Grounded ~Book Four of Winged~

What Happened?

It's dead quiet as everyone looks around at each other. The Angels that appeared stare at us and we look around at all of them. Etheriel holds me tightly to him while clenching his angel blade tightly with his free hand. We are outnumbered. Suddenly, all hell breaks loose. Fighting starts from all around us and Etheriel continues to hold me tightly to him while a loose circle has formed around both of us of fighting.

"You need to get out of here..." Etheriel says and looks down at me. He is obviously extremely worried about the situation.

"I don't want to leave you here." I reply. Eli suddenly shows up beside me and takes me away from Etheriel.

"Take her somewhere safe." Etheriel tells him while staring. He gives a quick nod and opens a passage.

"No." I say and suddenly the passage closes and Eli sharply looks down at me.

"Trinity... I need to get you out of this situation... It's too dangerous." He argues with me. He can't take me anywhere.

"Eli? Get her out." Etheriel says confused on why he isn't moving.

"No." I say and Eli looks back and forth between Etheriel and I. His shoulders sink down slightly.

"I can't..." He says lowly, but loud enough for Etheriel to hear through the conflict around us. Etheriel gives him a questioning look, not understanding. "Something happened when Trinity brought me back from the Pits..." He continues to talk lowly so that know one else finds out. A bright light suddenly fills the space around us. The first Angel being killed. I look around to make sure that it wasn't any of our friends. We are still outnumbered. I can't just run away with Eli and leave all of them here to fight something that is going on because of me. I look up at Eli, whose eyes are rapidly examining the fight around us.

"Eli... Can you do something?" I ask with a slightly pleading tone. His eyes immediately go to me. He starts to assess the situation.

"I... I can't... With this." He goes silent and his eyes just flicker all over the place. My hands slide up Eli's chest and I grip his shirt tightly.

"Mammon, help us!" I yell over the fighting around us when I see Azrael get thrown down. Eli's body goes rigid and he stares down at me. Time seems like it slows as Eli blinks, but when he opens his eyes everything speeds up again and his eyes are dark red. One after another an Angel explodes after he looks at each til there are no Angels left, but the ones on our side. Eli blinks and his eyes go back to their normal color. He sways slightly before his eyes roll back and he starts to fall. I catch him and collapse to the ground with him. I hold him on the ground and look around at the carnage he just caused before looking up at Etheriel surprised. How did he do that? Azrael gets off the ground covered in Angel dust from the Angel that had him pinned. Eli is burning up and sweat is beginning to form on his forehead.

"What's wrong with him?" I question and gently shake him.

"I don't know, but Trinity... We need to get you somewhere safe. Leave him here, he'll be okay." I look sharply up at Etheriel.

"No! We can't just leave him here!" How could Etheriel even suggest that?

"I'll contact one of his siblings until then I guess we will take him with us." Azrael speaks up and comes over and drags Eli's body up. I quickly get up and wrap an arm around Eli, helping Azrael drag him to the car since no one else is moving to help. We get him into the backseat and shut the car door loudly. I suddenly, out of nowhere, hug Azrael.

"Thank you." I mumble. He helped when everyone else is refusing. He seems extremely surprised by the hug because he seems to not know what to do. I pull away and quickly walk around the car to get in. Etheriel gets into the driver's seat and Zerach gets into the passenger seat. I sit in the middle of the back seat beside Eli's unconscious body and Azrael gets in on the other side of me. Etheriel starts the car and begins to drive. I hear Azrael mumble something beside me and I look over at him to see that he has his eyes closed and he is mumbling in a different language. I look around the car.

"Where's Malachai?" I question.

"He stayed back at the hotel." Etheriel responds and I nod before glancing at Eli beside me. He makes a pained expression and I hold the back of my hand to his forehead. His forehead is very damp and he is hotter than usual.

"What's wrong with you...?" I whisper quietly. Is this my fault because I demanded him to do something when he said that he couldn't?

"Shit!" Etheriel suddenly slams on the brakes and I fly forward slightly except Azrael holds me back to keep me from hitting or flying through the windshield. I look up and see Belphegor standing in front of the car. He has a small smile on his face. His eyes lightly scan the inside of the car, stopping on me for a second and then Azrael. Etheriel summons his angel blade.

"Settle Etheriel." Azrael gets out of the car and I slide out after him.

"Trinity! What are you doing?" Etheriel opens his car door. He doesn't know who Belphegor is. Belphegor says 'hey' to Azrael and then comes over and picks me up in a tight hug and spinning me around. "Trinity?" Etheriel sounds confused.

"Belphegor, Mammon is in the backseat." Azrael informs and Belphegor looks behind me at the car.

"Somethings wrong with him." I add on and walk around the car quickly with him. I open the door and he leans down and checks Eli out. He looks back at me concerned.

"What happened?" He questions and leans back into the car, dragging Eli out of the backseat.

"I don't know... He did something and his eyes were red. A bunch of Angels exploded." Belphegor glances back at me before dragging Eli up and wrapping an arm around him, letting Eli's entire weight lean against him.

"I should get him back home." Flames light up around their feet.

"Wait, take Trinity with you." Azrael walks up beside me. Belphegor begins to reach out to me and I step back fast.

"No... Come back later and get me." Belphegor tilts his head but respects my choice as he and Eli disappear in a quick column of flames. Everybody gets back into the car and we continue to drive down the road.

After driving for an hour Etheriel pulls off onto the side of the road and gets out. Azrael and Zerach also get out and I too get out. I curiously follow them as the walk off into the woods.

"Where are we going?" I question and follow behind Zerach who effortlessly travels through the overgrowth.

"Searching for something old. Really old and lost long ago." Azrael replies to my question. If it was lost long ago, then how did they find it? Why do we need to find it? I am about to ask exactly those questions, but my foot gets caught in a root sticking out of the ground hidden by overgrown weeds and bushes. I start to fall forward fast and Zerach suddenly appears right in front of me and catches me.

"Are you okay?" He tilts his head and stares down at me. I nod and straighten up, unhooking my foot from the root.

"Thanks."