Eden (4 page)

“
Nina,” Jared said softly.
He closed his eyes, thought for a moment, and then looked into my
eyes. “What can I say to you that I haven’t already said? What can
I give you that I haven’t already given? Is there anything of me
that isn’t yours already? My body, my mind, my heart, even my soul.
Everything that is me belonged to you long before this, and it
shall be yours long after this. I will follow you anywhere and
everywhere you lead. I will keep you and anyone created with our
love safe from all harm. From this day on, I choose you, my
beloved, to be my wife. To live with you and laugh with you; to
stand by your side, and sleep in your arms; to bring out the best
in you always, and, for you, to be the most that I can. I promise
to laugh with you in good times, to struggle with you in bad; to
wipe your tears with my hands; to comfort you with my words; to
mirror you with my soul; and savor every moment, happy or sad,
until the end of our lives and beyond.”

A long pause followed Jared’s words.
No one moved; an awe-inspired silence swept the chapel as everyone
took in his breathtaking promise. He took my hand, and slipped the
ring onto my finger. It glided over my skin, and rested next to my
diamond engagement ring, as if it was returning home.

“
D-do you,” Father Julian
stuttered, “Nina, have a token to perform your vows?”

I turned to Beth, whose mascara
streaked her cheeks. She opened her hand to reveal Jared’s simple
wedding band. I took it from her, and turned to face
him.

He grinned, waiting on my promise. I
had thought about my vows many times after we decided to write our
own. Our relationship had never been traditional, so we chose to
make our promise to each other unique to us. I took a deep breath.
Nothing I would say would be nearly as articulate and beautiful as
what he had said, but I knew well enough by now that he would love
every syllable.

“
Jared,” I whispered. I
held his hand, and then placed the ring around the tip of his
finger. “I choose you as my best friend, and my love for life. I
promise you my deepest love, my fullest devotion, my most tender
care…through the pressures of the present and the uncertainties of
the future, I promise to be faithful to you. It wasn’t until just
now that I recognize that this wasn’t coincidence, or a battle. We
were always meant for each other. Our love is heaven sent, and I
promise to honor that forever and always. From this day forward,
you won’t walk alone. My heart will be your shelter and my arms
will be your home.”

The mixed emotions scrolling across
Jared’s face disappeared; the only one left was happiness. I pushed
his ring over his knuckle, and he squeezed my hand.

Father Julian put his hand over ours.
"What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. Jared and
Nina have consented together in holy matrimony, and witnessed the
same before God and this company, have pledged their love and
loyalty to each other, and have declared the same by the joining
and the giving of rings. By the authority of the state, I pronounce
that they are husband and wife."

A small sigh emanated throughout the
chapel, and Jared let out a breath of relief, followed by a small
smile.

“
Kiss your wife,” Father
Julian said with a smile.

Jared cupped my cheeks, looked into my
eyes, and then pulled me to him, touching his soft lips to mine. He
kissed me gently at first, and then wrapped his arms around me, his
lips forgetting everyone and everything around us. We were married.
He was my husband, and I was his wife.

He pulled away. His eyes brimmed with
tears, and he looked as overwhelmed with happiness as I felt. I
pulled him to me by his shirt to kiss him one last time.

“
I now present to you, Mr.
and Mrs. Jared Ryel,” the minister said loudly.

Jared's smile faded, and he gritted
his teeth.

“
Not today,” he said,
closing his eyes.

Chapter Three

Trial

The inside of the chapel darkened. The
sunlight coming through the windows dimmed, but it was early
afternoon. The air around grew cold and stale. The hairs on the
back of my neck stood on end. Fearing the worst, I was desperate
for a mundane explanation. “A storm?”

Jared's eyes darkened. “I'm
sorry.”

The sound of the tropical winds that
regularly blew against the building was noticeably absent, and soon
the only light was the dim flickering of a few sconces along the
walls of the church. I shot a nervous glance over my shoulder at
our friends and family below. They were frozen in time.

I quickly walked down the stairs, with
Jared just behind. My movement didn’t faze the small crowd, and I
gasped, falling to my knees. “Lillian?” I said, reaching
out.

Her hands were folded daintily in her
lap, a small smile suspended on her face. I stood and took a step
to the next pew, realizing in horror that the living statues' eyes
were all still fastened to the space where Jared and I once
occupied.

“
Beth?” I whispered,
reaching out to touch her cheek. Her skin was still warm. “She’s
not breathing,” I said, looking back to my new husband. Bex stood
at Jared's side. He frowned before looking to his brother. Only the
humans were affected.

“
He must have claimed a
grievance,” Bex said.

“
Shax?” I
asked.

Jared shook his head. “Michael...for
murdering his son.” He closed his eyes and took my hand, holding it
against his chest. “No matter what happens, Nina, stay with Bex,”
he said.

“
What do you mean? Where
are you going?” I said. He took a step toward the double doors of
the chapel. With my free hand, I grabbed at the fabric of his
jacket. “Jared,” I whispered. His demeanor terrified me.

The double doors opened, and Eli stood
in the entrance, his expression blank. “I'm sorry, Jared. This
can't wait.”

Jared nodded, and then tilted his head
to the side, speaking under his breath. “Don't speak, Nina. Let me
handle this.”

I agreed without words. Jared led me
through the doors, to the top of the chapel steps. The sky was
black, the darkness filtering down to surround our chapel. Several
dark forms stood in formation at the bottom of the stairs. Jared
continued. With each step closer to the unknown, my heart seemed to
be punching through my chest. Finally, I was face to face with
Jared’s accusers, but they remained a mystery. Their faces were
obscured by the hoods of black cloaks. If they were angels, they
were much more frightening than any I’d encountered.

Eli stood on the other side of Jared,
waiting patiently for something, but I knew better than to ask.
After a few moments the black forms parted, and two figures,
differing dramatically in size, walked forward. Eli made a subtle
motion with his hand, and the air around the small assemblage
created its own light, leaving a muted glow. I glanced at him from
the corner of my eye, and he winked at me. I was the only one
unable to see clearly through the darkness. Eli lit the
surroundings solely for my human eyes.

His consideration set me
somewhat at ease.
He won’t let anything
happen to us
, I thought.

Any feeling of comfort offered by
Eli’s small gesture didn’t last long. The two forms were now
recognizable, and a lump formed in my throat at Claire's nervous
expression as she walked alongside Samuel.

“
What are you doing here?
Where’s Ryan?” I asked.

Jared squeezed my hand, and I
remembered too late his rule of silence. A man at the front of the
opposing group ripped away his hood, revealing his enraged eyes.
“You are not allowed to speak here!” he said. His body shook as he
spoke.

Samuel and Claire took a defensive
stance in front of Jared and me. Jared squeezed my hand again, this
time in comfort. He brought my fingers to his lips and kissed them.
An overwhelming urge to cry overcame me, and although I begged
myself not to, my eyes filled with salty tears and dribbled down my
cheeks.

Eli casually pushed Samuel and Claire
to the side to approach me. “Look what you've done,” Eli said,
lifting my chin. He used his thumbs to wipe the twin lines of
tears. “Upsetting the bride on her wedding day.” He turned to the
man. “Apologize, Michael, and then mind your manners for the
remainder of our time here.”

Michael stood tall. “Forgive me,” he
said, his body rigid with subdued rage.

I nodded once, cowering against
Jared.

Samuel took a spot next to Jared, and
Claire stood next to me. Eli returned to his position, but this
time he stood more central between the two groups. He lowered his
head and closed his eyes. The Ryel siblings, along with Samuel and
the cloaked men, did the same. I followed suit, wondering if I
looked ridiculous, or if it was expected. Jared didn’t offer a
suggestion either way, so the safe option was to imitate the
others.

After a short time, Eli began to speak
in his usual soft, matter-of-fact tone. “All praise to the Most
High, as this is His court and His kingdom. I will use the common
tongue for our Nina, so that she may understand. I, Eliath, angel
of the Divine Plan, will act on the Lord Almighty’s behalf. My
decision is final.” He glanced at both Jared and Michael.
“Aggression will not be tolerated.”

Jared and Michael nodded.

Eli looked to me, and his eyes
softened. “Michael has made a claim against Jared for the death of
his earthen son, Isaac.”

My first inclination was to open my
mouth, but after my public reprimand from Michael, I was
hesitant.

Eli sensed my fear, and smiled. “Don’t
be afraid, Nina. You may speak.”

“
Um….” I looked to Jared,
who’d told me just the opposite just a few minutes before. Any
caution was absent from his face. “Jared didn’t kill Isaac,” I
said. My voice was soft, but firm. Even if I incriminated myself, I
couldn’t let Jared take the blame for my actions.

Eli nodded, knowingly and patiently.
“The actions leading to Isaac’s death are why we’re here, Nina. You
may enter your argument in a moment. I assure you this will be a
fair proceeding.”

“
Then why do Jared and
Claire seem so nervous?” I said, deliberately leaving Bex’s name
out. “This doesn’t feel like a casual inquiry.”

“
You’re right. It’s not.
The charges against Jared are very serious. A life was lost. Archs
are not allowed to kill humans to protect their Taleh. Half-Breeds
are exempt from our rules, as they are half human and allowed free
will. However, because Half-Breeds are privy to those rules, it is
important that they not take advantage. Do you
understand?”

“
Y-yes,” I said, afraid to
say my next words. Eli seemed to have unending patience, but I
didn’t want to test it. “But…Jared didn’t kill Isaac.”

Michael’s body twitched, and he began
to speak in a language so beautiful, I knew it was of Heaven. Eli
interrupted.

“
English, Michael. It’s
polite.”

Michael sighed with frustration. “Why
do you waste your time?” he said to Eli. “We don’t explain
ourselves to them.”

“
Patience,” Eli said
simply. He looked to me, then. “All actions leading to Isaac’s
death are in review. In this case, Jared revealing himself to you
plays a part. Typically, we would trace to the beginning, and hold
the individual responsible. In this case, the individual would be
Jared’s father, Gabriel, for revealing himself to Lillian Van
Buren. That action ultimately resulted in Isaac’s death. But,
because Gabriel has already been judged for that action, the
responsibility falls on Jared.”

I frowned, still confused.

Eli smiled in understanding. “Think of
the Garden of Eden. Our Lord judges wrongs based on chain
reactions. It is the way of things.”

“
You mean he holds
grudges,” I said.

“
No,” Eli said with a
small chuckle. “No, that is not what I mean. He considers the root
of the problem when He makes a decision.”

“’
The sins of the father’
type of thing?”

“
It’s difficult to explain
in human terms, Nina. The short answer is yes.”

Jared had made his choices, but being
blamed for being the product of his parents’ love, and for me for
the death of Donovan was unacceptable to me. He was my husband,
after all. It was now my duty to protect him, as well. I stood
tall. “What about me?”

Jared tensed. “Nina,” he
chided.

I glanced at Jared, but didn’t heed
his warning. “On grounds that my father made choices that could
have been the cause of everything that’s happened, and the fact
that I am the one who killed Isaac’s Taleh…shouldn’t I be the one
on trial?”

“
Yes,” Michael growled,
low and frightening, through his teeth.

Eli touched my shoulder. “You are,
Nina. Every choice you make. His decision for you will be later.
Jared is held to a different standard, set apart from Heaven and
Earth; rules for his kind that he is aware of. Now,” he smiled with
kindness and maybe a bit of amusement, “if you are satisfied, we
will continue.”