UnGuarded (30 page)

25

MY SURROUNDINGS WERE PITCH-BLACK. I closed
my eyes and focused on my light, but after numerous attempts,
nothing happened. Panic clawed up my spine, and my breathing grew
short and ragged. My bare feet squished into the muddy floor as I
took a careful step forward. Reaching out to my right, my hands
brushed something hard and flat. I patted around, finding more of
that same solid surface. A wall, I presumed. After another moment
speculating, I realized there was another wall on my left. A faint
light glinted off in the distance ahead. I swung around, only to
find more darkness behind me. I screamed aloud, my voice
reverberating both ways down the corridor. That meant there were
two ways I could go—head toward the light, or go blindly into the
shadows.

After making my decision quickly, I set off
toward the light. Uneasiness spread through me with each step, my
failed attempts to use my power reminding me of being in Nempha,
and it terrified me.
Why wasn’t I dead?
I wondered as I
moved with cautious steps. I’d sacrificed myself to save Caitlyn
and Luke. Why couldn’t I sense them? Where were they? Or better
yet…where was I? Frantically, I ran my fingers across my chest
where the scrolls had left an imprint, then lower where I’d plunged
the dagger in my heart, but miraculously there was no hole and my
skin was smooth as if nothing had ever happened.

“Raphael,” I called out, only to hear my own
voice echoing back to me. I gave a long sigh, and kept moving.

Only the light never got any closer.
Regardless of how far I’d walked, I never seemed to make any
progress. The light still glinted far off in the distance, mocking
me with its shimmer. I turned around and the same vast darkness
still awaited me. Was I supposed to head that way, since I was now
fallen? Was this what had happened to all the angels who fell
before me? They kept trying to move to the light, but only the
darkness would accept them?

I swallowed hard, feeling gooseflesh scatter
across my arms.
Not yet
, I scolded myself, then turned
around and took off toward the light once more.

Except the tunnel seemed endless, and I
never gained any ground in reaching the light. I felt like a
hamster running on its wheel, never really going anywhere. So it
was time to embrace the reality of my situation, and as I whirled
around to head the other way, a shockwave rattled through the
corridor with enough force to topple me over. My knees and hands
slammed against the mucky floor, but at least it was soft enough to
cushion my fall. As the ground stopped shaking, a thrust of
invisible energy blasted through the tunnel, popping my ears with
its pressure. It forced me backward against the wall, holding me
there. I wriggled back and forth, trying to break free, but I
couldn’t budge an inch.

Then, a glowing diaphanous being
materialized in the darkness in front of me. There was a subtle
human resemblance to its transparent features. A hooded gray cloak
covered its body, shielding most of its head from view. The squared
jaw gave it a more masculine look, though the rest of its face was
hidden in shadow. Without seeing it move, it grabbed my shoulders
with what appeared to be its hands, and pressed me hard against the
stone wall with an unbreakable grasp. Then, suddenly, the being
stepped back and I fell to my feet with a
squoosh
. “Who are
you?” I asked in surprise.

Something red glowed under its hood, and as
the being tilted its head back, I could see it was his eyes. “I am
your guide. Your fate has hung in the balance, but now I have come
here for you.” Its voice was low and gravelly—but definitely
masculine.

“What…um…where are we?” My tone throaty.

“Between the realms of physical and
spiritual,” came his instant reply.

A lump barreled its way up my throat, but I
swallowed it back to free my voice. “Am I fallen?” I asked, even
though I felt like I already knew the answer.

He gave a slight nod and answered, “Yesss,”
with a hiss.

I stood nervously for a moment, waiting for
something to happen. But when nothing did, I asked, “Aren’t you
taking me to my demon master?” I mean, wasn’t that how this worked?
Fallen angels were dominated by the demon ruler of whatever world
they were sent to.

“You will not be mastered,” was his
response. “Never before has an angel of light sacrificed their life
for that of a dark one. Let alone, the human you attempted to
spare.”

I stepped forward in a rush. “Are they
alive?” Please God, let them be alive.

“I cannot answer that for you. But your
attempts to save them will not go unseen.”

“You can’t answer because you don’t know…or
can’t tell me?”

His head tilted slightly as if he were
studying every feature on my face. His red eyes brightened, and I
could see their disturbing glow within his hood. Several long
minutes passed and twice I was tempted to ask again—or even beg
him. Then finally he said, “Both,” only confusing me more.

I shook my head, a desperate plea building
up on my tongue. I swallowed it back though, knowing in my heart
this thing wasn’t going to be of any help.

Suddenly the being moved closer, just inches
from me. “Angel of light”—his voice echoing through the
tunnel—“guardian of the supreme high, you are now fallen from
grace.” He raised both translucent hands, the cloak draping from
his arms. “You will not be sanctioned to one place, for your
ability to orb shall remain. Though some will try, none may reign
over you. You will have all the power necessary to keep order to
the balance between good and evil. Although I am not your ruler, I
am your guide, and thus empowered to remove this privilege should
you not heed to your duties. For this is the first and only time a
fallen angel will be spared. And you will have but one chance to
remain this way. For you, Selene, are fallen, but I have shown you
the greatest of mercies for your selfless acts.”

Swiftly the being moved into me and I was
immersed inside his cloak. Everything was foggy, like entering a
dark gray storm cloud, and I couldn’t see beyond the sheer
thickness. Intense pressure threatened to crush my lungs and my
ears were popping uncontrollably. My heart thundered inside my
chest, and pressure built up in my head to where I feared it would
burst. In my stomach there was a violent rolling and twisting, and
I wanted to hunch over and cradle it. Only I couldn’t move. I was
frozen with intense waves of energy pulsing over my flesh like
static electricity, adding chaos to the maddening slew of
afflictions I could only pray would cease.

Then, all of a sudden, I was thrown down,
the cloak receding from my body like a sheer cover being yanked
off. A vast open field lay around me, sheets of greenery coating
the ground. It was daylight, the sky a deep shade of blue decorated
with large fluffy, white clouds that looked a lot like shredded
cotton. Hills lined the horizon, as far as the eye could see, with
a faint layer of haziness that blended them into the atmosphere. As
I rose I glanced over myself, gasping when I saw the black-styled
combat boots covering my feet. My gaze trailed upward, following
the stretchy black pants that covered my legs all the way up to the
matching tank-styled tee. I ran a hand through my hair, which
thankfully was the same wavy caramel hair that I’d always had.

There was a whoosh of air behind me, and I
swung around to find the diaphanous man from the tunnel. But as he
materialized, his translucent appearance morphed into a more solid
form. He raised his hands, pulling the hood back from his head, and
it draped behind him with the rest of his cloak. I noticed his
glowing red eyes first, but then took in the rest of his
appearance. Black pants, matching tee-styled shirt and boots, and a
face that put him around fifty in human years. His hair was kept
short, and was a mixture of salt and pepper shades with a matching
shadow of hair for a beard. Everything about his physical
appearance—except the smoldering red eyes—screamed human, while his
aura gave off a much different vibe, confirming this was no mere
person in front of me.

He placed a hand against his chest. “I’m
Darius.”

I half smiled, feeling my nerves tumbling
inside me. “I’m…um…Selene.”

His gaze narrowed. “Yes, I know.”

My nervousness left me momentarily
speechless. “Where are we?” was what I finally asked when I found
my voice.

“Earth.” His short, ever so informative
response. “Do you not have more relevant questions that require my
knowledge?”

I nodded slowly, the lead balloon in my
stomach rising to my throat. I anxiously swallowed it back, hoping
to keep it together and not let my fear overtake me. “So I get that
I’m fallen, but not really. That’s not confusing at all.” I gave a
low, edgy chuckle, then continued. “And now I’m supposed to somehow
keep the balance between good and evil, and I’m not limited to any
particular place to do it in.”

“That is correct”—his tone implied
impatience.

Okay great. He’d been real helpful so far.
“Well…” I put my hands on my hips, acquiring a new sense of
courage. “How am I supposed to know when to intervene in the war
between good and evil, and when to leave the situation alone?”

Darius reached forward scooping my wrist in
his hand. He chanted something I couldn’t understand, then his hand
lit up with reddish-orange light. I gasped as an intense burn
singed deep into my flesh. Tingles shot up my arm, and then moments
later a cooling sensation spread on my skin where he’d touched.
Darius released me and stepped back, pointing to my wrist. “The
ankh will show you the way.”

I stared at a black, cross-shaped tattoo
with an oval attached to its crest. It was perfectly centered just
below the base of my palm and extended about two inches in diameter
around my wrist. A quick glance at Darius’ arm, and I noticed he
had the same tattoo in the exact same place.

“And how is this”—I shook my wrist at
him—“supposed to
show
me?”

His mouth quirked. “The ankh will flare up
when it is time to act. It will give you the knowledge of where you
must go and what must be done.” He grinned, though it didn’t appear
happy. “I will be here to guide you as you learn your way.”

I stole a moment to think about what he’d
said, then met his gaze squarely. “Will I be fighting demons?”

He gave a slight bob. “You will have all the
power you need to defeat your rivals, though, remember, you no
longer have the light within you.”

I waved a hand, exasperated. “But the power
of light is all I know. How will I defeat anything without its
energy?”

Darius’ grin widened. “That I will show
you.” He raised his hands, then thrust them out toward me like he
was throwing an object at me. Barely a second later, I was laid out
on the ground.

“How’d you do that?” I asked as I got up,
wiping grass and debris from my clothes.

“Remember how you called forth the power of
light?” He stepped closer, taking my hand and turning it palm up.
“Focus on the energy inside you. Feel it expand with your desire
for it.”

I stared at my palm, concentrating harder
than I ever had before. Mainly because when I was an angel, I never
really needed to think about using my powers. Faint tingles spread
down my arm, like tiny ants crawling under the skin. But as quick
as it started, it stopped, and my arm went back to feeling normal.
“It’s not working,” I stated with a grimace.

“Try again.”

I shook my arm, loosening it up, then got
into position and tried again. With all the strength and
concentration I could muster, I commanded the energy to my awaiting
palm. The skin prickled up and down my arm, and a warm sensation
flushed my hand.
This is it
, I thought with a smile, then
squeezed my eyes shut and zeroed in all my thoughts on directing my
power. My body shuddered and my arm tingled with intense tremors.
Then, all of a sudden, everything just stopped again—like water had
been doused over a flame. I glanced at my palm, a defeated whine
building up on my tongue.

Before I could say anything, my guide
ordered, “Again!”

By my seventh attempt, I could get the
energy to my hand, but still couldn’t blast it out like Darius had
done to me. And trust me, I really, really wanted to take him down.
After all, I owed him one…or maybe a few.

“Let’s move on,” Darius announced, then
directed me to stand by his side. “Mimic my movements as best you
can.” Without warning, he dropped down into a squat, and I
hurriedly moved to the same position. He twisted slightly to the
left while kicking his right leg out, then immediately sliding it
back to his body in one swift motion. “Sometimes your rivals won’t
expect this and you can bring them down with a swing of your
leg.”