Page 18 of Protected by the Fallen
Her embarrassment deepens. Vera averts her gaze, focusing on the books around my feet. “Ezekiel and Adrian. Gossip spreads through this place like a wildfire. Are you truly theirbashert?”
Some of my apprehension fades away. For a second, I’d thought she might be asking about both the Dark and Light Fallen.
Now that I know she’s not, I am curious as to why the question embarrasses her. I nod my head once. “Yes, I am.”
“Oh my stars,” Vera gushes. Light shines in her eyes, and her lips are pulled into a wide smile. “I cannot believe it! How marvelous!”
Her response catches me off guard. “What?... Why?”
“Because those two have been alone for so long, of course.” Vera’s enthusiasm erases all traces of lingering embarrassment. “Those two have never even dated another Fallen or Nephilim. I mean… I only met them a couple centuries ago, but still. Most angels seek others for romantic company. But neither of those two did. I cannot believe they actually found theirbashert, and that it is the same person. I wonder how they manage to contain their jealousy.”
So many things she’s said shock me. One, obviously more than the others. “Adrian and Zeke have never dated anyone?”
Vera shakes her head emphatically. “Never. At least, not as long as I’ve known them.”
“That’s ridiculous.” I refuse to believe neither of the Dark Fallen has dated. They are both drop dead gorgeous. How could they have walked the Earth for thousands of years and never shown any interest in another person? No. That’s impossible. I don’t buy it for a second.
“It’s true. Everyone knows. My poor Jude has tried to set those guys up so many times over the years, but they never show up. Or, if they do, nothing ever comes of it,” Vera babbles, certain of her claim. She sounds so human for someone who is supposedly centuries old.
I decide to change the subject. “How long have you been with Jude?”
“Since I turned twenty,” she replies, her eyes looking as she relieves the moment in her mind. “My father brought me to the embassy to see it for the first time. Jude was the guardsman who greeted us. The moment our eyes locked, I knew he was mybasherten.”
“Your father is Fallen?”
“Yes, and my mother a human.”
“Really?” I was under the impression Fallen were discouraged from having relationships with humans. Adrian and Zeke had dropped that bombshell shortly before this visit to the embassy. If people ask about my parents, I am supposed to say my father is Dark Fallen and my mother is a Nephilim, making me Nephilim as well. Claiming a human parent would only bring unwanted attention, even more than I’m already destined to receive.
“Yes.” As if reading my thoughts, she explains, “Their relationship occurred prior to the stigma most Fallen have regarding relations with humans. Even so, the whole thing seems weird to me. Fallen want Nephilim numbers to increase. How is that supposed to happen if they aren’t supposed to intermingle with humans?”
I agree with her. “That does seem a little counterintuitive.” And from what the guys told me, plenty of Dark Fallen don’t abide by that rule.
“Exactly.” She puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head. “It’s silly. But no bother. I’m here. My parents were happily married. My upbringing might be considered unfavorable, but I had a better childhood than most.”
It dawns on me that Vera’s mother must’ve passed a long time ago. “I apologize if this seems rude, but were your parents soulmates?”
“Bashertandbasherten, you mean?” She gives me an obvious look. “Yes. They were.”
I suppose there would’ve been no other reason for a Fallen to be with a human, at least not openly.
“How did your father take your mother’s… passing?”
“Oh.” Vera’s eyes dim. “I suppose he handled my mother’s death as well as one could expect. It helps that my mother lived a long, full life. She enjoyed her days on Earth until her very last breath, but she was more than happy to join the Creator in Heaven.”
“But you are Nephilim,” Vera’s tone brightens, and she tries to lure both of us away from the depressing topic, “as am I. We don’t need to worry about such matters. Our lives will far surpass those of ordinary humans.” Her expression tries to match her cheery tone, but evidence of her sorrow lingers in the slight quiver of her lips.
I clear my throat. “You’re right. Sorry. I was just curious.”
She waves a hand in the air. “There is nothing to forgive. Now, tell me. What in the world are you doing with all of these books?” She gestures to the sporadic arrangement of volumes forming a circle around where I’d been sitting.
“I want to learn more about angels. I want to understand the past.”
“What, exactly, do you want to learn?”
“… Everything?”
Vera’s brows furrow. “Didn’t your Father teach you?”
