Divinity: Transcendence: Book Two (The Divinity Saga) (3 page)

Edanai
laughed at her comment, and then smirked at me. I tensed, knowing that she was just dying to say something sarcastic.

“Looks aren’t everything China
, but yes, I still want to see him.” She winked at me.

I let out a soft sigh of relief.

“Yay. The head of Gamma Phi Gang Bang keeps asking about you and him on the sly, but I know exactly why she’s being extremely nosy. Don’t worry, I already told her ass off.” China giggled.

Edanai and I both chuckled with laughter at that one
. I did more so, because I knew exactly who China was referring to.

She shook her head and turned away from me, pacin
g along the edge of the ledge.

“Good looking out, thanks.
” Edanai giggled again.

There was a long pause.

“So, when do you think that you’ll be coming back to school and home?” China then asked softly.             

“Soon, we’ll see. You know me, I’m not in any hurry
, and I’ll catch up somehow. This is actually a long needed vacation for me.” Edanai then said.

“Yeah I know
. I hope you don’t mind, Steve’s been over here a lot. I’ve been really creeped out lately here by myself.” She then said.

“
I don’t care about that, as long as you guys stay off my bed. What do you mean by creeped out though?” Edanai asked, as both of our eyes locked.

“I keep hearing things and seeing stuff, like in the photo of you and Cam that night a
t the concert. That whole thing was so unbelievably crazy and scary. People are still talking about it, and I still can’t get over what happened. You were right about those shadows you said you saw, like you always are. I think that I can see them sometimes too, and there’s been a lot of weird stuff happening since then. It’s like there’s a dark energy settling around campus ever since that night. I feel like something else bad is gonna happen again, soon.” China explained.

Edanai
shot me a questioning look. We were both thinking the same things apparently.

“It’s just what happened.
It was senseless, and it’s still having an effect on everyone. You know what they say, negativity breeds negativity, and many people are still grieving, upset, and depressed too. I’m just glad all of you made it out okay.” Edanai then said.

That was a good response, I thought.

“Me too. I still don’t remember how we did though. Anyway, I really miss you. I’ve always felt safe when you’re here with me, you know that.” We could hear her begin to choke and then start to sob.

Edanai glanced at me with raised
brows and an arm out, as if asking me, ‘What now?’

“
Don’t make any promises.”
I said telepathically.

“I’m sorry.
” China sniffed, “I’m being selfish. You need to be there and reconnect with your relatives. I’ll be okay, I just miss you…you’re my BFF.” She sniffed again.

“I know,
I miss you too. Don’t pay the dark things any attention or show fear. They can’t and won’t bother you unless you let them, and always pray, okay?” Edanai then said.

I smiled, it sounded exactly like something Star
ling would have told her. I appreciated her heartfelt effort for me.

“I will.
I love you Star—be safe.” China then whispered.

“
I love you too China.” Edanai said before clicking off first.

“I really appreciate th
is.” I began, as Edanai handed the phone back to me.

“
I know, and you owe me. Now, even I have to say this Cam— isn’t this all a little…cruel? You don’t even know that she’ll ever return to the mortal realm, let alone the University. Hell, she’ll be aiming for your eyes or your head when she sees you.” Edanai pointed out.

I pursed my lips, unsure of my own reasoning or answer
, as I gazed into the distance towards the Divine Hall.

Through the dark, velvet purple of night
; dotted with shimmering flashes of stars from many other dimensions and planes, the silhouette of the Divine Hall sat like a pristine, hulking line of defined points and squared shapes, in the far distance. The moon was a reversed reflection of the mortal realm, which made it appear a dark bluish, yellow, and rusty orange color.

The eyesight of Demons and Angels
, is as precise and acute as our hearing, so I could still make out the faint outlines of the fire lit domed steeples and bell towers. It’s an expansive fortress, protected and sanctified within hundreds of acres, and surrounded by miles of both fortified consecrated land and waters. Nothing of darkness or of shadows could break through, pass, or even come close to penetrating it from the ground or the air.

“
Or she will return, and she may not decide to kill me…immediately. One can always hope, right?” I finally answered, looking back over my shoulder at Edanai again.

She studied me
.

W
ith a flick of her eyes in the direction of the Divine Hall she replied, “Hope? Sure, but when you decide to come back to reality, just be prepared. This kind of devastation is nowhere near what you’ve known.” Edanai then said softly.

I knew exactly what she meant
, but I didn’t want to hear it.

“I didn’t
mean just hope for me.” I replied.

Edanai paused
at the realization of what I was saying and why. Her face suddenly softened, and her eyes flicked down to the stony ground.

“
What do you think her friend meant by weird and creepy activity though?”

“Dare we
even guess?” I looked at her wryly.

She laughed.
“Sounds like Morning Star may be at it again.”

I shrugged a shoulder.
“I doubt it. That doesn’t sound like his approach. He’s way more subtle than that. He likes to build up any and all possible collateral damage first, before striking. Either way it’s not my concern. I’m no longer Chief Angel of all Powers anymore.” I answered.

She pierced me
with a hard stare and a single raised brow. “Tough shit. It was your fault for falling in love with another human in the first place— and much against my protest. You were the one who decided to carry on this charade of making her friends believe that she was still alive; instead of simply vanishing without a trace, like humans believe about all of the other chosen. Ensuring their safety comes with that territory, in case by some small, miniscule reason, she does decide to return there. Therefore, you owe it to all of them now. Leave it to a male not to think about these things first. See what I have to put up with? That’s why you need me.” Edanai pointed her index finger at me, with her other hand on her cocked hip.

I couldn’t argue, one never could with a female. All I could do was stand there with my mouth open…knowing damn
ed well that she was absolutely right.

I
gave her an agitated glare and sighed. Speechless.

She gav
e a nod. “That’s what I thought.”

I licked my lips in thought.

Edanai sensed my silent pause, and her voice softened once again with a hint of compassion, “She seems to have a good heart and spirit— and yes, she is beautiful. There’s no doubt that there is something special and unique about her, I’ll give you all of that. The curiosity and question lies in the why is she different. That sphere you were telling us about, the one that appeared around her.” She then began to say.

My eyes instantly met hers w
ith interest and full attention. “Yes?”

Edanai glanced the distance where
the Divine Hall lie briefly once again, and then looked back at me. “That was her aura.” She stated.

D
isbelief hit me first, and then fascination during the moment of silence between us.

“
There’s no way…” I began, with a shake of my head.

Edanai nodded with a serious expression
, and held up a hand to stop me from saying what she already knew as well. “I know. I’ve never seen that before either—not while a chosen was still mortal, but it was her own aura, which is probably why it’s so damned bright to begin with. Personally, I don’t think it has anything to do with her and Eve having the same kind of aura either. I mean, it deflected and actually hurt Morning Star— protecting her. That is what you said, isn’t it?” Edanai asked for confirmation.

I
nodded. I thought back to that night, and everything that had happened before she was surrounded and completely shielded in a sheer, sphere of light. It sprang up immediately after her ear-piercing scream. My brows furrowed. I thought it had been Elohim—though I was sure he still helped her in some way.

“Anything of light would hurt Morning Star.” I added.

“But she was still human, and she has the lungs of a damned Psy.” Edanai reminded me.

That was most definitely true.
Psy was short for Psyren. They were former seraphs, cursed into imperfect flesh form, and tainted for their deceit and trickery, and copulating with beings of darkness. They were all female, and the only ones who could emit ear shattering, high-pitched warning shrieks. They hung out with the Aural Bandits, simply because they complimented one another. Both consumed souls and stole auras for both trade and sale.

Many
of the female Psy’s were also seductive and beautiful, and the bitter rivalry with the dark fallen Succubus’ has gone on since the beginning of the time, like all other wars and conflicts among the fallen.

They
all hung out with Morning Star; in and around his domain. I hardly came across any of them, or any other dark fallen and shadows slithering near or around my territory. That was the main reason why I chose to make my home in the neutral zone near the shores of the Eternal Waters, even as a dark fallen. The bit of light I still held in me allowed me the close proximity.

At times, I can still hear the cries
and screams of the mortal damned, and the captured souls echoing in the breeze that carried in from the stone forests. It was nearly impossible for one not to hear it, no matter where you were in the spirit realm.

“Then maybe it was Elohim after all.” I
finally countered.

Edanai m
ade a noise of disbelief, and then narrowed her eyes at me. “You just don’t want to believe it do you? You’d better be damned careful Cam`ael, or maybe even forget her altogether. Even if that ability will be her essence now, there is absolutely no way she should have been able to invoke or use it while still mortal. You can only imagine how deadly it will be now that she’s a divine warrior. She could kill you, or any one of us simply by…willing it.” Edanai forewarned.

“
That’s why I don’t want any of you to approach her…at least for now.” I told her.

“For now? Wha
t plans do you have?” Edanai wondered.

“The only plans
that I have are to make sure that you guys don’t get hurt, or worse.” I replied.

I morphed smoothly into the IMPD police uniform
that I donned the first time that I met Starling at the hospice. It made sense to keep the image. I placed the patent brimmed hat back on my head, adding the weapons belt, gun, medals, jacket, and badge, to complete official ensemble afterwards.

Edanai was checking me out
from head to toe with admiring scrutiny. “Let me ask you something,” She then began, seeing me contemplate which direction I wanted to create a temporary portal.

I looked down at her from beneath the shadowed brim
of the cap. She was standing close to me this time, with her arms now folded across her chest.

“What is it?” I asked her.

She looked up at me inquisitively. “ She obviously wanted you too, and you could have easily had her either way, though I’m sure you would have taken the physical route. So, why didn’t you?” She asked.

             
              I tensed with a slow exhale. I knew the question would come eventually, but I felt as if it might have been a trap of sorts.

Did she want me to say
, because I still loved and felt something for her? Because that wasn’t it at all.

I pretended to brush lint from the sleeve of the
black wind jacket nonchalantly. “She knew what I was, but she had no idea of what she was going to become. I didn’t want to ruin that for her.” I said softly. “And I didn’t want to run the risk of impregnating her either.”

A smile reached E
danai’s eyes as she regarded me.

“
You wonder why you were allowed to keep some of your light. Well, if you don’t know by now, just know that I and all of the rest of us do.” She smiled.

I smirked.
“Well you all can drop that image of me, because now that she’s immortal…” I then began with a devious grin.

Edanai shook her head.
“Cut it out. I’m going to go help finish dinner. Rahab is making smoked pheasant. If you need any help, you’d better not hesitate to summon all of us, and I mean that, you got me?” She pointed a long nailed index finger at me.