“Where’s the fire human?” a deep voice says from behind, pulling her against his large body.
At twenty four, Varena had grown into a beautiful young woman. Her long, curly brown hair had traces of red in it and her eyes were hazel green. She was tall, but next to the Fallen she was tiny. His companions laugh as they surround the duo.
“Release me!” she yells struggling in vain against his strength. Cole watches with no trace of emotion.
“Tristan?” she asks calling for help. All knew the penalty for defying the prince.
He looks at her with disgust. “I am Cole, son of the Mocker. Take your time with her. I know my way from here,” he says to them and walks away.
Tears silently trace down her cheeks. She knows it is futile to fight a group of Fallen. They may be fallen, but they are still powerful angels in every aspect. Dragging her to a corner, one flips her around to face him and screams in fury as she jams her thumbs into his eyes. He drops her to the ground as another moves forward laughing.
“Did the kitten scratch you? Let me show you how it’s done” and he punches her quickly in the jaw. Varena slams back into the wall; she is dazed and bleeding. Weeping inside she looks for any sign of her brother’s return, knowing it is futile. She turns her head away as they move in... She has long since given up hope because these kinds of attacks were usual for the women in the keep. She would be dropped on the steps of the nursery when they were through with her. No punishments would be made and life would continue, here in Hell.
Rebecca tells the four older women running the nursery to report to the laundry area. They obey the queen and leave silently. Rebecca looks at the sleeping baby girl in the first crib and feels nothing. Her own history of abuse predicts the future of this child; rape, beating, mental abuse and worse. It is not a life, but a punishment.
Pulling the knife hidden so long ago from its hiding spot, Rebecca begins to set her people free. There are twenty four children of varying ages sleeping tonight. She knows because she gave each one a night time sweet, laced with a sedative. They would not wake up. These children are not human; they are half angel, half human, demons. You cannot kill a demon the way you can a human. Death requires a special weapon, one that has been blessed by the Maker himself. The children are partially immortal beings, and Rebecca knows better than anyone what must be done. She had saved the knife just for this reason. Six of her children now sleep here; they are the first to be freed. Feeling a sense of peace, she hurries about her work, humming.
She quickly covers the last child as footsteps approach and wipes the knife off holding it behind her back. Cole enters the room, and stomps to the table.
“Let’s get this over with, Mother. I have things to do,” he tells her, not bothering to look at her. He picks up a cookie, one of his favorites, and eats it.
“Where is Rena?” she asks him.
“She got detained” he responds with a smirk. “I am sure they will drop her off when they tire of her.” Picking up another cookie, he eats it while she hands him a drink.
“Tristan, have I ever told you of your father. I loved him very much. We were soul mates he and I. He never raised a hand against me in anger, and he loved to sing the songs of our people.”
“My name is COLE!” he coldly says, jumping up from his chair. Suddenly feeling dizzy, he looks at his mother realizing the room is spinning.
“Mom?” he questions as his knees give out. Rebecca catches him in her arms before he hits the ground.
“It’s okay my angel. Everything’s going to be alright.” Cradling him in her arms, she says softly, “We are all going home today. You will meet your true father and we will be together again, as a family.” She places him gently on the floor. As the only human child left, he succumbs quickly to the poison. His slow breathing tells her his heart will stop soon. Rebecca cries because she feels a vibration coming and knows she will not be able to save Varena, too. Rocking him gently, she sings the song of their people as he takes his final breath. Pressing a kiss on his forehead, she lays him on the floor, and stands to greet the King.
Rebecca waits as the door crashes open and he enters.
“How dare you…” he stops as he sees her waiting for him with a knife in her hand. She stabs the knife into her stomach, screaming as the holy fire from the hunting knife impales the child growing inside. He rushes forward to stop her, but he is too late. Laughing she waits for the moment when he sees her child on the floor.
She screams as she falls to her knees, “He was never yours! My son is FREE from your evil!”
Samiel realizes the room is quiet, too quiet. “What have you done, Watcher?” Rebecca tears the knife from her stomach she throws it at him, falling over in pain.
“I did what I had to do; I liberated my people from you, Mocker.”
Roaring in rage, he races around the room realizing they are all dead. “You are a fool, human; you forgot the one who remains,” he says, laughing at the look on her face.
“She will take your place, and I will have a new family soon enough” he tells her with a smile.
Varena stumbles through the door beaten and bloody to a scene from her worst nightmares. She sees her mother bleeding on the floor, and her brother dead beside her. The
