Fallen Angel

I wasn't sure entirely sure where I was, but I knew that I needed to get out, no matter what. I had managed to get to my feet, but that man, whoever he was, must have drugged me or poisoned me, or something. I was so weak I could barely manage to stay on my feet at all, let alone stumble around the room, looking for an exit.
As I stumbled against a wall and, using it for support, leaned against it, breathing hard, I looked around, willing my eyes to spot something that might be helpful. But it was just empty, unyielding darkness.
"Hello?" A quiet voice called, weak and barely loud enough to hear. "Is anyone there?"
I looked around, eyes narrowing against the dark. "Yes," I called out, my voice barely louder than hers. "Where are you?"
I heard a faint laugh, before she said "over here. Just follow my voice." She paused. "It might be easier if you close your eyes and focus. It won't echo so much, then."
I nodded, forgetting no one would be able to see it, and closed my eyes. I started forward with an awkward, lurching gait, while the woman continued rambling on about nothing of really any importance, though it surprised me what she knew about Angels, and how much of it was actually on the dot.
As I stumbled to a hasty stop and barely avoided falling onto my face the voice stopped and I stared down at a woman who couldn't be much older than twenty. She looked somewhat familiar, though I knew I had never seen her before in my life. She had gentle features; soft blue eyes and light brown hair.
Her eyes narrowed. "You're one of them. You are, aren't you?" Her voice was just a narrow whisper, and I could see she was fighting the urge to cry. "But, then, why are you down here with us? They only keep us humans down here."
"You humans?" I asked, becoming more confused by the moment. "What do you mean? I don't really understand."
"Oh, yeah, she's definitely one of them. And new, by the look of it," another voice said.
I turned my head the direction the voice had come from. "How many of you are down here?"
"Seven, I think," the first voice answered. "By the way, I'm Ashlin. My sister Daylin is down here somewhere. That's Kate, who just spoke. Ezra is probably somewhere around me. There's Cairo, who is probably next to Kate. Then there are the twins, Sari and Toni. I'm not sure if they're down here or not."
"Well, how many of the fallen are here? Wherever here is, I mean."
Ashlin glanced around. "I know exactly how many there are. I can tell you their numbers by name," she said, voice harsh and angry.
I crouched down next to her, lurching forward as my vision blurred and spun. She held out her hands to catch me, easing me down onto the floor next to her. "Are you alright? They got it into you, didn't they?" She swore under her breath. "They did. I can see the signs."
I nodded, barely managing the movement. "Just tell me their names."
"You're in no shape to be hearing our problems and what we're up against." She sighed. "But I can see you're not going to do anything about it now, so I'll tell you." She lowered her voice, leaning closer to me so she could speak into my ear. "Cearbhall is the leader, then the others are Necrosis-damn bitch-Ansley, Torin, Arren, Callen, Cadwallen, Cairstonia, Lyall, Maitland, Marjie, Sile-jackass-Eiric, and Ever."
I chuckled at her little side comments, even as my vision was fading in and out, spinning and sliding all over the place. "How long will this last? Whatever they gave me?"
Ashlin shrugged. "It really just depends on the person. But, you're not a human, are you? You're an angel, right?"
"Yes," I said. "My name is Echo. I doubt you know who I am, though."
Ashlin had frozen, even her breathing had stopped. I turned my head to the side to stare at her. "What's wrong? You-It cannot be possible that you know who I am." I blinked as my vision began to clear, surprised that it had not taken too long for the poison or whatever had found its way into my system to clear.
Ashlin nodded, movement stiff and awkward. "Yes, we do know who you are. We all do, the Angels included, good and bad."
"Good and bad?" I asked, trying to make sense of her words and clear my confusion. "What do you mean? Are we not all together? Are we not all fallen?"
Ashlin laughed. "I would classify them all as arrogant bastards, but supposedly some of them fight for the humans. They are supposedly the good ones. I would have guessed that they would have gotten to you first, but apparently Cearbhall and the rest of them beat the others to it."
"Huh," I murmured. "Somehow, I just don't think that's the case."
Ashlin looked back over at me. "Why would you say that? Did you actually see the other ones?"
I nodded uncertainly. "I think so. When I broke out of Hell, I remember being attacked. I remember there were at least six of them, including who I assumed was their leader. Alasdair, I suppose. If anyone were two different groups of the fallen it would be Alasdair and Cearbhall."
Ashlin jerked back, looking surprised. "You know them?"
"Quite well, actually."
"Were you-?"
She cut off as I glared at her. "Of course not. I was their. . .superior, in a way, I guess. I was close to the top of the ranks in Heaven. A, um, commander, if you will."
Ashlin arched an eyebrow at me. "You commanded Alasdair and Cearbhall?" She laughed triumphantly. "Oh, you've so got to hold that over their heads!"
"If they remember."
She cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean, 'if they remember'? Why wouldn't they?"
I drew in a deep breath before letting it back out in a puff of air. "Sometimes, when Angels fall, they forget some things that may have been able to have been used against the ones left in Heaven. Usually, it would include remembering the Angels you knew. But in some cases, like mine, you don't forget. And remembering can sometimes be a lot more painful."
Ashlin just stared at me, her face now completely open and compassionate. "Well, on that depressing note," a slightly familiar voice said, "why don't we get out of here? I'm kinda missing Alasdair's big ol' fortress thing."
I looked up to see a woman who had to be at least twenty, if not older, with curly brown hair and dark eyes. She grinned, holding a hand out to me. "I'm Kate, by the way."
I hesitantly returned her smile as I allowed her to pull me to my feet. A light had begun to fill the room, bathing everything in a gentle glow. "Ooh," she said, a sarcastic lilt to her voice. "You are definitely new."
I watched her carefully, unsure how to react to her scrutiny. A rough, heavy hand landed on my back. Without even thinking, I reacted. I grabbed his arm and flipped him over my shoulder, throwing him flat on his back on the floor.
Dark eyes blinked surprisingly up at me. Kate laughed, bending over and bracing her arms on her knees. "Oh, that's just perfect! Ha! Oh, Ezra, she totally kicked your ass!"
I straightened, staring down at the man. He pushed himself up onto his arms. I jumped back, moving in a protective fighting stance. He held one hand up, hastily. "Hey, now, I'm not going to hurt you. Okay?"
I nodded carefully, watching him suspiciously. He sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. . .scare you," he said, with a question in his voice. "I was just going to tell you to ignore Kate. She can be rather. . .blunt."
I felt my expression relax as my body did. "Well, then, I should be the one apologizing." I offered him a hand. "Please forgive me for my reaction. It is all instinct. I'm not quite used to this world yet."
He let me pull him up, smiling gently. I felt my breath leave me in a whoosh as his touch warmed my hand. "It's no problem. I know how hard it can be for the Angels to adjust to our world."
I nodded, not taking my hand from his. "Thank you."
He smiled again, squeezing my fingers gently before letting his hand drop to his side. He glanced around at the others. "So how exactly are we getting out of here? Isn't it nearly impossible without the other Angels?"
Kate shrugged. "Dunno." She turned in a circle, looking around slowly. "Since we can actually see now, maybe we can find a way out." She glanced at a woman who looked similar to Ashlin. "Daylin, what do you think?"
The woman looked up. "I don't know." She looked up. "I would assume they fly out, but I really just don't know." She swept her hair that was only a few shades darker than Ashlin's over her shoulder. "It's really just hard to tell." She glanced at me. "What about you, Echo? What do you think?"
I studied her, taking in every aspect of her appearance. She didn't even blink under my scrutiny. "You are most likely correct. Knowing Cearbhall, as I do, he would choose the most likely thing that anyone without wings would not be able to surpass."
"Hm," she mused. "I can tell you're right. But what I would really like to know is what are you Demon and your Curse."
"What are yours?" I shot back.
She smiled. "I believe you already know."
I nodded, letting my hands rest on the hilts of my swords. "You're right. I do know."
She nodded. "I know. You can probably sense our Demons as easily as I can light up this room and my sister can raise the dead." She paused, continuing to stare into my eyes. "But it is. . .curious they let you keep your weapons."
"Not really," I said. "When I am not awake, they camouflage themselves so as not to be taken away from me. Only those of us highest ranked have swords like that."
"Hm," she said. "That is useful knowledge."
"Oh, Daylin, stop the act. We all know you're in love with that jackass Sile," Ashlin said, annoyance and anger clear in her voice, stance, and expression. "So just stop being an idiot. Echo did not do anything to you or to him, not yet."
Daylin's face flushed as she glared at her sister. "I am not in love with him. I may have admired him at one point, but that was before he chose that bitch Ever over me!"
"Ever?" I asked quietly. "No, not possible. She couldn't have fallen."
They both turned to look at me. "You know her?" Ashlin asked. "But you didn't react to her name when I said it earlier."
"I was a little out of it then," I said. "But, yes, I know her. Very well, actually."
The silence after my announcement was awkward and deadening.
"Well," Kate said. "That's nice and awkward. Would you care to explain so some people's minds don't go straight to lesbians."
I sighed. "I would rather not. We had a. . .falling out, so to say. She was my," I trailed off, unsure how to say the words I had laughed at when Apphia had said something like them earlier. "She is still my sister."
Kate's froze, along with all of the others in the room. "She's your what?" A woman with short, dark hair cut in a pixie-like-according to the humans, that is-style and green eyes said.
I met her gaze. "My sister. Some of us have family, others do not. It depends on the person. I sometimes forget how it can be."
"But I thought all of the Angels thought of each other as family, not just different branches of a family," Kate said.
"No," I shook my head. "Some do, others don't. Mostly we do think of each other as family, but sometimes, when the Angels fall, the ones left in heaven"-I blinked back tears as my voice had taken on a shaky tremor to betray my emotions-"will turn on them and ask permission to kill. It is usually denied."
I felt a hand warm on my shoulder and froze, knowing who it was before I even heard the gasps of surprise and anger from the humans around me. "Hello, Ever," I said, without turning.
"Echo," she said, voice overflowing with her sorrow and hurt. "I was told you had fallen."
I stared at her, taking in every detail, from her sky blue eyes to her blond hair that curled around her face, framing it. I wanted to tell her how sorry I was, how much I had missed her, how much I hoped she could forgive, and, most of all, how much I hoped she was not really evil and in alliance with Cearbhall, whom everyone was convinced was evil, but that I knew at heart was not.
Ever smiled sadly and nodded. "I know, Echo. I know." She wrapped her arms around me, pressing her face into my shoulder. "Kill me if you must, but do not take you wrath upon these Angels. They have not wronged, Echo." She stepped back, tears in her eyes. "I know your wrath, Echo, I know your power. Do not show it now."
I stared at her. "I would never kill you. I do not have that within me. I don't have the willpower to kill you, Ever. You are my sister. I would never-" I cut off as my voice shook and broke.
Ever bowed her head. "Kill me," she said. "Just do it. I deserve to die for betraying you."
"No," I took a step back. "I could not."
She looked up and met my gaze, her eyes portraying her agony. "Please," she begged.
"No," I repeated.
"If you won't," a distinctly male voice said. "Then I will."
Ever turned sharply as a blade came down, aimed for her heart. I flew into action, screaming my defiance at anyone daring to kill someone I cared about, especially when that someone was my sister.
I spread my wings as I leaped over Ever's head, shielding her from the blow. The sword glanced off my wing, barely pausing me. I flipped my body, twisting and throwing my feet into his face. As he recoiled, I caught myself on my hands and swung my legs around his, hooking my feet around his and throwing him to the floor.
He groaned as his head hit the floor. "Damn you to Hell, Echo," he muttered.
I smiled as I stood to my feet and towered over him. "No thanks, Sile. But I believe you've left me to ponder long enough. And I don't really think I would like to take another trip back there, thank you very much."
Sile glared up at me, dark eyes intense and burning with anger. "I really hate you, Echo, you know that?"
I smiled, somewhat enjoying his pain as I drew my sword. "You know nothing of hate, brother," I said, crouching next to him. "Especially not of the hate I feel for you right now. Or of the pain you have caused the humans here. I will avenge their pain."
Sile continued to glare up at me. "I did nothing to them." He beckoned me closer with a finger. When I leaned closer he whispered, "I am not the one to be exacting your revenge on, Echo. You should ask your 'friend' Cearbhall about that."
I pulled back and straightened. "Do not test me, Sile. He is no friend of mine. Especially not when he ordered you to torture me and to kill my sister." I lifted my sword into the air and aimed it at his heart. "Too bad you are not the one I wish to kill."
I turned, fast as a heartbeat and plunged my sword into the heart of the one responsible for everything I had accused Sile of. One I had once been as close to as if he were a brother to me. One I had loved like a brother, along with his own brother.
Cearbhall.