Cherubim by Karen Lank (best ebook reader for chromebook .txt) 📕

Malachai--
I slowly awake afraid of opening my eyes. Please tell me it was all a horrible nightmare. I think to myself. I slowly open my eyes, the night sky is a twist of bright light and black as the stars shine through the thick darkness. I look down at myself, my jeans are stained with blood and my hands match perfectly. Where am i? What happend? What did i do? All these questions race through my head at top speed. I look around me, nothing but long desert. In the distance i see what can be made out as a nice-sized garage or shack of some sort. I stumble to my feet and start to walk forward and stop short. Someting on my back aches with a wild intensity. I look over my shoulder and spread my dark wings to full length. A sharp pain shoots up my left wing to my arm and i shudder at the feeling. I examine the long deep gash begining at the top of my wing going down to almost the middle. I grind my teeth and shake my wings vigorously, i wince at the unbearable pain and keep walking forward toward the shack. When i finally reach it i peak into the one dingy looking window in the front. Looking in i see an unbeleivable sight. A young handsome boy sits in the middle of the room, his face in his hands. His hair is messy and long, he wears nothing but black jeans and his torso is a perfect balance of muscle. I look at his back and my mouth drops, it can't be..it just can't.. Two perfectly folded black wings lay in the middle of his back right between his shoulder blades. Of course i knew there were others, more who were cursed to serve as death angels. Forced to punish those who had done evil and whose time was up on earth. The boy looked so pained, his back heaved viciously up and down as he sobbed. I wanted so desperately to comfort him, to tell him how strongly i felt his pain. Like me, he too was covered in blood. He looked up and his face portrayed such shame and hopelessness. Its at this point when i realize he is looking straight at me, he slowly gets up and puts his hands in the air. He gives me a pleading look as to say i wont attack if you don't as well, i nod and he moves towards the door. When he emerges in front of me his face portrays confusion. He looks me up and down, studying my every feature. From my long black messy hair to my long small figure and my blood stained jeans. His gaze stops at my wings and he lets out a small gasp of shock, i tuck my wings in feeling a pang of embarrassment. I reflectably look down at my feet and i feel him staring at me. I peak up to steal a glance in his direction. He moves closer and grabs my hand. My heart flutters at his touch. He studies my hand and looks up at me. "Your a half breed" he says softly. I look at our hands and notice, unlike normal Cheribum claws, his nails are human-like. I look up at him, "You are too" i smile at this and he smiles back. Its a heart warming smile, it looks nice on him. Talking to him seems so natural. "I've never met another half breed, hell i've never had a nice conversation with any other Cheribum period." He chokes out a half giggle and lets go of my hand. I feel the need to hold him, to let him melt into my arms and to reasure him that all will be okay. Its crazy that a complete stranger has an effect on me that noone,otherworldly or human, has ever seen. "What is your name?" I ask. He looks into my eyes and i see his deep oceanic blue crytaline eyes for the first time. My heart does flips and i look away first. "Malachai Naamah" he whispers. "What is yours?" he looks at me with those eyes again and i pause for a long moment mesmerized by this enchanting boy. "Oh, uhh...Lanaya Venning" I finally utter. He smiles and heat floods to my face, "such a beautiful name" he breaths. I smile and turn my head away. My wings stretch out and i cringe at the pain again. He comes up close and gently touches my wing. "Your hurt" He states, his faces shows of genuine concern. "Oh, its really nothing, just a scratch really" i say out of habit, noones ever shown they cared if i was in pain. "Its alot more than just a scratch, here let me help" he grabs hold of my hand and carefully leads me into the shack. Theres not much inside, a crate turned upside down, the crate he was sitting on when i peered in. The walls were creme colored and it smelled of thick dust and dirt. On the far wall there was a farely big box that he made his way over to. "Sit down and i'll take care of you" he led me to the crate and sat me down. He opened the box and pulled out the contents of a first aid kit and a wrap. He quickly and causciously bandaged me up. When he was finished he looked at his work with a sense of pride and smiled down at me. Then suddenly his face turned solemn, he sat and the floor and looked up at me. "Tell me your story" he said.


Lanaya--
My mom was a Cheribum, a full breed. She was beautiful when she was calm but when she attacked...Her sharp teeth would bare, her once lovely hazel eyes would turn a peircing red and her claws would tear apart anything in contact. She never felt bad about doing what she did, i recall her once saying she was actually proud. That was before she met my father, a human. She was supposed to kill him but she fell in love with him instead. She was meant to gain his trust by becoming a part of his life and when she had him as vulnerable as she wanted, she was suppose to punish him. When the time came, she couldn't. She had fallen so deeply for him without noticing it. So as soon as she went to torture him, she just couldnt go through with it. My dad explained to me it was a very complicated thing. It was against the rules to friendly interact with humans, especially when their your target. I only knew my mom for eight years. They found out she was with a human, and they found out about me. She was to be punished... I was taken away from my dad and they used me as yet another death angel.Ever since then i've been a trained killer. I usually only remember bits and peices of what happend and i always wake up in the dessert for no apparant reason. This time was different though. This time i was hurt, this time i found a shack that i never recall being here, and this time i met you, Malachai. Ive done alot of things i regret, things so unimaginably horrible. I've made people hurt, i've made them beg for another chance... I know its not my chance to give but sometimes i wish it was. These memories haunt me, the things i've done and said. I wish so badly to be normal.." I glanced up and he was actually listening, his face portrayed understanding and deep longing. "Well what about you, whats your story?"


Malachai--
"I never knew my parents, i grew up with two elder cherubim. They were my teachers. When one of them had a big job they would make me tag along and help. I hated it but if i didn't do it they were going to get rid of me, i had no choice." He stops and looks away. I gently squeeze his shoulder. "I understand" i say and he takes a long deep breath. "Sometimes I wish I could just find my real parents, I want answers, but maybe thats not what I deserve anyways." He looks at his feet, his hair coming down like a thick curtain covering his eyes. "It's not your fault." I say. "Its in our DNA, we can't live any other way. It's our species job." I know this can't help much by the pained expression he keeps on his face but I just don't know how else to help.

Publication Date: 04-14-2011

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