Burning Paradise

Chapter Sixteen

We're zooming through a vortex of time. Moments and snippets of time periods crash past me, moulding together into infinity. My hair whips behind me, powered by a strong hail of wind that has me stumbling at every step.

Then we're standing still. We're in a huge stone hall. It's empty apart from a huge red curtain at the back of the hall extending up into the foggy mist that hangs over thirty storeys high. Bare and simplistic, yet majestic in it's own way. Elijah walks forward and bows to the curtain, "Master, we've arrived. The human is here, just as you asked."

"Good work. I will ensure you are rewarded for your efforts." The voice sounds like a whole orchestra merged into one melodious tone. I gulp, sidling closer to Rhys. He grips my hand tightly and I feel a little more relaxed just by his touch. "I can sense your fear, human. No need to fear your maker. I won't hurt you. I just have a little request from you."

"What is it?" My voice is more of a breath than a sound.

"I want you to hand your soul over to Riré. So that when you die, your soul will be reincarnated once more into an angel. So you can be like Rhys." The voice reasons.

I look up at Rhys, who looks terrified and outraged all at once, "Master, you know I will never let that happen! You can't take her away from me! She's mine."

"She can make the decision for herself, child." It's almost as if the voice is laughing.

"With all due respect, Master, you handed her over to me. She doesn't have any knowledge of this world, what you expect from an angel. I'm not going to let her sign her own doom."

"Being an angel is a blessing, Rhys, a blessing which you abused and lost when you chose to stay on Earth. I am giving your lover a chance to redeem you. She will be doing it for you."

"I don't want her to do it for me. I don't need to be redeemed. I made a choice and I am still happy about it. I'm sorry, Master, but I'm not going to allow it to happen." Rhys stands his ground, looking at the curtain intently.

"I'm afraid you never had a choice in this, Rhys... Elijah." I feel something strike my head and cry out in pain, clutching it. Rhys turns and as I fall, catches me and lowers me to the ground.

"Rhys..." I mumble, gripping the edges of the cliff of consciousness, "Don't let them take me." Then I go under.

When I wake up, I'm in an empty cell. There's a small slit of a window. The cell is bare apart from the mattress I'm laying on. I sit up, trying to look for any means of escape. There is none. I go towards the door, looking out of the barred gap, like the doors they have in old prisons. The room is in a corridor and it is deserted. No-one to hear my screams, my shouts, my pleading for help.

My heart throbs against my ribcage as I pace the room, frantically trying to think of a way to get out of here. I remember someone. Rhys. "Rhys!" I call out, diving for the window in the door. I grip the bars, "Rhys!" I look as far down the corridor as I can, but there's no sign on him. "Rhys!" I repeat, my eyes scanning the corridor. There's a bang, like a door opening and shutting and then Elijah's cronies walk over to my door, holding somebody -- a male -- up. He groans and I immediately recognise him.

"Rhys!" I cry. One of the men holding Rhys up grunts at me.

"Move back!" He roars. I do and the door slams open. They haul Rhys in and dump him on the floor.

"Rhys!" I cry again, slumping to the ground beside him, cradling his head in my lap, tears spilling down my face. What have they done to him? Rhys groans and his eyes open.

He looks up at me, "Donna."

"Rhys. What happened to you?" I ask, my vision blurry from the constant flow of the tears.