Unexpected Residents

As Amra and Caliope walked into the room looking for Elaine and Pronab, she gasped at the sight; the room was chaotic, a chair was upside down but floating towards a corner, there was a window closed but twistedly positioned on the wall, the bed was in order, except for the fact that it was hanging from the ceiling.

When she finally saw Pronab and Elaine, the sight of the room paled in comparison to them. He was leaning on a table shirtless, and Elaine leaned towards him. As she took a closer look, she could notice scars on his back and wounds that were fresh. Elaine's hands were hovering over some of them, healing slowly. "What happened?!"

Elaine turned her head and so did Pronab, who was trying to mask some pain "He will be fine if you let me finish... just healing the last ones..."

"Did you get attacked again here?"

Pronab whispered "no..."

"Then what happened?" Caliope was bordering panic, she walked a few steps closer to them waiting for their answer. Elaine looked at Amra and then back at Caliope, who understood immediately it had something to do with him. She looked at him and pleaded for an explanation 'when did this happen? why is he hurt like this?' where her words in his mind.

'He got the scars when he was taking you to safety.'

'Then why aren't they saying this? is there something more?'

Finally he spoke to all "I was the one who provoked those injuries at him, not on purpose, but by fighting the shadows that were trying to get you."

The fact that he responded directly out loud instead of her mind, was symbolic. A way to accept his part on what happened to Pronab, and also an unspoken apology. Still, one could sense the tension between them, and Caliope closed her eyes, she knew it was because of their kiss. She turned her head around and Amra held her tighter to his side. Quietly, they waited for Elaine to finish healing Pronab. "Ok, we have finished..."

Caliope opened her eyes and turned around, Pronab was putting on a coat and grabbing his cell phone, dialing a number. Elaine walked towards Caliope with a shy smile "Would you need me to help you on anything my dear? you look tense..."

"Please, I am ok... I am glad he... is healed... now? what do we do?"

"We are making arrangements for our change of residence. The Hotel manager is confused as of why we are leaving."

Caliope nodded and found Pronab walking back towards them, he kept visual contact to Elaine and his cellphone, but avoided as much as possible hers and Amra's sight "The car is waiting for us, Maxwell is expecting us."

Elaine sighed "thank you Pronab..."

"Maxwell? we are heading back to his house?"

Amra replied to her before anyone else did "it is the safest place for you to be, he has a fortress and so many of us there that no one would dare to make any attempt... it doesn't matter where we go, you will be safe, I promise you... but for your own good, I think it is best to stay in a place with more of us, and it would be best for us to gather and start to find some answers about what is going on."

Again she nodded, Amra seemed to know her better than she knew herself; the fact that there were more angels around her did make a difference and made her feel safer. They headed again to the door, with one look back, Caliope frowned and looked at Amra "how will you fix this? or you all plan just to turn in the key and let the cleaning staff have a heart attack?"

All three of them turned around and saw the room for the first time as evidence of chaos. Elaine sighed and made a gesture with her hand for them to continue "I will take care of this, now please go, and be ready."

Amra nodded at Elaine and turned around heading to the elevator; he grabbed Caliope's hand and held it tightly as Pronab was following them at a few steps behind. He was nervous, and once they were out of the elevator, he headed towards the reception where a sleepy manager was still a little shocked with the news of some of his more private and wealthy visitors deciding to leave so abruptly.

Caliope was tense, and Amra noticed it. He caressed her arms slowly first, then held her in his arms. She sighed and closed her eyes, they felt so heavy. She finally admitted she was exhausted "how long for us to leave? I feel so tired..."

"Soon, I would speed things up but, we are in an open space with too many people around.

"I wouldn't ask you to do that, ever... I was just... wondering..." she yawned. He smiled softly at her and kissed the top of her head. After some minutes, Caliope heard Elaine return, she was saying goodbye to the manager in the most friendly yet hurried way possible. She was struggling to open her eyes and wondered if she actually felt asleep while standing.

Finally Elaine reached to Pronab, who was standing against a column some steps away from them, and together they all headed out, where the limo was ready and the driver was more awake than the rest of them. As soon as they got in the car, Amra pulled Caliope to his lap and into his arms. She laid her head on his chest, her face buried in his neck, she sighed and finally fell asleep.

When she slowly recovered conscience; she felt as Amra lifted her with him and got out of the car, the murmurs around her were still a little blurred as her tiredness was winning. She could hear Maxwell close to them "Welcome back, please come in, your rooms are ready..."

The General was barely whispering, but even though she was half asleep, she could still hear him. Amra was moving calmly as they were about to enter the residence when she finally heard the others speak. The first one Elaine "I am sorry it had come to this..." trying to apologize but hearing Maxwell deny any inconvenience "Shh... it is ok... everything will be ok... I feel better having you all here to be honest..."

Pronab was tense, she didn't have to see him to sense him. He was cautious as he spoke "we need to discuss security measures as soon as possible." But Maxwell replied with some coldness "with all due respect, but I trust in my security team, nothing has ever happened so far in between these walls..."

"Please lets us just calm down from this, and we can talk it all later..." Elaine said, her voice almost too far.

Caliope was hearing all these whispers, and started to recover conscience a little, surprised that she could hear Angels whispers. Her mind was still heavy, she knew she still had to rest more, but what little she slept on the way made her batteries reloaded for a few more minutes. She was still on Amra's arms, he had no problem lifting her body and carrying her anywhere. He lowered his head and brushed his lips on hers, whispering 'You are awake...? my love, you should sleep... I am not leaving your side...' She smiled, his lips warming her. 'I... I will sleep more... I am ok...'

Suddenly, a hard and deep pain pierced her skull. She shuddered and Amra stopped immediately, making everyone stop as well.

Elaine focused on him, and saw him look down at Caliope, only then noticing her shivers "Amra?"

The pain became stronger, and the immediate silence from the voices around her was quickly replaced by darker whispers, voices so deep and empty at the same time. She took her hands to her ears but the voices kept whispering strange words she could not understand. The pain stopped but the voices went higher, now almost like normal people talking, and she finally opened her eyes and looked around her, finding Maxwell and everyone else exchanging looks from Amra to her without understanding. And then she saw them; hollowed ghosts floating around them, creatures resembling humans but without a full shape and body. She gasped and cringed to Amra's chest "Go away!"

Amra looked up and around without understanding what she meant, and held her tighter protectively. The endless procession without route of ghouls kept moving careless to her words. Amra helped her stand but kept his arms around her at all times, as Maxwell gave a step towards them "what is happening?"

Caliope seemed lost, looking at what they all saw as emptiness around them "who are you?! What are you?! Go away!!! Stop whispering!!!"

Everyone felt sorry for her at the same time Elaine started approaching in an attempt to calm her down, but when Caliope set her eyes on her just a step away from reach, she stopped. Another ghost passed right next to her body. She jumped and shook her head as Amra frowned and squeezed her tightly 'Love... what is happening...? these are our people... you are safe...'

She turned around to see him, and then tears started to roll down her eyes 'You can't see them? Am I going crazy?'

The voices became louder, and she screamed, Amra now more worried and alert; he put a hand at the back of her head at the same time his other one was still holding her. He closed his eyes and after a second he was in her head. Only then he was able to see them, the endless dance of the ghosts moving between them, and the escalating voices that became louder and louder at the second, he couldn't believe it, he was surprised he couldn't see them but she did. Caliope made a last cry of help as she, in tears, yelled at the top of her lungs "Please.... Please go away... whatever you are... get out of my head!"

Silence. The voices stopped completely, and Caliope opened her eyes again. The fear in her eyes made everyone shudder, she was pale, eyes wide open, dark shadows around. All the ghouls were now looking straight at her, immobile, drawn to her cry. Amra was as shocked at the sight as she was, and as soon as he removed his hand from the back of her head, he couldn't see the ghosts anymore. Elaine begged for some reply "Amra! What is happening!"

"You have dark spirits in your fortress, General..." Amra's words were cold and threatening, Elaine gasped and turned around to look at Pronab. He was just as surprised as her but immediately started to walk towards Amra and Caliope. Maxwell was in shock, it was evident that something wrong was happening, but his instinct made him express his disconcert "that cannot be!" Falshore quickly added "my Lord, we haven't seen nor detected anything!" and he was honest as the surprise caught him as well. He was the head of the security of the entire residence, and his pride had always been that no one and nothing ever was able to disturb the walls of their private state.

Amra gritted his teeth as he spoke with anger "You will deal with the how or why later, right now, we need to vanish them... Elaine..."

She reached to Caliope and helped him to hold her; she was trembling, half due her shock, half because of her exhaustion. Pronab reached without hesitation to them and took Amra's hand, he turned to see him. "Show them to me..." Without hesitation he put his hand back on Caliope's head and Pronab could finally see. He studied the scene for a few seconds, and then walked away in order to regain his sight; he looked at Elaine "Enchanted souls, they have been put here for a reason, never in all my existence I have seen so many without a good reason... but they are casted here and cursed, they can't leave..."

"How can that be? How do we get rid of them?"

"I hate to say this, but wish Magna was here, she has more experience than me..."

"What CAN we do?!"

Pronab shook his head and then turned to look at Caliope, she was still shaking and holding her eyes closed. Suddenly, the voices started echoing in her head again, and she started crying.

"Please... please... make them stop... make them go away..." her voice barely a whisper, her strength vanishing.

"I think only you can..."

Caliope struggled to opened her eyes looking at him in tears pleading for more explanation. He quickly added, feeling as if a part of him was being torn just by watching her suffer "We don't know how powerful you are, but you are half-darkness... the same darkness that bound them here..."

Wiltshire, who had been silent expectant from the door, finally walked in closer nodding. Maxwell looked at him puzzled. "He is right, if there are ghosts here bounded by a dark Angel, only one of their kind can release them..."

Amra understood "what does she need to do?"

"Caly... look at me..." Pronab's words were firm but gentle, she slowly lifted her eyes at him again and sobbed. He gave a last step closer to her and held her chin up "Listen to me please... these are ghosts... people condemned to be here... they don't want to be here... and like an army of soldiers, they need a general to follow... you just have to speak to them... firmly... order them to go away..."

"I can't... this is too much... I don't know how..."

Pronab looked up at Amra, who was holding the anger that grew inside him "You need to guide her Amra, you give her the power... we can't do this, only she can... with you... you need to guide her..."

And he understood each of Pronab's words, as he spoke in a language he understood perfectly. He nodded and made Elaine and him step aside as he held Caliope firmly and put a hand on her head again. He whispered in her head 'let me be your words... let me guide you... let me use your voice to command them...'

She closed her eyes and replied 'Use whatever you need to... I just want them to go away...' He closed his eyes 'relax now... it will all be over soon...'

A shudder went through her as Amra's last words were spoken, and a strange, powerful force took over her body, giving her strength to stand on her own. She lifted her head and stared at the ghost's parade directly. Finally, her lips open, her voice firm, thought the words were spoken from him "You, cursed souls... who have been wondering around here for far too long... condemned to serve the wrong cause... you! Shadows of the past, hear me!"

The words were spoken with such conviction, such strength, every living creature, heavenly and human, were drawn to it. The ghosts stopped moving again, and each faced her as she continued "You have been waiting too long, for this torture to end... hear me now, I release you from this curse, and set you free from any bound created by my kind! You are now free!"

A strong burst of power shook everyone present, suddenly the ghosts released one last cry, one that everyone could hear. A dark cloud exploded and quickly dissipated. Finally Caliope smiled in tears "they are gone..." and Amra held her vanishing body before it hit the ground.