Phoebe clambered out of bed, stretched her arms up over her head, then grabbed her pink fluffy robe and pulled it on over her nightdress. She stepped out into the hallway, tying the robe’s belt around her as she descended the stairs. From below, she could hear the happy chatter of her parents as they prepared breakfast, and the simple wonder of family breakfast struck her anew and made her smile.
“Good morning Dad, good morning Mum,” Phoebe said as she entered the kitchen. “Something smells good!”
“Morning Honey,” smiled Eva. “Did you sleep well? We thought we’d treat ourselves to a nice big breakfast this morning. Are you hungry?”
Phoebe nodded that she was, and sat down at the big wooden table where the Wrens had enjoyed many family meals together.
“Anything you want to do today, Phoebe?” asked Jack, as he set a huge plate full of eggs and bacon on the table in front of her.
“Thanks Dad,” said Phoebe, “Looks great!”
“It is!” grinned Eva, who was already tucking in to her own breakfast.
“There’s nothing in particular I want to do today, I’ve said all my goodbyes and packed all my stuff, so I’m not fussy.” Phoebe set her knife and fork down just long enough to swallow a gulp of hot tea before getting back to her bacon and eggs. “What do you reckon? Is there anything you still need to do?”
“Well,” said Jack, taking his place at the table beside his wife and daughter. “Your Mum and I thought we might just go back to the hospital, see if we can help any more with the tidy up operation. We got on well with it yesterday, but there will be a lot more to do, and since we have this unexpected free day, we thought we might as well pitch in. You can join us if you want, or just hang out with Dem, it’s entirely up to you.”
Jack didn’t wait for Phoebe’s response, and wasted no time in starting his breakfast. Phoebe looked at her parents, happily enjoying their breakfast, and realised that they couldn’t possibly be aware of the implications of the next forty eight hours. She toyed with the idea of telling them the whole story – right here and now, over breakfast. They were alone and she would have their complete attention; this could be the perfect opportunity for Phoebe to let Jack and Eva in on her incredible secret. But as Phoebe played the potential conversation silently through in her head, she realised just how absurd and implausible it sounded, and she decided that it would be much simpler to keep it just between her and Demetrius.
“I’ll probably just call with Demetrius,” she said at last. “Maybe help him with his packing, he’s bound to have a lot to do! I can’t believe you made arrangements for him to come home with us, it’s gonna be so great!” Phoebe was genuinely delighted by the prospect of Demetrius joining her in Ireland, and her face reflected her joy.
“We reckon a new start back in Ireland will be so good for Demetrius,” said Eva, her kind eyes smiling at the thought of the young boy who had become like a son to her. “I know he has Esau and Martha here, but with Julius and Teddy gone, he has no real ties in Africa, and your Dad and I feel that Ireland opens up so may opportunities for him. He’s such a smart kid – like you, Phoebs!”
“Mum, we are not ‘kids’,” Phoebe started to protest, but she caught the twinkle in her mother’s eye and realised that she was being teased. “Oh ha ha ha, Mother,” she quipped, and rolled her eyes as Jack and Eva laughed together at how easily Phoebe had taken the bait.
The family finished their breakfast, chatting animatedly about Ireland and how good it would be to get back there and catch up with family and friends. Phoebe helped Eva to tidy up and wash the dishes, then she went back upstairs to get washed and dressed. It was already 10:00am, and Phoebe was excited to get round to Dem’s house.
Jack and Eva shouted up the stairs to Phoebe before they left the house, and she came downstairs dressed casually in cut off jeans and a faded grey tee shirt to hug them before they set off.
“Now, you can come over to the hospital any time you like, and we both have our cell phones so just call if you need anything, okay?” said Jack as he tousled Phoebe’s wavy hair. “Do you want a ride over to Demetrius’s? It’s on our way.”
“No, thanks,” replied Phoebe. “It’s such a lovely morning, and I fancy a walk. It’ll give me a chance to think for a while.”
“No problem Honey,” said Eva. “See you later.” She hugged her daughter and tousled her mousy hair then she and Jack walked across the back yard, climbed into their Jeep, and headed off in the direction of the hospital leaving Phoebe with the whole day in front of her. ‘At least today can’t be any worse than it was first time round!’ Phoebe mused as she searched for her cell phone and got ready to leave the house.
CHAPTER 24
Phoebe pulled on a pair of dusty red pumps that lay perpetually by the back door. She left the house, making sure that she locked the back door securely behind her. “After what I’ve seen of angels and demons coming and going through ceilings and walls, locking the door seems a bit pointless,” she thought to herself, and smiled wryly. So much had happened since this time yesterday, and she had to remind herself that although ‘yesterday’ had started out as Friday 20th August, ‘today’ was Thursday 15th July – the day that had changed her life in the worst possible way. Phoebe knew that if she thought about it all too much she would make herself dizzy, and instead she chose to focus on the present. Angels. Demons. Light. Dark. Time travel. Her life read like a scene from a movie right now and she imagined that the best thing for her to do was just go with it. She was starkly aware that the next forty eight hours held incredible significance for her family, and the severity of the situation threatened to overwhelm her at times.
“I need to get round to Dem’s,” Phoebe thought, “He always knows how to make sense of everything.” Phoebe put an inch to her step and in a few short minutes she rounded a corner and the Otonnos’ house was in sight. Phoebe could see Martha on the porch, sweeping the dust off with a homemade broom. Martha smiled and waved when she saw Phoebe. “Come on in, Phoebe,” she called, “Demetrius will be glad of your help, you know what men are like when it comes to packing!” Martha winked at Phoebe. “Go on through, he’s upstairs.”
“Thanks Martha,” smiled Phoebe, as she climbed the steps to the porch, pushed open the front door and went into the house.
“Dem? Demetrius!” Phoebe called, preferring to be invited upstairs rather than just presuming to wander about through someone else’s house.
“Up here, Phoebs,” came the reply, and Phoebe followed Demetrius’s voice as she climbed the stairs and walked down the short hallway to his room.
“Hey Phoebe,” grinned Demetrius, looking up from an overflowing suitcase. Phoebe looked around Demetrius’s room. It looked as if the entire contents of all his cupboards and wardrobes had exploded around his room, and there was barely a spare inch of floor to stand on.
“Oh boy, Dem,” whistled Phoebe, “You’ve got a lot to do…”
“Not really,” said Demetrius with a wink. “I have almost finished packing all that I can take with me. Anything else I may need will have to be shipped over to Ireland later. The main thing now is to get all this other stuff that I don’t need back into cupboards.” He paused, smiling wryly at his friend. “Do you think you can help me with that, Bird?”
Phoebe laughed. “You’re such a nerd, Demetrius Kwanga!” she said, and threw a pillow at him, catching him off guard and causing him to stumble backwards.
The pair worked in comfortable silence for a while, and soon the chaotic scene had diminished and the room looked inhabitable once more.
“I wonder when Cosain and the others will show up today? Surely we’ll see them before we leave tomorrow?” Phoebe mused out loud.
“I guess so,” answered Demetrius. “I expect they’ll show up soon to tell us our next move.”
The teenagers were correct in their assertions, and did not have long to wait before Lasair appeared through Demetrius’s bedroom window.
“Lasair,” gasped Phoe
be. “We’ve been expecting you – but you startled me! I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to the way you guys just appear and disappear!”
“Greetings,” said Lasair, “I bring word from Cosain.” Lasair’s green eyes looked earnestly at Phoebe and Demetrius. “He has much to tell you, and would like to meet with you by the Klipspruit River in an hour. Can you do that?”
“Sure,” replied Demetrius, “We’ll be there. But why so solemn? What has happened?”
“Cosain will bring you up to speed, and I cannot stay long. We will all be there in one hour. See you soon.”
And with that, Lasair left through the window by which he had entered, leaving Phoebe and Demetrius puzzling over his cryptic message.
“Hmmm. I reckon we’ve got a crazy couple of days ahead of us,” said Demetrius, “Whatever Cosain is planning, it must be big.”
“And I’d bet on dangerous too,” murmured Phoebe, who had furrowed her brow tightly and was chewing nervously on her bottom lip.
CHAPTER 25
An hour later, Phoebe and Demetrius excused themselves from the house and made the short trip to the Klipspruit River, their rendezvous point as agreed with Lasair. The friends had taken a seat on a fallen tree near the riverbank and were mulling over the morning’s events.
Phoebe was aware of a faint rustling in the trees along the river bank, and looking up she saw Cosain, Solas, Dilis, Trean, Neam, Croga and Lasair, all in full battle attire with enormous swords at their sides, striding towards her. Phoebe jumped to her feet, desperately keen to hear what the Captain of the Host had to say. Her face must have told a thousand stories about how she was feeling, because Cosain smiled kindly and said, “Good morning Phoebe, Demetrius. Don’t worry, everything is under control. I just want to fill you in on events of last night and let you know the plan going forward.”
Phoebe was aware that she had been frowning pensively, and made a conscious effort to relax her facial muscles and straighten her shoulders, which had been arched up almost to her ears.
“Well, it was anything but a boring night,” said Cosain. Phoebe wasn’t sure if angels puffed up their cheeks when they were exasperated, but if they did then she was sure Cosain just had. “Schnither and Garshwell attacked where we expected them to – at the Otonnos’ house.”
Demetrius gasped audibly and was on his feet in a split second. “What?” he gulped. “But, I never saw a thing! I didn’t hear anything unusual either. I mean, I saw you guys there before I went to bed, but I just assumed…” Demetrius looked bewildered as he rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head – he must be a deeper sleeper than he thought!
“It was a prolonged and vicious attack,” Cosain continued. “Fierce. The demonic horde came at us with serious intent. They were relentless and determined, and we…” He hesitated, looking at Croga. “Well, let’s just say that if Croga hadn’t arrived when he did, the outcome may well have been very different indeed.”
“You mean… they could have actually won?” Phoebe asked, incredulous. She was certain that that was what Cosain had just implied but could scarcely bring herself to believe it.
“Yes, it was close – too close.” Acknowledging this truth obviously recapitulated the seriousness of the situation for Cosain, and he seemed momentarily lost in his own thoughts.
“But,” he continued, rousing himself again from his reverie, “They did not win. And they will not win, we will make sure of it. Last night’s battle cost Lieutenant Garshwell his life, and I have no doubt that Schnither will double his efforts as a result. Now, Phoebe, Demetrius, listen carefully to what I am going to tell you. Thanks to Neam’s reconnaissance at the airport, we know for sure that Schnither and his fiends plan to attack the flight tomorrow. They believe that our assignment to you and your parents will end today, Phoebe, and assume that we will return to the Atoner, leaving you all vulnerable tomorrow. But we will not leave you, we will be there tomorrow and we will not let Schnither’s schemes succeed.”
Cosain hesitated, scanning Phoebe’s and Demetrius’s faces for a reaction to what they had just been told. Outwardly, the teenagers appeared to be handling his words well, so Cosain continued, little realising that what Phoebe had just heard had made her blood run cold.
“You will understand that it is imperative that we do not arouse suspicion amongst the powers of darkness, and for that reason we must make it appear that our mission is complete and we are discharging our duty. To all intents and purposes, it must look as if we have actually gone.”
“You mean…” Phoebe struggled to find appropriate words. “You mean… you’re leaving us alone?” Her green eyes filled with frightened tears, and she wrinkled her forehead as she tried to come to terms with what she was hearing. “But we trusted you – we trust you to get us home.”
“And that is exactly what we intend to do, Phoebe,” soothed Cosain. He gently placed a hand on Phoebe’s shoulder, and despite her anger and confusion, Phoebe found herself enveloped once again in that familiar embrace of safety and protection.
“We will never be far away, you have my word. But we must stay out of sight until you and your parents and Demetrius board that flight tomorrow. Our counter attack has got to be unexpected. We will hit Schnither and his troop with deadly force – and they won’t even see us coming.”
Phoebe looked at Demetrius who was hanging on Cosain’s every word. His eyes were wide and his jaw slack, and Phoebe realised that Demetrius had the luxury of not having lived through the flight before and therefore could not fully comprehend or share her trepidation.
“Phoebe.” It was Dilis who spoke, his kind eyes silently reassuring her that she could trust him and his angelic brothers completely. “We will not fail you. We will not fail Him.”
Phoebe blinked her eyes and rolled her head slowly, first to the right, then to the left.
“I know,” she said, finally. “I know that you won’t let us down. And I do trust you. It’s just…” She hesitated then sighed deeply as she spoke, “It’s just that I don’t think I could go through losing my parents again.” She could no longer hold Dilis’s gaze, and cast her eyes to the ground.
“And you won’t have to, I promise you.” It was Cosain who interjected, and as Phoebe’s eyes met his gaze, she knew deep in her soul that this great warrior was indelibly and inextricably committed to her and her family, and would do all within his power to ensure that no evil would touch them.
“Okay,” Phoebe said hesitantly, looking from Cosain to each of the other warriors in turn. “Then let’s do this!”
“We will meet with you once more, back at Demetrius’s house this afternoon,” Cosain advised the teenagers. “Schnither will have sentries posted there, and we will ensure that we are seen bidding you farewell. Go back there now, try to get through the rest of today as normally as you can. Be brave! And I will see you soon.”
Cosain smiled reassuringly at Phoebe, and she knew that she could trust this imposing warrior of light. In an instant, the angelic host took to the skies en masse, and were gone in a brilliant flash of light. As the dust settled, Phoebe and Demetrius regarded each other with a look that said, ‘Let’s not try to work this out any more’, then the teenagers began the short walk home, each secretly wondering if they had what it would take to get through the next two days.
CHAPTER 26
The next few hours seemed to last for an eternity as Phoebe and Demetrius finalised their packing and tried to concoct other ways to fill the time until they would meet with the angels again. They stayed at Demetrius’s house, mainly because Phoebe didn’t relish the thought of going home to an empty house, but also because Demetrius wanted to spend any time he had with his Uncle Esau, Aunt Martha and his young cousins, Bessie, Jacob and Grace.
Martha had insisted on making the teenagers a final ‘farewell lunch’, and although neither Phoebe nor Demetrius felt like eating, they didn’t want to raise any suspicions or appear ungrateful, and accepted Martha’s offer gratefully. As the family sa
t down to eat, Demetrius was struck anew with just how well he had been looked after by the Otonnos, and knew that he owed them all a debt of gratitude. He loved the family with a fierce loyalty, yet he knew without doubt that his future – whatever that held – was in Ireland with the Wrens.
“Dem?” Seven year old Bessie was peering across the table at Demetrius, her enormous brown eyes regarding him inquisitively.
“Yes Bessie?”
“Dem, why do you have to go to Ireland? Jacob and Grace and I are gonna miss you. Can’t you stay here? You can share our toys, I promise.”
The childish innocence of Bessie’s questions tugged at Demetrius’s heartstrings and his answers caught in his throat before he could verbalise them. Phoebe stopped eating her lunch and looked up at him; she could see that Demetrius was struggling hard with his emotions, and she could easily have cried for him. After a long moment, Demetrius swallowed hard and answered his little cousin.
“Bessie,” he said gently, “I love living here with you and Jakey and Gracie. You guys have been so very kind to me, and always shared all your stuff with me. But now…” Demetrius choked on his words as his brown eyes blurred with tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. “Well, now I have to go with Phoebe. I think that we have work to do in Ireland. I think that this is where Abba wants me to go, and we need to do what Abba wants us to do, right?”
Phoebe Wren and the Vortex of Light Page 10
