Ethereal Underground Part 6

The fallen paused, listening to the voice and turning their attention to him.

Opening her eyes, Annalise saw the man entering the room. His frame was slightly larger than Ash, dark hair spiked upon his head, his large eyes going to the lifeless body of the older woman in the corner. He glanced over at Ash and glared at him accusingly, "You have brought them here."

Taking the time to crawl away from the two large fallen beside her, she pulled herself to her feet and tiptoed around them as they didn't move, their eyes focused on Endarial for orders.

"He has," Endarial agreed, as the man stepped closer to her, "He has brought us here to kill the keepers. You are all doomed."

"Jaron, don't listen to her, she has killed Jedzia. I will destroy them all, all of the fallen, whatever I have to do-" Ash insisted, but his words were cut off when the fallen clamped his hand over Ash's mouth and forced him to his knees.

Tuning out the voices around her, Annalise tried to teleport again to no avail. She crept over to where Ash was just as the male let him go. She grasped for him, seeing that the attention was all on Endarial and whoever this new male was. "Come with me."

His blue eyes turned to her, angry and sad at the same time, "I can't, there is no way I am leaving here. Save her, like you did me."

"I am injured, I cannot heal."

"I won't leave her."

"You have to," she insisted, placing her hand on his face and begging him with her eyes, "If we can get away, we can work this out. If we stay and you die, there is no facing tomorrow. There will be no hope."

She could see the battle waging inside of him, but he nodded to her, taking her hand from his face and leading the two of them towards the entrance of the home. She was thankful he was going with her because she did not want to leave him alone. Pausing in the doorway, she turned to make sure that they were not being followed. It appeared as if they were all too interested in arguing with one another to notice the two of them slipping out the front door. Jaron was an interesting looking man, she noticed. He stood tall, his head high and shoulders square.

"Jedzia was my friend Endarial, she was off limits," Jaron yelled, kicking a small end table.

"The young mortal was out of control. We had to contain the situation," Endarial replied.

"When I told you he was on the surface, I did not know they were coming here. You had no right!" he argued back.

Annalise found it strange, the way they were talking to each other. They weren't talking like strangers, but then again Annalise wasn't mortal and the way all mortals talked seemed strange to her.

"Annalise," Ash snapped at her, jerking her from the doorway of the house. It was apparent to her that he had not heard the conversation or he would certainly have gone back into the home to fight again. She noticed that he was one to rush into things without thinking.

She tapped her bangle and instructed it to lead them to the nearest area of weakness in the barrier between her world and his. "We are going back to my people. My counterpart will help us." The words came out as sure as she could make them, even though she was not sure that this would be the case. He would help her for sure, but she wasn't sure about Ash.

They rounded the corner of the last house and Annalise pulled back on his hand to stop. She closed her eyes to feel the energy around them, "There are rips in s.p.a.ce and time throughout your realm that lead to mine. We must find one."

Her eyes opened as she felt the familiar sense of home and she led him to the invisible rip that she was looking for. She held his hand tightly as the two of them stepped through the small s.p.a.ce.

Chapter Six.

Ash Moving through the rip in s.p.a.ce was much easier than transporting. No sick feelings or dizziness, at least not from the travel. Ash felt Annalise pull his hand once more. He wasn't sure where she was taking him, in fact he wasn't sure of anything. His surroundings were blurry and his focus was uncertain. Her hand was warm though, and it was the only thing that kept him grounded to reality. After what felt like a century of waiting, he felt her push him down onto something soft. It was fluffy and warm, and all Ash wanted to do was close his eyes and never wake up. He had been in plenty of risky combats, but never had he lost anyone close to him. Now Jedzia was dead, and he was the reason. He had brought the fallen to her home; he should have never gone there. He couldn't believe that she was gone. She had been his partner, his other half. It had been his job to have her back and keep her safe. Even though he wasn't a keeper anymore, he had felt a major sense of duty toward her. She had trusted him when she opened that door to let him in; he had betrayed her by letting her get killed. He had been held back by insanely strong immortal winged freaks, and for that he would kill every last one of them. Ash wasn't weak, he was a fighter. Endarial would soon understand that, and if it was the last thing he did he would tear her apart with his bare hands.

He felt someone put a piece of fruit in his hands. Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked up at Annalise. She looked worn out but the light still shined from her blue eyes.

"You are a mortal. You need to eat and sleep." Ash shook his head, he couldn't sleep. Not right now anyway. Sure, he hadn't slept in days, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw Jedzia lying on the ground. Her eyes were wide open, lifeless. Yet, the fruit in his hands looked fresh. He took a bite of the round yellow flesh. It didn't taste like any fruit he had ever gotten at home. It was sour, and it melted in his mouth.

Annalise put her hand on his back. "I am sorry about your friend." Ash tried not to wince at her words. It had been almost thirty seconds since Jedzia had crossed his mind.

"I'm going to put a sword through that fallen piece of cowl," he replied. He gazed around at the scenery. It looked like someone's home.

"This is your home?"

Annalise nodded. "My counterpart, Leon, he will be home soon." The last thing Ash wanted to do was have to deal with her "counterpart". They obviously lived together, and that made him somewhat upset. He took a minute to look around at the clean and tidy home. It looked similar to a mortal's home in many respects, but it was overly clean and somewhat empty. It didn't feel cozy or warm; it was practical. Without the need to eat or sleep, working constantly, maybe there wasn't much use for a cozy home. Everything was natural, made from wood or cotton materials; such a difference from his home where everything was made of steel or metal. The roof was made entirely of gla.s.s; sunlight poured in through it and lit up even the corners of the room. He noticed a little nook in the corner of the room full of gardening supplies; a bucket of dirt, a watering pail, ap.r.o.n, and a few tools.

"Do you garden?" he asked, nodding towards the pile of tools.

Annalise nodded. "I have been trying, but I am afraid my plants may have suffered while I was gone." She gave a big sigh and walked over to the watering can. She picked it up and walked over to an old wooden water pump sticking out of the floor.

"Couldn't you just, you know, use your affinity to shoot water from your hands or something?" Ash asked. He was still confused about how her world worked, how her kind lived.

Annalise let out a smile, the first one he had seen from her. He was happy that she was starting to let her sh.e.l.l crack. "I cannot use my affinity right now," she replied, motioning to the bloodied stain on the front of her dress, the place where she had been stabbed. Only he noticed that the color was a blue, instead of red. She walked toward the back door and out of the house, over to some rose bushes and plants growing on the side. Tired, but interested in her hobbies, Ash decided to follow her. He wished that he could do something for her injury, but he wasn't a healer.

"I do not understand," she whispered, when Ash came up behind her.

"What's not to understand, your flowers look great."

Annalise poured some water on the plants and put her hands to her head in confusion.

"I have not been able to tend to them in days, they should be dead. Unless...." Her voice trailed off but strangely Ash knew what she was thinking. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she brought him back to life, but right now her strong emotions poured off of her in waves. He could feel her. She thought that her counterpart had taken care of her flowers. She was grateful and proud of Leon.

"He must care about you a lot." Ash put his hand on her shoulder and forced out a smile. He was no match for her other half. He knew what she needed, he understood her. Most of the time Annalise couldn't even understand what Ash was talking about. Annalise opened her mouth to say something. Ash hoped that this would be a protest. Something along the lines of "We are just friends" or even "He's actually my brother, so of course he loves me." But nothing came out of her mouth, her attention turned to something behind him.

"Leon!" she cried, stepping back from Ash so his arm fell off her shoulder.

The male seraph stepped into view, his eyes settling on Ash for a moment, staring coldly at him before turning his attention to Annalise. Ash tried not to glare at him. He didn't like being ignored. He didn't even know this seraph, but just looking at him made Ash want to kick him into the ground. He didn't like the way he looked at Annalise- it was as if he knew her secrets. As if Annalise was Leon's only focus in the world, and Ash was just an annoying gnat that swarmed around the two of them. If they started finishing each other's sentences, Ash would throw up right now.

"Annalise. I have been looking everywhere for you." He held a large sword in his right hand, one much like Endarial had been carrying, and he carefully slipped it into a sling behind his back. Annalise didn't move, didn't say anything to him. Ash could feel the worry and uncertainty coming off of her, not knowing if she should go closer to him or not. Ash shook his head and gave a loud pretend cough; he hated awkward silences.

"Is this the mortal?" Leon demanded, taking a step forward and studying Ash. They were almost the same size.

Ash puffed his chest up and spoke. "Yeah, I'm the mortal. What's it to you?"

Annalise took a step toward him, her arms out to stop the two men from getting too close to each other, "Leon. I can explain if you will just listen to me." Annalise held her hand out for his, asking for a moment of retreat.

To Ash's surprise, Leon's eyes softened and he grabbed her small hand in acceptance. It made him sick that he forgave her so easily, and took her hand as if Ash wasn't standing there. He crossed his arms in front of himself, trying to suppress the irritation building up inside of him. Why was he getting so worked up over her? Ash didn't get these feelings often.

"Leon, I made a mistake. I had to try and find out why I broke the rules."

Leon pulled her close, making Ash feel a bit more uncomfortable, again. Was it even possible?

"I think I am going to give you two some s.p.a.ce to talk...I'm going to go wash up," he said, eyes settling on Annalise before turning to go inside and attempting to make himself presentable in their small home. At least inside he could listen in if he needed to. He could make sure Annalise was safe, and not have to see the way the two of them were acting around each other.

Annalise Pulling away from Leon to turn and address Ash, she was disappointed to see that he was already inside of the house. She gave a small sigh and turned back to her counterpart, afraid to say anything else. She could feel the conflicted feelings flowing off of her mortal friend and she wasn't quite sure how to deal with it. It was some of the same things she was feeling when she had seen him protecting Jedzia. What was this new irritation that she had felt? She would have to ask him when they had a minute alone. Shaking her head, she realized that she was considering trusting in the mortal, inquiring from him what these feelings and thoughts were, not Leon. Not the one who had been her best friend and confidant for her whole life. Somehow, things were different now, and she had never dealt with any sort of change before. Things had been the same for as long as she could remember.

"What is on your mind, Anna," Leon asked, getting her attention once again.

She turned to him to give him a small smile and a noncommittal shrug, "I just do not know."

"He likes you."

Her head snapped up to look at Leon in confusion, a spark of hope igniting in her as well, "What do you mean?"

"I think that he believes he has a chance to be your mate."

"Oh dear," Annalise whispered, bringing her hand up to her face to hide it as if in shock but really to hide the burning that had crept up into her face. What was it making her act this way? She knew that there would never be anything between her and Ash. "He is silly, really, we seraph do not love. Becoming a mate and focusing so much into a relationship is simply...ridiculous."

When Leon did not reply, she felt her heart sink for just a second, making her think there was something more in his silence. Was he considering a relationship that was more than what was normal for seraphs? She lowered her hand from her face and looked up into Leon's serious green eyes, "It is silly, right?"

"Yeah of course," he answered with a nervous cough as he took a step from her and pursed his lips, "Anna, that boy is going to get you into trouble. You are to reap these souls, take them to the Grand Hall. That's it. You cannot heal them as you please, it is not natural and it does things to those mortals. I cannot say what, but it is enough for the Elders to be very upset with you."

"I know, Leon, but if you would just listen to me-"

"It does not matter what your reasoning is, Annalise, this is serious. I am surprised that you are not taking it as so."

At that point, Annalise found herself speechless. Rarely did Leon call her by her full name, and rarely did he refuse to hear her out on her thoughts and her feelings, no matter how ridiculous they were. The worst of it, however, was that she could feel Ash's presence, knew that he was close enough to be eavesdropping and hearing her being spoken to as if she were a child.

"I am not that nave, I know how serious this is and I do not need you talking to me as if I am a small child or one of your charges that needs protecting. You do not know anything about Ash and I do not appreciate your accusing words toward him. He is a fighter and you should be thankful that he has helped to keep me safe with the fallen around."

"Fallen?" Leon exclaimed, moving to take her by the arm, his strong hand wrapping around her forearm as he bore his eyes into hers, "What fallen?"

"The fallen that attacked us while we were at Ash's friend's home. They killed her, Leon, it was terrible. They are ruthless, just like you said. Killing machines. But you will not believe this, they do not look like monsters! They look just like you and I, like they did when they were seraphs!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in excitement as she told him of these things and expecting shock to spread over his face. But it did not. She lowered her eyebrows, realization dawning on her, "You knew!"

"It is not something you needed to know."

"You lied to me!" she insisted, trying to pull her arm from his grasp, "How dare you. I trusted you, and all these years you have lied to me. What else have you lied about? Do you sit under the Lilligan tree with all those gossipers and laugh at silly old Annalise and her naivety?"

Leon frowned and let her go, "That is something we are required to tell everyone. It is a widely kept secret to keep those who would hunt them out from doing so. The fallen are evil creatures, yes, but they do look like us. Who was it that you saw?"

"Endarial," Annalise said, unsure of why she was still talking to him, "She was the same as before, except for her black eyes, but she could no longer create fire. Just as you said."

"Of course not, they are stripped of their powers once they are cast out."

"But she was wearing a ring that enabled her to manipulate fire...she carried a lighter with her. Oh and she was angry, Leon."

The male seraph froze, his eyes searching Annalise's for more answers, "I had no idea. None of us did...that they had such things. This must be a new development. I must tell the Elders."

"See, I can give you information. I can get it for you, be a spy perhaps."

"No."

"I can do what I want, Leon, you cannot stop me. I have to help him. Ash. He and I have this connection. He can manipulate water, and I can feel him. His...feelings. They are intense, overwhelming at times. It is not natural. These things should not have come to pa.s.s, but I have made them so. I must make it right," she explained, stepping towards her friend and putting her hands in his.

Leon shook his head, sadness creeping up into his face, one that Annalise had not seen on his face before, "My dear Anna, that is not something you can do. The Elders have given us an ultimatum. They know about what you have done, and that the keeper was killed in the process. They think that you two are somehow working with the fallen since you were there when Jedzia's soul was reaped. You were not supposed to be there during her reaping, this I know. She was one of my charges. It was her time, but you were not supposed to be involved. The fact that you were has thrown everything off balance. Things are not as they should be and everyone is scared. The Elders have decided that you should be cast out. Either this or you must prove yourself, that you are not a spy in our midst. You must kill the boy, Ash."

Annalise felt the breath catch in her throat, fear and panic setting in to her being. That was her choice? Kill the mortal or be cast out? "That is not fair," she cried out, stepping out of Leon's reach and wrapping her arms around herself, "I cannot kill someone, especially that mortal. What if we are bound? What if it destroys me as well?"

"That is our choice, Anna, our only choice. I could not stand it if I had to cast you out."

"You?" she asked, taking another step back from him, "What are you talking about?"

Shaking his head, he apologized and took a step forward.

She took another step from him and glared at him, "You are still keeping secrets from me! If you had been honest with me in the first place, I would not be injured right now. These fallen, they have some sort of substance on their weapons that causes us not to be able to teleport, makes it more difficult to heal those who we need to heal, or ourselves."

"Are you hurt?" Leon asked, looking her over from head to toe, pausing when he saw the blue spot on the front of her dress. He walked over to her and fell to his knees, examining the wound. She was still angry, so angry she wanted to step back from him, but if she and Ash were to get anything accomplished, she needed to be at her best and healed.

"Endarial ran me through with her sword with that substance on it. I do not know what form of alchemy she could get that from, but it was the same as what made it hard to bring Ash back. I am sure of it."

Leon ran his hand over her wound, taking it in, and looking up at her, "I will have her head. Don't worry about that. Please stand still. I will heal you. Release your wings."

Annalise did as he asked, tapping her gold bangle and giving a content sigh as she felt her wings release to their full span. It had been several hours since she had been free, let herself be seraph and nothing else and it felt so incredibly good. Opening her eyes, she turned her attention to Leon and hoped he would be able to repair the damage that had been done.

She watched him place his large hand over her wound and put pressure on it. Closing her eyes, she tried not to make a sound. It was painfully excruciating, and she knew that it was worse than she had originally thought. Annalise had never been wounded before, never had a reason to be in battle. Leon had countless times, however, and a guardian's way of healing was rougher and more intense than a reaper, often needed in the heat of the moment. He began mumbling his blessing, fast and deep, low enough that she could barely hear it. As he did so, he pressed his hand closer to her, his other one coming to her waist as he steadied her. She put her hands on his shoulders and bent over slightly at the waist, the pain flowing from the wound and out into her body. She hoped Ash couldn't feel this, the intensity of this healing. And the pain. Letting out a small cry, the pain retreated back into the world and she fell to her knees. It was gone.

Annalise opened her eyes, meeting the green ones staring back at her in worry, "Are you okay? I'm so sorry it hurt you."

"I am fine," she mumbled, lost in the moment for a second and realizing just how close they were to each other. For a minute, she wondered what it would be like to be this close to Ash, what it would feel like for him to touch her sweetly instead of always protectively. Would they ever have a chance to just talk? She could feel herself opening up to the mortal, thinking of him as a new friend, and looking forward to getting to know him more.

Suddenly she stood up, opening her eyes in shock, feeling Ash's feelings slamming into her.

Something had happened.

She turned to the house to see Ash running from the door and taking a hold of her arm, his blue eyes locked on hers, "The fallen are here."

"You have brought them here," Leon said accusingly as he stood up and stared down the other man.

"This isn't the time to be fighting me when you have several evil guys coming up on your house, fighting your people. I'm the least of your worries."

Annalise let out a shriek, covering her mouth as Leon reached for his sword and pulled it out of its hilt, holding it up in front of him in a threatening manner, "Do not test me mortal."

"Stop it, Leon," she demanded, moving into his field of vision, "The fallen are here in our realm. We must go."

"I'm not going anywhere," Ash said, "I'm going to kill every single one of them."

Annalise could see the anger in his eyes, and feel the need to get revenge on the creatures that had killed his partner. The fact that fallen had found their way into the seraph realm terrified her, and she had to find a way to get him to leave. She put a hand on his arm, blue eyes going to him in concern, "They will kill you. And I-I cannot fight. Do you want me to leave by myself?"

He looked at her suddenly, as if the thought had not occurred to him. She could feel just how much he wanted to fight, but also the realization that she could not. With a sigh, he nodded, "No, you can't do that. I will go with you."

"I do not like the idea of you going with him," Leon said and stepped closer to them. She could see the confusion on Leon's face, the indecision. Annalise had never seen him unsure before, he always knew what to do, when, and how to do it. To see him so hesitant made the situation even more frightening to her.

"We have no choice, Leon." She pressed the b.u.t.ton on her bangle to hide her wings before leaving.

His eyes turned to look at her, understanding filling up the green orbs, "Just remember what we talked about. If you want to come home, you know what you have to do. If you cannot do it, I will do it for you. I want you home."