Page 6 of The River of Fire
Daniel is still smiling in a very Mona Lisa way, so I oh-so-cleverly deduce I’m right. I’ve read about the Watchers. They were sent to observe humankind, but many couldn’t resist and interacted with them. Some even fell in love – or lust.
I must have zoned out dissecting this poor guy’s situation – while studiously ignoring my own – because Daniel softly clears his throat. “If you are done eating, I would gladly show you around. There were a few escape attempts last night, so we are not quite ready to begin your assessments. In fact…” Daniel tilts his head in curiosity. “You adjusted remarkably fast.”
I arch a brow. “Is there a way to escape?”
Daniel takes my empty bowl to the sink and answers without turning. “No.”
“There you go.” I push away from the table and stand up. “Though I would call this numb, and not well-adjusted.”
???
It takes a couple of days before everyone is calm enough – orresigned enough – for us to gather together again. We’re outside of the fortress walls in the training field Daniel showed me the other day. I spent most of the time waiting for this assessment talking with him. He told me a lot about Heaven and the fallen angels living in Purgatory; about their neutrality in the Heavenly conflict. But he avoided talking about Hell or what my life is going to be like – probably to avoid the possibility of me going into hysterics like some of the others.
The faces I saw in that atrium are once again a sea of communal apprehension in the gray dust. And, yes, as I thought, all I see is sand and dunes in the distance. The sky is still breathtakingly beautiful though, if creepy.
“We’re going to test your fighting skills now, your attunement with the ether.” Maalik grins – he seems to like doing that, probably realizing how intimidating it looks to us. The motherfucker. “And your natural dominance, let’s say, the hierarchy among you. After all, you will work best in small teams. We don’t want any infighting,” he warns.
I think I know where he lands in their hierarchy of dominance and I roll my eyes. Maalik snaps his gaze to me and gives me a feral smile, like he knows what I was thinking and wants me to know that, yes, he has the biggest dick. I huff a smile. He’s creepy as fuck, but I have a feeling I would have enjoyed his wicked sense of humor – if I wasn’t still reeling from being kidnapped by him.
Several hours later we’re sweaty and groaning as Maalik, Daniel, and the rest of the realm’s living residents stand to the side discussing who to place together for training. Their group includes the two Fallen I remember speaking in the atrium – Corson and Ramel, I now know.
None of them seemed surprised when we couldn’t even move a dust mote with our willpower. If they hadn’t shown us how it’s meant to look, I would have thought they were playing a joke on us. But Maalik summoned a ball of flames which he promptly threw at Corson, the latter flipping him off lazily after easily dodging the projectile.
At least I got a nod from Maalik after demonstrating my knowledge and skill with martial arts. I’m very glad that I’ve been training since before I hit double digits in age. I kept up with my taekwondo lessons in adulthood – I’m a physical person, so reading couldn’t be the only form of escapism in my arsenal. Maybe it’ll help me stay alive as I face this threat they brought us here for. It sure as fuck didn’t help me enough when Maalik grabbed me.
The younger guy from the other night, Kevin, also has some fighting skills. After talking to him between whatever exercises the Fallen wanted us to do, I saw why he would have had to learn to defend himself – he was living on the streets when the Fallen picked him up.
There are too many of us here, and I couldn’t pay attention to everyone’s appraisal, but it seems to me like we’re not fit to fight off an army of rats, let alone demons or whatever.
The Fallen finally finish their debate and come closer. “Step into a line in front of us as we call you,” Maalik says.
Ramel snaps out the name of the angry woman who also spoke up when we were brought here. I shudder and pray to whoever can hear me down here not to be placed under his tender care. He seems to be picking out the brawlers, the ones that stand out with their muscles and the grim and angry looks on their faces.
I can’t get a bead on Corson’s choices. They’re average-looking, but I don’t see much identifiable emotion reflected on their faces. Perhaps some antisocial tendencies are the criteria then.
When it’s Maalik who calls my name and then Kevin’s, I don’t know whether to feel relieved or worried.
As the rest of the Fallen – some with slit eyes, like Maalik, and some that could pass as gorgeous humans, like Daniel – finish their roll call, Kevin and I are joined by Jessica, Ethan, Liam, and Simone. Such normal names in such an abnormal place. Ethan and Simone are Cambion, like Kevin, while Jessica and Liam are Nephilim. From what I saw, Maalik chose to teach a group that showed at least some technical skill in fighting.
The absolutely enormous sword he has sheathed down his back makes me think blades are going to be a part of our curriculum. I’m a history teacher; I can walk down aisles at the museum and tell you what each blade is called and the historical period they hail from. Have I ever held them in my hands? No. This will be interesting.
Strangely enough, for the first time since I landed here ass over teakettle, I feel a sense of excitement. I try not to think of what learning to fight will lead to. Probably best to come to terms with things in increments.
Chapter 4 – Lana
“This is impossible!”
Ethan’s whining doesn’t help me concentrate on healing this tiny self-inflicted nick on my hand.
I’ve gotten to know my new team members a bit and Ethan is definitely the most vocal. My other teammates fall onto the other side of the spectrum: Kevin and Simone are withdrawn, Liam seems to be the quiet type, and Jessica is the shy one. We’ve been training together on the field every day, but we’re in the keep’s meeting room with Daniel now, and he’s teaching us how to heal wounds. In theory, at least.
I take a break from squinting hard at my hand and look around. Another team is clustered on the other side of the long table and they seem to be having about as much success as we are – basically, none at all.
I only know the name of one of that team’s members, a short-haired and stocky girl named Darla. Though I can see the boys on the team are trying to familiarize themselves with Simone, with the way they’re staring.
I can’t blame them, though. She has to be the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen outside of a billboard ad. Her hair is a gleaming chocolate brown waterfall, offsetting her pale skin and bright gray eyes. There’s something elfin about her features, in the shape of her mouth and eyes which draws the gaze. But if those arresting eyes happen to meet yours, it’s always only for a second before she looks away. Everything about her screams ‘Leave me alone’.
Daniel makes another round on our side of the improvised classroom, so I drop my gaze back to the drying drops of blood cupped by my palm. Any longer and this wound will heal all by itself.
