Genesis: Falling Angel (7 page)

“Adrian,” she whispered at one point.

I broke from my train of thought. “Yes?”

“Is this it?”

I looked at the giant rock before us, finding the
“secret entrance” without even approaching it. Well, so much for a secret entrance. I sent a silent thanks to Thanatos, wherever he may be. He was useful after all.

“Yes,” I said, making my way over to it. “This is it.”

Chapter 10 – Gabrielle

My feet were swollen. Tiny bubbles that Adrian dubbed “blisters” were causing me more pain than even the sunburn. My knowledge of humans did not stretch far into the medical field, and I had no idea why my feet were hurting so badly until I glimpsed at them. Adrian had carried me to the cave he claimed held supplies, and he had even set me down on a pile of blankets that served as a bed.

The cave was small, more like a hollowed-out boulder. There were four makeshift beds and supplies such as food, bottles to fill with water, cooking utensils, and basic survival kits. These held matches, knives, first aid supplies, and other things I did not get a chance to look at. Adrian had swiped the first bag I picked up.

“I’ll teach you this stuff later,” he assured, sifting through the pack himself.

After what felt like ages to my pain-clouded mind, he pulled out a small tube. “Demons keep manufacturing stuff like this. Apparently some human inventions are useful to them.” He sat down at my feet.

When his hands reached to touch one foot, I shrank away in fear. “What are you doing?” I demanded.

He looked at me in a way similar to the way Gabriel looked at me when I’d asked a question with an obvious answer. “It’ll help your feet heal. Just relax. Trust me, okay?”

I stuck my left foot out, eyes closed tightly. He chuckled softly. Then there was complete silence. I braced myself for the horrible pain the medicine was sure to cause. All that came was a cool sensation. My eyes opened to actually look at Adrian, and I blinked in surprise at the gentle way he applied the cream. He applied it to my other foot, and then
he gestured to one of the beds.

“R
est for now. That should heal your feet in no time.” He said this almost angrily, as if I had slowed him down while trying to complete my mission. He sifted through boxes of supplies, finally tossing me article after article of what appeared to be human clothing. “You can’t go around wearing a dirty white dress. If you wear that, we can both pretend we’re from Luxuria. It’s not revealing at all, so don’t argue.” He trudged toward the door. “I won’t look.”

Clothing was something I knew more about. There were no festering wounds, blood, or broken bones in the subject of clothing. The undergarments were white, simple. Yet somehow I still managed a blush at the thought of a man actually knowing what was under my clothes. The shirt was short-sleeved and simply green. The jeans were a deep blue. The socks and shoes were set aside. I couldn’t tolerate them yet.

I had just managed to finish pulling the last bit of clothing—the shirt—over my head when Adrian returned. “Good, you’re not naked,” he commented.

I blushed at this, and he smirked before gesturing to the supplies. “There are jackets, too. We’ll need them. Acedia is freezing.” He spat the name of the city as though it was poison, but I did not question this.

“Are you tired?” I asked instead. Humans needed sleep. He’d stayed up all night watching over me.

He actually seemed to have to think deeply on his reply. He gave a crooked smile and said, “I have insomnia.” At my confused expression, he added, “It’s where I have trouble sleeping, basically. I don’t do it often.” He gestured to me. “You, however, should sleep. You have to be drained after a walk like that.”

Regrettably, I was. My body was screaming at me for being out in the heat for so long. My eyes were barely even open at that point. “I guess so.”

His words came through a thick haze, though they were muddled and I only caught bits and pieces. Sleep was overcoming me, and I was allowing it gladly. I slipped into a peaceful sleep.

Well, it almost was.

Suddenly I was in a room as white as the one I had back home. There was no furniture. There were no people. Tentatively, I called, “Hello?”

Then he appeared: Gabriel, in all of his glory. His beautiful white wings were spread, his blue eyes were blazing. A brilliant light shone around him. His face was a mask of calm, though his eyes showed his rage. It was this Gabriel that had frightened many Fallen. It was this Gabriel that the humans never saw. His fury nearly suffocated me, filling the room with poisonous emotion.

“What have you done?” He demanded, wings fading. His words were gnawing at my resolve.

“I just,” I began. What would I say to my better, my other half? What could I say to the chosen right hand of my God? So I told the truth. “Gabriel, I don’t believe that you are capable of handling this mission. It requires empathy with humans, which is something you lack even after all these years.”

If he had been angry before, he was now enraged. “You lack the proper skills and knowledge to complete this mission, Gabrielle. You don’t understand humans like I do. You don’t know how to fit in like I do. You could become lost or sick, or even be enslaved. You could even die! Human deaths are not always peaceful. It’s not all about empathy. It’s about knowing how to survive.”

“I have a guide,” I said sharply, though I quickly covered my mouth in shock at my own tone.

“A guide?” Gabriel echoed. “What sort of guide?”

“He’s a human. He saved me from something called a troll. It was an ugly beast, Gabriel. It was huge and smelled and wasn’t very bright. And—”

“Tell me about this human. W
hat is his name?”

“Adrian,” I replied simply.

He seemed to contemplate this for a moment. “What of his eyes? What color are they?” he finally asked.

“They
’re fascinating,” I breathed. “They’re purple with a bit of gold. I never knew humans could have such beautiful eyes. They’re God’s work at its finest. Not to say that only some of his work is perfect, but—” I was sounding nervous, of course. Gabriel would pick up on that with absolute ease.

He became strangely calm and still. “Gabrielle, you can’t trust everything that you see. There are people on the earth that wish to hurt you. There is something dark in store for you if you don’t learn how to navigate the earth quickly.”

“Who would want to hurt me?” I asked, feeling cold suddenly. I hugged myself, shivering.

“Lilith
is already after you. She knows why you’re there. She knows that you’re going to try to stop her. She knows that an angel at his or her full power is a terrible enemy to have. She also knows that you are in human form, and she will use it to her advantage.” Gabriel was pacing now. “I’ve asked our Father to switch our roles in this. He is silent. I’ve never been shut out before. I don’t know what to do. You’re incapable of this mission. It’s my fault. I should’ve educated you better than that.”

The words stung. The cold went away, replaced by warmth that allowed me to stop shivering. My most defiant look overtook my features. “I can handle this. If our Father allowed me to take your place, He must
have a plan. Or do you question the will of the Almighty?”

He was taken aback, though he quickly recovered. “His will was to send either Michael or me, not an angel that has never stepped out of Heaven in all of her short existence.”

“I am not a child. Perhaps if you had only let me come to earth and see how horrible it was, maybe I would be safely at home now. But I’m not. I’m out doing a mission to save the very creatures that you envy.”

His face contorted with anger. “I do not envy those savage creatures.”

“Satan envied them as well. Look at where he is!” I exclaimed.

He looked to be on the verge of yelling at me, but he quickly regained that strange, calm composure. “You are with a dangerous guide, Gabrielle. You don’t understand who he is.”

“Then tell me,” I said. Wasn’t it just that simple?

His features darkened. “He’s—”

His lips were moving, but I could no longer hear the words. I was being drawn out of the white room until Gabriel disappeared from sight. The room vanished as well, and I knew that I was waking. I was being pulled higher and higher.

My eyes shot open. Something was covering me, and I briefly struggled with it. I nearly called for Adrian’s help when I realized that it was only a blanket. I hesitantly looked around, sheepishly pulling the blanket back over myself. Adrian stood near a small fire, his lips curled into an amused smirk.

My face heated up in a blush, and I pulled the blanket over my head. It occurred to me that he probably had tossed it over me sometime in the night. I remembered shivering in my dream, and the sudden warmth that had allowed me to turn my attention back to Gabriel.

There was something else. When I had kicked at the blankets, my feet had not hurt. I sat up, bringing the blanket up with me. My hands ran over my
smooth, painless feet. The cream had worked! I felt like dancing around, but the thought of Adrian watching me make a fool of myself was too embarrassing.

A sudden smell caught my attention, and my stomach growled. I peeked out from beneath the blanket. Adrian had turned away from me, tending to something hanging over the fire.

“It’s called ‘stew,’” he said, without turning to face me. “Not the most wonderful meal in the world, but it’ll give you some energy.”

“You are very kind, you know. Not at all like I thought you were,” I blurted, though I quickly turned away.

He was silent for a moment. “You are a poor judge of character, but I’m interested. What did you think I was?”

I had believed him to be l
oud, arrogant, and cruel. The list of words was endless. “Not nice?” I suggested, though it came out as more of a question. I chanced a look at him.

He had already turned his attention back to the pot over the fire. He grabbed a ladle, dipping out two bowls full of the stew. It was full of orange and green and red and all sorts of colors in some sort of broth. I stared at it momentarily in awe. “Vegetables, right?”

“I figured you wouldn’t be much of a meat eater,” Adrian replied, shrugging. “Also, you’d probably hurt yourself if you tried to cook.”

My smile was brief, but he seemed to catch it easily. I tilted the bowl to my lips, ignoring the spoon before me. It burned, and I nearly dropped the bowl. Adrian rolled his eyes. “Let it cool,” he chided.

So I did, and my second attempt was much better. I wasn’t used to earth food, but the stew was delicious. I turned to Adrian to describe the flavor to him as if to show off just how much I did know, but he was making a face. He seemed to stare at the stew with such disgust. All that came out of my mouth was a simple thank you. “Thank you for the stew. It’s very good.”

He shrugged. “It’s k
ind of bland.”

“Do humans typically receive better meals?” That would be strange. From what I knew of slaves, they weren’t typically treated well enough for nice meals.

“I’m just used to,” he said, trailing off. After a moment, his eyes held mine. The strange, overpowering stare was once more pulling me in, and I was almost desperate for him to speak.

“I’m just used to more satisfying meals,” he said simply, though the words were a whisper. It was like some dark secret I wasn’t allowed to know. Why did he have to do that? It made me very curious. He shook his head then, sighing. “Just finish your meal.”

The spell was broken once more. I ate with such vigor that eventually Adrian stopped just to stare at me in shock. Perhaps my table manners weren’t the best, but I was still getting used to my new body. Used to earth.

“
So your mother, does she know where you are?” I asked gently, knowing it could be a sensitive subject.

He pursed his lips, eyes locked onto me. I almost regretted asking. “
I’m not a child, Gabrielle. My mother doesn’t need to know where—” he began.

Suddenly, the cave shook. Adrian grabbed me, and my empty bowl fell to the floor. He covered me completely, as if he could shield me from the falling rocks if the cave collapsed. Dust fell from the ceiling and boxes fell over. It soon ended, and the cave was still intact.

Adrian hesitantly let go of me. He made his way toward the entrance, warning me to stay put. He was gone for what seemed like ages, and worry began to gain a firm hold of me. He had told me to remain where I was. Of course, my curiosity got the better of me. I crept to the entrance of the cave after him, sticking close to the wall.

He held his head in his hands, shaking his head as some unknown figure spoke to him.

“Relax. You’ll hardly even notice me. I bet I could even get you to every place you need to go!”

“That’s great and all,” Adrian replied. “But you’ll bring nothing but trouble and honestly I already find you extremely annoying.”

“That hurts, Adrian. It really does.” The voice was that of a man. It was playful, friendly.

Adrian groaned. “Damn it,” he cursed. His eyes caught mine. Instead of scolding me, he waved me over. “Gabrielle, come here and meet our newest traveling companion.”

This interested me. I left my hiding spot to see the other man. His skin was bronze and his dark brown hair appeared to reach mid-back. The man wore clothing that seemed very expensive. A mark on his shoulder seemed to have the shape of a diamond. He was tall, muscular, and seemed to have a more pleasant air about him than Adrian.

He stuck out his hand to shake mine. “Hey there, my name’s Noah.”

Noah was a handsome, biblical name. I smiled broadly at him. He had mentioned he had a way to get us places. Perhaps he would save us as the biblical Noah had saved the animals of the earth.