With one final squeeze, Calden gently disengaged from them and said, “I need to see if there is anything I can do to help Jessica, but I’m afraid it’s too late. They will be coming soon to pick up the…remains.”
They watched as he slowly walked over to the bunched group of spirits. The spirits parted for him, allowing him inside. He stopped and spoke to one of the spirits. Brynn couldn’t hear what was said, but the spirit’s face brightened. The look of weariness and pain left. He started to glow and then the spirit kind of melted into the glow and was gone. Calden moved toward the next spirit and the same thing happened. One by one, after speaking with Calden this transformation took place.
“Where are they going?” Miranda asked Mathius.
“They are passing over. Their work on this earth is done and they are finally free to join their loved ones on the other side.”
Tears welled up in all their eyes, even Miranda’s. Brynn turned back and saw that the last of the spirits were starting to glow and passing on and Calden knelt down beside Jessica. She was weeping exhaustedly on the ground. He whispered to her, but she only shook her head and wouldn’t look at him. He gently brushed his hand across her back but she recoiled from his touch. He bowed his head over her in defeat and then got up and walked back toward them.
Chapter 56
The smell was back, so the little gremlins would be there any second to take control of the demon part of the bits and pieces left of the constructs. The earth began to shudder and shake and then it split open with a horrible groan in several places next to where the bodies of the demons lay. Flames licked out of the portal, blackish red and disturbing to look at. The gremlins scuttled out and dragged what was left of the constructs bodies into a pile. The chanting started again like it had the first time at the car wreck. The constructs couldn’t sit up and spew the demons’ spirits out of their mouths this time. The black inky spiritual substance slowly leaked out of what was left of the constructs’ bodies. The gremlins called to the hovering blackness and led the spirits back down to hell. Jessica was alone now. It was agonizing to watch her all curled up in a fetal position on the ground shaking.
"What's that?" asked Miranda looking up and over her shoulder.
"It sounds like a helicopter maybe," said Jerom.
They all turned toward the sound. The helicopter came in over the edge of the quarry. Mathius and Calden snapped open their wings shielding Brynn, Jerom and Miranda from the rotor wash. As the helicopter blades wound down to a stop they heard Jessica moaning and crying, "No, no please. I just need more time," over and over as she scratched and kicked at the earth.
"What's going on? Who's in the helicopter?' asked Brynn.
"It's Jessica's Master," answered Calden. "Stay between us, within the protection of our wings. Mathius had moved behind the three of them. The angels had their wings extended with their wingtips touching creating a barrier around them.
The side of the helicopter had Caine Industries, Inc. printed in red on the door panel. The door slid open and a strikingly beautiful man stepped out. His gaze slowly moved over them. Miranda sucked in air. Mathius put a hand on her shoulder. Brynn felt herself start to shake. She moved forward until Calden's feathers brushed lightly against her. The blood drained from Jerom's face and his fists clenched.
Jessica's Master was dressed simply in a dark suit with a solid-colored gold tie. His hair was slicked back and hung down to his shoulders. His gaze glanced almost painfully off the angels and focused onto Jessica. She cringed as if she had been hit. A whine escaped her lips.
He half-turned speaking loudly over his shoulder. “Well done, Raymond, you led me right to her.”
Raymond stepped out of the helicopter, “I’m so pleased to be of service, Master.” He took two small steps to stand slightly behind and to the right of the Master.
Jessica’s head snapped up at the sound of Raymond’s voice. She muttered something under her breath flinging her arm at Raymond. Raymond’s body was flung backwards into the side of the helicopter. He slumped to the ground unconscious.
The Master chuckled softly, “Oh, Jessica, I do love your temper.” He waved his hand at Raymond and a second man stepped out of the helicopter and dragged Raymond back inside.
The Master turned back toward Jessica the smile on his face gone. He walked toward her. He moved with confidence, beautiful and arrogant. He stopped about ten feet from Jessica and called to her, “Jessica, you have failed me for the last time. It is time to go.”
She sat up, kneeling, her head bowed before him. “No Master, please. Give me another chance?”
The Master looked around him and started to laugh. “Another chance to do what? How do you think you can fix..this?”
She started to crawl away from him, her face intensely fearful. She leapt from her knees and started to run toward Calden. The man just smiled after her. Right before she reached Calden he twitched his hand and she was jerked off her feet. She landed hard on her back. Her head smacked the ground loud enough for them to hear. The Master bent his finger slowly in a come here gesture and she was gripped by a force that dragged her all the way back to him. She kicked and screamed. He leaned down and grasped her by the shoulder which began to sizzle and smoke. They could smell her skin burning. Her shrieks were excruciating to hear. They had to watch as she squirmed trying to get loose from his grip.
“I gave you so many chances and you’ve disappointed me at every turn,” he said it so calmly like a disappointed father. Jessica continued to thrash around. Her eyes pleaded with Calden. He shook his head sadly with tears running down his cheeks.
“I’m afraid I have to punish you now. It will be extremely unpleasant…for you.” He let go of her shoulder. He flung his hand forward and her body was hurled forward several feet. He flung his hand again and again flinging her toward the helicopter. Each time she landed with a shriek. The skin was being stripped from her body as she hit. Her bones snapping with the force of each impact.
Brynn buried her face in Calden's wing. He reached behind him and grasped her hand. Miranda sagged to the ground, putting her hands over her ears to block out Jessica's screams. Jerom closed his eyes and bowed his head, shaking with anger.
Jessica's Master flipped his fingers at Jessica once more and hurled her broken body through the door of the helicopter. He sighed, "I'm afraid that's just the beginning of your pain, Jessica," he shook his head almost sadly and turned toward Brynn.
She could feel the weight of his stare. She looked up.
“I’ll take you too, Bringer. No Bringer has survived me.” His gaze upon her made her skin crawl. She wanted to look away, but then he would have won, so she kept her gaze steady even with her whole body shaking. She straightened her back and looked him right back in the eyes just to prove she wasn’t as terrified of him as she looked. He sized her up a little in that moment. Then he smiled, nodded at Calden and Mathius, walked to the helicopter and with a movement so graceful it hurt to watch, got in. With his gaze directed forward and a negligent wave of his hand the door slid shut. The rotors wound up and the helicopter lifted off and away.
Calden and Mathius lowered their wings. Calden wrapped his arms around Brynn and whispered in her ear, “He won’t take you. I won’t let that happen. You are the one, the Bringer who will end this. Don’t fear or lose faith. Now, let’s see what we can do about those injuries.”
She turned to face him and nodded. That was all she could manage. She was still shaking so hard from the confrontation with Jessica's Master that it was difficult to stand. She sank to the ground, then laid flat out. She was exhausted, bruised, her arm was broken. There wasn’t a muscle in her body that didn’t hurt. Calden knelt next to her and she saw the burns through his wings and the jagged tears in his skin.
“I’m so sorry you’re hurt. Maybe you should fix yourself first,” she said.
“I’ll be fine. You need to let me help you.”
“Okay,” she was too tired to resist.
&n
bsp; He placed a hand on her shoulder and one on her arm. He started to glow and it was like pure energy was being pumped into her body. It filled her whole body, tingling along every nerve and infusing every muscle fiber.
The glow slowly receded from him and he asked, “How do you feel?”
“Really good, great actually. Thanks.”
He extended his hand to her and helped her to her feet. She hugged him tightly and he squeezed back kissing her head gently and then released her.
“I love you, Calden.”
“I love you too, Bringer.”
Then he and Mathius moved to heal Miranda and Jerom. Jerom being used to it, just sat calmly while Mathius worked on him. Miranda backed away from Calden like she was a little scared. Brynn put her arm around her and whispered softly. “It’s okay. His touch, it’s really wonderful.” Miranda stood still, closed her eyes and let Calden heal her.
He treated her so gently, lightly laying his hands on her until she stopped shaking. She gasped in a little as his energy suffused her body. As Brynn was watching Miranda, the huge lump on Miranda’s head receded. Blood was still covering the whole side of her face and head, but when she reached up to touch her scalp she didn’t wince.
Calden then placed his hands down the side of her chest. After a moment or two she was able to draw in a deep breath. She opened her eyes and looked up, way up, at Calden. Miranda was always beautiful, but even bloody and dirty the joy in her face from being united with Calden had transformed her.
Calden came up to Brynn after and wrapped her in his wings, just like the first time. It felt like they were all alone in their own little feathery world. He ran his hand down her cheek and lifted her chin with his hand to look directly into her eyes.
“We have to leave you now, but you know how to reach us. We are never far. Now, Jerom’s parents are almost here. Go with them, they will be able to keep you safe. You have much to learn, but you are on the right path.”
She ran her arms around his waist and leaned into his chest trying to soak up every last ounce of him, knowing it may be awhile before she would see him again. He hugged her back and leaned his head on top of hers. Then, he released her, opened his wings and stepped back to Mathius.
Jerom and Miranda came and stood on either side of her and Jerom put his arm around Brynn’s shoulders.
Calden looked at each of them for a moment. “We are so proud of all of you. Keep developing your gifts. We love you more than you know,” he said and Mathius nodded with a smile. It felt like a very ceremonial moment and they all inclined their heads to the angels.
Then the angels lifted off the ground. Their heads tilted back as they watched the angels ascend.
“Where do they go?” Miranda asked.
“I don’t know, heaven maybe,” Jerom said.
“Wherever it is I want to go there someday too,” said Brynn. “Not right away or anything, but someday.” Jerom squeezed Brynn’s shoulder.
Brynn turned into Jerom’s body which had provided her with such refuge over the last couple of days. It was hard for her to believe it had only been a couple of days. He leaned down so they were face to face and said, “Hey, Bringer, we did it,” and then Brynn closed her eyes as he moved even closer. The kiss was gentle, sweet and perfect after what they had been through.
“Jerom, Miranda!” They heard shouting from the other end of the quarry. Brynn didn’t recognize the voices, but Miranda did.
“Mom!” Miranda shouted back then said to them, “Jerom, it’s Mom and Dad.” Then she turned and started running toward the people climbing down into the quarry.
“Hey, my parents made it.” Jerom threw his hands out like he couldn’t believe it. “I was almost afraid to believe that they would.”
He turned to Brynn and rubbed his hands up and down her arms, “Come home with me?” he asked with a smile.
Home. Brynn ran that word through her mind. It had such a different meaning to her now. But, it still sounded good, even if it was Jerom’s home with Jerom’s parents.
“Yes, I’d love to come home with you.”
Jerom took her by the hand, and they ran too.
The End
The Bringer Page 21
