by Ciara Knight
“That isn’t a promise,” the white haired one snarled.
“It is a promise to do what is within my power. Unlike Satan, who will make false promises, I won’t lie to get what I want. I’ve promised to restore your life as a human once the war is over if it is within my power. I will also command anyone under my authority that possesses such a power to grant your request. Now, go and find Forras, a local lead demon in Kemp, who’ll be organizing those who wish to restore order in the world.”
Herak nodded approvingly. For some reason that meant something to her. But why would she care what this old man, who had murdered millions because of a disturbing need to rule over everyone, thought? Questions, so many questions remained.
The four nodded to each other. “We accept. But know this. If you betray us, we will take our revenge.”
Their words were laced with meaning as they eyed each of her loved ones. Yes, they knew her weakness. If she’d made that deal with Satan in the last war like Grace said she did, he already knew her weaknesses, too. That was why they had lost their memories.
The four figures turned and marched back down the path with no more than a nod. Then the large one stopped and shouted back, “We’ll be waiting in the shadows until you are ready to fight.”
Patronus nuzzled her leg and she bent down to rub his head.
Herak knelt beside them. “I knew when he appeared a while ago that you soon would as well.”
Standing, her fingers still caressing the top of Patronus’s head, she followed the others back toward the cave. “What do you mean?”
“He’s your protector. He was originally from Hell. During the war, you took pity on him and rescued him from Satan’s wrath. He’s followed you from life to life for over two thousand years. He’s sworn to protect you forever.” Herak chuckled. “Of course, he hasn’t always taken the form of a dog.”
They all returned to their seats and Herak held up a cup of tea for each of them. She took it this time. The minty scent immediately settled her stomach. “What other forms?”
“He’s been everything from a Bengal tiger to a hawk,” Herak answered.
Boon huffed. “There was even a time he came back as a killer bee. He thought it was funny to sting me all the time.”
Grace joined in the laughter as Patronus barked his opinion.
She scratched under his chin and he rubbed his head against her hand. “To think, you’ve stood by my side all these years, but why did you disappear? I was so worried about you when you left.”
He whimpered, as if to tell her he missed her, too, and nuzzled into her.
“Thank you.” She kissed his head, which seemed to reassure him as he soon settled at her feet.
“Herak, how did the demons know where to find Gabby?” Boon asked.
Herak gave a crooked smile. “You don’t think you’re the only ones who’ve come to seek my assistance. No, Satan’s been courting me to fight for Hell, too.” They all sat in silence, glaring at Herak. “Please, you knew he’d try. After all, I almost helped him win last time. But, this time things will be different.”
Gabby needed the whole story if she was going to avoid making the same mistakes. “You said I made a deal and was cursed to walk Earth, but what happened to Alexander?”
Grace took an accentuated breath. “The reason Satan wanted you dead was because he needed your wings.”
“My wings?”
Boon shifted in his chair. “Yes, the sword that killed thousands of angels, sending them to darkness, was forged from your feathers. It’s why your wings carry the stain of all those fallen.” He stood and walked behind them to the other side of the cave.
Herak placed his teacup on a side table. “It’s the sword I used to slay Alexander.”
Patronus growled.
Anger, hate, rage, and sorrow rolled over her all at once. “You? My feathers? I…I killed him?”
Alexander stiffened at her side, and she knew at that moment he wanted to send Herak straight to the underworld. “Shh. It’s okay. We are here together now.” He brushed the hair from her eyes. “Look at me. You sacrificed yourself trying to save me, and you did. I went to Heaven.”
“I made a deal with Satan. Why would I do that?” Gabby’s mind reeled with possible scenarios, but none of them would ever cause her to make a deal with someone so sinister. “Where’s the sword now?” she asked.
Boon appeared at her side and pulled it from a dark green cloth. “Here.”
She held out her hand. “May I?” Tears trailed down her face as her fingers slid along the edge to the tip and back. Darkness fell over the room, and she waited for a vision to appear.
Patronus jumped and raced to the cave entrance, barking madly.
Boon followed him. “It’s a trap.”
Alexander and Grace raced to his side.
Gabby looked within herself. Tight lipped, she rose, slid the sword into it’s green material, stashed it behind Herak’s trunk, and joined them at the cave entrance. Hundreds of winged beasts hung in the sky over them. Their spiked tails swished in rhythm with their crooked, dragon-like wings. Her gut clenched tight.
Patronus darted out into the wild.
“No. Come back!” Gabby shouted.
Boon blocked her advance. “He’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Over the thousands of years you’ve been on earth, he always reappears when you need him most.”
She sighed, wishing she could keep him by her side, but she knew Boon was right. Patronus’s barks faded into the distance, until he only became a soft echo.
Light flickered in her peripheral vision, and her body went rigid, preparing for another vision from the past. Every muscle in her body froze. She couldn’t swallow. The light slashed bright then darkened to a deep crimson. Beasts fought angels in the sky, gnashing at them with their razor teeth.
As if she rose into the sky like a news helicopter, the image zoomed closer. A white tip glistened at the end of their tails. A feather. One creature impaled Grace with it and she fell from the sky. “No!”
The image flashed to Herak standing on a ledge, watching the fight play out. Another flash and only white light remained. She blinked. Alexander held her arms, keeping her upright. She gasped for air, and in that moment, she received a gift. A twinge of knowledge on how to fight. No, an instinct of how to handle the demons in the sky.
He wants something, her mother’s voice whispered in her head, giving her strength.
“They’re here for us.” Gabby wiped the sweat from her brow. “Grace, you were injured or killed by one of those things during the war, weren’t you?”
Grace nodded.
Boon shook his head. “How did you—”
Alexander smiled, not one of his dimple-bearing smiles, but more of a knowing one. “You remembered something, didn’t you?”
“Yes.” Gabby turned to Herak. There was no escaping her destiny. Boon, Grace, and Sammy believed she was the only one who could lead the angels to war, that Herak was not to be trusted. And now, knowing what she’d done in the past, she had to make amends.
Herak stood there waiting for her question, but she wouldn’t ask it. Not now. “I don’t know how you did it, but you summoned these beasts to force our hand about something. I’ll tell you now, it is your job to clear them and get us home. Then, and only then, will I hear your request.”
She exited the cave and analyzed the creatures above, a strategic plan forming in her head. Heaven wanted them to succeed. She felt the connection to the angels, but rightly, they didn’t trust her, not after last time. Like Herak, she would have to prove herself. If not, they’d remain in Heaven, ready to seal the gate while all on Earth perished at the hand of Satan.
****
An uneasy feeling flowed up her spine. If her wings existed in this place, they didn’t respond, which caused her fear to grow.
Alexander took her hand. “If those creatures cross through the barrier, we’ll never be able to fight. It’ll be a slaughter.”
G
abby remained still, watching the demons loop in the sky. “I know.”
“We’ll need to cross the barrier and transform before they attack,” Boon offered.
Alexander shook his head. “No, I was weak for a bit after I crossed the barrier last time.
There’s no way we’d be able to defend ourselves in time.”
Grace tsked. “You’ve done it this time, Herak.”
Herak opened his mouth to protest, but Gabby held up her hand to silence him. “Grace is right. You have brought this on us. You’ll help get us out of it.”
“What did you have in mind?” Boon asked.
Gabby scanned each of them. “Do you trust me?” The question came with hidden meaning. By the look on Boon and Grace’s faces, they knew it.
Grace smiled warmly. “Yes, Gabby. We trust you.”
“Thank you.” Gabby faced Alexander. “Listen to me. You need to stay with Grace and Boon. You’ll travel to the outer barrier and give yourself enough time to regain your strength. Once you do, join me in the sky and we will fight our way out of here.”
“No.” Alexander tugged her hand so she took a step closer to him. “You promised you wouldn’t sacrifice yourself again.”
Gabby leaned up on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, “I’m not. Trust me.” She kissed his earlobe then dropped back flat-footed.
“I do.” His voice wavered. “Be careful.”
Gabby turned on her heels and faced Herak. “The peak that you stood on, watching the war last time, where is it?”
Herak pointed his boney finger above their heads. She squinted and scanned the sleek wall of rock until she found the top. “How do we get up there? And does it reach the edge of the barrier?”
“Yes, and yes, but I can’t take you there. The peak rises above the barrier that traps me here, and there is no way you can handle all of them on your own.”
They stood in silence for a moment.
“If we release you—”
Boon’s head snapped to attention. “What? No, you can’t seriously be considering releasing the most dangerous criminal who ever walked this Earth. He’s personally killed thousands, and through his orders, millions of innocents.”
Gabby swallowed hard, forcing her courage to the surface. “I know how you feel, Boon.”
“Do you?” Boon’s eyebrows rose. “You don’t remember what happened.”
She winced at the sting of his comment. He was right. “Maybe that’s why I don’t have my memories, because I’m able to look beyond the past and focus on how to win the war this time.”
Boon scratched his head. “If you did, you’d never consider this. How do you know he isn’t using you to gain his freedom only to resume his desire to rule the world? Gabby, he can’t be trusted.”
“Please, we both know that she is using me as a sacrificial lamb,” Herak said. “I’m old now, and the abilities of my youth have faded. Are you really frightened about taking on an over two-thousand-year-old human?” Herak bowed his head slightly.
Boon huffed. “Anything could happen once you leave this land.” He waved at the creatures above them. “You’ve clearly shown you still have the ability to manipulate, like a demon.”
If Boon was right and she forced him to release Herak, they would all fall. But Boon continually insisted she trust her instincts, and right now, they were screaming loud and clear.
She faced Boon, knowing her next command could crush him. “Boon, release him.”
His eyes shot wide. “You can’t be serious. Do you know what—”
“I command it.” Gabby forced an authoritative tone to her voice, but inside it felt foreign. It gave her the right to order him to do something beyond insane without explanation. She couldn’t explain, not now. Herak would hear her words. If he was a traitor, the less information he had the better.
Alexander leaned into her. “There has to be another way. We’re not certain what side he’s on.”
“It doesn’t matter. He wants something from us, something that means more to him than his own life, and we need something from him.”
Boon stared at her a moment then bowed his head in respect. This was going to take some getting used to. “I’ll do as you command.”
She nodded in response.
“I’ll need to be at the barrier to release it,” Boon warned.
Grace nodded. “How will you know when the barrier is lifted, Gabby?”
Herak blinked away the glistening sheen in his eyes. “For two thousand years my body has felt like it was chained to this land. I will feel it once the chain is broken.” It had to be overwhelming to find out you’d finally be freed after two millennia of confinement.
No, she didn’t need to feel sympathy for Herak. He, like she, had gotten what they deserved. Now, Heaven would discover if they had learned from their mistakes and were worthy of Heaven’s grace. “Go, you need to get to the barrier. We’ll distract the demons while you exit and regain your strength.”
Alexander kissed her knuckles. “It’s taking every ounce of energy in my body to walk away from you right now. Please, be careful. I can’t lose you. The second I can fly, I’ll be at your side.” He glared at Herak. “If anything happens to her, you’ll not only have my wrath, but Boon’s, Grace’s and Sammy’s. All the angels in Heaven’s fury will rain down upon you.”
Herak’s mouth quirked into his signature crooked grin. “I have no doubt.”
Alexander tucked his hand behind her head and pulled until her forehead rested against his. “Don’t leave me again,” he said, his voice hoarse and full of emotion.
“Never,” she said, knowing there was a good chance one of them could fall before this war was over. The knowledge of them being separated for eternity was like a hot lance through her heart. But what were two lives with a world at risk? She hated her other self, the one centuries ago who cursed them never to soulbond. How could she have been so cruel?
“Are we going?” Herak asked.
“Yes.” Her legs stayed frozen in place as she watched her love and two friends stumble down the narrow, dirt pathway to the outer barrier. Then she started up the mountain, praying the demons concentrated on Herak and her, leaving the others untouched until they regained their strength.
“Come.” Herak lead her back inside the cave to the tapestry hanging on the back wall. He lifted the faded red and black material and gestured her through an opening in the stone.
Gabby retrieved the sword from behind the trunk. Clutching the velvet material housing the sword in one hand, she ran her other down the cool, damp wall. What it must have been like to live in a cave, unable to speak or see anyone for two millennia. Her only hope was he’d do anything to prevent returning to this cave. “Remember, if you try anything, Boon will seal you back in here for another two thousand years. Got it?”
“I understand, but you do realize those demons will slaughter us the minute we reach the top of that peak.”
“Not if you turn me over to Satan first.”
Chapter Twelve
Alexander’s heart pounded with each labored step, not just from the physical exertion of his weak human form, but from the anxiety of leaving Gabby behind. Yes, he’d learned that protecting her twenty-four-seven only led to heartache and disaster, but it didn’t make it any easier.
“She’ll be okay, son.” Grace patted the arm she clung to as they traversed down the mountain. Her body wasn’t designed for this kind of arduous hiking.
Boon shuffled ahead, slipping and sliding over pebbles. “Are you sure, Grace?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s use those trees ahead for coverage,” Boon said, pointing to a small corpse of stunted trees. “Hopefully, they won’t be able to track us from their altitude.”
“How dangerous are those demons?” Seeing Boon’s jaw twitch, Alexander instantly regretted his question.
“They are Herak’s own personal creation. Each of their tails has a spike made from a feather from Gabby’s wing. Hit by it
enough times and your wings will be shredded. You’ll be grounded for eternity. Herak created them to subdue angels and force them to serve him during the war.”
Alexander shivered. The thought of being grounded again terrified him, but he couldn’t imagine working for Herak no matter what his situation. “What happened to those angels?”
“Those are the angels.” Grace slipped and dug her nails into his arm to stay upright. “Some of them anyway.”
The path narrowed and the trees shrouded them in shadow. They’d soon find out if their plan would work as he watched the demons spread across the sky, trying to track both Gabby and them. Alexander helped Grace over some gnarled roots, and they made their way to the rocky ridge where they’d entered. “Do you remember it all?” he asked softly.
Grace nodded with a distant look in her eyes. “Yes. Everything,” she said in a hollow voice.
“Did you know that Gabby and I were…together?”
“No.”
Boon leaned against a tree, waiting for them to catch up. “No one did, not even me, and I was her next-in-command for the warriors. She trusted me to lead armies of angels in battle, but didn’t trust me enough to share that she’d fallen in love with you. Not even when I confided in her about Sammy.”
“I thought you said Forras was her second.” The words nearly choked the air from his throat. He couldn’t imagine Forras ever serving side by side with her.
“He was her second, in charge of Guardian angels. As a matter of fact, you reported to him.”
Alexander’s gut wrenched at Boon’s expression of triumph. “You enjoyed telling me that, didn’t you?”
“Maybe a little. Let’s go.”
Grace squeezed his arm and they moved forward. “You didn’t technically report to him. You were a healer. Her healer. One of the few left with your abilities. That’s why she couldn’t tell anyone about your relationship. She couldn’t chance it. If word got out, you would’ve been used against her. But despite her caution, that’s what happened.”
