The Fallen Ones Read online

  Chapter 2

  Ilyana:

  Awhile later, after all the small talk and evasion I can handle I decide I am not going to get any answers from Alya, I can feel my anxiety building alongside my exhaustion. Fortunately for now, exhaustion wins out. I head back down to the cabin and almost immediately fall, the boat is too small for the waves and I still haven’t gotten my sea legs. I get up only to realize I am at Ephraim’s feet. “Of course, of course I would fall down right at your feet, because you know, walking, and keeping it together for more than 5 seconds when you are around is an impossible task for an incompetent half-breed such as myself.” He smiles and offers me his hand which I refuse. I have no clue why I am being so completely unreasonable, I am out to prove that I can be calm and mature but all I seem to be convincing anyone of is my own insanity. His eyes follow me across the room, he is no longer looking at me with humor - he is looking at me as though I am a time-bomb. “You know, you could find somewhere else to go, or something else to look at. Unless of course you like seeing me vulnerable and vomiting because in case you weren’t aware, that is what comes next in this little routine of mine. The good news is I generally pass out next though and you should have hours to yourself to shamelessly stare at me like I am a freak while I sleep.”

  Why won’t he answer me? I know I seem crazy, but he has to acknowledge me at some point or else this verbal diarrhea of mine will go on indefinitely!

  I look at him and roll my eyes. This can’t be my life. I walk towards the bathroom, the sea-sickness and exhaustion mixed with the anxiety is getting to be too much. He quickly gets to his feet, I notice he is holding a book, no, not a book, a diary, what is with him? “You know, Ilyana. You are getting to be a handful. Come here, I have a shot I can give you, it will help with the sickness and you can sleep.”

  He suddenly seems so gentle again he reaches to a small medicine cabinet in the bathroom and pulls out a small blue vial of medicine, I reach out to take it and he nods his head no. He heads back into the main cabin and removes a suitcase from the cargo-hold above his bed, he clicks it open and there are pre-packaged needles. I can feel my anxiety rise even further, “No way. Not even if Hell freezes over will I allow you to stick me with that needle.” He looks at me for a moment and hands me the loaded needle. I have no idea how I get myself into these situations, I can’t inject myself with a needle!

  Come on Ilyana, you can’t give up just when you get your way! He nods his head in the direction of my arm, without thinking about it a moment longer I push the needle into my arm, I try not to wince or think about it – I hate needles, but somehow my fear of needles seems like nothing compared to the monsters I have faced over the last few days. After injecting myself with the medicine I look up at him and find him smirking, he nods with approval “You might be alright after all, Ilyana.” I smile, quite pleased with myself and hand the needle back to him to be disposed of.

  “I am exhausted, where can I sleep?” he gestures to the bed next to his own. I nod my head and begin making myself comfortable. I run my fingers through my hair, it is still a tangled mess and I have never felt so vulnerable in my life. I remember in Highschool at the prom there were more guys than girls, everyone was asked to dance, the girl who picked her nose, the girl who did steroids and joined the boys wrestling team, even the girls who liked girls. But the whole night I stood on the sideline, feeling like a freak. No one even spoke to me the entire night. I thought I could never feel lower than that, now I know that was nothing…

  I catch Ephraim looking my way. “You know, it is rude to stare.” He nods in agreement, “I know. So what questions do you have? I understand I am a jerk and only give cryptic answers to your questions, but it is going to be a long ride if you decide to punish and nag me the entire way there.”, I give him an indignant look and notice the smile on his face – obviously the terrible sense of humor is genetic. I sigh with resignation and begin to ponder my questions “It is difficult to know what to ask… I know nothing, literally nothing. So why don’t you just start by telling me what you know about me.” He gives me a quick glance and then looks away “You are Nephilim.” I groan “You know. I actually have that part figured out. But what does that mean for me, how does that make me different. I mean, I know it is weird, but chances are, I am not the only one.” He looks lost for a minute as he runs his hands through his freshly washed hair “You really don’t know anything, do you? Your host family should have told you all you needed to know.” I shake my head “If by host family you mean parents, my parents are obviously very dead right now, they never told me anything, if they did, I wouldn’t be on a piece of dirt boat in the middle of the ocean asking two evasive strangers questions about my identity.” I feel my lips beginning to shake as I realize the gravity of the situation, I can’t allow myself to lose it now. He catches it and I can tell he is sizing me up, deciding what he can tell me.

  “Very well, I will start at the beginning. You are not the only Nephilim, but you are the only Nephilim to come of age in thousands of years. During biblical times, it was widely believed that all Nephilim had been destroyed. When all that actually happened is they all went into hiding. The island is our headquarters, there are less than a thousand Nephilim today, they used to be a massive race, but over the centuries they have broken off and died or killed themselves. You are very… powerful, Ilyana. You may not think so now, but you are. You are a danger to yourself right now since you know so little. I am sure your family believed they were protecting you, but that is not the case. So please just work with me. I am taking you to the coven where I will train you and answer every question, even the ones you don’t know to ask yet, but in the meantime, I need for you to stay calm and realize that I am doing everything I can for you.” His eyes are begging me to understand.

   

  I never expected to find compassion in his eyes, but I realize now, that is exactly what I am looking at. I am still not sure how to feel about him, but for now - Ephraim and Alya are all that I have so I choose to trust he is not lying to me right now. “Ok. I will concede for now. But I still have more questions.” He laughs at me “You know, you aren’t really that great at bartering? I am sure you have more questions, I will answer them as I can, but I need you to understand that even I don’t know everything. I am young compared to our people.” People, there’s that word again “Our people? So you are like me? Alya said you are not human, are you human? How old are you?” he smiles “I already told you I am not like you. You called yourself a half breed earlier which is ironic, because that is actually what I am. I am not completely Nephilim or at all a human. Let that be enough for now. It is too much to explain and I really don’t like to. How old? Well, we all begin maturing at 18 and stop at 25 years old, so I am 25 years old, and I have been for a while, again, we will just leave it at that for now.”

  I am finding myself slightly shocked, but I don’t know what to do or say so I just nod my head. “Okay, so what are those Alien things that are chasing me?” he laughs at the question “There are no such thing as Aliens Ilyana, I would think that you would know that by now. They are a species of demons they came to earth and decided to pursue their own thirst for life and death and knowledge… They are vile creatures, incapable of feeling, they were designed only to act, never to think or feel, but their pursuits stirred something in them, they are strong and impulsive and completely dangerous, but not to you Ilyana, they can never hurt you, you are far more powerful than they are, even though you don’t have a clue now.” I have a hard time digesting all this new information, life used to be so clear and simple and now while I am feeling my weakest, I find out I am an even bigger bad than the demons. I look into his eyes and abruptly look away “I need to sleep now. Goodnight.” I call Sasha over and roll onto my bed she is the closest thing I have to home right now and I am just not ready to lose the person I thought I was. I refuse to cry, so I bite my lip until it bleeds and fall to sleep petting Sasha. That night I sleep like the d
ead. I have no dreams and no nightmares and for the first time in days, on a boat headed to god only knows where, I find rest.