Life After: The Complete Series

by Julie Hall

  Romona lifted her eyebrows questioningly. I shook my head, not sure she would share my amusement.

  The warehouse was large, poorly lit through a few dirty windows, musty and damp. I didn’t like it. Too many dark places.

  Logan’s small group of hunters was the last to arrive. When he solidified, he immediately scanned the area until his eyes found mine. They only held for a few seconds before he turned businesslike.

  “All right, we’ll split into a few groups of two to do surveillance.”

  I did the quick math—our group of fifteen didn’t split evenly. Logan quickly rattled off the names of people who were to form groups. There was no discussion or disagreement; people just moved around to stand with their partners. That just left Logan, myself, and an extra-large hunter named Dean. Dean was easily the largest guy there. Figures; Logan didn’t consider me as a real hunter yet and as such had assigned an extra babysitter. The familiar twinge of annoyance prickled inside my chest.

  Romona was paired with Kevin. She looked over and offered an apologetic smile as if she knew exactly how the extra person in my group made me feel. Subpar. I schooled my features so it wasn’t so obvious.

  I was about to move toward Logan when an impossibly bright light appeared directly behind him. I wondered later why it didn’t frighten me. Instead, my eyes remained fixed on Logan, silhouetted by the light with his hair lit up like a halo. The brightness forced my eyes shut and seared the inside of my eyelids. Then, as suddenly as the brightness appeared, it disappeared, leaving me blinking rapidly to adjust to the low light in the warehouse. Splotches danced in my vision. I pressed the heel of my palms to my eyes and rubbed to relieve the sting.

  Whatever that was had been beyond conspicuous. What had happened to lying low and staying out of site?

  I looked up, and standing behind Logan was the largest and most intimidating angel I’d ever seen. My eyes grew larger.

  “Who is that?” I whispered in Romona’s ear. I’d subconsciously moved behind her, putting a physical barrier between myself and the majestic being. I had a hard time imagining how he could ever be mistaken for a human.

  The angel had the form of a man but stood at least eight feet tall. He was dressed in white linen, with a thick belt of what might have been solid gold around his waist. His body looked as hard and smooth as a yellow gem, his face glowed like lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, and his arms and legs gleamed like polished bronze. A sword hung loosely in a scabbard attached to his belt, easily twice the length of the ones I was used to wielding. Looking at him directly caused my knees to weaken.

  Romona bent her head to whisper, “He’s one of the combat angels. He fights the really bad guys.”

  I shivered. “What do you mean? Aren’t they all bad?”

  “Some are worse than others.” As we spoke in hushed tones, Logan turned to address the angel with a surprising amount of ease. I couldn’t quiet the tremor running throughout my body, but Logan looked like he was chatting with an old friend. My mind buzzed with fresh questions.

  “Wait, so you’re telling me there are different types of demons?”

  “Of course there are. Demons were angels who turned against God and were cast out of their home and down to Earth. Since there are different levels of angels, there are different types of demons as well.”

  “Do demons look like angels then?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s because of the curse. When they were thrown out of our realm and led man astray, God put a curse on them. The weight of the curse has misshapen their bodies into a reflection of their innermost being—all twisted, black, and unrecognizable. When they lost their glory and splendor, their bodies became a reminder of how far from grace they had fallen.”

  Romona inclined her chin toward the angel Logan was speaking to.

  “He’s an archangel, and he fights the warrior angels who were hurled to Earth. The ones trained in battle strategy, with the strength of numerous men. We’re not equipped to take on that type of force. At least not alone. I, for one, am thankful he’s around. The fallen archangels are really nasty.”

  “Archangels. That sounds familiar.” I searched my mind. “Do you mean like Michael and stuff?”

  She nodded. “But don’t forget, Audrey, every demon is dangerous in its own right. Don’t be deceived into thinking that one demon is more dangerous than another just because of his size. A seed of jealousy, lust, or greed planted by a sly demon can be as destructive as a tornado.”

  Logan called my name. I looked up sharply. He was motioning me over. I swallowed. Even with my eyes averted, I felt the heat of the mighty angel’s gaze boring into me. Romona gave my arm a slight squeeze and a subtle push forward. For once, I wished the empathy link still worked on Earth. Her emotions were always encouraging.

  Squaring my shoulders, I walked toward them. My mistake was letting my eyes drift to the angel’s face. I had the wild urge to fall to my face before him, and I faltered a step and diverted my eyes. The warehouse had become conspicuously quiet.

  Logan made the introduction. “Audrey, this is Gabriel.”

  I choked on nothing. My eyes widened. The angel, Gabriel, bowed deeply.

  “Gabriel. Like the Gabriel who helped Daniel with his visions in the Bible?” I blurted out before I could filter myself. How in the world did I know that?

  Logan appeared surprised as well. Out of the corner of my eye I caught the barely susceptible lift of his eyebrows.

  The angel simply bowed again. “My lady.”

  My head was spinning. “Huh?”

  “Audrey, Gabriel is simply showing you the respect your position warrants.”

  “My position?”

  Logan’s voice was crisp with frustration. “Yes, as a human. As a child of God.”

  How did that make any sense? Gabriel was a majestic creature. Who was I to be given the respect?

  “Oh, well, that’s not really necessary. I’m not really that important.”

  Logan looked upward and took a deep breath. Yep, I was definitely testing his patience. The mighty angel managed to look both dismayed and understanding at the same time.

  “My lady, that is not true. You were fearfully and wonderfully made at the hand of the Creator. It is my honor to show you respect.”

  Even the angel’s voice was imposing. When he spoke, it was as if the rush of many voices escaped his lips, each harmonizing with the next to create one perfect and powerful sound.

  I was at a loss. What was so fearful or wonderful about me? Certainly he was the one that was wonderfully made. I tried to look him in the face but shied away again—it was like staring at the sun in the middle of an eclipse. Possible, but still too bright for human eyes.

  “Audrey, Gabriel is here as your personal escort. You’re not to go anywhere without him while we are all here.”

  “Are you kidding? They sent me a celestial babysitter?” I realized how insulting that sounded only after it escaped my lips. I hastily addressed the angel. “I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just, you know,” I lowered my voice, “kind of embarrassing.”

  “Not at all, Little One. I assure you it is a great honor. And I’m not only here for your protection, but also to deliver a message.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.” Gabriel looked at Logan and the rest of our group. “I ask that you go ahead of us. We will catch up shortly. I have some things that need to be said to young Audrey here. Alone.”

  Logan looked like he might argue, but he gave a quick nod and led everyone from the warehouse, saying they’d wait down the block. Romona was the last to exit. She gave me a warm smile over her shoulder before disappearing with the rest.

  “Is it hard for you to look upon me?” the angel asked.

  The question startled me. “Yes, in a way. I guess I just don’t see how I can be more special than you. I’m just so . . . ordinary.”

  “You do not yet understand
because you do not yet believe. Your faith is surely small.”

  Ouch. “Maybe it’s small because no one has ever explained to me why any of this has happened to me,” I shot back.

  “Do you really think you are in a position to question God?” He said it matter-of-factly, yet his statement humbled me to my core. I hung my head.

  “There is much, Little One, that God has concealed of His own wisdom and understanding and power and might. He has even hidden secrets of the universe. It is said that it is the glory of God to conceal a thing, yet to search out a matter is the glory of kings. Perhaps you are searching for the wrong thing. Perhaps you are searching for answers rather than searching for the One who has concealed the matter?”

  I didn’t know what to say to that. The only consistent things I’d done since the day my existence changed forever was question, demand, doubt, and deny God, but had I ever searched for him? Would that have made a difference?

  The angel waited patiently for me. When I turned my face toward him again, he smiled back for a moment before going suddenly as still as a statue.

  A sudden yet familiar fear knotted my stomach, and the stench branded my brain a split second before the angel pulled his sword from the scabbard and charged me. I blinked, and he leapt over my head, collided with something invisible midair, and came crashing down in a heap behind me. I spun around. The angel kicked at something solid to free himself and stood like a barrier of bronze before me. His body coiled, ready for another attack.

  Darker than midnight, with burnt, blackened flesh, I had mistaken the demon for shadows, but next to the shining radiance of the angel I now distinguished its features. It snarled and snapped at the angel with a misshapen mouth full of jagged teeth. Its hands, if you could even call them that anymore, were elongated by sharp talons on the end of each fingertip. It crouched low to the ground like a rabid animal, shuffling back and forth as it panted. Dark spittle dripped from its jowls and smoked like acid as it hit the dust-covered ground.

  I screamed.

  19

  The Fiery Sword

  Gabriel’s head snapped toward me at the sound of my scream, and with a sickening shriek the demon plowed into the angel, catching him off guard. The sword flew out of his hand and went soaring in an arch off to the left. Angel and demon went down hard. The warehouse shook. Brittle pieces of the building’s frame snapped off and fell to the floor.

  Paralyzed by fear, I hadn’t moved an inch. Where were Logan and the others? They had to have heard the commotion! The mighty angel needed help, and there wasn’t much of that I could give.

  The demon bore down on Gabriel even as he was trying to get to his feet. A swipe of the beast’s tail sent them both down and rolling across the cement floor. The glow of the angel was slowly being swallowed by the shadows of the demon.

  The glint of Gabriel’s sword caught the corner of my eye. It lay on the ground several feet from where the supernatural forces tangled, far from where my own feet remained glued to the floor. The demon fought with its fanged teeth and jagged claws. There was little Gabriel could do without his weapon but stay on the defense. The demon knew this and was keeping its body positioned in front of the large blade.

  Gabriel leapt high to overcome the mangled beast and reach his sword but was once again smashed by darkness. I yelped, eyes riveted to the scene.

  My gosh, where’s Logan?

  Battling against my own fear, I forced my body to move, scrambling up some boxes to skirt the fight. One was viciously knocked to the floor, and the world shook beneath me. I silently thanked Logan for all the emphasis on balance during training. Otherwise, I was sure to be lying in a broken mess on the floor.

  Another box was knocked away, and again I kept my balance. It was slow going, but I finally managed to place myself on the other side of the warehouse. The huge sword was almost within reach. Was I even strong enough to carry it? I forced thoughts of failure from my mind. I had to try.

  The demon and angel grappled with each other on the floor, but the instant I lunged for the weapon, the demon’s head snaked up and spotted me. My movements had given away my intent, and with a horrible shriek, the beast dislodged himself from the fight to advance on me.

  Without a moment to think, I reached my hand out to the sword.

  The creature was mere strides away, but when my hand closed around the hilt, it was as if a hundred watts of energy shot through me. The weight of the sword melted away, and it blazed like the sun. The demon cried out in shock as I arced the blade though the air with an instinct I wasn’t aware I had. I smelled the demon’s dark flesh burning as the fire from the sword sliced into its shoulder. It roared in anger and lunged for me again.

  I fell to a knee and rolled to the left to avoid the collision. The demon crashed into some boxes but quickly regained its footing, nails scraping against the concrete before it charged me again. I was barely on my feet but still managed to slash the sword up with strength I knew I didn’t possess.

  The severed head of the demon rolled back and fell to the ground before its body smashed into me, knocking me to the floor. My head snapped back and cracked on hard cement. I was smothered under the creature’s weight before its flesh dissolved into smoke and ash. The sword remained clutched in my hand.

  The building was eerily quiet except for the buzzing in my ears. I took a long, steadying breath before pushing myself up on an elbow. There was a small audience standing in a semicircle around me. Gabriel stood on the left next to Romona, then a few of the fighters I didn’t take the time to recognize as I scanned for Logan, all the way on the right. Every single one of them wore the same stunned look. My rapid breathing was loud, even to my own ears. I didn’t know what to say—I could barely believe what had just happened myself. And they were all staring at me so strangely.

  Finally Romona took the first steps toward me—approaching me like someone would a feral animal.

  “Audrey, are you okay?”

  “I think so.”

  I took a quick survey of my body. Everything seemed to be all right. No blood, and nothing was throbbing besides my head. The sword in my hand, still blazing with its strange fire, had shrunk to a more manageable size.

  I gasped, quickly releasing the weapon. It clanged to the ground and extinguished itself. The warehouse dimmed considerably.

  Romona set a comforting and gentle hand on my shoulder.

  “Do you think you can get up?

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  She extended a hand and helped me to my feet. My head pounded furiously with the movement. Romona threw her arms around me and hugged tightly. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

  She pulled back to look into my eyes. “Are you sure you’re all right? I’ve never seen anyone go up against a greater demon on their own. It was . . .” her voice trailed off. I got the feeling she was more horrified than impressed. The events of the last few minutes started to sink in, and a slight tremor shook my body.

  “I wasn’t trying to be brave or anything. I was just trying to get the sword back to Gabriel. When that thing came at me I reacted out of self-defense.”

  Behind Romona, Gabriel and the other hunters stayed where they were. I don’t think I fully understood the implications of my actions. Killing a demon was obviously hard, especially a greater demon, but there was a serious amount of tension in the room. Only Romona seemed impervious to it.

  “I knew you were special!” she said, squeezing my shoulders.

  I backed up a step and out of her grasp. “Wh-what? I was just trying to protect my butt. I didn’t do anything special.”

  “No . . . it was the sword, Audrey.”

  “Oh, right!” I reached down to grab the Gabriel’s weapon, hoping it would grow in size again once returned to the warrior. “Gabriel, I’m sorry. I know this belongs to you.”

  As soon as my hand closed around the hilt, it flamed back to life. I immediately dropped it again. “Sheesh! That’s distracting.” I looked at Gabr
iel for an explanation. “Does it do that a lot?”

  The angel met my gaze with awe, seemingly incapable of words. This was really starting to freak me out.

  “What? What’s going on, guys?”

  No one made a move. I looked to Logan for help. His usual stoic mask was firmly back in place. At least something was normal.

  “Logan, what’s going on?”

  His eyes connected with mine, and although he appeared to have his feelings in check, there was emotion swirling in his eyes. Even he hesitated before speaking.

  “The sword’s never done that before, Audrey.”

  I just stared at him for a minute. “O-kay, well, sorry, I didn’t do anything on purpose. What’s the big deal?”

  “It is a big deal.”

  “Why?” I looked around at all of them.

  I didn’t want it to be a big deal. I was tired of everything being a big deal!

  There was another long pause before Logan continued. “Because the only other swords like that were given to the Cherubim who are guarding the gates of the Garden of Eden. God’s never given a blazing sword to anyone else.”

  “Well, he didn’t give it to me either. It’s Gabriel’s sword.”

  I bent to pick it up, and again the fire took over the instant I touched it. As I turned to Gabriel, he began to back up.

  “Here, it’s yours.” I stretched out my arm and took another step forward.

  Gabriel shook his head. “No, Little One, that weapon was obviously meant for you. It is no longer mine.”

  My heart in my throat, I burst out, “Well, I don’t want it! You have to take it back!”

  The angel bowed low.

  “That sword is now yours. It is a gift from the Father. You’ll gain understanding of its importance in time.”

  He wouldn’t take it back. What was I supposed to do with it? I didn’t want the thing! I stood lamely with the sword still in my outstretched hand.

  Romona gently rested a hand on my shoulder.

  “Come on, Audrey, we’ve got to get back now. We have to report what happened.”