guilt. He always felt like he was never good enough, not for me, not for the Angels. And now it's slowly killing him. But I believe that you can pull him out of that."

"Oh, is that it?" I asked loudly, feeling overwhelmed and irritated and helpless. "How am I supposed to do that?"

She eyed me appraisingly. "Well, there's no doubt that you are stronger than I would be in your shoes. You'll be just fine." She nodded. "Maybe a little dense, but everyone has flaws," she winked playfully. Then she sobered. "Evie, you have the power to purify. No one is beyond saving, remember that. Just have faith in yourself. Make him believe you. If anyone can do it, you can."

The deserted street was coming back into view. Bianca was becoming dimmer and dimmer. My heart leaped. "Wait!" I called after her. "None of that matters if I can't make it back to him in time!"

Even as she flickered in and out of view, nothing more than a vague silhouette now, I caught her soft reply. "Imagine where you need to be, and be there. You'll figure out the rest."

And then I was alone.