Esra's Prohpecy (Book 3 An Angel-blood Novel)

by Linda L. Creel

  “We’ll leave her until her husband, or one of her friends finds her. Let’s get back and tell Aura what happened.” Acadia reached for Jayden’s hand. “Don’t worry; I won’t let anything happen to you.” He placed a gentle kiss on her fingers, and they walked back to Aura’s hand in hand. Occasionally they looked aroundto make sure they weren’t being followed.

  Chapter 37

  Aura brought out the rest of the food and put it on the table. As she was bringing in more plates, she looked out the window to observe twenty purple cloaks in her back yard. The Elite Guard was back, as expected.

  “Finish your breakfast. I’m going to see what they want.” “I’ll come with you,” Dahnael said.

  “No you’ll stay here! This won’t take long. I want no interference from you! I’ll take the girls. Rita and Jessica can come too. Everyone else stay inside. Don’t try to come through my shield, she warned.”

  She was dressed in jeans and a button up cotton shirt. The little ones were dressed similarly. Rita sent a message to Jessica using the rings. Tracy already knew what was happening. She could connect to Bren and Alannah through the ring that Esra gave her. When they were ready, they walked out to the yard together.

  The rest of the family hurried to the back porch to observe the confrontation. Dahnael wasn’t able to hide the smirk on his face, when he thought no one was looking, but Eve had seen it, and she knew that Dahnael was responsible for the Elite Guard being in Aura’s yard.

  ‘What do you want Malakiel?” Aura asked.

  “We have reports that one of the angelbloods was responsible for the death of the Utopian governor’s son, Richard.”

  “What are you talking about?” Rita asked, as she took a defensive stance.

  A tall auburn hair girl stepped forward. “I believe this is the girl who was responsible.” Aura started laughi ng. “You have no jurisdiction here. My sister has already been exonerated by the High Council. They felt the death was justified. Perhaps you should focus your attentions on Lucifer’s daughter, Jeziel.”

  “She will be dealt with in time. For now, we have come to interrogate the halfbreed,” Malakiel said.

  “Like hell you will!” Jessica shouted. “I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. If you were only here to interrogate her, why did you bring so many? One could almost perceive your presence as a threat?” Aura said, holding her ground.

  “I can assure you the Elite Guard doesn’t make threats,” the girl responded back. “What’s your name?” Aura asked.

  “My name is none of your business.”

  “Well, Helgah - there is no reason for you to be here. You can leave now before we make you regret coming,” Aura said calmly. “I really hate repeating myself. You have no jurisdiction over the angelbloods. So be gone with you.”

  Helgah went to move towards Aura when Malakiel grabbed her arm. “You are just as infuriating as before. Are you going to release the angelblood to us or not?” he asked.

  “Hmm – let me think… not.”

  “You’re making a mistake. Interfering with an investigation is a serious offense,” Helgah argued.

  Aura laughed. “Do I look worried? I’ve got connections in high places.”

  Once again Malakiel reached inside his cloak for his staff. “I warned you about that before, Malakiel. Leave now! There has been no crime here.”

  “Your very existence is a crime!” he shouted. “I really wish you hadn’t said that.” Instantly , Aura and the others called for the angelfire. Jessica’s whip glowed as she cracked it in the air. Rita called for both of her swords which she spun around like batons in her hands.

  Malakiel reached for his staff, but the angelfire flew from Aura’s palms, breaking it in half. The rest of his group raised their own weapons, and the battle began.

  “Eve please we need to help them,” Paul shouted. “You will not interfere!” It was the first time anyone ever heard Eve raise her voice. She was dead serious about what she said. Bren and Tracy laid Alannah on the ground. Even though Alannah had seen this in her vision, she remembered another time when it was Bree and Tercia protecting her. Aura told her nothing would happen to them, but she couldn’t help worrying that history was going to repeat itself.

  Bren and Tracy extended their wings, and used their bodies to shield her, while they both called for the gift that Gabriel had given them. They watched as two of the rogue angels fell to the ground, struggling to breathe. This wasn’t meant as a warning, the guardians were trying to kill them. The girls didn’t stop until two of the rogue angels took their last breaths.

  Obviously, the Elite Guard weren’t aware of the powers of the angelblood sisters. Alannah could feel the strikes to their backs, but her friends still held tight to her. Alannah tried not to cry as the guardians delivered blow after blow. Bren and Tracy both laughed as if someone were tickling them, which infuriated their attackers even more.Gideon’s shield was protecting Alannah too.

  The battle didn’t last long. Within minutes, all but one of the attackers was dead. Aura allowed the lone survivor to run away, knowing he would inform Caeus of his brother Malakiel’s death.

  When it was over, Aura ran to Alannah and picked her up. “I felt them getting hit, just like Bree and Tercia. I felt it, Mommy.” “My grandfather’s shield won’t let anyone touch us. You should have seen their red faces. The harder they tried to break through the barrier, the more we laughed,” Bren said.

  Tracy started laughing. “They were so mad. I thought they were going to explode.”

  Soon, Alannah was laughing too. The danger was over for now, and Bren and Tracy were still there. “C’mon, let’s go inside. I feel like a cup of tea,” Bren said. Rita and Jessica asked, “What should we do with them?”

  “Leave them. They will serve another purpose today. Let’s stack them in the middle of the yard and cover them with their cloaks. I don’t want them identified.”

  Aura grabbed another cloak that was left lying on the ground. She threw it to the side. “This will be useful, later.” They allowed Gideon’s shield to drop, and the little ones returned to the house.

  Once they were inside, Mia ran over to Alannah.

  “You no take hims crap, Lana. I proud you.” She took her hand. “You sit. I make big chocolate milk you.” Mia had Logan pour another cup of milk. When she gave him the evil eye, he poured another big glass for her too. The sat and they drank their milk, while Bren and Tracy drank a cup of hot tea.

  Dahnael couldn’t hide his disappointment at losing so many of his brothers and sisters. But then he realized that Aura had done him a huge favor by not allowing him to be involved. His secret was still safe.

  Will grabbed Rita as soon as she got inside. She thought he would yell at her, but instead, he bent her over and kissed her so hard, she thought she would faint. Everyone laughed when they broke away.

  Paul and the rest of the Guild watched as Aura strategically positioned the bodies. She kept their faces hidden beneath the cloaks. When she returned to the house, she pulled Iris aside. “You need to go to the farm. Aureus and Dareus are dead; Natalie and Jeziel killed them a few minutes ago. Swear you won’t interfere.”

  Iris stood there for a moment stunned. She hoped that the prophecy would have protected them. She would never see her boys again.

  “I want you to take Mia and Joey with you,” Aura said. “Aura, they’re babies; surely you can send someone else.”

  “It has to be Mia and Joey. You have no idea how powerful they are. Mia’s strength is in her feet, but they are both accurate with their hands. Both of them can wield angelfire like me. It may not be as strong, but with their aim, they can easily eliminate any threats.”

  “Are you certain they’ll be safe?” “The angel -fire comes out as shooting stars. Bael will be waiting there, Iris. He is coming because he heard the boys were dead. Samhael informed him that they were your sons, buthe wasn’t aware they were the angel priests.”

  “Aura, they were to be protected b
y Heaven. Our Father, foretold if they died by the hand of darkness; darkness would never again give birth to another child.”

  “That’s only part of the prophecy. If their fath er dies and the marriage ends, you will be free to marry again. If you remarry, your sons can be reborn, not as priests, but as angelblood.”

  “I’ve never hear that part of the prophecy,” Iris said. “There was no reason to tell you until now. The only sti pulation is that Bael cannot die by your hands. That’s why Mia and Joey are going with you. Bael has no idea of their strengths. He’ll view them as weak little children. It’s crucial you do nothing to hinder them.”

  Iris shook her head. She wasn’t looki ng forward to meeting her husband again. She hadn’t seen him since he was exiled with Lucifer.

  “Mia and Joey know exactly what to do. Once Bael is dead, you will be free to marry Papa. He loves you Iris. No one deserves happiness more than the two of you.”

  Iris was almost in tears. She never expected to be given another chance at happiness. The boys were taken from her at such a young age; she forgot what it felt like to be a mother. Now, she would be given a second chance. She promised not to interfere.

  “You need to leave before Isla gets here. I need to have the forgery in place, so I can set the trap.” Aura hugged her friend. “Don’t worry; I’ve seen what Mia and Joey can do. You’ll all be fine.”

  Aura whispered something to Mia and Joey. They got off the chairs and ran to Iris. “We have go now.” Iris took their hands and they disappeared.

  Aura ran to her bedroom and retrieved the fake bow. She had only a few minutes before Isla would be there. “No one leaves the porch!” She sent a silent message to her little sister Bren, that she would be needed soon.

  “Aura,” Dahnael started to speak, but she held up her hand to stop him.

  “Not this time Aidan! I hoped you would make the right choices. Now, you’ll have no choice.”

  Dahnael stared at her. What did she mean that he had no choice? What was she planning? She walked out of the house, as if nothing happened. She stood by the orange tree, when Isla approached from the side of the house. She smiled as she looked at her.

  “I just got home, is everything alright?” Isla asked.

  “I thought Iris just left with Mia and Joey,” Dahnael said. “If she’s returned, where are they?”

  Bren and Tracy started giggling. Dahnael gave Bren a scathing look. “Do you think something is funny?” he asked.

  “Not yet, but it will be,” Bren said, as she high-fived Tracy and Alannah.

  They all turned back to watch Aura. “We’re fine Iris. Did you and Papa have a good time?”

  Dahnael looked at Howard, who was standing next to Rusty. “What is she talking about?”

  “Perhaps you should just watch and listen,” Eve said. “We did. You know how much I enjoy his company.” Good she isn’t asking detailed questions. The fool thinks I’m Iris. Aura was twisting the bow in her hand. “What do you have, Aura?”

  “I found this. I think it may be the second half of Bodhi’s bow. Watch this.” She held the priest’s hair to the bow, and it transformed before their eyes.

  Dahnael’s eyes opened wider.

  “Where did you find it?” Isla gasped.

  “I found it in the park when I was walking. I recognized the writing from a plaque I saw at the home of Dareus and Aureus. The language was the same. When it came in contact with their hair, it changed. The problem is; I don’t know how to return it.”

  Aura was giving an Oscar winning performance. Even she thought she sounded disappointed. “Two can play this game,” she sent another silent message to the seers.

  Rita and Jessica started laughing too, but when Dahnael stared at Eve, she just shrugged her shoulder and smiled.

  “Something isn’t right about this,” Dahnael said.

  “I may be able to help you. Would you like me to try?” Iris asked. Before Aura could answer, she saw Jeziel approaching the yard. “You’ll have to wait until I deal with the pest.” She held the stick securely in her hand before turning to confront Jeziel. Aura knew that Isla wouldn’t do anything to risk losing the bow.

  “You never learn, do you? I warned you to stay away!” Aura shouted. Aura could see by her visions that Isla wasn’t expecting Jeziels arrival so soon. While her back was turned, Isla was mouthing words, telling Jeziel not to do anything rash until she had possession of the bow.

  Most of the family wasn’t aware because Isla’s back was towards them, but Eve and her daughter’s knew exactly what was happening.

  “I came to apologize . I was wrong to call your little ones brats, and I had no right to be angry because you have Avriel’s ring. That’s all I wanted to say.” Jeziel sounded sincere, but Aura knew better. She turned and started walking away.

  Aura turned back to Isla and handed her the bow. A smile slowly crossed Isla’s face. “I’ll take this back, Aura. You have no idea what you’ve done.” Iris disappeared in a cloud of dark vapor.

  “Fool – I know exactly what I’ve done, but you are about to find out,” Aura mumbled. Dahnae l couldn’t believe that Aura had given her the bow. With the ring in her possession, Heaven would have access to the two sacred gifts.

  After Iris had the bow, Jeziel came back into the yard. She started walking towards Aura, and she was laughing.

  “Did you truly believe that I would apologize to you for those brats? You’re such a fool.”

  “Really, you think I’m the fool?” Aura said.

  “That wasn’t Iris; it was her twin sister Isla. You have just given the sacred bow to my father.” A mischievous smile formed at the corners of Aura’s mouth. “Yes, but that still leaves Avriel’s ring, doesn’t it? Aura started laughing, but it was a derisive laugh. She was playing with Jeziel and it felt good. “I’m afraid that wasn’t the sacred bow, it was a forgery. I wish I could be there when your father realizes that he has been duped.” Aura continued to laugh, wildly.

  Jeziel’s face filled with rage. “What are you talking about? I saw the bow interact with the hair of Dareus and Aureus.” “You mean the priests that you and Natalie just killed? Yes, Jeziel, I knew about that too. As for the bow, I asked Mahlyssa to place a glamour on the stick, so that when it interacts with the hair of Dareus and Aureus it would appear to be Bodhi’s bow. It’s not the priest’s hair that will return the sacred gifts, it’s mine. I imagine your father will be rather upset with you when he discovers the truth.”

  “Why is she baiting her?” Paul asked nervously. “This isn’t like Aura.” Aura was still laughing as she turned away from Jeziel. She was certain that Isla was already on her way to take the forgery to Lucifer.

  Jeziel, worried that she would lose face with her father, was overwhelmed with anger. She pulled the dagger from her jacket and threw it towards Aura. No one said a word as they watched the scene unfold. Aura turned back, in time to catch the dagger in her left hand, while she used her right hand to hold Jeziel with the angelfire.

  “Fool - I warned you to stay away! Now, you will play my game!” Aura tucked the dagger in the top of her shirt. While she continued to hold Jeziel in place, she used her left hand to call for the angelfire.

  “That little scratch Jessica left on Natalie will look like a beauty mark compared to the scar I’m going to leave on you. I warned you to stay away. Perhaps you should have listened.”

  “Why is she toying with her like that? She should deliver Jeziel to the Council and be done with it,” Dahnael argued. But Aura had no intention of giving Jeziel to the Council. She had been waiting patiently to deliver Heaven’s justice for the death of her friends. Her visions showed her that Natalie and Jeziel cut the throats of the priests, and they did nothing to fight back. Aura was beyond angry.

  “I’ll tell you what. Your friend on the porch seems to be havi ng a little fit, so why don’t we bring him out here with you. No – maybe we should wait just a little longer,” Aura said. “The first thing I’m going to d
o is silence you with a ward. We don’t want your friends to hear you scream; not that they’re coming anyway. My shield is keeping this little secret just between us for awhile.”

  Jeziel tried to say something, but she had no voice. She struggled to free herself of the bond that was holding her, to no avail. Aura stood there laughing. “Are you having fun yet?”

  “Paul, please – are we to do nothing? This should be handled by the Council!” Dahnael shouted.

  “You have been warned not to interfere, Aidan. Aura knows what she’s doing,” Eve said.

  “This is cruel!”

  “No crueler than watching Elijah and Ericah burn by hellfire,” Alannah said.

  “That was Natalie’s doing! Perhaps Aura should confront her instead!”

  “Jayden has already dealt with Natalie,” Bren said. Aidan tried to break through the shield and run outside to persuade Aura to stop. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to penetrate the invisible wall.

  He tried to grab Alannah. “Let’s go - that is not your mother, and you’re not staying here any longer.” Dahnael never got close enough to touch Alannah because Bren’s shield surrounded her friend, and knocked him away. “She’s not going anywhere with you, Dahnael.”

  Dahnael looked around wildly. His identity had been exposed, and he was about to find out just how powerful Bren was. “Sorry, but you’re not going anywhere either.” Bren continued to hold him in place as she joined hands with Tracy and Alannah.

  “Did you think we wouldn’t know who you were?” Bren asked. “You’re not my father,” Alannah yelled.”You’re nothing like my father.”

  Dahnael’s eyes continued to grow darker, until they were pitch black.

  “We’ll deal with you in a minute,” Bren said. “Yeah-and don’t try to get away, because you can’t.” They turned their attention back to Aura, who continued to berate Jeziel. “Lucifer has imprisoned my daughter all these years, now I will imprison his daughter!” The light came from Aura’s hand and soon, the right half of Jeziel’s body was burning. As the angelfire scorched her face, her arm and her leg, Jeziel’s face showed the agonizing pain, but no one heard her.