Daughter of Cain by Amy Taylor

by ataylor3690

Evy Sheridan's seventeenth birthday sets into motion a series of events that have been fated since the dawn of time. A descendant of Cain, the son of the second mother Eve is unaware of her birthright as the heir to the throne of a vast Vampire Clan. it isn't until Evy begins a tumultuous relationship with Gabriel Seraph that the truth of her heritage is revealed.

Daughter of Cain

By

Amy Taylor

Daughter of Cain Copyright © 2017 by Amy Taylor.

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

For information contact; address .com

Book cover design by Miranda Gardner

ISBN: 9781521999165

First Edition: Month 2017

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my family and friends who made it possible. But most of all to those who think outside the box.

Table of Contents

PROLOGUE….6

CHAPTER ONE….14

CHAPTER TWO…24

CHAPTER THREE…...34

CHAPTER FOUR….45

CHAPTER FIVE….58

CHAPTER SIX…64

CHAPTER SEVEN….….69

CHAPTER EIGHT…82

CHAPTER NINE….…...97

CHAPTER TEN….112

CHAPTER ELEVEN…118

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rules of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

EPHESIANS 6:12

PROLOGUE GABRIEL

"You have no reason to hate mankind, Morning Star," roared Gabriel as he charged toward his brother, anger rising and swelling as a raging wave. "We are the sons of Adonai. We were there when Father created the Aarus and its host."

The two locked arms in battle, equal warriors in spirit and determination, both righteous in their beliefs.

"We were there when He created Second Earth, not man," Morning Star snarled as he twisted Gabriel's arm behind his back, yanking it upward and driving Gabriel to his knees.

Gabriel groaned in pain and reached up with his free hand to grab Morning Star's head, only causing himself more pain. As Morning Star leaned in, still pulling Gabriel's arm upward, Gabriel slumped forward, his free arm falling to his side in a pretense of resolve.

Morning Star whispered angrily in Gabriel's ear. "We witnessed Him call forth the sky, the sea, the land, and all the creatures that dwell within but none of those creatures captured Father's heart, nor were held in high regard. Not until the creation of man, which He created in His own image and set apart, even above the angels who were with Him before the foundation of the world."

With swift motion Gabriel snapped his head back and head-butted Morning Star, causing him to relinquish his hold and stagger back before falling to the ground. Gabriel rose to his full height, shoulders squared, wings unfurled to cast a shadow over Morning Star's face. "My quarrel is not with you, brother. A desire to be adored began the battle in the Aarus that has pitted brother against brother, vying for pecking order and Adonai's attention." Morning Star spat.

"It seems you forget, Deceiver. I am my Father's most trusted and beloved Angel of Pronouncement." Gabriel readied his stance, awaiting the next attack. "I am the Archangel of the West, a leader of one of the four corners of Aaru."

"A distinction we shared, Gabriel." Morning Star stood, wiped his bloodied nose and charged into the waist of Gabriel. With an umph they fell, knocking the wind from Gabriel's lungs. Morning Star pummeled Gabriel, striking him over and over, bloodying his face.

The thrust of punches slowed and Gabriel sought his opportunity to shift his weight, catching Morning Star off balance and tossing him aside. "I have watched man for centuries like the others, in wonderment of Adonai's love for the contemptible and enchanting creatures. I know I should loathe them, because Father loves them as He loves me. But my loyalty compels me to fight for them alongside my father, to safeguard against their destruction."

"Loyalty!" Morning Star spat, his eyes full of rage and contempt. "Loyalty to your Father, who placed man above you. Who compels you to serve but gives humans choice? You speak to me of loyalty but you are also discontented with the place Father has given you beneath them. I was his most loved. It should be me who has dominion over Second Earth. Me, the creatures should adore. And I shall have it!"

Gabriel had reasoned they waged war to fight for the apostasy of Morning Star. It saddened him to find his beliefs confirmed. "I know not all our brethren share our father's love for the creatures, so they fight for you."

Morning Star moved closer to Gabriel. "Man, is a threat, a pestilence to the Aarus, and we have vowed to exterminate them from the face of Second Earth and disavow the promise of eternal life. Join us, brother. Join us in taking back that which is fated to us."

No longer in a defensive mode Gabriel sighed, heavy hearted. "Wickedness fuels this war. I will serve Father as He commands." And he turned his back on Morning Star.

With an inflamed growl of rage, Morning Star took to the air without warning and slammed onto the back of Gabriel, penning him to the ground with one hand. "We've seen the evil that lurks in the heart of man and the heinous acts they so freely commit against one another, and we despise them. We despise their vile nature, but Father loves them so much. He sent His only begotten son to save them and made them heirs to the throne. A blight on the hearts of His minions; the humans are a contagion."

Thrashing about Gabriel mustered the strength to take himself and Morning Star to the air. They fought vehemently, their wings rustling the winds on Second Earth. The clash between the titans reverberated through the Aarus and all of Second Earth trembled.

Enraged, Gabriel forced Morning Star to the ground, slamming him upon his back, creating a crater beneath them. Just as forcefully, he snatched Morning Star from the earth by his wings and ascended into the Aarus. There Gabriel spun him around to see what his treachery had brought. War raged beneath them, beside them, all around as brother battled brother.

"See what your actions have brought?" Gabriel demanded. Tightly bound, Morning Star struggled against Gabriel's grasp. "The once pure white feathers of our brethren are now blackened with jealousy and hatred as this war rages and consumes them, transforming them into dark angels who seek vengeance. You did this! Goaded by your anger and the severance from Adonai, you seek to separate as many humans from Father as possible. In this act, I promise you, Deceiver, you will find no solace. You only trap the lost souls of humans in an eternal hell with you."

Freeing himself and hardened by Gabriel's words, Morning Star grasped Gabriel's neck and began to tighten and squeeze. The two fell sharply. "You, as well as Father, have made your choice. This war will influence the mind of man to denounce Adonai and worship me as their true God."

The impact cratered the Second Earth. Neither Gabriel nor Morning Star moved for a moment. Gabriel looked up and the war in the Aarus continue to rage.

"Angels have always fought wars for the humans. We have protected them for centuries from creatures they could never imagine. We have fought so they could live; and we fight still against principles and principalities they do not conceive. How arrogant humans are. How privileged and stupid. To think they are the only beings Father has created," Morning Star taunted, staggering to his feet.

Gabriel roused and took to the sky, disheartened and exhausted, but ready to continue the battle. "Father is to be exalted," he declared, "and His praises shall continually be in my mouth. He is my Father whom I will defend with my life."

Morning Star yelled to the skies, "This pain lasts but a minute to the flesh of angels, but the pain you will endure, brother, by following Father will be eternal when I take charge." And he took to the skies to rejoin the battle.

On that day, many of the host were spawned as demon without repentance, without light, and were cast down to Second Earth.

CHAPTER ONE EVY: FIRST DAY

The icy rain shower fell heavily, my long hair now plastered to my skull. Another rainy night.

Great.

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, consumed by the exhaustion. I gave in to the sensation, wallowing briefly. Attempting to detach my physical self from the nightmare of my life, to withdraw deeper into the welcoming embrace of depression. I tried to invision a warm cot and blanket in a shelter. I could be warm and dry in my daydreams at least.

Then I pushed it aside. I searched with every fiber of my being for reassurance, trying to find a hidden well of strength to draw from and make it one more night. Tomorrow I'd have to do the same but tonight was all that counted.

The wind swelled, lifting my wet hair and whipping it about my face as I waited patiently in line at the Brooklyn Community Housing Shelter. Still the rain pummeled down on me, saturating my clothes and coating my skin, masking me. My body responded as expected.

I shivered with the chill and trembled with each raindrop. I shut my eyes in an attempt to blot out the tragedy of my life, but the temporary darkness only intensified the sensations around me. The raindrops fell slower, heavier with purpose, thudding loudly on my skull. Sounds vibrated in my ears longer, the rise and fall of each pulse an eternity as the energy moved through my brain. My heart matched the sluggish rhythm of rain and sound, a symphony of bass beneath nature's chorus.

A firm poke from behind nudged me forward and with a jolt, I opened my eyes and the rain pelted me with determination once again. The cacophony of the city streets enveloped me with the invasive hug of a stranger. The procession moved ever so gradually forward. I was exhausted, drenched, and alone. An icky clamminess settled in my bones as I trudged closer to the entrance of the homeless shelter. Tonight epitomized my life. A societal pariah.

I was an Invisible.

Trapped in a system of neglect since birth, the Child Welfare Agency shuttled me from one foster home to another. I was given to abusers by well meaning CWA social workers, neglected and betrayed by the very people charged with my care. But here I developed street smarts and a prowess to safeguard myself - against everyone.

I clutched my one prized possession to my chest, a family jewel I wore around my neck but under my sweater. No sense tempting others to steal what I wouldn't sell. It resonated a faint warmth, offering little solace or comfort. It had the power to alter my fate.

So why didn't I let it?

A pawn shop then maybe enough for a hotel, a decent meal. But only for a little while. Then I was back to where I started. The object pulsated with intensity alongside my emotions. As I took in my dismal surroundings, an urgent vibration thumped against my heart.

But still I plodded forward.

"Sorry, we're full for the night," shouted a voice closer to the entrance. "You'll need to find shelter elsewhere. We're full!"

Wonderful. Another night in the alley, followed undoubtedly by the first day of school with pompous teen girls just waiting to ascertain my worth. Some days it was easier to find shelter on the streets than deal with school.

I haven't always been homeless but it's better than the alternative: victim. Lucky for me the CWA is so back logged I slip through the cracks. My records from middle school simply transferred to the high school and I followed.

Invisibility has its privileges.

I hunkered down for the night at the corner of Jay Street and Myrtle Avenue, right behind the Library of Science and Technology. It was my favorite place in the city, a safe haven on the weekends out of the weather when I needed it, a home office for computer use and homework. A quiet hidey hole in Brooklyn where not much was quiet.

I settled in, the familiarity of my surroundings both comforting and depressing. As the rain pelted my makeshift shelter, I relaxed in my sleeping bag and allowed it to lull me into drowsiness and eventual sleep.

As usual, I awoke before daybreak. And, to no surprise, my sleeping bag and I were soaked from the torrential downpour of the night before. I tossed aside my cardboard castle, a soggy heap of strategically arranged boxes pilfered from here and there, and rolled to my side. Prolonging the day, even for an instant, would serve no purpose. I repositioned to a squat, elbows resting on my knees and vigorously attempted to shake the water from my hair as much as possible.

I hated these days most of all. Grey, humid, wet days reminded me of my situation: homeless, alone, broken. Three years earlier I was living with my fourth foster family in two years. Some days I think I made the wrong decision to run away but I know that it was for the best.

My foster dad, Bert, a balding middle aged man, tried to rape me. I knew he was bad news when I moved in. It was something about the way he looked at me when we met, licking his lips while he looked me over from head to toe. I took every precaution from that point forward to never be alone with him but it was all for nothing.

One night my foster mother, Rachel, had to work late and he cornered me in my room. The smell of alcohol hovered around him like cheap cologne and made me want to puke. He attacked but I rolled away and managed to kick him in the groin. He doubled over, yelling profanities at me, and I ran like hell.

If I'm honest, I'm still running.

I chided myself for thinking about it and cursed under my breath. I hefted myself upright, grabbed the sleeping bag, tied the bundle with an old belt I'd retrieved from the Goodwill, and shoved it in an air duct protruding outside the rear of the library and headed to my first day of the new school year.

Arriving at school, I easily pulled myself up through a gym window and into the locker room. A daily ritual I had perfected over the last three years. Lucky for me I knew how to bypass most window locks, a handy trick my foster-kid-friends taught me.

Before dawn, this task proved child's play; exiting to re-enter school by normal channels was a bit trickier as the staff arrived and moved about campus. But you had to scan in through the front turnstiles so I couldn't even hide inside and blend in as the school filled up.

I came here every school morning unless, of course, I scored a bed at the shelter the night before. Empty at this hour, I could leisurely wash away the stench of homelessness and the stigma of not belonging. I walked right to my gym locker, same as every year.

No one never claimed locker 167. It was dented at the top, with an opening and leaning. The black paint was chipped which gave it a bit of character. My first year here my lock rusted to the locker. The janitors attempted to remove the lock without cutting it but due to the build up of rust they stopped trying to take it off. Lucky for me I found a solution in chem class to erode rust. The lockers have been here since 1956 and the school wasn't replacing them anytime soon.

So, I claimed it for myself, cut the old lock and attached a new one. I didn't mind it being busted and broken. I chose this locker because of its close proximity to the showers. It was my personal wardrobe, at least until the end of each year.

Without the hospitalities of a real home, the shower's steam relaxed the wrinkles in the few articles of clothing I owned. Dampened by the night's rain and in desperate need of a warm shower, I unlocked the combination quickly. Just as hurriedly, I removed my clothing, stuffed the sopping heap beneath the bench on the floor, and entered the shower.

I placed my damp clothing in my gym locker to be washed later in economics class. Leaving the same way I entered, I exited the gym locker room with about twenty minutes to spare. I jogged around the side of the building, scouting around corners to make sure I wouldn't be seen and joined the mass of students at the bus drop off point.

I had officially arrived for the first day of school.

Sadly, I recognized the echo of events of years past already in play. Teachers strolled the front sidewalk, derision and instantaneous decisions written on their faces about the intelligence of students based on parentage or attire. It was the same with the social workers when I was stuck in foster care. I was labeled challenged. Not because I actually was, but because of narrow minds and even narrower attitudes as it related to social status. I didn't fit their views of normal.

Oh well. I didn't fit my view of normal.

Still, being challenged had its privileges, as they were. Being a societal reject meant people left me alone for the most part. And getting to class was extremely easy. My petite frame must have been more imposing than I realized, as I cleared a path through the hallway in my wake. It also meant if I chose a table at lunch it became instantly reserved: for castaways only.

To others, however, I became a magnet for their attention. Those I tried to avoid as much as possible.

Nonetheless, as I strolled into school determined to have a good year.

CHAPTER TWO GABRIEL: FIRST GLANCE

The fall from Aaru wasn't graceful.

Abruptly I was ripped from the presence of my Father, banished at His command to do His will. I was vacuumed in a downward spiral, folded into myself, bracing for the inevitable suffering to come. The essence of my being splintered in two and was pilfered from me, twinging and untwining the woven fabric of that which made me at my core. I was emancipated, detached from my brethren and from Father and for the first time, I knew fear.

I continued the fall where the Grigori tormented me and annexed my angelic powers, devouring shards of my soul. I cried out in anguish, stricken with the lashes of lust, jealousy, envy, greed, gluttony, pride, and wrath. It tainted my spirit and I fell to my knees, exhausted with sensory overload.

For a time, I was kept in darkness awaiting judgment, finally exiled from the Aarus and set on Second Earth to carry out Father's command.

Father deemed it necessary for me to manifest in the corporeal form to appease the humans. They are limited in so many ways but I am Father's messenger. I go as He instructs. I arrived in the mortal world. It was nothing like what I expected.

And everything I wanted.

I appeared in a bathroom. In my new home? I could only guess. Facing the mirror, I stared intently at the form Father had given me. He made me strong and the athletic body weighted me, kept me grounded with muscle. I rubbed my hand across a solid chest. With the mirror before me, I considered the form I'd been given and thought myself handsome, even wickedly good looking - for a human.

Vanity.

Barely seconds into human form and their weaknesses already plagued me. Temptation was always their undoing. I could not let it be mine.

A twinge of pain overwhelmed me, the emptiness of my stomach brought to my attention by the ache. I grabbed hold of the sink in anguish at the unfamiliar sensation.

"Gabriel?" yelled a voice from downstairs. "Breakfast is ready."

I started a bit. The voice was familiar. I entered a bedroom which adjoined the bathroom. There I found a sparsely furnished room with a dresser, desk and bed. On the bed lay human garments: blue jeans and a black t-shirt. I swiftly put them on and headed downstairs.

As I rounded the corner, the smells filling the air made my stomach grumble and I smiled at the sensation. To my surprise, I was greeted by Brother Michael. He stood in the center of the room, smiling down at me as I approached.

"Did you think Father would send you and you alone?" he questioned at my curious silence.

"It is good to see you, brother," I greeted with a warm smile and hugged him tightly. My only connection to home. "Why—" I asked but Michael squelched my questions with an upraised hand.

"Father requested I keep an eye on you and I thought you could use the company."

My stomach grumbled loudly.

Brother Michael laughed and walked over to the stove, removing a plate from the oven. "Sit. Eat. Your new body requires sustenance. You're a growing teenage human boy and you will find you need to feed many times a day. Your new body has undergone many changes and it will take you sometime to get used to them."

I had knowledge of the differences between angels and humans, but didn't give them much thought. Michael poured a glass of orange juice. Hungrily I looked at the plate of food before me.

"Well dig in," said Michael.

I hefted the glass of orange liquid, tentatively putting it to my lips. It smelled sweet, fruity. Michael nodded. I sipped the liquid then drank it down in rapid succession. Michael busied himself in the kitchen tidying up while I continued my breakfast. I stuffed my mouth with the meal of eggs and toast, barely allowing myself to chew.

"Slow down, Gabriel," he chuckled, clapping me on the back before returning to the stove. "You'll scare the humans if you eat like that." Michael sat at the table across from me.

I held out the glass and let Michael fill it once more, savoring the sweetness of the fruit as I gulped even more of the liquid. Finally, somewhat sated, I looked to my brother. "I have so many questions, Michael. Did Father take your essence as well? Are you here with me on my mission or your own?"

"No, I am here only to acquaint you with human customs and to observe and assist you when necessary. I can and will from time to time return to Father. He will be our guide through this process. Now if you don't mind, we need to go. I realize you have many questions and as you learn to be human you will have many more. However, now is not the time."

Michael stood and shimmered as he passed through the wall. I followed on, dodging the wall, strangled by my lack of powers, and found him now fully clothed in a suit. He looked strange in human attire. He wore a dark blue suit with a crisp white shirt and black dress shoes. I stared at him strangely. I'd never seen an angel look so—so human.

"This is the first day of school." He paused, adjusting his tie and picking up a briefcase.

Frustration tightened my jaw and I asked between clenched teeth, "Really you're going to make me wait for answers? Why?"

"Gabriel, this is the job of a parent, to get you to school on time."

"Parent!" I snorted.

With a smile, Michael walked over to the door and lifted a set of keys from the key ring. "Yes; parent. Let's go, my son. I'll explain about your mission in the car."

I followed, surprised and slightly angered at this turn of events.

More surprises followed. After Michael presented the necessary papers, I found myself enrolled in a human high school. Not even the fires of hell could have prepared me for high school.

Or for her.

Michael had given me the mission on the journey.

A human. A girl. Her destiny foreshadowed the destiny of mankind.

I was pulled toward her before I set eyes on her. I can't explain how I knew she was about to walk through the school door, but I knew. My blood recognized her. And my blood ran cold.

I was drawn to her but repulsed all at once. Curiosity, I told myself. I just needed to see her. To tell her what was in store for her. She had a right to know what was about to happen, who she was destined to become. But I could not; she must choose.

Father placed me here to find her, to bring her back into the fold or destroy her.

Daughter of Cain.

As if she sensed me waiting for her, our eyes met briefly. I looked at her and wondered what it was that drew me to her. She was but a puny human—nothing like what I expected.

She looked like temptation.

Her hair was long and the color of a raven, flowing away from her small face as she walked toward me. She wore no makeup, unlike most of the other girls around her, but her features were common. Ordinary. Except for her eyes. Big almond shaped eyes that studied everything, inquisitive, but haunted.

She seemed harmless enough, indignant, almost solemn. A ploy, perhaps, to lure others in. The daughter of Cain would be beguiling, a venomous spider as befitting her heritage. Could she be brought back into the fold? If Father thought so then she wasn't without redemption.

I warred with Father's wishes. I would not become involved; my job was to protect her, even kill her if it came to it, to end the empire of Cain. I could never let my guard down around her. I would squelch my longing to be human. Never let myself be accessible in any way. I couldn't afford the risk. Faltering here would cost me my wings forever and her—her eternal soul.

I stared at her again. It was difficult to fathom that this mundane girl's destiny was to ascend a throne and become a powerful vampire priestess. A priestess destined to continue the bloodline of a cursed human; a priestess with the power to descend into the pit of hell and change the course of future generations.

The choice of redemption or damnation awaits her. I wondered if she sensed that she was unmatched among her kind. I wondered if her unique genealogy coursed through her veins like molten fire. She's a priestess, future immortal, an abomination. I am her executioner or her retribution.

Father created me beautiful, and it serves as a key into the human population. Beauty beckons them like a moth to the flame.

I am the flame.

I am the descendant of Adonai. An angel of the Most High. One of the Chosen. An archangel sent to extinguish the dark and bring forth the light. But even now I struggle to keep the dark from consuming me. The rage that overtook my brethren tempers in my veins.

I gaze upon her once more before I leave. She can be found again easily enough. I followed her into the hellfire of human high school, knowing what waited within these walls.

She would leave many damned for eternity. The priestess of a vast clan of vampires would destroy mankind, and for this honor she must take the life of an innocent.

All of this, her destiny, was written in Aaru, known before her formation in her mother's womb.

Unless I could save her.

CHAPTER THREE EVY: SYMBOLS

In first period literature, my classmates burst into laughter as I roused with a yawn to face two steely grey eyes staring at me from only inches away. Ms. Wallace was bent over the front of my desk, the lines of worry creasing my brow reflected quite plainly in her eyeglasses. She peered so intently that I feared she could read my inner thoughts.

The furrowed brow that had slightly raised her rectangular glasses relaxed and disappeared into a reprehensible, frosty gaze. It held me captive while her heated words scalded my flesh. "Sorry to wake you, Evy. The class is missing your avid participation on our subject."

My cheeks warmed. I wanted to pull back, but I didn't dare move or she might attack like a bull after the waving red flag. After all, she did catch me taking a catnap in the middle of her literature class. Her words mirrored my own admonishment for bringing attention to myself, amplified and manifested back at me.

Her eyes darted left then right, her lips snarled in a wicked smirk, accusingly, she raised a pointed finger and moved in closer, almost nose to nose. I gasped and shrank away, the gesture reminding me too much of past abusers who held power over me.

The air in the small space between us thickened with writhing emotions of fear and contempt. Our eyes were interlocked, staunch and unblinking, in a war of wills I knew she would win. Unfortunately, this was not the first time I'd fallen asleep in Ms. Wallace's class. Just last year I snored through Othello. Loudly. I'd served only one day in detention for that capital offense, much to Ms. Wallace's displeasure.

Luckily for me, the school bell clanged against the walls, breaking the spell between us. The middle-aged woman with sleek black hair stood upright slowly and straightened her dress jacket. I had managed to escape. I scooted out of my seat and exited the classroom, almost skidding out the door.

"Next time, Evy, you'll be visiting the principal's office," Ms. Wallace shouted after me.

I'd dodged that bullet but just barely.

I rounded the hall corner when I saw him. A tall, slender boy standing next to my hall locker. I'd caught a glimpse of him watching me as I entered school this morning but thought nothing of it. People at this school didn't notice me without a reason, however. I should have known better.

I let out a small breath. Every year pranksters preyed on the freshman, the vulnerable and most anyone they deemed weird.

Guess who fell into that last category?

I assumed he was standing there to make sure the prank went off without a hitch. Last year I opened my locker and was spray painted. The year before I found a dead opossum wrapped in my jacket. At least it was dead when I found it.

I exhaled heavily while thinkingis it starting already? That thought was followed quickly by the less likely is he waiting for me? The more invisible I tried to be sometimes, the more people noticed how much I didn't belong.

He was almost too gorgeous for this part of Brooklyn. He wore confidence like I wore my hoodie: a comfortable weight around my shoulders. I could pull it closer to shut things out, or shed it and feel lighter for it being gone.

I followed the direction of his gaze, thinking he was looking beyond me. The gorgeous ones always did, and my anonymity would be saved a bit longer. But he wasn't. He was staring straight at me — at me, the most un-girly girl in the school.

I ebbed closer on a wave of kids moving through the hallway, glancing ever so often behind me waiting on the prank to unfold. Expecting a wall of students to close in from behind and trap me. He shifted, leaning against my locker.

Too nervous to look at him head-on, I shifted my eyes left, thinking reduced eye contact would make the prank end more quickly. As I did, I noticed Jayce Morrison, school jock, slamming his locker shut, upset rolling off him in waves. He tightened his jaw and stilled himself for a challenge as his ex and her new love nudged past. His angry eyes found me and I swallowed hard and quickly diverted my gaze, hoping to avoid confrontation and embarrassment. Was he part of the waiting prank, wanting to vent some of his own frustrations on me? I didn't want any trouble, but trouble seemed to follow me.

And right now it appeared to still be standing at my locker. I surveyed my locker and abruptly stopped as he swept a hand across his brow. I stilled, frozen, trying not to stare but unable to tear my eyes away. I was bumped and shoved a few times before I began walking again.

It couldn't be.

The hot guy at my locker bore the same symbol of an ankh, much like the jewel around my neck, the outline visible on the exposed portion of his collarbone, faint but still there. His dark shaggy hair fell back into place as he shifted from one leg to another and the gap at the neck of his shirt closed, covering the symbol.

I suppose I could be distracted by his piercing brown eyes or the angelic smirk at the corners of his mouth. Or maybe it was a confidence that would normally seem out of place on someone our age. But I saw it. It was there.

Didn't I? Now that it was gone I wasn't too sure.

My interest piqued, I now walked with more purpose, trying to reach my locker, to reach him. My classmates made it effortless, a departure from the normal stampede, dodging by me as if I were a walking pestilence. Two girls skimmed by, one on each side of me, knocking me off balance. I lost my visual of the mysterious stranger. When I regained my footing, he was gone.

Instead, a plain white card with bold calligraphy script had been shoved into the grate of the locker. I took it and looked it over carefully. On one side it simply read, "Daughter of Cain." Who was the daughter of Cain? And why give it to me? Turning the card over, I found the raised symbol of the ankh from my necklace, steely and gothic, piercing a bitten fruit encased by serpents with intricate leaves and two roses.

The exact replica of my family crest.

I fingered the bauble hung about my neck, the only connection to my family. It was said to have been found with me, left when I was abandoned at the hospital but by whom I would never know. Assured the trinket was safe, I unlocked the combination to my locker, yanked it open, and grabbed my second period text, resting it in the bend of my arm. I then shrugged my tattered grey backpack higher on my right shoulder, glancing behind me occasionally to see if he'd reappear, mysterious and handsome. He never did. I entered the class just under the wire of the late bell.

There was no mistaking that I was connected to the symbol, the card, and even to Mr. Mysterious. Of that, I was sure. The brief glimpse of the symbol on his skin proved it, though admittedly I didn't know how. Were we family? I banished the thought. A little disappointed, thinking back to his sexy self. Maybe we were distant cousins. Really distant cousins.

I had cherished the small piece of stone around my neck since receiving it from my first social worker. She'd held on to it after I came into the system, wanting to wait and give it to me when I was old enough but her retirement changed those plans.

I'd had the thing since I was eight. A remnant of my past, something that meant I once belonged to someone, anyone. It hung about my neck on a thin thread of yarn. Feeling a little uneasy, I reached up to touch it for consolation, something I always found myself doing when nervous or unsure.

I took my seat next to the window, the same place I'd sat for the past two years. No one ever wanted a window seat; the heat and air conditioning vent was above it. In the summer it was too cold and in the winter, too hot. I didn't mind though; being homeless I was appreciative to have it. I stared at the card, flipping it between my thumb and index finger, studying it.

My movements quickened, faster and faster. The card skimmed between my fingers with precision. I deepened my gaze for just an instant and a flicker of something appeared. I wasn't sure of what I saw — something peculiar. I was entranced, willing it to come into focus. It happened again. Determined to prove my sanity I focused on it even more intently.

The card whirled and blurred, until the classroom itself began spinning — spinning the table, and my chair along with it. The room faded and disappeared around the edges. My voice escaped me. I was mesmerized by the faint whispers floating around me in an unknown language. I blinked slowly, attempting to stop the swirling, to stop whatever was happening when—

"Evy, what are you doing?" Mr. Wang called out, concern edging his voice.

I clenched my fist, missing the card in mid-flip but nicking my knuckle. I stared with astonishment at my fist, tightly clenched and white knuckled, trembling with a tiny trickle of blood seeping from the scratch on my pinky as the card fluttered to the ground. Bending down to snatch it back, I saw it bore a nearly unrecognizable number on its raised side that I had not noticed before. The image grew more pronounced by the second. A seven. The number appeared clearly for a moment but faded quickly. I'm no numerologist, but even I knew the significance of that number. It represented perfection, security, safety and rest. It had been my lucky number all my life.

"Evy?" Mr. Wang repeated, his concern leaking to admonishment as he started my way.

I did not answer, still in shock or panic; I wasn't sure which. I strummed my thumb over the cards surface, and looked at it more closely. The seven was gone, faded back into the intricate design of the mark. Embarrassed and shaken, I folded the card and thrust it in my front jean pocket.

"Evy, if you're going to be in class, you should really try to pay attention. Science is a subject worthy of your consideration." Mr. Wang patted my shoulder and continued to distribute the class syllabus.

Bewildered by the strange happenings that apparently only I witnessed, I muddled through the rest of second period, pushing back the urge to take the card out and look it over once more. Nursing the still stinging paper cut on my pinky, I straightened to listen as Mr. Wang made it back to the front of the class.

"Now then, since we have discussed the syllabus, I will move on to the classroom rules and projects due throughout the semester. Are there any questions before I begin?"

The class did not respond as Mr. Wang paused for the briefest of moments. Clearing his throat and smiling brightly, Mr. Wang continued. "Good, then let's begin. Open your textbooks to chapter three and let's discuss the immune system."

With a collective sigh, the class began to flip the pages of their texts.

I, however, slipped my hand inside my pocket and ran my fingers over the card. What could it mean?

More importantly, however, why was it given to me?

CHAPTER FOUR EVY: DAUGHTER OF CAIN

When the eighth-period bell sounded, my classmates filed past me hurriedly. I'm sure they had important things to do that didn't involve finding food and shelter for the night. I bit back the surge of jealousy. In my next life, I reminded myself, I'd be more like them. Just as I got my things collected and walked to the front of the room, Mrs. Andrews approached. I liked her, liked her class, World History. There was a world beyond this tiny sliver of it, beyond Brooklyn, beyond high school. And I would be a part of it someday.

"May I have a word with you, Evy?" She met me near the door, tilting her glasses up to the top of her head.

Tightening my grip on the strap of my backpack, I slowed my pace and pivoted back toward her. I huffed and tried to muster a smile.

"Have a seat, please." She motioned to a desk in the front row.

I sat, trying to remember if I had done something in class to warrant a one-on-one meeting with my instructor on the first day of school. Between my little nap in first period and that weird experience with the hot guy's calling card in Mr. Wang's class, I wasn't sure my day could get any worse.

She moved closer to me, pulled up a student desk, and leaned against it. She eyed me wearily for a moment, tapping her long nails underneath the desk top as she smiled. The attention was unnerving, a steady hum beginning in the back of my brain and slowly moving to the front.

"At the beginning of each school year, teachers are assigned a group of fourth year students to mentor. It's our job to ensure that these students have everything they need to be successful as they move into the senior year. Start college applications and think beyond high school. You've been assigned to me."

The hum in my ears became recongizeable as a voice and I had to work hard to hear Mrs. Andrews. Words began to take shape. She'd paused and I wasn't sure how to respond, so I just kept my mouth shut, plastering another fake smile on my face. That did the trick apparently because she continued.

"As your mentor, I am available to you for advice and guidance both academically and personally. I'd like to schedule our first visit..."

As she spoke, the voice emerged as a whisper close to my ear, drowning out the words of my teacher.

"By the earth, air, fire, and sea, lend your powers and protection to me, by the crystal stone, Rhodonite, enhance my memory three times three. So, mote it be!"

I brushed at my ear, feeling a frosty breath and realized Mrs. Andrews waited expectantly. I'd barely heard a word of what she'd said, however.

"What?" I asked, then remembered something about a meeting so quickly added, "Oh, yes. That sounds nice."

Eyeing me warily, Mrs. Andrews stood and edged around her desk, a massive block of dark wood placed squarely in the front of the room. She ruffled through loosely stacked sheets of paper, stacking and restacking piles, clearing a pathway to whatever lay beneath. Then, the attractive short-haired blonde looked up from her desk. "How about Thursday, right after class? Say 3:30?"

I nodded. "That's fine." I stated clearing my throat, noting the whispers were less the further away Mrs. Andrews stood.

Mrs. Andrews marked the meeting on her desk calendar and reached into the desk drawer closest to her. "Now one last thing. I've given each of the students I mentor a small token to remember our encounter this semester. It's just a small gift simply because I like keepsakes to reflect upon monumental events in life."

She walked over towards me and pinned a beautiful rose-red pendant to my sweater. I nodded in thanks.

"There. It looks great on you." She patted the pendant then leaned against my desk, standing uncomfortably close. "Do you have any questions for me at this time?" she asked.

I didn't respond, but shook my head, rattled by the whispers that seemed to grow louder now that she was near again. I reached up and lightly rubbed my ear lobe.

"I see, shy are we? Maybe later then."

Ready to bolt out of there and reclaim some personal space, I asked, "Am I dismissed?"

"Why yes, Evy," she chuckled. "Our time is finished."

I snatched up my backpack, scooting away from the perky blonde and briskly headed toward the door, submerging peculiar thoughts about Ms. Andrews' real intentions in that meeting. And what about those voices? At least they were gone now. Was I losing my mind?

I kept my eyes down as I walked the halls so I didn't see him until it was too late. He appeared, gorgeous as ever, his back against the wall and eyes steady on me as I approached my locker.

Would I have definitely taken more care with my appearance had I known I would see him again? Definitely. Okay, who was I kidding? I was living on the street and stealing showers in the gym locker before school in the morning. I wore the same thing every day: jeans and white t-shirt in the summer and jeans and a sweater in the winter. My pullover hoodie was all-season and my grossly worn out sneakers barely had shoe laces anymore. My options were limited but he didn't seem to mind.

He unnerved me and intrigued me at the same time. He said nothing and moved aside. I removed the combination lock and shelved a few texts and spiral notebooks I had used earlier in the day. I didn't say anything. Too timid to speak. I stole a few quick side glances and observed him gazing intensely at me.

My face flushed hotly. I pulled my hoodie and what I needed for homework from the locker and slammed the door shut in an attempt to unnerve him and disrupt my own unease about his steady glare. It didn't work. And so I turned to him.

He smiled and one of my textbooks slipped from my fingers. The book thudded as it hit the floor, the conspicuously bold lettering of its title obvious. Chagrinned, I quickly crouched down to pick up the text, as did he. We bumped heads.

Wincing, he rubbed his forehead, then gazed up at me as we both reached for a second time for the book. I snatched my hand back as he cradled the text in his grasp.

"Human Anatomy," he read aloud.

I shrank back, replaying the awkwardness of the situation in my head. I was attracted to him but weirded out at the same time. I stood abruptly, ignoring the way my skin tingled where we'd clunked foreheads.

"I believe this is yours." He stood slowly thumbing the spine of the book and gestured for me to take it. We held it between us for what seemed like a long time, but really was only seconds.

I tugged the book from his grasp and gingerly removed my backpack from my shoulder and began unzipping the top to stuff the text deep inside. Shyly, I watched him under the fan of my lashes, not wanting to meet his gaze. "Thanks."

"Daughter of Cain?" he asked or perhaps it was a statement. I wasn't sure.

"I'm no one's daughter," I retorted with a hint of a bite. Lineage was a prickly subject with me. I hadn't known my parents and the longing for knowledge about my heritage wasn't a topic for discussion with just anyone. Lefu, my best friend, knew very little of my past and nothing of my present circumstance and I wasn't about to open up to this guy, hot or not.

He went for my necklace and I deflected his reach, pushing his hand aside. It was a little presumptuous of him to think he could touch me. Apparently not put off, he grinned and repositioned himself against the locker next to mine.

He whistled and raked his hand through his hair. "Yes. You are definitely a daughter of Cain. You wear the mark and soon you will bear the responsibility of it as well."

What could that possibly mean? If I weren't sure before, I was now: he was majorly peculiar. Zipping the backpack and avoiding his gape, I slung the bag over my right shoulder, narrowly missing his nose.

His eyes were wide in astonishment. I'd bet he was used to his looks getting him whatever he wanted.

As I walked away, I felt his eyes follow me. I glanced over my shoulder, intrigued, hoping to see his bewilderment but to my surprise he was gone. I swung around in the direction I saw him last, looking down the long empty hallway, expecting to see him turn the corner, only to be disappointed. How did he do that?

Perturbed, I turned and pushed open the double doors of the school, stepping into the light. I was confronted with yet another rainy afternoon that would soak me to the bone before I got to the alley to retrieve my stuff.

Blasted rain, I thought to myself, shrugging deeper into the oversized hoodie.

One thing for certain, this day had gone from bad to worse in a span of a few hours.

I shivered and drew my hoodie overhead, my finger brushing the rose pendant Mrs. Andrews had pinned to my sweater. Those voices…then the guy by my locker. Daughter of Cain, he'd said. And there was that thing with his card, the nick on my pinky. The day's weirdness replayed in my head.

I hadn't walked very far when I spotted him ahead. It was like the rain parted and I could see him clearly. He was different than other boys in school. They wore arrogance like a shield. He wore it like a comfortable pair of sweats.

His presence stopped me in my tracks. Even at this distance, I could see the amusing tilt to his mouth, the slight crinkle at the corner of his eyes. He'd seen me, too. I could tell.

It was a little unsettling how he kept appearing like that. Now you see him, now you don't. He was handsome but his behavior could be construed as a bit stalker-ish, hovering around then disappearing. The charming creepiness of the situation was wearing thin.

"I'm attracted to a stalker," I muttered under my breath and shook my head. "What does that say about me?" I didn't dare explore that question and continued walking.

It wasn't a secret or anything, but I wasn't the prettiest girl in school. No boy had ever shown me this kind of attention before now. I was always invisible to them. And certainly not one that looked like Mr. Mysterious. But if I were ever to dream up the perfect man for me, he would look exactly like him, all Greek god-like. Dark disheveled hair with a chiseled jaw line and piercing brown eyes the color of chestnuts. The kind of eyes that looked right into your soul. I trembled and huddled further into the oversized hoodie, resolved that I wasn't going to make it easy for him. I wouldn't be one of those girls. As if he was really interested in me…

Our eyes connected for what seemed like an eternity.

Breathing slowed. The weighted air filled my lungs. Sound waves elongated in the heavy air.

But it wasn't. The moment was just that, a moment.

Seconds.

He stood maybe ten feet away now.

My heart rate was rising. The anticipation of having another conversation with him sent my pulse racing. The pendant about my neck reverberated warmly against my skin. I closed my eyes for a moment and took in a long controlled breath, pushing away the anxiety building within. I told myself to relax, focus on the rain.

I opened my eyes and the dollops of rain hung in the air like a beaded diamond curtain. Time stilled around me, soundless. I stood amazed — I don't know — dumbfounded, frozen in place. My gaze widened and I furrowed my brow as I looked at each of the pellets hanging in midair before me.

How was this possible?

The raindrop was suspended, pregnant with water just on the brink of a drip. Captivated, I stretched out my hand, touching the minuscule diamond drop. It cascaded across my palm. I withdrew my hand quickly, astonished that the curtain of rain did not collapse in the wake of movement. Instead the droplets spiraled in slow motion like opaque bubbles then faded into the downpour beyond the veil surrounding me.

I reached out, pushed aside the sheet of tiny pellets. In amazement I turned to the spot in the alleyway where he had been standing just moments ago, but once again he was gone. Had he seen it? My heart raced, thudding loudly in my ears.

I turned back to the impossible curtain of rain, stepped through and was met with a downpour once again. I gasped and stepped back as the world around me resumed. It was disquieting to say the least as the hustle and bustle of the city slammed into me.

I shivered under the weight of confusion and looming confinement in the mental ward, drew my jacket closer to me, and swiftly disappeared into the crowd.

CHAPTER FIVE EVY: CENTER HIS ATTENTION

The next day, I coasted down the hall toward my locker, trying to act as if I didn't notice him standing there. Secretly I was hoping that I stood out among the hordes of girls staring at him lustfully. My heart raced, speeding up with each step closer to him.

Who was he? A new kid, obviously. From where? I had so many questions for him. Did he see what happened yesterday on the street or was it just part of my insanity? After all I was hearing whispers just a day ago. And seeing the rain stop mid-air.

Right then Kelsey Hastings, the evil little bitch, bumped me so hard I spun on my sneakers, dropping my book bag. An accident that, by my luck, happened every single day at the hands of her or one of her paper doll friends. You know the type. The kind of girl guys drooled over and girls wanted to be. Well, except for me.

I tried to hide my annoyance by stooping down to collect my bag. Incensed, I peered up at her face, flushed, as she suppressed a giggle and gazed at Mr. Mysterious by my locker.

What was her deal? If her plan was to make me look and feel insignificant, I didn't need any help in that. And right in front of him no less. I stood, closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I wished Lefu were here; she would know exactly what to do. She'd been in a car accident over the summer, however, and wouldn't be back to school for a bit. I thought I had lost her forever. I've lost so many and the thought of losing her — well I try not to think about it.

My brain snapped back to the present and my stomach lurched in dread that the new guy had witnessed what happened. I nervously scanned the crowd for him. He was easy enough to find. He stood head and shoulders above the others with god-like features. Still by my locker. A cluster of adoring fans nearby. Shocker. High school girls throwing themselves at the new hot guy. I frowned, unwelcome jealousy pulling at my insides.

He wasn't mine, I reminded myself as I reached the locker, my eyes cast down. Unlike the other times, he hadn't disappeared. Yet.

He slid down the locker until we were closer to eye level with each other. He glanced at Kelsey standing across the hall, her attention all for him but he returned his focus to me. "I will accompany you to your next class."

Humiliated still from my little pirouette in the corridor, I mumbled, "No, thanks." I didn't need a pity bodyguard. I'd dealt with these girls on my own for a while now.

I spun the combination of my locker and tried to appear uninterested in his attentions. From the corner of my eye, I skimmed the crowd. All eyes were on us. Especially Kelsey's. Warmth bubbled up inside and chased away the humiliation but I wasn't sure which emotion resulted in the warmth on my cheeks. How embarrassing, I thought. I don't know whether to be ashamed at being the victim of a cheerleader's bullying, or excited to be the recipient of the hot guy's attention.

He leaned in close, his breath feathering my hair as he spoke. "It's not every day that the daughter of Cain is granted a reprieve from the fates of her forefathers. You should be grateful to have the chance to be liberated from the destiny you deserve."

His tone dripped with malice. I flinched a little and closed my locker door, disappointed he'd high dived from cute mysterious stalker to the deep end of creepy cray-cray.

What in the world was he talking about? Liberated from the destiny you deserve.

I stuffed my texts into my backpack, slung it over my shoulder, and glimpsed him while I quickly moved away. Exasperated, I sighed, "Leave me alone."

"Wait! That didn't come out right," he insisted.

He jogged ahead of me and stood, looking down at me from under long lashes. I tilted my head slightly and rolled my eyes, then side-stepped him and headed towards my first period class. He followed me down the hall, prattling on about making amends for his earlier comment.

I ignored him as best I could. I thought about going to the office to report his weirdness but didn't want the hassle with administration if they wanted to call my foster parents. They either hadn't reported me missing or the Child Welfare Agency hadn't made any home visits. Either way, I didn't want to chance a return trip to foster care.

I didn't listen to him. Too self-absorbed with everyone looking at me, him — us. I wished he'd speak plainly if he had something to say. He didn't talk like an ordinary teenager. Maybe he was a just a nerd instead of an awesomely hot crazy guy. I wished he didn't stand so close. His proximity gave me goosebumps and chills. I wished I didn't find him so attractive. Mainly I wished he wasn't a weirdo.

Finally, I approached the classroom door and there was a moment of silence behind me. He stopped in the archway. I looked over my shoulder and smirked, knowing he wouldn't follow me in, not with the teacher sitting right there. He looked up from the paper in his hand and I gave an over-the-shoulder wave, mouthed bye-bye and then took my usual seat and waited for class. I removed my notebook and text from my backpack and turned to put my backpack on my chair when he took the seat next to me. I sighed loudly as he folded the paper—his schedule apparently—and stuffed it in his pocket, giving me a smirk that I'm sure matched the one I'd lobbed his way just moments ago.

"Class, we have a new student. Everyone meet Gabriel Seraph," introduced Ms. Wallace. "Evy, will you share your notes with Gabriel until he catches up with class?"

"Damn."

CHAPTER SIX GABRIEL: TEMPATION

I saw the female humans gathered together in the hall from the corner of my eye. Teenage girls and their ability to talk incessantly would be fascinating if it wasn't so frustrating. Luckily, I had no interest in trying to keep track of what they said versus what they meant, otherwise I would go mad. Michael told me girls liked to talk about themselves so I should try that to get Evy's attention.

Superficial. All of them. The girls flushed a rosy color, giggled, gawked, and waved with plastic smiles on their faces. By human standards one would consider them beautiful. Beauty, however, did not detract the level of displeasure the creatures brought me. Incredulously, the humans have forgotten their purpose to serve the one true god, Adonai.

Covetousness radiated from them, hitting me in waves of impurity. I ignored them as much as possible, but I struggled with the desires of the flesh surging through me. No wonder mankind was prone to sin. The desires were all consuming.

Humans and their uncanny adeptness to debauchery infuriated the most unwavering of angels. Impiety seeps from them in swells, but I must bide my time until the date of ascension. I desperately wanted to be rid of this assignment, however. Evy is not what I expected. Not what I thought the vehicle for the end of mankind would look like.

Speak the devil's name…

Evy walked toward her locker, looking a little defeated. She opened the metal box and began removing her books. Yesterday I moved through the school and in the halls to learn how the humans interacted, spoke. Not that it did much good. They were confounding creatures. Now I tried to warn her as much as I was allowed about her destiny but she would not listen. Perhaps another tactic would work better on her. She did not conform to Michael's description of a talkative female either; quite the opposite.

"I will accompany you to your next class."

I think I offended her judging by the deliberate roll of her eyes so popular with the young humans. I must ask Brother Michael more on this so I can communicate more effectively. It can convey many things: uncertainty, frustration, coyness, offense. But what did I care? She is but an assignment; one I wish to conclude quickly and return to my beloved Aaru. This human existence is both bothersome and tempting.

"No, thanks."

She hurried down the corridor, waving dismissively, but it was the movement of her body that I traced with my eyes. I followed her down the hallway and then inside the classroom and took the seat next to her. I ran my hand through my hair and smiled like the others did when they arrived to see their friends but it only earned me another eye roll. She wasn't going to make this easy. And neither was I. I loathed experiencing the inclinations of flesh. It made me weak but piqued my wonderment of the creatures even more.

Up close, her looks weren't plain as I had originally thought. This close, only feet away, she was not commonplace at all. Her hair hung loosely to her shoulders framing her face, and her tomboyish, casual clothes seemed to subdue her slender build. No, this close she was beautiful.

It was a different kind of beauty than the other girls, those girls the boys flocked to like a bee to the flower.

I chided myself. I must pull back, be indifferent to her until the ascension. It was only a blink in time, a couple of human months until Evy would choose her fate. And with it, the fate of the world.

I sucked in a deep breath, wanting the cool air to dampen the fires inside. Instead, it inflamed them.

I was a son of Adonai, I reminded myself. I was the Archangel of the West. I was a leader of one of the four corners of Aaru. I was more than the humans. Better.

At the sound of the school bell, I straightened and opened my text but my thoughts were only for the girl sitting three feet to my left.

CHAPTER SEVEN THE COUNTDOWN: 5 DAYS TO ASCENSION EVY

I wasn't a part of the in-crowd but in the couple of months since school started, Gabriel had found his place. Especially with the Paper Dolls who seemed to be spending a lot of time with him. They were everywhere: at his locker, the lunch table, in our classes. It was inescapable and unbearable. All that fawning and flirting and hair twirling; good grief. I wanted to puke.

That second day of school came swimming back through the nausea and I sighed before I could stop it. I was so dismissive when he was only trying to find his class. I could have shown some common courtesy, a little interest. But he'd freaked me out too many times with his ability to appear from and disappear to nowhere. Maybe it had been his way to reach out to me and at every turn I dodged the opportunity. I breathed in and tried to let the air in my lungs wash away the sobering knowledge that I rejected him.

And now he was returning the favor.

I pushed down the rise of bitterness burning my throat. Perhaps it's my own insecurity, but I never felt like I fit in. Not in my foster families, certainly not in school. None of the things that interested them, interested me. I didn't look the part. I didn't act the part.

Now Gabriel was a member of the school soccer team, a favorite among teachers, not to mention the Paper Dolls' special project for incorporation into all things school related. I barely saw him around anymore except for class. He had been welcomed with open arms by a student body that barely knew I existed.

I should be thankful. I didn't want him around at all, I reminded myself. I'm not jealous. Ok maybe a little envious. Did I want to fit in? Be part of the inner circle? I wasn't sure.

Being alone sucked, though. That much I did know.

There was good news, however. Lefu returned today. I missed her. School without her had been miserable. Well, more miserable than usual.

The lunch bell rang and like cattle we all moved in a herd towards the lunch line.

"Mooooo," Lefu and I sighed at the same time as we came together in the hall. "Jinx," we giggled.

The cafeteria special today was something that looked like meatloaf. Just another healthy choice read a sign on the wall over the head of the server who evidently hated her job. She greeted us with a near sneer on her face and a forehead so furrowed it looked like a unibrow sprouted between her temples.

I giggled like a mad woman and leaned over to Lefu. "Her panty hose must have ridden up to make her grimace like that."

The server raised an eyebrow at me, either hearing what I said or guessing herself to be the subject, and splotched mashed potatoes the consistency of stiff, gummy paste onto my sectional tray. The joys of being in high school. She inclined her head to the left and pointed the tarnished silver spoon down the line to move me along.

Lefu chuckled then bit her lip, as she too was given the raised eyebrow of admonishment.

Once through the line we headed to our table, the stand alone in the corner, a beacon for losers like us. We didn't mind as we looked at one another and burst into laughter.

"I swear all she needs is a tattoo of a skull and cross bones," Lefu cackled.

"Is she a cast member of Orange is the New Black? Maybe a new prison guard?" I added as we took our seats.

"Good to see you haven't lost your sense of humor." She gingerly dug into the mystery meatloaf, dropping her spork to the side of her plate. "Though there's nothing funny about this food." She gave me her full attention. "I was only gone for a few months but somehow you seem different."

"What do you mean?" I focused a little too seriously on the limp broccoli. "I'm fine."

"You've been brooding all day. It's kind of obvious that somethings going on."

"I haven't and it's not." Even to me it sounded like a lie.

She nudged my shoulder and said gently, "Liar. Is it the new guy, Gabe?

"His name is Gabriel and it isn't him."

Lefu giggled. "Okay, Gabriel." She exaggerated the name into twice the number of syllables. "I've been out for a bit but I heard the gossip. I've seen you watching him and vice versa. It's not polite to stare you know. So, if it's not him, what is it? Something has you sulking. You know I usually don't pry but you're my best friend." She paused, thought about it for a second and amended, "Okay, my only friend and I don't like it when you're all gloomy."

The topic of our conversation came into the café with his passel of Paper Dolls. He dropped his tray on the table but didn't take his seat right away, looking over the heads of the other students until our eyes met. I looked away but could feel him watching me. It was the first attention he'd directed my way in months.

Head down, I carved an ankh into the mashed potatoes. "Have you seen the symbol on his collarbone? It looks just like my necklace." My hand went to my own necklace at the base of my throat.

"The symbol?" She scrunched her nose at me. "Uh, no." Then her face brightened knowingly. "So, this is about Gabe?"

"No! Seriously, you didn't see the ankh?"

"The only thing I see is pure perfection." Lefu sighed like a lovesick moose.

I changed the subject, shrugging off my unease. "This year is just…different. My seventeenth birthday is in five days. Soon I will graduate and then what?" What I really was upset about was not knowing more about my heritage. It bothered me more and more as my birthday approached.

"I get that, but it's not the end of the world, only the beginning." Lefu pushed her tray back and slumped in the chair. "Just think about it. Soon we'll be free to do whatever we want whenever we want. College and college parties. Oh, and boys."

I'd never been completely honest with Lefu. She knew about my foster parents, but not that I'd run away a few years back and now essentially lived on the street. I didn't want to put her in the position of having to lie for me. But I felt bad holding back the truth.

I lost focus on the conversation as Gabriel stood across the cafe. His hands were stuffed in his jean pockets, and he was staring right at me. My breath caught; my gaze locked on him.

As if drawn by my thoughts, Gabriel headed over to our table. He leaned over the chairs, bracing his fists shoulder width apart against the table top.

"Your seventeenth birthday is in five days," Gabriel said, turning one of the chairs around, straddling it to rest his arms on the back. "The ascension will begin."

I nodded, unable to verbalize any coherent thought, struck by the notion that he was now sitting at our table, sitting across from me. And he knew about my birthday. How could he possibly know that? Lefu, that busy body, must have told him. Wait, what did he say about the ascension?

I was hearing things again, obviously. I refused to be one of those girls who fell apart in his presence. Still, I couldn't stop the flood of warmth that spread from my toes to my cheeks. Being close to him made me tremble. I clasped my hands to my face, elbows on the table to thwart the betrayal of my instantaneous rosiness.

I tried to hide my anxiety and looked him directly in the eye. Then I nodded in the direction over his shoulder but he didn't turn around. "Your friends are looking for you."

I hoped he didn't notice. Please let him not notice.

He shrugged and introduced himself to Lefu and I watched as they carried on a conversation about trig homework and whether or not Mrs. Andrews was the devil incarnate.

"How do you know about her birthday?" she asked him.

I guess she hadn't mentioned it. I waited, breathless for his answer.

"I have spies," he said with a grin, focusing that thousand-watt smile at me.

The warmth in my cheeks rushed back, along with the chant, Please, don't let him notice I am freaking out over here.

I pushed the thought away as I realized he'd changed since the start of school. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but he seemed more relaxed, more like a normal teenager. He still held himself in a higher regard than most teenage boys, but his arrogance was slowly diminishing into an attractive charm. I could see why all the girls adored him. He wore blue jeans and a t-shirt with a black AC/DC logo plastered on the chest and a seductive smile. His eyes held me captive and I swam deeper in the waves of his chocolate iris'.

I heard Lefu giggle then clear her throat and it brought me back to reality. I smiled sheepishly, chagrinned as Lefu nudged me.

"Earth to Evy," she whispered under her breath.

"Got any plans? It's your big day and all." Gabriel leaned in toward me, nudging my calf under the table with his foot. Nudging like we were old pals. It may have been unintentional but who cared.

"No big plans." I casually ate my prison-issued lunch, trying my best to see him without being noticed. I felt him staring before I saw him. The warm rush of awareness swept down my body, pooling in my toes but it was the rise of the voices inside my head that really screwed with my concentration. Not now.

I looked up and his eyes narrowed, the deep penetrating gaze reached through me and stopped my heart. I darted my eyes away quickly, suddenly self-conscious, wholly inadequate as he took me in.

Some unseen force pummeled my chest. He brushed back a slash of thick wavy hair from his face and I remembered to breathe, unaware until that moment that I was holding my breath. I prayed I wasn't ashen from the lack of oxygen. That would suck.

The whispers echoed with frosty breath, stroking my ear.

"By the earth, air, fire, and sea, lend your powers and protection to me, by the crystal stone, Rhodonite, enhance my memory three times three, so mote it be!"

I slid the food tray away from me and slumped forward, resting my forehead on my forearms on the table, trying desperately to shake off the awkwardness of voices in my head. No, no, no, no. This was the wrong time for my schizophrenia to flare.

Lefu repeated my name and nudged me. I looked up slowly, let my hair fall forward from behind my ear, mortified that he might see the insanity on my face somehow.

"Evy, I was talking to you." She nudged me again, a look of amusement scrunching her eyebrows together. "How about it? I'll spring for the popcorn."

"Popcorn?" I asked, puzzled and instantly remorseful. I hadn't heard anything over the blasted chanting in my brain. Nauseated now with a slight headache. "Movies?" That was the only thing I could think of that went with popcorn.

"Yeah," Gabriel eased back in his chair, stretching his long legs out under the table. His foot slid next to mine, the touch innocent and intimate at the same time. "And if Lefu is buying the popcorn I can get us into the movies. I took a part time job last week at the MoviePlex."

I couldn't believe my ears. Gabriel was making plans to take me to the movies for my birthday, oh and Lefu of course. Wait, Gabriel had a job?

"We could ask some of your friends if you want."

Umf, the shoe dropped. Not a date. Not that I expected a date.

I recovered my senses. "A movie sounds great. And Lefu here is my sole contribution to the friend zone."

I looked at Lefu, embarrassed. Hoping that my face didn't show any disillusionment. I knew that she would notice. She noticed everything. She smirked pierced ear to pierced ear and gave me a wink. The little troublemaker. Then she poked me in my side, causing me to jerk. I looked away from Lefu's questioning gaze over to Gabriel and found him staring again.

"Thank you both," I said tucking my hair behind my right ear. "The movies it is."

Hopefully by Saturday my schizophrenia would be under control. My lust for Gabriel was an entirely different matter.

It was then that Ms. Andrews moved toward our table calling to Gabriel. "Gabriel, I need to borrow you for a moment, dear. I promise it will only take a moment. You can grab a few of your friends if you like. I need to collect the new text books that just arrived. As you can imagine they are quite heavy."

Dutifully Gabriel rose from his seat looking pointedly at me, then followed Ms. Andrews to the cafeteria doors. He asked two of his friends to join him. I watched them enter the hall way.

CHAPTER EIGHT THE COUNTDOWN: 4 DAYS TO ASCENSION EVY

I slept little that night, though the shelter provided some measure of comfort as compared to sleeping in the alley. I spent the entire night fretfully dreaming, bizarre images flashing like an electrical current through my brain.

"What have you done?" bellowed an infinite voice. It echoed through my head. "He's dead because of you! Your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground."

I awoke with a jolt, fearful of the wrath that filled the voice in my dream. I recognized the dream for what it was and moments later my eyes wearily closed and I drifted back into sleep again. Only to start the dream over…

The sky darkened and thunderous rumbles filled the air. Beneath my feet the ground tremored as sheets of rain pummeled the earth. A man, coated in blood, stood covering his ears, then folded into himself trying to hide from the voice that roared over the thunder…and within him.

And I understood why he feared it so.

It was great and terrible and the pain of it shredded his soul. But there was no hiding, no escaping from the awful thing he had done.

"Forgive—"

"No!" The voice without form boomed over the land, over the man, and it resonated in fury. "So now you are cursed from the bounty of My earth, now drowned in your brother's blood spilled by your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth, alone, separated from My love for eternity."

The man withdrew deeper into himself and began to wail, but I knew it was not in sorrow for the act of murdering of his brother.

Cain thought only for himself.

The impending loneliness wrapped around him like a sodden cloak. Mournful of his pain and despair, the knowledge that I, too, would bear the shame of his guilt, poured over me as water from a broken damn. He'd condemned generations with this single act and as his descendant, I would bear his shame. I began to weep, unable to contain the breadth of the damage done.

"The punishment is greater than I can bear!" His plea for mercy echoed in my ears, as did his selfishness. I felt the anguish of his seperation from the being, piercing as a stab to the chest. The utter distress and fear as real as if it were my own. He beat a fist against his breast. "You have driven me out this day. I shall be hidden from Your face. I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me."

Mercifully, the voice decreed, "Then whomever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold."

The winds whipped at our bodies, the maelstrom of rain and lightning frenzied and frantic. The man cried out in torment and I with him. We yelled into the storm. I clawed at my shoulder, enfolded by an agonizing pain. I tore at my clothing to expose it to the rain and saw the ankh blaze upon my right collarbone, searing into the flesh with the potency of a lightening bolt. Blistering and smoldering, it formed upon my skin. The man doubled over and on his now bare flesh the same mark appeared.

"And ye shall bear a mark of My protection." The voice poured over us like scalding water. "Lest anyone finding you should kill you."

Afflicted by the pain and bowed with guilt, the man grappled at his shoulder, his face tilted into the raging storm. I panted through the agony, my jaw clenched, my shoulder burning as though on fire.

The winds died and on the last breath of the storm, the voice declared, "Depart from me."

The man arose and ran.

I awoke drenched with sweat and tears. But even more disturbing, the voice speaking in my dream was familiar.

And I was afraid.

I got up at five, before most of the other shelter inhabitants began to stir, folded my blanket and stacked it neatly at the foot of the borrowed cot. Though I avoided being outside last night for the first night in a very long time, sleep still eluded me. Regardless, a dry bed and clean blanket was just what I needed to feel human again. Things were looking up.

I made the trek to the high school in record time, eager for a hot shower and to change into a fresh set of clothes. I slipped in through the window and headed straight for the shower. Once dressed I grabbed my dirty clothes and wandered into the cafeteria. Surreptitiously I grabbed a carton of orange juice and a strawberry Danish and made my way to the home economics class to start a load of laundry.

In an empty school, the slightest sound is magnified. I listened intently, walking through the deserted corridors, picturing them as they would be in a few hours, crawling with students. If this weren't my daily routine, I could see how being alone in here could give someone the heebie jeebies. I tossed the empty orange juice container just as I rounded the corner of the freshman wing when I heard the creaking of a door opening or closing slowly.

I froze. That wasn't part of the routine.

I retreated quickly toward an alcove that led to the bathrooms, stopped abruptly and caught my breath. My heart pounded, my hands trembling around my stolen Danish and dirty clothes. Listening keenly with every fiber of my being, I heard nothing. I stood erect, silent, clutching my laundry like a shield and waiting for the other intruder to come around the corner or from one of the rooms on the hall.

After a moment of still nothing, I ventured back into the corridor then to the end of the hall. To the right of me something scraped and I jumped. It was confirmation I wasn't alone. Someone else was here. I piled my clothes neatly on the floor, topped it with the Danish and scuttled to the room in which I heard the noise.

I gripped the door frame, noting the door was ajar, and peered inside the sliver of window, looking right then left when I saw him standing there, back turned, rifling through Ms. Andrews' desk.

Gabriel!

I threw myself back against the wall, then ebbed forward for a second look.

What was he doing here?

As I neared the frame a second time, the door opened on a rush and I plowed face first into a muscular chest. I screamed and recoiled, placing my hand over my heart to keep it from leaping from my chest.

He laughed, a robust and infectious sound. "You're not very good at the sneaking around, are you?"

Indignant, I exclaimed, "You scared the life out of me." My chest was heaving, my senses fully aroused. "What are you doing here anyway? School doesn't start for at least another hour."

He motioned to me with a wicked grin. "Ladies first."

"I — I have permission to be here," I stammered, caught off guard by the glint in his eye.

"Sure you do," he replied sarcastically, then sobered. "It's no coincidence that we are here." A pause for dramatic effect, no doubt. "Alone." Creepy.

Uneasy, I realized in that instance that we were in fact alone. Would anyone would hear me if I needed to scream? Was he a danger and not just a weird new kid? Unwilling to reveal my nervousness, I moved in front of him, placed my hands on my hips and widened my stance. He stepped forward and reached for me. I tensed, noticeably holding my breath and he lowered his hands, holding his position.

"I see," he said, lowering his eyes. Pain shadowed his gaze.

I tried to relax my shoulders, shaking my hands from their fisted position at my hips. Had my reaction hurt him in some way? Gosh, I hoped not.

"Do you still have the card I left you?" The muscles in his neck strained as he swallowed hard.

"Card?" I didn't want to admit that I kept it in a secret place. The first thing he had ever given me. The thing that connected us together — somehow.

He raked his hand through his tussled hair and sighed, his dark gaze stern and engaging. "The card I left at your locker. The first day I saw you. The ankh?"

"The ankh." I grasped my necklace, recalling the intricately designed card and how it seemed to make the room whirl and disappear. The experience was dizzying and not in a good way, but there was no way I was going to tell him that. I glanced at his shoulder, to where I'd seen the mark that first day. But I couldn't see beneath his shirt collar.

"Do you still have it?" he asked slowly. Was that annoyance emerging?

Two can play that game. "No," I lied, brows knitting together, growing incensed at the tone he was taking with me. I'd stashed the card in the gym locker where I kept the few personal items I owned. The space underneath the locker proved the perfect place to hide my personals. No way was I telling him that, though. He seemed anxious to have it which piqued my curiosity.

"Why? Should I have kept it?"

Glancing from me to the hall beyond nervously, he grasped my upper arm and said, "You must find it. Your life depends on it. Find it then find me." He brushed past me in the tiny space. He called back to me over his shoulder before he disappeared around the corner. "Find the ankh, then find me."

And he was gone.

I sprinted into motion. It was almost seven o'clock. Soon the faculty would begin to arrive. I gathered my laundry as a door in the distance clanged shut. No time to waste. I raced to the gym and stashed my clothes in the locker. Laundry would have to wait. There was no time. I pried open the bottom grate and pulled out the metal box, relieved to see the card still laying on top.

I didn't touch it, remembering the incident in class. Securing the box and grate back to the bottom of the locker, I ran to the mirrors over the sinks and pulled back the neckline of my shirt, remembering the dream and the mark on Gabriel. I breathed a sigh of relief at the unmarred flesh. It was just a dream, I reminded myself and pulled my hair neatly back in a ponytail.

I exited quickly through the window carrying one thought in mind.

What was so damn special about that card?

With a final glance at my locker I dropped to the ground, rounded the corner and blended into the steady stream of students arriving by bus, car and foot.

I could hardly concentrate the rest of the day. The lure of the card nagged at me, as did the dream. And Gabriel's little breaking and entering routine into Ms. Andrews' class. What was he after? He'd avoided me all day, even skipping class, so I hadn't had the chance to question him.

The ending bell had barely finished clanging through the halls before I was up on my feet and headed for the exit to await an anxious return in a few hours. I'd been unable to grab the card during gym, too many people hanging around for me to pull up the grate. I didn't want to give away too many secrets so I'd have to wait for dark.

"Hey Evy, wait up," called Lefu, limping unsteadily to catch up. "What's the hurry?"

I spun on my heels and walked back toward her. "No hurry."

"Well now, that's disappointing," Lefu said, walking more slowly now. She wrapped a hand around my right shoulder and moved me toward the exit along with her. "I hoped you were rushing off to meet Gabe in a secret rendezvous."

"Gabriel," I retorted, giggling.

"Gabe, Gabriel, Gorgeous. Whatever his name is, you know who I am talking about."

Admittedly the thought had crossed my mind about that very possibility which brought a smile to my lips. But who was I kidding? "No secret rendezvous. Just prepping for midterms."

Lefu nudged me, smiling as brightly as me. "Wanna study together for chem? Your place? Mom is watching my sister's kids so it's a madhouse."

I stopped abruptly. I had no home to go to, but Lefu didn't know that. Someday I'd tell her the truth but not today. And not before I could figure it out for myself. I backed away, slowly conjuring my escape route. "I forgot. I'm meeting with Ms. Andrews. That mentoring thing, fourth year and all."

"What?"

I started backing away. "I will catch up with you tomorrow."

"Oh, I can wait." Deflated, Lefu mumbled, "I don't have a choice but to wait for mom now that I've wrecked my car."

Walking backwards I stated, "Don't bother. We will catch up later, plus I don't know how long this will take with Ms. Andrews." I hunched my shoulders in disappointment.

She walked backwards towards the exit, disappointment dragging down one side of her mouth. "We really need to talk soon, Evy."

"We will," I shouted back, spinning on my heels and hurrying towards the gym. I turned and headed back towards Ms. Andrews' class first. Talking about curiosity killing the cat.

My weekly mentoring meetings with her were fairly uneventful. So, in keeping with the destiny of students all across the globe – futile acquiescence – I attended the weekly sessions and tried not to yawn too often.

I made the last turn, seeing her door closed. Would it be locked at this hour? I wanted to find out what Gabriel was looking for this morning. His actions were awfully mysterious and bold, a feat hard to pull off in New York City. It was clear he was up to something, but what? And how did I play a role in his plan?

I reached the class, seeing the object of my internal interrogation. Gabriel was being quite entertaining if Ms. Andrews' smile and head-back-laughter was any indication. She was leaning against the desk where he sat, all up in his personal space. He didn't seem to mind. But I certainly did.

Seeing her so near him spiked an attack of jealously I couldn't fathom. I opened the door, yanking harder than I intended. It slipped from my fingertips and banged noisily against the wall, startling both Ms. Andrews and Gabriel.

So much for stealth.

I entered the class a little more awkwardly than I would have liked, tripping over my ratty shoe string. "Sorry; it slipped." I pointed at the door like a moron, in case they were confused by my witty banter.

He grinned. Ms. Andrews looked bemused. I, however, was mortified, feeling my temperature rise with each second under their purview. It seemed whenever I was in his presence I was making a fool of myself. Luckily, we didn't hang out that often.

I recovered, but not quickly or gracefully. "Did I interrupt? I can come back later."

Ms. Andrews sauntered over to her desk, "No. Come in. Gabriel was just leaving." She turned back to him, something clouding over in her eyes. She leaned forward on the desk, giving him serious eye contact. "Gabriel, we will pick this up tomorrow."

He nodded at Ms. Andrews, grinned at me and left without a word.

CHAPTER NINE EVY: KNOWING

"We're not scheduled to meet today, Evy. Is there something pressing?" She cocked her head in my direction, one well-tweezed eyebrow arched. "From the way you entered the room one would think so."

I shook my head then fumbled into the nearest desk.

"You're in luck my mentee for this afternoon left school early so we can move up our weekly discussion without a problem."

I nodded and grinned like The Joker. Trapped, after making a grand fool entrance, I sat through the grueling process of our weekly mentor-mentee discussion.

The inquisition was over in twenty minutes. I was exhausted dodging pointed questions about my life. It felt more like an interrogation than a career counseling session. Why was she so interested in my personal life? Then it hit me: did she know about my living situation? Not that I had a living situation. I lived on the streets. But if she did know, why not just report me to the administration? Maybe she was just one of those teachers that wanted to reach her students. Even in my own head I put air quotes around that word. I didn't want to be reached; I just wanted out.

I entered the gym and found Gabriel. He lounged — that was the only word for it — on the bleachers nearest the door, his elbows resting on the row in back of him, his legs crossed ankle over ankle on the seat in front. His attention was solely for me, devouring, knowing, a curious mix of disgust and curiosity twitching on his upper lip.

I hesitated and sighed in annoyance before going to him, knowing I couldn't avoid him. I wasn't surprised to find him there. He'd sounded pretty determined about that card this morning.

He looked up at me warily. "Did you find it?"

"Did you? I don't even know what it is."

"The ankh?"

I rolled my eyes, bothered by the stalker antics. "Oh that." I walked past him towards the girl's locker room. He followed, a prolonged sigh of exasperation escaping as we walked.

"Did you find it?"

"Technically it was never lost."

"Wait—never lost," he repeated slowly. "This isn't a game, Evy. Your fate depends on it. It is no coincidence that we are here, that I am before you." He grabbed my arm, pulling me to face him. He tucked his chin, gazing at the rafters as if afraid someone would see us. "Redemption is at hand. You will have to choose on the day of your ascension."

I yanked free of his grasp, turning back to the lockers. "There you go again talking all weird. I'm not sure I want to talk to you about that card. There's something weird about it—about you. And strange stuff keeps happening."

"Evy stop!" He barked, causing me to flinch.

The echo of his outburst bounced between the gym walls. I turned to face him. "Why?" I demanded angrily. "What's so important about that damned card?"

He reached out and when I avoided his touch he pulled his hand back. "You and I are inexplicably linked. And what I am about to tell you — you may or may not believe." He looked weary. "You are a descendant of Cain."

The name struck me hard. Cain, the man I had come to know in my dreams.

"Cain was the firstborn child of the human race. Given what you think you know of the bible, you believe it to follow the genealogy of Christ's lineage or those significant to it. What you probably did not know is that Cain is not included. He is the only son of Eve, the second wife of Adam and Morning Star, Adonai's most beloved fallen angel. Born a twin to Abel, Cain was very jealous of Adonai's love for Abel and killed him. Long story short, he took as his own the first wife of Adam, Lilith, demon spawn, and became vampire." He paused to let the revelation sink in.

"Before I continue with the significance of the card, can you tell me what strange things are happening?" He looked panicked for the first time and I was a little shaken. "For goodness sake, your life depends on what the card reveals."

Breathless and thinking on the dreams I had the night before, I snarled, "Then why not tell me that when you gave it to me!" I blew out the breath stuck in my lungs, and with it, my sense of self-preservation. Something important was going on. I could feel it. And I needed to know what. "You keep saying crazy stuff like that but not much else. What does any of that have to do me? And none of it makes sense." I turned to walk into the locker room.

"Stop!" He barked again, this time grabbing my shoulder. I shrugged out of his grasp, took a couple of steps forward but didn't turn around. He sighed loudly and closed the distance behind me. "You Evy, are a direct descendant of Cain." He waited for my response.

Shocked at the knowledge of who I was, my knees buckled a bit and I began to sway. Rushing to my side, Gabriel caught me before I tumbled to the floor and lead me back to the bleachers. Before he seated me, I recovered quickly and stood on my own. He gently released me and stepped back.

"What?" I questioned.

"A descendant of Cain." he repeated. "Shall I continue?"

I moved to take a seat fearing the second round would cause my wooziness to return.

"I'll explain, but first we need the card."

I walked into the locker room leaving him at the door. I wasn't sure if he would follow. It was the girls' locker room, after all. But he didn't seem to mind little things like that.

I dropped my backpack with a thud on the bench. I knelt, opened the locker and retrieved the metal box stashed beneath the bottom. The box contained my entire life, everything I deemed important, the essence of me. I scooted onto the bench and opened it, exhaling deeply as I saw the little bits of my life I had left.

The flood of memories overwhelmed me. Gabriel's card was still on top but I ignored it. I fingered through the remaining items, only five in number, but each one had the ability to trigger a sense of contentment and belonging, if only for a moment.

I took my favorite item in hand, a simple Birthday Girl button. I remembered it being pinned to my blouse by a foster mother when I was seven. It was the first time I was ever truly happy and my first and only birthday party. Ms. Emma had been a portly woman, with a kindly disposition and a smile so wide her eyes crinkled, accentuating the crow's feet in the corners. Ms. Emma called me her jewel. She told me every day what a treasure she'd found in fostering me. I fondly remembered her warm and inviting bear hugs but most of all I remembered how she tucked me in at night, kissed my forehead and recited Bible verses. If I had to repeat them now, I doubted I could. She taught me about unconditional love and forgiveness. She was, for all intents and purposes, my mother until the day she died five years ago.

That day, worst day of my life. I came home from school to a waiting social worker and cops who took me away, never to return. I never got to say good-bye that morning or at the funeral. My social worker said it wasn't a good idea for me to attend, seeing as how I was only a ward of the state and not real family. An awful thing to tell a child, by the way. My eyes filled with tears, tinkering on the edge of a steady flow at the memory but I sucked them back. I'd cried for days when I was twelve. It hadn't done any good then and wouldn't do any good now.

As expected, Gabriel shuffled into the locker room and leaned against my locker. He watched for a moment, silent. Aware of his presence I quickly took the card from the box and closed the lid. The ankh around my neck pulsed hotly and the card had a faint glow. Whatever this was, whatever Gabriel wanted with it, I wanted no part of it. My life was complicated enough.

I wiped my eyes and peered up at him. "Here, take it."

As it passed between us I acquired another paper cut, smearing a trickle of blood onto the edge. I yelped and sucked the web between my thumb and fingers. "Damn—"

In an instant, just like before, the room seemed to fade away. Reality's clarity and definition blurred, making it difficult to discern consciousness from sub-consciousness.

"What. Is. Happening?" My words, barely audible, were slow and disoriented. The floor rushed up and I surrendered to darkness.

I awoke nestled in the northern expanse of what was Second Earth when it was new. Rolling hills surrounded me, the land sprinkled with every vibrant hue of flower imaginable. An oasis engulfed in vegetation and billowing shade trees that stretched into the distance.

There were unending gardens, grape vines heavy with fruit, and lush meadows sprawled alongside a glassy river that branched out to the four corners of the earth. Grazing lazily on the land coexisted every manner of fowl and beast.

And at the center of it all stood a tree, the sun light cascading and pooling around its gnarled and knotted limbs. The twisted boughs and fragrant bouquet beckoned in invitation to taste its sweet, fleshy fruit.

A man and woman appeared beneath the tree, disagreement evident in their sharp actions and voices.

"Why must I lie beneath you? I also was made from clay, from His likeness just as you and am therefore your equal," said the woman.

The man tried to compel her obedience and in a rage, the woman cried out a name in blasphemy. Though she made no attempt to disguise the name, I could not decipher it. In the blink of an eye, she was struck down for her insolence.

As she writhed on the ground, her pain became mine and I knew her sorrow just as I had known the sorrow and self-pity of the man in my first dream.

Like the man from the first dream, her anger was not for her failure, but for herself and the consequence she must now bear. I felt the mark upon my soul as the anger darkened and scored our hearts. We became one, the three of us, though I could not fathom how or why.

An omnipotent voice filled the skies. The birds took flight and the land animals ran and hid. The woman cowed beneath the weight of the presence that shadowed the earth.

"For your insolence, I will curse you from My light. Your form will distort; your spirit will repel all that is goodness. The night will be your day. You will find no sustenance in the richness of the lands I have given you but shall only sate your hunger from warm blood. And until the day you feed upon living prey you will have no chance of relief."

In a flash, the woman was swept away, now cursed as vampire, demonized, left to the Red Sea.

I inhaled sharply beneath the icy fear rushing through my veins. Fear of the truth that came rushing in with it.

Adonai — God — was the omnipresent voice in my dream last night. I knew it as I knew my own name. And I knew the man in the earlier dream was Cain, son of Eve, scorned by God for killing his brother Abel.

But this woman…she was Adam's first wife.

Lilith.

The edges of the dream grew hazy and my vision tunneled. I fought to escape from the darkness, weighted by this new knowledge. My head spun. I laid upon something soft. Still feeling a bit woozy, I opened my eyes to a view of the second-row lockers. The gym. I was in the gym.

I pushed up on the softness, my hands pressed against the soft cotton of well-worn denim.

Gabriel!

He sat straddling the bench, brushing my hair as my head rested on his lap. I sat up quickly, overcome with shame. "What happened?"

Steadying me with a hand on my elbow, he studied me with a slow perusal. "Take it easy. To tell the truth, I was hoping you could tell me what just happened." He let out a breath. "One minute you were talking and the next you were falling. You blacked out."

I tussled my hair, trying in vain to cover my face, embarrassed I'd just passed out on the hottest guy in school. I didn't like the weight of his attention, of being so visible beneath his stare. I felt groggy and disconnected as I tried to put the pieces together in my mind. "I—I'm not sure. I didn't black out the first time."

"What do you mean the first time?"

I turned to him. "The first time I touched the card, after you left it at my locker, nothing happened." I began slowly, reluctant yet relieved to share the experience with someone. "Then I had it in class. I was just looking at it and twirling it between my fingers wondering how we—" I blushed at the slip, then continued, "how it was connected to me. The faster I twirled the card the more intently I focused. It was like I was drawn to it. Hypnotized almost. I couldn't break away. I know you're going to think I'm crazy but I'm not. I swear."

Gabriel shifted as I spoke but his face remained neutral.

"The room spun and filled with sensations and smells and whispers that grew in weird languages I hadn't heard before." I dared to glance up at him but his expression remained unchanged. "Then Mr. Wang broke my focus and — everything just stopped. I grasped the card while it was in motion and it sliced my pinky." I paused, near breathless with my explanation. "Just as I did the number seven appeared on it." When he didn't immediately speak, I pushed, "Say something."

Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest but still gave me only silence. He stared off into the distance, his attention coming back every now and again to the card in his possession.

I was starting to feel a bit irrational. Maybe I was losing it and this was just the proof they would need to put me away. I could see the news now.

Unknown orphan girl found talking and acting crazy in local high school locker room. Tonight, at eleven.

I stood and stared at him, not blinking out of fear I would miss something crucial. Shifting from foot to foot I began to collect my things. He lifted his eyes to mine and watched me curiously. Finally, his gaze broke from me but still he didn't speak.

"God!" I threw up my hands, exasperated. "You think I'm a nut case, don't you?"

"The spell casters are calling to you," he murmured coolly. He turned the card over and over in his hands, running his finger over the two sides, one side smooth, the other almost scaly to the touch. A faint hue of red spilled from the serpent's fangs now that wasn't there before. He regarded me apologetically and took my hand in both of his. "Prepare yourself, Evy. The ascension has begun."

"The ascension?" I snorted, snatching my hand away from his to pick up my backpack, ready to run from this whole maddening scenario. "What's that? Some kind of coming of age thing? And what the hell are spell casters? You are weird, you know that? This whole thing is weird." Disgusted I headed towards the locker room doors. "Stay away from me or…or I'll go to the principal."

CHAPTER TEN GABRIEL: CHOICES

I materialized in the Second Earth home I shared with Michael, unprepared for the suddenness of what had happened to me. My body instantly lurched forward and vomited violently into the kitchen. The tumultuous phase sickened my human body, the abruptness of the occasion catching me off guard.

"What did you do to me?" I asked, struggling to look up.

Michael stood before me, brow tight, with his hands out stretched. He was an imposing angel perfectly suited for the role of my father. I didn't like it.

"I summoned you. Take these." He handed me two white pills and a glass of water. "It will help with the splitting headache you'll have in the next few minutes."

Wiping my mouth with my forearm and embarrassed by the human reaction to shimmering, I took the pills from Michael, feeling inconsequential in comparison to my celestial brother. I rinsed the acrid taste from my mouth then tossed the pills to the back of my throat and eyed Michael warily.

"I'll get kicked off the team if I miss practice," I told him hoarsely, gulping the last of the water from the glass.

"I'll write you a note." Michael's dry tone did not hide the flash of anger on his face. "That's what fathers are for, after all."

"When they aren't keeping their children in the dark, you mean." I pushed to my feet, unsteady.

"You are not to question Father, Gabriel."

Michael reached to help me but I pulled back, anger and resentment a slow burning hole in my gut.

He withdrew his hand and stuffed it in his pocket. "Only He knows the true purpose of your mission. Only He knows the consequence of failure or success. We are but His servants." He looked down on me, one eyebrow lifted in question. "That was never a problem for you before."

I stumbled to the table where I ate breakfast, feeling the enormity of Michael's words weigh on my shoulders. The cool wood beneath my fingers only heightened my awareness of the warmth of my skin, the texture of the wood and leather beneath my fingers as I slid onto a chair. "I was never a part of their world as I am now." My fingertips whitened against the dark wood. "You cannot expect the right decision if you do not give them the information they need to make it."

Fear.

That was it. I was afraid. Afraid for Evy. For man. For myself. For my humanity.

Michael scoffed and the arrogance of the sound was a cold slap. "Are you really suggesting they are capable of understanding Father's will?"

I clenched my teeth and buried my head in my hands as waves of pain throbbed inside my skull. A swell of protectiveness churned in my heart. Could I let Evy fail a test she did not know she was taking? I'd seen her spirit and fight as she came in each morning after sleeping on the street; her strength as she walked down the hall beneath unrelenting and undeserved hatred. "How will we know if we do not give them the chance?"

"Their future should be the least of your worries."

At that I dragged my eyes upward, and met Michael's unflinching gaze. I sat up despite the ache in my head and the swirl of acid in my stomach, and squared my shoulders. "What does that mean?"

"The Grigori hold your powers, your very essence. They will only return them upon your ascent back to Arau."

"And why would they not?"

"You are in danger of losing yourself to the human's temptations. Even now, your thoughts are for the girl."

I chafed beneath his accusation. "My thoughts are for the success of my mission." But even I didn't believe it.

A derisive snort and my fists clenched instantly. The action did not get missed by Michael. "Your mind is where every teenage boy's thoughts go when a girl walks in the room."

Before I knew it, I had Michael's throat between my hands and I shoved him against the counter. There was no chance I could best him. He could snap me like a twig with a blink of an eye. "You test my patience, brother."

This time he laughed, a sorrowful sound if ever I heard one. I would have liked to hear his voice rasp beneath the pressure of my hands but I was nothing in this form. Could I live out a lifetime in it? Did I want to?

As if reading my thoughts, "And you think mankind can choose their destiny when you can't choose yours?"

I pushed away from him, swallowing the pulsing emotions. Frustrated by my lack of control. I dragged in a long breath and let the air course through me, a cooling rain on the fire of my rage. I needed to think. To get away from Michael.

"You will not tell her, Gabriel." Michael announced as I exited the kitchen. "She must make the choice on her own. It is the only way to salvation — or condemnation — for both of you."

His words echoed in my ears as I ran from the house, seeking solace.

I went to find Evy.

CHAPTER ELEVEN THE COUNTDOWN: 2 DAYS TO ASCENSION EVY

Weirdo. I thought to myself on my way to the shelter. It was bad enough that Gabriel, the hottest guy in school, was turning out to be a real flake. I couldn't afford not to secure a cot at the local shelter too. The nights were growing colder now so I hurried, backpack flailing, trying to get in line before it had a chance to wrap around the building. This kind of weather made for a tough night. Fewer people were willing to sleep outside once the night temps dropped. I arrived to a line of waiting homeless patrons which stretched into the distance well past the building. Only the first one hundred and fifty stood a chance at getting in.

"Well there goes that idea." I said. Disappointed, I walked back towards the school, deciding to stow away in a Home Economics class. A risk I didn't take often for fear of discovery from a wandering janitor or eager student who stayed late or arrived early. I frequented the Brooklyn Housing shelter because it was an easy walk to school. A little further out was the YWCA, about twenty blocks give or take. No sense traveling that far away from school and face another long line of waiting.

Thinking of school made me ponder all the weird things that kept happening to me. The card, the fainting spells, the whispers, the rain. And about all the crazy talk from Gabriel.

Fate of my forefathers, ascension, spell casters.

It was a bit confusing. I was beginning to feel a lot like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Caught up in a tornado of perplexing events spinning completely out of my control. I just hoped this tornado didn't land me in some alternate universe on a path leading who-knows-where with a wicked witch on my tail. At least Dorothy had more than one friend. I didn't think Lefu was up to a long walk anywhere with her leg and ankle still bothering her.

And I didn't know what side of the gold brick road to put Gabriel. That boy really screwed with my head. These days I wasn't myself and his added craziness didn't help.

I hung around the soccer field watching the team practice and waiting for school to empty out. Parent-teacher conferences or Teacher Instructional meetings always happened at the end of the school day. Sometimes the staff left early; other times late. I had anticipated seeing Gabriel on the field, but lucky for me he wasn't there. I dodged that bullet, I thought to myself. I couldn't handle seeing him right now. Still, I wondered where he could have been? It had been two days since our conversation.

Finally, the parking lot began to clear at about five-thirty. I watched the teachers and principals leave the building carrying bundles of papers or brief cases to their respective cars or bus stops. When I saw Ms. Andrews I wondered if Gabriel was somewhere breaking and entering again.

I made my way to the back of the building and hoisted myself through the window of the locker room. I pondered for a moment if Gabriel was there in Ms. Andrews' room, but dismissed the idea. If he were there did I really want to know? I walked through the shadows to my locker, replaying the earlier exchange we'd had.

I can't deny I was crushed by his momentary silence after my confession. I felt inept, crazed and for a minute I thought he believed me. Maybe that was just the feeling of hope as it was crushed beneath his gaze.

The spell casters are calling to you, he says.

What the hell did that mean? I swung my backpack from my shoulder and let it thunk on the bench and unlocked my locker. Either he is crazy or he's trying to make me think I'm crazy. Regardless, this thing between us, whatever it was, was infuriating. I shoved my backpack inside my locker, pushing it closed and began to undress.

Figures the one guy to show interest in me would be the one on his way to a padded room.

Frustrated, I entered the shower. I left the lights off, afraid someone would call the cops or report seeing the light to the administration. It was just easier to operate by the dim glow of the emergency exit signs. I knew my way around after three years. And after a day like today, I hoped a warm shower would be the catalyst to an enjoyable evening. I'd worry about any impending confrontation with Gabriel tomorrow.

Cares washed away with the reviving waters of the shower. I retrieved the laundry I'd stashed earlier and made my way with the sopping heap to the Home Economics class. I left the room dark and moved past the first half of the classroom filled with chairs and desks into a large U-shaped kitchen. Along the straight back wall was the entry to the laundry room. I piled my clothes into the washer, finding the powdered detergent atop the dryer. I inhaled deeply as the fresh scent filled the air, remembering days when I helped with chores at a foster home. I gingerly scooped a mound of powder into the front loader and slammed the door shut, doing the same with my memories. The slam reverberated loudly in the silent room and I startled, anger flashing at my carelessness. I had assumed the building was empty but wasn't sure. The sound echoed to silence and when no one came looking for the source, I breathed a little easier.

My stomach rumbled and I entered the kitchen only to find the refrigerator locked. "Seriously?!" I exclaimed to no one. Some people had serious trust issues.

Hungry, I made my way to the cafeteria hoping that the staff had prepared for tomorrow's breakfast service at least. Yes! I exclaimed mentally, finding the stash in the pantry. I poached two boxes of cereal, a Danish, then raided the walk-in fridge for cartons of milk and orange juice. It was as balanced and healthy as my diet got most days. I was eating so I was grateful.

I sat at the lunchroom table, feeling the weight of isolation in the large empty space. I tore open the cereal package down the center, pulling back the sides and poured the milk into the box. Starved for the confectionary treat I readied to enjoy my bounty then realized I didn't have a spoon. I scooted my chair back, the scrape of the legs against the tile echoing loudly. I entered the serving line and grabbed a spork.

When I returned, Gabriel sat at the table. My breath caught and I froze for an instant. I hated when he did that.

Guess I should have checked Ms. Andrews room after all, I thought.

He didn't speak. His eyes remorseful. He just sat there watching me attentively. I diverted my eyes and took the seat next to him, my skin tingling from his proximity. My ravenous appetite no more, I pushed the cereal away, leaned against the back of my chair and folded my arms across my chest. If you can't escape craziness, may as well join it.

"Are you going to let a perfectly good Danish go to waste?" he asked.

Eyes narrowed, I said nothing but pushed the unopened pastry toward him.

"What do you want, Gabriel?" Exasperation, frustration, anger, a hint of betrayal…it was all rolled into my voice.

He tore into the pastry, pulling the Danish from the package. He took a bite, consuming about half in one big chunk. As he chewed he watched me and I waited. Would he call me crazy? Tell me he believed me? What could he do to upset my life even more?

He swallowed, the action working the long column of his throat but his gaze never left mine. After an eternity, he said, "We need to talk."

So, he did.

I couldn't believe a word he said. I sat stunned for a moment. "You're an angel? I questioned, hearing my voice shake. "And you were sent here by Adonai as a means of redemption for my cursed soul?" Getting angrier now, I snapped. "I am the descendant of a killer? Cain, who killed his brother and married his father's first wife, Lilith?"

"Not his father's first wife, but Adam's. You see, despite what you've been conditioned to believe, Adam is not Cain's father." He pushed his chair out from the table and moved closer to me, placing his hand over mine which laid folded on my lap. His touch, surely meant to be reassuring for the unveiling of what was an awful truth, stoked a fire I didn't know surged inside me.

"Then who was his father?" I questioned hesitantly. Fearing his response to follow I stood. But I had to be certain I understood the tale.

Exhaling he answered, "Morning Star."

Understanding dawned. My lineage consisted of a powerful fallen angel who dared take arms against Adonai. I stood to my feet, angry. "No, that's not possible. That's not true!" I began to sob. "I—I'm good. I can't be the descendant of the anti-Christ!" I turned to flee the cafeteria, flee Gabriel but he leapt in my path.

"Evy, there is more."

It had to be worse. He shifted as if unsure of how to say the rest. I prepared for the onslaught, stilling myself, trying to control my breathing when he spoke the words that changed my life forever.

"On your seventeenth birthday, you will ascend." Unable to meet my intense gaze he stated, "You will become vampire."