“Yes. This defeat won’t stall him for long, and it won’t be long before Metatron launches his first assault in our direction. I don’t know who will be hit first, but either way we’ll have to be prepared. Abbie has been calling prophets for days now. Hundreds of them are headed to Las Vegas and Kingstone. I believe many of the Elder Prophets will go to Missouri. You and I will be staying in Nevada to oversee other endeavors. Abbie will also be staying with us. Everyone agrees that it may not be wise for all of the Elder Prophet Council to be located in the most likely destination for many of Metatron’s demons. The number of powerful, influential prophets already scheduled to arrive in Kingstone, alongside Alex, is going to make a far too tempting target for a widespread invasion. We have to make Las Vegas more tempting.”
Saleos chuckled. “What if we made a big church?”
Jeremiah sighed. “I don’t think that will cut it.”
“I’m talking about a really big church. We could hire a fancy, southern preacher and a choir. If we could get a couple of celebrities to sign up, we’d be doing pretty good. We could even provide our own magic tricks.”
Jeremiah, who had been shaking his head, stopped and cocked his head. “A church?”
“It was a joke, Jeremiah.”
“We are talking about elevating a living boy, whom no one has ever heard of, to saint status. He’s going to need a church. Actually, that will be a pretty tender spot for Metatron, too. You know his influence in the world of religion.”
“I can’t believe you’re even considering this, Jeremiah. What does either of us know about beginning and running a church?”
“We’ve seen a few come and go in our time. I have the funding and a broadcasting network to give us the publicity we need. Besides, you’re right. We can provide our own tricks. We’ll fill the church with real prophets. Who’s not going to believe us, then?”
“Well, the major world religions might have a problem with that.”
Jeremiah pulled out his cigarette pack and lit one up. “We have friends there, too. Metatron doesn’t have complete control. Remember, the best religious leaders of all times have been prophets. I think we can do this.”
“All right. Let the record show that I don’t think this is a good use of my abilities, but I will do my best to make it work.”
Smiling, Jeremiah patted Saleos on the shoulder. “That’s all I can ask for.”
“On a related note,” Saleos added, “didn’t you tell me once that you knew where a cache of ancient religious scrolls was located?”
“Yes, but they are surely dust by now. That is, if no one ever found them.”
“All the same, it wouldn’t hurt to check. If we could get them, it would give us enormous credibility and publicity—no matter what they say. That’s also true of any other artifacts you might know the locations of.”
“And I was afraid that you wouldn’t put any effort toward this, thinking it a losing venture.”
Saleos looked at the ground before returning Jeremiah’s gaze. “I have been your faithful advisor for over a thousand years. It would offend me that you doubt my sincerity if I didn’t know you better. The Fall skewed my perception on many things, and my loyalties may have changed with it, but I was assigned to you. A very long time later, you told me that you’d had a change of heart. You wanted to serve Heaven again. Without you even having to ask, I volunteered my services.
“Despite a world that hates us, a Creator who sent us from His sight, and ‘brothers-in-arms’ we trusted about as much as we liked, I found a friend and a commander. Believe me: if you tell me to do something, I may disagree, but I will always follow your orders.”
“I know,” Jeremiah said. “In the past, my orders have hurt a lot of people. Maybe now, we can make things better.”
***
The house looked as dilapidated as ever. Alex shuddered at the thought of spending any more time here than he had to. From the look of things, Matt had put his security detail to work patching a hole in the roof.
“Do you think this place will say ‘last bastion of righteousness’ to the world?” Matt asked with a snicker.
“No,” Alex answered shortly.
“Alex, are you okay?”
“No, Matt, I don’t think I am. What have I done, bringing a holy war to Kingstone? I don’t think the danger really occurred to me until now. How could I have been so stupid? We can’t overpower Metatron, and the bulk of our allies are staying in Las Vegas.”
“What about Abbie?”
Alex shook his head. “She’s staying.”
“She hadn’t decided when I last spoke to her,” Matt responded quietly.
“And so is Jeremiah. What are we supposed to do out here by ourselves?”
“I guess that’s the problem. No one knows what to do, but you’ve spoken with God.”
“There’s just so much that I don’t understand about our conversations,” Alex moaned. “There’s so much He didn’t tell me.”
Alex felt a tingle in his head as his door opened suddenly. Standing above him was a tall man who seemed to glow. His long, blond hair, as well as his skin, seemed to shimmer slightly.
“That,” the man said, “is probably because He assumed you knew how much He had already given you.”
Alex looked over to Matt for an explanation, but the latter seemed petrified—from fear or awe, Alex couldn’t tell. He looked back to the figure who had stepped away from the door, leaving Alex room to get out.
“Raphael, I presume,” Alex reasoned, climbing out of the car.
“Yes.”
Alex looked back in the car to find Matt still frozen in that eerie stare.
“Is there something you can do for him?”
“I thought our conversation might just be between the two of us,” Raphael answered coldly.
“All the same,” Alex said, feeling the need to avert his eyes, “I would like him to be coherent.”
“No,” Raphael said with finality. “You seem to have a mistaken impression of me, Alexander Tanner. I am not your servant. I am your guardian angel. The only thing of importance to me is your safety. Regrettably, if even only in a small way, Matt, himself, is a security risk. So, what I have to say is only for you. If you choose to tell someone else, it is not for me to judge, but I will neither speak nor appear to them.”
“How could Matt be a security risk?” Alex demanded. “And my parents?”
“The only human in this town who has spoken with God is you. That is why I speak only to you. If He feels that you are worthy of such direct attention, then so do I.”
“Well, what did you need to tell me?”
“Metatron commands most of the demons on Earth, but there are other factions. Some of them will be submissive to Metatron in time. Some of them, though, hate him. In either case, they are all very interested in you, and have been for some time. In fact, in the time I have spent protecting you throughout the years, I have eliminated four.”
“You’ve killed four demons protecting me?” Alex asked, astonished that he had never noticed a demon and angel fighting.
Raphael looked down at Alex, and something like a smile crept slowly across his face and was gone. “No, factions.”
“You expect more will come after me?”
“They will try to tempt you. They will try to deceive you. And, if all that fails, they will try to kill you.”
“Why couldn’t Matt know about this?”
“His intentions are good, but I do not trust his judgment.”
“You mean you don’t trust the judgment of the man in charge of my safety?” Now, Alex had managed to control himself enough to look into Raphael’s cold blue eyes. “Well, I do. And, doesn’t it seem a little late to be questioning his judgment, anyway?”
“Alex, you and I are not the same,” Raphael’s voice boomed without his lips moving. “Before this world had form, I was confidant to God. I was the one to whom He whispered His secrets. Before the sons and daughters of Eden spre
ad their seed across the world, I knew the fates of Alexander Tanner and Matthew Hartley. I know the last words you will ever utter as an inhabitant of this planet, as well as the names of all the lovers Matt has ever had or will ever have. After all that has been revealed to me, you may rest assured that I know what the judgments of humans cost them.”
“Let me guess,” Alex said with a forced laugh. “You have all this knowledge about future events, but you aren’t going to interfere with any of it, are you? It’s like when Jeremiah had to fend off those demons the night he first brought me to this house.”
“The French call it laissez faire,” a woman’s voice responded from behind him. Alex turned to see a young woman with reddish-brown hair descending the porch steps and walking toward them.
“Sophie,” Alex gasped.
“It means, ‘hands off,’” she continued. “Heaven is not taking a very direct approach to solving this quandary because it would seem so much sweeter if we did it for them. Isn’t that right, Raphael?”
“Never has it been our position to interfere where we were not commanded to go,” Raphael countered, grimacing at the sudden appearance of the Elder Prophet.
“He’s trying to decide if I, too, am a threat to you, Alex,” Sophie explained with a laugh.
Sophie stopped walking toward them and disappeared. A moment later, she reappeared, frozen in place, exactly as she had disappeared.
“I will not allow you to move between time while I am speaking to the boy, Sophie,” Raphael declared. “Though, due to your position, I shall allow you to listen.” The angel returned his attention to Alex. “This place is safe for you and your family, but you do not have to stay here. In technicality, Jeremiah has done his part. He has arranged for the three of you to work together, and he has, inadvertently, brought you more experience than even he could have imagined.
“You should beware the influence of demons, but others will try to influence you as well.” As he said this, he looked directly at Sophie. “Whether they work the will of good or evil, you must allow no one to drive your decisions. Listen to them if it’s safe, but make up your own mind. The older they get, the more agendas they have. Demonic agendas, though superficially attractive, will lead you straight to destruction.”
“I don’t plan to listen to any demons,” Alex protested.
“You have been doing exactly that for almost a month,” Raphael reminded him. “My point is that what they have to say will not always seem wrong, but they are twisted beings. Some people will even tell you that they can predict your future. Even if they can, it’s your future to live in whichever way you choose.”
“You’re talking about the prophecy she made,” Alex mused, pointing to the frozen Sophie.
“Yes.”
“Then, is it true? Are we going to die?”
“Everyone dies, Alex. I may not reveal how, when, or where. I may, however, tell you why.”
“And?”
The angel sighed and looked a long time into Alex’s eyes. “The only thing I will tell you is that, when you die, it will be to protect what you love the most. We often have that problem with prophets like you. It’s something about your design, it would seem.
“This is not my place, Alex. My purpose is to protect you, not give you advice or divine the future. We will not have frequent, candid conversations like you may be used to from others. In fact, the only reason I appeared now was to warn you. Do with the information whatever you please.
“Finally, it may interest you to know that there were only two demons in that house on the night you and Jeremiah were attacked, and one of them brought you there. We knew he would likely be attacked there, and he wanted to handle it himself. Remember, he was once a very powerful angel. When he fell, memories of his power became pride. So I watched from a distance. After all, it was a good bonding experience for the two of you, and I never would have allowed the situation to get out of control. Furthermore, you should know that there is a power that flows through this house.”
With that, the angel peered toward the house. He seemed to be looking for something. Then, after a moment, he continued, “Even if Jeremiah and I had not been there, you would have never been in any real jeopardy.
“Shortly, I will return things to the way they were and leave you to live your life in your own way. You have the faith of Heaven, and as your own faith—in yourself and others—grows, you will find that you have need of no other tool. Be at peace, and relax tonight; nothing evil will step foot on this property.”
With that, the archangel was gone.
“Angels aren’t known for being talkers,” Sophie said as she continued walking toward Alex, like nothing had happened. “You got a lot out of him.”
“Who?” Matt inquired, getting out of the car, then shooting a startled look at Sophie.
“It’s all right, Matt,” Alex said. “I was just talking to Raphael and Sophie.”
“He was here?” he asked. “When? And where did she come from?”
“He only appeared to me,” Alex explained. “And she got here a few minutes ago. It appears that her ability to manipulate time allows her to move with a thought, like I do.”
“It’s not quite the same,” Sophie objected. “The powers you have are demonic in nature. Time wraps and bends around you, whereas it flows through me. Prophets’ powers are extensions of themselves. Demons force reality to conform to their will.”
“As interesting as this all is,” Alex replied tiredly, “I’m more interested in whether or not you have come to help us.”
“I have,” she said. “With a few phone calls, Abbie has mobilized most of the prophet safe houses in Europe, including my own. I had no one left to look after. Then, she called me. I already knew what she was going to say, of course. And, since Jeremiah is not going to be here, I agreed to help. Besides, no other Elder Prophet will be here for at least a day. Abbie and I agreed that it would be wise for someone to be here immediately. I happened to have the ability to oblige, so I did.”
The three of them walked toward the house, and, as they opened the door, Mary Tanner almost knocked her son over from her embrace.
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” she said.
Behind his mother, Alex’s father looked up from a small, wooden table. It looked like he had been occupying his mind with a magazine that had been left from the previous owner. His face showed a measured relief.
Alex laughed. “Mom, what they sent after you isn’t anything. There will be more, but we should be more prepared when they come.”
“Alex,” his father chided, “this is not something to laugh about. We need to get you a gun or something.”
Alex looked over his shoulder at Matt. “I don’t think I need one.”
“Oh, yes,” his mother agreed. “Thank God for him. I don’t know what we would have done if he hadn’t been there when those men arrived.” She smiled warmly at Matt and only then seemed to notice Sophie who had followed Matt and Alex in.
“Mary Tanner,” Sophie greeted, extending her hand. “It is a great pleasure to meet Alex’s mother. My name is Sophie Koch. I’m here to help.”
Stunned, Mary shook Sophie’s hand. “Are you a prophet too?”
“Yes. One of many. We are devoted to protecting Kingstone.”
“The water’s running,” Alex heard Elizabeth say.
She had been walking around a corner, drying her hands with a towel. Her thoughts had centered around getting the utilities up and running for this house. Then, she saw him. Now, it was all she could do to keep from running to him. For days, she had been trying to rationalize her feelings for him. There didn’t seem to be any use in it anymore.
As he looked up, he saw her, and, for a moment, their eyes locked. It seemed to Alex that they were the only two in the room. He knew it had to be a trick of his mind, but it felt like he and Elizabeth existed, by themselves, outside of the world everyone else occupied. Their eyes were speaking to each other. No words were needed. Alex knew
this was where he wanted to be. He could die happily just staring into her eyes.
“I need to check up with Abbie,” Matt remarked, pulling Alex back into the real world. “She’ll want to know what happened.”
The dazed feeling subsided, and Elizabeth looked away. “And I’m getting a dial tone on the phone line,” she added quickly.
Alex thought about pursuing the situation, but she acted like she wanted to move past it. Confused, he waited for her to make eye contact with him again. It never happened. She walked through the kitchen and into another room.
***
“It’s done?” Jeremiah asked, walking, without invitation, into the room Saleos had chosen to be his office.
“Of course,” Saleos murmured without taking his eyes away from a newspaper he was reading. “Purchasing a large building to serve as a sanctuary is no real challenge. Getting the congregation, now that’s going to be your department. I’m not really on a first-name basis with any prophets.”
“Most of my prophets are tied up in different tasks. Abbie will have to supply us with our fold...and our clergy, for that matter.”
Saleos slowly rolled his eyes up to look at Jeremiah. “What does she think about our little scheme?”
“She doesn’t know yet. I planned to be a little more prepared when I told her.”
“Well, we have a church, a television and radio broadcasting corporation, the very best in high-tech equipment, influences in the highest levels of church and state all across the globe, and more money than we will ever know what to do with. The only thing we’re missing is the faithful. We can’t be much more prepared than we are at the moment.”
“You’re right,” Jeremiah agreed. “This will have to happen very quickly. Alex is impetuous and scared. We need to plan on being ready to respond to the press in a matter of weeks, maybe days. I don’t know what he’s planning, but as soon as he shows himself to the public, we should have something in place.”
“We’re not going to be able to do much from here.”
“Except draw some of Metatron’s fire.”
The Elder Prophets (To Absolve the Fallen Book 2) Page 16
