Embers

by Daniela Elana

“Because Azazel wants you alive,” she said. I gulped.

  “Like that really matters, once he sees I refuse to change, he’ll want my head on a platter as well.

  “Not to interrupt the two of you. Is there anything you have in here to eat?” Leslie said, coming up behind us.

  “There’s a fridge back there, I hope it’s not empty because Rain cleans it out most of the time. Leo manages to buy from a small farming community of people in an underground city.” The three of us turned to see Leo, wrestling Rain.

  I walked over to Leo and Rain talking.

  “So this is Maricel, the girl you never shut up about, she’s easy on the eyes. I’m sure Enver will think so as well,” Raid said, taking a good look at me from head to toe.

  “Enver loves all women,” Leo said, tipping his can of soda to his lips.

  “You really surprised me, Leonardo I always thought you were asexual,” he said. Leo shoved him. Heat rose in my face.

  “I had no idea you told all of your friends about me, Leo,” I said, he looked away. Rain grinned.

  “He’s told me a lot about you, after all, we are best friends, right, Leo. Happy birthday,” Rain said, placing a party hat on the crown of my head.

  “You told him that too,” I said. Leo narrowed his eyes at Rain. Crystal spun around in her swivel chair to join us. Everyone stepped into the room with streamers. My mother carried a cake. “I thought you left everything behind?”

  “I did, but Leo’s friends prepared it.”

  Crystal and everyone sang happy birthday to me. It was all odd. Mason was missing—the guy I had seen as a mentor was also a fallen angel. Did anymore remain among us?

  “Make a wish and blow them out,” Leslie said with a smile. I thought for a moment, realizing although I was celebrating my twenty-fifth. I decided to pray rather than wish for the protection and safety of all my friends. I closed my eyes, pulling back my hair, taking a breath and blew out the candles. They came back again. Exhaling harder, I huffed until they burned out. After spitting all over the cake from the trick candles, everyone crowded around me for a slice of cake, and I did my best to cut equal slices.

  * * *

  After all the cake and conversation, I sat on the couch alone, glad to have a few minutes to myself trying to make sense of the day and the madness that plagued my warped views of reality. My time alone was short-lived as Leslie and Caroline took a seat beside me.

  “Is Mason on your mind?” Caroline asked as I slumped with my hand tucked under my chin. I nodded.

  “The possibility of him being an angel never crossed my mind even after spending time with Azazel I would’ve thought I could tell the difference.”

  “Oh, Maricel who says he’s not your guardian angel sent from Heaven.”

  “I’m not too confident he’s one of the good ones,” I said.

  “You never know, you’ve been hurt by Azazel. Mason is probably just trying to protect you.”

  “My question is if his name is Belial, what is written about him?” Leslie said, flipping a section of her hair behind her shoulders.

  “Belial is mentioned in the bible a couple times 2 Corinthians 6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? He’s also mention in 1 Samuel. He’s an entity from the war scrolls. Who is supposed to lead a war against the saints? The Dead Sea scrolls speak of seven battles being fought that many believe are all a part of Armageddon. He’s a fallen angel, the prince of hell, and the leader of eight demons according to demonology. His name is often interchangeable with Satan or the adversary?” I said.

  “So, are they the same?” Caroline said.

  “Yes, no. Honestly, I’m not sure.”

  “So, say he’s Satan himself. How did he get away with tricking us since Mason often played in the worship band at our church and lead Bible studies?” Caroline said.

  “That’s a good question probably because fallen angels are seducing spirits.”

  “Why did he want to have a relationship with you?

  “It’s probably her gift of prophecy,” Leslie said. “She’s a lot safer than we are since both fallen angels want her.

  “Leslie, we are in the tribulation, they have more important things to do than worry about me.”

  “Maybe there’s a glitch in their army,” Caroline said.

  “They can’t be too divided. Remember what Jesus Christ said in Mark 3:25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. At the end of the day, they’re on the same team. They’ll put their differences aside to destroy the earth,” I said.

  “I agree with Caroline on this one, Mar. You’re basing who Mason is from a place of hurt,” Leslie said.

  “What?”

  “His fruits don’t seem to suggest he’s evil or else why was he able to host Bible studies and talk about God all this time,” Leslie said.

  “Mathew 24:24: For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Belial will continue to lead others astray until he can hide no more and Armageddon takes place, that’s why we must warn others,” Leo said, stepping into the room.

  “Then how do we combat him, he and Azazel know how to charm people look how they had the whole group under their spell last time.”

  “Faith, you’ve got to have it. Before they start taking the mark.” He walked out of the room, almost bumping into my brother entering.

  I rose to head to bed. My brother stopped me by my shoulder and pulled me aside.

  “Be careful,” he said.

  “Thanks for the warning Zev, goodnight,” I said, looking up at him and leaving.

  * * *

  No matter how tired I felt, my body refused to rest. Hours had passed since I had attempted to go to bed. Rising, frustrated, I paced around, doing jumping jacks, squats, sit-ups to wear myself out. Pivoting around, I fell back into bed, worn out, yet not enough to sleep. I glimpsed a figure in the corner of my room. Sitting up, its silhouette came into focus as it stood in the dark masked.

  “Who’s there?” I said. The figure emerged from the darkness into the pale moonlight, revealing Belial’s countenance.

  “Maricel, we need to talk.” He handed me a gift box. On top of it were my glasses. They were fixed.

  “Thank you for repairing my glasses, but why are you here?”

  “Please, hear me out.”

  “You lied about your identity, Belial. Why?”

  “The same reason, you wanted to go by Patricia. My name brings instant chills and danger to those I love. The war scrolls may have prophesied my coming, but they are wrong about my intentions. See, I’m just like you and your friends. I’d hate to see the earth destroyed by Azazel.”

  “You’re no different than Azazel. You both lie the same”

  “The Essenes were radicals who took an extreme interpretation of the Torah when they wrote the Dead Sea scrolls and replaced my name with Azazel’s and various other devils!”

  “Good one, but I don’t trust what a fallen angel has to say.”

  “Maricel, I know you better than anyone else,’ he said, moving closer to me.

  “We just met a month ago.”

  “You’ve only known of me for a month. Truth is, I’ve been with you from the moment you took your first breath.”

  “You got to be kidding me, Belial.”

  “Azazel sent me to watch over his future wife from birth.”

  “If that’s so then it disproves your lies about you being against Azazel since you admitted to working with him.”

  “I changed sides.”

  “How convenient?”

  “I was the angel who guided you home when you fell asleep in the tree. I was the voice who spoke to you in your crib as a baby. I was your imaginary friend who played with you as a child.”

  “And all this proves is that you’re a creep.”

  “I
was there before Azazel. I wrote you the letters of encouragement and gifted you with feathers from my own wings. Azazel took credit for everything I gave you. His first original gift to you was the necklace he stole from his wife!” He inched closer to me, and I backed away, shaking my head.

  “Why didn’t you intervene and stop him from hurting me if you were my protector.”

  “When Azazel came, he forced me to cut all contact with you.”

  “Why would he force you to do that?”

  “He figured out I had fallen in love with you even though my original purpose was to guide him to you.” His words stirred a deep pain in my chest like my organs were twisting inside. “When I saw what Azazel had planned for you, I went against him to save you from a cruel fate. He had me imprisoned until I managed to free myself.” The moonlight shimmered on his dark waves and caused his soft brown eyes to glow as he clasped my hand, rubbing it. “I want to help you. I lost you once to Azazel, and I promise to protect you from him whether you choose me or not.” I gaped at him. How had I gone my entire life without knowing of his existence?

  “I’m sorry Belial, I still don’t trust you.” I yanked my hand away.

  He sighed with his head hanging low and spread his black wings.

  “I’ll be there for you when you come around, Maricel,” he said. As he materialized through the wall. I ran to the window looking out and saw him flying away, vanishing into the still of the night. I took a seat on the bed with the gift and opened the box to find a ring engraved with a pentagram on a necklace chain, I turned it over countless times. Underneath it was a note.

  Dear Maricel,

  If the order were aware that another one of their relics fell into your hands, they would hunt you down. This charm once belonged to King Solomon. It was used to control demons to help build the temple. Now it is yours. Use it sparingly. The same demons who are your enemies will serve you when you wear this ring and summon them.”

  -Your friend, Belial.

  Closing the box and pushing it under the bed, I did my best to sleep.

  * * *

  The ground beneath my feet trembled with the rumble of thunder. I wobbled to remain grounded. Another wave of tremors knocked me on my face. The clop of galloping speeded my pulse.

  Through the thick black smoke, Belial rode upon a horse resembling a lion with a snake’s tail. Sulfur issued forth from their mouths. With a sword raised, he slaughtered all in his path. Leo stood with his back turned. Belial aimed the sword at Leo’s neck, I let out a scream, and everything faded to black.

  * * *

  “Wake up!” I opened my eyes to see my mother standing over me. “Nightmares again?” she said. I shook my head climbing out of bed.

  “It’s morning already,” I said.

  “Yes, and I don’t want you in here all day just because Mason turned out to be Belial which means worthless in Hebrew.”

  “You and your Hebrew again. I’ll be out in another thirty minutes, I need to shower.” I said, and she left. I stood up and crouched down under my bed, pulling out the small box.

  According to mythology the ring once belonged to Asmodeus, the king of the nine hells. The seal was instrumental in building Solomon’s temple. Asmodeus had got rid of it, throwing the ring to the bottom of the ocean. King Solomon later retrieved it, having turned to sorcery after being introduced to it by his pagan wives.

  I closed the box, sliding it under my bed, getting ready.

  Everyone was clustered in the kitchen eating. Zev and Leo chatted and when I entered they both looked up at me.

  “Good morning,” I said, taking a seat between Leo and Leslie. Caroline set down a plate of grits.

  “They don’t bite.” Caroline grinned. I took a bite, finding the flavor of butter and salt she had put in much like kettle corn.

  “Turn on the TV, I want to see what’s going on,” Crystal said.

  “I don’t know what for,” Rain said as he rushed to the television flipping on America’s Hot Seat. Ross Day recapped the angels descending from silver aircraft.

  One clip showed Azazel and I kissing. The cameras zoomed in on me, cutting the slap out. On the bottom read, Fugitive and Doomsday prophetess who foreshadowed the terrorist attacks, Maricel kisses alien god. On another screen stood Belial, fighting Azazel and beneath it read. His brother disagree with his approach to human beings. The answers have been found, and humans have found their missing link.

  Krista and Hal sat at a table with Ross grinning.

  “She wants to a female Nostradamus so bad,” Krista commented.

  “She’s insane, but all the hot ones are,” Ross said, “My bad, was that too far,” he said

  “You ask me,” Hal said. Krista rolled her eyes.

  “Has anyone forgotten this woman is wanted for treason. Rather than talking about her love affairs, we should be tracking where she last was seen.”

  “We’ve entered a new age of human history. We aren’t alone and have made contact with extraterrestrials,” Ross said. Rain flipped off the TV.

  “Are they going to masquerade themselves as the Annukai for the entire tribulation?” Kevin said.

  “Probably three years before they turn on us,” Leo said.

  “Three years of bullshit?” Erich said, flipping the table over. The bowl of fruit rolled on the floor. He stood, shaking his fists.

  “Erich!” Leslie said. He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. She turned back to face us.

  “I really don’t know what’s got into him. I’m sorry.”

  “Why wouldn’t a good God spare us from this hell? Wasn’t there supposed to be a rapture or something?” Kevin said.

  “Maybe a mid or post-trib rapture,” Caroline said. Kevin shook his head.

  “I’m going to go check on him,” Leslie said, walking away.

  “We need someone to get some supplies,” Rain said.

  “I’m heading to Flo barter,” Leo said.

  “Are you sure?” Rain’s brows rose.

  “Flo?” I asked.

  “Flo is an underground city about 5 miles from here. They operate a farm and a black market,” Leo said.

  “Really?”

  “Yes, they trade with us,” Rain said.

  Leo pulled on his backpack and motioned to the door. Watching him leave, stirred the image from my dream of him being beheaded by Belial.

  “I want to come too,” I said. Everyone turned to me.

  “No! You’re staying in here,” my mother said.

  “Mom, I’m not a child anymore.”

  “Your face is all over television for being a fugitive and Azazel is looking for you,” my mother said. I rolled my eyes.

  “She’s right you just don’t have Azazel to worry about. There’s Belial also,” Leslie said.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Maricel, can I have a word with you?” he asked, taking my arm and walking around the corner.

  “They’re right, I prefer, Rain goes instead, he’s the one who makes the runs anyways,” Leo said.

  “Bros before hoes,” Rain said, peeking around the corner. I frowned.

  “I’ll be fine, Leo, you and Rain can continue your “bromance” some other time,” I said, walking up beside him.

  “I never took you for the type to say something like that,” he said.

  “Well I’m full of surprises,” I said. Rain lifted his arms, mouthing something to him that conveyed his annoyance. Leo looked back at him then at me and closed his eyes and muttered something to himself.

  “Rain, I’m taking her this time.”

  “Leo, are you crazy?” Rain said. He didn’t answer him. “You haven’t seen them in years, and you don’t know how they’ll react especially with her with you.” I wondered who this they were that Rain was referring to. Leo ignored his comment, walking with me to the garage where a 1966 white Ford Mustang sat.

  “Another classic car and it’s a m
ustang this time?” I said. He shrugged.

  “I prefer everything vintage.” Leo came around and opened the passenger’s seat for me. I got inside and buckled in.

  Leo sped down Interstate 285 West. Along the highway, the city streets were a war zone between angels and mutants.

  “We should do this more often,” he said.

  “Go out?”

  “Runaway like what we did back in Dallas to DC.”

  “I’ve run away more times than I can count.”

  “I can relate,” he said.

  “You can? I thought you were more confrontational.”

  “Most times, but when it came to my community, Flo, I up and left.”

  “Why?”

  “They sold me to the state as an infant, that’s how I became an assassin.”

  “I never would’ve imagined.”

  “I hated them, but I stuck around twenty-one years before I took off.”

  “Have you tried contacting them since?” I said. Leo didn’t answer as he exited the highway now driving through an abandoned residential area, and kept on going until we reached a slum on the edge of the city and parked.

  I followed him as zombies staggered toward us, surrounding us. Leo drew a gun from his trench coat and blasted them into patches of flesh. One staggered out from behind him.

  “Leo!” I shouted. He shot from behind without turning.

  “I’m getting too used to you killing, this can’t be good.”

  “Someday I’ll train you.” He placed his arm around me as we rounded the corner, passing a pile of rotting dead corpses, to an abandoned alleyway.

  “Stay close,” he said, I followed behind him, as he shined a flashlight. He knocked lightly on a brick wall. No one answered, and he muttered something.

  As we turned to leave, a brick slid, slightly and a bearded man stuck his head out, staring at Leo and he smiled. His shaggy black hair was a mess. The man glanced at me—his smile faded.

  “Come in,” the man said, surveying the area. Leo parted the way, and I entered in before him, the man watched me.

  “What are you here, for now, brother, you haven’t been to visit yourself for nine years and always send Rain or Enver, what have you’ve been doing all this time?” he said.