Chapter Ten
Cora stood in the doorway of the chapel wringing her hands and anxiously searching the trees for any sign of the others. Suddenly she caught sight of Mike carrying little Cody through the trees. Gabe was right behind him carrying Samantha in his arms. Alyssa and Rafi walked beside him.
“Are the children all right?” Cora called to them rushing forward.
Mike held out his hand and said, “They are fine, please stay back. Cody and I need to go inside the chapel.”
“No!” The demon screamed through the boy, “No! You can’t do this! I will be vanquished! No!”
Mike growled at him, “You should have thought about that before you took this boy. Possessing a child is punishable by death.”
The boy kicked and lashed out screeching in horror. “I can help you! I will tell you anything you want to know! I will tell you everything! Just don’t take me inside!”
Gabe handed Samantha to Alyssa and moved toward the boy. “Mike, if he has any information…”
Mike lifted the boy up until they were nose to nose. The child grew still; his face white with terror. Mike whispered with a sneer, “Tell me everything you know about Walton and his relationship with demons.”
The boy flashed a wicked grin and began, “The reptilian demons allow Walton to lord over them because he offers special nourishment that cannot be willingly given elsewhere.”
“What nourishment?” Mike demanded.
“Slugs and snails and puppy dogs tails.” The boy answered in a gleeful voice.
“Answer me.” Mike seethed.
“Sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s what little girls are made of.” The boy continued.
Mike took a step toward the chapel, and the demon screeched, “No! No!”
“Tell me now!” Mike growled.
The boy glanced at Samantha and whispered, “A child’s life force offers great sustenance for those who seek it.”
Mike glanced at Gabe whose face turned to stone. Gabe cupped the boy's chin and asked, “Who is your master?”
The boy’s cackle of glee was his only answer.
Mike lifted the boy high in the air and moved swiftly to the chapel door. “No!” The demon boy screamed. “I can help you fight the demons! I can insure your success! You need me!”
Mike stopped before the door and said, “You have nothing I need.”
He shoved the boy through the open door, and the child began to convulse. Alyssa rushed forward terrified for the boy. Gabe stepped in front of her stopping her from reaching Mike.
“This is the only way to save him.” Gabe said softly as he blocked Samantha’s view.
The boy went stiff; his arms and legs stretched out wide. He screeched in horror as a white light engulfed him. The light penetrated him. His eyes glowed bright with a blood red glow. He curled up into a fetal position beneath Mike’s steel grip. Suddenly the white light burst from within him, and the boy’s arms and legs flew open wide. He screamed then fell silent.
A black gaseous cloud rose from the boy and glowed in the air over him. Mike turned and gently handed the boy to Gabe, who cradled his unconscious form in his arms. Mike pulled his sword from the sheath on his back and lifted it toward the sky. The clouds began to boil above them. Gabe backed Alyssa away from Mike. A bolt of lightning flashed from the clouds and rushed into the sword. Mike spun and thrust his sword into the center of the cloud. It exploded in a burst of black flames and was gone.
The clouds calmed and separated allowing a brief moment of sunlight to drift down onto the chapel. Gabe knelt down and brushed the hair from Cody’s eyes. “Hey buddy,” Gabe said softly, “Can you open your eyes?”
Cody didn’t respond.
Gabe glanced up as Rafi appeared at his side. He rose and handed the boy to him. Rafi touched the top of Cody’s head for several moments before he said, “He’ll live, and I’ve done what I can to minimize the damage. But we won’t know how bad it is until he regains consciousness. The best thing for him right now is sleep.”
“Damage?” Alyssa asked reaching out to touch the boy’s cheek.
“There’s a reason why possession of children is forbidden.” Rafi answered sadly.
Gabe turned to Alyssa and reached out for Samantha saying, “Let’s discuss this another time, Samantha and Cody need to get some rest. Let’s get them back to the house.”
Mike shook his head and said, “They’ll have to rest here. We’re out of time.”
All eyes turned to Mike as he stepped out of the chapel and into the light. “The failure of Samantha’s abduction has accelerated the assault. They’ll be here shortly after sunset, and we are not ready.”
Rafi handed Cody to Alyssa then followed Mike to the plywood that lay on the grass. They lifted it quickly and headed to secure the last window. Gabe shifted Samantha in his arms and offered his hand to Cora. “Let’s get the children settled inside.” He said quietly. “I think it may be time to open that picnic basket of yours Cora.”
Cora smiled weakly and took his hand, “There’s a small wood burning stove inside we should gather some firewood. It’s going to get cold when the sun goes down, and I only have one blanket.”
“I’d rather not start a fire, Cora.” Gabe explained in a matter of fact tone. “I’ll have Mike bring back some blankets when he returns the tractor to the barn.”
He set Samantha on her feet and laid Cody on the blanket Cora spread out on the altar. Cradling Cody’s head in her lap, Cora tucked the blanket around him. Samantha leaned over and kissed his cheek saying, “It’s okay Cody; the monster is gone. Mike killed him; he can’t hurt you anymore.”
Alyssa came to Gabe’s side and asked, “Why can’t we start a fire?”
He turned to her and said, “Can you help me outside?”
Alyssa nodded and followed him out the door. He turned to face her as they stepped into the cool air. Taking her hands in his, he said, “We can’t risk a fire. You saw what happened to the demon; they won’t be able to enter the chapel. But that doesn’t mean they won’t try to drive you out. That’s why we boarded the windows, and we’ll board up the door when the time comes. No matter what happens you must keep everyone inside until it’s over. Demon battles don’t happen often. They don’t like to be caught out in the open. When they do they come, it will be fast. They swarm in like insects, devastate everything and disappear quickly. We just have to hold them off long enough for them to tire of the effort.”
Alyssa stepped closer comforted by his touch. “How will they come? Will they be in human form?”
“No,” Gabe smiled as her soft scent reached him, lilac, she smelled like lilac. “A demon is weakened substantially during a possession. Now that they know what they’re up against. They won’t want to waste any of their strength. They will come in their true form.”
“The black oily creatures I saw in the sanctuary?”
“Demons come in many forms. You’ve seen only a few. Demons can take any form and vary in strength depending on their origin.” Gabe glanced up at the sky as a thick layer of dark gray clouds approached from the north.
“How can you stop them? You said your sword only sent them back to hell it doesn’t destroy them. Won’t they keep coming back?” Alyssa followed his gaze toward the sky.
“Earth is an open battlefield to all ethereal beings. We are all subject to banishment. Once banished from the earth no ethereal being is allowed to return for one hundred years. There is no need to vanquish them.” Gabe looked down at her and leaned closer.
“But the demon inside of Cody said he would be destroyed.” Alyssa said confused.
“Yes,” Gabe answered sadly, “Possession of a child is a mortal sin and punishable by death. That demon was removed from existence. Just as all demons are, when they violate the sanctity of Holy ground such as the chapel. It would be better if those creatures had never been born.”
“Born? Demons are born?”
Gabe smiled at her and said, “Ve
ry few are actually born demons. All demons are a product of hell. A few of the most powerful were born there. Most are created from the worst criminals in the history of the world treated to millennia of hellish punishment. They are victims of their own greed and sloth enhanced by Hells unending torment. They can’t help but change into the vile creatures they become.”
“You feel sorry for them.” Alyssa released his hands and reached up to touch his face. “You don’t want to kill them. You want to save them. They are evil incarnate and yet you, a warrior of God sent to protect the world from these creatures, risking your own existence. You want to save them.”
“They are to be pitied, not vanquished. Perhaps someday they can be saved.” Gabe pulled her against him. “The true power behind all demons comes from the few who rule over them. The followers of Lucifer cast into hell when he was exiled from Heaven, the Fallen Angels. Let’s just hope none of them have decided to join our little party.”
“If they do, you should leave them to me,” Mike’s deep voice came from behind Gabe.
Gabe’s hold on Alyssa lessened a bit, but he did not release her. Alyssa gazed into his eyes as a flicker of challenge flashed then quickly faded replaced by a smile. Gabe slipped one arm around Alyssa’s waist as he turned to face Mike and said, “Mike’s an old pro at battling Fallen Angels, aren’t you Mike?”
A flicker of a grin crossed Mike’s face. He turned and walked away as he called over his shoulder, “I tossed Pretty Boy Satan on his ass one time, and nobody can let it go.”
Gabe chuckled and called after him, “Cora is asking for some blankets.”
“Yeah, yeah, like that’s going to make any difference.” Mike answered as he climbed on the tractor and started it up. He put it in gear and shouted to Gabe as he pulled away, “I may be a while; I’m going to take a look around.”
Rafi walked around the corner of the chapel and moved past them, heading inside. “Keep your eyes open, I’m going to check on Cody.”
Alyssa walked to the door and stared after him, “Will Cody be all right?”
Gabe came up beside her and said, “He’ll have a dark side that will show its face on occasion. But if Rafi has anything to do with it, he will be a brooding knight, as opposed to a serial killer.”
“Serial killer?” Alyssa gasped turning to face him.
Gabe chuckled, “Don’t worry, he’s been touched by the greatest of all archangels. No dark force will dare touch him again.”
“And Samantha?” She gazed anxiously up at him.
“Samantha is a fighter.” Gabe reached for her, “She may not be the chosen child Walton thinks her to be, but I’m certain she will play an important part in this prophesy.”
Alyssa frowned and glanced down; Gabe cupped her chin and lifted it to face him. She stared at his questioning expression and said, “If you are an angel, an archangel, then why don’t you know Samantha’s future. Why didn’t you know she was going to be attacked? Why didn’t you know the boy was possessed by a demon?”
Gabe nodded and said, “We aren’t clairvoyant. When God gave man free will He set a plan in motion that allowed man to decide how to travel his path to the end of days. He only gives us what we need to move forward. The future is subjective; we don’t always know which path will be taken even though the ending is clear. Cody was not possessed when he walked out of the woods. The demon must have jumped into Cody a few seconds before taking Samantha.”
Alyssa stared at him with a blank expression. He sighed and added, “It’s like traveling to your grandmothers. We knew how to get there, but our path was altered because of the demons. We still reached our destination, but not in the way we intended.”
“So you know the demons will be defeated tonight?” Alyssa whispered with uncertainty.
“I know evil will be defeated on the last day. I know Rafi, Mike, and I will continue to do battle to protect the innocent until that time. I know I will sacrifice my very existence if necessary to accomplish those goals. But I don’t know how this battle will end, just as I don’t know when the end of days will begin.” He pulled her to him. “I can tell you this battle is important or Mike would not be here. I can tell you that Mike’s presence offers a greater chance of victory. I can promise you I will do everything in my power to destroy Walton’s reign and break his hold over you, and Samantha.”
He pulled her closer, so close his lips brushed against hers as he added, “Promise me you will never give up hope. Promise me you will stay strong. You will protect yourself and Samantha when others cannot. Your time of submission is over. Promise me you will never allow a man to dominate you ever again. Promise me you will find love and cherish it with all your being until the end of your days here on earth.”
“I have found it,” She whispered hoarsely, “And I’m not letting you go.”
He kissed her fiercely releasing the passion he’d held back for so long. She melted into him feeling his manhood grow as their kiss deepened. Yet this time a man’s virile response offered no threat, caused her no fear. She trembled with anticipation, clinging to him, desperate to feel his warmth, his love.
He lifted her from the ground pressing her tight against him as his tongue explored her mouth. Alyssa’s heart pounded; her face flushed with desire as she dug her fingernails into his back. Yet as quickly as the kiss began, Gabe withdrew pulling away from her. His breath came in ragged gasps as he slowly set her feet on the ground and released her. “I can’t love you… there is no future with me.”
He turned and walked away. Alyssa stood frozen, stricken by his words staring after him as he disappeared into the trees. Rafi came up behind Alyssa and stood gazing over her shoulder as Gabe disappeared into the woods. He sighed and touched Alyssa’s shoulder softly. Startled by his touch, she spun to face him. Rafi reached out, brushed a tear from her face, and said, “He’s not rejecting you because he has no feelings for you. He has no choice. Love is a complicated thing for an archangel; it can lead to our downfall. We spend our entire existence protecting, cherishing and loving the entire human race, but we are forbidden to indulge in the delicate realm of passionate love.”
His words offered no comfort.
Alyssa sighed and glanced down not wishing to meet his gaze. She whispered, “I have spent my entire life dreaming of a wonderful, kind man who would protect and love me. The thought of such a man has kept me alive deep inside for so long. I can’t imagine not having that dream to hold onto.” She looked up at him as tears streamed down her face. “Why would such a loving God as you describe forbid his most precious of all servants from experiencing such a wonderful gift?”
Rafi hugged her. “Alyssa, surely you can understand how love can be twisted into a weapon against even the purest at heart. Think of Samantha and how you risked everything to save her from Walton and his demons. You placed her individual safety above everything else. Archangels can’t do that. Our very existence for the last millennia has been to keep the balance of good and evil in check as we wait for the end of days. If just one of us were to allow evil to triumph for our own personal gain; the tide could turn and the entire world could fall into chaos.”
Alyssa pulled back from him and said, “Gabe said God gave mankind free will. Did He give the archangels free will too?”
“We always had free will.” Rafi gazed down at her.
“So God trusts you to keep the world safe?”
“Of course,” Rafi answered with a frown.
“Then shouldn’t He trust you to make the right decision if someone you loved was placed in danger? Shouldn’t He trust you to make the necessary sacrifice so it won’t change the world?” Alyssa asked softly.
Rafi gazed into the trees where Gabe disappeared and said, “I don’t know.”
The Light of His Sword Page 11
