Uriel (The Hallowed Chronicles Book 1) (12 page)

Chapter Twenty Two

Several weeks came and went with no other sign of the other archangels, and I was growing weary. Though I could feel them, it was as if they couldn't feel me and I began to wonder if they would ever find me. Only a few other survivors came here seeking shelter with all the same conversations about what I am and what I was doing here. Those grateful for the help without questioning stayed, while the others who blamed me for the downfall of their world and told me that I should have stopped it before it started were kicked out by Gazardiel. It seemed that even when the world comes falling down, some people stay the same and try to pin the blame on someone so they could feel anger instead of the constant fear that they may not live until tomorrow. I pitied them and their lost souls; wandering the forsaken earth without people who could help instead of just shutting their mouths and being thankful for the mercy we had blessed them with.

While the ever growing group sought shelter in the mansion in our presence, they showed their thankfulness through labor to get things done and get food on the table. We taught them to fight and they began taking groups into the closest stores to gather food, though I would always accompany them out of sight. In the evenings, I continued attending my hunts; not allowing the event with the councilman to keep me cowering in a corner. Since the world had opened up, I had found that I didn't need much sleep because an hour or two was all that was needed to recharge the energy I had used.

Everyone busied themselves as a few of them made food in the kitchen when a loud knock came at the door. Everyone grew quiet and the mood in the room shifted with anxiety. Summoning my blades, I walked to the door cautiously and opened it slowly. On the other side was a tall male around the age of nineteen with ebony hair, green eyes and a wide body that became scarred with black along his left arm. He leaned on the door frame when I opened the door a bit more, presenting my wings; something humans had to see before saying one word. My eyes found his and something inside me flipped with the thought that we had some sort of connection. "Well, now I can't use the pick-up line I wanted to use," he said chuckling to himself. Placing a finger under my chin, he lifted my face to his. "You are a wondrous sight, my angel. Who let you down from Heaven?" Rolling my eyes, I went to close the door. It stopped midway and I made a face at him like he was crazy. "What do you want?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"Wow, no 'hello, survivor. How are you doing and would you like some shelter?'"

"We do not hand out shelter to anyone. They earn their spots in our safety."

Something in his face changed then and he started thinking to himself. After several seconds of silence from him, I crossed my arms and exhaled loudly. We were getting nowhere with each other, so I opened the door wider and directed him inside. "You are not safe here. Not yet. You must earn your place," I said walking down the hall in front of him. We arrived in the kitchen and were greeted by stares from the anxious people, waiting to see what would happen. "How about you start by introducing yourself?" I asked before walking to Gazardiel who seemed focused on the new guy. Clapping his hands together, he jumped up on an empty seat and opened his arms. "Ladies and gentlemen, you can call me R," he said proudly, attempting to be entertaining. While everyone introduced themselves to R, Gazardiel pulled Jenna and I into another room. It seemed as though since I had saved her life, we hadn't really spoken in a while; time wouldn't allow it as often as I wanted. "You feel it too, don't you, Uriel?" Gazardiel asked me, grabbing onto my arm. Looking down at his hand, I shook my head. Sure, I felt a certain connection, but that was it. "No, I don't. What am I supposed to feel?" I asked.

"There is some kind of darkness coming from him. I do not trust him."

"Don't worry. If he isn't what he comes off as, I will take care of it. For now, he seems sincere enough and I made sure he knew he had to earn his place among us."

"But the others didn't."

"No, they didn't. But they also weren't as annoying as this guy. I feel as if he's mocking me... like he knows something I don't."

We were quiet for a moment, listening to the sounds of basic table chatter and the clanking of plates and silverware. Sighing, I pushed the hair out of my face and rubbed my temples. It was as though caring for the humans and keeping them safe was getting more and more stressful, even if I wasn't the only person to care for them. Jenna took my hand and looked me in the eyes and I noticed how much she had changed. What her father did to her did not prepare her for this, but in a way, it made her stronger and it was clearly visible in her eyes. It was then that a thought about her father's soul being dragged into Hell that put a small smile across my face, justice. "Uriel, I know you know what you are doing. Ever since I've known you, you've made decisions with everyone else in mind," she said pulling me into a hug. My arms wrapped around her in a small thank you and I found comfort there. Though we didn't love each other like Jophiel and I did, she filled a sort of void that I knew would be hard to fill without her. Gazardiel nodded and stepped back, moving away from the door into the kitchen. "Please be careful around him. We don't know anything about him," he said. Smiling, I pulled him into a hug too, surprising him. "We don't know much about a lot of the people that are sheltered here," I replied before walking into the kitchen.

I grabbed a plate and immediately began stuffing my face, standing near the door while my eyes scanned the room over the various people that we had taken in. My life had turned to a twisted form of Noah's Ark, but something inside me was completely fine with it and I didn't question the feeling. Though some chattered quietly with one another, it was quiet for the most part; the sounds of chewing, and plates clanking against the table and silverware overpowering anything else. "Uriel, I know when you go out at night, you're only doing it to keep the area around us safe, but we ran out of medical supplies," the mother I had saved most recently said quietly. I could tell she had trouble asking me to go out and get some, though I acknowledged her courage to overcome that obstacle. "Of course I will," I said between mouthfuls. The talk about my hunting made R perk up and stop mid chew. "What exactly do you do on your hunts?" he asked with his mouth full.

"I go out and kill the demons that took over this world. You know, the ones walking around on the streets."

"Ah, so you're a joker, huh?"

"No."

"Do you go by yourself?"

My heart stuttered a bit when my answer got caught in my throat with sudden doubt. Should I tell him everything or was he just trying to leak information? Gazardiel was right, I needed to be careful around him and tread on water. "It really depends," I said, trying to be as cryptic as possible. The tension rose in the room as if everyone knew what was going on between R and I. He finished his food and cleaned off his plate before stepping in front of me. Looking down at me with a smile, he leaned toward my ear. "You told me I have to earn my spot, right? How about you bring me along on your hunt?" he asked. I looked at him incredulously, unsure of whether or not he was kidding but the look in his face told me he was serious. Sighing, I nodded and he pulled me into the hallway. I put my plate on the nearest table and crossed my arms, wary of his every movement. When he turned around, I perked up, wondering what he was doing until he turned with a sword in his hand. I backed away, resisting the urge not to call my own. "What's that?" I asked slowly.

"This is my sword. Her name is Seriel and she is my claymore. I've had her since I was a kid."

"I know that connection. I've had my falchion swords since I could remember."

He put out his sword toward me and nodded, secretly telling me to touch it all I wanted. My hand touched the cool steal, shocking me at first touch, and ran it down the length of the two-handed beauty. "She's gorgeous," I said breathlessly. Turning away, he came back with no sword like some sort of magic trick and I couldn't help but wonder if he was able to summon Seriel like I could summon mine. Wiping at my face, I held out my hand. "You can come with me to hunt," I said when he took my hand. "I am happy that you agree to it," he replied with a small smile. "So when do we go?"

"Now."

We wandered the abandoned town nearby with bags full of medical supplies and it was quieter than it had been yesterday. I was thankful that we didn't have much work to do here, afraid to overwork R who had opened up a bit more in our travels to this place. His family had died long ago and was taken in by his grandfather who cared for him until cancer ripped him from this life. He came from Boston in search for survivors around the world, hoping to start recreating the new world in any way he could. It was an honest answer and his heartbeat was steady with every word he spoke. "So, what about that mean scar on your arm?" I asked bluntly. He was silent for a moment, staring at his arm before sighing and looking straight ahead. I could feel he wasn't comfortable with telling me, that something bad had happened and scarred him for life. "I was burned fighting one of the demons I came in contact with on my way here," he stated after a moment of silence. "They burn humans?" I asked. He seemed to choke on the word human and I gave him a questioning look.

"No, I think it was just the type of demon it was. There are different types, right?"

"Yes... not that I know the names of them all. We don't really care for their type; only that we destroy them."

"But don't you feel that you can categorize them by their type and find a common weakness among each type to bring them down easier?"

I was surprised by his logic. Even I hadn't thought of that and I had to give him credit, he was a lot more useful than I thought, save for his weaponry skills. I kicked at the ground and watched the dirt fall apart in solid bits and skid away from us. "You're right," I said looking down. "In fact, I know I said you have to prove you could be useful to this group, but in truth, we just don't want to bring in anyone that takes our protection for granted. We want to rebuild the human race with those who have the ability to stay true to their faith and hope even in the worst of times," I continued, keeping my eyes ahead of me. When he stopped, I did as well and looked back to him, searching his eyes for unspoken words.

"I understand why you lied. I kind of knew that from the beginning. You're a terrible liar, angel."

"My name is Uriel, and I kind of figured. You seem very capable of handling yourself for a human and your brain also proves useful when it comes to being tactical. Maybe you can help me categorize each demon and we can figure out weaknesses and other... things we can figure out about them."

"Your brain can handle the tactical side too, Uriel. I mean we've got the same brain usage."

My heart stopped and I rose any eyebrow, clearly confused. "What did you say?" I asked shakily. Could he be another archangel? I've never heard of one named R, but what else could he have meant? Maybe he was just toying with me. Before he could answer, dozens of inhumane growls vibrated the once silent air we breathed and we readied our weapons just as a pack of hounds came at us with black tar dripping from their mouths, already tasting our flesh in their teeth.

Chapter Twenty Three

Back to back, we refused to break position. There were dozens of them coming at us with wicked grins across their faces and the scent of decay filled the air. My swords hummed with the energy it was made out of, feeling the darkness grow stronger as they came closer. I turned my head to the side and dropped the supplies. "Do you know what they are?" I yelled over the howling, canine-like demons. They were the same kind of demon that killed Nikita and though we never found the name for it, it was about time to find out as much as I could about them before we fought. "Shadow hounds. Their weakness is just like dogs, their noses. But if you want to first make them unable to move, go for their Achilles tendon at the backs of their legs near their paws," he explained. The Achilles tendon made sense and even humans had that weakness. My wings shuddered as a few leapt at me with claws extended and I let my energy burst in front of me, pushing them back. I ran at them, and began slashing at their faces, injuring them before turning and hacking at their limbs. Yelps and injured growls filled the air, and the scent of decay grew strong. The injured lay there, attempting to heal when I came up, only to fail when their heads flew off their bodies, turning into bubbling tar.

Their numbers dwindled. I kept slashing at them, weakening them before ending their existence in this world. Through the bodies of injured shadow hounds, I could feel something dark grow in power and I searched around, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. My eyes followed the trail of darkness and stopped, my breath catching when I found it radiating from R who stood there with a black cloud around his hand. The scar on his arm pulsed and black tar drew veins up to his shoulder. I stopped dead and watched in horror as the person I had invited to stay with us permanently, used the darkness to kill off the horde of shadow hounds stampeding toward him. Grinding my teeth, I turned, grabbed the supplies and lifted myself to the sky toward home. Anger bubbled from within as I recalled what lie he had forced when I asked him of the scar on his arm. I had to warn Gazardiel.

I landed at the front door and went in, slamming it behind me. My feet pulled me toward the study room where he found his seclusion. Behind the door, Gazardiel and Jenna's voice spoke quietly to each other and I didn't care to knock. Opening the door, I found them talking to one another on the couch, stopping when they saw me in front of them. "We have a problem," I said breathlessly. Gazardiel stood and put a hand on my arm when I dropped the bag. "Tell us," he said just as Jenna asked "Where's R?" Breathing in deeply, I prepared myself to tell them the story. "We were out hunting when we got attacked by shadow hounds... the same type of demon that... killed Nikita," I said slowly. "So you're saying he didn't make it?" Gazardiel asked.

"Actually, no, he did... I think."

"Well, where is he?"

"While we were fighting them off, I started feeling this... deep darkness that seemed to grow in power and when I followed the energy, I found it coming from him."

"He wasn't attacking you, was he?"

I shook my head and sat down next to Jenna who put her hand on mine. My mind was reeling from the realization that maybe he was a demon himself who took the form of a human. It would explain a few things about him. "He wasn't attacking me... He was attacking the other demons. To be honest, I don't think he can be trusted. I know he wasn't using it against me, but it's something we can't risk," I said looking at my knees. Gazardiel was pacing back and forth, making no sound as his feet dragged against the floor. "We cannot be unfair," he said.

"But don't we fight the Darkness?"

"Yes, but he was using it against them, was he not?"

"Yea but--"

"Then, he can still stay here. Under close supervision, of course."

Arguing wouldn't get me anywhere in this situation. I nodded and stood, making my way to the door when R showed up on the other side of the closed door. He looked down at me with a stone expression across his face. I stared right into his eyes. My mind was racing with questions that I couldn't ask just yet and I pulled him up the stairs and outside his own room. "What the hell was that back there?" I asked in a rough whisper. He didn't even bat an eye. Instead, he looked down at me with a grin. "You left me to fight all of those shadow hounds," he stated plainly. I wasn't sorry.

"Answer my question. You were using dark energy. How?"

He rubbed his face and sighed heavily, putting his hands on my shoulders. I pulled away and glared at him, demanding an answer. Cracking his neck in irritation, he leaned against the closed door of his room and looked past me as some of the humans went by us and into their own rooms. My arms crossed over my chest and I shifted my weight to one side. "Well?" I asked impatiently. He was making this excruciatingly difficult for me and it only proved to me more that he couldn't be trusted. "Look," he started saying. "Something happened to me that even I can't explain, okay? You're not the only one fighting to find who you are... fighting to unlock the power you have inside you," he continued. I rolled my eyes.

"R, if that's your real name. Listen, I don't judge people; that's not my job. But I know nothing of your past except for what you told me and I know people lie so they can stay safe from what is plaguing the earth now."

"All I will tell you is this; I don't know how I can use this... Darkness, even against its own. If I could explain it, I would. But I'm not what you think I am."

Without another word, he opened the door and closed it in my face. I kicked the door and stomped down the stairs and into the kitchen. By now, the house seemed empty as the humans sheltered here got into their beds and fell asleep. After tonight's events, I just needed to relax a bit. Brewing a cup of coffee, I leaned against the cabinet, thinking to myself. It had been a long time since I lost Jophiel and there had been no word on the arrival of the other archangels. Maybe I should try to find them, but I couldn't abandon these people that I have saved. Something wouldn't let me. Stirring in the cream and sugar, I took the mug and sipped at the hot coffee, still leaning against the cabinets. My mind had never stopped racing and I found myself questioning my judgment of R.
I'm not what you think I am.
The words echoed in my mind as I tried to figure it out, but I found I was only giving myself a headache. Sighing, I stared up at the ceiling. "Jophiel... I know you are watching me," I said quietly. "What do I do?"

As if in answer, the world around me faded and turned black, the scene changing before me. The mug slipped from my hands and shattered against the floor when I lost control of my own body and drowned in a memory that was all too real to ignore.

Jophiel sat next to me on the roof of a building late at night, our hands entwined within each other. We were waiting for the others to come from their own separate missions and we watched the people on the ground. My eyes found a man walking suspiciously behind a woman with a sack in his hand. His scruffy face and bloodshot eyes made me worry and I stood, ready to drop in and help the lady out, but Jophiel stopped me. I glared down  at him. "Now, now, Uriel," he said softly. "You should never judge someone until you truly know them," he continued. I shook my head and pointed at the guy still following the woman. "But he's going to hurt her," I replied.

"How do you know this? Do you know his past, his thoughts, his life? Did you stop him on the street and ask him what he is going to do with that sack?"

"Well, no."

He stood and took my other hand, watching the man silently. The woman had then turned to the man with wide eyes and opened her mouth to scream, only for her to stifle the sound when he handed her the sack. I tilted my head in confusion, even as our ears heard the conversation. "Ma'am, you dropped your wallet," the man said, digging into the sack and pulling out a wallet, handing it to her. "Thank you, sir. Bless you," she said, handing him some money for his deed. My eyes went back to Jophiel who watched me, smiling. "You see, someone can look as if they will be a bad person and can always give you reasons to think that way; but if you don't know that person, it's easy to think the opposite of what they truly are," he said cupping my face.

"So, people who look good can be bad, huh?"

"You got that right. When it comes to humans... or anything for that matter, looks can be deceiving and so can actions. You thought that man was going to hurt the woman. How? What gave you that thought?"

"The unkempt features and bloodshot eyes."

"For all we know, he could have had a rough day at work but still wanted to make sure that the woman got her wallet back okay. Someone who looks innocent can use that against people. It's not the looks you should be judging people on; it's their hearts."

The world came back to me, and I sighed at the mess the cup of coffee made when I had dropped it. Shaking my head, I got paper towels and the trash and cleaned it up, thinking back to the memory. This happened decades ago, but I knew the memory came because of Jophiel and it made me think about R. Maybe I had been too quick to judge who he really was without getting to know him fully, but the fact that he had control over the dark energy put me on edge. Could bad people become good and good become bad or was the fate of good and evil beings set in stone? After I had cleaned up the mess, I washed the remaining dishes in the sink to pass the time, thinking of how to apologize to R about my behavior. When the night grew quieter and there were barely any footsteps around the house, I locked the doors and turned off the lights. The lights would have guided demons toward our location if they were close enough to see and I didn't want to risk leaving any on if I was going to be distracted.

Walking up the stairs and toward R's room, I heard the faint flow of music coming from the partially closed door. My heart beat rapidly against my chest as I tip toed up to the door and peered through it, immediately finding R pacing around his room and busying himself with straightening up. I knew he couldn't feel me, so I squatted by the door, understanding how much of a creep I was being, but I couldn't help it. He dug through his dresser and pulled out a pair of boxers and my face heated up as he pulled off his pants. Since Jophiel, I had never seen another male undress and it made me uneasy, the feeling disappearing when he finally put on his boxers. Sighing with relief, I stood and was about to knock when he pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his hidden wings. I gaped at him from the crack of his door as he stretched his white feathered wings, proving to me that he wasn't human. But what was he?