“Silas, he’s my friend and he’s good to me.” Kind of.
“Good to you? He tried to kill you.”
I chuckle, trying to lighten the moment. “I thought so, too. And we were meant to think that. Don’t you understand? Micah wasn’t going to take me anywhere at all. He was there to make sure you saved me.”
He shakes his head. “You’re mad. We’ve finally driven you to your breaking point.”
“Don’t make jokes.” I chuckle. “Look, I know you think I’m here as some special warrior and that part is true. Yes, I’m the Bellator. The foreseen warrior. What you don’t understand is I’m not a threat to you or your brothers.”
“Emma, you’re not making any sense. You’re either here to send us all to Hell or you’re not.”
“I’m not.”
His brows push together and he shakes his head. Rising from the couch we both sit on, he begins pacing the room, rubbing his head. “Okay. Explain.”
“Your kind is right. There is a Bellator and I am she. What you don’t understand, and neither did I until Micah explained, is the Bellator can differentiate between those demons who wish to do harm and those who wish to get back in the Lord’s good graces. Do you, or do you not, live as a human hoping to enter Heaven?”
“I do.”
“Then you can!”
Just then a clapping sound comes from the hallway as a shadowed figure makes its way up the darkened hall and into the living room.
“Well done. You know the truth. We’ve been waiting for you to learn who you were,” Damius says with a sly grin. He wears a leather jacket, much like his son, and his eyes are more menacing than I have ever seen them, glowing in the dark and fixated on me.
“Damius,” I say, anger boiling inside me. “How’d you know?”
“Is that important? Besides, you know what we want now. You. Dead.”
“Father, stop this madness,” Silas pleads. “Don’t you see this as a chance for us all to get back in His good graces?”
Damius shakes his head at his son. “You are so näive, my son. In five days this girl will rather kill you than look at you. Come with me now and we will own this world outright before the sun rises on the sixth day.”
“No, Father. That will never happen. I won’t let it.” It dawns on me as this conversation continues that my daggers are nowhere in sight. Left in my empty room.
“Oh, it will happen. It’s only a matter of time. God thinks he can send one little girl to clean up his mess. It’s sad, truly,” Damius scoffs with a snicker.
“I’m going to enjoy destroying you and sending you back to the Hell you come from,” I say through my teeth, as I seethe with anger.
He smiles widely, flashing his teeth. “You’ll get your chance. Soon, Bellator. Soon.” Before I’m able to blink, he sinks back into the darkness and is gone as quickly as he had arrived. For a moment I can’t move, almost expecting his disappearance to be a tactic to distract me and attack first.
But soon Silas’s arms are around me and I calm myself, breathing heavily, face buried in his chest. But it’s there that it hits me. Micah.
“Silas!” I exclaim. “I know what to do. Bill is seeking out others of your kind. And there are others of my kind helping. What if Micah and other angels aided us in this fight? That would certainly be the final nail in your father’s coffin. Who better to fight demons than the angels themselves?
Silas face twists into an expression I don’t recognize. His eyes fall from mine, but I lift his chin. “What is it?” I ask.
“You can ask Micah but I wouldn’t get your hopes up. The reason the Huntsmen exist is so angels have demon hunters here on Earth. And apparently, the reason you exist is for this reason. The Bellator.”
“I wish everyone would stop calling me that. But let’s say for argument’s sake that I am what everyone says I am. How could they refuse me aid? Seriously, call my father and have him meet us here. Call everyone: Molly, your brothers, and David. I’ll get Rain.”
* * *
It doesn’t take our warriors (as I have come to think of them now) long to begin arriving. First my father, the most anxious of us all, and then the others. It’s time Silas and I tell them who the demons think I am. But once the house is full, and all eyes are on me, I choke, unable to find the words I need to tell them, especially my father.
There are only two reactions I could expect from my father: utter terror or complete disbelief. Silas senses my internal struggle and begins talking for us both.
“I know you all are wondering why we would put everyone in danger. I realize it’s not a good idea to have us all in one place, together, so vulnerable, but there’s something important we must tell you. The Huntsmen have their legends about us demons, and some are true as you have found. What you don’t know, is we, too, have legends regarding the Huntsmen. It’s said there will be a chosen one from your group.
“One that will deliver all of our kind back to Hell. A Huntsmen with the strength of two. I believe Emma is that person. The person we refer to as the Bellator. The Warrior.”
“What are you talking about? My daughter is just a child,” my dad reminds him.
“Sir, with all due respect, she’s not. She was a twin, whose twin dissolved in the womb. It’s possible, and almost certain, she absorbed her twin in utero giving her the power of two. She’s the foreseen one. Only we have discovered one aspect of our legend was not…accurate.
“We were under the impression the Bellator would be a man sent here to destroy us all. Instead it’s a female, one who can differentiate between the demons who wish to harm us and the ones who wish to live as God intended, like my brothers and myself.
“I believe that’s why Emma and I are so attracted to one another in our hearts. She sees the good in me that not many can. She sees me as an ally to the cause. I’m someone who can be trusted. We’ve all been concerned that Emma may attack us the day she comes of age. She won’t. Luckily that’s not how it works. She will only destroy and send back to Hell the threats.”
“How can you know all of this?” David asks. Silas glances to me, and though the lump in my throat is a large one, I’m able to swallow it down and continue.
“Micah, the angel that came to me that day at the pizzeria, is a friend to me now. He visits often — whenever I am in need. He explained this all to me. I am what he says I am.” It’s the first time I have admitted to myself, much less everyone else. Even if I wanted to doubt Silas and the crazy legend, I can’t. Not after Micah made it clear that it’s true. That I’m looked on with special favor.
“How long have you known?” my father asks me.
I lower my head in shame. “I was told by Silas and Micah a month ago. I’m sorry father. How was I supposed to tell you? To tell everyone?”
“So, you’ll be able to literally tell good from evil?” Molly asks.
I glance around the room at everyone’s waiting eyes. “I’m not—”
“Yes, she will,” Silas interrupts.
“I feel like there must be more to tell if you called everyone here. What are you not telling us?” Rain asks.
“I intend to ask Micah to find angels to aid us in our efforts again Damius and whoever he brings with him,” I explain.
My father’s head jerks back. “It’s our job to do this. Calling upon angels has never been done before.”
“You’ve never had someone who could see and speak to them before,” Silas reminds him.
“Angels would definitely give us an upper hand. Can you imagine the powers they must possess?” Molly says, eyes glittering with the idea of it all.
“It’s not that simple,” I say. “Micah isn’t supposed to reveal himself in the presence of humans. I’m not sure he will show himself.”
“If he’s been listening, he will,” Silas assures me.
Everyone’s awaits my next move. I’ve never spoken to Micah in front of anyone, and if he doesn’t show it will be a massive letdown to us all. I begin to questi
on the pull they all seem to think I have.
“It’s okay,” Silas whispers to me. “Summon him.”
I suck in a deep breath and hold it there, staring at the ceiling as if he will be seen flying down from Heaven and through our roof. “Micah? I need you. We all do.” I hesitate for a moment. Nothing. “Micah, I know you can hear me. If I am the Bellator, I require your help. Please, come to us now.”
It takes a few moments. Everyone peers around the room, not knowing if he will show or where he will be if he comes. Suddenly there’s a cool breeze that enters the room, despite the closed doors and locked windows. I close my eyes at the sensation, thankful that my call was heard.
“Emma,” the familiar voice says. Everyone gasps at his beauty. His long brown hair and eyes to match make him appear as Jesus himself has come to this small town to save us all. Maybe in a way he has.
“You heard us?” I ask him as he peers around the room at all the people I am to protect.
“I did,” he states matter of factly. I swallow. Afraid of what his answer will be. For a second we simply stare into one other’s eyes. “I’ve heard what you need and what you wish of me and of us all. You all were chosen for this one on your own merit. As it is, I happen to know how many demons have gathered for his battle and I, too, wish for you to have further help. I can’t promise anything, but I will see if there are any such as myself who are willing to join the fight.”
And with that statement, our chances of actual success are alive and well in my mind.
Twenty-Six
The Allies
It’s shift change in the house when Bill arrives. Silas and Rain are just getting ready to leave when Zeke and David are walking in. But what causes everyone’s attention to turn to his small framed self was the fact he isn’t alone. More than that, he’s brought with him obvious half-breeds. There’s no mistaking these are not entirely human beings standing before us. They are something else.
“Dad?” I say, realizing he is with Bill.
“Emma, Silas, this is Jarion, Malinus, Acrania, and Obrum. They’ve agreed to help.”
“I know Damius,” Malinus says. “He won’t stop until all of us are dead or he is.” I immediately recognize Malinus as a Cambion like Silas and his brothers. The dark hair and green eyes are unmistakable.
“You know my father,” Silas states. It’s not meant as a question.
Still, he answers. “Yes, I did. I used to run with him and some of his followers. He is obsessed with his kind dominating. His followers are the same. They’ll be tough to defeat.” As we all let that sink in, I take note of the other half-breeds.
Jarion is also male but his features are quite simple for a demon. He has blond, spiked hair and his eyes are a bright blue. He looks just as a man would. No difference in sight. If I met him on the street he might be someone I was attracted to.
With his broad shoulders he stands as straight as a soldier. His jaw is squared and tightened. He could pass as being twenty-five. My father must notice my taking note of Jarion’s appearance.
“Jarion is not a half-breed,” he says. “He is a full-blooded demon.”
“You’re not?” I ask, studying the man before me in an attempt to see or feel the demon within. Why do I sense no real danger in him if that’s true?
He grins. “I am what he says. And I’m sure what you are thinking is correct. I was as Damius is: a demon seeking out revenge on humans. It wasn’t until I found Acrania and Obrum that I was able to change my thinking.”
“And they are also demons?” David asks.
“Hardly,” Acrania says. “We are vampires. Actually, half-breeds ourselves. Our mother was human.”
“You’re twins?” I ask.
“Indeed,” Obrum replies.
“A human can give birth to a vampire,” Rain says, barely above a whisper. Acrania and Obrum share the same features. They each have lilac-colored hair. Acrania’s is long and tied atop her head in a loose bun, while, like Jarion, Obrum’s hair is cut short and rather messy.
“And you?” Zeke asks of Jarion. “You’re a demon but what kind are you? You look like a man. I’ve never seen one so…human like.”
Jarion snickers. “I’m the kind people should fear the most. If I were to leave this body I’d be invisible and could still live.”
“So you stole that body,” Silas says.
“Not exactly. The man who had this body was already on death’s door. Micah was calling him home. I’m simply borrowing it until the next presents itself.” I shudder at the thought. I never knew demons could take our bodies altogether. I knew of possession. But ownership? Who would have ever thought?
“And powers?” Rain asks while watching them with narrowed eyes. “What powers do you all possess?”
“That’s a good question,” I agree. “We know what Damius is capable of—”
“No, you don’t,” Malinus says. “You know some of what he is capable of. He is a lot stronger than your boyfriend there. With all due respect. Silas is half human. Whatever Silas can do, Damius can do better. That’s what you’re up against. Even with our help it’s not a fair fight. I’m not even sure if it’s possible to have an even fight. Not with just us: a few Huntsmen and half-breeds.”
“We may have that covered,” I say, a grin forming despite the severity of the situation.
“What do you mean?” Acrania asks.
I take a deep breath and glance at my dad. “You didn’t tell them.” He shakes his head. “The Bellator will help,” I say. “And she also has access to angels. Including Micah himself.”
“The Bellator is a woman? And she is here?” Obrum asks. The new group glances at Rain but she shakes her head at their assumption. The corner of Silas’s mouth pulls up as he nods for me to continue.
“I am the Bellator,” I say as I lift my chin, trying to appear proud and strong. “Micah is a friend of mine. We’ve asked for the angel’s aid in whatever awaits us.”
“And he has agreed?” Jarion asks.
I tilt my head to the side a touch. “Not exactly. He said he would try to find others. I’m confident though. It’s not like Micah to fail at anything.” When the words leave my mouth, I realize there’s only one thing I know he has failed at: stealing my heart from Silas. And still at times he has me question what I already know I truly want.
I’m not sure if that’s from his strength or my own weakness. Still, there’s a part of me that has grown to love Micah as more than just an angel. A part of me that wishes he was human. I’d never ask it of him, though. Mostly because I know what he would think if I did. And I can never be with him above Silas. I love Silas far too much to endanger our relationship.
“You never answered her question,” David reminds them. “What can do you do to help us? Do you have powers as Silas, Zeke, and Kutz?”
“They all have something to offer,” my father says. “As you know, Malinus is the same as the brothers here. Jarion can do anything Damius can do, be that create and control fire, and so forth.”
“And we have our own unique power,” Obrum says. “We can drain human or demon of their life spirit with our bite. It’s lethal to all. We can also bound long distances and are extremely strong. Stronger than a human and just as strong as a demon.”
“Still,” Acrania says, “we will need the aid of your angels.”
“I’ll summon him tonight,” I say.
* * *
Meeting everyone is eye-opening. All this time I thought only half-breeds were capable of getting back in God’s graces. Mostly because they didn’t choose this life. Now I see that even demons, who betrayed the Lord in the beginning, can do what’s right and can be forgiven.
Vampires, also. Their hair doesn’t give them away in the least. Many people dye their hair. Their features are as human, even if they stand a bit straighter than most.
I would have known they aren’t altogether human though. Their eyes are black. Not dark brown but black, as if there were no pupils to be found
. It is haunting, but beautiful. I can see where humans would be easily persuaded by such beautiful creatures.
“Micah?” I ask, trying to shake the irrelevant information from my head. Part of me hopes he answers. The other part hopes he is too busy recruiting. Still, the unmistakable breeze from a non-drafty home floods into the room like a tornado, and Micah stands before me.
“I’m happy to you see,” I say and mean it.
“Two days in a row, Emma. I’m surprised. Was it only a couple weeks ago you wished to never see me again? Even hinting I had no sense for being here with you.”
“Micah, must we start this today?” I ask.
He sits on the edge of the bed, taking my hand into his cool ones and kissing the top of it. “Emma, I could be anything and everything you want.”
“You couldn’t be Silas,” I correct.
He scoffs. “No, I could be better. Your life wouldn’t have to be in danger. I wouldn’t have to be the angel of death and you wouldn’t have to be the Bellator. We could be human and live a simple, peaceful life. One without these kinds of fears.”
“What does that mean? You’re afraid?”
“Me? No. God has my back and I trust in him.”
“So do I. So we need not fear now,” I retort. “Look, I just wanted to ask if you’ve pleaded our case to anyone yet. We need beings stronger than us. Did you see—”
“Yes, I saw the beings Bill and Christopher brought,” he says with a sigh. Obviously this isn’t what he wants to discuss but I can’t help it. The kiss that happened once before can’t happen again. I can’t lead him on any more than he is lead himself.
“And what? You don’t think they will be enough?”
“No. I don’t. Which is why I have been speaking with others. Specific others. I will know more by tomorrow.”
So I just have to bite my nails until then. They are to the quick and have begun bleeding. Even as the Bellator I am scared. In my head I know what they call me is true. But in my heart I am still the invisible girl searching for my place in this life.
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