Second to last chapter and it's the longest yet!
Disclaimer: I own the plot and idea. Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy.
"Chaos, how nice of you to interfere with everything and anything!" Love sneered, a sardonic smile gracing her features.
"I don't know what you mean," the fallen angel shot back.
The human silently crept closer to his companion, taking her smaller hand in his, squeezing as if to say, it will all be okay. Together, they observed the scene in front of them.
Chaos' form was at ease, his body language relaxed though the air around him electrified with rage and confusion. His dark eyes ignored the humans he had worked so hard to ensnare, only focusing on the angels in front of him.
Love and Anger stood tense at the doorway. They knew Peace, and they knew the Chaos he had become. And though it seemed they were both aware that the current situation was dangerous, the energy they exuded together seemed...untroubled. In fact, Love appeared more at ease and less stressed than she had been the prior weeks. As for Anger, the angel with reign over said emotion appeared more silent with displeasure than ready to burst at any given moment. Together, they were fierce and formidable pair.
The man watched as Anger brushed the back of his hand against Love's, and the moment they made contact, she laced her fingers through his. They gave one another the tiniest of squeezes, just a faction of a second, almost too fast for the man to catch...almost. Ugly jealousy churned within him as he watched the two. One did not need angelic powers to see that the two simply...glowed around each other.
Anger, then spoke for the first time, his rich accent laced with frustration. "Chaos, please. You have caused enough trouble for the rest of us. Why further go to these lengths?"
"I've caused trouble?" Chaos let out a hysterical giggle? "Little old me? I didn't do anything wrong? You all cast me out! And why? Because I fell in love with someone you didn't approve of, Love? You of all angels should see the hypocri-"
"She didn't love you, Chaos," Love sighed, her anger briefly melting into sadness. "She used you."
"That is a lie and you know-"
"She was a demon from hell, Chaos!" A new voice cried exasperatedly. "You know they don't love."
Honesty and Lust appeared, standing tall behind their colleagues. The lily-gilded angel spoke again, her last attempt to engage the fallen angel. "She was sent from the depths of hell, on Lucifer's instructions to ensnare you-"
"She was different! She did love me. She promised me," Chaos roared, his conviction shattering the windows of the cabin. Tiny crystals of glass peppered the space, bouncing off the angelic beings, but finding home in the sensitive skin of the humans.
A particularly sharp shard embedded itself into the leg of the girl. Her human companion watched as red, and quite a bit of it, stained her jeans.
"Shit," he hissed, his fingers immediately going to her bloodied, jean-clad thigh.
Her whimpers of pain stopped him from attempting to anything else, she clasped his hands over her's. "Please, it's fine. I'll be fine - you-you're bleeding too!"
The angels watched as they tended to one another, for a second oblivious to the dangers that continued around them.
"How sweet," Chaos spat. "Enjoy it while it lasts, children. You never know when good old Love here will rip it all away from you! And the rest of them too-"
"Chaos, it's obvious your issues are with us," Anger cut in fiercely. "Let them go. We will resolve this between all of us."
He smirked, and suddenly the room dropped in temperature.
Far too cold for the humans.
"Why would I do that? I'm just starting to have fun."
And with that Chaos cranked up the heat so high, the humans felt as if they were being cooked from the inside out.
"Chaos, please! Stop immediately!" Love roared as Chaos chuckled with glee, watching the two writhe on the cabin floor helplessly.
And then with a snap of her fingers, all was well again.
The man flopped around helplessly, attempting to reach out to the young woman.
"Oh please," Chaos rolled his eyes. "Is that all you've got?"
Shrieks and screams pierced the air as Chaos worked his twisted magic again, forcing the illusion of snapping bones onto his already suffering victims.
"Chaos this is not a game!" Honesty cried, sending out her own energy to undo Chaos' manipulations.
"Oh, my dears. It most certainly is! After all, you had no issue turning my existence into one as well!"
Hot.
Cold.
Shattering bones.
The sharp pain of healing, snapping bones.
The cold, iron clad grip of an invisible fist slowly crushing, kneading one's neck.
The wrenching away of said grip.
It was all too much.
"Chaos, please!"
"Let's talk this thru!"
Hot. Cold. Hot. Cold. Hot. Cold. Wet. So, so wet, like drowning in an icy winter lake.
"What are you doing now?! Stop it!"
A strong jerk, like being forcefully reeled up on a fishing hook. But no time for a reprieve.
Manic laughter, non stop and bone chilling was all they heard. "What's wrong angels? Can't keep up? Some guardian angels you lot are!"
And with that, Chaos unleashed his full fury.
Bones shattered as hammers from hell pelted imaginary nails into their bodies.
The hot became boiling, as if they were in a hot tub from hell, hell bent on making human stew.
Waves of cool peace attempted to penetrate through the cacophony of sensations, but were beaten back.
"Anger, I know what you're doing! And it won't work! You're too weak! You're all too-"
However, in the middle of it all something began to break. Like a dam in both their minds, rivers of memories began to flow; memories they were not supposed to remember...memories of love.
The electric feeling when they shook hands at the train station all those years ago.
Butterflies in the stomach the first night they sat in front of his family's fireplace, sipping hot cocoa while talking into the night.
An internal cheer of excitement every time they discovered something - be it books, movies, music, and the such - they had in common.
His heart soaring the first time he went out for his lunch break, covered in flour and sweat, but seeing her smiling face as she waited for him with lunch.
The contentment they felt in one another's company as those lunch dates became more and more frequent.
The feeling of pure and simple happiness as they took strolls around town, sat around his family's table to enjoy a nice leisurely meal, and played with his nieces and nephew.
And finally, the most overwhelming feeling of them all: that fateful night after the club in Novosibirsk. The pure, unadulterated lust, and pleasure, and tension; it had all reached its breaking point, with a little angelic interference, and they had shared the most pleasurable, most passion filled night either of them had ever had. The block Chaos had installed in their minds played with their thoughts and feelings; that was certainly not just a casual one night stand!
And now that was gone, because they were falling deep into the dark abyss.
And it didn't seem like they were coming back.
Vaguely, he heard a crash and a command.
"STOP. ALL OF YOU NOW. THIS IS ALL COMING TO AN END NOW."
But it was too late, he felt. And with the last of his strength, he turned to her.
"Jill."
She grasped his hand weakly, with what she would still feel.
"Eddie."
Many interesting reviews with the last chapter! Some of you, I imagine are quite pleased with yourselves. Others, I'm sure are happy to have pieces of the puzzle finally come together! Does it make sense now? Or still no?
One more regular chapter. We still have some people to meet, and some loose ends to tie up! Perhaps an epilogue afterwards as well...
Until then, wishing you s nice day/night wherever you may be. And please, please be kind to one another.