Fallen (58 page)

“
It was a work of genius, Maggie
.
” He inhaled dramatically at
this
memory. “Making you first think that he was going to die at our hands and then making him think the same. And before we knew it, there you both were, surrounded by us – your nemeses - ready to die to save each other. Oh, and you did die, Maggie. So dramatically.
” He said these last words passionately, savoring the memory. “Poor Eran, he had to
experience
it all…”

“Stop,” I whispered, closing my eyes as if that would erase the sound of his
voice.

“Careful now, Maggie. Careful with your emotions,” Abaddon warned.

I had been cognizant of them all along, not needing any reminder.

“
You see, what I don’t understand is why you would ever decide to return. You know we’re here.
You know what we are capable of doing.
You know our history together
;
well, at least you do when you’re memory returns.
Why it
’
s…it’s just illogical.
”

He drew in another
scornful
breath, playing with me.
Very
slowly, he
removed one glove,
never
taking his eyes off me.

“Oh, but I’m so glad you did.”
His hand rose and reached for my face, I turned away but he caught my chin and held it.

His
eyes widened even more.

His followers behind him gasped the moment our skins touched
, shifting their positions for a better view
.

“I’ve always wondered what your skin would feel like.
Warm like a human’s or hot like the others
?”

It
finally
occurred
to me why Gershom never touched me. He avoided shaking my hand
on the
first day
of school
and was always
conscious
of avoiding skin contact whenever there was a potential for it. Now I understood w
hy. My skin harmed them somehow
.

“
T
he others
’
?”
I asked without realizing I had spoken at all. M
y attention
was
drawn to the fact that he still had his cold fingers gripping my face.

He balked at me and
finally released my chin.
“The other messengers, of course.
You really have no memory, do you?
”

My breath caught in my throat
. Other messengers? My head went dizzy. What other messengers?

Abaddon released
my chin and tilted his head back for
another raspy laugh. “She has no idea…” he called back to the others.

“There are other messengers?” I demanded.

His face
dipped
down
like a shy boy
and he
grinned
up at me through his lashes. “Were…
there
were
other messengers. We got to them before they
got
to us.”

“That’s enough, Abaddon,” someone called out
from
the
opening of the
alleyway. I instantly recognized the voice, the same one who I’d listen
ed to each lunch break for the p
ast several months
, who I’d held deep conversations with, who had warned me against this very situation I was
now
in
.

Gershom stepped through the shadows and
into
the filtered
light
of the street
lamp
. The
glow
from above distorted his face
,
but I could see the determination even from my place several feet away.

Abaddon didn’t bother to turn around. He knew the voice too. “Still have your old traits
,
do you?” he asked,
frowning
.

“Yes, Abaddon, I can still feel fallen souls no matter where they are…most of all you
rs
.”

Abaddon’s face
twisted
into
annoyed
determination.

“You should be proud, Gershom,” he said, still facing me, still focusing his eyes downward. “You put forth a good effort…attempting to redeem yourself, protecting her. But
you’ve lost. W
e have her now.”

“Let her go,” Gershom
spouted
furiously.

Abaddon ignored his demand.
“
Be mindful, Gershom. Have your efforts wo
rked?
N
o…you still exist on this plane. You
always will. You will live out your punishment among us, Gershom. You have no choice. Come back to us, boy. You have so much to learn.”

“Leave him alone,” I said, unable to bear the pain on Gershom’s face. “He’s done nothing to you.”

Abaddon glanced up, his expression softening
. “Oh
,
but
he’s done quite enough to you,” he replied
,
teasingly.

“Just leave him alone, Abaddon
,
”
I
repeated
, cringing
at
how my voice came out as a helpless whimper.

“No, my dear Magdalene,” he
replied
, the mock sympathy in his voice making my skin crawl. “I d
on’t think you quite understand.
Allow me to explain…” He paused
and
a flicker of pleasure passed across his
hideous
face as if he were about to enjoy something.
He
spoke slowly, allowing the words to
fully
sink in. “On
that dark, vacant road so long ago, it was Gershom who
took your parent
’
s
lives
.
It was Gershom who drove the truck
into
the side of your parent’s vehicle,
projecting
it across the frozen fields.
”

I didn’t comprehend him at first, but for some reason I was slightly conscious of my insides knotting up.
My parents, I thought. How could Gershom even know my parents?

“You look confused,” said Abaddon, clearly enjoying himself
. “
Shall I continue
?”

“No,” I told him firmly and he laughed. I froze against the repugnant breath
,
as it
brushed by my face.

Gershom stepped forward
, the timid boy I knew from school now replaced with a virulent man resigned to admit his actions.
“This is my burden to bear…
I will tell her,
”
said Gershom and turned to
focus on me. “Your parents
were the last messengers
, Maggie
. Abaddon sent me to take
them…to
take
their lives…to erase their existence…
and I
did, destroying
everything.
Including
the documents, Maggie.”
These las
t words made his voice collapse,
the weight of guilt too much for him
to carry
.

I instantly recalled our conversation
the
first week
of
school
,
when he had seemed so innocent asking about my parents.

“You?” I said my chest
heavy
,
as if someone were
pressing
on it.

“
I was young, I was new to this, I had no idea what…
” he paused, straining. “
If I could
just
take it back…”
H
is
words fell away as his head
sank
to his chest in shame
.
“I’m so sorry.”

It was
Abaddon
who
was happy to fill in. “Why do you think he’s been here all along? Guiding you
, w
atching over you. He’s been protecting you, trying to repay
you
for taking the lives of your parents here on earth so many years ago…True too, he’s going to do his best to keep your new earthly family from being killed. Sent them off in the wrong direction, did you?” Abaddon called back to Gershom and turned to me
,
again with mock pity. “Fortunate for us, he’s going to fail in this endeavor
,
too.”

Understanding his insinuated threat at my roommate
’
s lives, r
age unlike
anything
I’d ever felt before
surged within
me. I was blinded by it. Instantly
,
I was reaching for him, clawing for him, hitting at him, desperate to make contact. When I realized he was laughing
and
standing a few feet back
,
watching, I paused.
A
scream
boiled up from the depths
inside
me.
“You stay away from my family!”

His eyebrows creased in confusion but it wasn’t until he spoke again did I understand why
. “Well, that won’t be necessary. They’re already here.”

It was Ezra’s voice that boomed down the alleyway, confirming Abaddon’s announcement.
“Let. Her. Go.”