by Michael Todd
Damian thought about it for a second before he grabbed the candle from the center of the table. Carefully, he waved the card over the flame and studied it as writing slowly appeared. Max’s mouth dropped open, and Damian turned it and read out loud. “Regent’s Park, Chester Road, Lily Sanctuary at the Far East Corner. Seven fifteen exactly. Max and Damian only.”
At virtually the same moment that he finished reading, the words faded. Starting from the corner, the paper slowly turned dark brown, and it eventually crumbled in his hands and disappeared.
He glanced at Max. “I guess we have after dinner plans, then.”
The young man was stunned. He picked his tea up and took a sip with almost robotic movements. “Right, then. A little walk through the park. Right on.”
They were essentially silent for the rest of dinner as neither of them knew what to expect when they kept the rendezvous. Even Ravi had no idea what to say and decided silence was the best choice at that point. When they had finished their meal, Damian paid and they flagged down a cab to take them to the gardens. The vehicle dropped them at gates to the park, and they both stood there for a moment and stared at nothing in particular.
Astaroth sighed. Well, you’re already here, so you might as well get a damn move on.
Ravi felt less confident about the upcoming assignation. Do you remember how I told you that angels don’t always do good, they do what is necessary? I think maybe this is the time to consider that. We’re walking into a dimly lit park to meet a man with wings.
As they proceeded on foot to their destination, both Astaroth and Ravi became more inclined to tell them to turn back.
Astaroth cleared his throat. You know, maybe I was hasty about sending you in here. Maybe it would be best if you turned around and went home.
I don’t think I have the luxury of that choice with my name in some book of death, Max snapped in response.
The two men hurried across the gardens and finally found the path to the Lily Sanctuary. They paused and glanced at one another. Damian looked at his watch. “It’s that time.”
They both breathed heavily as they stepped through the entrance. As soon as they crossed the threshold, both Ravi and Astaroth hissed loudly and retreated deep inside. Their demons’ reactions jolted both men, and they jerked instinctively in response.
Max pointed at Damian. “Did your demon…uh…”
“Hiss and dive into the pit of my soul? Yeah,” he replied. “Yours?”
He scrunched his eyebrows and nodded. “I wonder why.”
The older man stopped and put his hand out to stop his companion. “That could have something to do with it.”
The trainee’s mouth fell open as he stared at a tall, cloaked angel with long, flowing silver hair. His skin was smooth and perfect, and ice-blue eyes regarded them intently. A shimmer radiated all around him, exactly like that on the card that had been brought to them in the bread basket. Neither one of them knew what to do.
The angel extended his arm and gave them a comforting smile. “There is no need to be afraid, Damian, Max. In fact, Astaroth and Ravi, there is no need for you to be afraid either.”
Neither of the demons made a single sound, not even a faint squeak. Damian walked forward, enamored by their visitor’s appearance and aura. “Who are you?”
With a benevolent grin, the angel glanced at the night sky. “My name is Gabriel. I am the leader of the Angel Army and close to God. I appreciate you coming here today at my request.”
Max lowered his head and squeezed his hands together. “It’s…an honor.”
Gabriel raised the young man’s chin with a gentle hand. “As warriors for the cause, there is no need for you to bow to me. I am only an angel. My job is complicated and long, and not always understood.”
Damian nodded. “I can relate. But why have you called us here?”
The angelic warrior turned and began to walk toward the bushes. “Come with me, and hurry. We don’t have much time. There is someone I believe you need to meet. You have a fair amount in common with him.”
Chapter Nine
Gabriel walked to the perimeter of the garden and stopped, turned, and waited for the men to reach him. They paused a foot away, and he gestured with his hand. The vines that hung from the tree limbs above swayed to the side to reveal a latched wooden gate. With a soft click, the metal lock lifted and the door swung wide.
Max and Damian looked at each other and then at the angel, who still smiled encouragingly. The older man took another step forward and peered through to the other side. It appeared to be an extension of the gardens, but there were no other outlying areas to speak of. As he moved to step through, Gabriel reached his hand out tenderly and touched his wrist.
A feeling of calm like nothing he had felt before rushed through the priest. The angel nodded. “I have to give you permission to pass through. Security measures. I’m sure you understand.”
He nodded and stepped back again. Gabriel closed his eyes and whispered something into the wind. A soft glow of light circled the opening and snaked across the ground toward them. It wound itself up both men and slowly faded.
“Now we can go in,” Gabriel said softly.
Max moved beside Damian, and they stepped through the gate together. It was almost like they had stepped through into another world. A large, lush, green rolling lawn surrounded by waving Weeping Willows led up to a large brick mansion with a huge white porch and sweeping steps. It looked like something out of a movie and Damian was utterly lost for words. Even the weather there seemed warmer and brighter than it had barely a few steps behind him.
He rotated on the spot and scratched his head in bemusement, Max was patently confused. He pointed one way, then another and tapped his fingers on his lips as if to find words. Gabriel chuckled. “Is something the matter, Max?”
The young man’s eyes darted to the angel and back to the gate. “Yeah, actually, there is something wrong. This placement makes absolutely no sense. Around Regent Park is the A205 lined with schools and housing, and the St. George and Dragon statue should be over that ridge. None of this follows any rational logic. How is this huge home and sprawling landscape hidden from everyone else?”
Gabriel leaned toward Damian. “For a spiritual person, he is rather Earthbound.”
The priest chuckled. “You have no idea.”
The angel stopped beside Max and put his arm around his shoulders to guide him toward the house. “You are a man of the cloth who has dedicated his life to God. Need I remind you that some of His secrets must be kept that way? Secrets to help the whole of humanity oftentimes hide in plain sight, but it’s almost magical how you never see them.”
Max nodded, and their guide winked at Damian as he led them up the steps of the porch and into the mansion. The palatial white marble interior shimmered as the small specks of gold in the stone caught the light. The architecture was magnificent, and parts of it seemed to even defy the laws of physics themselves. With floating sconces and moving ceilings that imitated the bright sky outside, the mansion was breathtaking.
They proceeded down a long, brightly lit corridor and stopped outside a small wooden chamber door. It was so quaint and plain that it almost seemed out of place within the magnificence of the building. All the doors seemed to be different, though. Some were small and wooden like they belonged in a medieval cottage, while others were large and ornate.
Gabriel noticed Damian looking at the tall, carved double doors across from them. “Each person who stays here has a room created in their likeness for them. A place of comfort in the storm, as it were.”
Damian nodded, confused. “And where exactly is here?”
The angel merely smiled, knocked on the door, and opened it. He preceded the priests, who stepped through cautiously, unsure where they would end up. They stopped just inside the doorway when the darker room demanded that their eyes adjust. It resembled one of the rooms for the priests in the small village churches—plain, mostly gray, and with o
nly the necessities. Crucifixes hung on each side of the small entryway, and both looked slightly the worse for wear.
Gabriel waved to them and they continued inside, staying close but very curious as to why they were there. They entered a simple but comfortable bedroom. To their right stood a single bed with a hand-carved wooden frame and a plain red blanket draped neatly over it. Above the bed hung a picture of Jesus, his arms outward and his gaze fixated on whoever entered the room.
Beside the bed was a small table with a pitcher of water and a small towel. Directly ahead of them was a rather large, old, wooden desk with papers strewn about and inkwells filled to the top. The window was slightly cracked to invite the breeze in. Seated at the desk with his back to them, was whom Damian assumed to be an older gentleman with white robes and silver hair. The weathered and creased skin of his neck spoke of age and the wear of considerable years.
The man slid his chair out and with the angel’s help, stood and turned to face them. He was a man of the cloth, although his robes weren’t like any Damian had ever seen before. On the breast of his robes, over his heart, was the symbol of the Angelic Army, while on the other was the insignia of the wizards.
Suddenly he knew exactly who this man was. “Cardinal.”
The old man’s lips curled into a smile and he glanced at Gabriel. “You did say he was incredibly perceptive.”
Damian nodded and clutched his hands and Max followed suit. “We feared that you had died.”
The cardinal chuckled. “So, did I, many times. But it was the grace of Gabriel here that saved me from Moloch. I am forever in his debt for his kindness in my life. They believe I am dead, and it must stay that way.”
“Understood,” Damian replied.
The cardinal’s expression turned serious. “But you and your tutor, young Max, are in a serious amount of danger. I have seen the danger around you, but the wizards are still unable to tell the Wise Men who you are. Therefore, I am unsure as to whose hand threatens you. It is imperative that you stay safe, though. There are protections put in place for you. Until you are capable of stopping the Wise Men and returning the wizards to hell, you have to move like you are always followed.”
Damian was distraught by this information. “But you have no idea who currently is the source of our danger?”
He gestured apologetically. “I’m afraid not. There are so many entities at work these days. It is no longer simple to pinpoint the dangers. However, I am positive that members within the church are behind all of this. I know that the three Wise Men have supporters and friends within the walls of those sacred sanctuaries. But upon their death, they will easily be revealed.”
Max sighed. “I struggle to understand how our church could do such a thing. It’s heartbreaking, to say the least.”
The cardinal’s face softened, and Gabriel extended a hand to help him to walk over to the trainee. “Young Max, full of ideals and emotions. It is not as bad as it may seem. Your church as a whole has not abandoned you. These members who are part of the conspiracy work independently from the Church’s orders. They may use the church as a crutch, but the church itself only pays homage to one God. The God.”
“Are there any names that you can think of?” Damian asked.
He sighed and returned to the desk and leaned against it. “I’m afraid not. My knowledge of deeper infiltration is not sufficient these days. I have been gone quite a while, and I was not able to fully investigate before being removed from the church.”
The priest nodded in understanding. “Thank you for what you have done.”
The old man’s focus seemed to drift off for a moment but returned almost immediately and his eyes locked in on Damian’s. “You are to trust no one but Gabriel and those who stand in actual defense. Everything is coming to a head and will find its place to create mass hysteria and possibly extinction-level events. You must stand tall and remember that the wizards must die, no matter what happens to you. Like so many other things in life, God asks you for your sacrifice.”
Gabriel stood at the gate as Max and Damian prepared to leave. “I hope your time with the cardinal was helpful.”
The priest nodded. “Yes, of course. Knowing he is still alive and well was tremendously helpful in taking the stress off of us.”
The angel drew a deep breath. “Then I leave you with this. Your life will ultimately rest in the hands of God. But remember, in times of woe and grief, the most unlikely people will stand at your back and protect you where you cannot reach.”
Max raised an eyebrow. “All right. I can see that one.”
Damian laughed and his eyes took on a mischievous twinkle. “I heard through the grapevine that you were quite the riddler.”
“You have been speaking with Katie and Pandora. That really grinds their gears.” Gabriel grinned and shrugged as the two men stepped toward the gate.
“And Damian?” Gabriel called and stopped him in his tracks. “When you feel hopeless, call to Him. He always hears you. And so do your closest allies, even if you don’t see them yet.”
With that, the Angel Warrior slowly disappeared as his body transformed into a swirl of shimmering wind that rocketed skywards. Incongruously, Damian’s phone rang at the same moment. He retrieved it from his pocket and took a deep breath when he saw the Secretary’s name on the screen.
“My favorite robot,” he answered.
She didn’t have her usual sense of humor. “Where are you right now?”
Damian looked at the house in the distance, a smile on his face. “Oh, you know…visiting some friends in this little hole in the wall. No real clear signal, if you can understand.”
Damian wanted to tell her, to joke with her, to tell her to run as fast as she could from the Wise Men but he remembered the cardinal’s words. He needed to not trust anyone, not a single soul. That meant those he felt he could trust before if they were part of the system. Suddenly, he realized something. She had asked where he was and almost sounded worried. Whatever tracking they ran on him did not work inside the secret area beyond the Lily Sanctuary.
The Secretary cleared her throat, which muffled the sound of her fingers pounding on the keys of her computer. “I have news of your mission. It has been moved up to three days from now. A new batch of intel has come in, and it reveals a plot to hold another ceremony at that time. We want to get to them as fast as we can, so be prepared.”
He nodded. “Right, we’ll be ready. Anything else?”
“No,” she said, short and to the point. “I will contact you with any more information I acquire.”
When they arrived at the house, everything seemed as it usually was. Damian unlocked the door and entered first, just in case. Max followed and yawned as he walked. “I’ll go to my room. I think there are some things I need to think about and maybe even pray about before I go to bed tonight.”
His mentor smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “That’s understandable. If you need anything, I’ll be out here or in my room.”
Max inclined his head slightly in response and walked through the living room and into his room. He shut his door quietly. Damian removed his coat, retrieved the page from the inside pocket, and hung it in the closet with the others. He unfolded the sheet again and stared at his and Max’s names. As he understood it, they now had the responsibility to break the cycle. That definitely wasn’t something he was keen on since they weren’t really sure what they would face.
I think you should lock that up. Ravi spoke for the first time since before Gabriel had appeared.
Good idea, he replied and immediately entered the study, where he accessed the bookshelf’s hidden safe.
The demon exhaled a long, deep breath. I’m sorry I bailed when Gabriel showed up. He has always been known to us as the Soul Grater. You won’t have one left when he is done with you, at least if not you’re a demon. Really, this whole thing has been utterly traumatic.
Why is that? I feel that it’s not much different than before, really. He yawne
d.
Ravi sniffed. If the truth be told, I am terrified of Moloch. When I was a young demon and stuck in hell for the first time, I wanted anything I could do to not sit around in the lava pits. So, I worked alongside Moloch. He was a nasty creature and not too bright, either. He would offer me up as a sacrifice to anyone who was angry at him. If you think it’s bad for women on Earth, imagine all the beings below being the perpetrators. Even in hell, it seemed inhumane.
Damian sat for a moment. Why did you keep it to yourself?
Who could I tell? She laughed. HR? The really bad part came when I refused him. He threatened to rip my soul out through my ass and then beat me until I couldn’t walk. I escaped him once, and I never want to have to make that choice again.
The priest was taken aback, and his heart hurt for her. Ravi, I have no words of comfort for you. This is terrible. But know that I will do everything in my power to protect you. On top of that, I have been told that Moloch no longer has any interest in this cause. His mind is other places.
She sighed. Hopefully in the deepest part of hell.
Chapter Ten
“Damian, it’s good to finally meet you,” the mercenary said and shook his hand. “We’ve all hoped that we would have you come to the London merc headquarters to train.”
The priest smiled. “It’s Brenton, correct?”
“Yes, number two on the team,” he explained.
Damian nodded. “It’s good to be here. Thanks for letting us come over and use the facilities. The church doesn’t provide anything like this, and the spare bedroom was getting kind of cramped.”
Brenton laughed. “I bet.” He turned his gaze back to Max. “And Max, we’ve heard you’re damn good with daggers. We have a whole course for blade practice.”
Max shrugged his and Damian’s bags onto his shoulders. “Awesome. This is my first time in one of these facilities, and I’m excited to train.”
