Fallen Angel

Chapter 9.1

Gabriël banged his fist on the ground in a violent rage. The dark hole had closed right after Joan fell through it, mere seconds before he had reached her. It had been too late to follow her. She was gone. Ripped away. Lost.
He looked up, searching for the man responsible for taking Joan from him. Michael knelt beside Isabelle, who cried for the terrible loss she'd had to endure yet again. Only one thing coursed through Gabriël then. Only one clear thought.

"Come with me, Isabelle," said Michael. "I will escort you back to the Hospitium."

"She was my daughter, Michael," Isabelle sobbed. "My daughter! You always said she was vital to Our Lord's cause. So why then? Why? Because of a broken rule?"

"I understand you are hurt, but I need not explain myself to you. I did my duty. Come now."

Before Michael had the chance to take Isabelle's hand, Gabriël's arm came up around him. He pressed the cold steel of his dagger to Michael's throat with his free hand.

"You'll pay for this, Michael," he hissed. "I don't care what happens to me, but I swear to God Almighty that you will suffer for what you have done to her!"

"It was your own actions that led to this, Gabriël," spoke Michael, remarkably calm for someone with a blade against him. "Your union with Joan has had more dire consequences than you could realise. She is -"

"Michael, please don't!" exclaimed Isabelle suddenly. "Not like this! Not now!"

Gabriël looked up at Joan's mother. Her grief-stricken expression was edged with panicked terror. His grip on Michael weakened long enough for the latter to take advantage of the distraction Isabelle inadvertently provided. The Lord Protector slid his own dagger from under his wrist cuff, and with one swift move, he struck it into Gabriël's side, right where Borgia had struck him weeks ago. Gabriël staggered back and stumbled to the ground. Michael towered over him, the blood-dripping dagger in his hand.

"Accept it, Gabriël. Joan has fallen. She will live amongst the mortals on Earth, cursed for eternity. Only with the Grace of God will she receive salvation. And you will never see her again."

Gabriël tried to speak, but he couldn't. The pain in his side, the pain of losing Joan, of knowing something might be wrong with her, was too much. He lost consciousness, falling into the embrace of the darkness that whispered louder than even before.

***

Joan gasped when her eyes shot open. Her body burned from within. She felt the remnants of her angelic powers desperately trying to hold on to her, clawing at her being, but it was no use. They slipped away slowly until there was nothing left. Nothing but a gaping hole that could never be filled again.
Though still difficult to breathe, Joan managed to steady herself, sitting up on the icy surface she lay on. For the briefest moment, Joan believed she was still in the cavern under the waterfall. That Michael had taken her wings but had allowed her to stay after all. But he wasn't there. Neither was her mother. Nor Gabriël. She was alone.
Her eyes adjusted to the dark, and Joan found she was in a cave. Water dripped somewhere. And then... light. She blinked a few times to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her, but it really was there.

Staggering, Joan got to her feet. She took one step when she believed to have regained some balance, but immediately fell to her knees. She had never felt so weak. With the rest of her strength, she crawled over the ground towards the light.
A cool breeze met her as she drew closer to what seemed to be the cave entrance. Leaves crunched under her hands. She sought support against the rocks to pull herself up, trembling on her legs. Taking a deep breath, Joan took in her surroundings.
A deer darted between the trees. The full moon was rising above her. Somehow, the sight of that silver, luminescent orb in the night sky comforted Joan. She tried to gather her thoughts, but could only think of Gabriël.