Afterlife (Afterlife Saga) (71 page)

“What's this, I leave with a naked goddess in my bed and come back to one fully clothed.” He said sounding happy to see me, but I remained looking out to the amazing view of the forest below and all around us. I closed my eyes as I felt his hands find my shoulders. His touch, as always, sent flashes of heat coursing through my veins.

“No matter, to peel the skin from the fruit is part of the pleasure of exposing its sweet taste,” he said, pulling my sweater to the side revealing the bare skin on my shoulder. He lent down and kissed it which made me quiver. It also made me regret finding that picture because now all that consumed me was finding out the truth. I needed to walk away from this hold he had over me. I had to find the courage to be back in control. So I did the unthinkable, I moved from under his hands and walked away pressing the picture up against his chest making him take it. I stood near the door leaving him standing were I was a moment ago. He looked down at the picture then looked back at me.

“Well I guess this means the honeymoon period is over.” He said with a bitter humour.

“Explain it!” Was all I said and this seemed to be enough.

“Not now!” He said, being stern but I refused to back down, not now, not this time it was too late. I would never see past it, unless I was to hear the truth...the time had finally come. 

“Why not ….you owe me?”

“Because now is not the time for you to be...frightened.” He said this last word cautiously but I understood
its
full meaning. The truth must be worse than I thought, therefore it would be hard to swallow and he didn't want me to run.

“No matter what it is, I promise I won't run from you.” I dared to say. 

“You think you can promise that?” He asked, as he looked sceptical but what I said must have worked because his face, although full of solid concern, also softened.
But my words were true. I wouldn't run from him now. He had proved to me that I was in no danger. He wanted to protect me, not hurt me, so I waited for him to find the right way to start.

“What do you want to know?” He asked as he leaned his body back on the railings behind him. He looked casual folding his arms and stretching out his long denim covered legs.

“Everything! How you do the things you do, how you know things about me, the truth about why you feel the need to protect me and why you felt you had to lie to me to do this?”

“That's a long list for one conversation.”

“I'm sure you will manage!” I said not helping the sarcasm that came with it, making him raise one eyebrow at me.

“I understand that you’re upset but you have to realise that everything I did was for this very reason. I was trying to save you from the truth that I'm not sure you will understand.”

“Well there's only one way to find out now isn't there?” To this he tilted his head in agreement.

“Ok, well first I need to ask you a question...Keira, do you believe in God?” He asked so outright that it threw me.

“Umm...I don't
k
now, maybe, but I guess after all the bad things that have happened to me I find it hard to believe in something so good when he allows so much evil in the world.” This was me being honest but he looked shocked.

“Really? ...This surprises me from you. You humans are all the same. You choose to believe in God when life is good, putting it down to his work but as soon things
are
out of your control you quickly stamp out your beliefs and blame him.” He said all this but my mind was still lingering on the word “humans”, saying it as if he wasn't one.

“Then let me ask you this, do you believe in free will?”

“Yes of course!” I said wondering where he was going with this.

“Then if that was to be taken away, you wouldn't be you, right?  You would be someone else's idea of you...do you understand?” He asked, as I must have looked confused.

“Yeah I get it, so what you’re saying is that we would all be like puppets.”

“Yes, something like that. You must understand that God gave life but that is your gift to do with it how you choose to live it. He does not dictate how you do this, nor does he negate your decisions. You must realise that he is neutral when it comes to your free will, you are a product of your own choices and this sometimes, no matter how terrible, well.... they just happen for a reason.” He said looking at my arms and I knew what he was referring to.

“So you’re saying God is real?”

“Well that depends on the individual, if you want to live your life in denial, then no he wouldn't be, but to a man of faith, then yes he exists.”

“Wait a minute how can you answer that by saying yes and no?” I asked, frowning.

“Everyone sees things through different eyes and it is as simple as yes and no. It
always has been. Religion means something different to everybody. Every race of life, throughout time has viewed God differently but they have all had something in common...they all believed. That is the difference.” His black eyes tried to judge my reactions but he didn't look satisfied.

“What are you thinking?” 

“So you’re saying that God is real but only if we choose to believe that he is and if we don't then whatever he does won't affect us anyway?” I said wondering if now I was making sense.

“Of sorts yes, but anyway now for another question...do you believe in the Devil?”

“NO, no of course not!”
I said feeling that it was obviously my answer. But he laughed at me, shaking his head as if I was wrong again.

“And why not?”

“Because I know it's wrong.” Ok, now I felt like a naïve child saying it out loud causing him to laugh.  

“
Really,
and why is it wrong to believe in a balance?” He said crossing his arms once more, as it seemed like a habit when he didn't agree with me.

“Balance?”
I asked

“Then answer me this...how can you have good without understanding the evil? How can you know happiness without experiencing the misery, pleasure without the pain? These things are essential parts of life that need to be faced and endured.”

“I guess so,” I said knowing he was right, how could someone believe in the good and not the evil? Again I was being naïve.

“So, before I go on, do you Keira, believe in God and the Devil?”

“Deep down yes I think I do. I think maybe I always have.” I said feeling a weight lifting as I admitted it, as if it just confirmed my every belief in one short conversation.

“Ok, well now comes the big one...
do
you believe in Angels and Demons that walk amongst you?” He asked and I had a feeling he was about to confirm my fears.

“I find it hard to believe.” I said the words but did I really?

“This surprises me considering all that you have seen. I don't think you are being true to
yourself Keira
.” And he was right I wasn't. After all, I believed, all those years ago, in what I saw and knew as each year went by with each one that I controlled I grew less and less trusting in them. As though maybe it was me that had created them subconsciously.

“
You have your gift for a reason. D
on't turn your back on it now, not when it can help you the most.” I knew the meaning behind his words. He needed me to believe, because without it I would never accept what he was.

“Are you an Angel?” I asked finally getting out the question I had wanted to ask from the very beginning. Something deep down told me what he was but I foolishly chose to ignore it.

“No.” Ok, now this shocked me! And then it crashed into me like being hit by a freight train. If he wasn't one ...was he the other?!  

“I am something different but what you saw of me that night...the night you were stabbed, well that was my true form...that is who I am Keira!” He said moving
closer to me with a fear in his eyes that I had never seen before. It looked exactly like the same fear I had held so many times...the fear of loss.

“Heaven and Hell are not at war as the stories would have you believe. The war is here, on Earth, as it has been since the beginning of time. Fallen Angels, Risen Demons are mainly the result of deviance. Angels go against God and they are banished to earth to do good, to be granted favour at the hands of their work but sometimes they have other ideas. You see sometimes they want to stay.” He moved around the balcony letting his story unfold and I could do nothing but look on, listening to every word that flowed so freely from him.

“It is the same principle with the ‘Risen’. Demons that defy the Devil will be cast out, only being allowed back when they please him. Rogue Angels and Demons have always been a problem as they often wreak havoc on your world and they disturb the balance not only for you but for the world that you cannot see. There are many that do
not,
however, as there are many different forms of us and not all strive to cause destruction. Some of us are here to control it.”

“You said “us” but if you’re not an Angel then...no… it can’t be!” I couldn't finish it. I couldn’t bear the thought of Draven being from that place.

“What, you don't think I could possibly be a… Demon?” He said bitterly, hurt at my reaction but I couldn't help it, he just couldn't be. All these years of hating what I saw, he couldn't be part of that!

“I don't know anything
anymore
.” I said weakly and I could feel the tears waiting to arrive. How could someone show me all that compassion when they were born from a place of pure hate? I wanted to turn away from him but I couldn't. I was locked by my fate and only Draven held the key. 

“I was sent here to control the balance as I am the only one of my kind. You see, my mother was an Arch Angel, which is a high-ranking Angel. She fell in love with my father who was of the Second Hierarchy in Hell. This was utterly forbidden and completely unheard of. They kept their love secret for a long time until it became clear that my mother was pregnant.” He said watching me as my face dropped in shock. WHAT! What was he saying? I couldn't help the question I had to ask,

“Angels and Demons can reproduce?”

“Yes, rarely. But not in the same way as humans, they’re created as souls and then the fate of these souls is decided upon in a divine court. Some are allowed to stay, some have to fall to a human host, only this time it was different.”

“Human host?” I said trying to control my urge to ask a million and one questions at once.

“I will get to that soon but first I will explain why I am here and not there. There was not to be only one ruling on this decision as it was not only on one plane. It was a matter to be dealt with from both sides. Heaven and Hell both came to the same conclusion, our
souls,
especially mine were too precious to waste. My mother had triplets, one pure Angel, one pure Demon, both incredibly powerful and very strong thanks to their heritage. With our parents being of the highest rank it was in our blood line, so to speak.”

“Ok, so Sophia is the Angel and Vincent the Demon but what are you?” I asked but he smiled as if I had made such a mistake by that remark.

“It is funny how you would think that, I suppose to humans Sophia would look more Angel than the powerful Demon she is.” He laughed at my reaction, I was shaking my head not wanting to believe her as a Demon...all this time, but then looking back to that night...well now it made sense.

“She is not bad, Keira. I know it is hard to understand as you only can go on what history has taught you, but not all Demons are bad just as not all Angels are good.”

“Ok... so like I said, what are you?” I was almost too scared to ask.

“I am a prod
uct of two souls fused together.
I am part Angel and part Demon.” He then waited for I don't know what...my screaming, running, maybe my attempt at jumping from this balcony. I know he was trying to assess my mental state but when I didn't do any of these things I think he found his answer. And so he carried on,

“As I said, this was a shock to all as this had never happened before and hasn't ever since. I am the result of a forbidden love that was so strong it divided every existence in both our worlds. I have the power of the two and this made me an asset, so I was chosen to keep the balance here making sure both sides played an equal game.”