Confronting the Fallen

by J. J. Thompson

  Tyler was the first one to speak up. “Sariel,” he repeated flatly. “My angel inside says that is impossible. He calls Sariel 'the Broken One', whatever that means. He was banished from Heaven for some high crime. How could he be a part of God's plan to stop Armageddon?”

  Jacob nodded. “Janariel says much the same, Chris. This Sariel is more of a legend to the angels, someone who existed at the beginning of Creation. What's going on?”

  Chris realized that he had to tell the whole story from the beginning. “Okay, guys. I'm going to tell you what Sariel told me. I'll let you judge for yourselves after that.”

  And so, for the second time that day, Chris retold the experiences of the night before, from the beginning. He also told his friends what had happened during the test. Tyler and Jacob sat open-mouthed during the entire story, not interrupting, just drinking it in. By the time Chris was done, the dining hall was empty. He sat back feeling drained and watched the two teens closely.

  Finally Tyler nodded. “So that's what happened. Astriel, that's the name of my angel, Chris, had never heard it before. Apparently, they don't talk about it in Heaven. It's a forbidden subject.”

  “Yeah, Janariel had never heard it either,” Jacob chimed in.

  “So, what do they think?” Chris asked. He was curious about an angelic point of view of the story.

  Again, his friends got that faraway look in their eyes. Then Tyler shrugged. “They are staying neutral, Chris. I think this whole situation is beyond them. Angels are a pretty unimaginative lot as a rule,” he added with a wink.

  Chris smiled and Jacob chuckled. “I agree. Janariel is cautious but intrigued. He'll wait to see how it goes.”

  “Huh. Well, a better reception than I thought I might get,” Chris said. “Sariel is not a typical angel, from what I've learned so far. He is beyond powerful, and I think he has anger management issues. A bad combination, I'd say.”

  “Seriously, Chris,” Tyler said flatly. “Be careful with this guy. I have a feeling that in a regular fight, getting Sariel involved would be like bringing a nuke to a fistfight. Little bit of overkill.”

  Chris shrugged. “I wouldn't know how to call him out anyway. What happened with Anna was a mistake, a surprise to Sariel when she showed me that relic. Even if I needed him, I don't know what to do to get his attention.”

  Jacob looked surprised. “You mean, the judge didn't tell you?” At Chris' head shake, Jacob frowned. “That's weird,” he said.

  “Maybe they don't want you to know, Chris,” Tyler said darkly. Jacob stared at his friend.

  “C'mon, Ty, they wouldn't do that! We all trust the adults here, don't we?”

  “Do we? I don't,” Chris cut in. “I trust them more than any other adults I've known in the last few years, but I'm still, let's say, concerned about all of this.”

  Tyler nodded in agreement. “I trust them, Chris. But I totally understand why you don't.” Seeing Jacob's puzzled expression, Tyler rolled his eyes. “Jake, you heard Chris. His angel isn't like ours. His power is off the charts. So, consider Sariel as a weapon, which he is, really. And Chris has now put that weapon in the hands of the leaders in this house. How can he be sure they won't use him for something that he doesn't want to do?”

  Jacob's puzzled expression gradually turned to one of understanding. “Oh, right. Of course!” He looked searchingly at Chris. “You must have had it rough living on the streets, Chris.”

  Chris looked down at the table. Rough? He stared at his hands. The ring-finger on his left hand was a bit crooked where it hadn't healed straight after it was broken two years ago. The middle-finger beside it had healed better and showed no evidence of being broken. He turned over his right hand and looked at the two round, smooth scars side by side on the back of the hand. Cigarette burns. He remembered the smell of burnt flesh vividly. There were other scars, hidden but still there. He reached up and felt the jagged line of scar tissue just above the collar bone; from a knife edge pushed in just a little too hard when the man holding him from behind couldn't force him to do what he refused to do.

  Scars of body, of mind and of spirit. All there, all just as easy to recall as if they had just happened. And then Chris thought of Sariel. Of those horrible scars that had been ripped across his face, and of his mangled wing. All healed, oh yes, but still there. Still a source of suffering. We're the same, he thought with wonder. No family, no parents, cast out, unloved. The same. And he looked at Tyler and Jacob, staring at him with concern. Chris didn't have to ask to know that they weren't orphans. They exuded health and honesty and a normal life that he could barely recall. They were here because of their angelic souls, not because they'd been driven here by a merciless enemy.

  Chris knew that his friends would do what they must do, that they would fight if they had to. But they didn't hate the way he did, the way he knew Sariel did. Jacob had told him that. His angel couldn't hate. Chris looked at him again. Must have been rough living on the streets? Be happy that you'll never know, he thought and felt a churning anger bubbling up inside of him.

  The anger was an emotion he knew, but suddenly it became more dense, darker. He remembered every assault he'd lived through, every blow, every threat and cruel word used against him. And his anger turned to rage. Where was this coming from, he thought and felt a stab of panic. He was afraid he knew.

  “Guys,” Chris hissed between his teeth. “Back away from the table. Get out of the room. Quickly, quickly.”

  His friends looked perplexed. “What's going on, Chris?” Tyler asked in obvious confusion. Jacob stared at Chris, speechless.

  “He's...coming. I can't stop him.” Chris grabbed his head. His temples were suddenly throbbing with a massive headache. “Sariel. He's responding to my pain, I think and he's, he's enraged.” He glared at the others. “Please! I don't want you to get hurt. Get away, now!”

  Tyler and Jacob jumped to their feet. “Close the door, Jake. We can't let any of the others into the room.'

  Jacob ran and slammed and locked the door to the dining hall. Chris saw this all vaguely through a red-tinged haze.

  “What are you doing?” he said, forcing out the words. “You can't stay here.”

  Tyler ignored him. He looked at Jacob. “Are you ready?”

  “Yeah, of course.” Jacob seemed suddenly calm and unafraid. He looked at Chris. “We have to hold him.”

  As a wave of pain threatened to blind him, Chris saw both of his friends put their right hands on their chest.

  “Astriel, come forth,” Tyler said quietly.

  “Janariel, I need you,” Jacob murmured.

  There was a flash of silver light, cold and brilliant, and where his friends had been standing were two beings who gazed at Chris with cool affection.

  They were perhaps a foot taller than Tyler and Jacob, with their hair cascading down past their shoulders; Tyler's dirty blond now a mane of alabaster and Jacob's brown now streaked with gold. The faces were the same but they glowed with an inner light that made a halo of illumination around their heads. Breastplates of silver covered white robes, but it was the wings that reached up and back behind them that took Chris' breath away.

  Pearly white, each feather perfectly formed, the wings spread out and towered over both of them. For a moment, the shock of their transformation had diverted Chris' attention, but he could feel Sariel's approach in his head, which was pounding hard enough for him to see flashes of red as he watched the two angels.

  “Christopher, you have to take control,” Astriel said urgently. “You are master of your own body, not him. Stop him now, or you will end up his subordinate.”

  “How do I do that?” Chris asked, forcing the words out through the pain.

  “Impose your will on him,” Janariel said. He stepped up to Chris and then knelt down on one knee in front of him. He reached out and held on to Chris' shoulders. His touch felt cool and Chris' skin tingled at the contact. Seen up close, Janariel's face was larger than Jacob's and his green eyes looke
d like faceted emeralds, glowing from within. “Tell him what you would have him do. He can only control you if you let him.”

  Chris shook his head violently. “He's too strong. My head's going to explode if I don't let him out!”

  “Reach inside, Christopher. Tell him what you want. That is truly all you need do.”

  “Fine,” Chris said through his teeth. “I'll try.”

  He closed his eyes and tried to reach out to Sariel. He was surprised at how easy it was.

  'What the hell are you doing?' he said silently.

  'You are in pain, Christopher,' Sariel's voice echoed through his mind, deep and sorrowful. 'It matches my own. It ignites my rage. I cannot hold it back.'

  Chris was shocked. Sariel wasn't trying to take over. He had literally lost control! Well, one thing I've learned in the last three years is how to control my emotions, he thought.

  He tried to envision a calm place in his mind. Chris always used a field in the country that his parents had taken him to when he was little. There had been tall grass and apple trees and a sweet breeze blowing, sending ripples across the grassy expanse. He felt calmer even now as he thought about it.

  'Sariel, can you see what I'm seeing?'

  'I, yes, I see it. Where is this place?'

  'It's just a memory. But try to go there, embrace it. It calms me when nothing else will. It's my safe place, I guess. It can be yours too.'

  Sariel didn't reply, but Chris thought he heard him sigh with relief. Then Chris felt the pulses of hate and rage slowly begin to subside. The pain in his head began to lessen and he breathed a ragged sigh of relief.

  He opened his eyes. Instead of Janariel and Astriel, Jacob and Tyler were standing next to him, watching him closely.

  “Better, Chris?” Tyler asked gently.

  “Whew. Yeah, much better. Um, what happened to...you know?”

  Jacob laughed lightly. “They felt Sariel calming down and headed back in. They don't like to be exposed unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm glad they were able to help.”

  “Me too,” Chris said. “I gave him a quiet place to drain away his anger. It seems to have helped.”

  “Obviously. And you also showed him that you're in charge, Chris.” Tyler walked over and unlocked the door as he spoke. Chris was relieved to see that there was no one waiting to enter the dining hall. “That's the most important thing. One day, if you need to call on his strength, you'll be the one calling the shots. And that's as it should be. These are our bodies and this is our world. We have to fight the bad guys directly. With the angel's help, of course.”

  Chris went and filled his coffee cup. He was still a bit shaky and decided he needed more caffeine to settle his nerves. Tyler and Jacob did the same.

  “You know, if you guys have class or whatever, you can go ahead. I'll be fine.”

  “No, don't worry about it, man,” Tyler said with a smile. “This is more important that class right now. Besides, I'm not really in the mood for Algebra.” Jacob grinned and agreed with Tyler.

  “Okay. Then if you don't mind me asking, have either of you been in a fight yet where the angels had to help?”

  Tyler and Jacob exchanged looks. Tyler took a long sip of his coffee. “I have,” he said soberly. “A couple of months ago. It was kind of crazy actually.”

  “I haven't,” Jacob answered quietly. “But Janariel says he's ready and he tells me I am too, so we'll see.”

  “What happened, Ty?” Chris asked. He wanted to know what to expect, if he ever had to get involved in a fight with Talon or some other enemy.

  Tyler got a faraway look on his face. “I was with Stevenson.” He looked at Chris. “Have you heard of him yet?” Chris shook his head. “Yeah, well, anyway. He was the head of European operations for the organization. We were in Prague, looking for a girl that informants thought might have 'strange powers'. That's usually a good indication that a person might be one of us. Anyway...”

  “Wait,” Chris said. “You were in Prague? In the Czech Republic?”

  Tyler looked a bit perplexed. “Yeah. Why?”

  “I dunno. I'm just surprised. I would have thought that someone there could do that sort of job.”

  “They probably could,” Tyler said, grinning. “But the few kids that are in the safe house in Europe aren't trained yet. I'd been with the organization for about six months, so they asked me to fly over and help them out. I jumped at the chance. Sounded exciting.” His voice changed and he stared across the room with a frown. “Exciting. Huh. Well, it certainly ended up being that.”

  “What happened?” Chris asked anxiously. He watched Jacob reach over and give his friend's shoulder a little shake. Tyler smiled slightly.

  “We were out looking around the neighborhood where she'd been spotted. We had a description, but we hadn't seen anything for a few hours and by the time Stevenson decided to call it a day, it was getting dark.” Jacob shook his head. “Yeah, I know, Jake. I don't blame him, really, but Stevenson should have known better. I was still too green to understand the significance of it.”

  Chris was confused. “Significance of what?”

  Tyler looked at Chris grimly. “Demons, or fallen angels if you want to call them that, can only use their powers in darkness, Chris. The sun is the light of God and they can't face that and use their powers. I didn't know that then. Stevenson did, but maybe he was distracted or was too involved in the search to pay attention. We'll never know,” he added sadly.

  Tyler finished his coffee and Jacob took his cup and went over and refilled it. He returned and set it on the table. Tyler smiled his thanks and took a sip.

  “We were cutting down an alley when they jumped us. Half a dozen thugs...and one of the Fallen.” He shook his head in awe. “Stevenson was amazing. He was able to take on the low-lives, no problem. And that left me to deal with the demon. Well, Astriel had to deal with it actually.” He drank some more coffee and Chris saw that Tyler's hand was shaking.

  “He was amazing,” Tyler continued as he set down his cup. “But the demon...I'd never imagined something so gross. The stench alone was so foul that I wanted to vomit. And the slime...ugh.”

  “What was it like, Ty?”

  “You wouldn't know this yet, Chris, but demons aren't like us. They aren't born into mortals. God would not permit that. Instead, they have to inhabit the bodies of the dead. And that's as horrible as it sounds.”

  Chris gasped. “Corpses? You're saying they use corpses?”

  “Exactly. They take the body and warp it into a form they want to use. This demon had warped its body into a slime-covered horror. No head, just massive arms with claws and spikes growing all over its body. I don't want to go into details, it's just too sickening. But Astriel managed to destroy it. Unfortunately, during the fight the creature took a swipe at Stevenson. He was killed instantly.” Tyler sighed and shook his head. “Turns out, the story of the teen-aged girl was a lure, planted to get one of us out into the open. It worked, but we learned our lesson. None of us with angelic souls goes out on a mission like that any more unless the story is confirmed to be true.”

  At that moment, Martin walked into the room and smiled at the three friends.

  “Telling war stories, Tyler?” he asked. Chris wondered how he knew and glanced around, looking for cameras. He didn't see any but that didn't mean that there weren't any around. He hadn't spotted them in the judge's office either.

  “Just passing along some information, Martin,” Tyler answered. He didn't smile.

  “Ah. Of course. In any case. I just wanted to drop by and tell Jacob that he has duty tonight. Thomas has a migraine again and has to spend some time in his room, staying calm and still.”

  “Again?” Jacob looked concerned. “I don't mind taking his shift, Martin, but that's the third migraine in the last month. Shouldn't he get checked or something?”

  Martin raised an eyebrow. “The judge had Thomas taken into Ottawa a few days ago, to be examined by a specialist. We're sti
ll waiting for the test results.”

  “Oh. Well, okay then. That's good.” Jacob said awkwardly.

  “Yes. So, we'll expect you out in the yard at eight o'clock sharp? Good. Have a good day, gentlemen.” Martin nodded at them and left.

  Jacob looked at Tyler. “He shouldn't be getting migraines, should he? Aren't we pretty much immune to diseases and things?”

  “Supposedly, Jake. But Tom told me he's been getting them for a long time now. And stress brings on attacks more often. I'm worried too. Besides his health, what good will he be in the middle of a battle if he suddenly blacks out with a migraine?”

  “Hmm. Yeah, good point.” Jacob drained his cup and made a face. “Yuck. Cold coffee. Well, I suppose I'd better try to get a nap in if I'm going to be walking the perimeter all night. See you guys later.”

  Jacob headed for the door.

  “Wait up, Jake. I'll walk you up,” Tyler said and hurried after his friend. He gave Chris a brief wave before leaving the room.

  Chris was left alone to digest what he'd learned. Animated corpses? Gross. What was he getting himself into? He stood up and then hesitated, wondering where he should go now. Then he heard a door open across the room and turned to see Chef wheeling a large cart into the dining hall. The big man spotted Chris and grinned.

  “Ah, Christopher! My young friend. How are you this lovely day?”

  “Hey Chef. Okay, I guess.” Chris walked over and helped Chef as he began to load the cart with dirty dishes.

  The man glanced at Chris from the corner of his eye. “Okay, you guess. Hmm. I hear a spot of worry in your voice, my friend. What is the problem? You have passed the test, yes?”

  “You heard about that?” Chris wasn't really surprised. Chef seemed to know a lot about the goings-on in the house.

  “Of course I did. Anna and I are old friends. She told me the tale of high adventure when we had breakfast together before she left. Truly, you impressed her, young Christopher.”

  “Impressed her?” He stared at the man in disbelief. “Chef, I could have killed her! Sariel was totally out of control.”

  “Bah, don't be absurd.” Chef rolled his eyes dramatically. “You are too good a person to harm an innocent. Your Sariel is part of you, which means he wouldn't have harmed her either. And don't interrupt; I'm not finished,” he said as Chris started to speak.