Page 30 of Protected by the Fallen
“Hm?” Unlike me, Vera is actually engrossed in the text. I’d been happy when Zeke told me Vera had invited me to spend the afternoon with her. With nowhere else to go that is as heavily protected, we are hanging out in the library. Thankfully, the guys didn’t insist we stick to one area this time.
I’d worried Vera would be disappointed with the location, but I’ve learned Jude’s bashert is a little bit of a bookworm. She spends a lot of time in the massive space, and she showed me to a section full of books discussing additional reasons for the angels Fall—a section not protected by Master Nate and his inquiring eyes.
For an hour, we’ve scoured through countless pages. You’d think I’d be interested to learn some people believe God had been jealous of angels’ beauty, and he cast them out of Heaven to rid his home of those he envied. You’d think I’d be horrified to consider the possibility that all Fallen angels are murderers, and their punishment for their heinous crimes is living out the rest of their immortal life walking the Earth, never tasting the blissful myrrh flowing through Heaven’s streams.
On any other day, I’d be devouring the information, logging it away to ask the guys for their input. Today, though, I’m unable to get my mind off of the Dark Fallen’s mysterious father.
If I were considerate, I’d force myself to heed Adrian’s request and drop the subject. But I can’t.
What can I say? I’m nosy.
“Zeke and Adrian. Their parents. What do you know about them?”
Vera looks up with a frown. “You’ve met their mother. She is the leader of the Dark Council.”
“Yes, I’ve met her,” I say. “But what about their dad? Is he around?”
Vera’s stare is unnerving. She looks at me like I have two heads. I wonder how many more times I can ask her questions before she abandons being polite and finally asks me why I don’t know anything about mybashertensor Fallen in general.
Thankfully, Vera still has a little patience with me. “No. Their father is not here.”
“Does he live somewhere else?” Is that where his sons get the inspiration to live away from other Dark Fallen? Are they following in their father’s footsteps?
She closes the book and turns to face me. “Why do you ask?”
“Oh… uh… I don’t know. Just curious, I guess. The guys never really talk about him.”
She nods, as if she’s already gathered as much. “Did you ask them about their father?”
“Once,” I admit. Telling the truth seems like the way to go.
“And it didn’t go well?”
“No. Adrian shut down the conversation.”
“I’m not surprised.” Vera sighs, giving me a sympathetic look. “Jude used to be the same way, always withholding the bad stuff from me. I swear,bashertenstreat us like we are fragile, breakable things, incapable of handling even the tiniest bit of unfavorable news. Don’t worry, their protectiveness should let up in the coming centuries.”
I gulp. Centuries? I can barely think a month in advance. I suppose I’ll have to come to terms with my own immortality at some point.
Another aspect of her statements stands out to me. “Are you saying their father is bad?”
“That depends on what you consider bad.” She pitches her voice low. “He and their mother were lovers. As in: not married.”
Oh… Is that all?
“And that’s considered bad?”
“Of course.” Again, I am given the exasperated “how does this girl not know anything” look. “To have children outside of a committed relationship is unheard of among angels. Their coupling caused quite a scandal, or so I’m told. I obviously wasn’t alive to witness it firsthand.”
So Adrian and Zeke were born out of wedlock. That’s not a big of a deal, and I can’t imagine Adrian thinking it is. There’s something else. There has to be.
“If their… coupling was such a bad thing, how come no one holds it against Sarah?” Becoming the leader of the Dark Council would hardly be possible without the support of her fellow Dark Fallen.
Vera shrugs, then reopens the book in front of us. She wants to move past this conversation and return to reading. “I suppose it’s because she’s one of us.” Her eyes move over the page, and I know I’m close to losing her.
“One of us? Are you implying their father isn’t Dark Fallen?” Could it be two of my soulmates are also dual-Fallen. Immediately, I know that’s not the case. Adrian and Zeke wouldn’t keep that from me, and no one would think twice about my existence if dual-bloodline angels already existed.
Still staring at the page, Vera shakes her head. “I-I shouldn’t say anything.”
