A Fallen Angel

Chapter 10 - What now?

---Ethan's POV---

We were already at the mansion but still; my eyes were constantly pulled back towards those majestic wings that filled the room with little effort. Every pair of eyes was glued to the Angel in out midst as she casually strolled around, feathers occasionally ruffling when Lilith reached out to touch them.

If someone had told me a few months ago that I would have an Angel guarding my daughter and that she would be alive again...I would have probably attacked them for uttering such cruel words.

A shivering sigh escaped me as I sagged back in the chair. Nobody had spoken a word since she walked with us, all of them seemingly waiting for me to make the first move. The humans hadn't opened their mouths as soon as we appeared at the horizon.

"So.... err....." Nicolas started awkwardly before shuffling his weight in the chair. Caitlin turned around and smiled softly, her wings pulling more towards her as if showing the others that she wasn't a threat. "When we, uh, found you...what happened exactly?"

Caitlin sighed softly and brushed her hair back behind her ear. "I had just crash-landed on this planet after being sentenced to be a Fallen. You guys found me with Sinful chains wrapped around me, which caused the burn marks on my feathers, though normally they would singe the whole wing."

She demonstrated this by pushing her wings out, showing everyone the unblemished underside before wrapping them around her to show the dark lines crisscrossing over the pure white. One of the other vampires in the guard stepped forwards with a slightly confused expression on his face.

"You stated before that you were banished for crimes you didn't commit." When Caitlin nodded, waiting for him to continue, he added, "so why are you still here? Can't they undo this and bring you back home?"

The sadness and utter loss in Caitlin's eyes said it all but still; she managed to say, "No. I can never return to my own realm because normally the sentence is spoken by our Lord instead of one of the angels like in my trial. Because of this, He can't revoke the sentence and I am banished for eternity."

Shocked murmurs whispered through the gathered crowd before one of the warlocks commented, "But even the Fallen can redeem themselves! Surely you can as well...." His voice faded as he realized that Caitlin already said that she was banished for eternity.

"So...what does that mean for us?" I asked in a soft tone, looking directly at Caitlin as I spoke. She scratched her chin as she softly said, "I don't know. I was hoping everything could stay the same, except that I can use my powers and stretch my wings from time to time."

I nodded and pondered about it for a moment. My eyes scanned the room while my brain worked over hours to come to a conclusion. A realization popped in my head as my eyes widened for a second before they searched for Caitlin.

"Those demons could have recognized you... I'm pretty sure that the presence of an Angel will attract them. Would allowing you to stay here bring the safety of my daughter and the others at risk?" I stated, ending the statement in a question as I leaned forwards to catch her answer.

Caitlin shifted her weight on her legs as she crossed her arms. "Yes and No. The demons that know will try to get me but they won't tell the others. Sure, the other demons might suspect something is on your territory to attract their attention. And no, my presence won't endanger anyone because I can help you to protect your property and everyone on it."