Shocked when Shadowman dropped her instead of killing her, Amira sprinted back to her room. Her heart was racing, the only sound after the chaos in the common area. She slammed her door closed and grabbed a handful of moonstones. She sank against the door, waiting for the Shadowman to come for her.
With tears on her face, she huddled in the corner of her room.
What horrified her more? That Shadowman had found her, or that she’d done the unthinkable and possibly killed someone? She now understood the duality of his stone. He was a fallen guardian, not just a fallen angel. It meant his life was connected to that of the human to which he was assigned, hence the two energies possessed by the stone.
His human was innocent, adorable even, with ears that stuck out from silky blond hair, delicate facial features and large, wise blue eyes.
And Amira had tried to take her life.
She sobbed into her hands. Human life was the most sacred of the sacred for an angel. As a first gen, she wasn’t far removed from the Other Side. She stood in awe of the humans in general, more so knowing how much adversity they faced. She was facing her own, and there were times when she didn’t think she was going to survive.
After a few minutes, she realized Shadowman wasn’t coming. Had she succeeded in murdering his host?
What did that mean for her own soul? Killing was forbidden.
She pulled out the two-toned stone from her velvet pouch and held it. Her heart prayed the girl she hurt was okay, while logically, she knew that Shadowman’s host was going to have to die in order to banish him to Hell, where he couldn’t hurt anyone and most importantly, couldn’t start the chain of events that would unleash the Apocalypse on the planet.
Was destroying one life worth saving so many others?
She squeezed the stone.
Both were alive – Shadowman and the woman. The woman was unconscious, while Shadowman hovered over her. Amira sat up straighter, suddenly intrigued about the link between the two. She knew if the host died, Shadowman went to Hell.
It wasn’t possible for a demon to be concerned for a human, but where demons operated much like angels – out of instinct - Shadowman was cognizant of how his existence was dependent on the woman’s.
As she watched, she calmed, seeing something else.
Angels only saw good. Demons only saw evil. Humans were blessed with the ability to see both and the free will to choose between them.
Shadowman saw both. He stepped away from the woman when Evan reappeared, knowing the fifth gen meant to help. He was sentient, which meant he understood his life depended on that of his host. He took a form when necessary and understood who posed a threat to his anchor and who could help. How far would he go to protect his host?
The two-toned stone was one of balance. It was half his, half the woman’s.
She sensed the vibrations of footsteps then the sensation of someone inserting a key into the lock above her head.
Amira’s eyes snapped open, and the thought fled.
She shoved the stones into the velvet pouch and tossed it under the bed then rose and waited.
The orderly that entered appeared stressed and held a syringe. He pointed to his mouth.
“This will calm you down,” he mouthed.
Amira nodded and swallowed hard. She understood that actions had consequences and right now, they thought she really was crazy after stabbing someone. While scared, she’d never in her life hurt or tried to hurt anyone.
She held out her arm, trembling. The orderly was kind and quick. He was her favorite of them all, the one who helped her set out her moonstones originally and who checked up on her once a day.
“Thank you,” she said the words.
At his nod, she knew he understood. He took her arm and led her to the bed.
Already, the drugs were taking hold. Amira sank onto the bed and soon, darkness floated across her mind. Her last thought was of Shadowman’s host again.
What if the stone led me to her for a reason?