Rise Of The Nephilim
Chapter 13

Maxine slept for the first time in her bed, a jewel-toned duvet drawn to her neck. Her eyes rolled around swiftly under the cover of their lids as faces, unfamiliar yet familiar, flashed before her.

“Max . . . Max.” The voices of Maybie and Shane called to her, though they came through muffled and hollow as if through water.

They reached out to touch her. She could feel their pull on her, not just a physical pull but a psychologically charged pull, as if they had been trying to communicate with her on some profound level.

She wanted to be near them. However, the more she tried, the more she reached for them, the further she seemed to recede.

Tears had begun to fill her eyes, for something in her felt lost. She felt like an empty shell as if she was losing something precious for the second time; and because of it, her life was coming to a sudden end. She recoiled farther and farther until they were no longer in her sight.

Blinding light filled the room. Maxine covered her eyes against its intensity. The light was somehow amorphous, bringing with it the scent of vanilla. It encapsulated her, as she struggled to gaze into it, her eyes half closed. She wanted to touch it, for something in her trusted this light.

At first, her approach was soft and apprehensive, but she reached until her fingers felt the warmth of it.

It was not immaterial or ethereal; in fact, what she felt was firm, real, and unquestionable.

What she felt was an energy so undeniably strong and elevating that she wanted that moment to live on forever. It felt right yet strange—displaced and well placed all at the same time.

She felt her hand taken into another, and she did not flinch, for it brought her warmth.

“Maxine, it is I, Mathias. Do not be afraid.”

He called her Maxine. It rang a tone of familiarity, though she did not recognize it as her own name. Sarai was what she knew. She pulled her hand away and stepped back.

Mathias, a golden Angel, came out of the light. His wings spanned wider than his Humanoid form.

Maxine’s gaze was strong and focused; she knew his face. His body seemed familiar, but she did not know why or even if he was real or just some amorphous thing she had imagined.

“You have nothing to fear from me,” Mathias said, inching closer.

Creases formed on Maxine’s forehead as contradictory thoughts raced through her mind. “Who are you, and why did you call me Maxine?”

He smiled. “My name is Mathias, Archangel from the Realm of Angels, the place between Earth and Paradise, and . . . yes, Maxine is your name.”

“No, you are wrong. My name is Sarai.”

Silence fell between them.

“Why are you here?” Maxine asked.

He inched closer to her, but this time she did not back away. Instead, she held her ground, although anxiety raced through her.

Mathias looked warmly upon her. His eyes glistened.

“You really don’t remember, do you?”

“Remember what?

“Who you are, where you are from . . . your family.”

“My family? My family is here. With me. Where I live.”

He sensed her annoyance.

“No, Maxine.”

“What are you talking about?”

“No . . . you need to know the truth—”

“I want you to leave!” Maxine said, cutting him off.

Mathias’s eyes became hard and cold.

“I will leave after you have heard the truth.”

“What truth?”

“That the fate of humanity rests solely upon your shoulders.”

“That’s impossible. I’m only one soul. Why would the fate of an entire race rest on my shoulders?”

“Because your father loves you.”

“What? I don’t understand.”

“The love Āmand shared with your mother ignited a soul within him. And now, no matter how hard he tries to deny love, empathy, and guilt, once a soul has been ignited, its flame can only be extinguished by death. You, as the object of that love, are the only Nephilim who can quell his thirst for revenge against humanity.”

“But how do—”

“If you fail, we will have no choice but to extinguish humanity, Nephilim, and Fallen Angels alike, for we cannot and must not allow Earth to be ruled by those who seek to become the gods of men. It is not theirs to rule. My father made this world because he so loved Humans. But even they have become corrupted by the evils of this world—Father is quickly losing his patience.”

“I still don’t understand how I can do this on my own. Besides, my father is not the only one who seeks revenge for expulsion from the Realm of Angels. What about the others?”

Mathias reached out for her hands; he wrapped his fingers around them, engulfing them with his warmth. He drew even closer until only a small space was left between them. They gazed steadily into each other’s eyes. “You are not alone in this,” he said softly. “There will be others who will pledge their alliance to you.”

Maxine opened her fisted hands and interlaced her fingers with his. Feelings of desire and trepidation flowed through her simultaneously. She loved the touch of his hands, the scent of vanilla on his skin, the warmth he sent through her entire body, but she also feared his words, for they lay heavy on her mind.

He reached in even closer as if to meet her lips in a kiss. But at the last moment, he hesitated and pulled back. “I will come to you again,” he said, disappearing into the light, and the light vanished into the dark.