She smiles at Alex as she leaps at the leader of the fallen scissoring her blades together decapitating him.
Alex recovers quickly and attacks the other fallen angel, who jumps for Elina. The demons surround the two keepers and Alex is forced to put his back to his sister.
“Alex, together we can…” Elina starts to say, but he cuts her off.
“There is no we, Keeper!” Alex lets his fury go and it rolls off of him in a wave detonating the remaining demons and fallen angel. It continues into the trees blowing them over in a shower of splinters and dirt as they fall.
He spins quickly and she finds his sword at her throat. Her turquoise eyes are filled with tears as she stares at her brother.
Chapter 6
“You have put us all at risk by coming here! I should destroy you where you stand!” he snarls at the sister he thinks betrayed them all.
“Let me explain, Alex?” Elina pleads.
Alex puts his sword away, “You will explain, just not here. We have to move quickly, they will follow our threads. Shield yours and follow me!”
Elina trembles with emotion as she does what he asks. They leave the destruction behind and she follows his golden light through space. When she feels the wind stop, they arrive at a small house in the middle of a thick forest.
“Where are we?” Elina asks.
Alex stares at her, “This is the house that was supposed to protect Lexy and me. It didn’t quite work out that way, did it sister?” he growls at her.
“Alex, we need to talk.” She says quietly stepping towards him. Alex backs away from her hand and pushes his long hair back, frustrated. Part of him wants to trust her, but he will not risk his people for her.
“No. I have a better idea. Show me!” he says, grabbing her face with both hands. “Show me your memories,” he whispers and he takes from her what he needs.
Elina does not fight him, she simply gives him all of her memories, their memories, and waits.
“What trick is this?” he asks with horror in his brown eyes.
“No trick, Alex. Yesterday, I was with our family, but Malach,” her voice breaks. Holding back her tears, “What of Malach, Alex? Is he alive?” she asks him.
Alex begins pacing back and forth. Trying to wrap his mind around what he is learning. Elina watches and waits for him to process the information he has discovered.
“Is that all you care about, sister?” through clenched teeth. “What of my Father, or Varena? What about Lexy?” he turns away from her in disgust and stomps away. Unable to look at her for the moment he goes into the small house and gets his medical kit out.
Elina stares at him as he goes inside. She is exhausted and she wonders, ‘Is that all she cares about?’ Quietly she follows him inside and finds him in the dark kitchen tending to his wounds, and he looks at her and lights a candle.
“What about humanity, Elina? Do you not wonder what has gone on in these last ten years?” His anger shows on his face and in his stance.
Exhausted and overwhelmed, Elina looks at him and stammers. “I, I,… of course I do, Alex! I’m so tired. I need to sleep and put things in order. Can’t you see that I am just as confused as you are?” She pleads with him to understand.
He turns away from her, “The morning after Hunter took us and brought us here, I woke up in another place. I was no longer in this cabin but on a ship in China. Her voice whispered to me to get up, waking me and I never understood why, until now.”
Alex looks back at Elina with understanding filling his eyes. He walks past her through the house out onto a back deck. He drops down onto the ground and begins to pry up the last board on the step. It is old and the nails are rusted squeaking as they are pulled free.
Elina follows him more confused than ever and watches as he draws out a large knife to pry the board up. The cracking and splintering of the wood causes her to jump. He tosses the board aside and pulls out a small wooden box.
Elina steps closer drawn by the look of excitement on his face. “What is that, Alex?” eyes wide with anticipation.
“I will show you, but not here. Follow me.” He pushes past her back into the house and leads the way back to the living room. He places the box on the table and turns to look at his sister. Can he trust her? Should he trust her?
“Don’t be ridiculous, Alex! Of course you can trust me.” Elina snaps her temper flaring.
Alex smiles at her and whispers back, “It has been a long time since I trusted anyone, sister.”
His hands tremble as he slowly opens the lid and pulls out its contents.
“Wake up, she said. The voice woke me and I found that I had traveled back in time. I was on a ship, I could tell by the bunk I was sleeping in and the rocking of the ship. She led me through the passageway to a kitchen, where I found this.”
He looks at the surprise on her face and smiles. “I know it is hard to believe, but if anyone could, it would be you. When I came home, I stashed the box under the steps to hide it. I did not know why, until now. It must be meant for you! I had just finished hiding it, when Varena screamed. Hunter tried to stop them, but they were too strong. I came through the back door in time to watch them pull his heart from his chest. Varena was protecting Lexy. She must have known she wouldn’t escape because she used her gift and pushed me to safety. I don’t
