Page 21 of Protected by the Fallen
Vera senses confusion. She tilts her head, and she turns back to look at me once more. “None of the Fallen remember the exact cause of their Fall… Haven’t Adrian and Zeke told you that? Or your parents?”
“No.” I shake my head. “They did not.” Nothing makes sense. If the Fallen aren’t aware of the circumstances of their Fall, why do Light Fallen strive to redeem themselves? They don’t even know what they are trying to redeem themselves for.
“How is that even possible?” I repeat the question, wondering if two of my soulmates are striving to achieve a pointless goal.
“Only The Creator knows,” Vera says solemnly. It sounds like a rehearsed response.
“What does everyone think happened?” I’m interested to hear the theories.
Color rises in Vera’s cheeks. She clears her throat. “Oh… well… The Book of Enoch suggests the Fall was instigated by… illicit relations between angels and humans.” She avoids my wide, incredulous eyes.
“Seriously?”
“Yes.” Vera peers up timidly. “The text documents several accounts of angels taking human brides.”
“Oh.” That hardly sounds scandalous. When Vera said “illicit”, images of breathtaking angels seducing human women filled my head. But marriage? That hardly seems worthy of such severe punishment. I’m sure I’m missing a big piece of information here.
“And marrying humans was forbidden?”
Vera nods emphatically. “Of course. Angels were created to serve The Creator. Acting on such earthly temptations was not heavenly.”
“You sound like you are sure that was the reason for their Fall.”
“None of the others make much sense,” Vera states.
“What about Lucifer trying to overthrow God?” That seems like a decent reason for legions of angels to be thrown out of Heaven.
“You mean The Creator?” Thankfully, she glazes over my faux pau. I forgot Fallen don’t refer to the deity as God. “And no. The majority of Fallen did not align themselves with Lucifer.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he lives, of course.” She frowns. I can practically hear Vera asking herself how I’m so ignorant. It’s nothing short of a blessing when she continues without asking me, again, why I know so little. “And his followers are well known.”
“Right.” I forgot about that part of this crazy new world I’ve found myself in. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact the devil is real and alive.
Vera continues, “Lucifer is the only Fallen who remembers the Fall, but he refuses to confess what transpired to the rest of us.”
“Not even his friends?”
“Lucifer doesn’t have friends,” Vera says, and the speed of her words almost make it sound like a snap. Pure disdain darkens her eyes. I take a step back, afraid she is going to lash out at me, but she gets ahold of herself. “What I mean to say is: Lucifer only has subjects—followers. He is greedy, and his sole concern is for domination.”
“Domination?”
“Yes. Of humans. The Fallen. The entire world. He is so far removed from the original purpose of his creation, he does nothing but wreak havoc and endanger lives.”
I bite my tongue and fight the urge to tell Vera I would’ve thought Lucifer an ally of the Dark Fallen. After all, they are the Fallen who no longer claim ties to Heaven or God.
“What is going on here?” A new voice interrupts, and my heart flutters with happy recognition.
I turn and instinctively walk towards the source of the sound. Adrian’s glare is menacing, but that does nothing to stop me from wrapping my arms around his waist. “You’re back,” I breathe, releasing some of the tension I’d felt since our separation. I attribute the feeling to fear. I haven’t been without one of the Dark Fallen since the night the letter was delivered. I tried to put on a brave face when they received the summons for the meeting, but that hadn’t cured me of worry. I’m glad to know the meeting has ended and nothing bad happened to any of us.
Though I continue to sense his anger, Adrian’s arms surround me. He sighs. “What are you doing here, Angel?”
“Vera wanted to show me a book.” I tilt my head toward the petite woman. “She’s Jude’sbashert.” I remind him of his friend, hoping it will lessen his frustration.
“I know who she is,” he mutters. Only a hint of anger lingers. “I want to know why you allowed yourself to be led away from the alcove Zeke and I found for you?”
“Where is Zeke?” I try to distract him. Glancing at the aisles over his shoulder, I’m disappointed when I don’t see my other Dark soulmate.
