by Deena Remiel
***
Agremon and Hannah vanished before she could take another breath to scream. They reappeared in Namirha’s home.
“Where are we?” Hannah asked, her voice barely audible.
“Mr. Namirha’s throne room. It’s really just a glorified hole in the wall.”
There was a large, empty chair at the back of the alcove and a runner made of goat’s hide on the ground. Above the chair was mounted a huge ceremonial knife that had sacred inscriptions written along the blade. All along the walls of the alcove were skulls of various animals, and right in front of the chair, a pentagram adorned the floor.
As Agremon was about to call Namirha, he appeared before them, eyes ablaze with hunger and triumph. “What have we here? I do believe I see before me my wayward apprentice and a gift. Agremon, it is you, is it not? You look a bit different. It doesn’t quite suit you. You’re too soft-looking. I expect to see the real you by sunrise. Now, is this not the child who is to be my daughter?”
“Yes, my lord. It is she, Hannah Livingston.” He held her dangling straight out into the air for Namirha to see. “I have defeated the Brethren and taken her from their evil clutches,” Agremon boasted.
“I know better than to believe all that rubbish, my dear Agremon. And I am wondering how it is you escaped my care. But no matter, she is here and I am at peace. Welcome, my child. Agremon, do put her down. I believe there are last minute plans that need attending to for tomorrow’s Homecoming. See that all is ready.”
“Yes, my lord. Thank you, my lord.” Agremon bowed and vanished.
***
Hannah stood stone still. She was finally face to face with Mr. Namirha.
“Come to me, child. Don’t be afraid. I am to be your father come your birthday. Oh, and what a birthday it will be, my dear! We’ll have ourselves such a party to end all parties.” He clasped his hands together and smiled. “Would you like that? I’m sure you would. Come, give your father a hug,” Namirha entreated with all the adulation and warmth a parent would bestow on his only child. He reached his arms out to her and waited.
The child that was Hannah was frozen, and the soul that was the Ancient Warrior took over, gently pushing the terrified child back into a safe little corner of her mind.
The Ancient Warrior soul knew exactly what to do and began to weave a story to save the little girl’s life. She spoke in a thin, wavering voice.
“I’ve always missed having a father. My mother has kept me away from him against both of our wishes. But now, you are saying you could be my father. I think I would like that. I’m scared a little bit. Agremon scares me. I don’t think he likes me very much, and I think he would like to hurt me. If you’re going to be my father, will you protect me from that scary man?”
“My dear, I will let nothing scare you or hurt you. You will be my daughter. You will be royalty, and all will kneel at your feet or suffer the consequences.” Namirha took a few steps toward Hannah. He reached out a hand to her, beckoning her to approach him. She inched forward one step and then another. And she stopped. She had to appear to be wary yet impressionable.
“Royalty, is that like being a princess? Will I be a princess, Mr. Namirha?” the Ancient Warrior asked, feigning a childlike personality and putting a hand on her hip.
“Yes, my dear,” he replied, smiling like a crocodile to a frog. “A princess from now on and please, call me father, would you? It would make my heart sing.” He stepped closer to her.
“Wow, a real princess! Will I have a crown? Will I have pretty dresses? Will I have people do things for me?” As Hannah threw these questions out, she jumped up and threw herself upon Namirha. Inwardly she shuddered, but he could never know how she truly felt or it would ruin any chance she had to gain the upper hand. Namirha caught her deftly, not showing the least bit of surprise by her assault.
“Yes, yes, anything for you, my dearest daughter!”
***
Michael raced to Emma’s bedside. He prayed that she had become strong enough to battle whatever Agremon had planned for her. He immediately lay beside her, gathered her up in his arms, and proceeded to enter her dreams as he had done before.
“Emma! Emma!” he shouted urgently. “Where are you? It’s me, Michael!” He noticed that Agremon had sent her back to the nightmare from before. This time, the dark was darker, the fog was thicker, and he hoped that she hadn’t been reduced to terror-induced insanity.
“Michael? Did you get to Hannah in time?” she shouted back. He didn’t respond right away, not wanting to face her wrath just yet. He imagined an endless barrage of stones hurled at him before he could reach her. “Michael, is Hannah okay?” Again, he gave no answer. “Damn it! I’m over by a tall headstone. Right next to the mausoleum, if you can see anything!”
“I think I know where you are. Stay put. I’m almost to you.” Michael could see better than a mortal, which made his task of finding her easier. “Here you are. Thank God! Are you okay? Are you injured? Did Agremon touch you?” His questions came pouring out faster than a waterfall. He reached out to grab her, to hold her; he had feared so much for her safety. But she violently batted his arms away.
“Did you get to Hannah?” He shook his head. “Then what the hell are you doing here? Go save her!” She shoved him. “How could you pick me?” She screeched and shoved him again. “You’ve got to get out of here. Agremon’s gone after Hannah. How could you come for me first and let him get to her? How?” She started slapping at his chest with her open hands, and he took it. “My baby’s gonna die at the hands of Agremon and Namirha, and you came for me.” Her open hands curled into fists, and she began pounding him with all of her might. “You know I would die before they got their hands on her. You know that! I was fine here. I was dealing. And now she’s gone. She’s gone and it’s all your fucking fault!” He feared she’d gone over the edge as she threw her whole body into punishing him.
Michael winced at the verbal thrashing and absorbed the physical assault, but there was a limit to his patience. He grabbed her arms to stay them, pulled her to him and growled, “Enough, Emma, enough!”
“Get me out of here, Michael,” she hissed. “Someone has to save my baby. Since you can’t seem to keep us protected, I’ll have to do it myself. Some Great Fucking Protector you are.”
She was killing his heart and he believed he deserved it. Again, he was powerless in providing protection to the people he loved most. “I’ll take you back now. But, listen to me. Coming for you instead of Hannah, as hard as it was for me to do, I believe saved both of your lives. Think about it. If I had gone to her, Agremon would have killed you, no doubt. As much as you would have preferred that over him taking her, he still would have gotten to her regardless. And I’m not prepared to go on living my life without you or her. Since I came for you, yes, Agremon took Hannah, but he can’t harm her. Not yet. Namirha can’t do a thing before her birthday. And we’ll be there, near her, in just a few hours. I’m so sorry my protection failed you. I really am. I think once we’re back, and we hash this out with the others we’ll find out how this happened.” With nothing more to be said, he gently embraced her, placed his right hand on her forehead, and took them on a journey back to real time.
They awoke together. Emma spared no time but jumped off the bed and fled to her daughter’s bedroom. The other Brethren stormed through the front and back doors.
“What’s happened?” Gabriel asked, breathing hard. “For hours there was nothing, and suddenly, for only a split second, we felt Agremon’s thread.”
“Agremon’s got Hannah,” Michael replied, hardly able to get the words out as failure threatened to still his heart.
Emma sifted desperately through the covers on Hannah’s bed while Michael looked on, helpless and guilt-ridden. “Hannah! Where are you, baby? Mama’s here! Mama’s…here.” She collapsed onto to the floor. Her cries of fury and rage exploded like a shockwave through the room, knocking him and the rest of the Brethren literally off their feet.
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As they recovered from the blast of energy, Gabriel suggested a quick meeting of the minds to find out what had happened. Michael fought with himself to go to her. Raphael must have seen his inner turmoil and took the decision from him.
“I’ll go to Emma, you go with the others and figure out what the hell happened and what we do next. Clue me in first so I know what I’m dealing with here.” Grateful for the support, Michael told him everything he knew and what he’d done, and then he went to the family room where the others eagerly awaited some kind of explanation.
Chapter Nineteen
Raphael put a gentle hand on Emma’s back. Her pain was so acute, that even with his mighty strength, he had to fight to keep his hand upon her. “Emma, it’s Raphael. Let me help you.” He placed his other hand on her head and stroked her hair, all the while releasing his own healing energy. He gave her all he could without jeopardizing his own safety. But she needed more. She had released all of her energies with that blast and was completely tapped out.
“Emma, can you hear me?” Raphael urged.
“Yes,” she whispered back weakly.
“You need more than I can give. And your protections are blown to bits. You are vulnerable. Cassiel can complete the healing, but you will need Michael to repair your protection.”
She slowly turned her face up, her bloodshot eyes still swimming with tears. Soft as a whisper, yet strong with conviction she ordered, “Get someone else.”
“You don’t realize what you’re saying. Michael is the strongest Protector we’ve got. You’re letting your emotions guide you rather than clear logic and reason. Please, let me get him for you,” Raphael implored.
She pushed herself up to a sitting position, ripped Michael’s talisman from her neck, and threw it across the room. “I said get me someone else! I can’t trust him anymore. If he loved me, he wouldn’t have tossed my baby to Hell. She’s all I have in this world, and he let Evil have her. No, he’s just like Ron, making Hannah last on his list of priorities. Well, she’s first on mine and always will be. I’d rather die here and now before accepting any protection from him. I will have someone else or I will have no one!” She crumpled back down to the floor having expended what little energy she had been given. Raphael collected her in his arms, her nightgown a twisted mess around her knees, and sat with her.
“Damn it, Emma! You’ve got to calm down. You’re using up energy quicker than it can be replaced. We will get Hannah back. He’s right. She’s safe with Namirha. He won’t harm her or do anything to jeopardize his chance at total world domination. You know very well she’s the key. He did the right thing by rescuing you rather than her. As harsh as it sounds, it’s true. The sooner you acknowledge that the sooner we can go on with our plans to infiltrate the Homecoming, which we need to be at in a few hour’s time.”
Silence. It was better than the wracking sobs from moments ago, Raphael thought optimistically. At least five minutes went by without a word from her. She lay in his arms like a ragdoll. And then she spoke in the softest of whispers, with a voice that tugged at the very foundation of who he was as a healer.
“I’m sorry, Raphael. You’re right. I’m sorry, so, so sorry.” She looked at him with shame in her eyes. Tears slid like ghosts down her face. He stroked her hair once again, giving more of himself than he knew he should, but he wasn’t who mattered now.
“Shh, we all understand what you’re going through. She is a part of us, too. You must trust that everything that happens, happens for a reason. We plan and God laughs, right? But if you think about it, our plan hasn’t been altered that much. Think positive. We’re counting on you, as part of the Trinity.”
“Send in Cassiel, please. And have Zadkiel work on you. Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve done, my friend. You’ve compromised yourself for my sake. I won’t forget that, ever.”
“In the scheme of things, Emma, your safety matters above all. Will you see Michael?”
She sighed deeply. “I guess I must. I behaved abominably towards him, Raphael. How will I ever look at him again without feeling shame inside? He will never forgive me. I’ve lost him. My blind madness for my daughter made me lose faith. And I’ve lost him.”
“Give it time, Great Savior Mother. Love heals.” Raphael released her and walked to the door of Hannah’s bedroom. “I’ll go get Cassiel for you now.”
He closed the door behind him, leaving Emma to gather her wits.
***
Raphael walked into the family room. “Cassiel, head on in, she’s ready for you. Well, any idea how this happened?”
“None whatsoever. There was not one thread of Agremon’s existence floating around out there, except for a brief second,” Kemuel asserted. “Ask anyone.”
“What I know,” Michael began, “is that I heard his voice all around me, goading me, and telling me to choose between Emma and Hannah. If I chose wrong, one would die. But I never saw him. Emma, I think, will have the answers we’re looking for.”
He dragged his hands through his hair for the millionth time. His brows deeply creased, guilt and shame were scrawled over his face like a tattoo. He knew he’d done the right thing, but her reaction was ripping him to shreds. He’d lost her trust. He didn’t just feel it. He had heard her yell it from Hannah’s room. With Hannah gone, and Emma lost to him, how on earth was the Trinity to survive and help conquer Namirha? Lord only knew. As usual.
Cassiel returned, looking a little worse for wear. “Lord Almighty, she’s powerful! I tell you, I’m spent, and still I wasn’t able to completely get her back to fully-loaded. No wonder she was able to knock us on our asses before! But I’m estimating that by the time we’re ready to get going, she’ll be right as rain. She needs to rest for the next couple of hours. Hey, Michael, you’re up. All that power needs protecting, brother. You might want to put a little extra zing in it, her being all Great Savior and all.” Cassiel threw himself on the couch and closed his eyes. “If you need me, you know where I am, just knock.” He immediately fell into his meditative state.
Michael turned to Raphael. “She doesn’t want me. She doesn’t trust me. Better to send in Urie.”
“It’s okay. I explained things to her, made her see reason. She agreed to see you so you can give her your protection,” he consoled, placing a reassuring arm on his shoulder. “All will be well. In the end, all will be well.”
As he walked cautiously towards Hannah’s room, Michael raised an eyebrow at Raphael. He gently closed the door behind him. Emma lay on her bed, eyes closed, looking beautiful, stronger, but not the least bit at peace. He took a deep breath as he edged closer to the bed, dying to reach out and hold her and never let her go. He fought his desire with all his might and simply gave a little cough to let her know he was there.
***
Emma opened her eyes and closed them again. She turned away from him and curled up like a ball. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. It hurt like hell to look at him. She hated him. She loved him. She gave her trust to him, and he betrayed her. Or did he? Had letting Agremon take Hannah really saved them both? Was she humble enough to admit it if it was so?
Maybe she was mad. She couldn’t help second-guessing everything or letting the cynicism taint her views. Ron’s betrayal and their divorce had ruined her. But then how had she allowed Michael to break down her defenses so easily?
“Emma, I’ve come to replace what you’ve lost,” Michael told her simply.
She remained in her protective position. “Can what is lost ever truly be replaced?”
“As far as protection goes, I can replace that.”
“I guess that is something, then,” she squeaked out.
She heard him walk by Hannah’s bureau. Her Talisman lay forgotten on the floor. She peeked out from behind her arm as he bent down to pick it up. He was inspecting the piece. She guessed his protection on it had been pulverized by her blast of grief and fury. Well, she had warned him about her maternal powers being stronger than anythi
ng.
She damn well proved it.
“I’ll rework the incantations into the charm and it will be as good as new, even better actually.”
If he’s trying to sound professionally removed, it isn’t working.
“Okay.” She wished there was a do-over button she could push.
He began speaking quietly in words she didn’t understand. His voice was so soothing and hypnotic that she dozed off for a while.
“I’ll need to hold you now, Emma, so you can absorb my protective aura. Are you okay with that?” he asked.
“Hmmm? What? Oh, I’m sorry, I must have fallen asleep. Are you finished?” She turned to look at him standing over her at her bedside and quickly averted her eyes, her shame not allowing her to face him.
“Not quite. I’ll need to hold you so you can absorb my protective aura. Are you okay with that?”
“Me? Am I okay with that?” She paused. “Are you okay with that? Can you stand to hold me? I mean, I don’t even know how you can stand to talk to me or even help me for that matter.” She hiccupped and shifted to sit up. “I’m so sorry, Michael! Can you ever forgive me? Can you ever forgive me for saying and doing the horrible things I am truly ashamed of, for not being stronger? You probably can’t.” She strangled the sheets clenched in her hands. “Knowing each other as long as we have, having been through so much and meaning more to each other than we ever expected, how does one forgive a lack of trust? But I do trust you, I do! It’s me I’ve lost faith in.” She beat her chest with her fist. “It’s me who can’t protect my own daughter. It’s me who is a downright failure! And I turned it all on you.” She choked on her sobs, letting her hand fall back down to her lap. She felt so forlorn, like a child lost to the world.
