AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Prologue
The night skyis hidden behind heavy, black clouds. Their ominous presence is the perfect backdrop for this, the most horrible night of my life.
A gust of wind rocks my wings. I bank left and swoop up to regain balance, holding tight to the tiny bundle in my arms. Once steady, I glance down at the delicate nose peeking through the warm blanket wrapped around the newborn. She remains asleep.
My child.
A sob chokes me, but I refuse to release it. Now is not the time for tears. I’ve made my decision. I must see it through. For her sake.
Despite the darkness around me, I see the smooth lake that is my destination. A quick chant Conceals me and the child as we descend from the sky. The small town is quiet at this late hour. Dim streetlights reveal surrounding homes. But it is the bright red brick building I aim for.
The chatter of the men and women inside reaches my ears just as I land at the edge of the tree line, facing the building.
Lake Valley Fire Department
Odette told me these human establishments take in and care for abandoned newborns. This is where she suggested I bring my child. Where Iabandonmy child.
“It is for her safety, Dina.”Odette’s words play in my head. “The prophecy is clear. The Cursed One will bring ruin ifhefinds her. You must keep her hidden from the Fallen. Or else we are all doomed.”
I clutch the tiny bundle close to my chest. A tear rolls down my cheek.
I trust Odette. We’ve known each other for centuries, and we created The Alliance together. She was the first person I told when I realized I was with child. She celebrated the miraculous news with me. No Fallen female has ever birthed a child. Not a Nephilim, and certainly not a full-blooded angel like the blessing in my arms.
Being a mother is something I always dreamed of, but never something I let myself believe could happen. Fallen’s inability to breed new angelic Fallen is part of our punishment. We rebelled against the Creator. To ensure we never tried to overthrow him again, he made sure Fallen lost much of their power, and we could not mate and create other Fallen. Only male Fallen and Nephilim could reproduce, and each subsequent generation had less power.
Untilher.
I believed I was so blessed. That perhaps the Creator had deemed me worthy of this gift. I believed my miraculous pregnancy was a sign of his favor. Of his eventual forgiveness for me and other Light Fallen who strived to earn our place back in Heaven.
But then the Oracle sent word of a new prophecy. A prophecy, unbeknownst to the Oracle, about my unborn child.
It wasn’t long after that moment that I decided to hide my daughter among humans.
A loud siren blares from the brick building. Men and women scramble. I watch a large red truck drives out of the tall garage opening, lights flashing, and drives down the street.
My child whimpers at the noise. I hold her closer and inhale her sweet scent. When I pull back and stare down at her perfect face, I see her eyes are open. One hazel and one blue. The blue is a perfect match for mine. The other… that is thanks to her father.
I trail a finger down her forehead, between her eyes, and down her little pert nose. She scrunches her face, and her tongue thrusts out. I smile even as my heart cracks in two.
My darling angel.
I do not want to let her go. I want to run away and hide us both from the world to avoid the Oracle’s prophecy from coming true. But I know I cannot. Not only will my allies in The Alliance search for me, but so willhe.
So far, my daughter’s father is unaware of her existence. I must keep it that way.
Even if doing so breaks my heart.
I swallow the lump in my throat and force my gaze off the beautiful babe in my arms. The red truck carried away half of the humans, but plenty remain to find my darling.
Another tear escapes. I lift my daughter up and stare into her beautifully unique eyes. They’re unfocused. At less than two days old, I am nothing more than a blurry form to her. She will have no memories of me.
For her safety, I will have to keep my distance. Even if I wanted to check on my darling, Odette’s ward is powerful. It blocks my darling’s power signature, and will keep them from emerging even when she hits maturity. The ward ensures no one else should be able to find her, including me.
I tuck her close. “I love you, my darling angel. Always.”
Then, before I give into the wailing of my aching soul and keep her, I ferry over to the garage opening. I place a lingering kiss on her rosy cheek, then place her safely in the middle of the desk along the edge of the room. I ferry back to my original spot and watch, waiting for one of the remaining humans to find my beloved.
It doesn’t take long.
