Page 29 of The Fallen

?He pushed it open and guided her into an underground fortress underneath his house. The place stood at least twenty five to thirty feet tall and spread out in front of her a couple of miles long and the same length wide.

?“What is this place?” she asked walking further in.

?“Our cozy little bunker,” he grinned.

?“Apparently you don't know the meaning of little.”

?They both laughed and walked toward the center of the place.

?“DeShon thought of it and we built it. This is the only place we can be ourselves, sharpen our powers without being seen by the outside world. No one needs to know what we are; they would turn it into a spectacle. This way, anyone stumbling along in our woods will see an ordinary house and nothing more,” he explained. “Now, every mentor who takes in angels has one.”

?“Makes sense,” she said, nodding.

?“I had to limit them to only using their powers here and normal training in the house.”

?“So, why was Marchell doing tricks in the open?”

?He shrugged. “Showing off for the new guest, I would assume,” he said.

?Marie rolled her eyes and continued to follow her uncle. She didn't have time for the petty, adolescent drama. She didn't partake in it at school and she wouldn't here. Though, she had to admit, it made her feel like she was back at home. The feeling was nice. She was sure those small things would help her adjust.

?She dispelled those thoughts to take in DeShon and her uncle's handiwork. They both had a whole other gift to be able to build this from scratch.

?The walls, ceiling and floor was solid concrete. There were scorch marks and gashes all over the place. Marie couldn't imagine what happened, but it had to be a serious brawl to do that type of damage.

?The same cylinder lamps were aligned on the walls, about ten feet apart from each other. Some of the lights had been busted; a couple of them dangled from their base.

?In the center was a karate mat, with four wing chun dummies lined in a row, which were badly beaten. A tall, slender girl was working her way through all four. Every strike was fast, controlled and done with precision. Marie was impressed and anxious to learn the same techniques.

?“So, are you a mentor to all these angels?” Marie asked.

?“No, but I do take on that role some times. Every angel has a mentor, someone who was destined to guide them, but some of these angels are runaways or orphaned, they don't know who their parents are, let alone who their mentor is.”

?Marie was beaming with appreciation. Her uncle had such a huge heart. He was on the top of the list as one of her heroes. He had no regard to his wants or needs, but took on the role of a father figure to these kids who needed one. It was inspiring.

?They followed the worn path, outlined with carpet, and went further in. There was a boxing ring next to another wall of weapons. They were fully prepared for any attack.

?They came to an area that was sectioned off, divided by large columns. The concrete ended and dirt began. The rest of the underground sanctuary was nothing but greenery. The next mile ahead of them consisted of grass, trees, and even a small pond.

?“How did you get this down here?” she asked.

?“We just took the dirt that was already here and planted some trees. The pond is man-made and there's a makeshift irrigation system that keeps this all fresh. We constructed it to recirculate, which allows the same amount of water to be used again and again. The atrium lighting up here,” he said pointing to the corner of the ceiling. “is powered by solar energy and acts as our sun.”

?“Unc, you are absolutely amazing.”

?“It's not just me. It's all of us. We work together on everything we do.”

?She was excited about starting her training. This was so different from her old life, and even further from the norm. This was exactly where she needed to be.

?They continued to walk the perimeter, making their way around, showing her every inch of the facility, while he told her stories.

Chapter Eighteen

?“A man was given a vision long ago about the fall of mankind to the rogue angels,” her uncle started. “It is written, only the chosen ones can complete this task to stop the fallen from rising from the pit,” he said, leading her back toward the house. “The leader of this group would be special, one of its kind, an angel who has the lineage of two separate angel’s powers.”

?“Why didn't anyone tell me all of this before now? I could have already been prepared,” Marie said, frustrated.

?“Your mom did not want this life for you. She loved you so much and the thought of losing you was too much for her to bare. You were too powerful when you were born. You could do things that we've never seen a newborn do. It was the only way she could keep you safe and hidden.”

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