Sharla - Family Secrets

Secrets

“I can’t believe I finally have you in my grasp. You took my wife and daughter away from me,” Atéri sneered. Closing his eyes he said, “Nathiel, my father, I will soon find you too.” Atéri started to relive the moment his world came crashing down. He remembered his father came to him in a dream and he could feel and hear everything his father experienced the last time he saw him and his sister alive. Nathiel felt a sudden pain in his chest, it was the same feeling he had when his wife, Elana was murdered by the very demons he tried to hide from. He remembered what the demon said before he killed his wife, “Since your new family is your god, now watch them all fall one by one.” Holding her by the neck, he flew her into the air, then snapped her neck. Smiling at Nathiel he released her and watched as he scrambled to catch his wife before she hit the ground. He cried No! Then tried to fly up to her, but it was too late. Nathiel stretched out his hand to catch his wife before her lifeless body hit the ground. He quickly ran to where his gut led him. He watched as Atéri held his sister in his arms. Blood flowed from her head. He was about to approach when two-winged fallen angels captured him. “Release me at once before I cut you down,” he said. As he took out his sword and was ready to fight. Suddenly he couldn’t move, the only movement he was allowed was his eyes. “It seems General, you are a hard angel to find. I send my demons to find you and you dispatch them as if they are nothing.” His eyes widened as he saw the being that now stands before him. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” he asked.

“Hmm,” Nathiel tried to speak. Looking at the General, he smiled.

“Sorry…” with a wave of his hand he partially released him.

Nathiel, felt his top half feel free and answered. “I would have returned, my prince, but I only wanted a moment of happiness.”

The prince turned to look down at the children oblivious to the danger that lurked around them.

“Lucifer will be very displeased with you. To know that you too choose to be with the walking meat sacks. You betrayed the master and for this, you will be tormented in hell for the rest of your immortal days,” the prince replied.

“My children, please spear them…they are not to be punished for my mistakes.” Nathiel pleaded.

“It’s too late, the girl is dead…but your son… he has much power within. I may just use him to help turn him to Lucifer.”

Turning to his minions, “Take him to the pit and begin his t*****e and advise Lord Lucifer the prodigal son has returned and his offspring’s souls will be ours. I will return in a moment,” the prince said.

“As you command Prince Tal.”

The general tried to fight and with another wave of the prince’s hand, he was immobile.

“Someone help us. God help us please,” Atéri said as he saw a man of the cloth walking by.

The man smiled at the boy. “Do you think you or that child is worth saving?” He asked.

“I…I am not, but my sister is. She always sat listening to the preaching and teachings of Christ. She is worth saving. I have heard of his healing powers and that he raised the dead. Please, sir. Save her. She is all my father and I have,” Atéri pleaded.

“My son…your sister will live on in paradise. Now go and bury your dead and serve God.”

“Bury my dead and serve God…a God who in my darkest hour did not lift a finger to help me…what do you mean she will live in paradise?” he growled.

“Son, it is already late for your sister, your mother and your father…you still have a chance to live.”

“I would rather die now than walk this earth without my family,” he yelled.

The man smiled more, then said. “Atéri I can end it all now if you will grant me your soul.”

Glaring at the man before him. “You want my soul? Why?”

“Let’s just say you are a valued player in the fight against good and evil.”

“You will never have my soul. You are no man of God…” Before Atéri could finish his sentence.

The man transformed into a two-headed demon then bellowed, “Atéri, son of General Nathiel, you are cursed with immortality, destined to lose the ones you love. Your only redemption is to kill all who hurt and stand in your way.”

Once the demon said his curse, he disappeared and Atéri blocked out.

***

"Zamilia! It has been a long time since we have seen each other, my love," Atéri said as they brought her before Father White. Atéri got up and walked over to her and whispered. "Soon we shall have a happy reunion. Our daughter will soon be here in exchange for this priest that has separated us all these years." Zamilia gasped and cried, "No Atéri, let her be." "You, again, want to deny me a chance to be with my daughter. You know how important family is to me after I lost my parents and my only sister and you...denied me the love a father has for his child. I never got to see her turn into a woman,” he replied. "She is a good child...do not corrupt her Atéri, please" she begged. Turning his eyes on Father White, he asked. "And what do you say, priest. Destroyer of families?" "I destroyed nothing, you fallen demon. You destroyed yourself for being what you are." "You can't blame me for my parentage. My father is a fallen angel and my mother a witch. My child, having a halfling to be her father and a witch for a mother. It's only fitting that I follow in my father's footsteps...but at least my mother never turned her back on my father the way you turned on me Zamilia. You tore my heart when you stole our child from me." "I didn't want our daughter to be anything like you. So I ran." "May I say something here," Father White interrupted. "No!" Atéri and Zamilia replied as both of them glared at each other. A shadow moved in the inner chamber and hid behind a dark curtain. "I was merely pointing out that your daughter doesn't know any of you. Do you really want her to witness both of you squabbling not caring to tell her of your existence?" Father White explained. "Did she not grow up with you?" Atéri spat. " Only her first three years, then I left her because I didn't want you to find her." "Hmm, it seems we both lost time with our child. Perhaps the blame squarely rests on the priest’s shoulders. He is the one that raised our child." Sharla stood paralyzed at the secret room she emerged from hearing that her father and mother were in arms reach before her and Father White knew all along who her parents were and kept it a secret all these one hundred years. She now understands why he kept moving her. She wondered why she stopped ageing years ago, but the only thing he told her was that she was special. It all made sense now. The nightmares, the dreams, the names she was able to tell Nico in the caves. Zamilia and Atéri, these, were her parents; the parents that, abandoned her. Feeling the anger rise up in her, she felt a surge of power flow through her. The wind blew the curtain as she marched straight to the throne room that her parents and Father White were in. Priests and guards came at her, she raised her hand and the wind moved them out of her way. "How-Could-You-Leave-Your-Own-Child to be Raised by another,? she raged as she enunciated everything. I for years thought you both hated me and left me because something was wrong with me. But I am not the problem. YOU BOTH ARE!" She shouted. "Sharla, calm down...this is not the way. Remember this is not the way. Use your words, not your power. Forgive my child. Love and heal," Father White said. "You don't get to talk to me...all my life you kept secrets from me." She scowled as her eyes turned red and her hair blew all around her as she started floating in the air. "Daughter...your mother took you from me. I searched for you for years, until that day when you touched my painting and I felt you. I knew, at last, I had found my beautiful, brave child. But I didn't have enough time to spend with you." Atéri explained. Turning to her mother, "What about you?" "I didn't want you to be raised by a demon. I renounced all witchcraft and got baptized. I have never used magic since. Then one day I came home from the market. I went into your bedroom and I saw you playing with a horned of a demon. I didn't know it was your father at the time as he had never shown me this side of himself before. He soon changed into himself and I was so shocked by all of this I just wanted to run as far as I could with you. It pained me to leave your father as I still loved him, but my love for you was stronger. And so I did what I thought was right for you." Sharla's eyes gradually turned normal and the wind died down. She then landed in her father's arms and her mother ran to hug them both. Father White, stood waiting to see what his fate would be. "Ehem. While I understand this being a happy occasion. I now wonder what you will do with me?" He asked, taking a step forward. Sharla then opened her eyes and stood before Father White. He stopped in his tracks. "Why did you keep this from me?" "It wasn't my story to tell Sharla, I left it up for your mother whenever she returned." ***