He wasn’t finished though.

He leapt into the air and spun around. Raising his sword again he brought it down with staggering power against Saul’s neck, detaching his head before the top of his body ever hit the ground.

All three pieces of my enemy’s body landed in separate piles at the same time. Seth landed too, right in front of me. He sheathed his sword with another swift lift of his arm and was in my face before I could feel reality again.

He touched my jaw with careful fingers- fingers that belied the deadly force that he truly was, fingers that trembled with care at the sight of my broken body. And just before I found the sweet relief of oblivion, I heard him whisper words that would have changed my life if this weren’t the end, if I wasn’t about to meet death face to face.

“Don’t go, Stella,” he whispered. “Don’t leave me. You are my reason. You are my truth. Stay,” his voice cracked with an emotion that seemed to flood even my muddled brain. “Stay with me!”

Chapter Six

My body was on fire. And I was surrounded in darkness. This had to be Hell. It had to be.

I felt my mouth work, trying to let lose a scream of suffering, but my throat was too rough and sore to allow that to happen. Instead, I heard the pathetic whimper that fell from my lips and into the void of pain beyond me.

That’s all I felt- all I knew. Pain. And more pain.

It felt infinite. It consumed me. There wasn’t a part of my body that remained quiet; every molecule, blood vessel, bone and organ screamed with misery. Tears followed the agonizing pain- tracking down my face, leaving wet trails that pooled in my neck and shoulders.

And then nothing. I sank back into the black void of no feeling, no pain, and no thoughts. Just….. nothing.

----

The next time I found consciousness again, I was able to open my eyes and realize I wasn’t in Hell after all. I was in my bedroom, in my bed and under my own covers.

My eyelids felt too heavy to open, but I forced them up so I could see for myself that I was home. I didn’t know how I got here, or how I did not die, but I didn’t care at this point.

I started crying again, but this time it wasn’t from pain. It was from relief, relief that I wasn’t dead, relief that I wasn’t still in that unnamed desert with an enemy sword at my throat, relief that I wasn’t burning in Hell.

I was home.

“Hey, hey,” Seth whispered softly when the first tear dropped to my cheek. “Are you still in a lot of pain?”

I shook my head, drinking him and his perfection in. Although he didn’t look very perfect right now, he was to me. He couldn’t have been more perfect. His hair was a mess, tussled and wild like he had been pulling his hands through it for days- and maybe he had been. His jaw had a solid day’s growth of facial hair. It wasn’t as thick as I imagined it would be one day when he was a full-grown man, but it was just scruffy enough to highlight his sharp jawline and high cheekbones. His clothes were wrinkled and stretched out. His hands were trembling, actually shaking as he observed me from the end of my bed.

“You’re here,” I whispered through the still falling tears.

“I’m here,” he promised.

He stood up and moved down so that he was sitting near my hip. He carefully, and gently lowered his body so not to jostle the mattress. He reached forward like he would take my hand, and thought better of it, pulling his hand back and running it through his messy hair again. His eyes were so golden, so deep with emotion that they appeared like separate living entities that just happened to be attached to him.

I took the initiative and grabbed his hand with my now healed, formerly broken one, as soon as his dropped down from his head. He looked down where our fingers tangled together and cleared his throat. I imagined the emotion clogging it.

“Your hand is alright?” he asked carefully.

I wiggled around in bed and found that not just my hand, but my hips, my legs, my severed spine, my broken neck, my split-open head…. everything was fine…. everything was healed. I was still stiff and sore, but I would be fine by tomorrow.

“Not just my hand, most of me is alright, I think.” My voice was course sand paper; but I didn’t know if that was from the unconsciousness or because it was still healing.

Palpable relief washed over Seth and he dropped his head back, looking up at the ceiling. His hand squeezed mine tighter and trembled harder, as if he were having trouble composing himself.

“That was scary, Stella,” he finally admitted when his amber eyes met mine again.

“I know.”

“If I hadn’t gotten there when I did…”

“I know,” I cut him off before he could say the words that would make everything way too real. “But you did get there. You saved me.”

Seth leaned forward so that our foreheads just barely pressed together and closed his eyes. He inhaled through his nose and whispered something in a language I didn’t understand- in the language of Heaven. I forgot he could speak it.

“What was that? What did you say?”

Instead of answering me, he let his nose trail down my temple and then he placed a sweet kiss on my cheek, lingering as he tasted my skin and tears. My heart hammered in my beaten chest, and even though I didn’t know exactly what he said, I felt his words; I felt his secret words all the way to my soul.

The door opened and my parents walked in, both looking worse for wear. My dad appeared haggard and my mother looked sickly. As Seth moved out of the way, they immediately surrounded me. My mom pulled me into her arms and I felt her shake with relief as she held me tightly to her.

My dad enveloped us both in his massive strength.

My parents were capable Warriors. At one time they led legions of Angels to protect planets. They would never have allowed themselves to be caught off guard like I did; they never would have been taken by surprise.

I felt so inadequate, so unprepared for this task I expected to take. How could I become the Protector of Earth when I couldn’t even protect myself? It had taken nothing for Seven to confront me and even less for Saul to practically take my head. I wasn’t up for this.

I wanted to believe it was because I was still so young, still without most of my powers.

But look at Seth- he overcame Saul in three seconds flat.

“Tell us what happened,” my mom commanded gently. She pulled away so she could look in my eyes, but kept her hands on my shoulders. Her eyes were glossy and her face puffy from crying, I guessed.

Jupiter walked quietly in the door, followed by Serena and Nate, the temporary Protector and her Warrior. They all found seats on the floor or at my desk.

I was embarrassed to “host” this meeting in my bedroom, and sure that I looked like a monster who had been out for who knew how long.

That was actually my first question. I had to find out before I could relive my nightmare.

“How long was I unconscious?” I asked, my voice still gravelly.

“Three days,” my dad answered in a whisper. “You were in and out some, but mostly unconscious. It’s Sunday.”

“Three days,” I repeated in a stunned whisper. “But I’m alright? No missing important parts?” Soccer practice had been on Thursday.

“Everything seems to be there,” my mother answered with the faintest hint of a smile. “Does everything feel alright?”

“I think so,” I nodded slowly, testing my neck and head. “I’m still pretty sore, but I haven’t found something I can’t move yet.”

“That’s good, Sweat Pea,” my dad smiled at me, genuinely this time.

The whole atmosphere began to relax as I seemed more and more Ok to everyone.

Well, except for Seth….. he seemed to get more and more wound up, the wider awake I became. I knew he was blaming himself, but he didn’t need to feel any guilt and I couldn’t wait to explain that to him.

“So, tell us what happened, Stel,” Jupiter demanded in the most polite voice I’d ever heard him use. Also… he’d never called me by a nickname before either. It was freaking me out almost more than my near life or death situation.

I struggled to sit up straighter and meet all of the concerned stares. But eventually my eyes fell on Seth, who was the most emotional of us all. His golden gaze bore through me, hot and desperate for…. something.

“I was at soccer. Coach sent me to the equipment shed for practice jerseys and when I opened the shed probably a hundred Shadows flew out of it. They didn’t attack me, they just kind of…. cornered me. I didn’t have any weapons and there were so many people around the corner that I didn’t think I should…”

“Stella, no one blames you for what happened. You don’t have to defend your actions. We just want to understand the chain of events.” My dad’s voice was gentle, but firm. The rich, melodic sound soothed my frayed nerves.

“Alright,” I agreed. I swallowed against the scratchy dryness of my throat and pushed on. “So, they ended up on the roof of the shed and then Seven appeared.” My eyes darted to Seth’s and I watched his face become a mask of obscurity; he wasn’t going to let me read him. He was hiding whatever he felt from me, and that stung. I knew he cared and would be as honest with me as he could, but I saw that he had secrets, things he wouldn’t share with me no matter how close we got. “She wasn’t alone. Saul and another one of the Fallen were there. I guess they were her backup? But maybe, now that I look back, they might have also been her babysitters too. Because she, I don’t know, she seemed…. off. Even for her.”

Jupiter chuckled at that and then mumbled something in a different language. I couldn’t speak Jupiter-ese but it sounded like a string of curses. However, he could have been reciting the Pledge of Allegiance for all I knew.

I continued, “She threatened me; we had words. I was preparing to fight her. I don’t know why I hadn’t yet. I think I thought she would reveal something? She seemed so unstable, I just kept waiting for her to fall apart. She slapped me, but that was it. And then Aliah showed up.

I can’t tell you if the whole thing was planned or not. I don’t know if Aliah sent Seven or if he came to collect her; it could have easily been either scenario. He took Seven back, though, and then gave Saul and the other guy a kill order. That’s when I took off. I tried to get away, or at least as far away from humans as possible. And Saul met me in the air. When we landed it was just him and me. I don’t know what happened to Aliah, Seven or that other guy. The last thing I remember is Seth, Seth saving me.”

Silence fell around us and tension filled the room. There were so many unanswered questions floating around. I didn’t think anyone knew where to begin or how to start.

“Did Seven seem scared?” asked Seth.

And along with my hurting muscles, my chest pain increased tenfold after his careful question. His voice was broken and hollow; he wasn’t even trying to hide his pain anymore.

“Yes,” I whispered. “And confused. But then she would switch, and she would be completely Fallen. The only time she seemed at all consistent was when Aliah was there, but it wasn’t a good kind of consistent. She was so… fragile around him. He has her mind so twisted up, Seth, I’m not sure she knows up from down- not really.”