Prologue
“You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.”
- Ray Bradbury
Cameron
I looked at the parchment clasped solemnly in my hand again. The order that had come straight from Him, or so we thought at least. The familiar and yet unfamiliar curly elegant letters weren’t the only thing that filled it. Under the writing was a drawing. The reason why everyone else present at this place were to die today. It was a drawing, imaging a young girl. Something about it touched me in a way I couldn’t explain. It also didn’t feel right. Maybe that was the reason. It always felt right.
Yet again I studied her features moulded out of alabaster looking skin. She would have no imperfections or whatsoever if I could believe this parchment, the only information source I had. I tried to memorise, even though I already knew her futures by heart, her magnificent jawline and burgundy lips. Shaped like the bow of Cupid himself, very kissable and a huge draw for any man, any man but me. Her heart-shaped face was framed by her long silky dark blond hair in which tendrils of gold seemed to be naturally woven. Eyes as blue as oceans stared back. Innocence written all over her face. Peering at me from the paper. Scrutinizing me, for the first time in centuries making me doubt every single decision I had made. Contemplating everything I had done for Him.
Her blue jewels captivated me, pierced through my facade and seemed to be looking straight into my soul. That was the real reason why I kept on unfolding the parchment to stare at it. I wanted to know what she saw but was not able to ask. I tried to read it off of her face instead, but naturally, it remained unmoving. Perhaps this was the reason why I was still deep down reluctant to execute the mission He had given us. The idea that I would never get the chance to ask her what she saw when she looked at me, ask her whether she saw a monster. However, that was ridiculous. It didn’t matter whether some girl taught me to be a monster or not. I was a monster. I enjoyed being a monster. I had chosen to be a monster.
I knew that Yves, who was sitting opposite of me, was studying my features: ‘There is something about it, isn’t there?’ He finally asked. ‘Something that isn’t right?’
I looked up briefly before sighing. Taking a last peek at the girl I folded it and tugged it in my jeans. ‘It is not our call. We are to execute what He tells us to do. This is the plan...’
My green orbs were scanning the room. I was bored out of my wits, pondering if she would show today or we should move the mission to another day. I was angry, angry that she didn’t show up according to our planned time, the planned time of her death. Glaring at the bookshelves that surrounded us, I suddenly felt a nice tingling sensation. As if the sun had started to shine upon my gloomy thoughts and settled me. I was at ease at last. I peered around the library to see her standing in the doorway. Two other girls flanked her at either side, laughing.
She surpassed the beauty of her own drawing. She was so aw-strikingly gorgeous that even I felt like a goddess had landed upon earth to visit us with her grace. Even I with my inhuman beauty. She outshone my comrades with ease. All of us fallen angels, but no one neared her. If she were to be on the dark side she would have been powerful, easily getting her way by her looks, but she wasn’t. As I watched her it seemed as if she hadn’t the slightest idea how she looked. Maybe she never looked in a mirror either.
‘That’s her.’ I breathed out, not letting my gaze slip from her for one moment.
At the sound of my voice, she turned. Locking eyes with me. It was even worse or even better than the drawing had been. She seemed to look straight through me as she tilted her head slightly. Now that I had her full attention the soothing, nice feeling rose. It became like a wildfire, burning the hatred out of me. Lifting it off of my chest. Freeing me, lending me passage to the angel I had once been before The Fall. Lucifer had convinced us that we were to rule and not be ruled by humans. By beings that held less grace, less beauty, less power. The lower beings, the unworthy as the devil had called it. They were unworthy of our care. They didn’t deserve our attention, the sacrifices we were to make for them.
The sensation fled me as her eyes roamed over our little group and with that left mine. She flashed us a quick friendly smile before turning her attention back to her friends.
It was as if we all snapped out of her spell at the same time. Looking wide-eyed at one another, wondering what had happened then realising we had a murder to commit. We had to murder her. The girl that had captivated every single one of us, but, although it now seemed impossible that we’d kill her after what happened, we couldn’t let her walk out alive. He had given us a task and if we didn’t execute it He would haunt us, torture us. I knew this, but deep down something was screaming that I should protect her or all would be lost.
Lucy
It was one of the first days that the weather was nice this year. The sun was up and shining, although it was still Spring so it didn’t warm us that much. I enjoyed the sun, walking over the campus of the university with all the trees lining the esplanade blooming. My two best friends on either sight, joking around as usual. I didn’t know Sam and Katherine to long. We had met at the start of our bachelor year and were nearing the end of it now. Sam had dirty blond hair and brown eyes. She was the more jokingly person of the two. Katherine had black hair with one lock of white in it. She was born like that and it made her unique. Her eyes were a pale blue and she was a sweet and sincere girl. Often scolding Sam and me for being the foolish things we do.
The lecture had been cancelled last minute. We were free for two hours and had decided to pay a visit to the library. None of us had entered it so far and we were curious about it. Well not really, but we had nothing to do for two long hours and we were bored already.
Upon entering it didn’t feel right. Like something dreadful was about to happen here. When I asked my friends, Sam’s eyes widened. ‘Maybe the library is haunted and we can hunt ghosts in here.’ She looked at me seriously before breaking out into a giggle. Katherine rolled her eyes at us as I joined in laughing. I didn’t really think it was funny. The feeling didn’t leave me but there was no need to discuss this any further. They didn’t feel it so they wouldn’t understand.
Feeling as if I was being watched I swivelled around. Locking eyes with a gorgeous, but a dangerous feeling group of strangers. They made me want t run for the hills screaming bloody murder at the top of my lungs. Their beauty wasn’t anything to go by. Lucifer once was the most beautiful of heaven. Perhaps it was that even heaven couldn’t contain that kind of beauty mingled with that kind of power that had caused him to fall. However, that was the kind of beauty they possessed. The dangerous out of this world kind of beauty - knew it and would use it to their advantage. Not only that but they radiated a sense of power. I got goosebumps all over my body, my heart was racing and I was terrified. All just from looking at the five of them.
One of the groups I recognised as Aline. A friend I had made during exams while we were waiting outside the aula. She was a light dot in the darkness. With her familiar dear brown eyes and shoulder length wavy brown hair. She glanced at me and shot me a quick friendly smile before turning back to the other four. Out of her posture, she seemed to be trying to convince them of something. The other four however weren’t listening. They were staring at me as if in a trance. Opposite from Aline there was a girl. She had a dark nearly black skin and black hair with black eyes. On the left side of Aline was a guy with messy brown hair and eyes that were a borderline between brown and gold. The guy sitting on the right side of Aline had black hair, grey pools of eyes and a glasses that gave him a studious look. If it weren’t for his leather jacket and tattoo of a serpent on his hand that seemed to be ready to strike. Opposite the studious person was the guy that had caught most of my attention. Raven black thick bed hair that went every which way and fell into his eyes. Cold emerald green orbs, that seemed like liquid poison. They held me, paralyzed me and aroused me at the same time. I was plastered in place, my body unmoving out of an unrelenting amount of fear for my life. My legs buckled beneath me and my heart fluttered and I felt utterly safe. The combination was strange but left me wanting. I took in his striking features. Strong, aristocratic nose and a jawline that would make any girl swoon over him. His skin was a pale perfection without as much of a hint of imperfection.
I turned as I heard Katherine ask if I were coming. Somewhere inside I felt as though I should run away from this building, but an even stronger feeling nudged me to go to the boy with his bright green orbs and bury myself in him. I did neither and joined my friends to walk in between the bookshelves.
Screams woke me from staring at the books and running my finger along their spines while reading their names. I rushed to the centre to see the four people I had laid eyes on before pointing guns at others. They had placed what seemed like a bomb, although my brain didn’t believe that, on the table and were working on it. Aline was trying to stop them, not even a little bit scared of the guns as others were. They were trained on every person in their sight. Aline’s actions made me fearless as well and I marched forward.
‘What is going on?’ I asked, abandoning my cover and drawing everyone’s attention.
‘Stop right there or the step you take will be your last.’ spoke the dark coloured girl. The gun she was holding trained on my chest.
I wavered for a second before regaining my composure. ‘And why should I? If that thing is what I think it is I will be dead soon anyway. What is the difference? I’d only prolong my life for a couple of minutes before you’d end it anyway.’ I was aware that I was hopeless. My actions were rash where they normally were thought through numerous of times.
Aline looked at me wide-eyed in utter shock. As I took a step forward everything happened all at once. The gun fired and Aline lunged for me. As I heard the bullet ricochet and then finally hit something, exploding in a dust cloud of plaster, I was knocked to the ground. Aline had saved my life. I was in an utter state of shock. I almost died. The realisation that if it wasn’t for Aline I would be dead right now hit me. I didn’t want to die. I was too young to die.
Aline groaned on top of me and pulled me up and hid me behind her body. She was shielding me from the guns as if my life meant more than hers. ‘Aline, what are you doing? You should hide.’ I muttered, trying to shove her behind a bookcase. She, however, was unmoving. It was as if she was glued to the floor. I sighed giving up and instead started trying to put my body in front of hers and shield her that way. I vaguely felt cold tingles and terror running over my body. As I flashed a look in the direction while struggling with Aline, I noticed that a pair of cold green orbs were following my every move.
I froze. ‘What!’ I blurted out. ‘What are you looking at? I am not wearing anything that belongs to you, am I?’ I saw the green orbs turn to slits of poison. Even colder, even more dangerous. I wanted to bite off my tongue, this was not the moment to go all sassy on me. He didn’t respond though, he just kept on staring.
It seemed hours that we had locked eyes, but it probably was only a matter of minutes. I gave him my hardest stare, refusing to be the first to break the contact. Even though I felt chilled to the bone by his gaze and I knew I was being childish for I should be trying to get everyone out of here. The studious person was the one that made the guy break our eye contact.
‘The bomb is ready, Cameron.’
Apparently, Cameron nodded and looked at him. ‘Is it in the right position, Yves?’
‘She is standing right there. This is perfect.’
Was he talking about me? They were here to kill me? That’s why everyone else had to die? Just so they could kill me… What had I done? Why couldn’t they let the others go? My heart sunk in my chest, my friends would die because of me.
‘Why don’t you let everyone else go and let me stay so no one gets hurt?’ I had spoken without realising I had.
‘Why don’t they let us all go so you also won’t get hurt.’ Aline butted in.
I shook my head. ‘No, Aline it’s fi-’
‘Shut up, Lucy! It isn’t fine! You are not dying today.’
I opened my mouth to protest, but Aline put a hand in front of it. The only thing I could produce were some muffled sounds. I frowned at her but looked up when I felt his gaze again. Cameron, the other one had called him. I noticed that the others were also looking at me. But while three of them seemed undecisive the dark-skinned girl wasn’t. She looked like a predator that had found its prey.
‘Why would we listen to you, Aline? Why is she so important that you, an angel of the Light, are protecting her with your own life?’ the girl sneered.
‘Because she, Crystal, is what is keeping this world from going to hell. If you take her out it will be bye bye balance and hello terror of the Dark.’ Aline argued. I didn’t understand what she was talking about.
‘So? I don’t mind playing in the terror of the Dark.’ the girl, Crystal said with a bright smile. The boy with the brown hair nodded confirmative. Yves and Cameron shared a look. What was going on?
‘She doesn’t seem like the promised Light Bringer.’ Yves spoke while Cameron was looking even more intently at me. I felt like I was a lab rat and they were waiting for me to give a sign of some kind. And I did, without realising. It was as if my brain registered it before it happened. I worked Aline out of the way with all the strength I had in my body and lunged for Crystal. In a blink of an eye, while she was pulling the trigger at a friend of mine, I pushed the gun up. It didn’t harm anyone, but now I was very close in her range.
Then something I didn’t think possible happened. It was also the start of a hide-and-seek game with the balance between good and evil as prize. Cameron was suddenly beside me while Yves was working Crystal to the ground and Aline was doing the same with the brown haired guy. He wrapped his arms around me and from his back wings seemed to appear. That was the last thing I saw before I passed out and got hurried into a big stinky mess. Also known as my current life.
