Descended (2 page)

The council had no choice but to send Violet, ready or not. The only thing the council feared was putting Violet in harm’s way.  Sending her on this mission would do exactly that. It was a risk they had to take to protect both worlds. This decision did not come without thought of consequences but the council believed Gabriel could keep her safe.  They knew they had no other choice…they needed her. Only a few people on the council knew why Violet was so important to this mission and one of them was their leader
Camulus
.  These details were to be kept silent by
Camulus
’ order and no questions were to be asked.  The others blindly obeyed his request. Violet was the key to saving the boy and keeping both worlds safe from the evil that threatened them all and that was all the others needed to know.

Gabriel continued to play games with Violet, fumbling to find the dossier on the subject she was about to inhabit, complete with photos.

“Let me just check….I know it’s here somewhere.” He ruffled through the pages of his file.

“Let’s see here…” he glanced up carefully with one eye locked on Violet, noticing anticipation on her face.

“Her name is…Vivian.”

“Yes.” Violet couldn’t stand it anymore.  She lunged at Gabriel and pulled the file straight out of his hand.

Violet opened the file and saw the photo of Vivian Thorne. “She’s beautiful.” Violet said suddenly somber.

“Yes, she is.” Gabriel answered back. He seemed surprised that Violet didn’t notice the obvious. Vivian Thorne bared
a striking resemblance to her
.

“Vie.” Gabriel said.

“Yes?” she answered with a question.

“Don’t you see it?” he said.

“See what?”

“Vivian…you…the resemblance?”
Gabriel thought she was just playing with him now. “I mean surely you can see it.  Right?” he asked.

“Me and her?
You’re kidding me right? Gabriel you have got to do something about your vision. Eyes like an eagle?  HA!  Not anymore.  Don’t worry; you’ve got me on this mission. I’ll be your eyes old friend…I’ve got your back!” She joked at his expense. Gabriel could tell by her face she was not kidding and she really did not see how much the two of them had physically in common. He decided to let it go since Violet clearly was taking a pass on the notion.

Violet smiled and repeated her name.

“Vivian Thorne….Vie Thorne,” she said out loud with some familiarity. “It has a nice ring to it don’t you think Gabe?” She pranced around Gabriel already finding a way to get comfortable with her subject.

“You know,” Gabriel spoke with curiosity, “It surprises me that what she looks like is so important to you. I mean I thought you hated that about their world…the emphasis on the physical beauty?” Gabriel replied as he walked Violet to the entrance gate.

“That is true, I do hate it. But what I can’t change I need to adapt to. Looking like her can only help on this mission,” Violet stated matter of
factly
. Sadly, he couldn’t help but think she was right. Physical beauty with humans is almost an obsession. “When will they learn?” Gabriel thought to himself.

“Here.” Gabriel tossed the entire file of Vivian Thorne over to Violet.

“Post it to that wonderful photographic memory of yours. We will arrive when the sun sets on their world,” Gabriel said.

“Oh, and one more thing Ms. Thorne,” Gabriel said grabbing her hand.

“
Yessss
Gabriel!” Violet said in a huff.

“Remember, I am in charge. You take orders from me, not the other way around.  No rule breaking.  Are we clear?” he warned.

Vie’s
beautiful violet eyes rolled condescendingly at Gabriel and then a sweet smile was painted on her face.

“I mean it Vie.” Gabriel raised his voice ever so slightly to show the seriousness of what he was saying.

“So, are we clear?” Gabriel asked again for clarification from his wayward freshman apprentice.

“Crystal!” Her lips straight lined.

“Sir, is that all sir?” she joked waiting to be dismissed from Gabriel’s army.

“I mean it Vie. This is serious! I fought to have you here with us because I know how you feel this is your destiny and I do too, but if I feel for one minute you have gone all renegade on me, it’s over.” Gabriel’s voice changed from authoritative to concern.

“Point made Gabe.” She raised her hand to her brow to salute her new captain.

“I won’t disappoint you Gabriel.  I promise.” She looked at him with her violet eyes humble now, her hands placed together in front of her face, bowing her head. “Thank you Gabriel,” she whispered, “I am eternally grateful!”

“
Hmmmm
,
” Gabriel mumbled.
“Ironic huh?
  The eternal part I mean.” He questioned
Vie’s
sarcasm in the remark.  She just smirked.

“I thought you would like that.” She flung her arms around Gabriel, squeezing him as tight as she could, laughing and jumping up and down.

Gabriel thought to himself, the only thing more beautiful than
Vie’s
mesmerizing violet eyes was her angelic voice. All of the angels in heaven could not sing one note as lovely as Violet. When she spoke, it was hard not to deliver her requests. When she sang, it was pure heaven. These were among the many special gifts Violet possessed and she always knew how to work them. That is what made her the perfect person for this mission. Simply put, Violet had a warm, mesmeric charm that was irresistible to all. Gabriel knew this well and so did all of the council. She was the most divine Guardian that had ever existed in every way. Gabriel knew that this mission would prove that Violet was a special force with a destiny to unleash.

Gabriel was happy to see his friend so ecstatic in the moment, but he worried about his decision to convince the council to let her go. A decision he hoped he would not regret. Violet can be overzealous because she is still young and undisciplined, a fact Gabriel was not about to overlook. While he understood this about Violet, Gabriel knew that she was unequivocally the right person to send and this was to be her destiny.

“Are you ready?” Gabriel looked at Violet with worry lines on his forehead.

“Do you really have to ask?” she replied with urgency in her eyes.

“Well then, close your eyes and take my hand” he said.

“Wait!” Violet paused and turned to face her friend.

She placed her hand on his cheek and said, “Thank you Gabriel” and hugged him softly. “I know this is happening because of you.” She spoke in a sincere soft tone.

“You’re welcome Vie.” Gabriel squeezed her tighter.

He grabbed her hand, looked at her with his gentle eyes and said “see you down there kiddo.” Violet smiled. They stood together holding hands at the Gates and waited for the rainbow to connect the worlds. Violet’s destiny waited for her. She could hardly breathe. Suddenly, the beautiful rainbow appeared, shining brightly as ever. “Vie?” Gabriel looked at her.

“Yes Gabe?” she smiled with wind blowing fiercely in her hair.

“JUMP!”

Chapter Two

The Awakening

“I hear their voices but my eyes are unable to open. My lids are so heavy and I keep fighting to pry them open. I try to speak but I can’t give my words a voice. What is happening to me? Where am I? I hear voices talking but I can’t communicate back.  I can’t stand this darkness, for darkness is my only fear! Then I hear something that comforts me immediately, but I’m not sure why? It’s a man’s voice; shaken, nervous and clearly frightened. I want to reach out to him but I can’t move my arms. God, what is happening to me? Have I arrived? Who are these voices? Why can
’t
I open my eyes? Gabriel….where are you?” Then I heard the man speak.

“Is she going to be okay?” he asked with deep concern.

“We’ll know more when she wakes up,” a very positive compassionate reply answered him back.

“Do you think she can hear me?” he spoke again.

He responded again with great empathy, “I’m sure she can.”

“It is true you can feel the love in a room?” Violet thought as she lay merged with her vessel known as Vivian. Violet could feel an overwhelming sense of warmth and love all around her. She wanted so desperately to open her eyes to see just what was creating this amazing feeling but couldn’t seem to make herself wake up. She felt groggy and unsteady, which was no doubt from the anesthesia used during Vivian’s surgery.

The voices began to speak again, more like whispers in the room that were unfamiliar to Violet, which meant she had arrived as planned. Then she felt something, a warm touch on her hand that radiated joy through her entire body. Violet wanted to react; she tried to move her fingers to hold the hand, but couldn’t.  Then, while still holding her hand, Violet felt the person shift over her body and place their warm soft lips on her forehead and kiss it gently.

“Who is this?” she wondered. “Why can’t I open my eyes?”

Just as they began to pull away from her, she fought against whatever it was keeping her in this paralyzed state and finally opened her eyes. Everything was out of focus. Violet couldn’t see the face of the person leaning over her, but she could hear their heart beating. He looked down and noticed she was waking up and began to yell in a panicked, but excited tone.

“Dr. Goodwin…get Dr. Goodwin…Vivian is coming to!”

Violet kept fighting to restore the focus of her unusually keen bird’s eye sight.  Second by second her vision cleared until she was able to see the person standing over her as clear as crystal.

“Daddy?”
Violet uttered in a soft weakened whisper.

“Vivian?” he replied, his eyes now filled with tears of relief.

It was immediate recognition from the vessel Violet was now aboard. The merge seemed to be successful. While Violet seemed to be herself and fully intact, she was also able to connect with the subjects feelings, just as Gabriel said would occur in a successful merge.  Well, at least regarding the person standing before her…her father…Vivian’s father…Henry.

This was good but Violet was not prepared for the flood of human emotions that were about to follow. She immediately felt a rush of fear, love, joy, relief, and worry for the man standing over her.  Becoming human was going to be a bit more difficult than she initially thought given the raging emotions that had consumed her entire body within seconds of seeing her human father Henry.

Violet studied his face for a moment and it was easy to see that Henry, Vivian’s father, was tired. His eyes were beautiful.  They were a light shade of blue, sky blue, but covered with tiny red lines from lack of sleep no doubt. The dark puffy circles under them and deep wrinkled lines on his forehead were proof that the worry he had for his daughter was taking a toll on him. He looked at her again and began to weep.

“Daddy,” Violet said as she grabbed his hand. “Please don’t cry,” she begged. This made her feel so bad. Violet was a special breed. She possessed an exceptional amount of empathy for others, which at times did not help her with the Guardians. Violet’s downfall, as seen by the council, was that she put others needs before what needed to be done. “There are always casualties of war,” they would tell her repeatedly in training. Still Violet had issues with this concept and that made her weak to them.

“Vivian, I’m sorry. I’m just so happy to see those beautiful eyes of yours open again,” Henry said, trying to explain his tears. “These are tears of joy honey, I promise.” And he kissed her forehead again while trying to compose himself as the Dr. entered the room.

The Doctor approached her bedside wearing a long white coat with a name tag on it that said Dr. Goodwin. He was an older man with salt and pepper hair and a stark white confident smile. There was a sense of pride and enthusiasm in his demeanor, as there would be because Vivian was waking up. In Dr. Goodwin’s view, this was nothing short of miraculous.  Violet knew all too well why the good doctor was excited. Vivian was not supposed to wake up, but she was needed by the Guardians, by Violet. The surgery was an attempt to save her, but all parties were aware that the chances of her surviving the surgery were slim, including Dr. Goodwin. Vivian chose to have it, even knowing the risks. Henry was not happy about this decision, until now.

Then Dr. Goodwin spoke in a congratulatory manner. “Welcome Back Vivian!” He leaned in and whispered in Violet’s ear. “I told you we would see each other again.” His confidence now turned to a sweet personal sentiment between the two of them. Suddenly, Violet had a flashback
to the moment before Vivian’s surgery. She could see the memory as if it had actually been her, not Vivian on the table.