Page 34 of The Fallen

?Marie went into detail about the dreams she had when she was younger. Every once in a while, a vision or two slipped through the block and she saw actual events of the past. She told him of the floating words and the extra layer of another reality that appeared in front of her from time to time.

?Her uncle explained that she was actually dream traveling. It was a vision, but the reason she could remember it so clearly was because she was there living it as it happened. It was the way they stayed connected to each other. And was intended to ensure their history didn't get lost or rewritten.

?Their dreams were fluid, the two eras constantly connected through them. It was like a tour through time within a lucid state of sleep.

?Since the block had been lifted, Marie's memories had begun coming back to her on a consistent basis. She only got bits and pieces of their past, but it was enough to fully understand what had happened.

?Dreams of the fall of her ancestors became clear. Even the flood that took out the sirens and the angel's children. She was younger then, so none of it meant anything of importance to her. She, therefore, quickly dismissed them, especially with her mom's help.

?Learning about her heritage made her feel empowered for some reason. She always thought of herself as a weakling, an awkward nerd of some kind. She never fit in well at school; she was smarter than the other kids, better at sports, and taller than everyone – even some of her teachers. Destiny was the only one who looked past all the things she thought were faults, and became her best friend.

?Now, finding out she was a part of a race of angels was exciting. It would definitely have helped if she had known this before, and all those years of torment could have been avoided. But as long as she was here now, she would get past it.

?She and her uncle talked all night and into the evening of the next day. They stayed in the library reading old text and learning the rules. She didn't realize the time had passed so quickly.

?Her brain was on overload from all the information, but she didn't mind it. Learning was the one thing she knew she was good at, and this was worth the time and effort. She was just hoping she would be worthy of the legacy that had been left behind.

Chapter Twenty One

Marie entered the dining hall, which was on the farthest end of the house, and spotted Brenton. He sat at a table which was in the shape of a large donut, with the center cut out and inside the circle, was a buffet of food on smaller rectangular stands. Fifteen angels occupied the chairs. They were of all shapes, sizes and ethnicities. It was like a gathering of the United Nations.

?At the head of the table was her uncle and there was an empty seat between him and Brenton. She made her way to the seat and sat down.

?Her uncle stood when all the angels were present. He grabbed a glass and a knife and clinked the glass to get everyone's attention. The crowd went silent. He cleared his throat and began.

?“First, let us give thanks to God for blessing us to be here,” he said and looked around.

?Everyone bowed their head and said a silent prayer. Marie did the same. Once they were finished, a chorus of “Amen's” rang throughout the hall. Her uncle continued.

?“Next, I would like everyone to welcome my niece, Marie Mitchell. She was shielded at birth, but now she is here and is ready to be trained. I want everyone to help her with this transition. She has questions, you have answers. She is a part of the family and we will treat her as such. Now, we will go around the table and introduce ourselves, say what our powers are and whatever else you think is relevant,” he finished and sat down. “Marie, you go first.”

?Marie was nervous, but she stood, not wanting anyone to take her for a weakling. She had never had to speak in front of large crowds. At school, she kept to herself, only talking to Destiny and Kenny on occasions. She knew she would have to get used to it.

?“Um, I'm Marie. I, uh, came from Nebraska. I'm sixteen years old,” she rubbed her arm and peered at her uncle for support. “Oh, and I have the ability to produce and control fire.”

?She sat down and Brenton grabbed and squeezed her hand. She instantly felt better. She could hear murmurs and people whispering while looking at her. Another clink against the glass from her uncle and it was quiet.

?“You heard right. She can produce fire. There are still some around,” her uncle defended her. “Brenton, go ahead.”

?“Brenton Kane here, from New York. I'm sixteen and I have fire hands,” he said, wiggling his fingers. Everyone laughed.

?The next guy stood and she recognized him as the resident architect, DeShon. He was eighteen years old, and from Louisiana. Aside from being talented with building things, he was a charmer like Jewel. He preferred to use his hands instead of his words, but he could still do some damage with his mouth. He had yet to find his twin, but he knew exactly what she looked like.

?Jewel was next to him, smiling broadly. She was the cutest kid Marie had ever seen. She was so bubbly. She said what Marie had suspected initially, that she was thirteen, from Arizona. Apparently she ran away from home. Her adoptive parents used and abused her. She left, and no one had come looking for her.

?Jewel's twin was Terel, who was on the other side of the table looking mischievous. He was the same age, of course, but he was Hispanic. His tanned skin, dark eyes and hair made him look older. He was taller than Jewel, with an earring in one ear and a body built like a professional boxer.

?After that, Marie learned about Sky, who was Wayne's twin. Sky, with her curly, black hair, topaz-colored eyes and a figure like a model, was the female version of Wayne. They were both twenty years old; Sky was from Georgia, Wayne from farther west, in California. They were like yin and yang. Wayne was the hard side of the earth and she was the softer side. He pounded while she produced and created, but they complemented each other so well.

?Down the line were Marchell and her twin, Nathaniel. Marie remembered her from earlier – she was the one who had attempted to freeze her to death. They were descendants of Sariel, who controlled the course of the moon and water.

? Marie couldn't help but notice how pretty she was. They all were; Marchell, with her smooth cocoa skin, Nathaniel with his golden skin, the same as Terel. She looked around the table and was staring at a room full of male and female models.

?“My name is Rochelle. I'm nineteen and Micheal is my twin. He is up north with our mentor. I needed a vacay from the weather, that's why I'm here,” she smiled. “I come from Ezeqeel, the one who has knowledge of the clouds, wind and lightning. I can control the air, and disappear and reappear when I want. I'm from Canada. My mom, who is full-blood Cherokee, and my father, who is Caucasian, moved there right before I was born.”

?They were close to the end of the table and Marie was relieved. There were so many names to remember, plus she was starving.

?Marquise and the girl next to him stood up. She introduced herself as Natrice. They were descendants of Kokabel, who taught constellations. They did a little presentation for them at the table.

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