Heaven Sent

Chapter Thirty-Five

                                             Elijah

We are out of time.

Every one of us knows it.

There have been no miracles, no fated appearances from the divine.

We are, very much, alone.

I clip my heavy belt, a belt newly armed. Unsure of what we face in the next day, I will go into it prepared for battle. I glance over my shoulder as I button my shirt to where I know Cassandra stands, dressing as well. The fact that she's wearing the same outfit she did when we stormed these halls years ago, armored in tight leather and weapons of silver, proves she's as sure of the ominous hours ahead as I am. Her silence over the past days have been deafening.

"Paris and Damien will return in a few hours," I say, actually surprised when she turns, meeting my eyes. She's expertly hidden whatever is behind them. "I... wanted them near me for whatever we face." I'm unsure how to define her silence. "You think they'd be safer at a distance?"

She chuckles darkly, pulling on boots. "He's going to come for me, so I think it's safe to say that they would be. You should tell them to stay away until tomorrow."

"That will be no easy feat. They are loyal to you, Cassandra."

"You are their master. They'd listen to you. They obey your order."

"Are you so sure of our failure?" I jest, having to feign amusement. "Is there no hope for us then?"

"There is always hope. I just... I'm scared for them."

"As am I. We must trust Jehovah will not fail us..."

She turns with an abruptness that startles me, headed for the door. My eyes intake how she's shaking. I ensnare her before she can slip away, seizing her arm tight. She looks from my fingers to my eyes, and I see a franticness in the light irises, a terror that scares me to the bone.

"This may be our last day on earth together, Cassandra. Do not cower from me."

"Please," she whispers.

"Please what?"

"Don't."

"Luce mia... I don't understand. Help me understand. You are world's away from here, from me. You flinch when I come near. You hardly speak, and when you do, you're nearly in tears."

She's staring at the ground, as if her life... our lives... depend on it. I stare at her, at a loss for what to do.

"We both have... secrets, I think. Things we cannot say."

"Our vow is broken," she whispers, ominously. "Our souls will pay for it."

"No, they won't. Our choices are not our own. They haven't been for a very long time."

Her soft hand wraps around my wrist. She still won't look at me, but when she speaks, I hear the tears she's restraining. "Elijah... please."

"Look at me." I nudge her chin upwards. "Please, amore mio. Look at me."

Her eyes are round, frozen wide. They tremble, rimmed with water.

With hands resting on her cheeks, I guide her closer, until our noses are pressed.

"I know you know things we don't. I know you carry a burden. I can see it... feel it. We are not the secretive kind. I know if you haven't told me, it's for a reason. I'm not going to pressure it out of you. But what I see in your eyes scares me."