Exodus - The Khiara Banning Series Book Two

Thirty-Two

Man-Deh

The harbinger exits the tent at the same time the Rephaim get to Her. The youngest takes Her hand, and together they walk to the edge of the mountain, Camael yelling behind Her to stop. When She gets to the edge She bows Her head and closes Her eyes. Her hands are outstretched with the palms facing forward. Invincible to the rain it would seem, the Rephaim surround Her in a semi-circle, clasping each other's hands.

She stands strong, the wind whipping through Her hair. The relentless shower from the Heavens pummels the earth, water levels rise, and lightning illuminates the skies. Large cracks appear along the terrain in front of Her, and She does nothing but breathe in the heavy scent of death that permeates the air, even as the ground begins to tremble under Her feet.

"Khiara!" Camael shouts, "What are you doing? You need to get back in the tent."

She smiles at his ignorance but does not move. "Camael, I ask that you do not come any closer." Her voice rings with pure authority, enough to stop the former angel dead in his tracks.

"You need to tell me what's going on," Camael pleads.

He takes a step towards Her, and Her eyes open. They are not the hazel that he has grown used to, but one is completely white and shines brightly, and the other is a bottomless pit of darkness. Very carefully, She points Her left index finger towards him.

"I will not ask you again, Camael," She says. "Do not come any closer. It's time."

"But people have been fighting for months, there have been so many deaths on both sides. How, Khiara, how are you going to choose?"

Lightning flashes across the sky, revealing Angels of Heaven, their glory nearly too much for the former Fallen one to take. He gasps. "My family," he breathes in his own language, getting on one knee, and bowing his head in respect. "It has been too long."

"They are witnesses," She says. "Sent by God."

The sky becomes so bright with the Glory of the Angels, that the darkness that has wrapped itself tightly around the earth is wiped out. Around the world, mortals stare up at the immense beauty of their Light, blinded and astonished, most unable to comprehend what is happening.

The Battle rages on, and Khiara says to the sky, "The Repentant are not all that wish they had never Fallen. This is something that you already know."

I recognize that she is talking to me.

"The heart is a dangerous possession, caged by ribs but still able to be given away freely and without consent. Free will is a blessing and a curse. One wrong move, and you are labeled Outcast for simply falling in love, or wanting to feel the rain on your skin. Sometimes we sympathize with those who do not deserve our sympathy, and we are punished for making the wrong choice. Cause will always have an effect, but light will not always counteract dark."

"There was a time where I believed that good would always prevail. Now I am aware that that is not the truth. There are those that would steal from a man who has nothing left to give, simply because it gives them dominion over one who is weaker than them, and there are those who would give their last meal to a stranger even if they are starving, and will likely die. This is why there is a Heaven and a Hell. It all comes down to what kind of character you possess."

Her gaze goes down, towards the those still fighting. "There are some Fallen who have made homes here in this realm, created families, ties. This is the realm of the living, but for many, they are merely existing. That is not living. No matter why it is that an angel has lost their status in Heaven, if they are repentant and wish to return, then this realm is not their rightful place. However, for those Repentant that wish to remain, the option of becoming mortal should be allotted. Once becoming mortal, though, there is no turning back. You will age, and you will die. It is your choice to make. Such is free will."

She closes Her eyes, and presses Her palms together, as if in prayer. "If you wish to return to Heaven for cowardly reasons, Heaven will not welcome you back, but Hell will not have you either. Only those consumed by Dark will be banished from this realm. The remaining will never age, and will only die a true death at the hands of a Repentant, unless they truly repent on their own."

"So be it!" Her voice rings out, suddenly audible inside the head of every angel in existence. "Your fate has been decided. This realm has sacrificed a great deal to accommodate you. Many mortals have perished and have been injured because of your idiotic war. Only the worthy and those with the potential to become worthy, may remain."

"And what of the Nephilim and the Rephaim?" I ask her from my place in Heaven, projecting my voice so that people may hear me.

"The Rephaim are pure of heart, and just as those that remain may choose to become mortal, so can they. The Nephilim who have chosen Dark shall be stripped of their powers, and when their time comes, shall be judged as regular mortals. Those that have chosen Light, may decide to keep their powers, or relinquish them."

"Very well," I say. "And what of you, Khiara Banning. What shall we do with you? By all accounts, you have cheated death twice now. Is there anything you would like to say, as yourself?"

Khiara gets down on one knee, mirroring Camael's earlier stance. "If it is my time to go, I would like one last chance at being reborn, and I want Camael to be allotted that privilege as well. He is my soul mate, and we will find each other again. Of that I am certain."

"You are so sure that I will allow that," I say, a hint of a chuckle in my voice.

Her face falls, "Shouldn't I be?"

"The problem, Miss Banning, is that it is not yet your time nor is it Camael's. I'm afraid, you're stuck with each other as is."

"I beg your pardon?" Camael stammers in shock, his eyes filling with tears. "You don't mean..."

"Oh my God," Khiara whispers, unironically, finally coming back into herself. From my place in Heaven, I smile. She's still just a young girl. To stop her life as is and have her start over would be an insult to all she has gone through in this lifetime as Khiara Banning.

"Indeed," I say. "Your story is not yet over."

And then Khiara drops to the ground like a crushed fly, passed out