The Saving Angels Series: Books 1-3 (77 page)

Puzzled, I turned to my friends to see if they were getting the same kind of reading, but saw all of them were engaged in their pre-assignment rituals. All of us had our own rituals before we entered an assignment. Kate and Chris always shared a passionate kiss as if it was their last. Nick and Rachel would quietly discuss a strategy, while Daniel and Melissa would hold hands and connect their minds. Victor and I used to have our own ritual, but several assignments ago he had expressed that he thought they were silly and we should be focusing on the task at hand.

My feelings were hurt, but I downplayed them so no one else would know.

Finally when everyone was ready, we quietly headed toward the vacant warehouse in front of us. The Protectors walked in front of the Guides shielding us from any threat, but the closer we got to the warehouse, it became obvious that the building in front of us was empty. Maybe Haniel had mixed up the days or maybe Victor had written down the wrong address.

I exchanged looks with my fellow Guides who shrugged their shoulders with as much confusion as I had.

Victor pulled the heavy warped industrial door open. The metal groaned in protest and we all paused cautiously. After several moments, we proceeded into the building cautiously. The interior of the building was dark and smelt like death, the only light source was the narrow dirty windows at the top of the structure; it took several moments for my eyes to adjust. Finally, my eyes adjusted, but the smell was another issue all together. I placed my hand over my nose and mouth trying to block it out.

"It's from the bums that camp out in here," Nick said, seeing my look of disgust.

"It smells like it," I said, my voice coming out muffled behind my cupped hand.

The warehouse broke off in three different directions at the end of the cavernous room.

"I say we split up," Victor said, pointing down the three different hallways. "Jenna and I will stay here as lookouts."

"That sounds good man," Nick said, grabbing onto Rachel's hand and leading her down the hall on the right.

Kate and Chris took the hallway in front of where Victor and I were standing, while Melissa and Daniel headed down the far left. I watched their retreating backs, uneasy about the whole situation. Something just seemed off.

I glanced at Victor to see if he was getting the same vibe. I was surprised to see him studying me intently.

"What's wrong?" I asked confused that he was watching me and not being the lookout as he had suggested.

"I have dreamed about this day for years," he said, sounding gleeful. "Well, the dreaming I do that you don’t monopolize that is," he added sarcastically.

"What?" I said again as ice cold dread began to fill me. What was he talking about?

"All of this. The end of our bonds and unfair links," he shouted, suddenly sweeping out an arm, pointing to the dark hallways that had engulfed the others. "Can't you feel it? Our bond is broken."

Everything spun out of control as his words began to register. I reached out with my emotions trying to find the loving soul in him that belonged to me, but came up empty.

It was gone.

My emotions snapped back to me and I gasped out loud in pain. This was impossible. We were created to be together. How could our bond be broken?

"Didn't you wonder why our dreams were blissfully empty last night? I'm surprised you abstained from mentioning it this morning. I was all prepared to ward off your questions, and yet not a peep."

"I was waiting until this assignment was over," I said, sinking to my knees as reality crashed in on me. "Is this even an assignment?" I asked brokenly, already knowing the answer.

"It was an assignment for me. It was time I took back what I was never given which was my own freewill. Of course, I had to make a bargain with The Dark One in order to gain my freewill, but it was for the better anyway."

"What bargain did you have to make?" I asked as bile rose up in my throat.

"Our friends of course, though I'm sure given the opportunity, the other Protectors would have gladly joined me. Being tied to an individual is unacceptable. Why should we die because you're too weak to protect yourselves?" He said, all but spitting the words at me.

"What have you done?" I asked choking back a sob.

"Just put it this way, there are no more bonds in this building," he said, flashing an unfamiliar smile my way that turned my blood to ice.

Backing up away from him, I turned and raced down the hallway that had swallowed Kate and Chris, using my god given speed to outrun the monster behind me. Tears blinded my eyes as I finally skidded to a stop at the doorway in front of me. Placing my hand on the knob, I opened the door softly and stepped inside and peered at the horror in front of me.

Swallowing a sob, I knelt at the sides of my friends. By the angle of Kate's head, it was obvious her neck was broken. I collapsed on the ground beside her.

As Victor approached, I could feel a tangible evil that was stronger than I had ever sensed. How had he been able to hide this from me?

"How could you do this?" I asked in a whisper. "Why them?"

"Because, they stood in the way of making my vision a reality. I have plans for future generations and their interference would have hindered it."

"What do you mean future generations?" I asked, rising to my feet on wobbly legs.

"Our children of course. I have high hopes for how they will turn out after my little experiment."

The thought of him harming our children turned my anguish to rage. I used my fist to pummel against his rock hard chest, but my attempts were feeble next to his strength.
After all, strength was not my virtue, emotions were. Before I could back away, he placed his hands on my shoulders making my skin crawl as my eyes welled up sending warm tears down my cheeks. I wept for our children. Who would protect them from this monster? What kind of life would they have without us? His hands moved to my throat in a seemingly light caress. I stared into the darkest blood-red eyes of the man who I had loved my entire life, hoping for any sign of grace that wasn't there.

"I love you," I said as his grip tightened around my neck. And then, everything went black…

I broke a commandment by loving the soul that I carried to heaven that day. Her soul belonged to another, and yet I coveted its beauty, breaking my vow. I would later rationalize that I loved her soul because it truly did not belong to The Dark Angel, but in truth I can't help wondering if I was somehow responsible for missing the signs that one of my Protectors had crossed.

I see her soul often in heaven and I watch her from afar, staggered by her beauty that shone brightly on earth and was even more spellbinding in the heavenly realm. I dream about one day being free from my duties so that I might claim her soul as my own. For now though, I must protect the young ones left behind without care that were forever altered that fateful day.