Chapter Seventy - After the Fall
There was little to be done upon the day when the four unceremoniously came hurdling to Earth. At some point during their falling, each had given up hope that they would ever survive. And so, when the sun was spotted brightly in the heavens Darcy's eyes drew to it like a moth to flame. They had lived in a state of despair for twenty-six days although throughout there was no way of telling such. The sun was like a beacon of hope for some and a sense of dread for others. Estelle's tears had dried up long ago but seeing such a large orb of glaring brightness, even from such a huge distance, brought them back without aid. Maggie saw it as well but the recognition of what it was didn't immediately come to her. She stared straight at it and somewhere in the back of her head she thought: You shouldn't look right at the sun. It will blind you.
Turning her head slightly, Maggie caught a glimpse of Earth and her heart swelled. “There!” She screamed. Her voice was raw after so many days of disuse but it felt blissful to say. “Look!” Choler tried his best to slow them down but of course it was useless. Gravity took hold the moment they were within its grasp and so the four hurdled down like dead weights while the land and their bodies seemed like magnets drawing every closer.
With an enormous, bone cracking thud, Maggie smashed into sandy ground and her body remained still while the others followed in her wake. Choler landed mere feet from her while Darcy and Estelle ended up about a quarter of a mile off. Maggie felt the gravity like a lead weight against her skin and couldn't move while her bones reknit themselves.
It was Estelle's cry of sheer terror that finally got her up and moving. Choler grumbled something under his breath and eventually picked himself up and followed her trail through the dunes of sand. “No! No!” Estelle cried out, shaking violently in Darcy's arms. “I can't breathe! Help me! I can't breathe!”
“Shh. Quiet now.” Darcy cooed while he drew her up into his lap, gently running his hands through her hair. “You're fine. This will pass.”
Maggie felt it too but knowing that she was on Earth did enough to allay her fears. What Estelle said was true, to an extent. The air felt like a thousand pounds being forced into her chest every time she took a breath. Her lungs tried to keep it out but habit brought the vengeful oxygen back in a moment after. The gravity felt harsh against her skin, pulling her down and making her feel like a lead weight within the sand. Her brain fought against the idea that perhaps she was so heavy she would simply sink into the earth and be buried by the countless grains which surrounded them. But of all that, none was more harsh than the sun itself. Her eyes felt like they were boiling out of her skull and they could open just barely enough to see her surroundings before squeezing shut in an attempt to shield out the glaring, dizzying light. Despite the glare of the sun, she felt cold, freezing even and she wrapped Corvino's cloak around herself tightly to try and gain some warmth. Even the most harshest New York winters could not have prepared her for such bone-chilling frigidness.
Estelle continued to sob in Darcy's arms, burying herself within his chest, making herself as small as she could while the fear of such new and unwelcome senses came, bringing her perilously close to the edge of insanity. “We have to keep moving.” Darcy spoke, squinting through the brightness when Maggie came to his side.
“Does it always feel like this?” She answered, pulling Estelle's cloak away just long enough to check on her daughters before gently tucking it back in around their small bodies.
“No, it will get better.” Darcy stood, dragging Estelle up with him still wrapped in his arms. “But I doubt we have much time before we are sought for. We need to go.” He repeated. Maggie nodded her agreement and without pause she patted Choler's head gently and took her first steps towards safety.
“Where are we?” She asked after nearly an hour of travel and no sight of civilization. There was nothing but sand as far as the eye could see. Not even a tree or a bit of brush to take some shelter under.
“I have no idea. A desert, I suppose.”
And that was all that was spoken for the entire day until finally the sun slipped behind the horizon and darkness took up its place within the sky. “Estelle.” Darcy whispered softly. She hadn't stopped shaking since they had begun their journey but at least her sobs had quieted down to frequent mewls against his chest. “Look at the sky.” He felt her shake her head violently against him and laughed gently. “It won't hurt. I promise. Just look.”
Estelle's shaking stopped momentarily while she weighed the choice to heed his gentle urging. After a minute, she conceded and pulled her cloak away from her face. The stars that looked back down at her were, without a shred of doubt, the absolute most beautiful sight she had ever witnessed. Tears pooled around her eyes while she stole a glance at Darcy. “Thank you.” She whispered before pulling the cloak back up and pushing her cheek deeper into Darcy's warm chest.
Every day they traveled, when the sun went up Estelle hid and Darcy carried her without complaint and when the sun went down Darcy made it a point to bring her out for just long enough to show her something new before bringing her back up into his hold and cradling her head against his shoulder. Just over two weeks went by, counting the times the sun came and went, before the group came across a tiny oasis. It was nothing more than a few straggly saxaul trees and a crop of wild onion but it was exactly what Darcy had been looking for.
“I think we're in the Gobi.” He said, turning his attention to Maggie. “Lhasa will probably be our best bet. I know some people there.”
Maggie nodded but didn't reply. Instead, she draped an arm around Choler and left it there, gently scratching behind his ear while she thought. After a moment of silence, he spoke again. “If you don't mind me asking, Maggie, what was the plan you and Corvino came up with?”
“Hmm?” She asked, bringing herself back out of her misery.
“The plan? Corvino told you to stick to a plan. I was just wondering what that was exactly.”
“Oh.” She sighed heavily. “He told me not to do anything.” Silence crept in around them until Darcy began to laugh. It was a kind and gentle chuckle but it grated on Maggie's nerves. She shot him a look but he ignored her.
“I'm sorry.” He finally stopped to breathe. “I shouldn't laugh.”
“No, you shouldn't.”
“Well, it seemed to work out okay in the end. At least we'll be safe for a while. Lucifer will go home to lick his wounds before he decides what to do next. It should buy us enough time.”
“I doubt it.” Maggie answered with a grumble. Choler let out a plaintive whine next to her but didn't open his eyes from where he rested comfortably next to her.
“Why is that?”
“Because I have something he wants.” She said, pulling her cloak back to reveal the book that was tucked safely away inside the pocket next to Corvino's forgotten list.
Darcy's eyes grew wide but he quelled the notion of running far, far away. Running wasn't going to solve this newfound problem. “Screw Lhasa.” He muttered, getting to his feet and hoisting Estelle back up in his arms. “We've got to keep moving.”
And, so on it went. Day changed to night and night back into day until they finally reached the outskirts of Beijing. Few gave them second glances despite their odd appearances. Being so close to humans made Maggie feel quite strange. She felt out of place, looking at them, being near them.
She and Estelle waited quietly in the corner of an industrialized seaport office with Choler guarding their front and the wall guarding their back while Darcy made rather heated arrangements with the captain of a ship for their passage out of China.
“Where are we going?” Estelle asked quietly, climbing up Darcy's front to wrap her small arms around his neck once he returned. Arguing in Mandarin with the rather grumpy captain had drained his patience but Estelle's warmth melted away his frustration.
“It's a place called America. Maggie knows it better than I, I'm sure. But there is someone there we need to see.”
“Who?” Maggie asked, shifting the weight of her growing children in her arms.
“Nora. The boat leaves in twenty minutes.”
Maggie waited until they were well out of the port before finding her way out to the deck. The salty air mixed with the smell of the boat's fumes left her wishing for the clean smell of the desert but there was little she could do about it.
What have you gotten yourself into? She asked herself, wrapping Corvino's cloak around herself tightly, wishing he were there to comfort her. You left him there like he meant nothing. You're a coward. Lucifer will kill him and it's your fault. He's just a child and you left him there alone. She shook her head, forcing the self-loathing from her head for a moment, knowing it would come back soon enough.
“Are you cold?” A warm voice spoke up from behind her, making her insides melt into a puddle of relief.
Maggie turned on her heels, letting the railing of the ship keep her from falling into the churning sea below. And there he stood, smugly dressed in an expensive black suit and tie. The wind of the Pacific Ocean played with his hair, tossing it around his face, momentarily hiding his bright green eyes in a swath of auburn. “A bad place to be if you are.” He added.
Without thinking, Maggie ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, nestling her head into his cool neck. “You came.” She cried, letting the tears slip from her eyes to be soaked up by his suit.
“Of course I did.” He answered, pulling her away with his arms just long enough to give her a slow once over before dragging her back in for a long embrace. “You didn't think I would let you slip away, did you?”
“You said you would come but then you didn't.”
“If I recall correctly, I said I would come as soon as I could. In light of what happened it took longer than expected but I'm here now.” Maggie used the back of her hand to wipe away her remaining tears and the two fell silent while a few ship hands walked by giving them wary glances.
“How long will you stay?” She asked once they were alone again.
“I can't stay long for this trip, my dear. Mikhail's return has sent Hell into an awful upheaval. A few days at most.”
Maggie nodded her head, accepting his words for what they were. At least he's alive. She thought, grateful for that little piece of comfort. She made to step away and give him some space but his hand came out and pulled her back quickly but gently.
“I missed you terribly, Maggie.” He cooed, running his free hand against her soft cheek. “How are the girls?”
“Fine. Everyone's fine.” She answered, unable to look away from the pools of green.
“Good girl.” He said, freeing his other hand from hers and bringing it up to cup her face.
Corvino's lips were on hers in a second, gentle, chaste, and kind. He held her there for a moment, letting her brain catch up to her body until he felt her begin to kiss him back, melting into his soft demand slowly and unsure. But Corvino was neither demanding or cruel, knowing exactly how much she had been through since her fall from Hell. He wouldn't push her for he was simply not that kind of man.
When he let her go, Maggie's knees felt weak and wobbly so she had little choice but to cling to the lapels of his jacket lest she stumble. She blushed against his hard chest but didn't feel ashamed. It didn't feel intentional nor a mistake and so she let their kiss be what it was and refused to read farther into than necessary. When she pulled away for the second time, Corvino let her go. But she wished she hadn't for when she looked up to find Darcy staring icy darts at the pair from farther down the deck she knew their act had been witnessed. Darcy turned on his heels and retreated back into the hull of the ship, slamming the metal door behind him in undiluted anger.
“He'll get over it.” Corvino hummed, unable to hide the grin which surfaced across his lips.
“I didn't-”
“Maggie, let's not make this into anything that it isn't. I am here to keep you safe and you have been through a lot as of late. You simply needed grounding, reassurance, and I was willing to give you that. Anything more will have to wait until a future date. Darcy has feelings for you which you have made clear are not reciprocated. But do not think that his feelings have lessened for you.”
“I should go talk to him.”
“In a minute. First, tell me where you're headed.”
“America, I guess. At least that's what Darcy said. He said we needed to go find Nora.” At this, Corvino lifted a single brow with piqued interest. “I showed him the book you gave me and he said we had to find her.”
“Maybe not a bad idea. When you get there, do not dally. Talk to her and move on.”
“Where should we go?”
Corvino shook his head. “Anywhere but New York. It's the first place Mikhail will look for you if he's not already got half of Hell crawling around the place.”
“Here.” Maggie said, beginning to shrug out of Corvino's cloak that she had worn since he had given it to her. It seemed like an age ago but in truth it had been just over a two months. Corvino stopped her, placing a hand on her shoulder and pulling the familiar fabric back in place.
“Keep it, I've since acquired a new one. But I will take back my list. I do have a job to do after all.”
Maggie handed it over without complaint. Honestly, it felt good to be rid of the thing. She hadn't looked at it since seeing Leviathan's name scrawled across it and had absolutely no interest in looking at it again. Corvino tucked it away into his jacket with a smile. He felt whole again with the familiar weight of it against his chest.
“I just want to go home.” She sighed afterwards, making Corvino chuckle.
“The world is your home, Maggie.” He answered, pulling her back into his tender embrace so that her back was against his chest, forcing her to look out into the expanse of the gray-blue ocean. “Your's and mine and the girls'. It is laid out like a feast for the hungry and together we will dine, gorge, and sate ourselves upon its devout offerings. Together, in this place, with me, you will be safe and I will spoil you and make you happy. Of this, I promise.”
“We'll be okay.” Maggie nodded so that her hair tickled Corvino's nose.
“We'll be more than okay. We will be paragons to each other and you will never have an equal better than I.” He kissed her hair, damp from the sea air and smiled. The two spent the rest of the day wrapped in each other's arms, saying nothing and not needing to, until the stars came out to twinkle and the two went back inside, hand-in-hand to plan out their journey towards freedom.
The End