Chapter 24

T he rock that whistled through the air had Nia ducking, but it wasn’t aiming for her
head. Such speed was it thrown at, when it connected with the back of her knee, it broke the
joint and her knee buckled as the bone jutted from her skin. Nightmare roared in pain and
fell, rolling so she didn’t land on her broken leg and clutching it weakly, the pain making her
faint and close to unconsciousness. The Fallen high-fived whilst she watched and stalked
towards her. Panting did no good for anyone but Nia did it all the same, trying to breathe
through the pain and work up the courage to run again. It was going to hurt like hell. She
braced herself as they got closer and fighting back tears ,pushed off the floor with her hands
and put all the weight onto her left leg. Teeth gritted together hard, Nightmare hobbled
determinedly towards the nearest door. The cackles of the Fallen were mocking but she
ignored them and carried on. They could have caught her, she knew, but apparently she was
too entertaining. The sound of another door opening had her wanting to look back but at that
moment, another stone hit the side of her left leg. She dropped back to the concrete floor, for
the final time, facing her attackers.

What she saw shocked her. Stridan had the two other Fallen pinned to the floor, a black
bubble pressing down on them, him picking himself up off the floor. He’d made sure the
stone had missed its target. She watched warily as he approached her, entire body ready to
fight back, throbbing. He put his hands out towards her, palms facing her, as though he were
soothing a wild animal.
She growled a warning and he stopped.

“I’m here to help.”

She barked out a bitter laugh. “Yeah right. Why would you help me escape when you helped
torture me?”
When he looked at her, his eyes were filled with tears.

“My son will not die in vain. He died so you wouldn’t. He loved you and all you ever did was
hurt him. I won’t let his death be for nothing. You will live. And you will remember his
sacrifice.” He waited for her acknowledgement, a slow nod, and then continued.

“I can get you off the compound and slow them down, but after that, you are on your own. I
will stop them as best I can from following you, but I can’t promise I will be successful. It’s
up to you to fight after that. I won’t be on this earth long enough to protect you once you are
away from here. My son died for you, I can do no less.”

Nia jerked her head to look him in the eye, shock and pain paling her face.
“No…” She whispered, shaking her head. “You can’t… not for me….Fallen aren’t supposed
to be self-sacrificing.”

“I was born this way, Fallen. I’m a little different. Carter would have been as well, if you’d
given him half the chance. But enough. We don’t have long, little one. It is a shame you
couldn’t be persuaded onto our side. Spirit like yours could have been a great asset in our
fight.”
“I will never fight for you, always against. I’m bad, but not evil. I don’t really think you’re
evil, either.” Her eyes started to droop and a searing pain shot up her right leg, blood from the
wound pooling on the floor beneath her. Stridan approached and quickly gathered her into his
arms. She protested but ultimately had no strength to fight against him, and sagged instead.

“Well…..no, I suppose I am not as evil as the others, I have more feeling, but do not think me
good. I am not doing this because I like you, only because my son loved you and gave his life
for you. I couldn’t care either way of you lived or died.”

“That’s nice….” Her sarcasm was weak though, and she rested her head limply on is chest.
His steps were smooth and jolt free, not wracking her body with each step but she had no idea
where they were going. Not through the door she’d been aiming at anyway.

When cold air hit her face, Nia tipped back her head and inhaled deeply, feeling the earth
reaching towards her eagerly, embracing. The minute the Mother touched her, Stridan
dropped her. She screamed again as her leg bent underneath her and the bone protruding from
her flesh made her queasy as well as in pain. The skin around the exit hole ripped a little
more at the impact.

“Sorry. I cant touch her.” Nightmare waved off his apology as he reached tentatively round
her and lifted her onto her goodish leg. She tried to smile, but it didn’t quite form. Stridan
patted her head and nudged her in the direction of the large forest that surrounded the old
prison.

It had been a prison! That’s why there were cells, she thought dimly.

“Break a leg.” She scowled at him and he chuckled. “Sorry. You’re near Bull’s Bay. Call for
reinforcements if you can. I doubt you can fight off a hungry mouse at this stage, let alone a
horde of Fallen Angels and one seriously deranged Archangel. I’m going to work on buying
you time.” He walked away without another look, back into the compound.

*****
She hobbled for hours, calling Raphael, singing to herself and crying in pain.
Raphael warned her not to expose herself, to stay hidden and that they were on their way.
They would find her. That’s what she told herself over and over again. Her nerves were shot.
She jumped every time she heard wings – usually a bird – and spun about crazily, heart
hammering, expecting attack.

It was too quiet. The birds had stopped their singing, the deer had stopped their grazing. Even
the mice and spiders were silent. Mother Earth screamed a moment before Nia was knocked
face first onto the leaf carpeted floor. The beating of leathery wings could be heard before
bodies landed and waked towards her. This close to the ground, Nightmare reached down and
sang, calling roots and trees and plants. When the three Fallen were close enough, she struck
out, hands flying towards them, roots following in their wake, spearing, binding, strangling.
Trees reached down with vines and hauled one up into the canopy. A deadly nightshade
forced itself down the throat of the last one, flower after flower the Fallen swallowed until he
turned purple and died. Nia laughed from her position on the floor, watching them die with a
grim satisfaction. She crawled through the undergrowth on her hands and leg, dragging the
right one along with pain-filled moans and frustrated pants. Exhausted, she rested a minute,
cowering as two Fallen winged their way over her hiding place. Finally, the earth was
responding to her. The Mother could function with only a few Fallen, but a whole horde and
Nia knew she wouldn’t be able to summon Nature’s power alone.
She waited ‘til she knew they had actually gone, crept back out of hiding and walked as
upright as she could.

******

The woods were denser where Nightmare wandered, less light and more trees. She stumbled,
weakened and headed towards the light she could see beyond the leaves. She tripped twice
but the invisible promises of pain and torture followed hot on her heels, their wings beating in
the air above her, promising violence and vengeance. The Fallen were gaining on her,
wanting her blood to pay for the deaths of their brothers and sisters. The trees reached out and
ripped at her clothes, stabbed at her bare feet, bare arms. Blood trickled from deep and
shallow cuts all over her body, the sting helping keep her conscious, the burn pushing her on.
Two of her ribs were broken – she’d done an inspection when her bat-like stalkers had
disappeared for a while - and her right leg really wasn’t cooperating, leaving her to drag it
along, instead of walking itself. Her will was strong but she knew that if they found her, she
wouldn’t be strong enough to fight them all.

******

Elena alerted Michael to the fact that Nightmare was on the move, that somehow, she was
free and running. But her healer abilities locked onto Nia’s body and realised the serious
danger her friend was in. She had the feeling that even if the entire staff of Angels and
Archangels managed to find her, there was only a tiny chance she would survive.

She watched Raphael pace and grimace as he felt Nia’s wounds as his own, but he looked
strong and determined.

Nia felt weak and vulnerable and helpless.

They had to find her.

Dagan stood beside her, gripping her hand tightly and trying to offer support. It worked for a
bit but then her anxiety overwhelmed her and she let the tears roll freely. She knew, like the
others now knew, that her friend hadn’t Fallen. That she was still the same old, sarcastic
Nightmare they’d grown to love and fear. That she’d suffered something terrible at the hands
of the Fallen. Raphael’s reactions and her feelings were all the proof they needed that Nia had
been tortured. The poor blue-haired Archangel hadn’t known what to do with himself as he
waited helplessly for some sign of her whereabouts, letting everything she was feeling roll
over him, and not being able to do anything to ease her pain.

Nothing except sing to her.

The group of rescue Angels and Archangels, Nightmare’s parents and brothers included, had
grown used to the sound of his voice singing random songs in the dead of night, the early
morning, anytime she didn’t push him out in order to save him the sounds of her distress. He
said it felt better to sing to her out loud and in his mind, that it had more power. Elena just
wondered whether her realised what was between them. Whether the Archangel knew how
important Nightmare was to him. And him to her.

****
The light at the end of the forest opened up onto the top of a cliff. Nia had about ten metres to
work with before she fell off the edge, and the grass she stepped onto was slippery with the
other day’s rain. Walking quickly but carefully, she made her way along the grass path that
seemed to follow the forest line, her injuries making her slide dangerously close to the edge.
Wings beat out a heavy rhythm behind her and she twisted her head, heart pounding, tears of
fear spilling out of her eyes. But she wouldn’t give up with out a fight, she would make a
stand, and she would at least try and survive. The narrow path opened up onto a single ledge.
She was trapped.

Chapter 25
E lena screamed in unison with Raphael as a tremendous force wracked Nia’s body with
pain, sending them to the floor. Raphael pushed his body passed the pain he was feeling,
mental telling himself that he wasn’t in pain, Nightmare was. That she needed help and she
needed him strong. He picked Elena up from where she’d fallen beside him and held her
against his body as she sobbed. Silently, he handed her over to the young warrior who so
desperately loved her and watched as Dagan soothed his mate.
Longing coursed through him at the sight and then he took to the air, finally knowing exactly
where she was and exactly what she needed. The only problem was; would he get there in
time?

*****
Thelon stared down at his fierce grand daughter from where she stood near the edge of the
cliff. He smiled. She was magnificent. The wind that swept up from the sea blew her hair in
every direction and she was so weak she could barely stay upright, but she did, and she did it
with such an expression on her face. Loathing, pain, determination, anger and power. She
was digging into power reserves he thought he’d completely drained in his abuse of her. She
was truly his descendant. He’d failed with her parents, he hadn’t failed with her. She was
everything he wanted.

Shame he had to destroy her. He shrugged and waved his hand. The horde of Fallen rose up
beside him and faced her. He watched the change go through her. Now all she felt was fear.
He could see it in the paling of her face, so white he thought he was looking at a corpse. He
soon would be.

*****
Nia watched with horror as the sky was filled with her grandfather’s horde. There were over
thirty. Obviously the ones that had left had returned and now she was dead. Or about to be.
She struggled to compose her face, hide the fear. She thought she managed pretty well.
Putting all her weight on her left leg, she took up the defensive stance that had been taught to
her in the event of a broken leg. No, she was lying. She’d just discovered if she stood a
certain way she didn’t fall over and was pretty sturdy on her feet. Foot.

He sent two Fallen towards her and she screamed, thrusting her hands out and blasting the
monstrous Angels from the sky with blue fire. They dropped to the ground, skeletons. More
attacked, enraged by the death of their brethren, and were consumed by her anger. Then it left
her. The power that had coursed through her drained away, and she wilted. She gasped.

Thelon laughed. He saw her falter, stumble back, weak. Human. No power left. Poor little
drained battery. With another wave, the horde descended on her, and he watched from above,
his children. He heard a scream and then silence.

*****
The scream reverberated around the forest and Raphael forced his wings to move faster, beat
harder. Blue fire was visible on the cliff edge and he directed the group towards the light. Her
parents came up beside him, worry straining their faces, tears rolling down Fiorana’s cheek.
He could see a lone figure with wide leathery wings and the mass of black that swarmed
around him. A horde. His Nia was facing down a horde. Alone.

Oh gods! Nia!

Rafe?! Where are you? I can’t hold on much longer. I can’t fight anymore. There are too
many.

I can see you. We’re all here. Your parents, all your Angel brothers, Gabriel, Michael, Ariel.
We are all coming for you. I am so sorry we didn’t find you sooner. We didn’t know where to
look. I’m coming, sweet! Hold on, please!

I’ll try! Did you call me sweet? Ahhhhhhhhh! She disappeared from his mind and he
panicked. Relaying the information that she was still alive to the group flying with him, they
all picked up their speed and charged, swords drawn into the black mass.

*****
Nightmare felt them rip at her, stab her, punch her, but couldn’t find one face in the crowd.
She’d decided to stop screaming, though it was anger and power, she didn’t want to be
known as The Girl Who Screamed When She Died. No, she was going to fight the way she
fought in hand to hand, the way she fought with weapons. She had no magic….she didn’t
need it. She was Nightmare. The one people hated to spar with. She didn’t want to die. And
Nia never did anything she didn’t want to do.

Grabbing a sword from the scabbard of the Fallen closest to her, she swung the blade in an
arc, cutting through wings and limbs. Packed in tightly against her, they had nowhere to go
and were at the mercy of her blade. Granted, she was also at the mercy of theirs, but at least
she was taking some with her. The crowd thinned as she parried and thrust, stabbed and
sliced, got sliced in return. The sounds of blades clashing somewhere above her was music to
her ears. Reinforcements had arrived. Fallen dropped dead left, right and centre, at her hand
and the hand of her rescuers. Finally, she was being rescued. She didn’t like rescuing herself
so much.

To be honest, she had no idea where she got the strength to fight from. On TV, people save
other people all the time, fighting death to get others to safety, lifting cars, climbing
mountains, swimming miles after a shark attack or boat wreck. Where do they get that last bit
of energy?
Instinct, was the answer Nia came up with as she fought. Humans, and apparently Angelkind,
had a survival instinct that was so strong it pushed passed the limitations of the body, of the
physical aspect and allowed extra strength, energy and determination.
Nightmare utilised this. With a battle roar, she tore into the Fallen that charged her, having
picked up a second, smaller blade, and ripped them to shreds. Her kicks were focussed, her
right leg supported her, no matter how broken and her broken arm didn’t hinder her. Pain was
nothing, adrenaline everything. She pushed everything that had ever needed magic to the
back and pulled her humanity to the front. The one thing the Fallen didn’t have.

*****
Thelon watched her as she rested, the bodies of his horde at her feet. The battle still raged
around him, her reinforcements had two extremely powerful Archangels in their ranks and his
Fallen didn’t stand a chance. He was only surprised that she had managed to fight. Minutes
ago she had been dead on her feet. Now, she was alone and unprotected.

Perfect. He swooped down to land in front of her. She didn’t even step backwards. Her eyes
were glazed and unfocussed. Her adrenaline rush was over. He grinned.

“All alone, again. Your friends are too busy to save you now. You’re all mine.” His hand
closed into a fist and he swung…only to be blocked by her wrist. She gripped his fist and
squeezed, his knuckles popped out of joint and pierced his skin. She smiled dreamily at the
blood that trickled over her fingers.

When he swung again, she retained possession of that fist as well. He howled in frustration
and broke her hold by kicking her in the stomach and sending her flying backwards.

Nia teetered on the edge of the cliff, dirt crumbled beneath her feet and rocks fell into the
crashing sea below. She balanced precariously and tried to step forward but her feet kept
slipping and she almost fell over the edge, so she stood as still as she could.

When her grand-father approached she didn’t flinch, even though the adrenaline had worn off
and she had a fair idea that she was about to die. If he hit her now, or even flicked her, she’d
tumble over and land on the rocks, 50 feet below.

“Will you join me?”

“Will you kill me?”

“You could be a great leader, the most powerful Fallen the world has ever seen. You could
rule this world and bathe in the blood of those pathetic humans.”

“You were a great leader, the most powerful warlord. For good. You used to fight for the
good of the world, not seek to destroy it.”

“Last words, grand-daughter?”

“The world will not Fall easily. Humans will not bow down and let you slaughter them.
Angels will not let you rule. Archangels will bring the Light back and your black soul will
shy away from the purity in their hearts. The Light always wins.”

“You fought so hard not to Fall. You failed.” Then he pushed her.

******
When the last of the horde lay on the floor, dead, Raphael turned to find Nia. He turned just
in time to see her fall off the edge of the cliff. He flew towards her but was caught by the
Fallen Archangel. With a growl he battered at his opponent struggling to get passed him and
reach Nightmare. He could hear her in his head, deep inside him, hiding from the fall. He
held her close as his blade clashed with that of her….grand-father? Nia supplied the word but
he didn’t believe her.

“Michael!” He yelled, parrying a blow and managing to slice into his opponent’s thigh.
“Nia’s gone over the edge! Get her!” He didn’t wait to see if the redhead responded but
forced Thelon back, to the ground. Feet firmly planted, they fought. Mighty roars emanated
from both warriors, the clang of their swords sent vibrations through the earth and air,
shaking the Angels hovering anxiously.

“I’ve got her!” Michael’s voice was hoarse but the wind carried it dutifully to him and with
one last stroke, Raphael stabbed his sword into Thelon’s stomach and let him fall to the
ground, and raced towards Michael.

******
She was flying! The ghost of wings hovered on her back, floating her gently towards the
rocks. She laughed…..and the image was shattered. No longer did she feel the heavy weight
of wings, or the breeze gently caressing her. Now the air ripped at her skin, her arms flailed
and she was screaming. The rocks loomed in front of her, sharp and jagged, the waves
beating ferociously, white foam frothing on the points.

There was nothing she could do. She couldn’t fight gravity. She raced into Raphael’s mind
and hid under the bedcovers, hoping that if she couldn’t see the rocks, they wouldn’t crush
her. It always worked with monsters.

But not with rocks. Gravity won and she plummeted into them, shattering into a million
painful pieces. Broken, she placed a light kiss on Raphael’s lips and then faded away.

*****
Michael rose up with Nia clasped in his arms. She was breathing but her breath gurgled and
blood dribbled from the corner of her mouth. As he came back onto the ledge, her family
rushed him and she was dragged from his arms, placed on the floor and assessed. Ariel found
her broken leg, elbow, all the ribs on her right side, two on her left, fractured jawbone,
fractured wrist, dislocated shoulder. Practically the whole of her right side was shattered. Her
lung had been punctured and she was suffering from internal bleeding.

“She’s going to die isn’t she?” Raphael’s voice was shaking and he looked very close to
loosing it completely.

“No, Raphael. Her spirit is still strong. It wants to leave, but for some reason it is staying put.
Right beside you in fact, big brother. With time, I and Gabriel can put her back so she is
whole. We can fix this. It won’t be easy, or completed in a day, but we will save her.” Ariel
sounded so sure that he didn’t dare not believe her. Her parents carried her in their arms,
gently, back to the school. Lykan and Adonis flew on either side and the rest of her brothers
flanked them. She couldn’t have more protection.

“Have faith in her, Raphael. She will not leave you willingly.” He jerked his head round to
regard his friend, but Michael just smiled and took flight.

*****
Nia floated on a cloud, peaceful and sedate…or maybe sedated. She couldn’t feel anything.
The darkness wasn’t scary, she felt as though she were being hugged by it.

“Not your time, little girl. Go back to him.”

“Who?” She peered into the gloom.

“You can’t stay here. You don’t belong with us!”

“Go away. He needs you, you can’t leave him. Selfish girl.”

Nightmare was then pushed by multiple hands into a second room, the room she’d shared
with Raphael in her other dream.

“Stay here for a while. They aren’t ready for you yet.”

“The world isn’t ready for you yet.”

Nightmare curled up on the large bed and waited for the feel of Raphael’s strong arms to
wrap around her waist. She didn’t have to wait long. Snuggling into him, no pain, no death,
just love and him….she could stay forever.

“I don’t want to wake up.” She murmured.

“So don’t!” Her grand-father whispered into the room.

She screamed.