Blood and Ice

sorry for taking so long computer problems as per usual anyway enjoy and again a huge thanks to my editor

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Chapter Twenty: Taking Flight

When I woke the next morning I knew there was something wrong. Was it really that easy to defeat the light raiders? The answer had to be no! Gabriel was up to something but I didn't know what. I was looking out my bedroom window when Peter came behind me and pulled me into a hug.

"What's wrong Lex?"

"I don't know. Something isn't right. It's like there's a vision trying to come out but it never quite makes it."

"Why don't you come back to bed with me?"

"No thanks Peter. I'd rather be alone until I figure out what's going on. Can you leave me alone for a little while?"

"Sure Lex I'll go down and get something to eat; do you want anything?"

I shook my head.

"Give me a shout if you need anything, okay Lex?"

"Thanks Peter"

He kissed me, dressed, and left. When he did I locked the door. It was then I felt a searing pain in my shoulders at both sides it was as if someone had stuck two knifes into my back.

I ran to the bathroom and looked into the mirror. There was blood running down my back. I was afraid, what the hell was going on. As I was wondering this something started to grow out of my back that was when I passed out on the bathroom floor.

When I woke again and looked into the mirror I nearly screamed. I had two huge white wings sticking out of my back! I had to admit they were beautiful but why were they sticking out of my back? I had to find my father as am sure he would know. I grabbed my cloak. It barely hid the wings. I ran to my parents room.

I met Alexander on the way.

"Your highness, is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, where is my father?"

"In his room, but he asked not to be disturbed unless for an emergency your highness."

"That's okay, I can handle him."

I ran to his room. I didn't bother to knock since it was an emergency. In retrospect, I wish I had have knocked. When I barged, in father was standing next to their bed.

Mother was lying on the bed but father was stood there with two great black wings coming from his back!

"Alexandria what are you doing here? I thought you were sleeping!" father said in a bit of panic.

"Father, what are you?" I said as I backed out of their room.

Mother got up off the bed. "Let us explain, don't go!" mother said.

"Maybe you can explain these"! I said as I dropped the cloak and exposed my wings.

Father looked shocked! "When did this happen?" he said as mother closed the door.

"I passed out from pain in my shoulders. When I woke up I had wings!"

"I think its time I told you the truth Alexandria" father said.

"Gee, you think?" I said sarcastically.

Father said, " please come sit"

"I will go and get us some food." mother said as I sat down next to father. His wings were huge! Mine were big but nothing compared to his.

"That would be a good idea Melissa." father said as he turned to me.

"I can't believe that you were able to shift! Your grandfather said that you might never get the ability to shift."

"What do you mean shift?"

"You're part angel I'm an angel. I can shift back and forth from my human form to my angel form. I also have abilities like flight and the power over the air."

"Power over air? What do you mean?"

"When I'm in my angelic form I can control the element of air"

"Is grandfather one to?"

"Yes, my entire family have been angels for as long as history has been recorded."

"Why are my wings white?" I asked, thinking that they should be black the same as my father's.

"When someone has their first shift, their wings are white. Don't worry, they will turn black within a week or two. They will also grow since they're not at their full size yet!"

Mother came back with food for us all.

"Are the light raiders angels as well father?"

"no there not . But, Gabriel is though we dont know how but he his. Even now, your wings are bigger than his and yours will either be the same size as mine or bigger."

Mother handed me a goblet of wolf blood. "You'll need to drink this even more for the next two weeks as you will need your strength"

"Thanks mother. Why did you think I wouldn't be able to shift?"

"Because the first shift usually occurs a week after you give your blood oath and you did that some months ago."

I nodded.

We ate and drank. I was still trying to understand everything. Some things were still a mystery to me.

"Are you okay Alexandria?" father asked.

"Yeah I'm just trying to make sense of things, that's all. My concern is not an easy thing to understand."

"I understand we should have told you earlier, but we didn't want to burden you with it. We had your best interests at heart."

"I know mother, but that's not what I'm trying to understand, it's something else."

"What is it Alexandria?" father asked.

"It's what happened with Gabriel. I don't think he is dead, at least not fully"

"What do you mean? You killed him we all saw it. He and his follower's are dead, we killed them all!" father said.

I stood and went to the window. Blood still stained the battle field.

"But why would Gabriel tell me about his heir with his last breath? He must have know we would go after him! Is it possible that the person I killed wasn't Gabriel?" I turned to look at father.

"It's possible there is a rare gift among angels that gives you the ability to mask yourself as an other." father said.

"Where is Gabriel's body?"

"Still out on the field I think." mother said.

"Right, let's go." I said as I went to go out of the door.

"Ah, Alexandria, where are you going?"

"Down to the field to find Gabriel's body, like I just said."

Father said, "Not like that, you're not!"

I was confused and looked at him. Mother and Father broke into laughter.

Mother said, "In your excitement about finding that you have wings, had you noticed that you were topless?"

I glanced down at my chest and must have turned beet red.

Mother continued, "Not knowing if you wouldn't shift or not I had some clothes made for you." She went to her closet and walked over to me with a bundle of clothes. Mother handed me the bundle of clothes, saying: "These have been modified so you can wear them with your wings."

"Can I get changed, mother?"

"Of course go ahead and I'll help you."

Mother helped me put on the top which went down to my knees. It was plain green but it was backless with ties that tied underneath my wings.

"Comfortable?" mother asked as she tied it for me.

"Yes, thank you mother"

"Now we'll go down to look after Gabriel. However, you no longer need to walk down. We'll fly down together."

"In case you have forgotten, my wings aren't fully developed yet."

"Yes, but you can still fly with them."

"She can?" mother said.

"Yes she can. I will teach you. Can you open the window Melissa please." Mother went over to the biggest window in the room and opened it wide.

Father stood on the edge spread his wings and jumped. He gave a beat of his wings and he was in the air flying about as if this was normal for him.

"Come on Alexandria its easy."

"Easy for you to say. You've been doing this for ages."

"Look, don't worry trust in your wings. I know it's scary, but if you fall I will catch you."

"You know your father will never let anything happen to you just give it a try." mother said.

I nodded as I stood on the window ledge father was hovering so he could catch me if he needed to.

"How do I spread my wings?" I asked father.

"See them in your minds eye. Imagine seeing them spread." father said.

I nodded, closed my eyes, and did what father said. When I opened my eyes my wings were spread I gave them a beat to see if they would hold me and I decided to trust father and jumped off the ledge.

I could feel my self falling so I gave my wings a beat and I soared up towards father.

"Are you okay Alexandria?"

"Yeah I'm okay. It's just taking some getting use to, that's all."

Father said I had to keep beating my wings to keep me hovering.

"Don't worry, You will get use to it. I was exactly the same on my first flight. Now, lean towards the left and beat your wings."

I nodded and when I did I went to the left. I did the same on the right. I was starting to get the hang of it. Father and I started to fly around the grounds.

When we got to the field where the battle had been father gave me instructions on how to land. As we were coming down I could see Peter, Damien, and Michael going to collect our dead.

I headed down and brought my feet up but it didn't work and I went colliding into Damien and Peter and we all landed in a mess with feathers flying everywhere. I could hear my father and Michael laughing. When I disentangled my self from Peter and Damien I tackled my father.

"What's so funny? I bet your first landing was just as bad!"

When Peter go up he looked at me. "When did you shift? I thought you said that she couldn't shift, my lord."

"I thought she couldn't, but she shifted today. But, no matter. where is Gabriel's body?" father asked.

"It's the last one my lord, it's over there." Damien said.

Father nodded. We walked over to Gabriel's body. It looked like him As I touched his body I got a twinge in my stomach. I saw angels with pure white wings flying around a cathedral made of pure white marble. The vision took me into the cathedral. In the main hall I saw him Gabriel in his angelic form he was cradling a small child.

"My lord, are you sure you should have told them about your son?" a angel to his right said.

"Yes I want them to come after him and fall into my trap. As you know the princess can't shift and that's when we will get them." Gabriel said.

"Yes my lord, but how do you know that they will come here?" the angel asked.

"Because they want me dead at all costs! She may have killed my human form but she will never kill me in this form!" Gabriel said. The angel nodded. Gabriel took the small child to its mother. It was a young woman with long blond hair. I didn't recognise her. He handed the child back to her.

"He's as handsome as his father." she said.

"Yes, but you know that the shadow raiders will be coming after him!" Gabriel said.

She nodded.

"Don't worry, I will protect you. The only person that can kill me can't take angelic form." Gabriel said. I felt a rush of air. Then, I was back on the field crouched over Gabriel's body.

"Lex, are you okay? What did you see?" Peter asked.

I stood up. "This is Gabriel, its not a trick! But the final battle isn't over yet as Gabriel is still alive!" I said father stepped forward.

"How is that possible?"

"Because I killed only his human form. We need to kill both forms to kill him out right."

"Did you see where he is?" father asked.

"He's in a pure white cathedral and so is his child!" I said everyone look puzzled.

It was Peter how spoke first. "I think I know what that is. Light raider legends tell of a pure white cathedral as the doorway to their after life just as is the black castle that you father lives in is for us, my lord."

"Peter do you know where it is?"

"No, I don't! I don't think that even their council members know where it is my lord."

I continued, "There is more. They think that I can't shift. We could use this to our advantage. Can I hide my wings father?"

"You can't fold your wings in until their fully developed."

I nodded.

"We'll have to wait until my wings develop, as we need them to think I cant shift"

Father nodded.

"Very well, take his body and burn it with the rest of the light raiders. I need to give my daughter a flying lesson."

I gave Peter a quick kiss.

He looked at my wings. "Was this why you were feeling a bit off this morning?"

"Yeah but I didn't know why I was feeling like that. I got the shock of my life!"

My father called me over to him. I kissed Peter and ran over to my father.

"We will try taking off from the ground then we will go visit your grandfather. Now spread your wings and bend your knees and when you jump beat your wings as hard as you can to get yourself into the air, okay?"

I nodded. father jumped into the air to show me how it was done so I did as he said and in no time I was back in the air flying rings around my father.

"Alexandria, to make the jump when your in the air is really easy okay you just fly in a straight line at top speed after me okay?"

I nodded. Father took off and I was right behind him I wasn't as fast as him because his wings were bigger than mine but I kept up behind him and before I knew it we had made the jump to my grandfathers. Father and I were flying around the castle there was a flat area on the top of the castle.

"Alexandria, head for the landing area and be careful when you land if you think you will go over the edge beat your wings okay?"

I nodded and we headed towards the landing area I noticed that grandfather was there waiting for us. I brought my feet up to land but again it didn't work and I flew right into grandfather and nearly put us both over the edge.

"Sorry grandfather, I can't get the landing right." I said as I stood up.

"Not to worry, Alexandria, it will come to you." As grandfather stood, father had tucked his wings away and walked over and looked at father.

Grandfather said, "I thought she couldn't shift."

"I though so too, until she came into my room this morning with a pair of white wings."

"Come, let's eat. You both must be hungry."

We both nodded and followed grandfather to the food hall. While we were eating everyone started to give me funny looks. Father noticing this yelled at them.

"Why were they looking at me like that?"

"We don't get many new angels. I think you are the first since your father was your age." grandfather said as father went off to yell some more.

"Is he always like that?"

"Only when you're concerned. You should have heard him when I told him that you had been here" grandfather said.

"I know. I did hear him, why do you think I ran faster?" I said as grandfather burst out into laughter.

When father retuned he was red in the face from all the yelling. He turned to grandfather. "Do you know of the white cathedral father?"

"Yes! Its like here only for those who die peacefully or for the good of their clan."

"You said it was for those who die peacefully, then what is here?" I asked.

"Underneath the castle we look after the souls who die painfully or commit crimes against there clans." grandfather said.

"Then why was Gabriel's brother here?"

"Because he committed a crime against his brother! He fell in love with you and he still loved you when he died." grandfather said.

Father gave him a look that I though he was going to kill him.

"It's time for her to know the truth Lucifer; and that's all I've told her!" grandfather said.

"Grandfather, is it possible that the princess of the light raiders is here, since I killed her painfully."

"It's possible, why do you ask?" father asked.

"Because I'm guessing that she may know the location of the cathedral of light! I'm guessing that if Gabriel knew the location she might also know. If she doesn't we can just have a bit of fun with her." I said.

"Is it possible that if we destroy their souls that they go to the cathedral of light?" father asked.

"No!, once we destroy them they go into their afterlife whether that be good or bad." grandfather said.

"Very well, I will get Balthazar and go and look. Please stay here with your grandfather, I don't want you wondering off when you have your wings."

"Don't worry, I won't father."

He left to go to the dungeons.

"I hope you don't hold my telling your father that you were here against me." grandfather said.

"No, I don't. I know why you did it and my plan worked anyway."

"I'm glad that you're okay. I was deeply worried when I saw the black smoke I feared the worst but tell me how did you survive it?" grandfather said.

"I was the one who released the smoke when I became the leader of the army of the dammed. When I became the leader I became immune to the black smoke. I then lead the army along side father. We managed to destroy Gabriel's human form but we need to destroy his angelic form now.

I had a vision and I saw Gabriel with a small child in the cathedral of light waiting for us. Our only advantage is that they don't know that I can shift. That's why father asked if Jess could get to the light raiders." I said.

"You killed Gabriel's human form?" grandfather said.

"I did, yes; but I need to kill him as I'm the only one that can."

"Yes you are! I'm very proud to be your grandfather! You will be a great leader of both the shadow raiders and here!"

"So, tell me, are your wings black as well?"

"Yes they are. All our families wings are black. Yours will be as well after two weeks. Don't worry, they will grow. Our wings are powerful as they are big." grandfather said.

As he did I could hear a commotion coming from the dungeons.

Father and Balthazar appeared with Jess between them. She was putting up a fight.

"You were right, she's here all right. Can you handle her Balthazar?" father asked.

"Yes my lord, I can now that she's here." Balthazar said.

She was put on her knees before grandfather and I. Father joined us as we started to question her.

"So light raider do you know why you're here?" grandfather asked.

"Because I was murdered that's why." she said.

Balthazar hit her round the head. "How dare you speak to the king like that?" he yelled at her.

"I don't care! I will speak to him as I please."

Before Balthazar hit her again I stopped him.

"Well!, I never thought I would see the day when you would grow a back bone Jess. You always were a wimp even to the end." I said.

She looked up at me. "Well, well I wondered when you would get your comeuppances Lex." she said.

"Sorry, but I'm not dead and I can't die. But I can destroy your soul and you'll never see the light of day again unless you co-operate with me.", I said.

She stood up. "You can't kill me! I'm already dead!"

"I didn't say I'd kill you. I said I'd destroy your soul!"

"You can't not without the sword of shadows!"

I laughed, walked over to her and I drew the sword of shadows; placing it to her throat. She swallowed; she could feel the power of the sword.

"That's not possible! Gabriel said it was lost!" she said.

"It was, but I found it along with the army of the dammed."

She looked like she was going to faint.

"A lot has happened since I killed you Jess. Gabriel's human form is dead and his angelic one will be soon. How about I make you a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"Simple!, tell me the information I need and I will let your soul live."

"And if I don't?"

"Simple I destroy your soul and send you into the after life whether that be good or bad is up to the gods. And, if it's bad there is no escape. You can't be brought back. You will burn for all eternity so what will it be?"

"If I tell you what you want to know I want you to resurrect me fully." Jess said.

I turned to grandfather. "Can we do that?" I asked.

"We can, but I would advise against it." he said.

"Grandfather, don't worry I have the situation under control."

Father said, "But he's right! If you resurrect her the light raiders will know about your shift."

"Father don't worry, they won't."

I turned to Jess. "Very well, I will agree to that but I want my information first!"

"Fine, what do you want to know?" she asked.

"Where is the cathedral of light?" I asked.