Chapter 05
“Trinity. Trinity,” Tina softly called, but there was no answer. She sighed. Her gaze slid over the glass with the round holes just under the ceiling that separated her from the space that looked like a lab. Why was that whenever she needed Trinity the most, the woman was nowhere to be found?
She had woken up an hour ago, and since the last thing she remembered was Trinity being in charge of her body, riding on Haniel’s bike, she had no idea how she had gotten in here. And the woman that had gotten her in this situation was probably comfortably resting in the warmth of her soul. Not answering her calls. Tina swore.
Her jaw tensed as she lay down on the bed. She had already tried to free herself by throwing the chair and the table against the glass but the broken furniture that now lay overturned on the white tiles hadn’t even made a crack in the transparent barrier.
All she could do now was to wait. Wait for Trinity or her captors to appear and see what this new situation would bring.
She hoped that Trinity was just tired, that taking over her body had exhausted her to the point that she needed to withdraw deep inside Tina’s soul and that was why she wasn’t answering Tina. Because being without Trinity freaked Tina out more than finding herself imprisoned in what looked like some kind of laboratory.
She should probably have been nervous and afraid to find herself a prisoner again, with her heart throbbing loudly in her ears, dread dampening her scalp and her teeth biting at her nails, but no... She could hardly feel her pulse, it was so slow that for a moment she couldn’t even feel it, and she thought about how she hated waiting and the insecurity of what was coming next more than fear itself. Yes, she was still afraid, the fear was there lingering at the edge of her mind, but she wasn’t even a tenth as afraid as she should have been or as freaked out as she would have been if this had happened before Damon had kidnapped her.
The metal door on the left side of the cage slid open with a hiss and Tina closed her eyes, pretending that she was asleep, peeking under her eyelids even though she could only see a pair of feet in combat boots visible between the items stored on the shelves of the U-shaped counter that occupied the middle of the room.
“I only want one thing! One thing! You know that, you know what it is, and you were so close and you failed. ” A woman’s voice surprised Tina since she had expected the owner of the boots to be a man.
“It happens,” a slightly hoarse, manly voice replied.
What? How could there be two people in the room, when she could only see one pair of legs?
“Don’t talk back to me!”
“What do you expect me to say?”
The man’s voice sounded faintly familiar to Tina, like she had heard it before. Where?
“That you have Abbas’s head.”
“Well, we don’t. Maybe we could have taken Damon if he had been on his own, but he wasn’t. Irene and Tristian were there, too, and you know how strong they are. I explained all that to you before.”
“You could have told me that you had found Damon's whereabouts and I would have sent my Seraktalus.”
“I already made myself clear. Your Shadows are too unstable, too wild. I refuse to work with them or use them.”
“Stubborn child,” the woman hissed. “At least you could have waited, requested Numuns, not charged in like a herd of oxen.”
“Why can't you let go? You know Prva wouldn’t have lent Numuns to us,” the man said. “You know she knows Damon’s location, she always has and she has never used that information or confided it to you no matter how much you demanded and raged. And even if Prva were willing to lend us her personal guards, they wouldn’t be of any help to us. They are too weak.”
Tina frowned. Yes, it sounded like the voice of the man who had fought against Irene.
“They are my creation and my creations are not weak.”
“What about Mamaels?”
“They were made for food, they are supposed to be weak.”
“If you say so.”
Tina carefully lifted her head.
Her eyes widened and her breath hitched.
Opposite the man with jaw-length black hair wearing the combat boots stood a translucent, white... angel. She was beautiful, floating above, the tips of the delicate shoes visible under the long dress. The white, silver hair fell like a waterfall on her shoulders and the white feathered wings were folded on her back; the only thing needed to complete the image of the real angel was a halo glowing above her head. The angel turned her head, her eyes zooming in on Tina.
For a second the angel’s gaze burned through Tina, examined her, invaded her. Tina could have sworn she could feel it; it was almost like having Abbas’s wisps in her head again. Then in the next moment the angel’s eyes softened, she floated closer to the glass.
The man tuned toward the glass too and with long strides followed the angel.
Tina pulled herself into a sitting position. There were many questions running through her head, but that was already something she should be used to.
The angel slid through the glass like it was water, stopped before Tina and looking down at her, tilted her head. “Who are you?”
“Tina,” Tina said. She thought about standing up and touching the creature before her, but in the end she remained seated, feeling like she was gazing at the angel from the inside out. Like her body had pushed her soul deep inside, acting as a shield for her. It was similar to when Trinity took control, only this time Tina kept control of her body’s movements and most of her senses. Her heart was slowly beating in her chest, it hadn’t started to drum in her ears like it should have, but anxiety and the first hints of fear were there, lingering at the edges, slowly growing. “And who are you? An angel?”
A dry chuckle escaped the man. “An angel? Not likely. Her name is Angelica but there’s nothing angelic about her.”
What was that supposed to mean? Tina looked past the glowing silhouette at the man who stood before the glass staring at her. As dangerous as he had looked before with his sword drawn and illuminated by the streetlights, and though even now his stance betrayed a well controlled strength, there was something kind about him, something that put Tina at ease. “And who are you? I have seen you... You fought with Irene, didn’t you?”
“I’m Uriel.”
“Tina,” Angelica said like she was tasting the name. “You don’t feel like an Aradma. What are you?” She leaned over Tina, her translucent face almost touching Tina’s. Her fingers wrapped around Tina’s wrist before the thumb slipped into Tina’s flesh.
Tina groaned. She could feel the pressure under her skin, the pain of piercing needles accompanying the feeling. She sucked in her breath, staying as still as possible. Her eyes found the man’s eyes, they were they same green as Damon’s, so intense and so like Damon’s they managed to calm the fear that sprang forward and gave her hope that somehow everything was going to be okay.
Angelica tilted her head. “No, not Aradma.” She removed her hand and turned toward the cabinets opposite the U-shaped counter. “I need to do some tests.” The drawer opened and small objects like medical instruments flew toward the glass, which lowered into a slot in the ground until it was knee-high.
“Can you make it quick? I promised Haniel that I’d bring her home with me tonight,” Uriel said as he stepped over the glass.
“Haniel,” Tina repeated. “How...” No, she couldn’t ask how she had ended up here. But what could she ask? Damn, she hated this uncertainty, hated not knowing who was an ally and who was a foe.
“You didn’t bring me anything, except her.” Angelica took the needle that was floating on her left before she again leaned over Tina. “And at least she doesn’t seem to be as useless as I thought.”
“What... What do you mean?” Tina pressed herself closer to the wall away from the needle, which after Angelica wrapped a hand around her arm pierced her skin anyway. But at least it hurt a lot less than having Angelica’s finger in her flesh. She tried to push against Angelica, but her hand passed through Angelica's translucent shape. Was Angelica Fallen?
“We didn’t bring her for you. Haniel took her for us.” Uriel stepped closer; he put his hand on Tina’s shoulder.
“You can have her when I finish with her.” Angelica pulled the needle out, removed the ampule from the needle and glided toward the inside of U-shape counter.
Warmth seeped through Uriel’s hand into Tina, making her drowsy. She blinked a couple of times, refusing to close her eyes and relax into the fake calmness. “Took me for you?”
“My brother is quite messy, I’m afraid, and since I’m not prepared to tolerate that, he had this idea to find us an Aradma, tie her to us and use her for a servant.”
Aradma? Oh, yes, the servants, those were people turned by Beliya. “Tie?”
“Don’t you know?” Uriel asked.
Tina shook her head.
“The Galbeliya’s influence isn’t as strong in Aradma as in Ishaaas and Beliyas, and if somebody who is on the same level as Gelbeliyas adds his blood into their system, he can become their new master. The Damned, since they can’t procreate or turn people into Bloodeaters, do that on regular basis.”
“Why are you explaining this to the servant?”
“So you do find her useless?” Uriel turned toward Angelica.
Angelica had the blood spread in an arc before her and was touching the red drops that dangled in the air with a thin metal stick, turning their colour to white. “She’s not as special as I first thought. I can feel a hint of Father in her, but it’s very faint, the Beliya’s influence is too strong, and their Galbeliya must be quite young and insignificant since I don’t recognize his seal.”
“Abbas?” Uriel’s gaze was on Tina, his eyes narrowed. “I didn't know.”
“But she’s an Aarsa Tiyaat. That’s rare. Prva would be very grateful to receive such a gift.”
“What does that mean?” Tina dug her fingers into the fabric of Uriel’s coat pulling him closer.
Uriel straightened. “Prva wouldn’t have made her hers. The Damned might be ruthless and selfish, but they have their codes, and they would never demand or take something that was already claimed. She’s Haniel’s. And the only reason she’s here in your lab is because you unjustifiably requisitioned her and because Haniel is gracious enough not barge into your lab and demands what’s his.”
“I made you. You are mine, all three of you. And what’s yours is mine too. Don’t you forget that!” Angelica glanced at Uriel before her focus returned to the blood before her. “You are my property.”
Tina noticed the tension in Uriel’s jaw and she thought that he might fly into a rage, but he didn't, even though she could see frost in his eyes, and defiance in the lift of his chin. She probably shouldn’t have, but she tugged on his coat anyway. “Hey, do you...”
The green eyes gave her a hard look; the face that just moments ago had seemed kind and soft, was now all hard angles and harsh. Tina released the fabric and scooted to the other side of the bed. In this moment he seemed more an enemy than somebody who would be willing to help her.
Uriel grabbed Tina’s arm and pulled her up. “Since I assume you are done with her, I’ll take her. There’s no point in leaving her here when she can be of use at the house.”
“Yes, yes.” Angelica waved her hand, dismissing them. “I’ll inform you when I’ll need her again.”
Uriel pulled Tina toward the glass barrier, helping her over it, and then dragged her toward the doors and through them, not giving Tina a chance to resist.
Tina was led in silence through the maze of the hallways toward a large door, her questions and protest ignored. They met a few people on their way, but even though all of them acknowledged Uriel -- some saluted, some stopped in their tracks and greeted him with admiration in their eyes -- Uriel ignored the majority, giving a tilt of head to just a few of them.
“Where... where are you taking me?” Tina repeated her question for the tenth time.
“Home,” Uriel finally answered. “I apologize for being rough with you just now, but it wouldn't be good for that woman to notice that you mean more to us than an ordinary Aradma would. She’s dangerous, more than Damon. Damon wouldn’t hurt you, but she would do far worst. You have to be careful around her.” With his free hand he pulled sunglasses from the inner pocket of his coat and put them on before he opened the large door.
The sun blinded Tina; her eyes started to water and burn. A shaky cry escaped her throat. She closed her eyes; her eyelids blocked the light, but it was still there, hurting her.
She was guided down the stairs and after she took two steps, she was pulled down on a platform and sat down.
“Here.” A hand pushed an object in her hand.
They felt like glasses and she put them on. She opened her eyes. The lenses of the glasses were dark and large, covering more than half of her face, and they kept the painful light at bay. She looked at the boy that sat beside her.
He was dressed in a simple shirt and jeans, with long black hair that was tied in a messy low ponytail, a few bangs falling on his forehead and temples, sunglasses on his face. He smiled at her, a cheeky, wide smile, his hands on the steering wheel of a vehicle that looked similar to a golf-cart, just slightly bigger. “Good to see you again.”
Muriel? No, she had never met Muriel, so he should be... what was his name? “Haniel?”
“That’s right,” Haniel said and as Uriel sat beside Tina on the bench he moved the cart with a soft buzz across the path that twisted among the trees and buildings.
“What happened?” Tina asked. “The last thing I remember is your wild ride yesterday.”
“You mean two days ago?” Haniel leaned back on the seat, putting his right arm on the back of the bench. “I thought we were okay with Uriel fighting Irene and Muriel keeping Tristian and Damon busy, but on the Ponte della Liberta, Damon and his men appeared behind us. He noticed that you were gone and he could track you by his blood in you. Luckily Muriel, even while fighting, was able to conceal your presence, but only for a short time. So after we arrived in Scotland Uriel used Angelica’s lab to created erm... what did you create?”
Uriel said something that sounded to Tina like just a bunch of syllables.
“Yeah, that. He created that and added it into your body to hush the call of Damon’s blood,” Muriel continued. “Then Uriel told us that you passed out. I mean, mom passed out.”
“And because Haniel here got distracted by Anael’s new toy, instead of being on the lookout, Angelica caught us as I carried you out,” Uriel added.
Haniel gave an apologetic smile to Tina before his eyes went to the path again. “I’m sorry about that, but I can’t resist shiny, hi-tech machines.”
Uriel smacked the top of Haniel’s head. “Your obsession could have cost us her life. And even now whenever Angelica demands, I have to bring Tina to her. What if she discovers Trinity?”
Tina watched how Haniel’s shoulders slumped and how he bit his lip, then she looked at Uriel, whose cold mask had melted the moment he sat down on the cart and whose eyes, despite the lecture, shone with fondness for the boy beside her.
“Haniel.” Uriel put his hand on Haniel’s shoulder, his arm touching Tina’s back. “You know what’s at stake. You have to be more careful.”
“I know. I know,” Haniel said. “And I was on the lookout, and I saw her, I informed you, but a little too late. She’s so fast.”
“No excuses.”
“I’m not trying to make excuses.” Haniel sighed.
Tina’s gaze for a while shifted between them, the whole exchange giving her a feeling of being part of their group, but whether it was false or not only time would tell. She used the pause to ask questions that bothered her since she woke up. “Where’s Trinity? Why doesn’t she answer my calls? And why haven’t I met Muriel yet? And who the hell are you two? Trinity said that she only had one child, Dume, and now there’re three of you calling her mom.” And there was more she needed to know. “And what is Angelica? She’s a Fallen, isn’t she? And is the Prva that they mention the same as Angelica? And what are Numuns and Shadows?”
“Whoa. Whoa. So many questions.” Haniel turned the cart around the corner and past a few cottages toward the lonely house that stood at the far end between the trees, just beside a high brick wall.
“Mom drained herself taking over your body and she collapsed at the end,” Uriel said. “I assume she’s just resting and there’s nothing to worry about, but Muriel would be able to tell us more about that. He’s the one that’s good at telepathy and sixth sense and I believe he would be able to connect with her even when she’s deep inside your soul.”
“Where is he?” Tina asked. She needed to talk to him. She needed his assurance that Trinity was going to be all right. That she was going to be all right. This was her first priority. All the other questions could wait.
“He’s in the garden. He’s sensitive to energies and can’t stand to be close Angelica. He gets sick.” Haniel parked the cart before the house, stood up and offered his hand to Tina.
Tina took it and was gently pulled up and off the cart.
“Go around the house; there’s a door in the wall, it leads into the garden.” Uriel lifted himself up with the grace of a cat.
Tina nodded and rushed behind the house and through the iron door into what looked like a meadow in the middle of the forest, with flowers, bushes and trees growing in a wild pattern forming a fairytale-like picture.
She stopped for a moment, breathing in the beauty when a movement drew her gaze toward the left side of the garden.
There was a boy sitting there in the grass, his black hair short, exposing his neck, while the long bangs that fell on his temple and cheek hid his face, making him look young, fragile.
A Cabbage White butterfly flew by and landed on the boy’s head.
The boy lifted his face up, exposing his profile, a small nose and pouty lips; he didn’t look older than fourteen years.
That was Muriel? So young? Tina made a step forward. How could he look so young? And how could such a fragile child have fought against Tristian and Damon and survived?
The noise of her steps made the boy turn his head in her direction. The butterfly moved on the tip of his nose as the boy’s lips stretched into a small smile. He pulled himself up and ran toward her. “Tina.”
“Muriel?”
He awkwardly stopped before her and nodded. Then, on second thought, he wrapped his arms around her middle and buried his face against her chest. “You are finally here,” he murmured against the fabric of her T-shirt.