Midnight Fire - Rise of the Dark Angel - Book One (30 page)

             
“I’ve never lied to
you
, Jayden. I was bound not
to
tell.
I’ve always known you’d be the savior of this world. You now have your full power
,” Josiah said, looking pointedly at
Jayden’s
wings.

             
“I don’t want these and I don’t want this responsibility,” Jayden cried.

             
“You have no other choice, my son. You can be the savior or the destroyer. It’s in your hands,” Josiah said. He had confidence Jayden would make the right choice. He reached out to touch him.

             
“Don’t touch me,” Jayden yelled. He took a step back.

             
“I’
ll leave you to make your own choices. The human war has been nothing compared to what’s coming.
Vyco
will n
o longer hide in the dark. He’
ll want to cause as much damage and destruction as he can. The Angels will need yo
u to lead them if we are to win. You have the choice to let the darkness completely consume you, or to turn back to the light,
” Josiah said. He then looke
d to Phoenix and she felt a pull
to
wards
him.

             
“
You have a very important role, Phoenix, in this life and the next
. You’
ll do great things,” he spoke.
Before she could respond,
light shot from him so
brilliantly,
her eyes began to burn
within and she instinctively turned away, protecting her eyes
.
The light left as quickly as it had arrived, and when she looked up again, Josiah was gone.

             
“Jayden, I don’t understand any of this,” Phoenix cried. She wasn’t sure who he was anymore. Jayden turned to look at her. He saw her terror and immediately lost his anger. As he calmed down he felt a pulling inside of him and his wings disappeared. Phoenix just stared at him in awe as he stood before her, once again looking like a normal teenage boy.

             
“Phoenix, there is much I must tell you. This is truly the beginning of a new world,” he said. He knelt down beside her and began his story. What
lay ahead was unimaginable, filling her with an immense sorrow..
.

See Excerpt for Midnight Moon – Rise of the Dark Angel – Book Two

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I don’t even know where to begin. So much has happened in the last several months. I’m starting to feel hope that the war will eventually end. The world is very different from anything I could’ve ever imagined. The amount of evil all around us is more than I thought possible. I was always taught about good and evil, but thought it was more of a tactic to scare children than an actual reality.

             
What I’ve seen in recent years proves to me that I was wrong, so very wrong. Good and evil beings really do exist. I don’t even know how to explain Jayden. I love him, but he isn’t just a normal teenager, like I first thought he was. Is he good? Is he bad? I don’t think he even knows the answer to that.

             
You see, he was an angel. Yeah, I know that sounds really strange,
cause
I didn’t think angels were real, either. But, yeah, he was an angel, doing angel kind of stuff, like saving kids from drowning in rivers, rescuing little old women from falling down the stairs, and holding men, women, and children in their dying moments.

             
Then, there was this colossal war in the heavens where Jayden had been created.
Vyco, who was once this good guy, but isn’t anymore, fought against Josiah, who’s actually the creator of our world.
I don’t understand all the reasons behind the fight, but Jayden said he couldn’t even begin to explain the powerful battle.

             
Jayden was one of the angels who took Vyco’s side, so when they
lost,
they were all cast from the heavens. Jayden became an outcast from the light, making him a Dark Angel. He’s been condemned to walk the earth in darkness ever since. The celestial battle, as Jayden calls it, happened thousands of years ago, far too long for me to comprehend.

             
Jayden followed Vyco through the worlds, where they ultimately settled on Earth. Vyco didn’t keep his promise when the war ended. He’d fought in the first place because he’d wanted to offer fewer choices for the humans, so their earthly experience was easier. Jayden had been against the whole
free will
idea that Josiah was so set upon. By the time Jayden knew who Vyco really was, and that he didn’t care for any other beings, let alone fragile humans, Jayden had already made his decision, leaving him bound at Vyco’s side. Jayden wasn’t happy about what was occurring, so he emotionally distanced himself, and walked in a lonely darkness for thousands of years.

             
The story plot thickened, though, as it usually does, because apparently Vyco and Josiah ended up making a deal. The deal is what led the wicked men to declare war all around the world, but mainly focused in the United States, which is where I live, which in turn led my family to seek safety in the woods. Jayden still can’t understand how Josiah could ever make a bargain with Vyco. They are so completely opposite. Where Josiah is purity and light, Vyco is the darkest evil imaginable. Josiah apparently said it was for the greater good of all mankind, but I haven’t seen any good come from the war.

             
We’ve been in the cave for years now, but our numbers have grown and we’re starting to fight back. We’re making good progress and our numbers have grown by thousands.

             
I haven’t been alone with Jayden since the night Vyco confronted us in the woods. I’ve never been more terrified than I was in those moments, staring into his eyes of chilling blackness.
What
Vyco did to me was so awful, I have nightmares almost nightly. With the raise of his hand, he caused unbearable pain to rip through my body. What still chills me to my very core was what happened to Jayden. His entire body started to shake, and then he transformed. The boy I’d fallen in love with was gone, and in his place was…I don’t even know how to explain.

             
He still looked like Jayden but his eyes glowed and his body shimmered in the darkened night. The most unexplainable sight was the enormous black wings that burst from his back. He looked fierce, powerful, and haunting. I’ve wrote this down in so many ways, starting over and over again, but there just aren’t words to fully explain. I write a page, tear it from my journal,
then
try again. I’ll just leave these muddled thoughts, and add to them each day until finally I can make sense of it all. I can’t forget, and I won’t, but I’m confused – I’m scared – I’m still in shock. It’s all too much to comprehend – I’m only seventeen.

             
Phoenix sat huddled on a rock close to the entrance of the cave. She’d been feeling unusually claustrophobic and felt the need to be outside. She knew better than to wander too far off, though. John would hunt her down, followed by Jayden, her father, and about twenty other people. She was still terrified to travel on her own, anyway, after almost being raped and killed on a previous venture. Everyone was overly cautious after all the events of the past few weeks.

             
With the soldiers coming so close to their home, the attack on their caravan while going to the camps, and the refugee rescues, all the members of their group needed a bit of time to recover. Phoenix
shuddered
even thinking about the men who would have surely killed Sadie and her if Jayden and Chastity hadn’t shown up so quickly.

             
Although their numbers had been growing stronger each day, they were far from safe. She watched as the sun started rising in the sky, the beautiful oranges and pinks making her sigh out loud. She couldn’t fight the dawning day, no matter how hard she tried to hold back time.

             
There was a mandatory meeting later that day, where the elders would announce what their next plan of action would be. Some people in the cave were ready to push forward with force. They were tired of being in hiding, and done letting an unknown enemy take their land. Phoenix would be happy to stay in their little camp in the woods, where she felt safe most of the time.

             
She’d rather sit out the fight, not risk losing anyone else she loved. She didn’t want to take on the enemy. They seemed too powerful with their deadly weapons and never-ending numbers. How could the people of their small community possibly fight real soldiers, and win? To top it all, she still didn’t know what to think about Jayden’s transformation, even if it had only been
temporary. She knew she had to talk to Jayden, but she didn’t know what to say. She was filled with a mixture of confusion, anger, and grief.

             
She felt if she could just forget the war, forget her terrifying night, forget everything but the peace of a new dawn, her life would seem almost normal. She could pretend she was in a bubble and the past few years were nothing more than a bad dream. If they didn’t speak of what was happening, then maybe it wouldn’t happen anymore.

             
Phoenix sighed as she brought herself back to reality. She knew pretending something wasn’t real wouldn’t make it go away, but it didn’t hurt to dream. From reliable information they’d received, they knew the enemy was stationed in the East, far away from them. The enemy, of course, had camps all throughout America, with smaller units strategically placed, but their strongest hold was in what used to be Washington D.C. They’d taken over the Whitehouse and Pentagon, among other national monuments.

             
The elders had also heard there were many teams of rebels who were fighting against the enemy, and winning battles. The elders wanted to attack the enemy’s military bases, get ahold of their supplies, and build up fortresses. A shudder ran through Phoenix at just the thought of doing something so terrifying. If the enemy was made aware of their plans, they’d be destroyed before they even came close to accomplishing their ambitious goals.

             
As Phoenix continued sitting on the jagged rock, the sun slowly rose in the sky, letting her know her time was up. Soon, everyone else would be waking, and they’d quickly find she’d snuck out. Her body hurt as she stood. She hadn’t realized how long she’d been outside, but it was long enough
to cause stiffness.
She slowly
stretched her muscles. She wasn’t ready to go inside
just yet.
She couldn’t seem to outrun her concerns, but she could, at least, breathe fresh air for a few more moments.

             
Sadie was most likely awake, and her first stop would be
Phoenix’s room. Phoenix
had
left her a note
and she knew
Sadie
wouldn’t
rat her out
. Sadie was her rock and
Phoenix
couldn’t get through the endless days without
her.

             
She wandered aimlessly next to the outside wall of the cave for about ten minutes before turning herself around. She had to get inside to the dining hall for breakfast, and then attend her classes. Routine was good – it gave her a sense of normalcy in her far from normal existence. Since the battles had started, they weren’t attending school as much, but the elders wanted to keep some level of consistency in their lives and insisted on having regular schedules. Phoenix would much prefer to pick food outdoors, or even just socialize with her friends. She could hardly pay attention in classes since her mind refused to shut down long enough to focus. She was thinking about Jayden most of the time and what exactly she was going to do about their situation.
As much time as she spent thinking about it, she should’ve had an answer.

             
The boxing was fun, at least. She could take out her aggression and feelings of helplessness on some unsuspecting student. Already, several of the kids refused to
spar
with her. None of the girls would do it, but that was okay with her, she got a thrill from defeating the much stronger guys. She grinned at the thought.

             
Phoenix finally made it back to the entrance of the cave, glad no one was standing there in wait
. She was running so late by that point that she was sure to get lectured
.
Life
could
certainly be worse. She could be locked up in the caves, day and night, instead of being allowed fresh air and sunlight. Plus, they had plenty of food, unlike so many of the people who had shown up, who were nothing but skin and bones.

             
They were also lucky, in the middle of their chaotic world, to still be together. She had her mother, father, and brother. She felt a pang of sorrow as she thought about her grandparents. Her
grandmother had died when she was too young to really remember her, but Phoenix and her grandfather had been close. They’d shared a bond that not even death could sever. She had to believe in an existence past death, otherwise what was the purpose of loving another human being so much. If she didn’t think she’d one day see her grandpa again, she couldn’t bear the agony of his loss.

             
He always smelled like cigars and mint. He smoked up until the day he passed, and whenever she saw a tobacco pipe, it brought a smile to her face. He would suck on the lifesaver mints, trying to mask the smoke smell, though he wasn’t fooling anyone. She was almost grateful he’d passed before the war started. When it had happened she hadn’t been grateful at all. She’d mourned his loss for months, wishing she’d had even one more day together.

             
She was nine years old on her last day with him. They went to church, where he slipped her chocolates throughout the sermon. She tried to be a good girl and listen, but it was always so boring. She didn’t understand how the preacher kept saying the same thing every single week, and all the people acted as if he was bestowing great words of wisdom on them. She did love the music at the beginning, though. John had just starting playing guitar in the church band when they’d had to leave and go into hiding. He was really good. Their dad had made sure to bring his guitars. They even had concerts in the cave once in a while. It wasn’t too often, as they tended to get loud and the elders feared the enemy would come close and hear them, though they’d have to be right at the entrance to hear a sound from inside. The cave walls were thick and pretty much soundproof.

             
Phoenix carefully made her way along the narrow corridors of the cave as her mind drifted in a sea of memories from the past. She hugged the walls and jumped at every little sound, worried about getting caught. Once she got to a corner and peaked around, she let out a relieved breath
when she saw that no one was blocking her path.
So far so good
, she thought with a broad smile. It was funny to think how proud she was of herself for sneaking in and out of the cave. What a silly thing to feel accomplished over.

             
Phoenix made it all the way back to her room undetected, or so she thought. She sighed in relief as she leaned against her door. She’d done it. She looked at her dresser and saw the note she’d left Sadie. She walked over and picked it up. She knew Sadie had been there because she’d left her signature happy face on the bottom. Sadie would distract John and the others, giving Phoenix time to make it to their table. They were used to Phoenix running late anyway. If she didn’t hurry, though, John would come hunt her down.

             
She quickly changed clothes, stashing her dirty ones in the corner. She grumbled to herself when she realized she would have to do laundry that afternoon. Laundry was such a pain. It was one of those things that made her appreciate the conveniences they used to have at home. Her mother had just started teaching her how to wash her own clothes before they’d gone into hiding. She thought about how stupid she was to have complained about loading her clothes into a machine that did all the work. She’d been so spoiled without even realizing it. She knew her parents would still love to spoil her, and they did the best they could, considering their circumstances.

             
Although Phoenix knew she needed to go to breakfast, she sat on her bed, delaying her appearance into the crowded dining hall. When she was just about to get up, she heard a familiar scratching noise on her door and her face lit up.
Patch
was there to see her. She was surprised, considering there was food in the dining room with lots of scraps to be had, but she gladly opened the door and Patch strolled in, immediately jumping on her bed. She didn’t get to see him as much, since all the kids vied for his attention.

             
“How are you doing, precious?” she spoke aloud to the dog as she scratched him behind the ears. She got a quick swipe of the tongue along her cheek in answer. Patch always made her giggle and she felt her last remaining tension float away. She missed her old life, the carefree days when she’d been comfortable, happy, and naive, but as she held the dog, she was able to also appreciate what she had in the caves. Patch just had a way about him that made everything feel right.

             
She kept snacks in her room for when Patch visited
, so she
got up and retrieved a couple pieces of jerky from her hiding place. Patch knew well what was in that dresser drawer and sat up
,
with his tongue hanging out, patiently waiting. He never went without food, though he acted like he did. She thought maybe it was because of the time he was lost and starving
in the vast forest
. Those memories probably never faded, even for a dog.

             
“Shake,” she said. Phoenix had been working on tricks with him since he was a puppy. She’d taught him to shake, speak, and roll-over. The younger kids got a real kick out of it and were constantly giving Patch treats so he’d do them repeatedly. He was quite the ham and ate up the attention. “That’s a good boy,” she praised, giving him the rest of the treat and scratching him behind the ears. “We better get to breakfast,” she said with a sigh.

             
Patch cocked his head as if he understood what she was saying and was sympathetic to her plight. She had to smile at his lovable face before she headed out the door. Patch was close on her heels, wagging his tail.

             
Phoenix walked down the hall, toward the dining room, dragging her feet. She heard the laughter and voices coming from the room before she even stepped inside. Her heart sped up as she turned the corner and spotted Jayden. She didn’t know if he’d been watching the doorway the entire time, or somehow he’d sensed her there, but their eyes locked together and she froze,
unable to command herself to move forward. She still didn’t know what to say to him. She hoped if she buried her head in the sand long enough her problems would just disappear. She was almost in a panic over joining Jayden and her friends at their usual table. She couldn’t sit anywhere else, that would be too weird, and it would cause questions she didn’t want to answer.

             
“Hurry up and get your food, Phoenix. You’re really late,” Sadie called, breaking the uncomfortable moment. Patch nudged her in the leg and Phoenix began to move forward. There wasn’t a line for food, so she quickly collected her tray and made her way toward the table. There was a spot open right by Jayden, but she was too nervous to sit next to him. She nudged Brian out of the way and sat by Sadie. No one seemed to notice, except for Jayden, who stared her down. She glanced at him and then looked away. She didn’t notice the narrowing of his eyes or the determined glint within them.

***

             
Jayden breathed a sigh of relief as Phoenix walked into the room. He’d been aware she went outside, but he also knew she needed time alone. He still felt better with her indoors; though he knew she’d been safe the entire time she was out. There were no enemy soldiers near the cave, and security was tighter than ever. She thought she was so sneaky, but guards kept an eye out on her every second she was outdoors.