by Deena Remiel
“Was he lying, then, about the Talisman being no match for him? He can’t get to Hannah anymore, can he?” She was leaning against the counter now. Her legs were doing their best to hold her up under the strain, but they were not completely successful. Neither was the rest of her demeanor. Michael stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She turned within his embrace and held him right back. She heard his heart beating strong and sure, and not nearly as fast as a human’s heart would be beating, reminding her she was in the arms of an angel. A true, blue angel. She closed her eyes as waves of comfort and protection surrounded her.
“He won’t get to Hannah. And he won’t get to you either, ever again. The Talisman has strong ancient power. I’ve called one of the Brethren, another Protector, who’s a genius with intelligence. He’ll find out everything we need to know about Namirha’s plans. He’s also contacting the rest of the Brethren to come and help me out. I don’t mess around, Emma. Too many lives are at stake. And there are two lives in particular I’ve become very attached to.” He drew her head back ever so gently with one hand and stroked her lips with the other. His eyes consumed her, and the mutual longing could no longer be denied.
Slowly he bent his head down and his lips grazed hers, soft and gentle as a whisper. As they came together, tiny sparks shot off in all directions, and an aura of rainbow colors formed a protective barrier around them. Unaware of anything but how wonderful Michael’s lips felt against hers, Emma leaned aggressively into the kiss. He retaliated by teasing hers open with his tongue. She let out a hungry groan. The urgency of their unexpected desire deepened and they blended into one united entity. Their hearts beat as one, and they breathed for each other as though they did not exist, one without the other. The kiss seemed to last for an eternity, yet in truth it was mere moments.
***
Gradually, they came apart, lips bruised and swollen from their powerful assault. Energy drained back to its source. Michael’s control had come undone. Emma had no idea what she and her growing powers had done to him. He hadn’t realized until now that helping was a two-way street. Yes, he was protecting her and Hannah, but whether she instinctively knew he needed it or not, she was saving him, and it hurt like hell. The Savior had been awakened inside her and knew that Michael needed healing as much as she. But from what, he couldn’t let on yet.
“Well, uh, I’d better see to breakfast. Hannah’s been waiting for a while now. I’ll just go to the kitchen and get things rolling again while you finish up in here.” Michael gave her a quick smile and withdrew from the bathroom before Emma could respond.
Chapter Eleven
“So I asked Mama if once school is out we could get a pool and put it in the backyard. She said maybe. That’s better than no, right, Mr. D’Angelo?”
“I think it’s definitely better than no, Hannah. Hey, that’s a mighty cool looking necklace you got there. Can I have a look?” Michael asked. She agreed enthusiastically, and leaned over the kitchen table for him to get a better look. He inconspicuously checked it out for any breaches in its shielding. The shields were still holding strong, as they should. “Where’d you get this?” He wondered if Emma had mentioned anything at all about it.
“I don’t know, really. You see, I woke up, and it was on me already. Isn’t that funny? And I’m never taking it off, either. Know why? Because I slept through the night last night! No bad dreams!” She immediately put her hand to her mouth. Her eyes flew wide open. “Oops! I wasn’t supposed to say anything. No one’s supposed to know about my bad dreams, Mr. D’Angelo. Please don’t say anything. I don’t want the kids to make fun of me.” She looked so pitiful; he did his best to ease her mind.
“No worries there, little one. On my honor I will never speak of this to another soul in our school. Your secret is safe with me.”
“What secret?” Emma came into the kitchen and sat down beside her daughter at the old pine trestle table and planted a huge kiss on her cheek.
“Mama, I kind of told Mr. D’Angelo that I can’t sleep and that I have bad dreams. Is that okay?” Hannah tapped her fingers together.
“Yes, honey, that’s fine. In fact, after school, we’re going to talk more about it together, at the park, all three of us. I think Mr. D’Angelo can help. Now, I see lots of yummy things on this table and I’m starving. Sweetie, the table looks lovely. I’m so proud of you!”
Hannah ate the remainder of her bagel in blushed silence. After the scorching kiss he’d shared with Emma in the bathroom moments ago, Michael found himself preoccupied by troubling thoughts from his tragic past, and chose to avoid her eyes at all cost. And although it felt like he’d already lived through an entire day, it had only been thirty minutes since Agremon had made his appearance. A telling sign that for some reason, as of yet unknown, Michael was off his game. He wasn’t a happy camper.
***
Emma knew that for her daughter, the last day of school meant the end to her daily escape from her nightmares. She’d made sure to tuck her very special necklace under her shirt so no one could see it. As they walked to Michael’s car earlier that morning, however, Hannah had told her that she felt she could slay dragons or demons with it on. So maybe being home all the time this summer wouldn’t be so terrible after all.
For Emma, her final duties were filling out closeout forms that seemed a mile long and locking computers away in closets. The day went along without too many interruptions, and before she knew it, she was standing outside of the school with Maddie and the other teachers waving goodbye to all the children going home on the buses.
She hadn’t noticed Michael come stand beside her. He whispered subtly in her ear, “You all right, there? I thought I sensed a thread of Agremon nearby and then it faded.”
“Yeah, I’m okay. He popped up in a few kids’ faces as I waved goodbye earlier, but I’ve decided, no matter what he tries, I’m not going to let him disrupt my life anymore. I let myself become a victim again, and I refuse to stay that way.”
Michael raised an eyebrow.
Damn it! She didn’t mean to share that much, but she couldn’t seem to help herself where he was concerned.
“I’m glad to see you feeling stronger, more self-assured. Why don’t the two of you go ahead to the park, and I’ll meet you there in half an hour? I actually have a few more teachers’ forms to sign-off on, and then, I’m all yours.”
His gaze lingered. God, but she was dying for him to grab her and kiss the living daylights out of her again.
“Sounds like a plan, and I am feeling better thanks to you. A half hour, then. We’ll be waiting and enjoying the beautiful weather. Don’t be late.”
“My word is my oath,” he replied with a quiet intensity that shook Emma to her very soul. With nothing more to be discussed, they walked back into the school building, he to finish closeouts, she to gather up Hannah.
Emma took the half hour they were waiting for him to catch up on the day with her daughter and doing what Hannah loved: pushing her on the swings. She hoped what Michael had said about her family’s history was indeed true. Then, maybe there could be an end to this incessant madness that had become her life. They could be a happy family again, with Good outshining Evil.
Looking at her daughter, she thought she was ready to take on whatever responsibilities she was about to inherit. If it meant lasting security and happiness for Hannah, she’d be willing to do just about anything. The two had returned to their blanketed spot, and she checked her watch, frowning. It was approaching the half hour mark when Michael was due to show.
“Don’t start worrying, I’m already here,” he teased, walking up to the blanket. He cast a cooling shadow over Emma’s face.
“Thank you for sparing my nerves and being punctual. It’s such a rare quality in a man these days. But I guess you’re about as rare as they come, now aren’t you?” she ribbed.
“So they say,” he boasted with a twinkle in his eyes. He hunkered down on the blanket next to Emma. “Sha
ll we get started, then? No time like the present, I always say, and the sooner we discuss everything, with Hannah, the better prepared we’ll be for whatever Namirha has in store.”
“Sure, and by the way, I told Hannah that Ted’s Garage came by the school, picked up the truck and had it fixed by the end of the day. Just so we have our stories straight, okay?”
“All right. Well, I’m gonna have to give Ted’s Garage a try then the next time my car is having engine problems. How convenient,” he said with a wink.
The afternoon waxed on with the only unpleasant task being the probing of Hannah for details about her dreams, Namirha, and Agremon. She was reticent at first to share anything but came around when a carousel ride was offered as a prize. Then, Michael explained their special gifts and taught them how to recognize exactly how those powers felt when being used. He worked with Emma first.
“Trust that this power is constantly growing inside you. It needs to be harnessed and molded to suit your innate abilities. Close your eyes, hold my hands, and connect with the energy humming through your system. Do you feel it?”
“Yes,” Emma whispered.
“Now, imagine there’s a little box inside you waiting to be filled. It harnesses the different abilities you possess. I want you to pour a little bit of your power into this box, like you were pouring from a pitcher.”
“Okay, I’m imagining, I’m pouring, but I don’t know if it’s working.”
“That’s all right. It’s working. I can see your aura shifting. Good job. Now, to teach Hannah.”
***
“We’re magical, Mama! We’re magical!” Hannah squealed with delight. Emma had healed a cut on her knee, and she could tell what was in the trunk of Michael’s car. For the first time in months, Emma saw the exuberant, carefree child burst through the carefully constructed wall Hannah had built around her heart.
“I’m magic, I’m magic!” she sang as she grabbed Emma’s hands, pulled her to her feet and danced around in circles. They laughed and collapsed on the blanket, breathless, while Michael watched them, a tender smile creeping across his face.
Emma caught a brief moment of melancholia pass beneath that smile and then watched it disappear as quickly as it had come. She wondered if her playfulness with Hannah and obvious love for each other had brought back shades of memories from a past he hadn’t shared yet.
The ring of a cell phone pulled Emma out of her reverie.
“Go ahead. Answer it. I’ll take Hannah over to the carousel.”
***
“Thanks.” He opened his phone. “Michael here.”
“Yeah, it’s Gabriel. I’ve got some Intel for you. I think you’ll find it very interesting.”
“Go ahead. I’ve been finding a lot of things interesting over the past couple of days.”
“I bet. Check this out. Namirha definitely has designs on getting his hands on that girl of yours. I checked with E.L. and it’s a sure bet that she and her mother are part of that prophecy we were told about. You know the one about the salvation of this generation. Well, the girl’s destined to be a leader, Michael. But not just any leader, our Great Warrior Child. She was born to lead our army of immortals against the uprising of Evil.
“Not only that, we believe Namirha’s probably aware of the unusual pattern of numbers in her family’s birthdates and times of birth. She is as important to him as she is to us. If he gets a hold of her, on her birthday, which is six days away, he can bind her to him in a blood ritual, at precisely 6:06 p.m. You know what that means?”
“Yeah, Gabriel, I know what that means. All her powers become his and all hell literally breaks loose on Earth.” Michael balked with disgust. “I’m not about to let that happen. You can be damned sure about that.”
“Don’t worry, brother. All teams have been contacted. They’re en route as we speak, and are due to arrive within the hour at Hannah’s residence.”
“Thanks, Gabriel. Now, can you get me some Intel on Namirha’s cult? If we can get in there, we can get to him before he gets to us. Man, we could really use Hannah’s intuitive powers right now. I’m working on it, but damn, she’s so young. She’s practically a baby, Gabriel. I’m trying to take things slowly, but when the Warriors come, they’re not going to be so patient. And in reality, they shouldn’t be. We don’t have the luxury of time.”
“Listen, Michael, she may look young, but there’s the soul of an Ancient warrior inside her. Don’t forget that. And by the way, when do we ever get enough time to prepare for war? I’ll get back to you on the cult thing.”
Emma turned away from watching Hannah on her carousel horse as Michael approached. Wasting no time, she plied him for information. “I’m assuming the phone call had something to do with us.”
Chapter Twelve
“Yes, actually, it did. We need to get back to your place, now,” he urged. “The rest of the Brethren are coming.”
Emma pressed, “Michael, you’re making me nervous. Who exactly were you talking to and what did he say?”
“You don’t have to fear the Brethren. I was talking to Gabriel, another Protector. He confirmed what I thought about you two. The rest is gonna have to wait till we’re back at your house. I don’t want the Brethren to arrive before us. Come on, I’ll walk you back to your truck.”
Summarily dismissed, Emma brooded all the way home. Warning flags were flying around her head as misgivings washed over her. To trust or not to trust; that was the question. This man had completely turned her world upside down.
He was her protection and her heart’s enemy all at once.
Moment by moment, she decided, was the only way to stay above water. Plus, she had so many questions, and didn’t like being kept in the dark, especially when it involved her daughter. She would definitely be setting him straight about that.
***
Michael followed closely behind, not looking forward to her inevitable reaction when he shared the rest of Gabriel’s news. Who was he kidding? He could barely get a grip on the idea himself. But Fate didn’t care, and certainly never waited for people to get comfortable with their destinies. As he pulled into the driveway, his cell rang. He turned the car off and answered the phone.
“What do you have for me, Gabriel?”
“Namirha’s been busy establishing his cult called, The Source. He’s got a compound on every continent, if not in every country across the globe. The newest compound, the Global Headquarters, is located right outside Prophet’s Point, at the foot of the Superstition Mountains. They broke ground on the main worship center about six months ago, and most followers are living in tents and campers at the moment. No doubt Namirha wants to be as close as possible to the child.”
“Yeah, well, that’s the closest he’s gonna get to her. How do we get in?”
“There’s a gathering called the Homecoming at the new compound scheduled for Sunday. No doubt he’s trying to increase his minions.”
“That doesn’t give us nearly enough time to prepare. Damn.”
“Hey, brother, we’ll be extra careful this time. I remember the last time we tussled with Satan. Nobody wants to see a repeat performance.”
“No, we surely don’t. See you soon. Oh, and make sure shields are up when coming into the house. It’s dripping with dark energy.” He closed his phone and wearily rubbed his eyes. The last time. Jesus! The last time the Brethren battled Satan, the Brethren won, but not without a price. Mortal losses were high, even with the Saviors’ healing, and he’d paid heavily with the loss of his wife and unborn child.
Michael dared to think upon his wife from centuries ago now, Beth. She’d been mortal, and he’d seen that as perfection. Her life was so…normal, and he craved that after living alone for centuries.
But being mortal turned out to be her fatal flaw. And loving her had turned out to be his.
Agremon got to her head and heart, turning her against her husband as a last ditch effort for Evil to win. One day, she left home with Agremon at her side,
Michael’s unborn child kicking madly inside her belly. Agremon slaughtered them over the threshold of his house as the Protector innocently walked up the pathway. He thumbed his nose at him and disappeared. He’d never looked at a threshold the same way since.
And now he faced another threshold. Dare he cross it? Emma was extraordinary, gifted. A woman not quite mortal and not quite immortal. With her powers, she was saving him from self-destruction. He’d been alone and in a dark place when it came to any kind of relationship outside the Brethren. And now, here she was, with a daughter he adored—a daughter that would soon be fighting alongside his Warriors for the eternal protection of the mortal world. He was having second thoughts. Could he really afford to let himself feel again? He had already tasted and sampled. Could that be enough? Should that be enough? Or was that immaterial?
Emma had stirred a strong craving within him. The moment he’d first met her, the attraction had gripped him, but he’d learned to ignore it over the years. The taste was now a compulsion not to be denied. Duty came first, though, and his primal needs would have to take a backseat, for now.
Michael walked in as Emma and Hannah were putting their school things away. Emma blocked his path, poking him in the chest determinedly and cautioned, “Don’t think you’re going to sidestep me again. I’ve had enough. I told Hannah to go to the playroom. If my daughter’s life is in danger, you better damn well tell me everything, and what exactly you and this Brethren group are going to do about it.”
