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Chapter 25
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2024-10-29 19:42:56My gaze immediately traveled upwards as I took in the room. The ceiling was domed, easily curving above us, and painted in a swirl of colors, pastels and metallics mostly. There were several groups of people gathered in various areas, and I noticed while there were tables and chairs akin to office furniture; no one was occupying them. Gesturing to the nearest table he pulled out a plush chair for me, and then sat down in the one opposite. He met my eyes, and the shock of his shining blue irises never got old.
“So, feeling a bit more comfortable?” His voice was even, but there was a new undercurrent to it.
“Define comfortable?” I asked and folded my arms across my chest. He gave me a one-sided smile.
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Rise of The Fallen Chapter 26
VERITY I followed behind Usel, her long brown hair swaying side to side in front of me. She didn’t say a word, and neither had Shamshiel as I had left the room; however, I felt his eyes on my back as I had departed. Instead of being uncomfortable it felt normal, as if him having his eyes trained on me was as normal as breathing. I noted this in my mind but didn’t want to consider what it meant for me. Down and down, we went, the stairs spiraling even deeper underground, the walls gradually becoming rougher and rougher. Clearly, we were headed to a prison of some sorts, the dampness in the air and smell of human waste made that apparent enough. I covered my nose in an effort not to gag at the rancid stench, the woman turned around, her eyes icy as she looked at me with disdain. I met her eyes and held them, the challenge apparent. I looked away first, only because I began
Rise of The Fallen Chapter 27
Usel returned me to Shamshiel, who was at this point with Castor. The two men were bending over a table full of books and various bottles and vials of materials and liquids. His bright blue eyes met mine for a moment before flicking back down to his task. Unsure of what to do I seated myself on a nearby stool and watched the two men. Castor was hunched over a book, pencil in hand and scribbling furiously on a piece of paper, Shamshiel was studying the contents of a vial so hard his gaze may as well have bored a hole through it. I stifled a yawn; I had a lot to think about and had, what I considered, better things to do than watch these two pour over science stuff. Not that it wasn’t interesting, I just was not interested in it at the moment. I was tired, and beyond exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. While I had been glad to see Devon, to know about him and everyone else, it was not the reunion I had expected. Yes, he had reason to
Rise of The Fallen Chapter 28
Cain. Cain and Abel. The first two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain was the oldest and a farmer, where his younger brother Abel was a shepherd. As the story went, the brothers made sacrifices to God, but God favored Abel's sacrifice instead of Cain's. Cain then murdered Abel out of jealousy, so God punished Cain by condemning him to a life of wandering. Cain then dwelt in the land of Nod, where he built a city and fathered a line of descendants beginning with Enoch. God also set a mark on Cain, so that anyone who killed him would suffer sevenfold vengeance. I looked at the man before me, I saw no mark, and I couldn’t deny his skills, so I could easily see him being a killer. Yet this wasn’t the land of Nod, and he certainly did not seem to have a son, much less sons. His smile twisted and became wry. “Yeah, that Cain” he looked sheepish for a moment
Rise of The Fallen Chapter 29
Cain had been a fantastic sparring partner, as well as a breath of fresh air from feeling so damn pigeonholed all the time. Shamshiel and his crew weren’t exactly a barrel of laughs, and Devon was currently not into speaking with me; so, a friendly face went a long way. Growing up we had learned all the lore of the Bible and had also been educated about other religions. Religion classes were a necessity in our society as while many believed the situation was Bible related, we couldn’t discount other religions, and knowing about them had proven to be helpful more than once. Cain had given me a fair amount to chew on, he was nothing like he was portrayed, and it left me with more questions than anything else. We had always been taught how evil Cain was, and that he held evil in his heart before he murdered Abel, but this Cain was not evil. This Cain had been conflicted and confused and had asked a question and not gotten a clear answer; and
Rise of The Fallen Chapter 30
DEVONThat damn half breed was back, Usel. Apparently, I was being set free, or semi-free; because of course there were conditions. I had been placed in a much better room after Verity’s little visit, for whatever reason she was important and since she knew me, I immediately got treated better. How very human of them. Disgusting. I had of course refused Usel’s offers to carry me back to near base, I had insisted on walking, at least some of the way. I wished I hadn’t now, but my pride wouldn’t let me admit that I wished I had allowed her to carry me and fly; I felt sure that would be a once in a lifetime sensation. My stubborn pride also wouldn’t let me admit that part of why I didn’t want to fly with her was because something in me found her incredibly attractive. She was taller than me, with thick, curly,
Rise of The Fallen Chapter 31
SHAMSHIELI breathed out deeply and ran my hands through my hair, pulling it back into a low ponytail. This woman was driving me absolutely insane, the pull to be near her was something instinctual. The Nephilim had warned me this could happen, but never did I think it would happen to me, especially since it rarely happened in the first place to the Nephilim, much less an angel. Verity was something incredible, and I knew it the second I laid eyes on her. Her raven-colored hair matched the inky black of mine, deep green curious eyes, and full pink lips; I groaned. She was exquisite. The original plan had been to simply hold the Hunters off, knocking them out and returning them to base or until they gave up, then I saw her. I knew her name immediately and felt the invisible cord connecting us as soon as our eyes met, however, it was clear she did not feel that connection; and so, I had my work cut out for me. A soul tie was a ra
Rise of The Fallen Chapter 32
DEVONUsel’s shadow kept the sun from beating down on me as we progressed through the wasteland that we now lived in. The one thing she was finally good for I thought grouchily. Of all the people to have to escort me, Shamshiel had chosen her. She hadn’t really tried to talk to me, or even do much other than fly, stop to use the bathroom, and eat. She was thankfully letting me set the pace and had given me my weapons back. I had sand in my boots and my goggles on, because like all Shamshiels descendants her bright yellow/blue eyes could cause vision loss. Suddenly I felt the small hairs on the back of my neck stand up, a prickling sensation running down my back and I froze. Hands closed around my waist as I was lifted up in the air by Usel.“Stay down” she commanded, her voice low and even. “We are being followed.”
Rise of The Fallen Chapter 33
Shamshiel had requested my presence, I wasn’t sure what he needed; but I figured it was to speak about Devon’s trip back to base. He would of course be staying there, leaving Usel to return on her own, which I had been assured she could more than handle. Devon and I had spoken briefly before he left, I had written Liam a letter, detailing what I had figured out so far. Not that I didn’t trust Devon, but he was so busy holding a grudge against the angels, which I couldn’t blame him for, that I wanted to ensure my words were heard, or read at least. For so long we had been taught that they were the bad guys, or rather ALL of them were the bad guys. The instinct to dislike them was practically bred into us. And because Devon didn’t exactly come quietly nor give off the impression of being remotely cooperative, he had been treated as a prisoner. Again, not helping the situation but he was probably thinking he was going to get
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Rise of The Fallen EPILOGUE
SEVERAL CENTURIES LATER CAIN “Come on Dad,” Vita taunted, flicking her long dark hair behind her shoulder. Her stance was low, feet planted firmly on the ground. I grinned at her, showing my teeth in a feral grin. My middle child was a feisty little spitfire of a Nephilim. She was so much like her mother, in looks and attitude; which is exactly why she and Yona fought constantly. Both of them headstrong, wildly intelligent and with tongues so sharp they could flay skin from bone. I glanced up briefly before lunging forward, quickly flipping her onto her back, not to be out maneuvered she landed a kick to my stomach that had me shuffling backward with the force. Beating her onyx wings she lifted herself up, a smile on her face. “Would you two stop dicking around?” My eldest son, Sabrael drawled, walking into the training ring. A small blonde human tucked up against him, her smile bright as she looked up at him. Sabrael too was a warrior like his sister, but where Vita was all bark
Rise of The Fallen Chapter 70
YONA His pain was cleaving my heart in two. This tortured, beautiful man across from me deserved so much more than he was allowing himself to have. His eyes shimmered with the pain of his loss, and the knowledge tore at my soul. He was mourning, and had been for centuries; but also couldn’t move on without feeling guilty. The struggle was written all over his face and I couldn’t hesitate lest it cost me. Leaning forward I cupped his cheek, my hand brushing over the rough stubble there, before I met his chapped lips with mine. He groaned at the contact, his hands fisting at his sides as he fought his urges. I knew, I could feel, he wanted this; me. Yet he thought himself unworthy, and he had to reach his breaking point before he gave in, a point I planned to push him to. My fingers gently traced a path down his arm, resting at his wrist, my tongue flicking at the seam of his mouth, begging for entrance. In a moment I was under him, Cain having lunged forward, his arms wrapped around
Rise of The Fallen Chapter 69
CAIN (Listen to HUSHH by AViVA for the vibe) Yona soared higher and higher, weaving in fluid motions through the sky. She was breathtaking, her dark hair fanning out behind her as her wings flexed and contracted; the appendages catching the light and revealing their true colors. She had come for me, I hadn’t thought she would; a broken man like me had nothing to offer her. The soul tie thrummed in my chest, demanding I go to her but I fought it; I knew it was useless and that it was dooming both of us. As time went on I became weaker, sicker and I knew she was suffering the same fate. It was selfish of me, but I couldn’t seem to help it, everytime I even thought of the tie, Verity's face swam in my mind and I was lost to my eternal grief. God's ultimate joke on me. Curse me, exile me, then give me a family only to rip them away before saddling my pathetic soul to some poor Nephilim. Not just that, one of Shamshiel’s descendants; so I could never truly escape nor be at peace. Wasn’
Rise of The Fallen Chapter 68
YONA The days blurred into weeks, and weeks blurred into months. Cain had left, nowhere to be found, not that I had really tried. He didn’t want me, not that I blamed him. From what I knew of Verity she had been exceptional. A strong, sassy woman, who was not afraid to put him in his place while rejoicing in all that he was. I wasn’t stupid, a connection like that would never be forgotten, replaced, or broken; even in death. He would fight this until the last breath I was certain, and in the meantime we both got to feel like shit. Castor was pumping me full of tonics and supplements, keeping my strength and nutrients up but it was only delaying the inevitable. I sighed and leaned forward on the table, needing a minute to collect my thoughts through the brain fog that had been getting thicker and thicker the longer this went on. “Yona,” my fathers voice cut through the room, kind and gentle. I hadn’t heard him even come in, but then again he had a tendency to sneak up on people. “D
Rise of The Fallen Chapter 67
YONA His eyes pierced through mine, becoming hard specks of ice as he drank me in. My feathers were ruffling in response to his scrutiny, as though trying to reassure him that it was ok. I slowly turned to fully face him, our eyes never leaving each other. Both of our hands moved to our chests, and I knew before I felt it, a soul tie, with Cain. I saw the rejection in his eyes, and felt my heart splinter at the same moment. Of course he wouldn’t be interested in fulfilling this, he had his one true love; a woman I could never compare to nor take the place of. Did I truly expect him to be happy? To fling himself into my arms and whisper sweet nothings in my ear? No. Cain was a man born of violence and bloodshed. A creature of all things dark and deadly. He wasn’t soft or gentle, he was wild and untameable; a man who only yielded to those who deserved it. As she had. Yet we both knew the consequences if we didn’t allow this bond to happen. Would he be so cruel as to force me to suff
Rise of The Fallen Chapter 66
YONATWO CENTURIES LATER “ You know that’s the wrong color for that don’t you?” Castor asked me as I furiously ground the herbs in the mortar. I looked up, grinning at the old Nephilim who sat on a stool beside me. “Oh I know, but I added in some extras for an experiment,” I said around a smile. He laughed, his low chuckle warming my heart. Castor was ancient at this point, he had been old when I was born and it didn’t take a genius to know he didn’t have another century in him. He had been young when he knew Shamshiel, my fathers father, and had begun to age quicker once both of his wings were lost to him. Angels didn’t age, but Nephilim did, being that we were half human. Despite that our life spans were quite long, most Nephilim lived until 600 years or so. Castor would tell me stories of my father from when he was growing up, and quite the pain in the ass. He spoke of the war torn society of that time, of Shamshiel and his many children. Of a time when an angel or Nephilims goal
Rise of The Fallen Chapter 65
LIAM THREE YEARS LATER I looked out the office window, drinking in the mostly barren landscape but pleased to note several small looking saplings, their greenery a welcome sight. The attack on us three years ago had turned out to be widespread, from the Officials and fallen that were aligned with them. Their goal had been to wipe out the things in their way. Mainly us and the “friendly” angels. Of course women were to be taken captive, with the goal of procreating. As in all wars the humans were divided, many defected, choosing to join the side they thought was winning. Our base had gone down significantly in number, but now that the Officials were no more and the fallen aligned with them were mostly gone we could focus on repair. The remaining opposing forces had fled, and once we had regrouped we hunted them down like the dogs they were. Eliminating the angels and Nephilim, and jailing the humans who came willingly. As the years passed we dealt with them on a case by case situation
Rise of The Fallen Chapter 64
CAIN No one at the nest had been happy about my appearance, again their instincts warned them to stay away, that I was dangerous. They skirted me warily, all except the infuriating angel. I didn’t require much, a place to lay my head and the basics, as such I had been given a room close to the training area. It worked out well, I was able to unleash my violent tendencies there without harming anyone. My room was plain, cavern like, a pallet and not much else. Shamshiel had recognized my inherent need to wander as well, and made use of that. Sending me on longer missions either by myself or with a small group of Nephilim. Over the centuries his offspring got used to me, to my curt personality and rough ways. Eventually they would come to spar with me, and Shamshiel would sometimes watch, a smug smile on his face like he’d done me a favor. In a sense he had, the gaping hole that had been eating away at my soul was slowly closing. It wasn’t exactly a friendship, but whatever it was it w
Rise of The Fallen Chapter 63
CAINI felt the bond sever the moment Shamshiel took his last breath. It felt like my heart had a bitch of a cramp, not like the searing pain when Verity’s was snuffed out. This was quieter, subtle, just like the man himself. Leave it to the damn angel to try to sneak out of this life without me. Anger and rage poured out from my throat, my head angled back at the sky, the spines of Kokabiel’s wings slipping from my hands and slamming onto the ground. It just wasn’t fair, why did he have to die? Why wasn’t it me? I wanted to die, why, why was he taken instead? Hearing my raw screams the angels Shamshiel had left to guard the nest came flying quickly. After all, I was maybe a half mile away at this point and this asshole had the audacity to die on me. The sound of wings ripping through the air assaulted me right before I took a forearm to the throat. A croaking noise came from me and the breath was forced from my throat, the angel glanced down before realizing who I was and promptly dr
