The Fallen Ones (The Fallen Angels Series Book 1)

The Fallen Ones
by Katelyn Campbell

Text copyright © 2014 Katherine E
Thorpe

All Rights Reserved

I’d like to dedicate this book to my
family, for loving me. My friends for fueling me and my day job for firing me.
– I finally did it!

Katie

Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

If you had asked
me a week ago who I was, I would’ve told you I am Ilyana Marie Meyers. Today is
my eighteenth Birthday. I am the only daughter of Robert Meyers, a Jewish car
salesman from New Jersey and Nancy Meyers, an Italian lawyer from Manhattan. I would
tell you that I have a smaller version of my Fathers hooked nose, my Mothers
tan skin, courtesy of the long Florida summers and a tall frame, the hazel eyes
of my Grandmother and dark brown curls that are all my own. I would tell you
that I am a B average student, when I sing, it resembles feral cats fighting.
My best friend is my German Shepard Sasha. My room is always a mess, I make
incredible homemade pasta and my main goal in life is to go to school and get a
useless anthropology degree and purposefully get stranded on a tropical island
with a tall, dark and handsome stranger that likes to read, write, sleep in and
occasionally sunbathe. 

When I tell you
that - you would undoubtedly without even trying; draw your conclusions about
the type of person I am.  You would call me an entitled, brat, possibly with a
princess complex. The reality is I like people, they just don’t like me. I am
fascinated with human nature. I analyze everything and everyone I meet. I just
don’t know how to talk to people. I have always liked to live life at a slower
pace. My favorite memories growing up were never trips to theme parks or exotic
vacations, my favorite memories were fishing with my Dad on lazy Saturdays,
listening to crickets on the porch on summer nights when my Mom was home early
from work.

When I was a
kid, my mom tried everything to get me to socialize, she put me in ballet – the
teacher said I showed a natural poise and skill, unfortunately I hated the
classes and practicing. Then in Junior High we tried sports, I was quickly made
captain of the girls basketball team until my coach learned that my outstanding
athletic skills could never compensate for my horrendous leadership ability.
Then High School – I almost don’t even want to mention High School, my Mom had
this vision of me as the cheerleader she never was, she made me try out – of
course I made the team, but after our first pep rally I learned none of the
girls on the team liked me, they said I was full of myself and always accused
me of trying to steal their boyfriends - a few of them even made plans to jump
me in the parking lot one night after a game. I hid in the girls’ locker room
all night until the janitors found me and called my parents, so naturally, I
dropped out of cheerleading as well. 

So if you asked
me who I was a week ago, I would have told you my name was Ilyana Marie Meyers,
the entitled, loner daughter to a couple of displaced Yankees, with no real
goals or potential.

But this is today
and today my name is Oksana Ilyana Malakhova. I was adopted from an orphanage
in Ukraine when I was 3 years old. I have no memories of who I really am or who
I even was at that time. But I have been told that I was left in the dumpster
of a gas station as a newborn, found by the owner and turned over to a tiny
orphanage with too many children and not enough food or clothes. I was almost
adopted numerous times by my first Birthday, but every time someone came for me
they backed out. On my third Birthday a stranger came into the orphanage and
told the workers to find any way they can to kill me, they told the workers
that I was a bad omen, a danger to the world. They were terrified, one even
tried to kill me in my sleep, but a single nurse took pity on me and
immediately transferred me to an orphanage in Eastern Russia, a week later I
was adopted by the people I call Mom and Dad. It wasn’t until a week ago that I
learned the story of who I was - or who I am.

 Today, I
would tell you that my parents are dead, my school demolished and the friends I
never even came close to having are missing. Today, I would tell you that I may
be insane, but the stranger in Ukraine may have been right about me. Today, I
would tell you that I am one of, if not the last surviving Nephilim: the child
of a human and an angel. Today I am being hunted, the world may be ending and
it is possible that I am the one to blame.

Last week the
sky opened up upon us all, fire fell down and something I can only describe as
a pack of demons descended on my city, the people who weren’t quick enough to
leave, are now dead. There is no electricity, there are no people and I keep
being chased by these evil creatures. They are at least 7 feet tall, their skin
almost translucent and their eyes are the blackest dark I have ever seen, but as
horrible as they sound, they are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.
They fight with skill and poise like I never knew was possible and when they
chase me, I always know they are going to catch me, but somehow they don’t. I
black out when they are chasing me and always find myself somewhere new, with
no knowledge of how I got there - surrounded by the bodies of innocent people I
don’t remember seeing. I think I am to blame for all of it, for the people, for
the death, everything.

Before my Mom,
well, Nancy, died. She gave me a message, she told me to run. She told me to go
to Savannah, she told me I would have to walk and move by night and rest by
day. She sent me to the basement where I found a backpack full of supplies and
a map. She told me not to stop until I get there and to fight, hard.  In
the backpack there was a note giving me more instructions. It says I need to go
to Port of Savannah in Georgia and there will be a boat docked there, waiting
for me with more instructions.

Before I watched
them kill her, she told me I was adopted, she said I was important and special
and she didn’t know it would be over so soon. She said I had to stop it no
matter what. -  I hoped I was going crazy, but it has been 2 days and now I
truly believe that this isn’t just a dream, she’s gone, and I am not even human
anymore.

Ilyana:

“Well Sasha,
this is it.” my voice breaks while I choke back the tears I refuse to let fall.
I scratch behind Sasha’s ear and coo at her like a child. For as long as I can
remember she has been my only friend in the world and she is the only family I
have left. I pulled up to the Port, only to discover it was raided already. At
first glance, you would think a Tsunami hit. But I know better than that now,
they were here already. As I walk past the docks I find dirty foot prints, the
bodies of innocent life’s they claimed ahead of me, dead animals and smears of
blood on the ground. I am surrounded by death and darkness. The boats reek of
death. A part of me feels like crying, but a sicker part of me that I wish
didn’t exist – that didn’t exist until a week ago, is relieved. I am relieved
because I know their search has moved on. They did not find me here and they
are not the type to patiently wait for my arrival. In a very sick way, my luck
has turned for now.

Sasha and I
continue to walk down the rows of boats, I pass yachts, cargo ships and even a
few speed boats – eventually I will find the right one, but I have no clue how
I will know it when I do. As we approach the last row of boats I see it. The head
of one of the Alien figures, I know he can’t be alive but it is as startling in
death as it is in life. The mouth is gnarled into a growl and the eyes are open
and unmoving. That is when it comes over me, this is the moment my body chooses
to betray me. I feel the cold sweat and my stomach lurches as I begin to lose
the granola bars and water I have been living on for the last two days. I sit
back and feel tears stinging at my eyes.

“Are you done
having your moment, or should I come back later?” my heart stops as I hear the
harsh voice behind me, I had grown accustomed to the silence that fell as my
world ended two days ago. I slowly turn around and I see him. He must be over a
full foot taller than me. His face is surrounded by a mess of loose black curls
and his eyes are the darkest chocolate brown I have ever seen, when I look at
him I see pain. His shirt is off and his toned body is covered with white
scars. There is dirt under his fingernails and he looks like he has not slept
in days. Even with his disheveled appearance, he is absolutely beautiful, he is
something ethereal. I don’t know how to react, I haven’t showered in days and I
am covered in the blood of I don’t know who – or what and the dirt and sweat
that seems to pop up when I exit reality and wake up surrounded by death and
now I have added my own vomit to the mix.

“Did you do
that?” I awkwardly ask him as I gesture to the head. He stares at me for a
moment before nodding yes. “Are you the one that is supposed to save me?” he
looks at me and a smile curls at the side of his mouth “I can do many things,
Oksana. But saving you is not among them.” I can feel my jaw go slack, his
words sound like a threat but his awkward smile and extended hand says
otherwise. I push it to the back of my mind for now. “How do you know my name?
Call me Ilyana, I don’t even know who Oksana is.” the smile falls from his face
“The same way you knew to come here, I was told what to do and I did it. You
are not one of them, so I assumed you are Oksana,
Ilyana.
” My name rolls
off his tongue like honey, a little too sweet for him, but perfect nonetheless,
I think I detect a slight accent but I can’t quite place it. Now I have even
more questions but I refuse to give into my curiosity and look even weaker than
I already do “Well then, what is your name?” once more he reaches his hand down
to pull me up “You can call me Ephraim.” As I take his hand, I choose to ignore
the immediate spark his touch ignites, it is almost palpable and I am sure it
is directly linked to my desperate need for human touch, the pressure of the
last few days has left me so on edge. I ask him the one question that seems
most pertinent “Are you going to kill me, Ephraim?” He shakes his head and lets
out a small laugh before he resumes dragging me towards the end of the dock to
a small boat that looks like it hasn’t been used in years “How have you made it
this far? If I was going to kill you I would have done it by now or I would
lie. If you want to save yourself, don’t trust anyone, Ilyana, not even me.”

His words sting,
after this past week I am desperate for someone I can trust, I am desperate for
an ally in the midst of all this darkness. I continue to follow him, I know I
have no other choice but I just want a break. I don’t understand anything that
is happening and now the first person that I have found alive in days is
guiding me to a small, dirty boat with him and telling me I can’t trust him.
“Okay, I get that I can’t trust you but you killed one of them, for now that is
enough. Are we safe here? Where are we going? Is that boat even safe? Are you
like me?” he sighs and we board the small boat, he leads me down stairs and I
quickly discover the boat is much bigger and nicer than I initially suspected,
he hands me a pair of sweat pants and a tank top and points in the direction of
the bathroom “Fair enough. No matter where we go, we are not safe, but here is
as good as anywhere. We are going to a small island West of Spain. The boat is
fine, you can’t drown. And no, I am not like you, you are good and I am not.
Now go shower and stop asking questions. Alya should be here any minute, she is
going to steer this death trap and we should arrive to the coven soon. Now is
your time to rest. All your questions will be answered once we get there.” Then
in the abrupt way that so perfectly suits him, he walks out of the cabin and
slams the door.

I am alone
downstairs, for the first time in days I am left with nothing to do but think.
I begin to look around the cabin, it has a cold and sterile feeling. There are
no pictures, no books, nothing. It looks almost as inviting as a hospital. I go
into the bathroom and for the first time in days get a look at myself in the
mirror. I am shocked at the person I see, I am not just dirty but I look like
death. My eyes are dark and sunken in, my cheeks are stained with tears, my
lips are dry and my skin is covered in blood and dirt from the last few days. I
look like hell. I step into the shower and begin to weep as I think about the
journal my mother led me to on her deathbed. I struggle to wash away the marks
the last few days have left on me.

Ilyana, if you
are reading this now, I know it means we were too late, we wanted you to have a
shot at being a normal girl. I wanted you to make friends, love a boy, go to prom,
even have your heart-broken – these are all normal things, that normal girls
get to experience as teenagers. But you Ilyana, you are far too wonderful for
normal. You are greater and more powerful than you know. Your father and I were
chosen for you, to train you and instruct you. To design you into the
instrument you were created to be. But the moment I first held you in my arms,
you became so much more than that. I loved your father from the moments I first
met him, but it was in a selfish way. Loving you was different, you taught me
about sacrificial love. I was so honored to be chose to love you and raise you
and so terrified of the day coming where I would have to give you back.
Everything in me wanted to protect you, to keep you from harm. After your fifth
birthday, your father and I bartered with the counsel for more time, and much
to our surprise they gave it. We knew all along that we were living on borrowed
time, that the day would come that we needed you more than you needed us. If
you are reading this Ilyana, it means that day has come and we won’t be there
to share it with you. Just know that we love you with all of our hearts and
trust you with whatever lies ahead of you. You are stronger than you know
baby-girl.

As I emerge from
the shower and catch site of myself in the mirror, my skin is perfectly clear.
Where there were scratches and dried scars, there is now smooth, clear skin. I
shake my head realizing it is more proof that I am not human, just one more
reminder that my entire life up to this point has been a lie.  I step out on
the deck and realize we have begun our trip. I hear the warm sound of laughter
and feel at peace for the first time in days. I head to the front of the boat
and hear the chattering. Ephraim is the first to notice me he stops laughing
and looks at me, he stares at me with so much intensity - I have never seen
that in a man before and it makes me feel small and self-conscious. When our
eyes finally meet he quickly looks away in the disengaged manner that I have begun
to expect from him. He clears his throat.

“Oh Hi! You must
be Oksana!” says the woman, presumably Alya. He clears his throat and she
quickly corrects “Oh I am sorry, I hear you prefer to be called Ilyana. Pretty
name, it suits you. My name is Alya and I am your captain.” She says with a
mischievous wink, it is clear her sense of humor could use some work but I like
her instantly. She has such graceful ease about her, it is like she is in a
different universe from Ephraim and I. She has light hair and tan skin, her
eyes are a soft shade of blue. What throws me off is her mouth, I have seen it
somewhere before, then it hits me. “You are Ephraim’s sister?” she smiles. “See
Ephraim, you can’t deny me! I told you it is obvious. No matter what you see
when you look at yourself, people can tell you are my baby brother!” He smiles
curtly and gets up from his seat, he kisses her on the cheek “And you are my
loud, irritating and also small, big sister. I am going to go clean up. You
should wait to answer any questions she has, I would hate for you to confuse
her more with your theories.” She nods as he walks down the stairs.

After he leaves
I realize I was holding my breath. It is impossible to function around him. He
is beautiful, terrifying and heart breaking all at once. I can tell he is no
stranger to pain and I want to know more but it is obvious he is not the kind
of man to readily come undone and let down his guard for a woman, I find myself
doubting that he has ever let his guard down at all. Alya catches me staring
the direction he walked off in and clears her throat. “You will get used to
Ephraim, he can be a little hard to take at first, but you will never meet a
better man. He holds his cards close.” I nod and say with a smile that is
completely unnatural “I am sure. There is just something about him that seems…
off. He is the first person I have met since, well, since my world ended…. He
helped me and has answers to questions I haven’t even though of yet, but he
told me not to trust him and chastised me for asking questions. I feel lost
and… I don’t know what to think of anyone anymore, especially him.” I have no
clue what came over me, I never talk to anyone like that, but she just smiles a
knowing smile and simply says “Ephraim is… difficult. Oh, and he is not a
person, darling.” I wait for further explanation but it just doesn’t come, I
realize now that this is going to be a long ride.