Rise From Darkness by Ciara Knight Page B

rage from losing the love of his earthbound life became a demon. The hate consumed him. Do you want that to happen to you?” Grace’s voice broke.
    Alexander realized what she was trying to tell him. She was worried that his rage would cause his fall.
    “But I didn’t fall because of hatred. I fell because I loved Sammy so much I couldn’t let her be mistreated. I—”
    “It doesn’t matter. He fell because he didn’t trust Heaven and the powers that be to make the right decision. He acted in a way unbecoming of an angel. He might not have been a healing angel like you, but he was an angel nonetheless. You see he was a guardian angel and when the young woman he was guarding fell into demon hands, he couldn’t stop himself. He made choices that were not acceptable. There were consequences and he didn’t learn from his mistakes. He made the same choices again when she died. That’s why he’s a demon. There was no conscious choice to fall further, he didn’t wake up and decide to be a demon. It happened because he didn’t control himself.”
    “I can control myself.”
    “Can you?”
    “Of course.” Hadn’t he shown great restraint when he didn’t try to kill Forras ?
    “Yet, you make the same choices over and over again. You chose to show yourself to Gaby.”
    “I had no choice.”
    “Yes, you did. What happens if you face the same choices as the angel who fell, what will you do? Will your rage consume you?”
    “No.” It was a weak answer and he knew it. Could he control himself?
    “Please, son, just think about it. And for now, stay away from Gaby.”
    “I don’t think that’ll be a problem.” He sighed. “She hates me.” His body now slumped next to Grace’s and his eyes welled up with tears.

Chapter Eight

    “Gaby, say something.”
    Sammy’s words came softly, but she couldn’t respond. Images flashed through her mind, Alexander’s wings exploding in front of her. His body resembled a Michelangelo statue she once saw in a Humanities book she studied. But his eyes reminded her of an old vampire flick.
    How could she ever process who or what he was? Yet, somehow she wasn’t surprised. She already knew. The painting, her favorite, the one that lay on her desk upstairs had already revealed who he was. What of the others? The dark dreams reconstructed with blended colors on a canvas.
    “Please, Gaby, you have to talk to me.”
    “I don’t know what to say.”
    Gaby couldn’t help but think about the pictures upstairs. Should she show them to Sammy? Would she think she was crazy? There were so many unanswered questions.
    “What is he?” Gaby hesitated. “I mean—”
    “He’s an angel. A fallen angel.” Sammy reached out and placed her hand over Gaby’s wringing ones.
    “Is he dangerous?” She could feel a thumping against her neck as she waited for the answer. Even when his eyes glowed, she still wanted to be near him.
    “No. Not to you. Only to himself.” Sammy looked down at the floor her brow furrowed.
    “Are you a … fallen angel too?”
    Sammy let out a sigh. “Yes.”
    Gaby had so many questions bubbling in her head, she didn’t know where to start. “How do your wings work without shredding all your clothes?”
    Sammy giggled. “That’s what you want to know? Well, most of my shirts have Velcro in the back that Grace sewed in. Alex is lucky and just takes his shirt off most of the time.”
    “Do you appear, like he did? I mean, do your eyes glow?”
    “It is different for all of us.” Sammy looked up with her eyes glazed over as if remembering something.
    “All of us? There are more of you?”
    “Yes.”
    “You’re telling me there are things that go bump in the night and fly in the sky. This is insane. I’m dreaming right?” The familiar sting of panic rose and she wondered if she’d have to start taking the medicine again. No, she was stronger now and the pills never kept the nightmares away.
    Sammy shifted to face her. “I didn’t say anything