Rule one of the house is to never venture outside, rule two is to never use our powers as it's energy may attract the superiors and finally rule three is to never reveal our true parents to anyone. Sadly, today was the day I would break all three of those rules out of pure curiosity. Ethan had been bed bound for three days and spent majority of it fast asleep which became boring after a while. Jane and John had gone to work in the early hours of the morning leaving me alone in the house with nothing but books I had read a hundred times over. My mind couldn't settle after hearing there was someone like me in the same town, so I had decided to break free of this prison and break the first rule.
Ria checked on her sleeping brother and provided fresh water and an icepack if he were to wake, then dressed in her winter clothes and said farewell to the house she had been confined in since Jane had rescued them. In her green woolly jumper and black leggings, she put on her winter boots and black coat before standing apprehensively at the front door. For some reason her feet were frozen on the spot and the thought of venturing outside scared her. She knew what was beyond those walls but couldn't help herself from seeing the poverty with her own eyes.
Ria, "Come on Ria just in and out as quick as you can." Trying to prep talk herself into leaving she hung onto her excitement and pulled open the door. As her eyes were blinded by the burning sun she shivered at the scene before her. It was a woodland area decorated in cherry blossom trees and holly bushes, why had they kept such a beautiful place away from her, she couldn't understand. Taking baby steps her ears pricked up at the sound of swallows chirping and the grunting of deer's I the distance, this was an entirely different world to the one she had expected. It was beautiful…
In the distance she could hear chattering and motors which guided her to the road leading to the village. Ria had eyes different to that of humans, hers could see the world in different colours and aura. She could see darkness and light just like people knew the difference between good and bad. The path to the village was brighter than the sun but it didn't hurt her eyes rather it gave her a giddy feeling in her gut. Slowly her footsteps became brisker until she was in a full sprint towards the village, this was the freedom she'd always desired.
Wearily she arrived and hid behind the cobble wall looking at the other humans working for their daily rations, some were ploughing field or selling merchandise. It seemed like a safe environment, she couldn't feel any energy from the superiors, this was the perfect chance to see this mysterious Adam. Ria cautiously made her way through the busy streets searching desperately for this clock tower Noel had described. People flashed her dark looks, so she put up her hood to cover her strange hair, these humans didn't seem very welcoming.
It took her an hour of scurrying around before arriving in the central square where an old fashioned abandoned clock tower stood lonely in the middle, so this must be it… as she peered around she noticed a lot of people stood in the dark alleys covering their faces like an infection had broke out. Thinking clearer her chest felt heavy and her vision was fuzzy from all of these new smells, it smelled of bitterness and death. Suddenly like rats people began scattering as a large black Vaux pulled up in the square, Ria stood looking up at it in awe, it was radiating a terrible black aura which shook her core coldly. What was this thing?
"What do we have here an orphan?" A pristine man dressed in black exited the vehicle with black screen eyes staring down upon Ria, she froze up struggling to breath as his scent enveloped her. It smelled of fruit and decay.
"You should fetch a few pennies let me have a closer look at you." He bent down trying to lift her hood but Ria pulled it down harshly trying to avoid his gaze, she had read demons could hypnotize people if you stared to long and the last thing she needed was to be under the power of a sleezebag like him.
Ria, "I'm not an orphan my mother lives around here, leave me be." The man snorted in laughter as if mocking her which aggravated her rage even more, she couldn't let him see her eyes no matter what.
"How amusing, a mere human speaking to me in that manner. Are you aiming to be killed child?" Ria felt her hands begin to shake as his breath touched her skin, she wanted to kill him for looking down on her. Who was this man to speak so foully to her?
Ria, "Your scent is disgusting, perhaps you are the one searching for death. Leave me now before you regret your actions you pig!" Out of the blue he snatched her wrist before pinning her to the floor, Ria closed her eyes tightly as he pulled down her hood. She never knew demons possessed such strength.
"You little brat I've changed my mind, I'll kill you right here to set an example!" Ria heard the swoosh of wind as he raised his hand when a harsh thud crackled her eardrums. As she peaked from her frightened state, she lay stunned as a silver haired boy threw the demon aside with ease.
"Who are y—" He bit his tongue as his eyes founded the tall boy with eyes clearer than the sea and shoulders strong enough to break his neck with one swing. Like a cowering dog he scrambled backwards against his car.
"You peasant how dare you interfere with my activities!" The silver haired boy rolled his eyes before taking a few steps forward, Ria sat up and watched his fear spread like mist through the air. Could this be?
"The girl is with me, leave while I'm still in a good mood." The demon heeded his warning and jumped into his car before speeding away. Ria was in shock; this boy was huge roughly 6"4 without even glancing at her he began walking away.
Ria, "Adam wait!" he stopped dead in his tracks clearly unnerved she knew his name.
Adam, "Do I know you?" his tone was so cold and dark it almost stole the breath from her tiny lungs.
Ria, "No but I know of you, I've been searching for you all day." He huffed and remained facing away from her.
Adam, "Nothing good will come out of looking for me you're just a curious brat wandering round a circus. You should leave while I'm still calm." Ria shook the dirt from her clothes and stood up, he was trying to sound intimidating, but it was ineffective on her.
Ria, "I'm not afraid of you."
Adam, "Because your young and naïve I'd expect nothing less from an infant." That was it he was getting on her last nerve.
Ria, "Wrong! I want to understand you, I've risked everything to find you so please hear me out." After a long stand off Adam finally turned around unimpressed when his whole body went stiff. As her purple eyes penetrated his soul a gust of wind blew her long white hair across her face as if nature was concealing her.
Adam, "You're a Nephilim…" It was clear by her scent he was dealing with someone of the same breed, it was the first one he'd encountered in his life and she didn't disappoint she was beautiful…
Ria, "Like I said I want to understand, what I am…who I am…" In her eyes were crystal tears begging him to accept her, this was her only chance to be among another lonely soul.
Adam, "You're just a child what could you possibly understand?"
Ria, "You should know by looking I'm much more than just a child. Anything I can…I want to understand anything I possibly can, after all knowledge is power in this world." Adam scoffed at her insolence, she just sounded like another superior at first.
Adam, "That's all your after is it? Power?" Ria pouted and glared him straight in the face proving she was not afraid of anyone not just him.
Ria, "Enough to protect the people I love. I need to protect my family…" Adam's face dropped in guilt; she wasn't a spoilt brat just a confused child looking for answers. After thinking for a few minutes, he made his decision.
Adam, "Fine, follow me." Ria grinned widely, and gladly went to follow him when she fell to her knees. Adam spun around hearing a scuffle only to find her gripping her ankle in pain.
Adam, "What's wrong with you?" Ria felt embarrassed for some reason and attempted to stand again only to fall back down, it was a sharp throbbing pain shooting through her leg like nothing she'd ever felt.
Adam, "Your quite stubborn aren't you." Like air he lifted her up into his arms and carried her like a child, Ria squirmed at first, but his strength was truly unimaginable so eventually she gave up and went limp. His strides were large and brisk causing her to bounce slightly in his arms, she gripped his shoulder tighter smelling something sweet on his skin, it made her relax for some reason distinguishing her humiliation. The last thing she wanted was to make a weak first impression. They walked for some time, until they arrived at an old shack with smoke seeping from the chimney. It smelled like meat from the outside, but Ria was something bright coming through the door. Adam knocked three times like it was a code and like lightning the door swung open.
"Where the hell have you been, I've been worried sick!" A deep gravely voice rattled their eardrums, he was loud and obnoxious but obviously concerned. Ria recognized the man immediately as Joel, Adam's brother.
Adam, "Calm down I had to take a detour." He walked in causally with the child in his arms, he placed her gently next to the fire before whipping off his jacket and drinking some whiskey. Joel didn't even notice Ria until Adam stopped and studied her again.
Joel, "Who in the hell is this?" Ria frowned at him; he was almost as fouled mouthed as the demon she'd just been rescued from. Adam realised he hadn't even asked her name yet.
Adam, "What's your name?" He sounded s=much kinder this time freeing her tongue.
Ria, "It's Ria. You must be Joel." She outstretched her little hand only to be yanked forward coming face to face with Joel's bright green eyes.
Joel, "You must be kidding me. Is she—"
Adam, "Another Nephilim." Joel let her go almost as if he was afraid of her and stood behind Adam.
Adam, "Don't worry she's harmless her powers haven't fully developed yet, she wanted some answers from me." Ria sat back down awkwardly as Joel beady eyes looked her up and down, she wasn't a trinket for people to gawk at she was still a living thing.
Joel, "I didn't think there were any in this area, where did you come from?" Ria attempted to speak when her mothers voice invaded her brain telling her about the third rule, could she really tell the truth? Adam could see she looked apprehensive and sat down offering her some milk. Ria was quenched and gladly accepted, why was he suddenly so kind?
Adam, "You can talk to us, we may be strangers, but we protect our own even if they are brats." And there was his attitude yet again. Still she liked that term, protecting their own. It made her feel like she belonged there.
Ria, "First off I'm not a brat and secondly what I'm about to tell you cannot be repeated. I beg you not to tell a soul or my family will suffer." Adam was beginning to understand her more and more, she had an expressive face that told truths she tried to keep hidden. Although she tried to sound brave her eyes showed nothing but insecurity.
Adam, "You must value your family quite a lot considering it's the second time you've mentioned them. How about we trade information, you tell me one thing about yourself and I'll return a secret of mine. Deal?" Ria liked this eye for an eye implication, at least she found find out something.
Ria, "Deal. You first." Joel sat down with dread in his gut, Adam had never even looked at another person apart from him for his whole life. So…what made this girl so special?
Adam, "Very well. Nephilim have extraordinary cognitive abilities including excelling hearing and sight. It can range from two miles depending on the position at the time. Satisfied?" Ria was overwhelming happy and pulled a small book from her pocket before jotting down word for word this new information. Adam watched intrigued as her little hand wrote away at a high speed, it was clear she valued this very much. Ria finished and decided on what to say in return.
Ria, "I have a twin brother who is also a Nephilim, but his blood is weaker than mine. My parents aren't my real parents, I was adopted at birth when my real mother died." Joel and Adam exchanged glances, that had hit home for them both.
Joel, "How strange our birth mother died in a similar way. So, you live with humans?" Ria nodded. It was peculiar to them that she wasn't in the slightest bit of discomfort while explaining such painful details. Impatiently she tapped her pen on the paper as if telling Adam, she was on the clock.
Adam, "Right…um Nephilim will usually gain supernatural abilities once their body is strong enough to contain it. In my case when I was eight years old, I could see thing before it happened. We used my visions to avoid capture while on the road."
Ria, "So you have precognition, how interesting. Are there other abilities we can possess?" Adam was trying to explain this simply, but this child was always a step ahead, it was like looking back fourteen years.
Adam, "They can have various abilities, Pyrokinesis, telekinesis." Ria wrote them all down wondering if Ethan would develop any of these in the near future.
Joel, "So you must be developing some of these, soon won't you?" Ria looked at him in confusion then she recalled her real age hadn't been exposed yet, hopefully they wouldn't be too shocked.
Ria, "Not for quite some time, I'm only four at the moment." Adam and Joel both gaped at eachother in shock, they expected her to be eight at the least never mind still an infant. Slowly their impressions of this young girl changed drastically.
Adam, "Four? You can read and write at such an age. Your speaking manner is even advanced." Ria didn't know how to respond, wasn't this normal for Nephilim? Yet Adam's eyes told a different story.
Ria, "You mean to say I shouldn't be this advanced? Am I abnormal?" The brothers could see a slither of sadness in her eyes, as if her dreams had been crushed to pieces. Joel began scrambling up a nice way to tell her she was very abnormal in terms of blood.
Joel, "Adam grew up like a normal child…You're not abnormal just…special?" Adam rolled his eyes and gave him a horrible glare, that was code word for different. Ria put down her book in a slump of depression, so even among Nephilim she was still in her own lane.
Adam, "Ria could I ask you one very important question?" She stifled a happy smile and nodded, she owed him that much considering he'd saved and carried her here. Yet why did his face look so troubled?
Adam, "Your birth parents? What were their names?" Ria was about to make a terrible mistake for the first time in her life, a mistake she would regret forever. Still naivety was naivety, so she opened her mouth exposing her true nature.
Ria, "My mother's demon name was Abaddon as for my father…his name was Lucifer. Don't worry I'm nothing like them—" She was cut off by heavy clattering around her as Adam and Joel backed up against the wall. Like her heart was being squeezed she finally realised that this was how people would always react to her, the daughter of pure evil…
Joel, "Adam, it's the missing child! The Anti-Christ in our very house, we will be killed on sight for even speaking with her!" Ria watched him quiver in panic and fear, leaving her unable to utter another word. Adam wasn't listening but rather looking at her in a different light as his aquamarine eyes glowed.
Adam, "You're not lying at all are you? Your really her…" Ria slowly packed up her notes and painfully stood up. This was a rejection she couldn't handle, and here she was believing this man could be her salvation.
Ria, "I'm sorry for bothering you, thankyou for your information it was very useful. Farewell." She bolted out of the front door and began sprinting home as fast as she could, night was louder than she imagined and frightening. Under the twittering owls and cicadas squawking was a voice she could no longer hear.
Adam, "Ria! Wait! Joel you idiot, it's not the child's fault!"
Joel, "That doesn't matter, you've heard the rumours about her! About her destiny!" Adam sighed and slumped down to the floor, little did Ria know she was also a salvation for another person. As he sat in devastation looking up at the sombre blue moon he wished to see her again.