Hallowed Calling
4 1
“I think we should go to a cathedral.” Kora says, sliding the golden blade behind her with ease as if it’s second nature to her now.
Jordan stands beside her in the parlour of the Hamilton manor. Adorned in a light blue dress, Kora reminds him of a mid-summer sky. Her auburn hair is braided behind her, with wisps of loose strands curling around her heart-shaped face. Hazel eyes looking sharp and prepared.
He knows it’s certainly not the right time, but Jordan just wants to tell her how beautiful she looks. Even in the simplest of outfits, he thinks she is stunning.
“Are you even listening to me?” her sweet voice brings him back to Kora’s waiting face.
Jordan blinks at her before nodding slowly. “A cathedral is a great idea. Larger. More space to summon him.”
Kora shakes her head and chuckles lightly. It’s a sound Jordan is growing to adore the more he hears it. “It’s also holier . That’s why I suggested it.” A brow arching with amusement on her forehead.
“Which do you suggest, then? St Paul’s? Westminster? Lambeth?” Jordan starts rattling off some places that Matthew mentioned when they first toured London together.
The corner of her mouth ticks as she considers the options. “Westminster and St Paul’s will be too busy. They’re always packed this early in the morning with visitors.” She points out .
“Lambeth then?”
Kora nods, “That means we need to cross Westminster Bridge, though.”
“That shouldn’t be too hard,” Jordan says with a shrug. “We’ll just take your carriage.”
She bites the inside of her mouth, her eyebrows drawing closer and mouth pursing for a second. “Clarence and I don’t have a coach. We will have to use one from the Ascendancy and leave from there.”
Jordan frowns down at her. “You don’t have your own coach?” Shaking her head, he leans back on his heels. “I just assumed every family did.”
Kora’s expression falters, “Clarence and I did for a while when we were younger and Will lived with us more,” she starts, pausing to study his confusion, “but we couldn’t justify it when he began travelling more often than not. It was either have a coach or put food in our stomachs.”
Jordan is quiet, running his fingers through his light hair. He’s only now just realising how hard Kora’s life must be. Her parents are both gone. Her twin brother might be a demon. Her uncle doesn’t seem to care much about them wherever he’s seemed to scurry off to now. Her other brother is overprotective. And they are struggling financially with two more mouths to feed now with Matthew and Alice living with them.
He curses lowly. “I didn’t realise.” Murmuring under his breath.
“Nobody really knows. Only the Bladesmith’s since Clarence asked Robert for work before he was of age. It’s not something Clarence really wants publicly announced. He’s never been one to ask for aid or take money from people, apart from our uncle.” She brushes him off, sliding a dagger into her thigh sheath and fluffing her dress skirt back over her leg.
Jordan will never not find that attractive .
She straightens, grabbing onto his arm and giving him the calmest smile she can muster. “Come on, if we leave now, we will be there in an hour.”
* ? * ? *
“It’s much larger than I pictured it to be,” Jordan says, looking up at the Gothic spires and stained-glass windows shimmering like gemstones. It’s definitely not as grand as Westminster or St Paul’s. Those are mammoth in comparison, but this one is still substantial, and striking enough to gaze at.
“Lament isn’t as populated as London City. There’s not as many visitors here either.” Kora points out, also staring up at its beauty. Light-washed stonework with Angels are carved into the lattice. Stained glass windows of vibrant tones and shapes allow the tender morning sunlight to flow through. Flowerless vines spider their way up the outer walls. It’s old and delicate.
Approaching the arch door leading inside, Jordan pulls on the iron latch, but it doesn’t budge open. He pulls several more times before dropping his hands and sighing in defeat. “It won’t open.”
Kora groans, “You think it would, since we are part angelic.”
Jordan glances down at her. “You should try your blood.”
“What?” Her hazel eyes widen up at his.
“If you’re going to cut yourself to summon Uriel, maybe you need Angel blood to unlock the door.” He suggests with a shrug.
He watches her mouth purse before she pulls the dagger out from her thigh and poises the tip against her palm. Cutting a line through her skin, it peels open, revealing her golden red blood before healing back over within seconds.
Jordan grumbles lowly, “Fine. Let me then. ”
She snorts as he takes the knife from her and opens a cut along his hand. It’s thin and shallow, but enough to draw some blood. Grabbing a hold of the handle, the spells audibly clicks the latch back, and the knob turns easily in his grip. “Perfect.”
Kora follows him into the empty cathedral. Inside is just how they imagined it to look. Dark wooden pews set up with an aisle down the centre and crimson carpet laid out like a path. There’s a stand in the centre and a beautifully decorated gold and marble altar behind. Artwork adorns the high ceilings and oil paintings of heavenly beings flank either side of the cathedral. Chiselled statues of their God are placed around and lit with a soft candlelight glow.
“This is much finer than the ones back in Oxford. They aren’t as lavish by any means.” Jordan starts as they close the squeaky door behind them. “I shall wait here for you. You should go speak with him on your own and I’ll make sure nobody comes in and interrupts.”
“Just don’t wander away, please.”
Jordan shakes his head once. “I will be waiting right here.” He promises, standing guard beside the door. Weapons decorate the numerous sheathes strapped to his thighs, waist, and chest. Turquoise eyes watching hers carefully.
Nodding, Kora walks down the aisle between the empty pews. The altar is gleaming technicolour from the wintry light gliding through the multicoloured windows above, bathed in a kaleidoscope of pigment.
As she approaches, her pulse quickens. She’s never called upon an Archangel before. She’s never called upon any being before.
Taking the golden blade from the sheath on her back, she stops in front of the altar. Kneeling, she places the weapon on the ground as her offering, her connection to Uriel, before pleading his name.
“Uriel. I call upon thee. Come before me so that I may speak with you in your presence.”
She waits for a moment, her eyelids close as she repeats the sentence seven times in her mind. Pressing the cold metal of the dagger into her palm, she opens a deep cut. Gilded red blood rushes to the surface.
Kora expects for there to be a sound or a flash of light to signify his presence, but instead, a tepid hand touches her braided hair, and she raises her chin up at him.
The beaming Archangel stands before her, doused in confidence and radiance. Soft golden light glows around him, blinding Kora momentarily as her pupils adjust to the sudden shift of light.
After a moment, Kora can make out the glorious white wings jutting out behind him. The gilded halo encircling his head as he grins down at her. His body’s transparent, as though he’s more of a vision than a being standing in the flesh. “My child.” His voice is deep and honeyed. Calm and authoritative.
Words seem to be stuck in her throat. She tries speaking, but it’s as though her oesophagus is completely dried up like a desert.
“You require my aid.” His voice is like harp music to her ears, each string perfectly plucked, calming her nerves instantly.
“Yes. Uriel, we require your aid.” Kora manages to cough out.
His face sharpens down on hers as if he already knows what she’s pleading for. “We are aware of what is occurring in your world. The rise of a seventh Dark Angel continues.”
Kora’s brows pinch. “What do you mean, continues?”
“This war between the Heavens and the Beneath has been going on for centuries. The Dark Angels have always wanted to settle the imbalance of power between us. After trying to bring some of us down with our own weapons and theirs, they have tried other methods of balancing the universe for their own power and gain.”
“Why do they need to balance everything?”
“Physically, everything works more efficiently if it’s balanced. However, the balance between good and evil will never be the equal. We have been protecting the Heavens and our realms for centuries now, and the Dark Angels continue to attack us for power and control .
“Lucifer, as head of the Dark Angels, has been attacking us for decades. He will not rest until the realms are all claimed by them, or until everything is destroyed. We are here to ensure that never happens.
“Fortunately, for us, we have always had a seventh being with power. The Dark Angels have always been envious of the supremacy we hold and long to equalise that difference. Lucifer has tried many times to strike us down, but as immortal beings, we cannot be killed, only wounded. I was wounded by him in their last attempt, and I am still repairing, along with most of my brothers.”
“Is that why you are not here in the flesh?”
He nods down at her, “Yes, child. The most power I can summon right now is this. The wound will keep me down for a while longer.”
Kora’s mouth parts as she stares up at him, feeling incredibly small and weak in comparison.
“Your mother, Tessa, almost died carrying you and your brother. Twins are rare amongst Mortals and even rarer amongst the Marked kinds. They hold more magic and have a sacred bond between them that makes them more powerful and greater than any other of their kind.
“Archangels are always watching over our people, especially the Seraphim who carry Angel blood. When I heard about Tessa carrying twins, we all knew it would stir up the Dark Angels again. They’d begin their plan for creating yet another brother to balance the Heavens and the Beneath.
“Your mother began experiencing issues during her term. She became incredibly weak and ill, so your father started to panic. Knowing that you were all at risk, I was called down by your father to help save Tessa. I gave her my soul and blood, and in return, she gave me her loyalty.”
“Your soul?” Kora whispers, “what do you mean?”
Uriel pauses for a moment before continuing, “It means that her soul is attached to mine. She will not die until I am lifeless.”
Kora’s brows crease. Her mother couldn’t die. She never died .
“When you and Colton were born, your souls were both attached to mine. I promised Tessa I’d safeguard both of you. Lucifer, however, found a way to steal the soul of Colton, choosing him to become the seventh Dark Angel. His twin powers and magic make him strong enough to survive the transition, and immensely hard to kill. I saved your soul and Tessa’s, but I failed at capturing his, even after I promised. Colton’s soul turned dark and wicked. Taken away by the shadows, Colton grew up in the Beneath, being overshadowed by Lucifer himself.”
Kora slumps her shoulders, the final bit of hope left inside of her dissolving. “He will never be saved, will he?” she asks, her chin dipping to avoid looking into his piercing golden eyes.
“No child. Your brother will never be saved. His soul is too dark and damned.”
Kora’s eyes drop to the gilded blade sitting at her knees, and Uriel knows exactly what she’s thinking. “My blade is one of the few Archangel weapons forged. Made from pure metal, they are the only weapons strong enough to bring down a Dark Angel. The Blade of Uriel is the last weapon left in this realm. The final weapon Lucifer has been scouring the realm for.
“The Battle of Aureum was Lucifer’s final attempt to wipe out all Seraphim in the hope of gaining the realm for himself. Tessa was recovered at this time and my blood gave her heightened abilities, allowing her to fight like no other. She held onto my weapon, the only mortal creature I authorised to wield it.
“When Lucifer appeared in the realm, he was led to her, and Tessa fought against him with my blade. She managed to wound him enough to send him slithering back to the Beneath to recover, but Tessa was also wounded. Her body was on the brink of death when I summoned her out of the realm to repair. My blood protected her from passing. Unfortunately, though, I could not save your father.”
Kora feels a warm tear forming in her lashes. She’s mourned their deaths before when she was younger and numerous times since then. But to have her father’s death finally confirmed, it opens up a new kind of heartache. It’s somehow both painful and relieving at the same time.
Her fingertips wipe her face clean as she holds in her cries.
“Since your mother was able to impale Lucifer badly enough to send him away, he returned to an eager Colton, learning their ways and becoming a darker being. Waiting for Colton to grow enough for his powers to fully surface, there was rest between the Heavens and the Beneath. Lucifer had no reason to send Colton to this realm without his full strength and abilities, as he’d be easier to strike down, and then his plan would be wasted for another thousand years before the next set of Seraphim twins are born.
“So, he waited until Colton reached the ripe mortal age of nineteen to send him here. That is when your abilities were also fully formed and came to fruition. You are his opposite and bound to him as a twin. You are the only mortal creature strong enough to bring him down with my blade if you learn to draw energy. He can draw from your power, just as much as you can draw from his.”
Kora shakes her head at him. “I can’t draw power from him.”
“You can, you just haven’t tried it yet, my child.”
“I wouldn’t know how to.”
Uriel considers her for a moment. “Think of it how you would my blade. Wielding it, your energy flows through the weapon, and its energy flows through you. Just as you wield my weapon, you can wield his powers if you tap into that twin bond.”
Kora’s hands rub gingerly at her face as she takes in everything. “I should draw his power then. The more I take, the weaker he will become.”
“In theory. Yet, if you open yourself up to him, then he will be able to draw from you, weakening yourself.”
She expires softly. “I will learn to draw power and protect myself.”
“I have no doubt you will be able to.” Uriel says encouragingly. “I also suggest that you carry my blade with you wherever you go. Do not let it leave your sight. Colton will be after it, and I do not trust it in the hands of anyone else.”
Kora nods, picking it up off the floor and holding it in her hands. “Thank you, Uriel.”
His smile is kind. “You’re strong enough for this, Kora. You were born to defeat him.”
Uriel’s head rises, but Kora speaks up before he can blink away. “My mother!” she calls out, standing up to peer at him. “You have her still?”
“I do.” He affirms, holding her gaze. “I shall tell her of your courage and strength when she is awake again, my child.”
He winks out of existence and Kora is left standing before the empty altar, the golden blade cold in her hands as she breathes heavily. Her heart pounds like a drum in her chest. Her mind continues to whirl when his hand touches her shoulder lightly. It’s warm and instantly settles her electric nerves buzzing around in her veins.
Turning, she sees Jordan in front of her, a concerned expression covering his handsome face. “Are you all right?”
She nods to him, wiping away another tear. She hadn’t realised her eyes were leaking again. “I have to stop him, Jordan. I’m the one who needs to kill him.”
Jordan’s mouth tightens, but he doesn’t say anything.
“He is my twin. We share a connection and Uriel’s blood. Only I will be strong enough to bring him down. I have to keep his blade, it’s the only thing strong enough to strike down Colton.”
Jordan rubs at his forehead. “What about your parents?”
Her words get caught in the stickiness of her throat once more. “He said my father died in the battle. Uriel couldn’t save both him and my mother. She’s with Uriel now, repairing from her battle wounds.”
She stares at him, not knowing what to do. Part of her wants to break down right here and bawl her eyes out from the shock and heartache, but another part of her wants to find Colton herself, scour the world for him and bring him down .
Turquoise eyes stare back at hers and she feels another tear slip from her lashes and Kora falls into his chest before she’s overcome with tears. She reins in her frustration and anguish as Jordan’s arms wrap around her comfortingly. His head rests on hers and she silently sobs into the fabric of his dark shirt.
“What are you going to do now?” he asks her after a few minutes.
Kora shakes her head against his chest, unsure of what she should do. She has no idea where Colton is or how to find him.
Pulling away, she clears her throat before speaking. “I don’t know, but I need to see Will. He needs to know that his sister is still alive.”
Jordan nods, wiping a tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “All right. Let’s go speak with him then.”