Fan Fiction ❯ Angel Tears ❯ Angel Tears ( Chapter 2 )

She turned away and refused to meet his gaze.

"He is my father in blood but there is nothing else between us. He loves a life that never existed and wishes for vengeance when no injustice has been done to him. If you can heal why don't you just finish the process so I may be on my way?" She stood up being face to chest with him.

"Why should I?"

"Cullivan wished for my safety and you owe him for saving your life twice?" She pushed him back and yelled at how much it made her hand hurt.

"You are right. That is why we are going to help him complete his mission."

"We? No you are mistaken I ran away so I wouldn't be a part of his mission. I never want to see Cullivan again! I…I hate him for leaving me!" She knew she couldn't hate him no matter how hard she tried but she had to keep believing she did.

"I don't care. I will deliver you safe to him no matter how much you protest."

"You can't do that!" He snapped a golden bracelet onto her wrist and she stared down at it.

"A bracelet? This is supposed to scare me?" She made an disbelieving sound and headed out of the room only to be thrown back towards him. She looked up at his face from her position at his feet.

"I'm very good at prisoner spells. You can not leave my side unless I allow you to.

"You're enjoying this too much." She scowled at him and he smiled brightly.

"Let's go."

"Where and what about Karo?" She sat down with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Karo can take care of herself and we have to go collect the Tears of the Angels."

"Tears of the Angels?"

"Yes. Look." He pulled out a little sapphire and held it out to her. She ran her fingers across the smooth gem and felt herself being carried away.

"Why must I return?"

"You were not meant to stay in the mortal world." He looked away from the council of angels and wiped away a tear only to have more pour out.

"But I have found happiness on Earth that I know will never exist for me on Evangeline (Author's Note: means evading the issue or problem). Please do not make me leave! I beg of you not to do this!"

"The decision is made you will return to Evangeline." He slammed his fist on the marble floor and again begged. His cries fell on deaf ears as the council vanished.

"Evangeline." Camber stared at her wondering what the blue glow she possessed meant.

"How do you know that name?"

"Evangeline, it's where the angels are from. Where they have to return when their missions are completed."

"You're right. I need Cullivan's mission to be completed so I can return to Evangeline." She followed him as he exited the warm bedroom. They sat at the table where Karo had served them soup.

"Do you like it?"

"It's delicious. Thank you, Karo." The elderly woman smiled with pride and began to eat her own soup.

"Arkin are you leaving?" He put down his spoon and looked from Shawnie to Karo.

"Yes. I must go Mama."

"It's okay. Every boy eventually has to become a man away from his Mama. I'll miss you." She wiped away a few tears that began to spill. He got up and hugged her knowing he would also miss her.

"Come on Shawnie let's not prolong this."

"You're taking the girl with you?"

"Yes Mama. I'm taking her back to where she belongs."

"Farewell child." They embraced and Shawnie felt that emptiness within her growing bigger. She let go of Karo and stepped back so Camber could grab her arm. He took her into his bedroom where he pulled out a chest of weapons.

"Pick one."

"Why?"

"You'll need it. Many are after the Tears of the Angels and we'll have to fight them for it." She nodded her head and inspected the weapons. She chose a stiletto and added it to the leather strap she had buckled around her right thigh which held a sword.

"You've had that all along?"

"You actually believe a woman would be stupid enough to travel alone with no weapon?" He just shook his head and began packing a few necessary items. She sat on his bed as she waited for him to finish.

"Here a few things to keep you warm and clean on your journey." She took the bag from Karo and smiled graciously.

"Thank you." Karo bowed and exited the room.

"Let's go." Karo waved till she could no longer see them then sadly went to bed.

"Do you want your wings back?" She placed a hand where one of his white wings use to be.

"Sometimes but others I think they weren't really necessary."

"Would you go back to Evangeline with them?"

"No. I wouldn't want Kessa to see me like this. This is far enough we'll camp here." He sat down on a boulder as she laid out a sleeping bag.

"Kessa?"

"Yes. She was a girl I loved. We were so happy together then one day I was sent to Earth. She was forced to stay behind and I promised to return to her. I can't go back till Cullivan's mission is complete and I don't break promises." He set up his sleeping bag a few feet away from her's. He stared up at the starry sky while she lay on her side analyzing him.

"Why does Karo think you're her son?"

"Her son was had just turned eighteen when he left to join the war. Only a few weeks later she received news that he had been killed during an air raid and she went delirious. Then one day I show up unconscious on her steps looking just like her son did when he left her. I could never bring myself to tell her the truth and she never questioned why I had not aged. I still look like I'm eighteen even though I've been on this Earth for fifty years."

"Fifty years? I thought you came during the war?"

"My initial purpose for coming to the Earth was to warn the human civilization. No one took me seriously and the small amount that did weren't enough. I failed so I was made a part of the group that protected the pure of heart. I thought…" A snore pierced through his trance and he looked over at Shawnie. She looked so innocent while she slept, it must've been because her mouth wasn't flapping. He laughed at that thought and drifted off to sleep.

"Shawnie." She looked for the source of the whisper but could only see a vast nothingness everywhere.

"Who's there?"

"Shawnie! Save me!"

"Cullivan?" She ran to where she thought she heard his voice. Her breath came in painful gasps and her legs threatened to give way at any moment but she continued to run.

"Shawnie! Why won't you help me?" She could see a gleam of his golden hair and leaped towards it.

"No!" Draken stood with his sword sheathed in Cullivan's twitching form. She stumbled to the limp body and stared up at the dark eyes of her father. She screamed at the feeling of her flesh being torn. Cullivan's body had dematerialized in her arms becoming a blinding light. He disappeared leaving her holding onto nothing. She touched her stomach surprised to find no trace of blood feeling instead a cold, glassy surface. She gripped her stomach and cried out in frustration. Her tears splashed against the cold marble floor and it began to change color. She watched in awe as it turned slowly from black to red. She let out a choked scream as the red enveloped her. She felt like she was drowning in blood.

"You must complete his mission or this will become the Earth. No more green or blue not even the brown of the desolate lands only red blood. Is that what you want?"

"No! No!"

"Shawnie! Shawnie!" She took a deep breath and stared up at him as he gently gripped her shoulders.

"Camber I had the most awful nightmare. Cullivan was killed and…why are you looking at me like that?"

"Look around you. It wasn't a nightmare." She sat up with his help having not expected to be such a hard task. She could tell they were in some sort of medical facility.

"But that means…Cu…" He hugged her to him to calm the sobs before they came.

"I know. I'm sorry." He rubbed her back to help even out her breathing.

"But how? Was it really Draken?" She spoke into his shoulder not wanting to lose the small amount of comfort his hug provided her with.

"I had just located Cullivan. He was on the trail of a sapphire in Newark. Draken got there a little before we did, he wanted to destroy Cullivan. He didn't want to see you with him. You yelled out his name and Draken took advantage of the distraction. He drove his sword into Cullivan's chest. You yelled at me to let you run to him but as I did he burst into a ball of light. I ducked in time but you were hit numerously and thrown back. I was so afraid. You were bleeding so much and I brought you here. You've been here for a couple of weeks." She pulled away from him to look down at her stomach. She pulled on the bandaging but a hand on her wrist stopped her from removing them.

"Shawnie it's been so long."

"Catalane what are you doing here?" She hugged her and hoped this wasn't another one of fate's tricks.

"I needed to be able to take care of someone it's what I know. What better place than a hospital in need of volunteer nurses?"

"Have you been taking care of me?" Catalane sat down and dropped an arm over Shawnie's shoulders pulling the younger girl closer.

"Of course I have. And I'll keep taking care of you till that broken heart heals." She hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head.

"That'll take forever."

"So I'll care for you forever."

"I'm very fortunate to have a friend like you, Catalane. You're always there when I need you the most but I'll be leaving soon so all of this can still exist."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Tears of the Angels, she's going to look for them. What are you doing?" She slapped his hand away as he tried to stop her from peeling off the bandages around her stomach. A soft blue light appeared as she got the first layer off. The light became stronger as each layer was removed till it illuminated the entire facility. Shawnie put her hand over it feeling the jewel's smooth surface.

"It was all real. This is the sapphire from Cullivan's staff he gave it to me." She tossed the bandages aside and let her white blouse fall over her mid section. She put her legs over the poor excuse for a bed and shakily got onto her feet. Camber let her lean on him seeing as she still had not gained full mobility. She put most of her weight on him as they tried to leave.

"Get back in bed! Shawnie you have a head injury! Get back in bed!"

"Catalane every minute I stay in that bed is too precious to waste. I have to find the Tears of the Angels or this world will be destroyed."

"Then I'm coming with you. Knowing you you'll get hurt again." She laughed but still agreed with that point.

"You're moving much too slow. Get on my back." He kneeled down to allow her to do so. Her legs were tired and they hadn't even been walking for an hour yet. He stood up gripping her legs to make sure he didn't drop her.

"The jewel is toward the north east two days worth of a walk away."

"How do you know that?"

"The sapphire in my stomach is a locater. Do you know what happened to the one Cullivan was tracking?"

"Draken took it." She sighed and put her head down on Camber's shoulder.

"Are you tired?"

"Yes but I'll survive. You're the ones doing all the work." They maintained a comfortable silence for most of the walk. It was not often that these quiet moments came up. An arrow pierced through the air towards Catalane. She caught the arrow a mere inch from her head. It would've pierced between the eyes. Shawnie stumbled off Camber's back and dragged herself towards Catalane. More than a hundred arrows were fired at the trio, it seemed the end was near.

"Stop!" Shawnie stood before her two friends her arms spread wide. She opened her eyes surprised that there wasn't anything protruding from her body. The arrows were suspended in the air awaiting her command.

"How did you do that?" Camber put his arms around her waist to hold her up, he could see she was growing weaker.

"I don't know." She tried to stay firm in her spot but was left to put all her weight on Camber.

"Tell them to turn." Catalane stood up and pulled off her white dress to reveal a black skin tight body suit and an assortment of weapons.

"Turn!"

"Now say fire."

"Fire!" The arrows flew threw the air back to where they had come from. Men fell from their hiding places in the tree tops and shrubbery. More came down from the hillsides and Catalane dove through the air bringing her massive sword down on them. Camber was surprised she could even hold such a weapon let alone fly through the air gracefully with it. He ran to join the fight while Shawnie kept her distance to regain a least a shred of her strength.

"You killed all my men? Three against three hundred? Impossible."

"Your proof lies dead a t your feet now why did you attack us?" Camber held him by the collar of his shirt. He dropped him suddenly and screamed out in pain. The man laughed evilly as he held up a strange looking dagger.

"I was sent to finish what Master Draken started. Farewell I hope you enjoy watching the poison slowly kill him." He vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Is it done?"

"Yes Master." He bowed down to the angel but couldn't help but wonder why the angel remained in the darkness.

"You will remain in these castle walls till I am certain the fallen angel is dead."

"Yes Master."

"Now get out of my sight!" The bald man bowed to show respect and hide the anger that was evident on his face. Once he was sure he was alone he stepped out of the darkness. He looked at the true master lying in a comatose state on a mattress hidden in the darkness.

"Why can't I revive you? Draken you were warned not to harm me didn't you know about my pain reflection ability? I would be the one dying there but I was made perfect. Damn the angel council for making me this way just for their mission. A mission I'll never understand." He ran his hand through his golden locks. He was so deep in thought that he didn't realize someone else had entered the room till he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Shall I brush your hair Master Cullivan?" He stared at the purple haired girl curiously.

"Who are you and how do you know my name?" She began to brush his hair with a sad expression remembering her hair was once golden silk like his.

"Kaede, I am Master Draken's personal servant. I know your name for he always spoke it with such hatred. I never understood why and believe will not receive a valid explanation." He relaxed remembering all the times Shawnie had brushed his hair.

`Please just one braid.'

`When you say one you always mean a dozen.' She laughed sweetly and kissed the top of his head. He stiffened, she was known to be affectionate but she'd never kissed any part of him.

`Hey Culli what are you thinking about?' He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the girl, no woman before him. She had grown so quickly he couldn't believe it. She decided to take advantage of the distraction and began braiding his hair. She hummed softly and he closed his eyes to take in the sound and her scent. He was so caught up in the fantasy of their future together that he jumped when he felt her hands on his cheeks. She smiled at him as he opened his eyes.

`You look precious.'

"Shawnie."

"What was that Master Cullivan?" He turned to look at the girl who had been enchanted by his beauty. She groaned at the loss of his soft hair in her fingers.

"Nothing. Don't call me Master, I'm just Cullivan. Continue brushing if you wish." She happily started brushing his hair again.

"Do you prefer any style?"

"Braid it."

"How many?"

"As many as you can."