An Angel's Ascent (18 page)

“
I want you more than I want air to breath, and I don’t mean all sexually. It’s hard for me to say these things. When I can’t see you, it gets hard to breath, my throat tightens, and it’s like you are my oxygen. When I can't sense you nearby my heart feels like it’ll jump right through my ribs and explode. My body wanted to shut down, and scream your name. Everything I am wants to hold you in my arms, protecting you with my body, my life. I think though, that Kali intensified our feelings so that she would constantly be protected. I bet when your pregnant others will be drawn to you, as well. Not sexually or anything, but they’ll feel brotherly as Arch was saying.

“
I think though, we should find out where it will be the safest for us while Kali wreaks havoc. Maybe decide who comes with us. Hell, maybe adopt a few kids and set up a way of surviving when all is done. I hate to see this happen, but Angel, she is right. We need to figure this out better. Is there any way you can communicate with her? Ask her where we go. She will understand this is important because if you get hurt so does she.”

I couldn’t help imagining all the children in the world calling to me during the apocalypse, screaming for me to choose them, save them. How many would die in fires, avalanches, in some kind of weather phenomenon. I saw a little boy no older than four or five with tears on his face, wearing blue PJ’s, crying out to me with his little hand held out. And a girl nine, perhaps ten, screaming for her parents along with millions of others all in pain. I pushed the images away. I was in over my head, but I’d do what I could.

“
I can try.”

I looked inward, but I couldn’t sense her. She said she’d been here all along, maybe she still was, I just had to ask.

Speaking in my head only, I called to her.

“
Kali?” I called to her tentatively.

“
Mortal, ask your question...” she sounded sleepy as if she had been napping.

“
We need to know what to do now. We know we must prepare for you, but how? Where do we go? Who do we take? Where will we be safe?”

“
Calm mother. I will guide you as if these things are your thoughts. I am twisted throughout you, completely a part of you. I will not cleanse the world until the day I am born. I wish you to know, as I have sensed your thoughts, that I do not do this to punish, or be evil. It is something that has to be done. Your world, I am dying. I must be reborn and walk among the people, animals, and land to heal it. I will bestow powers upon some who will help me in my work.

“
If I had any choice I would not do this. I would allow things to go on. I would suffer for my children. The world will die and cease to go on or be reborn, or rather started over. I want you to understand this, so that there is love between us.

“
If I am to be human, I want to feel like one. I want to be a child. We have time before anything must happen, and when you conceive me, I will still be a part of you until I am born into your world. My master wishes this. I have no choice in the matter. We all do his bidding. He is the ultimate, the everything, and he created me so I could create you. For seven days, I birthed life into this planet. I cannot watch it die. Seven days will undo my work. For now, you should convince your loved ones to go with you. Tell Aries that the island where he was born is where you will return. The people there will serve you. Go to the island, make it yours.”

I was shocked and moved, and a little scared. Things seem to be moving too fast. Could I do these things? I knew I needed time, but that was a luxury we didn’t have. I was a mature, rational, open-minded person capable of self-support. I had a very over active imagination, and it was trying desperately to run away with me.

I shivered and felt her recede from my consciousness. I opened my eyes, and immediately Aries was there before me, his forehead to mine.

“
She said we have to go to the island where you were born. That she will guide us along the way, even after we conceive her. Her master has ordered her to do this.”

“
I thought the bible said that it wouldn’t happen again?” Aries asked as he sighed and rolled to his back. His eyes closed, and he grew quiet until I spoke.

“
I don’t know, maybe her master, her God, gave her no choice.”

“
I guess we tell the guys now. They should probably find mates as well before they are limited. That should be funny, but I don’t feel like laughing.”

We got up and walked back to the club.

We didn’t talk much, but I did watch the moon. I felt like she was my best friend, even if she was far away. During the full moon, I had noticed my magic powers were stronger. I hardly had to try. When the moon was gone, I had troubles with the harder spells. That’s why my coven met once a month online, during the full moon. We felt so much stronger.

When we got to Deaths Door, I hesitated. Part of me was scared to go in. Inside, I knew I had no choice.

We had to wait until their set was done then we went back to the VIP room. We locked the door this time. No more people needed to eavesdrop.

“
What happened?” Cross asked, sitting on a couch arm. He had his arms crossed waiting for us to explain.

“
Well, there’s no doubt to what we guessed. Angel is the reincarnated Kali. Only Kali's consciousness is inside her right now. Angel touched the weapons, which awakened Kali, who then possessed her. She told me that yes I was Angel’s foretold mate. No surprise there really.

“
Also she rewarded us by allowing us to um fraternize again. I think she meant that you guys should find a mate for yourselves. We have nine months to figure this thing out. We’ll have to move to an island somewhere near Ireland as well, in order to survive the apocalypse. Back when I was born it was called Kaliopsi, it’s between Ireland and Greece. I know that it could be any island now; I will look on a map and find it.”

“
Armageddon doesn’t start until the day Kali is born. Seven days she said,” Angel whispered. She looked around at the others knowing what they felt.

“
This is February, so that means October right?” Madness asked, looking around at each of them as well.

“
Depending on when we um, consummate, our vows,” Aries said with a side look at me. There was a tender hopeful look…

“
It helps if you asked you know!” I said sarcastically. I pulled my hand back and felt like sticking my tongue out at him. Childish I know…

“
Maybe next winter by the looks of this,” Thorn said, making all the guys but Aries laugh hysterically. They stopped when one by one I gave them all glares.

“
Remind me not to piss off your fiancé Aries, she has a goddess of destruction inside...” joked Switch. He stood up and walked over to the fridge and grabbed a drink.

“
I'm barely his girlfriend. We’ll let you know when the titles change again guys, I promise,” I said icily. They talked like I wasn't even in the room.

“
Can we bring our 360's and laptops you think?” Arch was obviously a gamer, and quite addicted it seemed.

“
I think so, but electricity may be limited. This is the tricky part. We’ll have to figure out how this all works. No electric company, no electricity, so solar panels?” Switch suggested. He was one of the smart one’s apparently.

“
Expensive, but maybe our only option at this point, so between all of us we can afford to do this,” Aries replied, putting his hands in his lap, and glancing at me.

“
I think we should move to Kaliopsi first guys. See what buildings are like there and work with all that, we may not have to buy the island to reconstruct all of this. From what Kali said a few hundred will survive. Mainly children and young people,” I told them. “We have to see who all is on the island and who we bring with us. Doesn’t this sound like Noah’s ark?”

“
A little bit, except there wasn't vampires and stuff there.” Cross was playing with his bluish-blond hair thinking about something.

The guys trailed off mentally, each imagining their own hells. Mine vastly different than theirs. Mine full of my own demons.

I thought about all this and felt like a huge job was ahead and I didn’t have the energy. Why couldn’t the world be taken over by fairies or something? Or freaking little chipmunks or deer?

“
Mother?” she called, startling me.

“
Hmmm,” I wasn't sure how I felt about her calling me that. The truth remained the same though, in the end.

“
I sense your sadness. I know this must be hard. I have these feelings now, that I didn’t before I awakened, and thoughts that I don’t understand either. My powers will be yours as well. I am so full of power that I have to share. You have to learn how to use them, because when I’m born demons, and other evil beings will try to take what you have built. They will want to control me. As a newborn, I will not be able to defend myself.

“
My powers are now yours. I will have to learn everything again. I feel like you are upset with all of this, and I want you to understand it isn't too bad. There is good in this. You will die if we don't do this. In five years, the world will fall apart. The vegetation will dry up and stop producing the oxygen. The sun will destroy your planet. The animals are dying. There will be no food for your children.”

“
I understand better now. It seems like so much work in such a little time,” I silently told her. I could imagine vividly the things she spoke of.

“
Mother, you have some time. I am learning this thing you call patience. You will not conceive me until we reach the island. I must go now. I need to rest while you learn this new power of mine. I am sorry.”

I barely caught what she said. I had been paying attention, but it still took a second to understand what she meant.

Power?

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I didn’t understand why she apologized as I felt her fade. Then, all of a sudden, I got hot. There was a fire inside me, burning white hot, running through my veins, scorching everything it touched. I tried to let it go, dropping Aries hand as I jumped up and back. I screamed, falling to the floor, writhing in pain, I didn’t know what to do with it. It consumed me. Burning paths like molten lava through my veins. I looked at Aries, whose tortured expression told me he had figured this would eventually happen. This is why he had felt regret while we had been sitting in the car behind the club, when we’d first met, not so long ago. I watched his eyes change as I burned. Consumed by anger because he could not protect me from this thing, the thing he had so feared.

“
What’s wrong with her?” Thorn asked, rushing over to me along with the others, only Aries stood back. The band didn’t know what to do. I could see these things, understanding them while my body was engulfed in lightening, while the heat poured through my core. It felt like an angry living thing inside of me, desperate to get out.

“
Look at her eyes!” Switch said. His hands fluttering helplessly, debating on what he should do. He felt the need to protect just as strongly as the others. There were no denying things now. The proof was within them, as well as without.

“
Her nose is bleeding!” Arch cried grabbing nearby paper towels. He tried desperately to stop the flood that had begun. A simple nosebleed would not have gushed this way. He couldn’t stop it. It was everywhere, my shirt beginning to soak some of it up. My hair was sticking to my face, the smell of it gagging me.

My sense of self had been ripped away; my choice to stay and do this now doubted by the upcoming horror I still had to go through, causing agony to accompany the burning hunger within.

Aries’ knees buckled; he hit the floor as his body locked up. He couldn’t help me through this, and he knew it. I was receiving Kali's powers. He’d known it would be painful, and I’d suffer, but I’d survive this. I felt the anger consume him, blind rage. He cried out, wanting to take this pain. He needed to hurt something. He forced himself up off the floor and went to the brick wall beside the soda machine on the other side of the room. I could see him from my spot on the floor, through my agony. I was still aware of him. He swung both fists at the wall. One after the other, not caring that it was ripping his fists open, blood dripping. He bashed at it over and over, making the hits count enough but also giving himself time to work the anger out of his system and not hurt the others in the room, tearing his hands up.

I saw what my pain was doing to him, so I stopped screaming, it was doing no good. Aries shouldn’t have to suffer with me. I could do this much, no matter how much it hurt. I felt that not releasing my pain verbally was choking me. It was that I held so much inside, no empty spaces within me. Tears flooded, running over my lids, down my face, mingling with the coppery smell of my blood. I couldn’t see how someone could take so much without bursting.

My back arched so far back I felt something snap. Frank beat on the door and hollered. I heard the guys all around me, but was unable to concentrate on their words. I couldn’t see Aries. I knew I couldn’t hold this in. I had to release it somehow. Cross tried to hold my hand, but when he touched me the fire ran into his, running up along his arm like electricity. He fell beside me and convulsed wildly. I was afraid I might kill him so I let go. He was making weird sounds. My hand felt like charcoal, crispy even.

Although a part of me knew it was normal, I sensed everyone’s emotions around me, making the torture ten times worse. They inflicted upon me their wrath and denial, all of which weighed me down. Their blood lust only sated by my pain and their deep need to protect me. If this dam didn’t break, I’d fly apart into millions of pieces.