CHAPTER 12
Ilyana:
As I reach the cave I am surprised to find that trapped in the small, dark space I feel more free than I have in weeks. I am completely alone with nowhere else to be and nothing important to do. For a moment I allow my mind the chance to wander and I imagine staying, then I think of Sasha and snap back to reality. It would be irresponsible of me to choose homelessness for myself and a dog too - especially when we have the option of staying with someone as kind as Levi. But now that I hurt Ephraim, even that is up in the air. I can’t imagine how I would live with myself if I hurt Levi too. But there is a possibility that this is just what I am now I find myself walking in circles in the cave, the rain has started to really let down so I begin clearing a spot on the earth to sit down and rest. I begin to carefully kneel down into a sitting position but with the extra soreness in my legs from my workout I quickly begin to fall forward and that’s when it happens.
I make contact with the wall of the cave and I feel a warmth rushing through me rapidly. It takes over me and everything around me is illuminated. They cave is no longer grey, I see a hint of green from patches of grass and the rain pouring in outside, I look down at my body and see patches of red that focus in close to my skin – I never imagined my aura could be red. I always pictured it would be black or brown or even grey, but somehow the red suits me. I turn around to face the back of the cave and I what I see renders me speechless, I start to scream, but no sound comes out. I begin to gather my senses and realize I must be seeing things. People talk about having visions of angels all the time, so that must be what I am experiencing now.
Ahead of me, where there used to be a solid rock foundation, there is now a group of Nephilim. Some of them are blankly facing me, some are staring ahead and some are murmuring to themselves. One is hunched over brushing the hair of a woman that is speaking to herself. The words are unintelligible and I realize she must be speaking some old language. I begin to step forward to see if I can decipher anything she is saying, when I step forward I anticipate for the cave to go dark, logic tells me that walls don’t move and there was just a cave in front of me. But it doesn’t grow dimmer and no one in front of me disappears. When I get about 10 feet away from where the hunched over man is standing I hit an invisible barrier that makes my hands feel as though they are straining to reach through a net. When I look back up where the man stood, brushing the womans hair, I am startled to find he is slowly walking towards me. I don’t know what to say so I begin to draw my hand back and apologize “I – I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb anyone, it’s just that it was raining and I needed a place to say. I didn’t see you back here until just now…” He looks at me and for a moment I wonder if he can even understand a word I am saying, his eyebrow furrows and he looks away for a moment “It’s not possible, this can’t be real. It’s finally happening, I’m finally losing my mind.” His furrowed eyebrow remains but he begins laughing hysterically. I want to turn and run away but I can’t leave without knowing what’s happening “What do you mean you are losing your mind? Can I, uhmm, help?”
I reach again but the barrier stops me from touching his shoulder. He stops laughing and turns to give me a confused look “Can you help? This has to be a joke! Why would I accept help from someone who is obviously allied with the filthy traitors that abandoned us here!” my head begins to spin at his insult. I start to wonder if this is what it feels like to go insane I turn my head and contemplate running but I am too mad at his accusations to even allow myself to walk away – I have always had to have the last word, and this time is no exception. “Excuse me?! But who said anything about filthy traitors? I just offered to help you, but I don’t even know who you are so how could I have abandoned you here? Maybe whoever it is that left you had the right idea!” then I allow myself to fall to the ground and I find myself muttering under my breath “What if this really is it? What if my abilities are broken? That would explain it all, the hum, hurting Ephraim, not being able to reach my powers…” I begin to cry and punch myself as my thoughts trail off.
When I look back up, the man is staring at me with concern. I really look at him this time, I notice his dirty skin and hair that is folded neatly into a long, dark braid. His eyes are the darkest shade of brown I have ever seen and his thick black eyelashes frame them perfectly. In spite of his too-long nails and hair and his dirty skin and clothing – which looks like something out of a history book, he is beautiful. There is something regal and strong about his appearance. Whether he is real, or a figment of my imagination I am unsure. But I do know that he is important – or at least he was important at some point. He reaches towards the invisible barrier as if to comfort me. “I am sorry, girl. I should have been more kind. It’s just, I haven’t seen a Nephilim that did not wish me harm in at least several thousand years. I did not mean to make you cry.”
I take in all that he just said and recognize the irony of this dirty, sad apparition comforting me, but then I think back on the woman whose hair he was just a moment ago lovingly stroking. I look over to her and see the same blank expression as before, she has quit murmuring for the time being though. Still, it doesn’t take much to see that something is very wrong with her. Her face doesn’t look old, but her skin is covered in dust. I look across the vast space into the faces of all the other Nephilim and realize that all of them are covered in dust. All of them except for the man standing before me. I look to him and allow myself to continue the conversation “Who are you and why are you all here?” he straightens his shoulders and bows his head slightly “I am Kailand, I am the son of Antony, everyone else here is either extended family of mine or extended family of other original Counsel members. We were left here by the rebels when we would not hand over the fortress and Nephilim for them to train as weapons and sacrifice at their every whim.”
I try to process what he is saying “The rebels? Do you mean the demon creatures?” he looks annoyed now and begins to talk to himself “thousands of years waiting and holding out hope and this is what I get! A petulant fool that doesn’t know who I am or who the rebels…” I cut him off and am shocked to find myself yelling at him “This petulant fools name is Ilyana, and while I hate to disappoint you, I haven’t even met with the counsel yet, or trained, or done anything! I don’t even know how to access my own powers. Now all this pressure is on me to learn how to keep from making everyone around me sick with my buzzing abilities and I am stuck living in the woods until I figure it out. So, I haven’t exactly gotten around to Nephilim 101 yet!” he looks confused for a moment and then leans for and speaks barely above a whisper “You’re a new Nephilim?” His voice is hesitant and the anger that was on his face before is replaced with curiosity – and his voice holds a reverent tone.
“Yes, I am a new Nephilim, or something like that. But you wouldn’t guess that I was Nephilim at all if you could see how completely hopeless I am.” He lets out a frustrated sigh and turns away from me for a moment and bows his head as if to gather his thoughts. “I don’t know how you will help me, but you are my first shot at freedom in thousands of years and I would be a fool not to try.”
I want to say something smart, but instead I shut up and listen. He describes to me in detail who the rebels are, he describes old Nephilim at the enclave and talks about their hierarchy and missions. He says they were protectors of the human race and balance in the world. He tells me his family lead the counsel and they were overthrown when they denied the remaining counsel at the time the ability to take and train the most skilled Nephilim for unjust wars over money and power.
I find it all hard to digest, but try to listen anyways. I turn to look at the outside of the cave and notice the rain is gone and it is beginning to get dark. “Kailand, I don’t know what to say. I want to believe you but I just don’t know about anything that you are saying. But I will try to see what I can find out. I need to get back home for tonight though.” I reflect on all he has shared with me and try to think of a way to
help him, but I can’t bring him food or drinks because they won’t even move through the invisible barrier “Kailand, I don’t know how I can help you.” He looks at me disappointed for a moment, but too proud to remain that way “I don’t know how you can help either. But please come back. Everyone here has already lost their mind, many of them are beginning to turn to stone. They don’t die, they don’t talk, they don’t move. I don’t want to be like that…” my heart breaks for him and I realize that I truly want to believe all that he is saying and help him. “I promise I will come back, I don’t know when, but I will. When I do, you can tell me all the ways I might be able to get you out of this thing…” He smiles politely as though he is afraid to believe my words as well. I turn to leave the cave “Goodbye, Kailand.” He smiles my way for the last time “Until we meet again, Ilyana.”
Hearing my name on his lips softens a part of me and my pity begins to melt into rage. How any Nephilim could do this to an entire family is beyond my comprehension. I begin to run back towards where I believe the house is and pray I am correct so I can make it back before dark.