The Human Side (The Demon Side Series)

by Heaven Liegh Eldeen

  Seeing a thin gap between a few pages, I opened the book hoping to find the letters being used to mark a page. Instead, I found a regular bookmark that read:

  “1 Samuel 17:47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

  Seeing no relevance, I threw the bookmark in the fire. Just as I readied to toss the book after it, an image caught my eye. A menacing face framed with bloodstained horns, bright green venom dripping from his fangs and piercing red eyes stared up at me from the page. Flames that seemed to come alive decorated the background of the portrait. Below in beautiful script were the Latin words for Rahovart, the Heir.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Wow! They captured you perfectly,” Gabriel said as he stared at my portrait over my shoulder. Ignoring his insult, I skimmed the following pages. The book not only had my portraits, but it listed intimate details of my life. Everything from my creation, my capture in hell, the death of Abihail and my fall from grace as if the pages had been ripped from the celestial scrolls.

  If Etta read this, she would know every secret I ever kept, every sin I committed and worse—the fate of my wife, whose soul now dwelled in Purgatory because of my jealous rage.

  Though I had stepped out of the Divad’s life, I always had a small glimmer of hope that one day I’d show John I was indeed worthy of Etta, and in turn, he would allow me to pursue her. But with the veil open and her knowledge of me limited to me being a wife-slaughtering Demon, all hope had fled. My hands trembled as a void encompassed my heart.

  “What are you doing?” Again, Amy startled Gabriel and me as she stood next to us, glancing at the book. “Making it all go away,” I replied.

  “My dad gave her that book last year when she had a breakdown. It always pissed John off that he encouraged her interests in Demons, but he didn’t care. He believes even if they are illusions, what would be the harm in indulging them?”

  “And he would have this book because?”

  “Because he’s a doctor-slash-professor of parapsychology at Duke University. Not to mention a bishop in my church. He has to know about good as well as evil. You can’t burn it.” Amy took the book from my hands and flipped through the pages.

  “We have to, for Etta.”

  “Etta’s never been one to just accept the first explanation given. She’s been studying this book for weeks, searching for answers. When she came across the chapter about the Demon Rahovart, a light came on and everything changed. She believes he’s her savior. I tried to explain he fights for the wrong team, but she was adamant he holds the key to all of this. So, trying to make sense of what might be going through her head, I started reading it with her. When I came across this, everything came together for me.” She handed the book to Gabriel.

  “What does he have to do with Etta?” I asked, peering at a proud Gabriel in a battle stance, ready to jump off the page.

  “Gabriel here talks in his sleep. I know what side he fights for. I’m not so sure about you. What side do you fight for, Rahovart?”

  “The human side.” If she had asked me a day ago, I would have simply said Etta’s side. Now, I had seen just what damage my actions caused. Something as simple as a note had cracked the partition of our worlds. I had to set aside my feelings for Etta and put what was truly important, the balance of our worlds, in front of me.

  “So she does know about us?” Gabriel asked Amy.

  “She has a pretty good idea who the players are, but not sure who is in which body. I mean anyone can pop up and say ‘Hey, I’m Ra, baby.’ And that’s what Tristan has been doing.”

  “Are you going to tell her now that you know?” I hoped if she hadn’t planned on telling Etta, I might be able to plant the idea in her head. I was growing tired of living a lie. If Etta knew who I was it would make everything so much easier. And though I wanted to tell her many times, a clause in the deal with Father was that the words were forbidden to pass my lips in her presence. But he never said someone else couldn’t tell her.

  “I can’t even if I wanted to. Every time I have tried the words literally wouldn’t come out.”

  “None of that matters. What matters is if she knows who I am.” Frustrated, I kicked a clump of sod into the fire. Father had thought of everything. So much so, not even her best friend had the ability to speak of it.

  “If she does know, she hasn’t said a word of it to me, but she has been very secretive this past week.”

  “What do you mean?” I prodded.

  “She’s been sneaking out, not coming home until the next day, ignoring phone calls and texts. Today’s the first time I’ve seen Etta since last Saturday.”

  “Where has she been going?”

  “My guess is Tristan’s.” Amy crossed her arms. “So, I just gave you an inch, your turn to give me a mile. What’s your story?” she continued.

  “Let’s sit down,” I said, as I snatched the book from Gabriel and threw into the fire. Gabriel took a seat on the couch patting the empty spot next to him for Amy. You didn’t need to be a celestial being to see a crack form in Gabriel’s heart as she took the chair across from him.

  Starting from the beginning, we explained the whole story to Amy. Occasionally her jaw would drop or she’d rub her forehead as she took in the incredible tale of two Arch Angels coming to Earth for a girl who has been plagued by Demons. Though she showed no outward signs of shock, I knew it was all too much for her to comprehend. Overwhelmed, she took a break from our celestial fall out by checking on John.

  Only moments had passed when Amy returned, helping John down the stairs.

  “Are you sure about this?” Amy asked John.

  “I’ll rest on the way and buck up when we get there,” John replied. He already sounded ten times better than he had in the attic. His color had returned, but it didn’t hide the amount of pain he endured as he cautiously slipped on his leather jacket.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea. What if…?”

  “Amy, I’ll be fine. I’ll have one of my guys look at it tomorrow, but right now I want to see my daughter. You boys ready?”

  We piled into the van. I helped John lie across the middle row of seats before taking the back row to myself. Gabriel sat in front with Amy. A small sign of hope that love can truly conquer all appeared when Amy took Gabriel’s hand and held it on her thigh as she drove. Occasionally she’d flash him a smile, letting him know all would be well between them. For a split second, I wished the rest of the Arches were here to see our dear Gabriel allowing himself to love. But the rising of the morning sun reminded me of why we were here.

  “The morning star,” I said under my breath.

  “Even his name invites you in,” John whispered.

  “Excuse me?”

  “The bearer of light, better known as Lucifer. Just goes to show you can’t base an idea off of someone’s title.” His sharp tone added to the insult. The Demon in me rose, wanting nothing more than to cut out his tongue, but attacking a crippled man held no true victory. Though he dared to compare me to Lucifer, the Angel in me shrugged off his jab.

  “You got nothing?”

  “Your opinion of me isn’t high on my priority list, John.”

  “Oh? And what is?”

  “Closing the veil.”

  “Gabriel and I have tried. Do you know something we don’t?”

  “I know what is holding it open.”

  “And that would be?”

  Once John learned of my existence, I knew he hadn’t been happy that a so-called traitor had won the heart of his daughter. Since my arrival here he had made that very clear. I feared if he found proof of the love Etta and I once shared had been the cause of their world turning upside down, it would anger him further. Tired of fighting with him, I didn’t want to answer.

  On the flip side, if he knew what he should look for, he would be of great use in the search for the notes. Maybe he had seen them an
d shrugged them off as irrelevant. Glancing in the rear view mirror, Gabriel gave me an encouraging stare. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I answered him.

  “I threw my belongings in your garbage can when I left. We found the box in the attic tonight and destroyed everything inside, but some items were missing…a note I left for her and a letter she left for me professing our love.”

  “Are you flipping kidding me?” Just as I expected, John grimaced in rage, but he didn’t start the tirade I anticipated. His lower lip trembled as he seemed to be fighting back whatever seemed to be rising within him.

  “Amy, pull over,” he said through gritted teeth. No sooner had she pulled over, John motioned for Gabriel and me to follow him outside. I prepared myself for John to attempt another round of going fisticuffs with me.

  “You’re saying love letters opened the veil? Gabriel, did you know about this?”

  “I recently learned of this, John,” Gabriel reluctantly replied.

  “And you’re willing to destroy them? All proof that she loves you? Completely removing yourself from her life? Sacrificing everything you’ve fought for? Living the rest of your days here with the possibility of the veil closing on you as well?”

  The minute I learned what must be done, my heart already knew the answers to his questions. If I were in Heaven, sure, I’d never want for much. I had a beautiful home with comfortable elegant furnishings. With my job as an Arch, physical appearance, and bad boy image, I could practically have any woman I desired. Since my return to Heaven, many had tried to take Etta’s place. I could forget all about her and live the so-called good life.

  But had she not risked her heart, soul, and life for me more than once, I would still be locked in the dark, stripped of everything but a burning hole where my heart should be. For Etta, I could spend a millennium working the counter of the burger stand and sleeping in a roach motel. I would deal with my appearance as an ugly, pimple-faced, scrawny twenty year old, guaranteeing I’d live my days alone, cold, and poor.

  “Yes,” I said confidently.

  “And what if it’s not the letters? What if it’s you?”

  The thought never crossed my mind. If my presence has been the cause, then destroying myself would be the only way to save her. Self-destruction would earn me a trip to Hell, where I doubted I would receive a warm welcome. I knew the torture that would await me should I pass Lucifer’s gates. My time in Hell would be a short vacation compared to what would come next.

  Once Lucifer felt satisfied with my punishment, he would ensure I’d never rise against him. Giving me a one-way ticket to Purgatory, I would spend my days lost, drained, and in a constant state of excruciating pain with no relief to be found. But I owed her more than just keeping my word that I would never hurt her. I owed her my soul. It would be a small price to pay for all she had given me.

  “Whether it is me or the letters doesn’t change what must be done.”

  “Rahovart! You can’t mean that?” Gabriel grabbed my shoulders, giving me a small shake. I pushed away his hands and locked eyes with John.

  “If that is what must be done, I swear to you it will be.”

  “You’re fully aware of what that means?” John studied me. With a nod, I confirmed my answer.

  “You know, sometimes you make it hard to hate you. I want to. But I have found myself in a tough spot. I thought I could save her by myself. That all she needed was her father. I put my pride before my better judgment, and it almost cost me my daughter’s life. I need your help, Rahovart. I need you both to help me save my baby girl.” John put out his hand palm down.

  “Of course I will help.” Gabriel placed his on top of John’s. They turned to me, awaiting my decision. John asking for my help threw me back a bit. Had he finally come to his senses that none of us could do it alone, or did he have something else in mind?

  He’d made his disdain for me very clear from the start. The bad guy in my head said it had to be a trick to get rid of me. If I agreed to work with him, I would have to take orders from him. Should he give the order to take myself out, I would have no choice but to comply. Even if it wasn’t a trick to get rid of me, I still questioned his leadership abilities.

  His arrogant, gung-ho attitude had gotten him in trouble before. Not only had he risked Etta’s life, but he cost another girl and her uncle theirs during his time in Iraq. But if I refused his plea for help, he would work against me and with Gabriel’s quick agreement to help John, my refusal would turn my brother against me as well. I would be damned if I did and damned if I didn’t.

  “As long as it serves in the best interest of Father and Etta, I will help you.” When I placed my hand on top of theirs, a surge of electricity traveled up my arm and knocked the three of us on our backs in the middle of the road.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I jumped up and grabbed Gabriel just as an oncoming driver slammed on his brakes. The bumper of the car nudged my leg as I threw Gabriel to the side of the road. I closed my eyes, awaiting the impact. When nothing happened, I opened my eyes to find the car no longer in motion. Sprinting to the driver’s door to check on the occupants, I tried opening it, but it wouldn’t budge. Peering through the glass, I saw the driver frozen in shock.

  “What the—?” John drew my attention to the jack-knifed semi leaning on its left side tires over him. It seemed all time had stopped except for us.

  “Oh, this is going to hurt,” I said under my breath.

  “What’s going to—?” Gabriel asked as he dusted himself off when three bright blue bolts of lightning crashed in the center of us, sending us slamming into the concrete.

  “That’s what,” I answered, struggling to sit up.

  “You see how pride, fear, and doubt can slow the best laid plans,” Father’s voice boomed as the light flickered away revealing a large buck, a fawn, and an owl.

  I never paid attention to the rumors that when Father, the Son, and Spirit appeared on earth, they chose to manifest as animals indigenous to the region as to not draw attention, but I had never seen it with my own eyes.

  Father never traveled without the two by his side. Some say they were his protection detail, though they never engaged in any battles. But when asked, Father would only reply with a chuckle “even the all-knowing needs advisors.” Quickly, the three of us took to one knee and bowed our heads before them.

  “Well, now that you all put your pride aside and decided to work together, your next task should be fairly simple.”

  “What will you have us do, Father?” Gabriel asked.

  “Find the source that is shattering the girl’s veil and bring Vetis and all those working with him before the Tribunals.”

  “Father, the source we can manage, but bringing Vetis before the Tribunals is impossible. Only an Arch can hold the golden shackles.” Though I questioned his orders, I kept my tone humble as to not upset him.

  “Which is why I chose you and Gabriel to hand-deliver them to the Tribunals.” Father circled us as he spoke.

  “I have yet to complete my mission, Father. I am no Arch.”

  “Did you really believe I would send two of my sons to Earth with the task of getting a girl to say I love you? My son, have you not grown to know me by now?”

  “I do not understand.”

  “You all needed to learn a lesson. John, a great leader with a solid moral compass, needed a lesson in humility and pride. By asking for Rahovart’s help, you have shown me you can put your pride to the side in order to do what is right. Gabriel, a fierce fighter, and yet so closed off to what truly matters—happiness. By accepting Rahovart’s decision to walk away from the Divads and allowing yourself to open up your heart to a woman, you have shown me you can love something more than a good fight. Rahovart, a lover and a fighter, but easily discouraged; by ignoring your doubts in John, ignoring your fear of your past and willingness to lay your soul on the line for another, you have shown me you can persevere to the end.” The three of us were gazing at each other, hoping o
ne of us knew what he was getting at, when Father turned our attention to the van.

  “Ms. Johnson, would you mind joining us?” he spoke. With a look of disbelief mixed with awe, Amy stepped out. Father, followed by the Son and the Spirit, approached her as if he were speaking to her, but my ears didn’t pick up a sound. With a few nods Amy answered whatever question or secrets he had for her then waved us over.

  “Okay, let’s see if this works. Mr. Divad, would you mind turning around and lifting your shirt?” Amy twirled her finger. John about faced as he curled his shirt above his shoulders.

  “Are you sure about this?” she asked, looking at Father. The Spirit flew to her shoulder, squawking in her ear, encouraging Amy to continue with her task.

  “Okay. Okay. I just want to be sure. John, I’m sorry if this hurts, but I have to do it.” Before John turned to see what she had been doing, Amy quickly rubbed her hands together then slapped them both on his wound. John’s eyes rolled back into his head as his body dropped to the ground.

  “Oh, my gosh. Mr. Divad? Mr. Divad?” Amy knelt down, lifting John’s head into her lap.

  “He will be fine, my child. You all have your orders. Destroy the artifacts, and bring me Vetis. The same rules apply, though. You’re on your own. Should you need it, Ms. Johnson here will take care of any medical needs. I will now leave you to your work.”

  Before I had a chance to question him further, I was struck by a golden rod of lightning. My muscles stiffened as my body went into violent convulsions, and again I fell to the asphalt with a thud. Sounds of Gabriel’s screams were faint compared to the ripping of my skin. Then everything went black.

  With my vision blurred, I regained consciousness to the sound of Amy voice singing over the ringing in my ears. My head throbbed as if I had been hit with a sledgehammer as I tried to sit up. My skin burned and my back twitched as if electrodes had been attached on high speed. My clothing clung to my body as if it would rip at the seams if I moved.