Fallen

Chapter Twenty-One: "Evil Angel"

" Hold it together, birds of a feather,
Nothing but lies and crooked wings.
I have the answer, spreading the cancer,
You are the faith inside me.
-Evil Angel, Breaking Benjamin

"Mom, I can go to school tomorrow, okay? I'm fine. Besides that project for Mr. Mann is due in two days. I have to go see Riven. We have to practice the scene as much as possible. I'm not failing that class."

Mom pursed her lips. She clearly knew I was not fine, but she also knew she couldn't keep me here. Not when it came to my grades.

She sighed. "Fine. But I'm driving you."

I opened my mouth to protest, but she gave me that look that only mothers can give and I shut up.

"Fine," I grumbled. "Just let me get my stuff."
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About twenty minutes later, we were outside of the Marx's house. The entire drive, all I could think was that my mom was a half-angel and so was my dad. And I had something called Essence inside of me. Also, I had the spirit of a dead fallen angel inside of me as well.

"Now, you call if you need anything, okay, Siberia?"

I looked into my mother's kind face. I wanted to ask her so many questions. Mostly about why she didn't tell me she was half angel. But all of that got stuck in my throat and I just nodded, smiling falsely.

I was out of the car and walking up to the Marx's door. Riven and Raveena were there before I even fully reached the door.

"How did you guys know I was coming?" I wondered as they stepped aside so I could come in.

"We're guarding you. It's our job to know where you are at all times," Raveena chirped brightly.

I honestly didn't know how to respond to that, so I just sighed and turned to Riven.

"We have to finish that project for Mr. Mann's class. It's due in two days and I do not want to fail."

Riven raised a brow as he studied me closely.

"Was that really the only reason you came all this way, Angel?"

I blinked. "Um...yes?"

Riven smirked and he looked so infuriatingly handsome, I wanted to ogle his handsome face and then punch said handsome face.

"Are you sure you drove all this way for the project or did you just drive all this way to see me?"

My mouth dropped. My face must've been amusing, gauging from the laughter written all over Riven's face.

"Angel, I'm kidding no need to have a heart attack."

I frowned at him disapprovingly. "You shouldn't make jokes like that, Riven. They're not funny."

"You only say that because you didn't have the honor of seeing your face. It was quite honestly the best thing I've ever seen in my very, very long existence."

When I looked around, I noticed Raveena was gone.

"Where did Raveena go?" I asked.

"She gave us some privacy. Even Raveena knows you're here for me."

I glared at him while inside I had a mini panic attack. How in the actual Hell was I supposed to survive being alone with Riven Marx? If I didn't end up killing him, I'd probably end up making a fool of myself.

"Worried about being all alone with me, Angel?"

"No, I'm not. And can you please stop calling me that?"

"No, I cannot stop calling you angel, Angel. And trust me when I say you have nothing to worry about. I have nothing but good intentions, I swear."

He gave me a look of complete and utter false innocence. I could see it reflected clearly in crystalline blue eyes.

Riven Marx wasn't thinking good thoughts. He wasn't thinking good thoughts at all.
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An hour later, we were in Riven's room. I was struck by how neat it was, it was decorated in royal blue tones and his scent was everywhere. All I could do was inhale discreetly and let his scent flood my senses. I had never smelled a smell as incredible as Riven before.

I was sprawled across his bed and he was sitting rather stiffly on the stylish sofa in the corner of his room.

It was around five o'clock and the sun was preparing to set. I was watching the sun and the entire time, Riven kept his eyes on me. When I shifted, he shifted. His breathing was in sync with my own.

"Riven?"

"Yes?"

"Ryan..."

I saw Riven's body stiffen from across the room.

"What about him?"

"He knew about you and Raveena, didn't he?"

Riven was quiet for a moment before he finally answered.

"Yes."

I sat up and looked at him, gauging his reaction.

"Was he...an angel, too?"

Riven frowned and looked almost offended.

"Of course not. Ryan is completely human. His family has been serving angels for centuries."

I was silent as I took in the information. I had known Ryan knew about Riven and Raveena, but I was surprised by how relieved I was to find out Ryan was still human. So many people around me were angels: mom, dad, Riven, Raveena, Phillipe, me. It was nice to know that someone had been human.

"Can I ask you a question now?" Riven asked.

I nodded.

"When you passed out yesterday in the hallway, what happened?"

I opened my mouth to say I didn't know what happened when Riven cut me off.

"And I want you to tell me the truth, Siberia. No lies."

He called me by my actual name and not "Angel" so clearly he was serious about this. I sighed.

"I've been having these...strange dreams. About a man who looks like an older version of Phillipe. In the dreams, I'm running and he comes from out of nowhere. First he talks. He says taunting things to me and then he plunges a dagger into my chest."

I heard Riven's sharp intake of breath, but I ignore that and keep going.

"And then while I'm lying on the cold ground, bleeding, the sky opens up and angels start to fall. And then I hear them sing this...song. This beautiful, haunting song. The day I passed out, the song started playing in the middle of me getting my books. I was surprised to say the least. Typically that doesn't happen until I go to sleep."

Riven was quiet, too quiet for too long. When I looked over at him, he was watching me with an expression of thinly masked horror.

"Siberia," he began slowly. "Did you get any threatening letters?"

I nodded my head once.

Riven cursed and got up quickly, pacing around the room.

"Why? Riven, what does any of that mean?"

He stopped pacing and looked at me.

"Siberia, the man you dreamed about is Kronos. He's been working with Lucifer for years to get the Essence. We thought he wanted the Essence so he could be powerful, but we were wrong. He wants to use the Essence to open up a gate to Heaven."

"Y-you can open up a gate to Heaven?"

Riven nodded. "And once you do, it's not merely angels that will be released. There are prisoners there. Prisoners that only God Himself can keep under lock and key. If they succeed in opening that gate then..."

Riven and I looked at each other in horrified realization. If they successfully opened that gate, firstly I'd be dead and secondly, Earth would literally be a living Hell.