Rise of the Fallen Read Online Free Page A

God’s handiwork. He wondered if he would ever be allowed to experience it himself. Besides the stairway near the great mountain that he and Niturni had found, Elohim formed another and called it the Mesopotamian Stairway. It was much closer to Zion and the preferred way of passage from heaven to earth.
    Many cycles later, Validus walked through the Garden of the Dove in the fourth sector of Zion. He was to meet Niturni there, but as he approached his friend, two of the One Hundred were talking with him.
    Unsure whether to approach or not, Validus decided to divert to another path. Lost in thought about the glory of Elohim’s creation, he meandered to an ivory bench and sat down. At first the voices of Niturni and his companions were too soft to hear, but then Validus heard words that unsettled him.
    “It is possible. Lucifer has said so.”
    “How can it be?”
    “You need to come and hear him yourself, see if he doesn’t convince you. He can rise above Elohim … and so can we.”
    Validus’s blood turned cold. Fear and anger mingled in his heart. Had he misheard?
    He stood and walked through the trees and onto the path where Niturni and the other two stood. He was now just twenty feet away. As one, all three angels turned and glared at him, testifying to the unthinkable.
    These were powerful angels, and he was the last and least, but anger swelled within him. He walked toward Niturni.
    “What have you heard?” the one named Hadron demanded. Icy eyes glared and muscles twitched in the mighty being.
    “When did heaven become a place of forbidden whispers?” Validus dared to retort. He looked at his friend. “What’s going on, Niturni?”
    Hadron stepped toward Validus. He lowered his chin and began to lift his hands, but Niturni stepped between them.
    “It’s all right, Hadron. Validus can be trusted. We are friends.”
    Validus stared back, wondering what Hadron had intended to do.
    Hadron’s glare didn’t leave him. “Mind your tongue, angel,” he said, then nodded for the other angel to follow him out of the garden.
    Validus watched them for a moment, confused, angry, afraid. “What—” he began, but Niturni interrupted.
    “Don’t mind them, Validus. All is well. Lucifer is calling a special meeting of the One Hundred after the last cycle. That’s all.” He grabbed Validus’s shoulder and spun him around to walk with him. Validus stayed silent. “Really, Validus, it’s nothing to be concerned about.”
    But he was.
    “I’ve been there.” Niturni gripped the rail of the Mesopotamian Stairway with both hands as he looked down at the serene blue orb called Earth.
    “What’s it like?”
    Niturni turned and looked at Validus. He seemed mightier than ever, determined, almost strategic. “It’s hard to describe. It’s … sensual. More solid and yet softer. Down there we are invisible, powerful. I want to go back.”
    Validus looked at his friend. For a long time their friendship had tightened and become kindred-like, similar to Persimus and Cadriel’s. But recently Niturni seemed different, and Validus couldn’t understand why. Niturni’s visit to earth had changed him. Validus wasn’t sure he liked it.
    Validus looked down at the peaceful orb as it hung in the space beneath heaven. Somehow the creation of this new realm changed the order of life in heaven. He broke from the enchanted view.
    “What do you say we explore the outer lands again? Let’s see what new thing we might discover.”
    Niturni smiled in a way Validus had never seen. “What do you say we explore earth and see what new thing we might discover there?”
    “Are we allowed?”
    Niturni’s silence was answer enough.
    Validus frowned. He squared off with his friend. “What’s going on,Niturni? Ever since that last meeting with the One Hundred you’ve been different.”
    Niturni’s eyes narrowed—he stepped closer to Validus. Somehow it made Validus uncomfortable. “Lucifer is gathering angels. He knows things