by Lori Adams
What just happened? I can’t get my head around anything today.
Dante thrusts a Styrofoam cup at me, and I jump, like always, by his sudden appearance. I’m thinking of tying a cowbell around his neck. He stares like he’s waiting for a pot to boil over, so I do.
“Yes! I’ll go to the dance with you!” I blurt out, and immediately regret it. Michael is provoking me beyond my common sense.
Dante smiles profusely, and I think the whole thing is rather suspect.
Chapter 21
Michael
There was a century-old barn at the edge of the Patronus property among the wild grass and sweet gum trees. It had a black roof and faded red-clapboard siding that time and weather were returning to its natural state. Two stories rose cautiously aboveground while several hid below like coveted secrets. There were no windows to break the monotony of Douglas fir planks, just the single door entry. To the human eye, it was an ordinary barn that told of hard work and early mornings of past generations. Rusty farm implements leaned against it like tired heads on an old shoulder.
In an alternative reality, the barn was made of sound and scent, of humming white energy as warm as tears; it was anything but ordinary.
The barn was a spiritual training center; therefore, the simple materials of wood and iron were mystical and belonged to the spirit world. The dilapidated wooden door was as impenetrable as guardian steel. The interior was a wondrous utopia that expanded far beyond the solid outer walls to encompass an endless blue sky over a sprawling, grassy meadow. Stony footpaths led to benches, bridges, and armories. The arsenal was befitting a fortress.
High overhead, a waterfall cascaded from a rocky ledge and poured into a foamy stream that meandered around an expansive tree in the middle of the meadow. Green vines coiled around columns and stone walls, up to balconies on the upper level. The delicate fragrance of lemongrass and honeysuckle draped the air like heavy lace cloth. The atmosphere inside was tranquil despite the fact that this was an aggressive guardiantraining facility.
It was also an oasis for various angelic entities passing through the area and a safe haven for humans. No demon could cross the Guardian sigil etched in the stone threshold. Problem was, no human could see the barn for what it really was, and few humans cared to hang out in a dilapidated old barn.
The barn was Michael’s destination. He had left his truck at the house, Raph at the football game, and Sophia with Dante. He almost wished Dante had attacked Sophia so he would have had a legitimate reason to kill him. Only demon hunters were allowed the freedom to hunt and destroy demons at will. Guardians had a single purpose: protect human souls. So Michael had to wait until Dante or his dregs made a move against whoever they were after. And when they did, Michael would be ready.
The countryside had turned gray under a half moon. Michael marched across the sloping field as a war raged inside him. His energy was dangerously high and he needed to work it off. A few solitary hours punching something might help. Anything to get those feelings about Sophia out of his head.
The air above Michael stirred with a pale blue smudge as Raph passed by in spirit form, heading to the barn. So much for privacy.
By the time Michael reached the barn, Gabe, Uriel, and Raph were waiting on a pad of soft grass below the giant tree. Gabe and Uriel had forgone the football game, opting for a training lesson. Gabe had no interest in sports, and Uriel was always eager to learn new guardian skills. They’d been practicing a technique similar to Shaolin. But rather than working to build and strengthen his chi, Uriel had to learn to contain and regulate his growing store of energy. Since guardians were made to protect souls or escort them home, this often required fighting off soul seekers, reapers, or demons. And because guardian power was lethal to fragile humans, they had to learn to regulate it. If they didn’t, they could crush a human with a mere handshake.
Gabe and Uriel were dressed in typical training uniforms of cream-colored robes tied with gold belts. They held cane fighting sticks and were breathing heavily because Gabe had been putting Uriel through his paces. But when Raph appeared and warned that Michael was coming, the training stopped.
Raph stood firm with his arms akimbo and his face tight with anger. He stared at Michael, expectantly. Michael threw out a telling glance; he wanted to be left alone. He headed for the punching bag dangling from a nearby tree. Stripping off his shirt, he tossed it aside and got busy. He started with a routine of soft bare-knuckle punches and maneuvers but swiftly turned aggressive.
“You have to explain yourself!” Raph called from the opposite bank of the stream. He marched across a narrow bridge, ignoring his brother’s attempt at privacy.
Michael knew what was coming. He may have his family’s respect but he’d been out of control at the game tonight. He disregarded their rules, and Raph wanted answers.
As Michael’s fists pounded into the spiritually enhanced punching bag, they caused only minor movement. But it felt good to release his energy; he just wished it was Dante he was beating to a pulp. He landed a hard uppercut and followed with a round of quick jabs, while Raph berated him.
“What did you say to Sophia? Why can’t you leave her alone? Do you think Dante is stalking her? You understand Sophia is free to make her own decisions, right?”
Michael turned on Raph with a venomous look. “Of course I know she’s free to make her own decisions!” He hadn’t realized until now how much he hated Sophia’s free will. He’d give anything to take it away, to keep her under his wing where she’d be safe from demonic tricks. Like the one she almost succumbed to in the park. Dante’s toxin must be more powerful than they realized if it was laced in his breath. No telling what would’ve happened if Dante had actually kissed her.
“What were you doing with Sophia?” Raph demanded.
Michael stared, contemplated, and then continued his workout.
Gabe crossed the bridge with his cousin close behind. “Sophia? I thought something happened with Dante.” The three made a semicircle around Michael and the punching bag.
“Tell them what happened,” Raph demanded. “How you wanted to reveal Dante’s identity to Sophia.”
“You can’t do that,” Gabe charged. “Michael, you know we can’t interfere until the demons do. The code states—”
“I know the code!” Michael snapped. “I didn’t break it!” As much as he had wanted to. His eyes flashed against Raph’s. He didn’t like being at odds with his brothers. It felt unnatural, however necessary at the moment.
They deserved an answer he couldn’t give. He didn’t understand what happened tonight. One minute he was watching the game while dissimilating the flow of emotions emanating from the crowd. Simply routine. He detected no unusually aggressive tendencies or urges. No one was on the verge or planning to act upon anyone else. The exciting game accounted for the abnormal level of adrenaline activity. All souls were safe. Nothing had caught his attention.
No, that wasn’t true. The second heartbeat deep in his chest had indicated that Sophia was near. This had caught his attention. He sensed her aura well above the others and even took comfort in the fact that she was close by, until her adrenaline spiked and her aura was snuffed out like a candle. When he’d looked at her, he was unprepared to find Dante intimately embracing her, his supernatural heat warming her in the cold night air.
That was the moment it hit Michael—an extraordinary rage exploding inside him. The throbbing in his chest became as sharp and violent as his thoughts. He wanted to kill Dante. He wanted to whip out his blade and decapitate the demon right there in front of everyone. The overwhelming compulsion shot through him with such strength that it took all his strength not to obey it. Innocent bystanders would have witnessed Michael Patronus murdering Dante Dannoso. Not angel versus demon.
It was unthinkable, not to mention illogical. Rationally, he had seen that Sophia wasn’t in danger. Sometimes demons toyed with innocent humans and then moved on when they sensed a guardian watching. No harm done.
But Dante hadn’t been tormenting Sophia, and yet everything inside Michael screamed to react. It was a new emotion that went beyond fearing for her safety. Beyond wanting to protect her from the Demon of Persuasion.
He couldn’t bear for Dante to be anywhere near Sophia, much less touch her.
The memory fueled his passion again and he slammed a fist against the punching bag and sent it swinging backward.
“Michael, what’s going on?” Gabe’s voice was soft with concern for his brother’s irregular temper.
“He’s losing it,” Raph supplied, earning a harsh look from Michael. “He saw Sophia talking to Dante and he accosted her—”
“I did not,” Michael growled and spun in a roundhouse, whacking his leg against the bag. More punching followed.
“Well, what did you say to her? Did you warn her?”
“I asked her a question, okay? Now drop it.” Michael grabbed a towel from the iron hook on the wall and wiped his face. His chest was glistening and his jeans were sticking to him, but at least some of his energy was spent. “I’d like to see how Uriel is coming along. Show me what you’re working on.”
Raph stepped in between them. “Michael! Tell us why you interfered with Sophia and Dante! Now!” He snatched the towel, igniting Michael’s temper.
“Back off, Raph,” Michael warned, his eyes narrowing and dilating into glistening crystals.
“You better answer me before you have to answer to The Council. If you’ve crossed a line, they could find out. I’m only looking out for you.”
“My energy is just peaking, Raph, so I’m warning you one last time. Back off. I mean it.”
Michael knew that his brother was stubborn, or perhaps feeling suicidal to challenge him like this. He also knew that Raph was infuriated by his inability to sense Sophia’s aura without looking directly into her eyes. And now Michael sensed Raph’s anger and suspicion equalizing inside him. He wished his brother would leave it alone. This was not a good time to push the issue.
Raph tried again by enunciating each word as though Michael didn’t understand the language. “What … did … you … sense … from … Sophia?”
Michael growled deep in his chest and then grabbed Raph by his T-shirt and lifted him off the ground. He was about to hurl him against the nearest tree when Gabe yelled out and Uriel burst out laughing, and then everyone stopped and stared.
“You find this amusing?” Gabe snapped. “How can you be so insensitive at a time like this? And you were showing such promise.”
Uriel clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. His eyes shone with amusement and he shook his head in wonder. After recovering, he said, “With all your gifts for sensing intuition and assimilating auras, you guys are missing the obvious.”
“And what would that be?” Gabe demanded.
“The elephant in the room.”
Gabe glared. “Now is no time for your lame animal jokes!”
“No, no! It is the elephant in the room. You know, the one that’s so huge but no on can see it?”
Michael lowered Raph to the ground. No one had caught on and Uriel sighed impatiently, rolling his eyes. “The it is … jealousy. Michael is jealous of Dante and doesn’t want him anywhere near Sophia.”
Three blank faces stared at Uriel, and a sharp hum of spiritual energy spiked from their instant concern. Uriel stepped back, frightened. After a beat or two, all eyes slowly shifted from him to Michael.
“That’s not true,” Michael said.
“It’s not possible,” Raph agreed. “Uriel, you should know better; guardians have many human emotions but not that one. Especially jealousy when it’s connected to physical love.”
Michael was grateful that Raph jumped in to defend him but he could feel his brother’s penetrating eyes on him. He could sense Raph’s doubt. When he looked over, their eyes locked and he knew he was right.
All this talk of jealousy started Gabe pacing and thinking. “If Michael has acquired the emotion of jealousy,” he mused aloud, “that would mean—”
“I haven’t!” Michael barked, knowing where Gabe was heading. “He’s wrong! Uriel, you’re wrong! Tell them!”
All eyes shot to Uriel, and the kid nearly collapsed under the weight of three glaring guardians. But he gathered his energy and stood firm. Chin up, eyes on Michael, Uriel slowly shook his head. “I’m sorry, Michael, but it’s true. And you know it.”
“How do you know?” Gabe demanded.
“The same way I know when an animal is in pain. I can feel it, underneath everything else. It’s there.”
This much was true. Uriel’s unique gift was a special connection with nonhumans. He sensed their needs, their fears, their emotions. The others couldn’t. For Uriel to say he sensed a rare emotion in another angel was remarkable. The simplicity and certainty of his statement set the guardians back.
“I didn’t think it was possible,” Raph murmured, looking at his brainiac brother for assurance.
“If it’s true,” Gabe said regretfully, “it means … you are turning—”
“I’m not!” Michael yelled, unwilling to hear the rest.
“What did I say wrong?” Uriel whispered to Gabe.
“It’s complicated. We don’t … No one likes to talk about it. But … well, in ancient times, there was a special legion of angels who were assigned to watch over humans. They were extremely powerful and extremely gifted. Much like the Halos of the Son. They did their jobs well. Too well, in fact. They became obsessed with the daughters of man, developing the forbidden emotions of desire and jealousy. The angels fell in love with them, had sex with them, and were banished from Heaven for their misconduct. Some call them the Watchers and believe that they roam the spiritual borderlands, watching for the souls of the daughters of man to return to them. Others call them the Grigori and say they roam the spiritual realm, protecting and guiding the souls of their hybrid or half-breed children who live on earth. By all accounts, they are Fallen Angels. But no matter what their name, their stigma is permanent because they see no crime in their actions. Their love for humans has no boundaries. They refuse to ask for forgiveness.”
“But what will happen to Michael?”
“Nothing! Because I’m not jealous!” Michael yelled, wishing they would drop the subject.
“You know how private the Halos of the Son are?” Gabe asked, and Uriel nodded. “Well, legend says the Grigori are similar in that they band together. They support each other. If they discover an angel is ‘turning Grigori’ they seek him out to offer … I don’t know, assistance? Protection?”
“Protection from whom?”
“Just like anyone else who breaks their vows, they are classified as Fallen Angels. Public Enemy Number One to the Halos of the Son. Well, technically they would be second to demons, but you understand. Anyone who has fallen away from the Light in which we were all born, is deemed a Fallen Angel. The Grigori are unique in that they stick together to protect one another. They’re very private spirits who keep to themselves. And because they refuse to give up the humans they love or their offspring, they are forbidden to return to their human form. They are bound to their spirit form forever.”
“You mean they can’t walk the earth like us?”
“Not as humans, yes, that’s exactly what I mean.” He shrugged. “Personally, I think they died out, and only the legend remains. It has been centuries since anyone has reported a Turn.”
The idea of Michael turning Grigori—of being trapped in the spirit world—was slowly threading its way through their thoughts. It would easily account for his behavior, and Michael could sense his brothers searching for excuses to support him.
“I’ve never even seen a Grigori in the spirit realm. It’s probably impossible to Turn anymore,” Raph said.
“Highly unlikely, at any rate,” Gabe offered.
“Sophia still could be a test from the Halos,” Raph continued, and Gabe agreed.
“Yes! Of course! And we hav
en’t discounted that she might be some demon’s vessel! I mean, theoretically, she could be any number of things.” There was hope in their arguments until Michael scowled at them.
“That’s enough!” He stalked across the bridge and stopped beneath the giant tree in the center of the garden. “Sophia is not a test or a vessel or turning me into a Grigori with forbidden emotions,” he said, eyeing the branches above. Then he lifted an arm, gently rising thirty feet off the ground and coming to rest on a thick branch. He looked down through his dangling feet. “You’re forgetting that we have three very powerful, very unpredictable demons living among us. Something we’ve never had to deal with before. Our energy level and intuition are reaching volcanic proportions. Raph, even you’ve come close to attacking Wolfgang several times. You’re having trouble controlling your energy, just like I am. If you think about it, it has to be natural. I mean, hell, we’re forced to sit around and wait while three Demon Knights stalk our friends.” He hesitated, giving them time to deliberate his alternative reasoning. It was the only explanation he was willing to give.
He just hoped they would buy it.
Gabe raised his arms, drifting across the narrow waterway to land softly at the base of the tree. His face was flushed with renewal and hope. “You’re right, Michael. We’re all in uncharted waters, so to speak. We don’t know what effect three powerful Demon Knights could have on us.”
Michael exhaled his tension, happy for the reprieve. He needed their faith, their trust, if only to bide time until he could resolve this issue himself. He still had no answer for the mysterious second heartbeat he felt when Sophia was near. He had no understanding of her strange aura, which encompassed enough colors to fill a rainbow.
Raph flashed unseen across the stream and appeared on the branch above Michael. He emanated a strong sense of doubt.
“You better be right,” Raph murmured, destroying Michael’s smile. “So as long as you haven’t acquired the second forbidden emotion, desire, we don’t have anything to worry about, right?” His question was more of a challenge, and Michael knew that Raph was searching for an emotional reaction, a spike in his energy. Anything to give him away.
