Descent (A Hidden Wings Novella: Prequel) (2 page)

I had waited,
anticipating the day I would witness their destruction. But, as the cockroaches, they somehow managed to survive.     

Lucian, one of Lucifer’s closest
allies, was given charge over all his affairs. He was nearly as old as Lucifer and was powerful, ruthless, and had no problem dealing death to all he felt worthy… or even unworthy.

He
was swift to carry out executions and handed mercy to none. But slowly, as the years passed, and just as Lucifer…Lucian’s heart began to grow dark and cold.

Because of Lucian’s
high ranking position, pride slowly began to seep into his heart. Pride eventually turned to jealousy, and jealousy into hate. And it was that hate which began to build a wedge of disloyalty, distrust, and betrayal between him and Lucifer.

Finally, one unsuspecting day,
Lucian stood up to Lucifer and blasphemed him. He abandoned the Underworld, taking hundreds of Fallen with him. Fallen whose loyalties had now turned towards Lucian.  

But,
I also remember the look in Lucifer’s eyes as they blazed with fire. Blazed with a deep seeded hatred and revenge. I knew, deep inside, that he would not allow Lucian to get away with such treacheries, but he surprised us all when he let him leave. Alive.

W
e all knew it wouldn’t be long before Lucifer would have his revenge.

But, let’s back up just a bit
…to my beginning.

My name is Samuel, and I was born
a Pureblood Angel. My father and mother still reside in Heaven, and I…well, it’s obvious that I had chosen to become one of the Fallen.

It has been
a few centuries since the Fall, and over that long course of time I had become a fully trained and high ranking warrior in the Fallen’s army. My days and nights are mostly spent in very remote areas within the mortal world. I hate the Underworld. Most of the Fallen choose to stay there, because Lucifer keeps them well stocked with food and strong drink, but I can never handle the smell or the heat.

Mos
t of the Fallen stay away from the mortal world, unless they are called, because of its many temptations, and their hatred for the cockroaches.

What does
God see in them anyway?

He should have destroyed them
in the beginning, the day they fell in the Garden.

He should have destroyed us all. 

There was one law. One binding law for both Angels and Fallen alike. None were to mate with the mortals. If they did and were caught, they would immediately be executed. If the mortal female became impregnated, they would also be hunted and killed.

T
here were always those few Fallen who willingly chose to defy the law, and some who didn’t get caught. Thus, the Nephilim were born. Halfbreed children born to mortal mothers and immortal fathers. Because they were half immortal, each Nephilim was born with a gift, released on their eighteenth birthday. Until the transformation, they were completely human. But after, they became part of the immortal world, and easier to track because of their scent. Angels have a sweet unique scent that they use to identify each other. The Fallen had the same scent but it had a strong smoky smell along with it.

Most Nephilim children had no knowledge of who or what they really were
, and didn’t understand the transformation. When their gift came, some abused it, but most kept it secret. Even that didn’t work, because most were found and executed by Lucian and his league of Fallen. 

Chapter Two

Alaine’s Beginning

It was a bright moonlit
night as Jane Wilder sat near the river, just down from her new home, dreaming up ways of how she’d like to spend her twenty-first birthday. This was her new favorite spot to escape from the rest of the world, breathe the fresh air, and relax under the canopy of the moon and stars.

She’
d just finished the tedious task of unpacking, having recently moved from the city to her new home out in the Oregon country. It wasn’t too far from the rest of civilization, but far enough to seem distant, which was ideal for her.

Jane
twisted a ribbon in her silky brown hair, letting it fall behind her. She closed her chocolate brown eyes, and let all other senses take over. The sound of the rushing water and the air stirring through the tall grass made her muscles loosen, and the stresses melt away. The cool night breeze blew gently, kissing her delicate skin, sending a shiver through her.

She took
in a breath of the fresh, crisp air, and smelled the many fragrances of wild flowers surrounding her, and then gently lay back into a blanket of tall, feathery grass. She almost fell asleep, when the breezes picked up and delivered a chilly gust. It woke her just enough to hear a rustling in the grass behind her.

Jane
slowly peeled her eyes open and saw a bright golden light appear out of nowhere. She gasped and immediately sat up, and then her breath seized as she turned around to witness an amazing sight. She thought she was dreaming, for behind her, stood the most beautiful stranger. She swore she saw white wings fold behind him, but when she blinked again…they were gone. She must have been hallucinating.

He
was tall and muscular; his body, perfectly proportioned. His golden hair fell like waves of silk down his shoulders. His skin glowed in a golden haze around him. His eyes were dark brown, but had a golden ring around them. His features were strong and sharp, and looked as if they were chiseled by God himself. He was too perfect. A masterpiece, and much too beautiful to be human.

Jane’s
immediate emotion was fear, but the longer she gazed into his eyes, an overwhelming sense of tranquility washed over her. A sense of knowing that she was safe with him, even though she had no clue who he was. His presence was like a warm blanket, enveloping her, wrapping her in a wonderful, seductive magic.

He
stepped forward, slowly holding his hand out to her, and she didn’t hesitate. Jane automatically stood to her feet and stepped toward him. As soon as she took hold of his hand, the world around her melted away.

She was l
ost, in complete and total ecstasy. His breathe, his smell, his touch, completely intoxicated her. She was drunk with his presence, dizzy, but yet every part of her was alive and tingled in excitement.

T
he ethereal visitor laid her down in the grass. He knew it was against the law, but the attraction to this mortal was too much for him to withhold. He was taken by her, and Jane was completely taken by him, both having never experienced such feelings before.

That night
the stranger romanced her by the river. His touch melted every part of her body. His breath made her world spin. His kiss was unyielding, hot and deep, sending electricity buzzing through her entire body.

She would have never given in so fast to lustful desires. Never. It wasn’t like her. But, there was something so magnetizing about him that she could not resist.

The next morning, the bright sun greeted
Jane’s tired eyes. She was alone, still lying down by the river, her mind still lost in a fog. She wondered how she could still be there, but as sure as the river flowed, it all came rushing back to her. 

The stranger.

The lust.

The
unimaginable things they did out in the open.

Her clothes were still on, and for a moment she wondered if it was all just a dream.
But there was something that seemed so real. His face. She couldn’t shake the face of the stranger, which was now imbedded, into her memory. A beautiful face with no name. 

She closed h
er eyes and as she did, she suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous.

She headed
back to the house, and decided to lay down for a bit, thinking it was just a passing feeling. Maybe it was just the beginning of a cold. But those feelings only grew worse.

Jane
didn’t tell anyone about her one-night stand with the stranger, because no one would believe her anyway. Having a one-night stand was something she was completely against, and besides, she didn’t want anyone to know, especially her parents, who were esteemed members of their church.   

A few weeks passed and Jane’s symptoms became worse. S
he learned that whatever happened down by the river was definitely not a dream, and that the beautiful stranger had left her with a gift. An unwelcomed gift.

Jane
was pregnant.

But what Ja
ne didn’t realize what that this gift was from an immortal. A Pureblooded Angel, and it was his seed that grew quickly within her womb. Her child would be a Nephilim. A Halfbreed. Half human and half angel, and right now, these were dangerous times to be in.

There were different jobs for each Angel. Some were worshipers, some warriors, some Guardians. Most of the
Guardians were sent to a place called the Midway.

The Midway was
a point resting just between Heaven and Earth. A place where Heaven dispatched Guardian Angels out on specific assignments, and where Guardians were transported through portholes which would open up into different locations all over the earth; points of entry which would take them closest to their commissions.

It was necessary for the
Guardians to use the portholes because they didn’t have wings. They were to blend in with the mortal society, and remain hidden from those they were guarding. But sometimes, human contact was necessary, as was the case with Jane.

One
specific Guardian was sent to Jane, but this Guardian was not sent from the Midway. She was sent from Jane’s admirer, on a very secretive assignment. None knew of her assignment, except one, her mate. But he also didn’t know the details.

The Guardian’s
name was Khelsey, one of a handful of female Guardians. She was breathtakingly beautiful, and stood around six feet tall. She was lean, toned, and had the silkiest golden hair which fell down her back. Her eyes sparkled like the brightest sapphires.

But Khelsey was
n’t only beautiful, she was a skilled warrior, and could fight right alongside the best of her male counterparts. Her assignment was to watch and protect Jane while she carried the Nephilim child, and to give her comfort.

A
few select others were sent out on a mission to find the most desirable and deserving home for the child to be raised, and not a single word was to be breathed about the birth, because it would put Jane and her child in grave danger.

You see, it is law
in both Heaven and Hell, which states that all Angels are to mate solely with those of their kind. Purebloods. Mating with mortals was strictly forbidden, and cause for immediate execution.

There was an evil order of Fallen Angels wh
o despised the Nephilim.

So, i
t was imperative that Jane remained hidden.

Jane
told her family and friends that she was taking an extended vacation, and would be in a remote area where she would not be in contact with them for a few months. They believed her because Jane loved to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Ever since she was little, the woods or places of quiet and solitude were her sanctuary.

Khelsey
escorted Jane to a secret location set up by Jane’s mysterious one-night stand. It was a cabin hidden deep within a wooded forest where they would stay for the next eight weeks. The inside of the cabin was beautiful, and all open except for the bathroom. The furnishings were very pricy, and done in earth tones. The bed was a large queen-size and was very comfortable. Khelsey had a comfortable extra-long twin at the other end of the room. She needed to be close, just in case of an emergency. The kitchen was well stocked with everything they would need for the upcoming weeks ahead.