Part of the old Dar-Raven returned, "That’s why you humans must go to the fire hole. If it hadn’t been for God and His Son deciding to create you, we never would’ve revolted to begin with. We should have known something was up when Jesus started appearing in his glorified, human form just before the creation. They were planning on you guys all along, but we were the last to hear about it. Why humans? They had us, but why you? It just didn’t make sense. We went ballistic when we discovered their intentions. It was the catalyst that caused our rebellion. After we were cast down, we kept trying to get God to let us come back. We hoped that if we proved you were worthless, weak, and stupid that He would. Apollyon did prove it; and to this day he continues to, but God keeps forgiving you. What's up with this forgiveness junk?"
"Man, Apollyon made a good-looking serpent. I think I’d have done anything he wanted if it had been me. He was absolutely hypnotizing. When they saw him, they saw what they wanted to see. When they heard him, they only heard the harmonic sound of his seduction. I believe it surprised Apollyon to no end to get the dominion of earth. That was an extra bonus, a big perk. We wanted to
go back, but Apollyon wanted to either conquer heaven or make God let him sit at his left hand. We were stuck with the conquering. I want you all to pay for what I've been turned into and for what I’m missing. I want you all to suffer like I've suffered. I don’t want any of you to share the brilliance if I can’t." Dar-Raven stopped and looked around the room while looking very confused and disoriented, then he realized Alex was there.
He looked back at Alex and said snapping himself back to reality, "The plan is to drive the kids from the mountain away from Sanctuary. I want my handpicked people to camp out on the mountain as close as they can to the kids. Publicly, my soldiers will go as protection for the kids, but then we will make our move. Once the kids are driven out of safety, they’re mine. If I can’t capture them, I’ll have them slaughtered like pigs. I’ll not leave anyone alive. My men will put a strangle hold on anything or anyone coming and going from the mountain. I’ll blockade them from the outside world. Imagine, to the world, we’re heroes for protecting the kids; and all the time, we’ll be getting ready to destroy them."
Alex was alarmed. He should have known that Dar-Raven and Apollyon weren’t giving up. He needed to make sure he stayed completely involved so he could minimize the damage. There was no way the kids’ blood was going to be on his hands.
He volunteered, "Dar, I’m on your side, big guy. You tell me what you need and make sure Apollyon knows I’m cooperating, and you got it."
Dar-Raven snapped his recliner fully upright, and he stared intensely at Alex saying, "I knew you’d come around sooner or later! I knew it! You got a taste for blood, too, huh?"
He shoved his hand out for Alex to shake, and Alex faked his enthusiasm while shaking his hand heartily. Dar-Raven’s hand was fiercely hot, and Alex thought he must have molten fire flowing through his veins—fire-hole fire.
Children of the Sanctuary Page 25
