Uriel (The Hallowed Chronicles Book 1) (3 page)

Chapter Four

The class dragged on; what was supposed to be a forty five minute lesson seemed to extend to hours. My mind had been more intrigued with Jophiel. Were we connected in some way from our past or was it just because we were the same? My eyes traveled to the window where the sun peeked through a veil of thin clouds, the muffled voice of the history teacher growing stronger as he talked about a war and what they called the Holocaust. The word "war" seemed to draw my attention. I had an inkling of what war was, but I never realized how bad it could get. My eyes seemed to leak contents as the teacher described the concentration camps, the war-bringer's plans for everyone being one and the same, the abuse, the pain, and worst of all, death. It wasn't dying that got me, it was how it happened; no one should perish in such an awful way. The liquid that ran down my cheeks stung my eyes, and I wiped furiously at them, smacking myself in the face with my hands as I did so.

Images flashed in my mind of cataclysmic scenes that seemed to be cut from a movie and compiled into one long, agonizing scene. Something inside me knew this was real; an inescapable scar on the past of human life. Humans turned against one another and one man's psychotic thoughts were brought to life; a world inside his head of the perfect world brought terror and bloodshed.  Scenes changed to humans caged inside a facility reeking of death and decay, and as tears fell at night, fear was forever permanent inside the gates. No hope hung in the air for these people, no faith in getting out alive. 

My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach as the teacher droned on about this perfect world the man, Hitler, pictured in his head.
Then I found myself staring at my younger self. I stood upon the roof of his home, listening closely to his plans with every intention to wipe as many "imperfect" people out as if they were monsters. My job at that point had been to kill him, but all I could think to do was help the people that were suffering because of one man and his persuasive speeches.  I observed silently in third person as my past self unfurled her wings and made her way to the concentration camps with only one word stitched to her heart. Escape.

Anger spread through me like a wildfire as they burned and shot at the innocent, frightened people from the skies.
I was pulled from the nightmare. Unable to control the anger that threatened my focus, I lashed out at the person who had pulled me from the past, causing those in the classroom to scream and run out the door. A burst of energy exploded in the air, and I was pulled off my feet. When the world came into focus, I found myself in front of Jophiel outside behind the school. It didn't matter how I got there, but I guessed he had dragged me out while I remained stuck between reality and the past. The anger swelled inside me, lusting to burst free. Stepping back, he still held out his hand to me. "Uriel, you need to calm down," he said loudly over the wind that whipped through my hair and our clothes. Energy exploded between us, forcing him back and with a pained look, he looked up at me, his eyes widening in fear as they connected with mine.

I was inside my body and found myself losing control of everything. He stepped forward forcefully, yelling over the wind that threatened to push him down. "Your eyes. What is happening to your eyes? Uriel!" he screamed. My eyes? Nothing had seemed to change except for the power that seemed to radiate from me. Anger had been its trigger and though power seemed good and in my favor, Jophiel's eyes told a different truth. He forced his way past the energy and close to me, wrapping his arms around me. The coldness of his body made me realize that the anger had been making my body heat up past its normal temperature. "It's okay, Uriel. It is in the past, and we have the power to stop it if it were to break out again," he yelled over the howling wind. 

Tears fell from my eyes, stinging as they made liquid trails of hate, pain and sadness down my cheeks. My vision blurred and cleared in a split second, and I could see his worried face. "Why?" I demanded. "Why did it happen?" Jophiel smoothed his hand down my hair before backing away enough to look me in the eyes.

"Humans are different here, Uriel. They choose their paths of Heaven or Hell, and unlike us, they let their emotions control their actions. Their way of thinking is more complex than you and I can imagine and that is what makes us different."

"How could one human being not give a damn about his own species? How could one human not feel anything after countless innocent people die because of him?"

"I don't understand it either. I doubt we'll ever understand it, but what matters now is the fact that it is over. There is no more suffering for those people, and they found their places in Heaven. You want to know who helped end it?  You. You are the reason some of those people lived."

"How? I saw that place burned and those people died, screaming for help, crying for salvation and Heaven, even when they lost all hope."

My own tears began to choke me, and I found it hard to breathe. My legs felt weak, even as the pressure on my back pushed out, and my shirt tore. The wind had finally stopped. Jophiel's hand reached behind me, and I turned my head as his touch sent chills up my spine. My hidden wings had sprung from the negative emotions I held inside and I fell, Jophiel catching me before I could hit the ground. "Yes, they lost hope, but you didn't just watch. You flew in there and you brought justice to those who lost their lives; you guided their souls to Heaven, Uriel. You did more than any of us did in those times," he said softly, wiping the tears away from my eyes. "You made us open our eyes. In those times, you reminded us of the archangels in the bible; strong, powerful, loyal and compassionate. You ended it all. You were more of an angel than any of us were."

The wind began to die down and when I stepped away, I noticed his wings had opened through his shirt, standing proudly against his back. My eyes were still watering and from the look on Jophiel's face, I could tell they had returned to their natural appearance. Sighing to himself, he dug into the backpack that was thrown on the ground and pulled out extra shirts, handing one to me while pulling the other over his chest. "Here, put this on to hide your wings. The last bell just rang, and I think we should make our way out of here," he said. I pulled the shirt over my own that was now uselessly hanging over me. "Nikita is picking me up where I took the placement tests," I said quietly, swallowing the tears that threatened to fall again.

"Alright, let me take you there. She is your guardian and your guide, so we need to tell her what happened."

"No!"

I wasn't ready to tell her of my outburst; I wasn't even sure of it myself. The anger that swelled in me scared me and brought no comfort knowing Jophiel was already exposed to this dangerous side of me. My heart sank at the realization that I could have hurt someone during that time. "D-did I hurt you... or anyone?" I asked, swallowing the knowing that it could have happened.

He shook his head and reached out for my hand. "No, you didn't. Well, nothing that I can't handle, Uriel. Come on, we need to tell her; it will help you find yourself," he replied with a grim smile. Hesitating, I took his hand and we walked to the entrance of the school in a hurry, avoiding eye contact with everyone. Nikita stood at the front, her foot tapping and her eyes traveling across the halls searching for me. When her eyes found me being shepherded by Jophiel, I could feel her emotion change and she walked up to us stiffly.

"Jophiel," she said sternly. "I didn't realize you were so close and just under my nose."

"I tend to escape the radar of many people trying to find me."

"Yes, it seems you are rather good at it. Uriel, how was school?"

Her eyes followed my arm to where my hand was clasped with his and her brows furrowed. I started hesitating, unable to find the words to soften what had happened only a few minutes ago. I couldn't look her in the eyes because I didn't want to disappoint her. "I think we should talk somewhere private," Jophiel said quickly, looking down at me. I was happy he said something so I didn't have to... it gave me some time to recover, and I knew Nikita felt something had went on in the school. She glared at Jophiel and huffed, nodding sternly before pushing open the doors and leading us to her car where she demanded answers. I sat in the back to avoid direct eye contact with her. Something in me didn't want to anger her, but Jophiel once again saved me from having to talk. "Something happened during Uriel's History class. They were covering the Holocaust, and I guess she started remembering that time," he started. Nikita tensed and gripped the steering wheel.

"It was bound to happen; once awake, you will start gaining your memories from past experiences," she replied.

"Something else happened, though. When she was remembering, her emotions made her energy explode. She was angry and things were happening that even I couldn't stop, but what's more interesting is her eyes seemed to change; they turned white."

"White? Nothing else?"

"No, ma'am. When she calmed down, her eyes returned to normal, but you should have felt the power that was radiating from her. It threw me off, and to be honest, I didn't expect such power so early after her waking."

Nikita remained silent and stared out the windshield. I couldn't tell what she was thinking or how she felt; she was closed up to me and it pained me to not know what was going through her head. Placing my head into my hands, I heard the ignition of the car start up. "Jophiel, you may call me by my name. Would you like a cup of coffee?" she asked quietly, hands still gripping the wheel.

"I would love a cup of coffee," he replied, strapping his seatbelt in. Without talking to either of them, I slowly buckled myself in, careful not to make sudden movements. I was drained and I was disappointed in myself for an unknown reason. The self from my past seemed to be upset with how this happened, and all I could do was wish I could take it back. Things were already spiraling out of control, and I wasn't ready to take the next step and own up to the responsibility... there was just too much to do -- too much to bear. Why would I ever accept this fate... this responsibility? People's lives were in my hands and I wasn't able to even control myself.

Chapter Five

There was silence around the table as we all sat there, taking in the breath of bittersweet coffee mixed with luscious scents of nature that seemed to gently wrap us in a blanket of peace. Though even through the makeshift peace, I could feel the tension between Nikita and Jophiel and feeling that they knew something made me feel uneasy. Squirming in my chair, I stared down at the light liquid in my mug still steaming in front of me. When Nikita finally spoke, I jumped, taken aback by her question. "So Jophiel, you are seventeen years old... correct?" The question seemed so generic and unlike her, but why was she beating around the bush? My eyes traveled to Jophiel who seemed taken off guard as well. "Well, technically, I'm older than that. But yes, I am seventeen," he replied.

“
But you are in Uriel's English class?"

"Honors English, yes. Only because I couldn't supply the right documentation, they had to put me behind a year."

"Mhm. And what do you do in your spare time?"

"Well, I like to read."

"What about your training? Where is your guardian?"

The question seemed to trigger something in him, and he slammed his fist against the table, causing the mugs to jump and shake. My body tensed, and I stared at the floor and focused on sending calming energy towards him. It was like my energy hit a wall; my energy shot back at me and the chair tipped, bringing me with it. Heat spread across my cheeks and I refused to move the hair from my eyes, not wanting anyone to see the red that blotched my face. "Uriel, I'm sorry," he said pushing himself out of his seat. He was instantly next to me and helping me up, trying to explain. "It's a touchy subject, and I didn't want to be calmed down." Crossing my arms, I just nodded and fixed the chair so I could sit again, not waiting for anyone to ask me if I was okay. "Nikita, my guardian was killed several weeks after I woke. He left me notes, exercises... hints to my past. I've been using those to train... to remember," he explained in a grave voice.

I couldn't help but sympathize with him. I didn't know what it was like to lose somebody, but I could feel the sadness radiating from him. I no longer felt like it was just me who felt an instant connection to Nikita; it seemed that we all had a connection to our guardians, and I knew I didn't want to lose her. My eyes traveled to his hand that was now shoved into his pocket, fishing for something. He pulled out a piece of paper. He cleared his throat and looked away as he spoke. "While looking through his journal, I found this note. It says 'when one falls, the others will come.' I have a feeling I know what it--"

"When an archangel's blood is spilled... When an archangel dies, their connection with the others snaps until it is reformed beyond the Earth and its realm. When that connection is broken, the others will come and rain Light upon the Darkness, seeking nothing but Justice."

Nikita's words brought a heavy silence to the table. It was as if her words made our reality fall upon us, another weight to be carried on our shoulders. I couldn't help but feel that eventually, we would have to say our goodbyes to those we are connected with. I knew then that not all of us would survive, and it made me look at Jophiel. My eyes began to burn as crystalline liquid formed in them, clouding my vision. This couldn't be how it was supposed to go; there had to be another way. "With that said, Uriel needs to start training," Nikita said sternly. I stood up abruptly, causing the chair to fall over.

"No," I replied quickly.

“What do you mean ‘no’?"

"I mean I'm not going to train to fight. There needs to be another way."

"Uriel, there is no other way to end this."

"But what about peace? Does that not apply to our world?"

"Peace? In order to achieve this 'peace' you speak of, you must achieve it through violence."

"No, you can achieve it through understanding."

There was tension in the room again, but it wasn't like before. This time, it sparked like electricity between Nikita and me. Our energies collided forcefully in the space between us as Jophiel backed away, attempting to stay out of it. "Tell me this, Uriel," Nikita started. "How can you understand Darkness when all it wants to do is destroy, to kill, to corrupt? How do you understand a force that only knows evil?"

I couldn't answer that. She knew I wouldn't be able to, so I let her have her moment, but she refused to let it go. Instead, she kept talking. "You will be fighting things worse than a nightmare; things that can eat your soul, things that can corrupt you and cause you to fall. This isn't a game and this isn't about you or even me; this is about the human world. You fight for the Light, and you fight for Our Father who you agreed to serve. This is your task... this is your destiny. Refusing to fight is selfish." Sighing to myself, I knew she was right. My duty was given to me by the highest power and before this life; I chose to accept it as my destiny.

Nikita was in front of me, holding my hands in hers and staring into my watery eyes. I could feel that she empathized with me, and I knew I could trust her to tell me everything I needed to know. I could trust her to keep her promises. And she made one; a promise so strong, it seemed to be unbreakable... but I knew it would be hard for her to keep, for it had nothing to do with her; it had everything to do with me and what I had to do. "When Light is brought back into balance, when the war is over, you will find the peace you seek," she said softly, running her hand through my hair. Jophiel stood awkwardly at the doorway, hesitating, before he finally walked over to me and draped an arm over my shoulder.

"I will help you find the peace you seek, training partner," he said with a smile. Among the chaos I knew we would face, I also knew I had the greatest partners by my side; an unbreakable connection that would make me stronger.

Jophiel and I stood in front of each other in a gym-sized area beneath Nikita's house with blades in our hands. I had learned that we all had our own soul bound weapons that we could call and dismiss at will. Mine had turned up to be two falchion swords that glinted in the slightest light. Inscribed along the blades was a prayer of protection in the angelic script to help protect me and my blades during battle. Though the blade itself did not radiate Light, I could feel its presence deep within its structure, humming with an unleashed strength. We had been practicing calling and dismissing our swords until they became a subconscious habit, allowing us to think clearly and talk while doing so. Nikita had left us alone, trusting Jophiel's self-training, and I found myself standing awkwardly in front of him, staring into his steady gaze as he spoke. "You want to start training to fight with your swords?" he asked cautiously. No, I really didn't want to, but I had to, didn't I? Sighing, I nodded slowly and he dismissed his weapons, confusing me. His hand traveled through his hair and he stepped closer to me. "Uriel, I know you don't want to fight, but it's what we need to do to keep Man safe. I know we technically just met, but I've known you my whole life; you've always hated fighting... always wanted to find another way to end things. I know where you come from, but this needs to be the way," he explained. I closed my eyes painfully. "I know... I just wish things wouldn't always have to go through violence," I replied.

"Not all of it does. But if you don't fight and you just watch from the sidelines, you can lose the people you love. Trust me; it's not fun losing someone you have a connection with."

I looked at him this time,
really
looked at him. There was sadness in his eyes, and I finally understood; in this world, peace was something you had to obtain the hard way, through tears, pain and anger. Rolling back my shoulders, I stood taller and readied my weapons. "Okay, let's practice then," I said, still regretting every word. He summoned his two-handed sword and we stood there staring at each other until he made the first move. I doubted I knew how to fight, but it seemed my body had once more proved me wrong. As he swung his blade, I ducked and rolled away, catching the tip between my swords and pushed it away, slashing at his stomach. He jumped away and swung again, nearly hitting my face even as I jumped out of the way. "Come on, my weapon is a lot heavier which means slower blows; take that time to strike before I can strike you," he advised as he ran toward me. As he swung his blade up, I jumped at him, slashing at his chest and ripping his shirt to reveal the open wounds I had just inflicted. I dropped my swords and reached out, only to watch as the open flesh stitched itself back together. My mouth hung open as the last bit of flesh became flawless, only smeared with blood that seemed to have never truly seeped from his body. When my eyes found his face, he was smiling and holding the blade over his shoulder. "Cool, huh? We all heal fast," he said proudly. Running my hands down my arms, I shivered. "Wow." It was all I could say.

"Yeah, but broken bones take longer to heal, and wounds can't heal if something is blocking the way. For future reference."

"It's good to know... I was kind of worried I had really hurt you."

"Well, it hurt pretty damn bad, but I can handle it and so can you. I've seen you take some mean blows and still be able to get up; you're a tough little girl."

"Don't call me little."

He laughed loudly, making my brows furrow. It wasn't funny; I meant it. Sure, I appeared to be sixteen, but I technically wasn't. Picking up my blades, I slashed the air to tell him I was ready again and I went for the first strike. As I ran toward him, he raised his weapon and it was then that I knew I had timed his movement wrong and I found myself get knocked in the head with the hilt of his sword. The world went black for a moment and when my vision cleared, I was on the floor. Groaning, I pushed myself back up and wobbled back to my spot. "You know, you used to be good with predicting movement speed, weight, strength and a lot of other aspects when it came to fighting. You were a good tactician," he said. Were? I clenched my teeth at the word and gripped the hilts of my sword. "What do you mean 'were’?" I asked coldly.

"Uriel, I didn't mean it like that. You still are but you just need to regain that aspect of you and it takes time."

"In a war, we don't have time."

"Look, you need to take this slow or you'll get hurt or you'll blow our positions. I understand the want to jump in and save the day right now, but that's not how it works."

"Then tell me how it works, Jophiel. We're some divine beings of Light that serve God to keep balance, but we can't just retrieve all our senses, all of our memories back when we wake? We have to wait?"

There it was again; the explosion of energy burst from me and threw him back into a pillar. I didn't want explanations, I wanted my memories and my abilities back. I wanted this to end quickly so I could feel the peace. My wings had ripped through the material of my shirt, and wind had begun whipping around us. I could hear the muffled voice of Nikita screaming at Jophiel who was now walking towards me slowly, holding up his hands. "Uriel, please calm down!" he pleaded. My hair slapped me in the face as the wind howled, raging between us and as he stepped closer, I put my blades in a cross in front of me. I was silent; I couldn't speak, couldn't make a noise. I was inside myself watching through my eyes as he stood in front of me with a hand outstretched. "I have read many books since I've woke and each book has a hero. That hero is never born a hero; he went through a rite of passage to become one. If people got handed what they needed to succeed, it wouldn't be an achievement, it wouldn't feel as good as it does to work for something. In order to save us all, we need to go through obstacles to finally become what we're supposed to be. Uriel, please, every hero will have a hard time, but in the end, it is always worth the pain and tears."

Something snapped and I had control over my body once more, only to find it falling to the floor. Nikita rushed over and put an arm on my shoulder, looking down at me with worry in her eyes. "You were right, Jophiel," she said quietly. "I must speak to the council." Jophiel helped me up as Nikita hurried away up the stairs.

"The council?" I asked curiously, dreading what the answer would be. All he did was nod, swallowing a lump in his throat. "Yes. They're the ones our guides report to and they're the ones that can take our wings.
"