Eden (Eden Saga) Page 4

  “Why are you here then?” she asked. “I don’t even know why I’m with you-”

  Koneh grew serious and said, “Open your eyes, child! You have to steel yourself to your new life… quickly. This is not a dream that we can wake up from, and I hate to say it, but things are going to worsen before we can make them better.”

  She pulled her knees to her chest and processed his words. There was little she couldn’t control in her adult life. School and work came easy to her. She graduated at the top of her class and had multiple career options open to her. The opportunity in San Antonio proved to be the best decision and she was on the fast track to a judgeship - which was what she ultimately wanted. Alexandra’s promotion was a mere formality when she left for Mexico to settle her Mother’s house and debts. Everything was under control and she had options.

  Now, in this wasteland, she saw few options.

  “So, what are our choices then?” she asked.

  Koneh wrinkled his forehead, twisting his scars into a jagged pattern which cast shadows upon half of his face.

  “There are two roads you can take, as far as I see it.”

  Alexandra stood and drew a deep breath. The dust and ash in the air filled her lungs, but she didn’t cough. At that moment, she decided to hate this new world. Anger was effortless.

  Koneh continued. “There’s bound to be pockets of civilization here and there, some of them may even be large enough to build crude communities. In time, who knows what they can accomplish. Of course, I’m not convinced they will last long without the sun and fertile soil. It’s possible you could find happiness in such a place.”

  “So that’s one road?”

  He scanned the red-black sky for a few moments before answering. “Yes, that is one path you could follow.”

  Why was he looking to the sky? “And the other path?” she asked as she tried to catch his eye.

  Koneh smiled as he turned from the sky to face her. “Acceptance.”

  Before she could respond, she felt a gust of wind and she heard - the flapping of wings? She looked to the sky and saw a winged woman descend to the Earth. Alexandra took a step backwards and fell to the ground.

  The newcomer was clothed in a long white dress. Over the garment she wore a pitted golden breastplate that glinted from various spots under the rust. Light ashen skin extended up from the armor, over a long neck, and formed the most perfect face Alexandra had ever seen. Her dark hair floated as if suspended from gravity and finally settled as the woman touched the ground with one toe.

  The woman’s black feathered wings scooped the air one last time before folding against her back and depositing their bearer firmly upon the earth. Alexandra could only gape at this woman, who stood a good six inches taller than herself.

  Koneh smiled and said, “What? No questions, Alexandra?”

  She had a million questions but none of them possessed the courage to leap from her mouth.

  The winged woman strode towards her and bowed. “I am Erzulie,” she said as she smiled. “And it is my honor to serve you.”

  Erzulie’s voice was melodious and pleasant, like a child who knew how to sing. As Alexandra fumbled for the proper words, Erzulie extended her hand. Dark tattoos twisted around her forearm and bicep. Alexandra also noticed a slender sword belted underneath her dress.

  “Allow me to help you to your feet.”

  Still stunned, Alexandra grasped the angel’s hand. With strength that belied her womanly frame, she lifted Alexandra to her feet.

  Koneh approached the two women and asked, “What did you discover?”

  Leaving her white-in-white eyes on Alexandra, Erzulie responded, “I count three distinct packs of hounds. One of them got close to you at the church. I dared not risk a closer glance to see who they serve. However, I do not think they are after you... yet.”

  “Why do you say that?” Koneh asked.

  Alexandra felt like an intern at a meeting between two senior partners. Erzulie’s eyes never strayed, and she felt uncomfortable under the angellic stare. As the pair spoke, Alexandra found solace in the ground. It was a safe place to keep her eyes. She noticed Erzulie was barefoot. Around one ankle she wore a tarnished bracelet unlike anything Alexandra had ever seen. She wondered at the blue-black gem fitted into the metallic bands as her companions continued their conversation.

  “Well,” Erzulie said, “the hounds dragged off several women and infants - newborns. For the most part, they left the other people alone.”

  Koneh put a hand to his chin. “They don’t know then. Good.”

  “Are you hurt?” Erzulie gasped as she dropped Alexandra’s hand and cradled Koneh’s bandaged forearm. Alexandra detected concern in Erzulie’s voice and guessed these two had some sort of relationship.

  “What are you?” Alexandra blurted. The words were instinctual, and she could no better control the weather at that point.

  “She speaks! She does that often - and often it’s a question,” Koneh said as he took his arm back from Erzulie, but not before flashing a grin and nod in the newcomer’s direction.

  “How much does she know?” Erzulie asked.

  “Not much. She’s having a difficult time with acceptance.”

  “Do both of you have the same problem?” Alexandra mustered the strength to finally join the conversation. “What is she?” Alexandra pointed at the six and a half foot tall winged woman standing in front of her.

  Koneh made a sweeping motion with his hand and said, “She wants to know. Tell her.”

  Erzulie took Alexandra’s hands in her own and bowed.

  “Without the fanfare, please,” Koneh said.

  After shooting Koneh a glare, Erzulie released Alexandra’s hands and straightened. She put a hand to her chest and said, “I am Erzulie, Seraphim of the White Sacrament, Guardian of-”

  Koneh cleared his throat with a grating cough. “She asked what you are, not what you were, my dear.”

  Erzulie sighed and said, “Removed from Grace, beyond forgiveness… I am a fallen angel.”

  “Angel-” Alexandra gasped.

  “Do you not believe in angels?” Koneh said. “Well, you probably do now.”

  “I… I-” Alexandra couldn’t find the correct words. She felt like a child who was just told about Santa Claus. Santa was real and as a child, she never had any doubt. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “For everything, there is a first time,” Koneh said. “However, back to the business at hand. Are we clear for now, Erzul?”

  “We should head east to avoid the hounds,” she responded, “There is a town. And a church. Perhaps we can find some food for Lex… Alexandra, that is.”

  “Why’d you call me that?” Alexandra asked. Nobody used that college nickname with her anymore. How could she know it?

  As if she never spoke, Koneh said, “And what of these women and infants the hounds are dragging off? Where are they taking them?”

  “I only followed one such abduction. The woman was brought to a small army encamped to the north. I don’t know who was in charge, but he examined her and then-” Erzulie glanced at Alexandra before continuing. “He left her at the mercy of his minions.”

  Koneh turned to Erzulie and looked into her eyes. “Erzul… you don’t have to follow me this time-”

  “Nonsense,” Erzulie said.

  “It’s going to be dangerous and I cannot protect you both.”

  “Who says I need your protection?” Erzulie winked at Alexandra.

  “Erzul-” Koneh’s whisper trailed off into a non-audible breath.

  The gravity of Alexandra’s new world dropped on her shoulders like a wave crashing upon a rock. She had nobody. Her life was full of acquaintances, co-workers and a handful of people who passed as friends. The thought of losing everything never carried much weight. Now that she was able to examine her life in its totality, she realized she didn’t have much to lose.

  However, others in this world lost plenty. Alexandra assumed many lost thei
r lives. As terrible as that was, the survivors are the ones who had to deal with that loss and the pain. As Alexandra looked from Koneh to Erzulie, she realized how selfish she was. Others had to deal with this new reality just like she had to - and they had more at stake.

  Life is people, not things and titles.

  Alexandra could almost hear her mother’s words reverberating through the years. Such a simple concept, yet it took Alexandra fifteen years to finally understand. Tears threatened to emerge in her eyes as her heart reminded her how much she missed her mother. Years of denial and repression melted away the barriers she built around her feelings. There was no stopping the tears this time. She fell to her knees and put her face in her hands.

  “Lex!” Erzulie rushed to Alexandra’s side and put an arm over her shoulders.

  “Is she okay?” Koneh asked.

  Alexandra felt the cool steel of Erzulie’s breastplate against her sweatshirt. “It’s all right, child,” she hummed.

  “We don’t have time for this.”

  “Be still… she’s been through so much.” Erzulie placed her other hand on Alexandra’s arm. “Can you move?”

  Alexandra wiped some of the tears from her cheeks and looked into the all-white eyes of the fallen angel. Compassion poured from every perfect line of her face.

  “Why?” was the only word Alexandra could manage.

  “Shhhh… no more questions today.”

  “Why do you care what happens to me?” Alexandra sniffled.

  Erzulie turned her head to Koneh who crossed his arms in response. They were holding something back, but she was too drained to fight with them. Instead, she squeezed Erzulie's ashen hand and rose from the ground.

  “Never mind,” Alexandra said. “Let's get to that town so we can find something to eat. I'm running low on energy.”

  “Good,” Koneh said. “Erzul, let us know if you see anything.”

  “Right.” Erzulie glanced at Alexandra and asked, “Can you continue?”

  Alexandra nodded.

  Erzulie spread her feathery wings and shot into the air. For a few moments, Alexandra watched the angel ascend until the dark sky swallowed her form.

  “Where's she-” Alexandra realized she was talking to herself. Koneh was already twenty yards away and getting smaller.

  She hustled to make up the distance and stayed behind him. She looked to the sky many times over the six hour journey, but never saw the angel. The scrubland remained mostly unchanged throughout the trip and the wind was their only companion. When they reached the town, Alexandra sighed.

  “What were you expecting?” Koneh asked as the two travelers sat atop a bluff which allowed them an unobstructed view of the blasted town.

  “People. Life. I don't know - something!”

  “There are a few people alive down there.”

  The wind intensified as Erzulie descended from the darkness to join them on the bluff. Alexandra thought the fallen angel appeared strained. Perhaps flying was not as effortless as it looked.

  “Okay, several things,” Erzulie said in her melodious tones. “The town is in awful shape, but there are a few survivors including a Catholic priest.”

  Koneh glanced at the ruined town and grinned.

  Erzulie continued, “And the remains of a military outpost lay farther to the east. Not much was left but I did see food.”

  “Who knows how much longer that can remain a secret,” Koneh said. “Erzul, go back to that base and gather what you can. Alexandra and I will go talk with this priest. Meet on the far side of the town as soon as you are able.”

  Erzulie nodded and said, “Be safe.” Then, she elevated into the sky and disappeared.

  Koneh's eyes revealed some tenderness as he watched her ascend. When he realized Alexandra was watching him, he turned serious.

  “Stay behind me. We don't know what we're dealing with yet.”

  Alexandra frowned. “You have trust issues.”

  He hesitated for a moment and then descended the bluff. Alexandra's ankle protested every footfall upon the steep slope. Gritting her teeth, she endured the pain to keep pace with her companion. The sky seemed darker when they reached the bottom. She surmised the sun was going through its daily routine, unconcerned with the fate of the small blue planet.

  “How's the ankle?” Koneh asked as he leaned against a rock.

  “I'll make it. What about you?” Alexandra noticed Koneh's labored breathing. He seemed weary.

  “Nothing I can't handle. You see the town?”

  Alexandra glanced past him and spied several campfires in the distance. Their light escaped from broken walls and windows to expose the settlement for what it truly was - a ruin.

  “Not much left,” she said as she returned her attention to her companion. “You sure you're all right?”

  “As I said-” Koneh's voice trailed away as he cocked his ear to the sky. “Damn!”

  Alexandra's inquiry died in her throat when she saw them. Ten men approached from the scrubland. One of them carried a shotgun.

  Koneh sprang to action and maneuvered himself between the newcomers and Alexandra. As they approached, she noticed more weapons - knives, pipes and chains. These men appeared more determined than the toothless man and his gang.

  “Give us the woman and we let you run for it, little man!” shouted the ruffian with the shotgun. His English suffered from a thick Mexican accent. They didn’t slow their pace and neither did Alexandra's heart. She was prepared to run.

  “Pretend you never saw us,” Koneh said, his voice no more than a hiss.

  What was he doing? Alexandra turned to flee and knew she made a mistake. The man with the shotgun lifted the barrel. Thunder and smoke exploded from the weapon. Koneh took the brunt of the attack. He was propelled backwards as his chest erupted in a shower of torn cloth and dark liquid. It reminded Alexandra of the surface of a pond splashed with handfuls of sand and rocks.

  He dropped to the earth and laid still. The echo and smoke from the shotgun filled the area. Alexandra hesitated and gasped. They were upon her.

  Chapter 5

  Their hands were everywhere. Alexandra couldn't muster the strength to fight, though she doubted she could stop all ten of them. She wondered if this was how her life was going to end. All the schooling and money she accumulated meant nothing at that moment. A lawless band of post-nuclear thugs sealed her fate.

  The man who shot Koneh ripped her sweatshirt. He curled his mouth in displeasure as he noticed he still had several layers between his hands and their prize. Several of the man’s buddies pinned Alexandra's arms and legs to the dirt. Even if she wanted to sneak a knee to someone's groin for good measure, she was firmly restrained.

  The shotgun man was fumbling with her jeans when he was yanked backwards as if he were tied to a rope. He landed on the ground, fifteen feet away. Alexandra found herself free and rolled to the side. There, standing when he should have been dead, was Koneh. He drew a sword from underneath his tattered clothing and glared at the other nine thugs.

  “Leave or die,” Koneh said.

  Like a handful of marbles dumped on the kitchen floor, the group scattered. Most of them fled into the brush. Two thugs charged Koneh with their knives while a third went for the shotgun. Then, the shotgun man rose from where he was thrown and ran towards Alexandra.

  Koneh's sword flashed twice as he sprinted between the two knife-carriers. Before their bodies hit the ground, Koneh threw his weapon in Alexandra's direction. She froze. Like a helicopter blade, the weapon whirled through the air with tremendous velocity. An instant later, the shotgun man lost his head as Koneh's sword whooshed past Alexandra. Blood sprayed her face, neck, and clothing. After taking one additional step, the decapitated man tumbled into a bush. His head rolled out of sight.

  Everything happened within several heartbeats and Alexandra realized she was holding her breath. When she exhaled, she saw the last thug reload the shotgun and crack the barrel into alignment. However, Koneh was faste
r.

  The shotgun roared an instant after Koneh grasped the barrel and pointed it to the sky. With his other arm, Koneh wrapped the man's neck in between his bicep and forearm. One violent snap later, it was over. Koneh dropped the lifeless body to the ground and scanned the area. The others were gone.

  Alexandra curled into a ball on the ground and stared at nothing. The first human death she witnessed was the Texas State execution of mass-murderer John Drakes. Mr. Drakes was strapped to a chair and injected with a clear liquid. After several convulsions, his eyes rolled to a stop and he gazed right through her. That was enough to drive Alexandra to the bar that night and to therapy for months afterwards.

  Like the execution experience, this one changed her. She didn't know how yet, but she couldn't form any coherent thoughts at that moment. The replay of the shotgun man's decapitation played over and over in her head. She felt as if she would never be rid of it.

  A voice to her left whispered, “Is any of that blood yours?”

  Her lower lip trembled. She didn't know. Wait. How was Koneh alive? She mustered the strength to look at his chest. It appeared the same as before - ragged cloth with mummy-like wrappings underneath. Though, the clothing was now stained and wet.

  “We need to move,” he said gently. Was that compassion in his voice? “I'm going to help you to your feet now.”

  Alexandra nodded and steadied herself against his arm. The world around her spun, like she was standing at the center of a moving carousel. She put a hand to her forehead and groaned.

  “I'm sorry,” Koneh said when they were both on their feet.

  Tilting her head, she wrinkled her brow in confusion.

  “They should have never gotten that close to you,” he said.

  Alexandra felt her senses returning to her. The carousel stopped and she pushed away from him.

  “You-” Alexandra said.

  “Try not to speak.”

  “Those men-”

  Alexandra’s world refocused, but her thoughts still spun.

  “Angels? You!” She pointed at him. “I can't take this anymore!” Alexandra lifted her hands and then dropped them to her side. She was on the verge of hyperventilation. Her heart threatened to race right out of her chest. Too much!