Martin spoke up quickly. “We all share the blame, your honor. She played us perfectly. The fake victim whom we needed to rescue. The eager student always wanting to learn more. She was like a daughter or a little sister to everyone in the house.”
“Yes, I know, Martin. But a leader is ultimately responsible for the actions of those he employs and so the guilt is mine.” Judge Hawkes planted his palms firmly on the desk and pushed himself to his feet. “But now events are beginning to move, faster than we had anticipated, and we must react just as quickly.” He pulled his electronic pad from a pocket as he walked to the window and read through some notes. “Christopher has gotten the attention of both Talon and Angelica in a big way and I think they will respond in kind.”
Chris felt a stab of both guilt and fear. “Another attack, sir?” he asked.
“Quite likely, young man. Now, don't look so anxious. This was not your fault. They were obviously watching us closely and planning something. Your foray to the city may have accelerated those plans, but I'm sure they were inevitable.” He checked his pad again and nodded to himself. “So, I think it would be a perfect time to get you out of the line of fire, so to speak.” He glanced at Chris with a mischievous look on his face. “Say, with a trip to the Middle East?”
It took Chris a moment to get what the judge was hinting at. Then he grinned incredulously. “The hidden shrine! You mean we're going?”
“Indeed we are. All of the arrangements have been made, although there are a few...alterations to make thanks to Angelica's interference.” He returned to his seat and looked at Martin. “We have to keep the enemy's attention focused on the Nest for as long as possible.”
“A diversion?” Martin asked.
“Exactly. They felt the surge of power when Sariel revealed himself to Anna, so we know that they are sensitive to it. So let's keep their attention on this house and away from our quest. From now on, our young people will patrol in pairs. Jacob and Tyler will obviously stay together. I'll leave you to decide on the other pairings. Also, they are to patrol in their angelic forms.”
Martin stared at the judge. “But, sir, you know how hard that is on the mortal body.”
“I know, Martin, I know. If we have to have two shifts per night, then so be it. But the longer the enemy remains focused on this location, the better our chances of getting to the shrine undetected. I hold out little hope that we can get in and out totally unscathed, but let us try our best.”
“Very well, judge. I'll work out the details.” Martin sounded resigned.
“Good man. But in case we need more firepower, I want to expand the number of people coming on our journey.” Judge Hawkes began typing on his pad. “Besides myself and Christopher, of course, we have six members of security along for obvious reasons. All of them have wilderness training. But if we face any spiritual foes, we cannot depend solely on Sariel, at least not until we find at least one piece of his lost sword.” He frowned at the screen, then glanced at Martin. “Is Rabbi Eddleson available?”
“Ah, good question.” Martin reached into his own pocket and pulled out a cellphone. He tapped on it several times. Chris watched this interplay between the two men with fascination.
“He's close, sir. A three hour plane ride, tops.”
“Excellent. I want him with us. And also...Natalie.”
Martin shook his head. “She's meditating, sir. You know that. We can barely get her to eat or speak. I doubt if she'd be willing to...”
“Well, it is about time she rejoined the land of the living,” the judge replied impatiently. “She isn't meditating, Martin. She's sulking. And it's gone on long enough. Please go and ask her to join us right away.”
Martin stood up and looked at the judge doubtfully. “Sir, I don't think she will.”
“Impress the urgency of the situation upon her, Martin. Be persuasive. But get her down here.”
Martin stiffened his shoulders as if he was about to attempt to lift a heavy load. “Very well, your honor. I'll do what I can.”
When Martin had left the room to fetch the mysterious Natalie, Chris couldn't help but wonder who she was and why he hadn't heard of her yet. The judge waited a moment before answering the question.
“Natalie is...difficult, Christopher. She was the second young person we admitted into the organization after Angelica. They were very close. When Angelica left the Nest and later betrayed us, Natalie was emotionally crushed. That was about eighteen months ago. Since then, she's been a virtual recluse. Never leaves her room, takes meals alone and spends most of her time either reading or in meditation, communing with her angel. She's hardly spoken more than two sentences to anyone in that time.”
“I see,” Chris said, although he really didn't. “But then, what makes you think she'll come with us? And why would we want her? I mean, what can she do?”
“Well, besides the fact that she has spent more than enough time pouting, Natalie and her angel are very powerful. Hers is a very old soul indeed. Almost as old as Lilith. I would not be surprised if Sariel was actually acquainted with her.”
“Wow, really?” Chris was amazed. A warm pulse somewhere inside him gave him reason to think that Sariel might be too.
“Of course, first we have to pry her out of that room of hers.” The judge tapped his pad impatiently. “I don't want to sound less than grateful to Natalie, young man. She was badly injured in an ambush orchestrated by Angelica, and bears the scars of it even now. But it is not healthy for young people to lock themselves away from the world after such trauma. In fact, they need to be surrounded by life and friends and stimulus to help them heal. But Natalie has rejected all of our attempts to engage her in the day to day life of the Nest. This journey, well, it may be the best thing for her, as well as providing extra security for us.”
“I understand, sir. Makes sense.”
The judge smiled a bit sadly. “Let us hope that it makes sense to Natalie as well.”
While the judge continued to type on his pad, Chris relaxed and had a third cup of coffee and more cookies. How Chef kept the chocolate so gooey was a mystery, but like all of his creations, they were amazing.
After about ten minutes, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Judge Hawkes called.
Martin entered, looking a bit sheepish. Before he could do more than open his mouth, the judge cut him off.
“She said no, I take it,” he said flatly. It wasn't a question.
Martin shrugged. “She actually didn't say anything, sir. She simply ignored my knocking, even after I warned her that I was coming in if she didn't open the door.”
“And did you?” the judge asked, sounding a bit amused.
“I did, your honor. Reluctantly. But she was just sitting on her sofa, staring off into space. She did deign to glance up at me when I had finished speaking, but that was all the response I got from her. Short of picking her up bodily and carrying her down here, I couldn't think of anything else to do. So here we are.”
“Here we are indeed.” The judge picked up his electronic pad and tapped on it several times. He obviously had it on speaker because Chris heard ringing from whatever number the judge had called. After the fourth ring, there was a click as someone answered but no one spoke.
“Natalie, this is Judge Hawkes. Please don't hang up on me; it would be rude. I expect to see you in my office in five minutes. It is important. And if, after that time, you are not here then I will have Ghost personally fetch you. Now, we both know what that means so please save yourself the discomfort and embarrassment and come down under your own power. That is all.”
The judge clicked off the phone and set the pad down on his desk. He looked a trifle smug, Chris thought, and wondered what the mysterious Ghost would do that was so terrible. He looked over at Martin and was surprised to see him grinning widely.
“That was a tad...mean-spirited, don't you think, your honor?”
“Perhaps, Martin. But enough is enough. That young woman
has been indulged to the point where it is making her unwell. It must be stopped.” He looked at Chris for a quick second and then back at Martin. “Do you think she'll come?”
“Sir, I don't know anyone who wouldn't under the terms you just mentioned.”
“Yes, well, we'll soon find out.”
Chris was tempted to ask exactly what would happen if Natalie didn't show, but he was sure that no one would tell him. Ghost wasn't mentioned, at all, by anyone in the house. The other teens had never seen him or her, and the adults refused to talk about the subject. It was very weird and a bit creepy, he thought.
Judge Hawkes glanced at his watch, then folded his hands and stared expectantly at his office door. Martin rested his elbow on the arm of the chair and put his chin on his hand, all the while staring with amusement at the judge. Chris just tried to be patient and not fidget too much.
It might have been less than five minutes but to Chris it felt like an hour when the door opened and a young woman limped in. She hadn't bothered to knock. Martin stood up quickly and moved to the window, allowing the woman a clear view of the desk.
She stood inside the doorway and scowled at the judge, who simply met her angry gaze with a friendly smile.
“Good afternoon, Natalie. How nice of you to join us. And so prompt too.”
Natalie didn't speak for a long moment. And then she limped across the room, first slamming the door shut behind her, and collapsed into the chair next to Chris without giving him a passing glance.
“Prompt? Yes, I was prompt, judge. It was either that or be dragged down here by your pet enforcer. How dare you threaten me with that...creature!”
Natalie's voice was very deep for a woman's and she didn't speak loudly, but her anger and obvious disgust at the judge's tactics could be heard clearly. Chris found himself comparing her with Angelica, her once best friend and realized that they couldn't have looked more different from each other.
Angelica was tall and lean with platinum blond hair and fine features. Natalie was no taller than Chris. Her black hair only fell to her chin and she was heavy-set with rather plain features. But she wasn't fat, Chris realized as he looked at her from the corner of his eye. She was just very sturdy looking. Maybe she lifts weights, he thought.
“I had to get your attention, Natalie. You have been cooped up far too long. And before you give me your reasons, be assured that I am aware of them.” His gaze sharpened. “But this is too important. Angelica is back.”
At once, Natalie sat up straight in her chair, although she grimaced with pain as she did so.
“What do you mean she's back?” she growled. “She disappeared after she turned traitor. Many of us assumed she was dead, or at least gravely injured. I certainly hoped that she was.”
Chris was shocked at the intense hatred dripping from Natalie's voice. She obviously loathed Angelica. What had her ex-friend done that could change this woman's feelings so completely? He soon found out.
“Look, judge, even if I could help you with whatever is going on, I'm of little use.” Natalie looked done at her right leg for a moment, frowned and looked back at Judge Hawkes. “My leg never did heal properly. Yes, the skin all grew back, but it's too stiff and the pain is constant. How could I be of any use to you in this condition?” She sounded almost ashamed of her infirmity and it was the judge who was now frowning.
“Natalie, what happened was not your fault. Angelica fooled all of us. If you are looking to place blame, look no further than myself.”
She shook her head. “I know your feelings, judge, but they're misplaced. She was my best friend. I trusted her completely and I walked into that ambush with my team totally oblivious to the danger. And only I walked out.” She grimaced again. “Crawled out, actually. I should have sensed the change in her, the deceit. But I noticed nothing. Nothing.” She rubbed her hand gingerly over her thigh. “This is my penance if you will, for my mistakes. You may think that it has gone on long enough, but how long is enough when my stupidity cost the lives of four of my closest friends?”
There was a moment of silence. The judge seemed at a loss for words and, apparently to fill the silence, Martin spoke up.
“Natalie, I don't believe you've met our newest member? Mr. Wright, this is Natalie. She prefers to go by her first name. Natalie, Christopher Wright.”
Chris turned to face Natalie fully. “Hi. Nice to meet you,” he said a bit uncomfortably.
Natalie reluctantly turned away from the judge to look at Chris. “Yeah, nice to meet...” she started to mumble and then stuttered to a stop.
“Wait.” Natalie narrowed her eyes and then pushed back in her chair in shock. She hissed with the pain of the sudden movement. “I know you. I know you!”
Chris stared in disbelief as Natalie struggled to her feet, only to fall ungracefully to her knees, all while showing obvious signs of the agony she was experiencing.
“My lord Sariel. It is you, isn't it?” There was a new resonance in her voice and her black eyes suddenly glinted like faceted pieces of onyx. Chris knew that her angel was speaking through Natalie. And at the same time, he heard his own inner voice speaking.
'Chris', Sariel said from somewhere deep inside of him. 'May I be allowed to speak?'
At a loss and not knowing how to respond to Natalie kneeling in front of him, Chris agreed to let Sariel take over. He stood up, towering more than two feet higher than his usual height and stared down at Natalie.
“Do not kneel to me, Gloriel. I am a simple child of God, as are you. Rise sister. Rise. We have need of you...whole.”
Sariel reached down and clasped Natalie's two hands in his. He raised her to her feet and Chris was surprised to see tears streaming from her eyes. And then he saw why.
Natalie rose with a sudden grace and ease that she had not shown a moment before. Chris realized that she had been healed.
'Why didn't another angel do that earlier, Sariel?' he asked silently.
'Because only someone older than the injured angel can heal them, Chris. Gloriel is almost as old as Lilith, and until I arrived, there was no one else who could repair the damage done to her.'
Chris considered the implications of that statement while Sariel spoke again. “We need you for a journey, Gloriel. Lilith is on the move. She does not know that I walk the Earth, but I fear that she will not remain ignorant for much longer. And once she knows, my brother will learn of it soon after.”
Natalie, or Gloriel, looked puzzled. “But what of it? You are more than a match for our evil sister. There is no need to fear her.”
Sariel motioned for her to be seated. “If I could access my full power, that would be so. But I cannot. I need a conduit, a bridge to send the power from my spiritual self to my human self.”
“Ah, of course.” Gloriel looked thoughtful. “The only object that you could use would be...oh my. The sword that you used to strike down the traitor. It remains on Earth?”
“Indeed it does, broken into three pieces.” While Sariel was talking, Chris realized that he had returned to his normal size. Sariel was simply using his voice now. He sat down again. He was pleased that the angel wasn't trying to keep control.
“There is a hidden shrine somewhere, the judge knows where, that may give us a clue to its location, or at least a piece of it. Will you join us on the hunt for this artifact?”
“We would both be honored to join you, Sariel. And Christopher.” It was Natalie speaking again. She looked more energized than Chris would have believed possible when she'd first walked into the room.
“Excellent. Talk to the judge about the details. I'm afraid that Chris is going to have to rest in a few moments. My power to heal is hard on his system and exhaustion is about to set in.”
'It is?' Chris asked internally. He felt fine.
'I'm afraid so. I had to heal Natalie, as I think you'd agree was the right thing to do, but the energy comes from you, Chris. The reaction will set in momentarily and you'll need to sleep for a while. Thank yo
u for letting me speak, and act. We'll talk again soon.' And with that, Sariel was gone.
And then Chris felt a wave of weakness suddenly engulf him and he slumped back into his chair. His hands were shaking slightly. He barely noticed Natalie's look of concern.
“Christopher, are you all right?” The judge's worried voice seemed to come from very far away.
“I'm fine,” Chris tried to say, but the world around him was slipping away fast, fading to black.
The next thing he knew, Chris was waking up with a massive pounding behind his eyes. He moaned as he rolled upright slowly and realized he was in his own bed. He felt like someone had hit his head with a sledgehammer.
“Ah, you're awake. Excellent!”
Chris turned his head quickly to identify the speaker and gasped as a wave of pain made his skull feel like it was about to split wide open. Jacob was sitting in a chair next to the bed.
“Oh gees, sorry Chris,” he said quickly. He looked so concerned that Chris couldn't get angry with him.
“S'all right, Jake,” he mumbled as he pushed his hair off of his face gingerly. “It's just that my head is pounding like you wouldn't believe. Did I fall down or something?”
Jacob picked up a couple of pills and a glass of water off of the bedside table and handed them gently to Chris. He swallowed them gratefully and emptied the glass. He was very thirsty.
“No, apparently when you healed Natalie yesterday, it sucked the energy out of your system and the headache is part of the price you pay for that.” At Chris' curious expression, Jacob grinned. “The judge told Tyler and me what happened. He asked us to watch you in shifts in case you woke up and needed anything. Did you know you snore?”
Embarrassed, Chris just groaned and lay back on the pillow. “You didn't have to babysit me, Jake. Tyler either. I'm fine. And yeah, I know I snore. Thanks.”
Confronting the Fallen Page 20
