With Sebastian nowhere to be found, I pour my heart and soul into learning the bible. And the more I read the more glued to the pages I become. There's so much history between those pages that I don't know how anyone can go throughout life without ever reading it at least once. It doesn't hurt having Samuel at my side to act as the perfect distraction, either.
Especially when he opens up to me about his past. Because the more I learn about Samuel, the more he intrigues me.
Like Sebastian, he fell from grace and was banished from heaven until he could prove himself worthy of being allowed back in. And he's been on earth ever since. Thousands of years to be exact.
And his rivalry with Sebastian goes back just as far...
According to Sam, he and Sebastian have always been competitive with one another. Fighting for position, power, and stature.
In the hopes of finally beating Sebastian at something, he gave into darkness, hoping it would give him an edge. And it did... for a while. But then it started to consume him. He became so drunk with power that he convinced his friends to follow him when he joined Satan's army.
But they were in way over their heads.
They went to war against Gabriel and Sebastian and lost. When Sebastian was told to kill Sam... he couldn't. That night Sebastian saved not just his life, but his friend's lives too. Telling Sam and his friends that even though he was intent on allowing his soul to be submerged in darkness, he was allowing him to live so he will hopefully find the light again. And that if he didn't, the next time they met on a battlefield, Sebastian would kill him and put him out of his misery.
That was a wakeup call for Sam.
"Ready for a break from all that reading and studying?" Sam asks.
"Sure," I smile.
He motions for me to follow him, and he takes me to an empty room in the girl's home. Inside, a private meal is setup for the two of us.
"You really know how to cheer a girl up."
"Yeah, well, I just figured you could use the break. You've been trying really hard, and I think your hard work deserves some reward."
"Thank you," I pull him into a hug.
Samuel is the only bright spot in my day nowadays. And he's the only one who treats me like a person rather than an object. He never pressures me when I'm having a bad day either.
"Have you ever used or been told what dark power is?" Sam asks.
"No, what is it?" I frown.
"As an Angel you have access to both dark power and light power. The dark power is the ability to take life whereas light power is the ability to give it. When battling a Messenger, dark power is key to bringing them down," he explains. "And as powerful as you are, you could drop a Messenger in a matter of seconds if you learned how to use it."
"No one has said anything to me about dark power."
"Of course, they wouldn't. Dark power can be very seductive and addicting. If you got involved in dark power before you were ready, it could consume you. And you'd be lost to us. They don't think you're ready."
"If it will help me stop Messengers, then I want to learn." I insist.
"Amariah would be upset with me if I taught you to harness dark power," Sam rakes a worried hand through his hair.
"Then we don't have to tell her. Just show me... I want to help."
"Are you sure about this?"
"I'm positive," I assure him.
"If at any point you change your mind, say the word, and we can stop." He tells me.
I nod. Thinking about all the ways I can be of help by stopping a Messenger. And if harnessing dark power will help me defeat them, then I need to be open to it.
For weeks I allow Sam to teach me how to conjure and harness dark power in secret. And it's as seductive as he said it would be. Because once you taste it, you develop an addiction to it. The power itself engulfs you, comforts you, and emboldens you.
With each day that passes, dark power consumes more of me. I go from not thinking about it, to thinking about it all the time, and then to craving it.
We start off small... causing flowers to wither and die. Then we move to crumbling buildings and altering the weather to cause rainstorms. Every week I'm learning something new. And it's more than what Amariah or the others ever taught me. I didn't even know I could do half the things Sam has shown me.
The more time I spend with Sam, the closer we become. And although I don't think about Sebastian nearly as much. He drifts into my thoughts from time to time. But more weeks go by without so much as a glimpse of him.
It's disheartening.
And emotionally, I feel myself starting to break down.
What if he's really gone and this has all just been a lie?
For the first time in weeks my heart aches. Because I'm starting to lose hope that I'll ever see him again. And even if I do, I'm worried he will have moved on.
Setting my eyes on the front of the room, I watch as Amariah along with a few other members on the school board stand there waiting for everyone to quiet down.
"Eh hem!" Darius clears his throat to get our attention. "May we please have everyone's attention?"
"It has come to our attention that for the past several weeks there has been a dark presence on campus. Until that presence is found and taken care of, the following curfew and safety measures have been put in place," Amariah announces.
She passes out a packet of papers, and in it were several safety rules to follow. And countless new restrictions.
As if we weren't imprisoned enough...
Then it hits me. And I wonder if the dark presence they sensed was Samuel and I using our dark power. They probably think Messengers are looking for a way to attack the school again.
We should probably lay low for a while...
And what better way to lay low than with a visit to my family. Because I'm incredibly homesick and I miss my family.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" I ask.
I need to see them.
"Of course, Angelique." Amariah smiles. "This isn't about my brother, is it?"
"No," I shake my head. "This is about my family. I was wondering if I could go see them."
"That's not really a good idea. Not only would you be putting yourself in danger, but you'd be putting your family in danger too."
Something told me she was going to say that...
"I've done everything you've asked of me. Everything. And I've been compliant. All I ask is that you give me a few hours."
"The only way we can protect you is inside these walls," she refuses. Shaking her head.
I feel helpless and I'm angry. I've been stripped of all the things I care about, and now they're holding me prisoner here.
Still... I comply. And I keep my head buried in the bible. I practically know it verbatim now, and all that's left is for me to be baptized.
My thoughts drift to the gold bracelet that turned to dust when I touched it. And I pull the cloth containing the gold dust from underneath my mattress.
Desperate, I try using dark power to recreate the bracelet. But when I try, sharp pain shoots up through my fingers into the palm of my hand. It's rejecting the dark power. So, operating on a hunch, I use light power to recreate the bracelet. And it looks the same way it did sitting in the case at the museum.
Putting it on, I flinch as it begins to drain the life out of me. And feeling faint, I use what little strength I have left to get the bracelet off my wrist.
Once I get it off, I notice black veins traveling up my arm. They slowly disappear after a minute, and my arm returns to its normal color. I know this bracelet means something to me, but I have yet to figure out what that is. So, I shove it back underneath my mattress for now. I'll play around with it later.
Bored, I meditate hoping Jedediah will give me some answers. But our conversation doesn't go as planned.
"You reek of dark power," he tells me. Descending from the sky.
"I've been practicing harnessing it," I tell him.
He narrows his eyes at me. Anger simmering in his eyes. Then he leans in close to peer into my eyes. When he finds what he's looking for, he reaches out to touch me, violently jolting me back to reality. I fall to the floor, hitting my head hard. And there are bells ringing in my ears now.
"Are you okay?" Liz asks.
"I'm fine," I groan. "Not that you really care."
"You're right," she shoots me the witchiest smile she can muster. "I don't. Are you ready to be baptized? Not that I care about that either. I'd love nothing more than for you to resist so I can drag you kicking and screaming to the baptismal chamber."
"Touch me, and it's you who will be baptized. Just not in the way you think."
"What are you going to do? Huh? Cower me to death." She raises her brow at me in challenge.
"Touch me and find out," I square up to her.
Liz smiles. Amused by my boldness because she doesn't know what I'm capable of.
"Some other time."
The heavy smell of sulfur invades my senses. Temporarily taking my attention away from Liz. The last time I smelled sulfur that powerful, when I looked up at the sky, it was littered with Angels fighting each other.
Curious, I hurry over to the nearest window and look up into the sky. The same orange hue I saw then blankets the sky.
"Stay here and don't move," Liz tells me. Following my gaze.
She heads toward my bedroom door, and it flies open before she can reach it. Samuel signals for me to come with him, but Liz protests. She demanded I stay put, but I trust Sam more than I will ever trust her. Besides... this gives me a chance to test my dark power against the Messengers.
Taking his hand, I follow him out of my room. But he's going in the opposite direction of the fight. Confused, I stop dead in my tracks and yank my hand away from him. Samuel comes to a stop, looking at me like I'm crazy.
"What are you doing? We need to get you somewhere safe." He tells me.
"No. I want to fight," I refuse to run.
"You are in no condition to fight."
"Well, I disagree."
"I'm not going to argue with you about this. You're going to safety," he grabs hold of my wrist. Shaking my head, I shove him away.
Focusing on him, and I let the dark power inside me growing. Then I use it to grab hold of him and he sucks in a deep breath.
"I'm going to help my friends Samuel. You can either come with me or I will bind you here," I give him an ultimatum.
"Fine. But the moment the threat is over, you and I are going to have a talk about you using what I taught you against me," he replies.
Satisfied, I release him. Then we both run to the middle courtyard where Amariah, Darius, and countless others are under attack.
One of the Messengers grabs a hold of Amariah and tosses her into a wall. But she quickly gets back on her feet, and the messenger is ready for her.
Frozen in awe of it all, I watch for a moment before snapping out of it and hurrying to help one of my fellow classmates who cries out in pain. She was struck by an arrow and is fading fast.
I grab hold of her before she expires, dragging her into one of the buildings, and then I heal her. No sooner have I healed her do I hear Amariah let out a blood-curdling scream, followed by Darius who cries out for her.
After running outside to find her, I'm startled when she falls to the ground right in front of me. With a large Messenger heading straight for us.
Focusing on my dark power, I let it grow inside me like Sam taught me. Until it's so powerful, I can barely contain it. Then I focus on the Messenger. Feeling it within my grasp. Lifting my hand in the air as if I have my hand around its neck, I squeeze as hard as I can. And the Messenger grabs at its neck as I lift it into the air, its feet dangling, channeling dark power in my other hand.
Channeling as much dark power as I am, is harder than I expected. I can channel it, but I don't have the slightest clue how to maintain it. And it falters. Now the messenger is back on its feet and coming at me with a vengeance.
Angry, it charges me. Again, I focus on the dark power, but this time I allow it to guide me. And as the Messenger collides with me, its body falls away. Leaving behind its dark soul. Almost as if I reached inside and ripped its soul out.
Clutching the transparent silhouette... a shadow of the Messenger's being, in my hand, I watch in awe as it falls to the ground dead. Then I clench my hand into a fist and the silhouette bursts into light.
Heck yeah!
I can get used to this.
Walking out to where all the Angels were fighting, I smile. Because I can sense their dark power. Which means I can end this before anyone else has to die. And closing my eyes, I reached for that dark power. Pulling at the soul of everything dark and willing them all towards me.
Fierce winds swirl around us, and one by one the souls of every dark Angel in the sky are ripped away.
What I didn't count on was for it to start raining dark Angels...
Body after body falls from the sky. Thudding to the ground all around us. Meanwhile, their souls swirl above me, coming for me as if I willed them too. Because I guess I am.
I'm willing them inside me.
Now I understand what Sam warned me about. I was addicted. Addicted to the point that I didn't realize what I was doing. That by consuming their souls, I would be consuming their dark power and adding it to my own.
What if I can't handle it?
Afraid, I back away as the souls come for me. Backing me against the wall with nowhere to go. That's when something falls from the sky in front of me. No... not something... Sebastian and Gabriel.
Gabriel distracts the souls while Sebastian turns his attention to me. I smile when I see him, because a million butterflies take flight in my stomach, and my heart does a somersault.
But he doesn't look happy to see me...
He's angry.
Placing his palm against my forehead, he closes his eyes, and I feel every ounce of dark power drain from my body. Leaving me faint and dizzy. I collapse, and he catches me in his arms. As he carries me away, I watch the dark souls return to their bodies. One by one, they ascend into the skies to regroup, then they just... disappear.
I lost consciousness moments later.
"Wake up," Sebastian's voice invades my head.
I open my eyes, letting them adjust, before turning in the direction his voice came from. Part of me can't believe he's even real since I haven't seen him in so long.
"Sebastian," I smile.
But he's not smiling. He still looks angry and there's no sign of amusement in his eyes.
"What were you doing harnessing dark power?" He asks.
Hello to you too...
"I was helping Amariah. She was hurt," I explain.
"How long have you been practicing?"
"I don't know," I shrug. "A while. Why?"
"We need to go," I hear a woman's voice say to him.
I look past Sebastian to see a beautiful girl standing there. And instantly I'm jealous.
Is this who he's been spending his time with?
"Who is that?" I ask. Sitting up.
"Her name is Farrah." He tells me.
"Is that who you've been spending your time with while I've been stuck here? Is she the reason why you left?"
"I hope you haven't been spending your time worried about who I'm spending my time with. You were supposed to be learning how to master your abilities and memorizing the bible."
"I did."
"Good." He nods.
Climbing to his feet, Sebastian approaches Amariah, who I didn't even know was here, with Farrah in tow to speak in private. But I'm not done talking to him. And this isn't the greeting I was expecting from him. To say I'm disappointed would been an understatement.
While they speak, Amariah and Farrah keep glancing in my direction. Then they call Liz over. They're talking about me, and probably telling Sebastian every bad thing I've done since he's been gone.
Snitches...
Glancing over at me, he nods a few times, and then he approaches me.
"Angelique, we need to talk."
"Talk then," I shrug. Folding my arms across my chest. "I'm listening."
"Its about you and me," he explains.
My eyes shift to Farrah and how she seems so anxious to hear our conversation. As if she already knows what he's going to tell me.
Was this about her?
"What about us?"
"A lot has changed for me," he swallows hard. Judging my reactions.
"Like what?"
"Like my feelings for you."
My heartbeat slows to a crawl, and I can't breathe because panic has gripped my heart. I know what he's trying to tell me. Even though he's having a hard time telling me. And I don't want to hear it. I've waited all this time just to see him again and have him look at me the way he used to. But he's not here to ease my suffering.
He's here to break my heart...
"Don't do this," I cover his mouth with my hand.
"I need you to let go of me, Angelique. Before you get everyone killed."
"And Farrah? Where does she fit into all of this?"
I briefly glance over at her and then back to him.
"She's my... my companion."
"Companion like a dog is your companion? Or companion as in the two of you are together?" I ask. Keeping my eyes on the floor.
"I need you to move on, Angelique," he sighs.
"To what?" I ask. Finally looking him in the eyes.
Tears form in my eyes, and I quickly blink them away. Wiping at my eyes to keep them dry. I've never had my heart broken before because I've never cared enough about someone to let them get that close to me. And what I hate most about this, is deep down... when he left I knew it was to forget me.
"Why?"
Sulking, Sebastian replies, "To free us both."
"Only one of us is free," I glower at him.
Nodding, he takes a step back and swallows hard.
"Are you going to be alright?"
"Does it matter?"
"It matters."
"Then I'll be fine," I lie. "I mean... I don't really have a choice, right?"
"Right."
Heartbroken, I nod. I can't believe he's doing this. Or that he would come back here with someone else.
And I'm crushed.
I need space.
Air.
"Now that you've learned all there is to know about the bible, I believe you are ready for your baptism," Amariah smiles apologetically.
My first instinct is to refuse because I'm angry and I'm hurt. But if reading the bible has taught me anything, it's that pride, anger, and rebellion often leads nowhere. And in order to set myself free, I have to make peace with this.
So, I do.
"I'm ready whenever you are."
She motions for me to follow her, and after another quick glance in Sebastian's direction, I force my feet to move. Praying that along with washing my sins away, my feelings for Sebastian will go with it. Because they're so strong that his rejection has left me feeling empty.
What better way to fill that space than with purpose?
Wringing my hands to soothe my aching heart, I walk into a room with a small narrow pool in it. Gabriel stands before me, holding out his hand for me to take. And there are others, standing around with cloaks over their heads, praying loudly as I approach.
I'm given a white gown to put on, and all my jewelry is removed along with my shoes. Then my hair is placed in a ponytail to keep it out of my face.
When I'm done, Gabriel takes me by the hand and leads me into the water. We're joined by Sebastian and Darius, and each of them lays a hand on me. They pray simultaneously and ask me if I accept God as my savior. I say yes and they tilt me backward, submerging me in water. And the moment I'm submerged, I'm flung back into the garden with the woman wearing white. The woman wearing the bracelet I took from the museum with the ancient writing on her forehead.
She quickly turns to me, and this time, I know she can see me.
Standing up, she walks toward me. And I thought she was going to say something, but she doesn't utter a word. Instead, she keeps walking towards me until she goes right through me and disappears. Only, now I can feel her inside me. And suddenly, visions began to seize my body. Visions of a former life I never knew I had until this moment.
I call to the bracelet I left in my room, and almost like it heard me, it comes crashing into the window next to the baptismal pool. Rattling against the glass until cracks start to form.
I'm lifted back onto my feet, and immediately turn to the bracelet. Then I lift my hand up to the glass window, and the bracelet rattles so hard it breaks through it. Flying past Sebastian and Gabriel and wraps itself around my wrist.
A jolt of energy travels through me.
Powerful energy.
"Angelique," Sebastian calls my name.
"Angelique, can you hear me?" Gabriel asks.
Looking up at Sebastian and Gabriel, I realize they're talking to me. But the name they're calling me was not mine.
I purse my brows together in confusion, and memories of Sebastian and Samuel began to seize my mind.
"Angelique," Sebastian calls out to me again.
But... "My name isn't Angelique," I tell him.
"Then what is your name?" Gabriel asks.
"I am Naomi. The angel of Love and mercy."
Every ounce of color drains from Sebastian's face. He probably thought he would never see me again. But here I am. And I remember everything. Including what he did to me.
And I am beyond angry.