Fallen Angels Read online

  Suddenly, there was a low reverberating sound that must have been partly subsonic because I could feel it in my bones. A small cyclone of red light swirled around the ruby. I dropped my pendant on the dresser top to see it better.

  The swirling light coalesced and standing there in miniature was the figure of someone who could only be my mother. Her blue eyes sparkled as she smiled at me from the holographic lightshow. I could feel the tears falling from my eyes even before I knew they were there, watching my mother smiling at me, even if it was only some kind of recording.

  My precious Matthew, if you are seeing this then it is your sixteenth birthday. Happy Birthday, my dearest, you are loved more than you could ever imagine, more than I could possibly convey with this poor effigy. I only wish I could be there to see you all grown up. You are a man now and if you are seeing this than you are ready to take the Test of the Malakhim. Oh how I wish I could stand by you and watch you take your rightful place as head of the house of St. Clair. You are special Matthew, more special than you could ever know. In your blood is the solution, the resolution for the entire human race. You are the Mashiach, the Messiah, the one who will bring change to the world, my son. You are the key to freeing all Mankind. Be brave, Matthew. Be strong. The world needs you. I love you with all my heart. Dearest one, please believe if there ever was a way I could be with you, I’d move Heaven and Earth to do so but we will meet again in another time and another place. I love you, Matthew.

  Then she smiled again and the light slowly swirled and went out. I grabbed my pendant and shook it forcibly, hoping I could bring the recording back to life but there was no reaction, the ruby just glittered in its new diamond studded casing.

  I stood there for a while, and then cleared the tears from my eyes. After a little while longer I found my way down to the kitchen. George was already sitting in the nook.

  “You hungry?” Ms. Maggie asked and I nodded. My body ached. Every spot felt like someone had taken a hammer and pounded me like a piece of sheet metal. I slid down into a seat.

  “What’s up, Matty-Boy?” George asked, his eyes glancing at my pendant. I’m sure he saw it’s new addition but didn’t say anything.

  “Yeah, nothing. Hey, who do you think that kid was yesterday?” I asked, trying to change the subject. George eyebrows rose at the change of subject but he let it pass.

  “What kid, the one in the Humvee? Probably just some punk; I gotta tell you Matty, you sure do draw them in, kinda like a fly on…”

  “Yeah, whatever,” I wasn’t in the mood for George’s teasing right then. “He knew what happened to Dominick. I’m sure he knows a lot more.”

  “Matty-Boy, don’t get yourself in more trouble. You’ve got enough going on.”

  “Why? You scared?” I have to admit, it was kind of a jerk move but that whole thing with seeing the recording of my mother had me on edge.

  George tensed, a coiled spring ready to explode into action. His eyes twitched but before he could say anything in answer, Ms. Maggie put a heaping plate full of food on the table. George left whatever he was thinking go unsaid and so did I. I knew I crossed a line. I owed him more than that, after he risked his life for me. But there were so many unanswered questions and not enough answers. Quite frankly, I was really tired of being in the dark about everything.

  Tuli mentioned that someone told him to kill me. Who was that someone? I knew that kid with the Humvee would have at least some answers. Answers I desperately needed. I shoveled food into my mouth. When I was done, I changed the subject.

  “So what’s this test thing about?” I asked.

  “Don’t worry about it, bro. You’ll be fine.”

  “Don’t I need training? Shouldn’t I be told what I should do, George?”

  “You’ve been getting training, or did you think your dad’s been beating on you just for fun? Just remember. It’s all you, okay?” That led up to an entirely different line of questioning, but before I could ask, George’s attention was caught by something deeper in the kitchen. I followed his gaze to Rene, who was walking toward us.

  “Hope you ate heartily, young pup. You’re going to need all the energy you can get today. Let’s go.”

  I chased after Rene out to the garden, with George close behind. I was starting to feel like the “young pup” the old man was always calling me. Maybe if I piddled on the furniture, he might stop calling me that. Then again, he’d probably just rub my nose in it and call me a bad boy.

  We continued to the field beyond. In contrast to the lush green of the garden, the grass was short and dry. There was a pond with a gazebo on it. I followed Rene to the small pond, across a short wooden bridge, and into the shade of the covered, wooden gazebo.

  A shimmering field, very much like the shield of light Aunt Emily used when she broke up our fight with the Shed’im, formed, enveloping the pond and the gazebo entirely.

  Rene’s usually stoic demeanor was replaced with one that I hadn’t seen before: concern. “Matthew, once our world sees you for what you are, there will be no going back,” he said. “Are you ready?”

  I nodded. I felt like Alice, and the rabbit hole was just getting deeper and deeper. Sooner or later, I’d have to hit bottom. Maybe that was exactly what I didn’t want to happen. But I’d made my decision and was in this for the long run.

  Rene glanced at George. “And you second Matthew?”

  George’s eyes lit up, his face broadened into a huge smile. “Oh, yeah!”

  I didn’t like the sound of that.

  Rene pulled open a panel, revealing an old-style number pad, the type you’d see on a punch-key calculator. He pressed a few numbers and a low, reverberating hum, like the sound of industrial strength electric motors, broke the tranquility of the pond. The weather-beaten wood of the gazebo floor shuddered and moved, revealing a crystal pad beneath.

  Rene stepped onto the pad and George pushed me forward.

  “Hey, watch it there, Buddy!” I told George.

  “I’m your second, Matty-Boy. It’s my job to make sure you don’t mess this up.”

  “Rene, can I have another second. Anyone? Please?” Rene didn’t say a word, just stared off into the distance, much like he always did. “Please?” I repeated, but he wasn’t responding.

  “Looks like you’re stuck with me,” George said. I really wanted to smack him, but before I could, the shiny pad beneath us began to descend, pulling us right through the floor and into the pond below. Before I knew what was happening, glass walls formed and we were whisked downward, the sunlight disappearing in seconds.

  We descended into a giant cavern that felt deep, like center of the Earth deep, and the walls closed in on me. Huge, intricately carved arches spanned an amphitheater that looked to be able to hold a thousand people. It was about half-full and I saw people entering the theatre even as we descended.

  The raised seats surrounded a central platform of six concentric circles of layered, colored stone, about a hundred feet in diameter. The bright rock was a marked contrast to the dark walls of the cavern. The sight of it brought back a memory of the room under Mr. Ching’s restaurant.

  The outermost ring was brown, with the next ring white, then orange, blue, red, and black in the very center. At far side of the rings was a raised dais, with a large chair and a stone table. The amphitheater seating was segmented into six sections, matching the ring colors. It was separated from the stone rings by a walkway and a stone railing, allowing viewing but not access to the ringed field below.

  Our platform stopped at the level of the stone rings. I followed Rene toward the dais. George bowed before the rings and then followed.

  As I got used to the dim light, people were seated above us and we were the center of attention. Aunt Emily sat with Kayla by her side. Kayla smiled and my stomach churned. Damn those butterflies.

  At the box of the blue section, I noticed a man with hair slicked close to his scalp. I noticed him because he stared down like a raptor from his perch with an in
tensity I found unnerving. His black clothing looked expensive, like one of those guys from a Hugo Boss ad. Next to him, I noted with some surprise, was Ricco. He smirked just as he had when he left me to fight the Shed’im.

  “What’s he doing here?” I asked George.

  “They’re all going to be here, Matthew. The Test is a big deal. Everyone bears witness, even the Shed’im. They all want to see you,” George said. “Some of them would also like to see you get your head beat in.”

  “So this is your Mashiach?” The man in the black suit called out to Rene, leering at me. Ricco scoffed beside him.

  Rene glanced at the man. They were such stark contrasts: Rene, the tired scarecrow, the man facing him, the lead model of a fashion magazine.

  “He is to be tested as Malakhim, Pazuzu,” Rene said. “I know nothing of supposed prophecies and divinations.”

  “Oh, yes. Of course you don’t. Your Kind must remain above, beyond reproach as protector of the Accords. Isn’t that right,” the man Rene called Pazuzu said. “We will watch intently to make sure you do not, ummm, shall we say, alter the legitimacy of his test.”

  Rene turned frigid. “Are you insinuating I am in dereliction of my duties, Devon?” he asked, his voice low and poisonous.

  Pazuzu grew pallid for just a second, and I knew then, with all of his sneering, he was deathly afraid of Rene. I didn’t know why anyone would be afraid of the bone-thin old man, but this guy was definitely unnerved. But he regained his composure and the haughtiness quickly returned. “Nothing of the sort,” Pazuzu said. “But the rituals must be followed.”

  “And so they will be.” The violence left Rene’s eyes, but he still looked annoyed. He dismissed the slick-haired gentleman and we continued toward the dais.

  Rene motioned to the crowd in the stands. “As is customary with all Malakhim trials, members of the Accords may observe, thus bearing witness to the test’s outcome, as provided for in the Judgment Accords. They will be watching closely, Matthew.”

  “I’ll try my best,” I said and was answered by an indignant harrumph.

  “George, make yourself confortable. You know the Initiate Rite,” Rene said.

  “Good! I’m going to enjoy this.” He moved to the side and bantered with some of the onlookers in the stands, laughing and pointing at the ring of circles. “This is a lot of people, more than at my test,” he said. “Hey, Matty! Just because you may be some hot dog big deal, don’t let that go to your head or I may have to thump you!”

  “Stay here and remember all of your training. Good luck, Matthew.” Rene bowed before the rings and then made his way up to the giant table at its far side. On the table were, most notably, a large hourglass and a rolled parchment.

  From the table Rene stared down at me, George was at my side but this time he was at full attention.

  “Matthew Rising!” Rene announced, effectively getting the attention of everyone in the amphitheater. He unrolled the aged parchment.

  “The rings of the Malakhim have trained young candidates for millennia upon millennia. It is a grave and reverent responsibility.” Rene pointed toward the concentric circles of stone. “There are six circles. Each circle is a Primary Level of the Malakhim. The outer four represent the elements of power, brown for Earth, white for Air, orange for Fire, and blue for Water. The two innermost circles are representative of the self. Red, the circle of the body represents the blood that is shed in protection of that which makes you human. The interior circle is black, as is the miasma of our consciousness. It is circle of the Spirit, that which makes us who we are.

  “Each circle will prove your worth—or your lack thereof. It will test your strength of mind, of body, and of your resolve. It is the crucible by which every Malakhim must be tested for their worth. If you are weak, the rings will reveal it. If you are cowardly, the rings will expose it. If you are selfish, the rings will uncover it, as it has for millennia.”

  “You are here to be Tested as an Initiate of the Malakhim and if found worthy you are accepting the responsibility to uphold the ancient pact. As such, it will be your duty to protect, uphold, and enforce the Accords of Terra Sol. Do you understand this Sacred responsibility?”

  “Yes,” I answered.

  “Stand if you will submit to be tested.” I moved forward, but George held out his hand to stop me before I could step on the stone.

  “Who will stand in second for this Candidate?” Rene called out.

  “I will.” George stepped forward, walking to the edge of the stone rings.

  “Who stands witness?”

  “I do,” was heard in chorus from the growing number of spectators.

  “Wow! Big crowd. This is gonna be great!” George snorted. I glanced at him and he laughed. I snarled back.

  “If there are no dissenting voices then, Candidate Rising, we will begin.”

  George leaned in close and whispered in my ear, “Bow before entering, then cross over the stone threshold of the first ring and just stay there. Rene will tell you what to do, okay? Go get ‘em. Make me proud, Matty-Boy! Don’t forget to bow,” he added as he stepped back toward the stands.

  Rene grabbed the hourglass. Rich, golden, sand-like crystal filled its bottom. “There is only one rule of this test, Matthew Rising. You must stay in the appointed circle and only that circle for the time designated by this crystal,” he said, indicating the hourglass. “Then you will proceed into the next ring, and continue forward until the rings are completed or until you have failed. There will only be one such opportunity; none other will be given.”

  I stared at the stones and, not for the first time, wondered what the hell I had gotten myself into.

  Rene nodded, almost as if he knew what I was thinking. Then, I realized he probably did know what was going through my mind.

  “Again, there will be only one opportunity. There will be no other. Do you understand, Matthew?”

  I nodded, feeling the weight of the decision behind it.

  “Do you wish to enter the first circle as a Candidate of the Malakhim, Matthew Rising?”

  George glanced over the railing and I followed his gaze to Aunt Emily and Kayla. I thought I saw tears glistening in Aunt Emily’s eyes. Rene stood in watchful silence, waiting for my response.

  “Yes,” I stammered.

  “Then enter the first circle, Candidate Rising.” I was about to step onto the platform when I heard a cough. George was trying to get my attention. Looking over, I groaned as he leaned forward in a slight bow.

  Aw, crap, I forgot already. I bowed, then stepped onto the brown stone, the largest of the six rings. Several feet separated the largest and the second largest of the concentric circles. I stood there uncomfortably, not knowing exactly what to do.

  “Candidate Rising has accepted the First Circle. Let the Trial of Earth begin.” Rene’s voice resounded from the cavern walls as he turned the time crystal over. There was a dead silence, and then the entire world began to quake.

  The brown stones below me shook and rattled and then rose up, and I was flung into the air. I thudded back to the stone, the landing taking my breath away, and still the earth moved. Again and again, the ground tossed me up and slammed me down. I got to my feet, waiting for the next onslaught, trying my best not to be thrown down on my now-bruised ass again.

  But then I heard a horrid sound, not unlike the sharpening of a knife, under my feet. Unexpectedly, a giant shard of crystal broke through the stone. I leapt aside, narrowly missing being impaled. Several more of the crystals slid from the hard surface, and I twisted to avoid them. More and more of the shards broke through as I ran, avoiding the crystals that seemed intent on skewering me.

  I could hear whoops and screams from George off to the side somewhere. I guess that meant I was doing well, although you could have fooled me. I hurdled a particularly bloodthirsty crystal that was pointed at my own jewels and leapt toward a flat area on the brown stone.

  There was another pause, then a grinding sound, like gia
nt teeth mashing together. I knew that whatever that precluded would not be fun, so I braced myself. Suddenly, a huge hole opened beneath my left foot and I sprang away, barely reaching the stone’s edge. Below me, a sea of molten rock churned and bubbled. If I fell, there wouldn’t even be time for me to scream. I would just be roasted in milliseconds. I ran and shifted as the brown stones dropped away, one after another. Soon, there would be nothing but stepping-stone spires of rock. Delicately, I hopped from rock to rock as the stepping-stones became smaller and smaller and further and further apart.

  What seemed like forever just kept going, on and on and I struggled to continue. I tried to pull power from the Earth the way Rene had taught me, but something was not letting me access the energy below. I could still feel the Earth churning, but the energy itself was untouchable. I glanced at Rene and he nodded. I knew then he was keeping me from the power. I had to do this by myself.

  My legs began to ache. Each stepping-stone was only large enough to support one foot at a time, and I labored from the effort. Perspiration poured from my forehead, clouding my vision and, mixing with the noxious stench of the molten rock below, stinging my eyes.

  The muscles in my calves cramped but I continued; each hop more tortured than the last. I saw the firm ground surrounding the outer circle and thought it would stop if I just jumped off.

  But I saw Aunt Emily and Kayla watching from the stands. My aunt’s face was full of concern, and although my legs ached and my body was beginning to fail, I decided in that instant to continue. The steps became easier as I made that decision. The stones were not so far apart and I leapt with more and more ease.

  Just when I started to relax, there was a reverberating sound like a very large cymbal being hit with a giant mallet, and the brown stone circle was once again beneath my feet.

  I sucked down air like a locomotive, my stomach churning, ready to spew up its contents like a baby drinking bad milk. Doing suicides in P.E. class was nothing like this; the adrenaline of having death right at my door sucked everything out of me.