by Rachel Dylan
“Everyone.” Layton held up his hand. “I know there is a lot to discuss but let me finish the updates first.”
The crowd hushed and Stacey couldn’t turn away from watching Layton.
“I know this is a shock to us all who had no idea that Clive was even sick. As you can imagine, this impacts a lot of things for us. From the lawsuit to our spiritual efforts against Astral Tech. I think that all of us can agree that we have a common interest in making Optimism as strong as we can. This is an opportunity for us to shut down Astral Tech as an opposing organization once and for all.”
Now she could have heard a pin drop in the room. No one said a word. Not even a single whisper.
“We have to capitalize on these events. Strike now while Astral Tech is in complete disarray. I have heard through my sources that Nina Marie has taken over. And while there’s no doubt that she is strong, I do not believe she has the confidence of everyone else to be their leader. If we can pick off Matt or Marta and bring them to Optimism, that would just be the first move. It would be a crushing blow to them.”
“And how do we do that?” Someone in the room asked.
“Old fashioned recruitment. We offer them things they can’t get at Astral Tech, and make it clear that Astral Tech is the loser in this scenario which brings me to the next point. We had some excitement in the courtroom on Friday as our judge seemed to have suffered a heart attack. I believe we will be getting a new judge, and we can use this opportunity to start afresh in our prosecution of the lawsuit.”
“What do we do now?” Another woman she hadn’t met asked.
“We do what we do best,” Layton said. “We use our skills to take out Astral Tech one by one—either by bringing them to Optimism or making sure they will never be a threat to us again.”
“And Nina Marie?” Morena asked.
“Leave Nina Marie to me. I’ll need the rest of you to work on Matt and Marta. I don’t think Eloisa is worth the trouble. She doesn’t have as much power or potential as Matt and Marta. But if anyone thinks they could sway her to our side, then so be it.”
People started to talk again.
“One more thing before we move on,” Layton said. “I’d like to introduce everyone to our newest recruit, Stacey Malone. She’s been working as an intern at the office, and I’m hopeful that she’s going to accept a position for full membership with us.”
Her face flooded with heat as Layton pointed her out and the eyes of the entire room were on her. The people standing right beside her said hello. So far she had to admit that she was having a good time and hadn’t felt uncomfortable—beyond the issue of everyone else being more fabulous and put together than her.
“All right. Now that everyone has caught up, we can continue the party. At some point, I’ll be in the parlor for those who want to engage in some of our spiritual work. I hope everyone will stop by to visit me before you leave for the evening.”
Interesting, she thought. What exactly was going to happen with Layton in the parlor?
Morena walked back over to her. “I’ll go into the parlor with you whenever you’re ready.”
“What exactly should I expect?” She realized she was whispering and didn’t know why.
“Don’t be afraid.” Morena squeezed her shoulder. “Have another glass of wine and then we’ll go in.”
Stacey debated it for a minute and then realized that the wine sounded like the best option. Because whatever lay behind that parlor door, Stacey knew it would have something to do with the spiritual aspects of Optimism.
And she recognized from her own experience—whether it was real or just a dream—that she was stepping into some pretty powerful stuff. Was she ready? What did she even want?
As she drank another glass of wine and sat on the sofa while Morena worked the room, Stacey tried to seriously consider her options. What did she want? Was she still a Christian? Had she abandoned her faith for a second time? Was that okay with her?
Her mind swam from the wine, and she couldn’t focus. All she knew for sure was that she enjoyed being around these people. That she needed that internship and scholarship. And that she’d love to live like Layton and Morena did.
Did that mean she’d be willing to renounce her faith once and for all? She’d been on a whirlwind journey ever since meeting Layton. After the spiritual experience in her apartment, she thought she was ready to return to God and living a Christian lifestyle. But there was something so strong pulling her in toward Layton and Morena. It just felt right.
There wasn’t anything wrong in doing something for herself, right? It wasn’t like she was hurting anyone in the process. And these decisions could impact her future career.
Morena sashayed back over to her. “Are you ready?”
She drained the last of her wine and nodded her head. “Yes. Let’s go.”
Morena led her up a huge spiral staircase to the second floor. She noticed that there was another floor above that, too.
“Right this way.” Morena took her arm and led her to a room where the door was shut. Morena knocked a few times and then walked in.
Stacey followed her and as she stepped foot into the parlor, her breath caught. The room was dark except for various candles lit and scattered throughout the room.
She hadn’t known what to expect, but Layton stood there smiling. He looked like the same man who was downstairs except there was something a little different. She couldn’t put her finger on it.
“Come on in, Stacey.” Layton motioned for her to join him by the large candles in the center of the room.
“What are we doing?” she asked.
“We’re going to pray to the evil one that he gives us strength and victory over Astral Tech. That we’re able to vanquish them in this battle once and for all.”
She didn’t have to ask it because she already knew. But she wanted to make sure she was fully appreciating what he was saying. “When you say the evil one, do you mean like Satan? The devil?” Her voice was soft and timid. Her heartbeat started to race.
Layton grabbed both of her hands. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Stacey. Look at me and Morena. Do we look scary to you?”
She shook her head but didn’t say anything.
“Exactly. Your fears come from years of false information about the evil one that you got from going to church. The truth is that the evil one wants us to flourish here on this earth. Just look around this house and see how he has rewarded me for my loyalty to him. You can have all of this and more.” He squeezed her hands. “I know you can feel it. I can sense your spiritual abilities. They are strong. Some of the strongest I’ve ever been exposed to. You’ve seen things haven’t you?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “But the things I saw did scare me. A lot.”
“No more fear, Stacey. Only enjoyment and pleasure.” He released her hands and then ran his hand down her cheek. “Just repeat after me.”
He started talking, and she closed her eyes doing as he instructed her. The supplication to the devil was straightforward. With each additional word she became more confident. Less afraid. And more sure that she was about to experience something unlike anything she’d ever felt.
As she accepted the darkness, she felt herself being overtaken by something stronger and much more dangerous than she anticipated. But there was no turning back now. She stepped into the fire and didn’t look back.
**
Olivia had gotten a text message from Grant simply saying that he’d meet her at church. That had been good enough for her. The poor guy was going through so much. Not only the issues with the lawsuit, but trying to come to terms with his new interest in faith and how that impacted all aspects of his life.
She’d had one of the most quiet weekends since she came to Windy Ridge. She’d actually taken Saturday off. The first day off of her time there. After a long phone call catching Lizzie up, she’d gotten a haircut and highlights. It was a small splurge, but she figured after all the hours she had put in
that she could justify a little spend. She also couldn’t have her hair looking frayed if they went to trial. Jurors were human and were often especially critical of the appearance of women lawyers. It was just all part of it, and Olivia had accepted that fact a long time ago.
Olivia walked into the church. She let out a breath when she saw Grant talking to Dan at the entrance of the chapel. Not wanting to interrupt, she hung back waiting for them to finish talking.
Lord, thank You for bringing Grant back to church again. I can see You starting to work in his life and it really is something amazing. I care about him and want him to know what all You can do in his life.
She finished her prayer and saw Dan walking away from Grant to go greet other churchgoers. Then she took the opportunity to go over to Grant.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hey.”
“I’m glad you could make it.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I felt like I needed to come. I need all the help I can get right now.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Grant. You had no control over what your client did. All you can do is the best you can do.”
“I don’t even want to think about it while I’m here. I’m just looking for a few moments of peace.”
“You’ve come to the right place. Let’s go find a seat.”
They walked together down the church aisle and took seats near her normal spot on the right side.
“Wonder what Pastor Dan is going to preach about today?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Guess we’ll find out.”
The funny thing was that Olivia was seeking some peace too. For different reasons but all interconnected. She and Grant were tied up with these New Age businesses. And right now she was actually eager for trial on an accelerated basis. The sooner this was done, the sooner she could stop working with Astral Tech.
But that left her wondering how this was all going to end up. When Pastor Dan asked everyone to take a few minutes to pray in silence, she did just that.
Lord, did You bring me here so that I could get to know Grant? I thought this was bigger than just him or me? But I think that’s a part of it, right? And where do I go from here? What do I need to do? Wait until the trial is over and then figure it out? I’m confused and looking for guidance.
Olivia glanced over at Grant as the worship music began. He didn’t sing, but she noticed the slightest tap of his foot to the drumbeat. What a long way he had come in a fairly short time. It was pretty amazing to see God’s fingerprints all over Grant’s faith journey.
Olivia took her seat and readied herself for the sermon. Lord, speak to me through this message today.
Pastor Dan stood behind the pulpit, but for the longest time he didn’t speak. He finally took a deep breath and started preaching. “I thought long and hard about today’s sermon, and I went back and forth about it. But when the Lord lays something on your heart, it’s best to listen and not disregard what He has to say.”
He walked out from behind the pulpit. “Today I want to talk to you about spiritual warfare. It’s not news to many in this congregation that we have active groups in the Windy Ridge community that follow the devil. These groups operate under the façade of being legitimate companies who focus on New Age philosophy and techniques. And I think it’s about time that we prepare ourselves to wage a spiritual war, because the battle is on the horizon.”
He took a few steps forward. “We’ve been co-existing with these groups for some time. But as of late, they have been more aggressive and more powerful. Spreading their demonic message through technology in hopes to recruit a new generation of followers. We as a church can’t let them rule our community. We have to fight back. But to do that, we have to ready ourselves. We can’t go into a spiritual battle against the invisible forces of the devil and think that we will walk out unscathed or that the battle will end quickly.”
Olivia’s head started to ache. Pastor Dan was basically trying to prepare the church for what was to come. Deep in her heart, she knew it was going to be a struggle.
“I know that I’ve mentioned some of our issues of late that we’ve had with these groups, but now I need everyone to be on high alert. While it appears at the moment that there is a huge fight between the factions, we can never forget that all of those evil groups are our enemies. We have to be ready for that because if we’re not, they’re going to make major strides in Windy Ridge and beyond. We can’t allow that to happen. Not in our community. Not in our church.”
Olivia couldn’t help but notice that Dan didn’t call out the groups by name. Although it was clear to her exactly who and what he was talking about. Something must have spurred him to preach so passionately about this topic today. A chill shot down her arm as the recognition hit her that this battle was closer than she had thought.
“I want everyone to really think about this in your prayer time. We’re going to need our prayer teams to work even harder than normal. The Lord has our backs, but we can’t go into battle unprepared or be lackadaisical. Most people here are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. And I’m here to tell you today that the forces of darkness controlled by Satan are real. We can’t live complacently.”
Olivia listened as he continued his message referencing scripture to be used to meditate and pray upon.
When the service was over, she looked over at Grant. He sat expressionless.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
“Honestly, a lot. I can’t even begin to describe how many different feelings are flooding through me right now. But I can tell you one thing. What he said—it affected me.”
They started filing out of the church.
“How so?” she asked
“I know you’ve been trying to describe this whole spiritual warfare thing to me ever since that first night we were together when your hotel room door was vandalized. But not until today did it all start to click. The pieces are starting to come together. And my role in all of this. It has to mean something, right? That I would be the one representing Optimism and you with Astral Tech?”
It was time to tell him. She hadn’t wanted to freak him out, but he was ready. “Grant, I didn’t want to tell you this before because I didn’t think you were ready. And the last thing I wanted to do was to scare you off or for you to think I was trying to push something on you.”
“What is it?” He pulled her over to the corner of the church lobby.
She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. “Grant, I’ve been visited by an angel.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. And he told me that you were going to be an important part of the battle against the forces of darkness in Windy Ridge.”
“Me? But look at me. I’m no one. I’m still getting my feet wet. I can’t do battle against anyone.” His voice cracked.
She grabbed his hands. “Listen to me, Grant. You said it yourself. You’re here for a reason. I’m here for a reason. This didn’t just happen by chance. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes. But I’m still not sure that I’m equipped to do anything about all of this.”
“You’re stronger than you think. You’ve already taken the biggest first steps. You’re seeking out the Word. You’re asking the right questions. And you feel a connection to God. I can see the changes in you. Right before my eyes. So don’t count yourself out before this even starts.”
“How did you know you saw an angel?”
“The first time I didn’t realize it. But then it became very obvious to me.”
“I thought these spiritual forces were invisible. That’s what Dan keeps talking about.”
“Yes, generally they are. But there are certain circumstances where people can see angels or demons. Generally, though this battle is an invisible one, but that doesn’t make it any less real—or less dangerous.”
“Believe me, I get that.”
Pastor Dan walked over to them. “Glad you two stuck around.”
“What p
rompted that sermon?” she asked.
“You haven’t heard?” Dan asked her. “I assume you had.”
“Heard what?”
“Clive Township is dead.”
“What? No, no one told me. I’ve been in constant contact with Nina Marie, too.”
“I found out that he died of pancreatic cancer. And while Clive was definitely a menace, he was much more cautious than Nina Marie will be. With Nina Marie at the helm of Astral Tech, she’s going to go full out against Layton. Not only in the litigation but spiritually as well. Which means this is all going to come to a head pretty quickly.”
“Wow,” she said. “I can’t believe she didn’t tell me.”
“Do you have a trial date yet?” Dan asked.
“No,” they said in unison.
“But,” Grant said, “Judge Wingfield had indicated we were going to be put on the fast track trial calendar because of the expedited discovery. Now that he’s had a heart attack, we don’t know yet whether he will be able to come back to the case or not. More than likely they will assign us a new judge. So it will all depend on the judge and on if either side pushes for a quick trial.”
Dan nodded. “I think Layton and Nina Marie will want it to happen soon. They each see this as the first step to taking down the other.”
“This isn’t a normal litigation,” Grant said. “A defendant would not usually push for a faster trial, but I guess I can see it happening here.”
“I want the two of you to be extremely cautious,” Dan said. “You’re literally being thrown into the lion’s den, and I don’t like it. I know you have a job to do, but you have to go in with your eyes fully open.” He turned to Grant. “How are you doing in the midst of all of this?”
“I’ve had a rough few days. But I don’t have a choice except to move forward and do the best I can with the lawsuit.”
“What about spiritually?” Dan asked.
“I’m getting there. I feel like right when I think I have one aspect figured out, then I have more questions about another.”
“I’m here for whatever you need.” Dan gave him a hearty pat on the back and then walked away to talk to some other people.
