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Chapter 16
I so did not want to go back to school on Monday. Honestly, I didn't want Raffie or Adriel leaving the house either. I was used to guys making unwanted advances in California. I could handle that. But despite a weekend long spree of convincing myself that Dri had been right about what happened, I still wasn't so sure I imagined what I saw. What else was lurking in the dark, waiting for me and my family to walk into it ignorantly?
I had to shake my head and unclench my fingers from Rafael's. She stared up at me with her big, blue, doe eyes, and one eyebrow raised. The sight reminded me a little too much of a certain arrogant male for my taste. "So, why are you taking me to school again?" The nine-year-old asked as I drove my little yellow bug over the smooth streets of Deshua.
"I just want to make sure you get there on time." I lied and slowed the car down as we approached the school's speed bumps. Adriel was going to take her to the bus stop that morning on his way to work, but I insisted on driving her instead. I couldn't control what happened between the bus stop to the school, couldn't protect her from any red-eyed demons lurking in the shadows.
"The bus gets me to school on time every day, Lark."
"Whatever, kid." I grumbled as we pulled to a stop in the long line of cars dropping their children off.
"Are you going to creepy-drive me home from school, too?" Both of her eyebrows raised that time, even though that sneaky smile pulled at her little lips. I rolled my eyes.
"No, the bus can take you home." It would be the middle of the day then, with the sun shining brightly over everything. "Not get out of my car. I'm done looking at you."
"Love you too, Lark!" She sang happily as she hopped out of the bug with her bag clutched tightly around her little shoulders. Little turd.
"Love you too, Raf."
She shot me a beaming smile before slamming the door shut and skipping off for the school's entrance. I let out a groan as that whole side of the car shuttered. Did she really have to slam it so fucking hard?
I had another hour before my first class started at eight, but I didn't want to go back to the empty silent manor. Adriel had thought that going back to school after our long weekend of me cowering in my room and him and Raffie trying to coax me out, was a good idea. But I could also tell he didn't want to leave. Those dark blue eyes had hesitated before he left for work, his strong hand staying an extra minute on the front doorknob as I made sure Raffie had everything. He made me promise to call him if I needed anything.
I didn't want to keep worrying him. Adriel hadn't left my side all weekend, and despite how close our bodies were that entire time, he never pushed limits like most guys would. That dark, encompassing concern shining brightly through his eyes squashed all thoughts of even daring trying to make a move on him. I so wasn't in the right state of mind anyways. Besides, it was only a one-time thing, including that kiss in the kitchen. That was all I could ever allow it to be.
I went home long enough to grab my backpack and laptop, then locked the doors and hightailed it to school. The psychic's words had started ringing in my ears Friday afternoon when I turned the lights in my closet on before cowering back under my covers. "Stay out of the shadows." I still thought the lady was crazy, but after recent developments, I started taking her words to heart. I avoided all dark corners and spaces, even in the safety of the manor. I kept all the lights in my room on, even begged Adriel to keep the hallway lit. He had raised one, dark, suspicious brow, but didn't argue when I jumped for the light switch.
Thankfully it was a bright sunny day and there weren't a lot of spots on campus for creepy red eyed monsters to be lurking. You imagined it, Lark. I had to keep repeating those words in my head, no matter if I wasn't sure that I believed them. I was tapping my pen nervously against the little fold-away table in my usual seat when Siena and River walked into the lecture hall. They were both smiling and talking like the world wasn't fall apart.
"That was some crazy party, right!" River all but cheered when he plopped down in the seat beside mine, his hazel eyes bright with glee.
"Yeah. Crazy." I muttered under my breath. "It seemed like you got lucky though." I tried to keep my voice calm and casual, and so totally not terrified. The room was pretty big, and the only light came from the large windows on the far wall near the roof. There were more than a few dark spots and corners.
"More like the other guy did." River rolled his eyes as both he and Siena took their laptops out. "I've had better."
Si rolled those creepy gray eyes and let out a sigh. "At least you go some. I was busy making sure you didn't get lost all night."
And I was busy running for my life.
"You could have got laid too! There were a handful of creep-a-zoids making eyes at you!"
That blush crept into her pale cheeks, which I actually found endearing. For someone who sure hated most of the world, she did blush a lot when it came to sex. "I wasn't going to leave you alone, moron." She reached over and smacked his arm. I didn't know what it was like to have a best friend. The closest I ever had was in middle school when some random girl shared her lunch with me. And well, now I have Adriel, but I don't think he counted as a friend. I'm not really sure what he counted as, but I knew I couldn't live without him.
"Alright class!" Dr. Shorzin announced to the relatively packed lecture hall a few moments later. He was wearing his usual khaki shorts and floral button down with sandals. Shorzin looked more like he belonged on a beach than in a college. "I hope everyone has something to write with, it's a note-taking day!" I rolled my eyes and pulled up Microsoft Word as he turned the projector on. Every day was a note-taking day in his class. It was a freaking lecture seminar.
"If anyone paid attention to the syllabus, and from our lovely little discussion on the first day, you would have seen that this week we start on the supernatural origins of Deshua." Shorzin started in that energetic, attention captivating way of his—which was really just his loud voice booming across the entire arena-styled room. "And today..." He drawled dramatically as the first image in his PowerPoint appeared on the large drop-down screen. "Is fallen angels!"
My breath turned to ice in my lungs. A dark image appeared on the screen, one that was suddenly tearing shreds into my mind. It was of an angel, or what once was an angel. It laid sad and broken on the floor of a blood-covered Earth. Its' beautiful face crying as it held an outstretched hand pleadingly towards the sky.
But it wasn't the sad beauty that caused panic to fill my chest. It was the wings. Pitch black wings that were larger than the actual angel cascaded from the crying creature's back. I had seen wings like that before, felt them wrap around my body and brush sensually against my skin as their owner murmured dark promises against my skin.
"That's a cool pic, huh?" River's voice snapped my mind out of the insane spiral it had started down.
"S-Sure." He didn't comment on the stammer in my voice, his gaze was too focused on the crying angel.
This was so not what I needed right now.
"There are many stories, legends, prophecies, whatever you prefer to call them, about fallen angels throughout the ages." My back stiffened when the word 'legend' left Shorzin's mouth. It was the same term crazy Jess had used when she went psycho. "Technically speaking, in Abrahamic religions, fallen angels are those who were expelled and cast out of Heaven. Usually because of defiance and sin."
The professor clicked to the next slide, and my stomach fell when it was just another picture. I had a bad feeling that whole PowerPoint was full of them. This image showed an angel falling from the sky, its' white wings burning in the heated rays of the sun.
"From studying all kinds of literature pieces around the globe, historians have concluded that there are, supposedly, hundreds of fallen angels littering the Earth. Some far more powerful than others." He clicked to another slide that had a slowly spinning scorched globe rotating around its axis. Bright, golden dots decorated the continents. "And legend says that Deshua was founded by one such angel." The little video suddenly zoomed in on one of the glowing dots until Oregon came into view, and then Deshua itself.
I wasn't even sure what the hell I was supposed to be taking notes on.
"Now, you all must remember, that this is the folklore of the town, and that your history class will teach you something completely different. But if you ask me, this way is far more interesting." A few snickers sounded around the room as Shorzin's beaming smile washed over us. He clicked to another slide and an image of an angel with black wings standing proudly against a dark cliff shined back us. My heart hammered viciously in my chest. These pictures were becoming a little too much for me.
"Avidus, the Latin term for eager, desirous, or greed was given this angel by the archangel Michael as he cast him from heaven." The sounds of fingers hitting keys filled my ears, and I forced my attention away from the PowerPoint to type a few quick notes. A part of my brain kept repeating what a load of shit this all was, while another kept making snarky comments about psychics and red eyed monsters.
"Angry at Heaven and the angels that shunned him, Avidus created the town as a way to scorn them all."
In my notes I wrote 'Greed guy got pissed at the white-wingies and built Deshua as a giant fuck you.' It didn't really save space note-wise, but it made me feel better.
"This was long before Europeans inhabited the content, and Native Americans were far too wise to trust the fallen. Legend has it that Avidus coaxed mortals away from Europe, Africa, and Asia to join him. While their will was their own, and their souls could not be controlled, fallen angels and demons can be very manipulative."
Shorzin walked away from his computer as he spoke, his hand flowing smoothly with his words as his loud voice boomed across the lecture hall. He held my complete attention with rapt fascination. This might have all been a load of bogus, but at least it was interesting.
"Avidus in particular swayed mortals with promises of immortality, and eternal beauty for the simple price of following him. What they didn't know was that the price of following him was a lot steeper than it seemed. They had to surrender their souls to the dark and become creatures far less than human. Beings that required the blood of others to live—a sick joke of Avidus', I imagine."
A student in the second row raised their hand, and Shorzin paused to nod at him. "Are you saying that this Avidus guy turned them into vampires?"
'You know he doesn't like us playing with the food.' One of those red eyed freaks' words suddenly shot through my mind and got stuck on repeat. Drunk or not, why would I imagine that?
Quiet snickers sounded around the room at the guy's question, but Shorzin didn't seem offended as he gave him a large smile. "That is one term for what they became, yes. However, many literature pieces found in the cities cathedral and ancient manors refer to them as Immortals." The laughter died away at his words, and a dark tension filled the air. Fear was shooting down my spine. Things were becoming a little too freaky to be coincidences. I wanted to be there even less than before.
"I can see all of your minds spinning but bear with me a while longer." The professor addressed as amusement flashed through his dark, crinkled eyes. My fingers tapped anxiously against the fold-away table. I wasn't so sure I wanted to hear any more. "Not all who came to the town agreed to become Immortals, and the population quickly tore in half." Shorzin continued his lecture, against my internal pleas for him to dismiss class.
"Those who had surrendered their souls and drank the blood of others followed Avidus faithfully. They worshiped his every move and followed every order. Those who chose not to, quickly grew to scorn the angel's existence. Avidus was greedy and dark, true to the name Michael had bestowed upon him, and he wanted what all powerful beings did—more power."
Another picture appeared on the large drop-down screen as he clicked to a new slide, one that was far gruesome than any yet. A large, dark creature sat on stone throne held into the air by dozens of shadowed creatures. You couldn't see any of their features, only black, hazy outlines, with glowing red eyes. I gulped as unease started churning my gut. My leg began bouncing quickly against the floor, as if it wanted to run away as fast as my mind wanted them to.
Red eyes. Red eyes. Red. Eyes. Why the fuck was that characteristic haunting every aspect of my life?
"Avidus' reign grew quickly pass the town and across the seas. The mortals of the area knew they had to stop him, if they hoped to save the world from his desires. So, they pleaded and prayed until Michael heeded their call and gifted them with the one prison that would hold the fallen angel for an eternity. Yes, a prison." The professor added with a small chuckle, even though no one had said anything.
"Angels cannot die, forsaken or not. The only way to stop his terror was by imprisonment. But not one made from steel or stone. A man-made creation could never hold a fallen. It had to be a prison of flesh and blood. Heaven gave the mortals a soul specifically designed to entice and trap him." A couple of students scoffed, and even Shorzin let out another chuckle as murmurs started around the lecture hall.
I guess I was the only one terrified to shit.
"Yes, laugh if you must, but Michael gave the mortals a girl completely and totally created to trick the fallen. A trick he fell for. Tempted by his own primal desire and need, Avidus craved the one thing just out of his reach. He followed the girl to his own demise, and with her blood they bound him to an eternal slumber. Many believe he still sleeps to this very day, buried and chained beneath the stone streets of Deshua, waiting for that soul to return. The lock is the key."
Yeah, freaking right. This professor, who had a doctorate, was going to stand there and tell a huge class full of college students, that Deshua existed because an angel got pissed at a bunch of other angels? And that a girl was the reason he stopped making all his little monsters? What the hell was this? Romeo and Juliet Demon-Edition? Yup, okay. I'm in crazy town. It's official. First the psychic, then the party, and now this. How much more of this bull shit was there?
"Your first papers are due in two weeks. You can pick any piece of lore we have discussed so far, as long as you delve into a specific aspect of it. I want detail and I want to see effort."
I suddenly wanted to drop that class. I didn't even care if it was a required general education course. These people were crazy, and I was getting closer and closer to begging Dri to move again. I tried, that's all he asked me to do.
Why does my trying always have to come back and bite me in the ass?
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Hope you all enjoyed!
Sorry it's a little shorter than usual, but there was just no way I could logically cut up part of Chapter 17 to make it fit in this one.
Get dem white wingies!