Chapter 26

Reed on the other hand had taken flight and went straight to the Undertaker. He found him on the far outskirts of Wales. Diving down towards him Reed prepared himself for a battle. After hearing about what he did on that ship, he was unsure on how the Undertaker would react. Reed aimed for a tree up ahead. As he went past Reed cooed his name as much as his owl voice box would allow, sadly this didn't happen as the Undertaker sensed him coming and caught him mid-flight going past him.

"Oh come on Undertaker, that's no fair" he cried turning the owl's beak into a human mouth. His wings were flapping in distress till the Undertaker began to laugh.

"You… Look… So... Ridiculous Bahahhaaa!" he howled. He held Reed by the body but he soon let him go due to hysterical laughter. Reed dropped to the floor and changed into his human form.

Sniffing Reed folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. "When you are quite finished…"

A few moments went by till the Undertaker stopped laughing. "Okay hihihihi. I'm done, go ahead Reed" he giggled.

"I'd like you to talk to Kalan. I have a horrible feeling she has made up her mind and she is going to make the wrong decision." He announced.

"HA. AH. Ah. Ha. No. I told Kalan and now I am telling you. Do not get me involved with that side of the underworld. I did it once for her. Never again." The Undertaker said fair and square. He ran his fingers through his long silvery hair and sighed. "Never again"

"I know you told Kalan, Malum told me. But she won't listen to me. I need you to be there in my stead." Reed pleaded with him. "I don't want her to run away anymore. She needs to stand her ground."

"Then tell her not me" the Undertaker replied a little harshly. Fed up of this conversation already he began to walk away.

"Undertaker wait." He said standing in front of him and holding out his platypus paws. "Don't do this to me."

"Sorry Reed. You're on your own." The Undertaker said pushing him to the side.

Furious Reed transformed into a tiny house sparrow and flew onto his shoulder. "If you care for Kalan as much as I do, you will talk her out of it." He scorned. With that he darted away before the Undertaker could say another word and vanished into the night.

Reed pressed on and on into the night flying without direction till finally he came to the house where Prince Soma and Agni resided. Humanizing himself Reed landed on the doorstep and knocked, he waited till Agni came to the door who nearly threw him inside with a happy smile.

"Reed, my friend welcome, welcome!" he called. "I have just made tea. Come and sit with us." He chimed and called out for the Prince, who in turn launched himself off the balcony above to land on Reed with a cheery squeal. "Reeeeeeeeed!"

"Yes, yes good evening all!" Reed chuckled guiding himself into the living room. They all sat down in the lavishly decorated sitting area and to Reed's surprise Malum came waltzing into the room, dressed in a long almost satin dark blue and purple dress that had a slit on the side, revealing her leg from half way up her thigh.

Agni blushed and Prince Soma looked at her with a mouthful of tea, blinked then resumed his business. "Reed? What brings you here?" Malum asked slightly worried as she was hoping he didn't leave like Kalan told him to.

"I was going to ask you the same thing" Reed began in utter awe that she wasn't with Kalan.

"She told me to leave with Prince Soma and Agni. She wanted to be alone." Malum sighed with a shrug.

"Annnnd you just DID it?" he asked, formalities gone.

"Well yeah I had to! She is the one I am sharing a body with. I have to listen to her… to some extent of course" she added with a wink.

Reed grumbled into his cup of tea while Agni and Soma watched with curious eyes.

Malum waved their silent questions away with a smile sitting opposite Reed with her cup of tea. "I have to admit it is very strange not having Kalan around" Malum admitted.

Reed hummed in agreement as he stared blankly at his tea cup. Soma laid his head on Reed's lap "Heyyyy, what's the matter?" he asked.

"N..nothing. As Malum said, it's strange without Kalan." He tried to cover up his lies.

"Tssk I know when you're lying and I don't know you that well. What is the matter?" Soma scoffed folding his arms and pouting a little.

Reed sighed and looked to Malum who was watching him equally with the same level of sadness and disappointment.

"Losing those children was very hard on Kalan. It's like when she lost Adam and Eve. Then John and Abel…" Reed fell silent while he sipped his tea. "…The whole town…" he muttered.

"Kalan killed all those people?" Agni asked, his hands clenched together into a fist in fear for the worst.

"Oh no! Goodness no!" Reed chuckled awkwardly. "They are all the people she saw die in front of her and couldn't do anything to stop it. Although I think one of the worst was John…"

Malum nodded in agreement.

"John was the first true human born on Earth at the beginning of days. Adam named him such, but the poor little sprite was exterminated in the worst way possible…" Malum explained.

"Which was?" Soma asked finishing his tea.

"Implosion. Only a few weeks old, Kalan tried to save him from Lucifer but she was too weak against him and he imploded the infant in her arms…" Malum continued as Reed began to sob into his cup of tea.

"…The townsfolk, and the angels in heaven thought it was Kalan who killed the child and punished her."

There was a long awkward silence while Reed tried to forget the bad memory. "She…She is going to do it again." He announced suddenly, looking to Malum for support.

"I know." Was her only reply.

"You know and yet you do nothing?" Reed began to get angry but was interrupted by Soma.

"You know, you two are so rude. If you are going to talk here, at least make sure we are in the know as well..." Soma demanded.

"Especially if it means she is going to be a danger to everyone" Added Agni.

Reed shook his head. "She won't be a danger, but she will be running away from her fears and her responsibilities."

Malum sat on the window ledge and cleared her throat. "Once upon a time… Kalan was given a human soul before she was even given life. She rebelled Michael's word till she met Gabriel and more so, Lucifer. He took her on to be an apprentice. Then the fates decided she wasn't going to be a warrior, she was given the job of rearing the two humans, Adam and Eve…" Malum began.

"Everything was going swell, but blah, blah, blah happened and then next thing she knew she was an Archangel sharing her body with me. All Lucifer's fault of course and God stopped me from killing Kalan in an endless loop for all eternity. SO, trying to make a novel and novella Kalan insists on wiping herself clean and starting again, repressing her memories and her powers so she can experience life and enjoy the wonders of the world as a human rather than an angel, or Archangel, whatever you want to call her."

"But what she fails to understand…" Reed butted in "…Is that the world doesn't work like that and it only builds more sadness onto her shoulders. Take her and the Undertaker for example. The last time she did this was the first time, uhh I mean, second time they met." Reed changed it slightly to make sure Soma and Agni didn't know the Undertaker was a reaper. That would be an awkward story for later.

"The Undertaker and Kalan had deep feelings for each other, but Michael forbids any relationships within his ranks and thus vows to stop her at all costs. He gave her back all her memories then threatened he would kill the town she and the Undertaker were in and in exchange for their lives, Michael, posing as Lucifer made a deal that the town would be spared, but Kalan would have to 'be reset' as he named it"

"It broke both of them. Kalan because she had to lie to the Undertaker and force him to kill her for he had the only thing that could kill her. And the Undertaker because he had to be the one to plunge the knife into her heart and watch her bleed out in his arms." Of course, this was just scratching the surface of the full story, but Malum and Reed had to be brief.

Malum stood behind Reed and leaning over she hugged him, the mass of fiery hair swallowed them whole as she whispered "Relax a little. The Undertaker is with her right now. Get some sleep"

"How long ago was that? You talk like it was decades ago" Soma laughed standing ready to go to bed himself.

Reed opened Malum's hair like a pair of curtains and answered "Long enough"

Malum raised her head and chuckled. "I think we all need some sleep. It's been a busy few days and sleep is well deserved by all, right?"

An echo of agreement followed as everyone got up and began to go their separate ways till morning.