by Anthology
Red-Eyes looked toward Callum, his sneer-like grin increasing. “Guardian, you naughty boy, your link to Rory is preventing anyone else from reading him, preventing him from choosing his own fate. Isn’t that against the rules?”
Callum wasn’t surprised that this demon knew what he was, and this one was a powerful Fate Demon, by the looks of things. The revelation that he was helping close Rory’s mind surprised Callum. He hadn’t been aware that he was doing it.
Callum dashed to Rory and managed to wrestle him from the arms of the two hooded figures. He held onto him protectively and turned back to Red-Eyes. “I was unaware of what was happening, demon. Whatever the cause, God wishes it, or he wouldn’t allow it.”
Red-Eyes thought about this for a second, his brows furrowing with the strain of it. “I think it more likely that Rory is initiating this.”
Callum felt Rory’s thought directed toward him. “Am I doing this? Is this possible?”
Callum sent Rory an affirmative. Rory then asked another question. “Can you be hurt?”
Callum sent another affirmative response. “If I die in this plane, then I cease to exist, at least as far as being a Guardian is concerned. I do not know what comes after. If I leave this plane before it’s too late, I can heal.”
Callum felt Rory sigh inwardly. “I know this dude is going to try to use both Steve and you as leverage against me. You need to leave, Callum. You can protect me from In-Between, or wherever.”
Callum responded in the negative. “The moment I leave this plane, he will most likely do something to prevent me from returning, and he may even be able to prevent my interference from In-Between. I will not leave you, Rory.”
Callum was jolted away from his conversation with Rory when he heard the demon shout in frustration. “Enough of this. Kill the Guardian!”
Callum reacted instantly. He tilted, expecting to seize one of the hooded assailants and shove him into the other. Instead, he felt himself pivot. Rory had grabbed him and pushed him forcibly aside. He heard Rory scream in pain. Instantly Callum rebalanced his weight, grasped the two robed figures in front of him, and propelled them away. They sailed across the cavern to land with a loud thud against the opposite wall.
He then knelt down beside Rory, who lay bleeding on the ground. “Rory, why did you do this?”
Rory looked up. His emerald eyes were glazed with pain. His voice was hoarse. Callum could barely hear a whispered, “It’s called free will, Callum. You should try it.”
In that moment, everything changed. Callum felt different... less constrained. He thought about the situation, and of Rory. He looked up to see Red-Eyes glaring at him as a silver streaked object raced toward him. He made a decision, flung himself over Rory... and vanished.
Chapter Seven
ALMOST INSTANTLY, Callum felt the familiar sensations of being In-Between. When his eyes adjusted, he looked down. Rory was still in his arms. His wound was mending as Callum watched.
Rory breathed deeply and opened his eyes. Callum could only get a glimpse of brilliant green before Rory flung himself upward. His lips met Callum’s. The sensation was very different from the kiss they’d shared on the earthly plane. It was electric. Energies flowed and ebbed, melding into one another.
The feeling ended as Rory pushed himself backward, eyes wide with surprise. “That was different.”
Callum chuckled. “Yes, it was. Yet it was also amazing, Rory.”
Rory smiled, and then turned his head. His eyes went wide once more and his jaw dropped. “Where are we, Callum?”
Callum tilted his head suggestively, his smile genuine. “We are In-Between, Rory.”
Rory was shocked. “But... how?”
The Guardian angled his head to the other side and regarded his charge sympathetically. “I decided this to be the best course of action.”
Rory’s eyes widened. “Oh no, I did it again... didn’t I? Somehow, what I said made you change. I am so very sorry, Callum.”
Callum smiled at Rory, his eyes glistening with emotion. “Rory, don’t be sorry. I was able to think for myself for the first time in my memory. I have you to thank for that, and I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
Rory sat up and looked around. There was mist all around him. When he looked closely, he could see various recognizable places. “Are those places on Earth?”
Callum placed a hand on Rory’s chin to guide him into a soft, warm kiss. After releasing Rory, Callum gestured to the other side of the corridor. “Yes, Rory, and those over there are places in what you would call heaven.”
Rory shook his head in surprise and wonder. “Callum, am I dead?”
Callum chuckled. “No, Rory. You are very much alive.”
Callum leaned in once again. He put his lips on Rory’s. It was amazing. He wasn’t sure what he was doing. He only knew it was good, and he hoped Rory felt the same. He wanted to make Rory happy and keep him safe. He still perceived God’s pull on his soul, on his being, but it had changed. There were many different energies affecting him. He sensed he had the right, the privilege, and the obligation to choose between them. He felt liberated. He knew that the tugging from Rory’s being was the one he would choose above all else, for now, and possibly forever.
Callum also sensed that Rory could feel this change. It worried Rory, who gently pushed Callum away. “Callum, don’t you think someone, the someone, will be angry at you... at us... for disobeying him? For changing things? Should I even be here?”
Both Callum and Rory had been too absorbed with each other to notice that another figure had appeared near them, until that figure spoke. “Rory, you belong wherever your Cal is, and vice versa. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”
Callum reacted fast. He was standing with Rory tucked behind him in an instant. “Azrael. Why are you here? To mete out Father’s punishment? If so, Rory did nothing. Punish me.”
Azrael stood tall, his golden wings matching his full body armor and the golden sword at his hip. “Cal, if Father wished you punished, he would have done so himself. As a Guardian, you were directly under his control. If Father did not want what happened, you know very well it wouldn’t have been realized.”
Behind Callum, Rory was nervous. Callum sensed it. He extended a hand behind his back and grabbed one of Rory’s, squeezing tightly. This gave Rory enough courage to speak. “Then why are you here?”
In answer, the Archangel stepped forward and stretched out his hands. Instantly, a bronze-colored sword appeared in them. Callum gasped. He knew what this meant. He frowned. “I’m sorry, but I can’t accept this.”
Rory’s eyes popped wide in surprise. “But Cal, isn’t this a gift from... you know... God?”
Callum turned to look at Rory. “If I accept this sword, Rory, I’ll change. Into what? I don’t know... but I will change. I may forget you. And I don’t want to do that. I choose you, Rory.”
Rory spun Callum around to face him and landed a ferociously passionate kiss on Callum’s lips. Callum reciprocated the passion by gripping Rory’s neck, sinking his fingers into Rory’s hair. Rory ended the kiss. He leaned in and whispered, “Cal, you need to take the sword. I suspect that you can’t stay the way you are, even though you may want to. I will tell you this: if you change and no longer remember me, I promise I will always remember you. With all my heart, I promise you.”
Callum smiled weakly at Rory, turned to Azrael, and took the sword from his hands. A brilliant light enveloped Callum. He felt a tingle and his body went slack, although he did not fall to the ground. His eyes went blank. His facial features slacked to non-expression. For a long moment, he felt, sensed, and was nothing.
Callum then recognized himself as a being. He was there at least. He then heard his name, coming from the mouth of the most beautiful being, other than God, that he had ever seen. “Cal? Cal? Oh, please, Callum, answer me. Do you remember me, Callum? Please....”
Callum looked at the being in front of him, and sensed him—mind, body, and
soul. “Rory... Rory? Rory! I do remember you!”
Rory’s lips slammed onto his with such force Callum almost lost his balance. When Rory’s tongue entered his mouth, Callum felt at home. He felt safe. He knew he belonged with Rory, wherever Rory went.
Then Callum recalled what had happened. “Rory, how do I look?”
Instantly, Callum’s mind jolted and his senses vibrated. He saw himself through Rory’s eyes—a tall, dark-haired, dark-eyed male, wearing a brilliant set of bronze body armor and a brown leather kilt. He also sported very wide, beautifully white, feathery wings.
Callum heard Rory’s compelling voice speak in eager tones. “You look amazing, Cal. I’m so glad you remember who I am. Your wings are beautiful!”
Callum and Rory stared at one another. Time stood still, in a different way, even for In-Between, as they drank each other in. Then Azrael’s voice brought them both back to the present. “You are now a Warrior, Cal. Welcome to the ranks.”
The Archangel surprised Rory by addressing him next. “Welcome to you as well, Rory. You are the first human among our ranks.”
Callum’s eyebrows shot straight up. He noticed that Rory’s did as well. Rory’s mouth hung open, but he recovered enough to say, “I don’t understand.”
Azrael tilted his head. “You and Cal are inseparably linked. Your abilities will grow as you do, Rory. In time, you may earn your own sword and armor... but for now, Cal will be in charge of your protection. You may also find that your abilities are their own weapons, in a way.”
Rory frowned. “I’m sorry? I still don’t....”
Azrael smiled, as he stepped toward Rory and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Rory, every angel, every human, every living being has the ability to feel, to talk to God so to speak. Angels, like Cal and myself, have a more direct connection, but you may find that you do as well. All you have to do is find a way to access it, and perhaps then you will understand.”
Callum eye’s narrowed. He instinctively knew what Azrael was doing, and he definitely didn’t like it. He brushed Azrael’s hand away rather brusquely. “With all due respect, Azrael, if anyone is to touch Rory, in body or in mind, in such an intimate way... it’s going to be me.”
Azrael laughed as he backed away, nodded, bowed, and then disappeared. Callum positioned himself so the front of his body pressed tightly against Rory’s back. Callum grabbed Rory’s hands tightly and placed them on Rory’s thighs. He then kissed the nape of Rory’s neck and thought, “Rory, don’t be afraid.”
Callum’s mind was then thrust inside Rory’s. It was painless but exhilarating. Both Rory and Callum breathed in deeply. “Rory, I want you to picture a door. The door represents heaven. On the other side of that door is God.”
Callum sensed Rory doing everything he was told. “Okay, Rory, now open the door.”
As an intense light enveloped Rory, Callum withdrew. Rory deserved some privacy when he was meeting Father for the first time. Almost as soon as he had taken a mental step back, lips smashed energetically onto his. Rory had obviously turned around.
When Rory ended the kiss, Callum looked into his glistening eyes and heard his trembling voice. “Father loves me.”
Callum smiled. “Yes, Rory, he does.”
Rory returned the smile, weakly. “You love me.”
Callum nodded. “Yes, Rory, I do.”
Rory then had a surprisingly sexy look on his face—intense, lusty, and nervous. “Callum, I love you too. I want to be able to show you just how much, the way humans do. But... I can’t. Not right now, and not here.”
Callum studied Rory’s beautiful face. “You want to save Steve and anyone else we can.”
Rory nodded.
“Then that is what we’ll do.”
Chapter Eight
CALLUM WAS grappling with conflicting emotions. He could see that Rory was anxious to return, which made his stomach tighten in a way it never had before. Rory was worried about his friend, Steve. Callum had to catch himself from showing his anger. He was jealous, and he wasn’t sure how to handle it.
When Callum became more curt than he would have liked in explaining to Rory that jumping in without a plan of attack was probably a bad idea, Callum noticed Rory smile at him, and that caused him to be even more abrupt. Finally, Rory started to laugh as he said, “Oh, Callum, you’re jealous. You shouldn’t be jealous.”
Before Callum could say anything more, Rory came up to him and touched a hand to his. “You have nothing to fear from my relationship with Steve, Callum. He and I are friends. My feelings for him do not compare to those I feel for you, even though we have not known each other for very long. I hope this convinces you. I plan to do more, in more physical ways, later. For now, though, will this do?”
Callum nodded. He and Rory then spent several minutes going over the plan once more. Rory let Callum explain things, trying to be more understanding of Callum’s feelings, but Callum could tell Rory was becoming impatient.
Callum looked into the earthly plane to figure out exactly when they should enter. Timing was important. Rory had difficulty taking it all in. “Tell me again why we can’t just return to a moment before the party and take care of the demon then?”
Callum tilted his head and explained the theory to Rory once again. “God gave humans free will. The choices of any given moment matter. If we went into the past too often we would take away the consequences of humankind’s free will and break the covenant. It’s better to stay in the present.”
Rory’s brow furrowed, questioning. “How do you know what is present, past, or future?”
Callum breathed to calm himself since he’d explained this before. “Rory, let’s just concentrate on the events of our own experiences and trust in God. It’s always worked for me in the past.”
Rory sighed determinedly. Callum strode up to him, hugged him close, and said, “Concentrate on Steve as you last remember him. Remember the situation and we will get back to that.”
Rory concentrated. Images of Steve flew by in the mist as if Callum and Rory were watching a fluid movie screen. Rory abruptly screamed while he pointed to an image of a bloodied Steve falling to the ground, unmoving. “We’re too late!”
Callum hugged Rory close. “No Rory, this happened after we left the earthly plane. If we return just after we left, we may be able to stop this.”
Rory’s voice shot into his higher register. “I thought we couldn’t go into the past? Steve is already hurt. We’re too late.”
Callum turned Rory to face him. Rory looked confused. “The images you see are throughout time. We need to pay attention to our timeline.” Callum pointed to a series of moving images inside the cave. “See, that’s you and me just before I transported us to In-Between.”
Callum pointed to another image. “If we concentrated on that moment, on Steve, we’ll arrive in that space and time. We may be able to stop what happened to Steve.”
Callum turned Rory around and grabbed him from behind, relishing their bodies’ closeness. “Concentrate, Rory, I know you can do it.”
Callum perceived the familiar fuzzy feeling of travelling to the earthly plane. He saw Rory’s look of uncomfortable awe and smiled. He pressed closer and added his consciousness to Rory’s.
When the mist cleared, Rory and Callum were standing in the cave. Callum knew that Rory was going through a kind of vertigo at the moment. Travelling from In-Between to the earthly plane could be disorienting, as if seconds and hours had passed by simultaneously.
Callum stepped in front of Rory in a gesture of protection and drew his sword. The red-eyed demon let out a strange cackle of laughter. “Well, well, well. The Guardian has become a Warrior. Steve! Grab your little friend, Rory. He’s been a bad boy and needs to be punished... or the punishment will fall on you! Go! Everyone else, attack the angel! Destroy him once and for all!”
Callum immediately took a defensive stance. He didn’t want to hurt any of the humans, but he needed to defend himself and Rory. Several youn
g men rushed him. He then remembered he had another weapon at his disposal—a less deadly one.
He concentrated and his wings sprouted from his back. This alone surprised some of the men enough for them to cease their forward movement and for Callum to sidestep them using his wings and arms to fling them across the room. Some even hit the side of the cave, falling to the ground unconscious. A moment later, Callum was surrounded. There were so many of them.
In the course of the melee, Callum lost track of Rory, until he heard him shout from the other side of the cave. “Steve! This is me, Rory! Your best friend! At least I thought I was! Why are you doing this? Think! This isn’t you!”
Even as Callum dealt with angry, possessed frat boys flailing themselves at him, he was also very angry—with Rory. Rory should have stayed by Callum’s side so that Callum could protect him.
Callum then saw the trail of unconscious bodies and realized Rory had distanced himself in order to protect Callum. Callum rolled his eyes. He was the Guardian; at least he used to be. However, Rory seemed to want to be the protector. He’d already saved Callum’s life once, and changed it forever. It was going to take time for Callum to get used to someone wanting to protect him, and based on the unconscious bodies lying around, Rory was quite capable.
Rory was human, however, and humans weren’t invulnerable. Callum needed to get to Rory as soon as he could. Steve was practically on top of him. At least Rory’s question appeared to have made Steve pause to think, and that was a good sign.
Steve had stopped inches away from Rory, his hand poised in mid-air, ready to strike. “You are a sinner, Rory. I did this to save you. It’s the only way!”
Rory put an arm out and touched Steve on the shoulder. “God loves me, Steve. I know this. He loves you, too. You are being lied to, manipulated by elements that are jealous of humankind’s relationship with God. They wish to control us. Don’t listen to them, Steve!”
Steve started to shake. “You’re lying!”
Callum then saw Rory smile. A light shone in Rory’s mind. Callum could feel its brilliance, and not simply because he had a strong connection to Rory. The light was intense. It radiated like a non-lethal tsunami out of every pore in Rory’s human skin. “See the light, Steve. Witness it. This is the truth! God is love, Steve, not hate. He wants us to love one another. There are many ways to love!”
