The Conception (The Descendant Series Book 2)

by L. J. Amodeo

  I continued searching the mansion when a table was hurled out of the door of the great room only inches from my head. Had I taken another step forward, I would have been crushed and the thought instantly made me sick. Gasping for air, I balanced my weight on the wall, inches from the doorway. Standing still and erect only intensified the pain beneath my ballooned belly. Before I could call for help, Freddie’s words halted my words. “Where is she, Abigail?”

  “She’s safe!” Abby lashed at him.

  “I’ll ask you again. Where is she?” This time Freddie’s voice deepened.

  “And I told you, she’s safe!” Abby continued to answer him back.

  “Maybe then, I’ll inquire with her father,” he said with marked sarcasm.

  “Hasn’t he been through enough, Freddie? Leave him alone!” Abigail’s voice pitched.

  “And what shall I say, old friend? Wouldn’t you agree that I’ve had my share of tough times? Haven’t I been through enough?” Meanwhile, the sounds of whimpering echoed with Freddie’s condescending snarls. “Shut up! Your crocodile tears are pissing me off!”

  A shuffle was heard followed by something that sounded like a punch. “Freddie, I don’t want you doing this. Please!” Abigail pleaded.

  “No? Try to stop me!” he roared as Abigail’s chilling howl echoed across the room.

  “No, Freddie!” she screamed. With the sound of a gargle and a loud thump, an eerie hush fell over the mansion. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying helplessly to catch my breath and quell my terror. Too frightened to look into the room and too paralyzed to run, I remained frozen with my back against the wall just outside the door, with only a wall separating me from the beast inside. My mind spun in chaos, blinded by thoughts of the life Freddie had taken. Was it my father’s—Abby’s? His own?

  “You monster!” Abigail’s cry broke the silence. Upon hearing her voice, I sighed a breath of relief, but at the same time, it choked me, realizing that if Abigail was alive, then my father must have fallen victim to Freddie’s demons.

  I pressed my palms to my face, quieting the tears in fear of being heard. Again, a jabbing pain spread across my belly and down my legs, weakening my body and exhausting my thoughts of escape.

  As I dropped to my knees, Armisael’s arms lifted me and ebbed my pain, as he transported me far away from Eden.

  THE GREAT ROOM ~ LAKE LOUISE

  Abigail and Philip kept a decent distance from Freddie. They weren’t sure what to make of him just yet. A bloodied Freddie held a sword in his hand that was equally stained of blood. Sebastian and Maksim, the Russian Trackers, lay lifeless at his feet.

  “I shall deliver them to Luca myself!” Freddie broke the silence, with a ghost of a smile on his lips. Phil emerged from behind Abigail to get a closer look at his daughter’s assailants. Abigail couldn’t contain her excitement upon seeing her friend back. She ran toward him and jumped onto him, wrapping her legs around his waist.

  “You big dope! You scared the daylights out of me, Freddie!” She shouted, squeezing her grip tighter around him.

  “Ouch! Abs, I’m still healing, take it easy!” Freddie beamed his boyish smile as he pulled the petite angel off his shoulders.

  “Thank you, Freddie,” said Phil. He looked at the two angels. “Elizabeth never gave up on you, Son. She knew you’d make it through.” He extended his hand to Freddie.

  “I must apologize to you, sir. It wasn’t my intention to hurt her in there. I love your daughter more than she knows. She’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to family.” Freddie spoke humbly. My father glanced at Abigail, who brushed away a tear in the tuck of her large eyes.

  “We know, Freddie, and we’re extremely grateful to have you back. You will earn higher rank for your heroism here today.”

  “No need for that, Mr. Morgan. There is no greater joy than knowing that Elizabeth is safe. May I see her? I’d like to apologize to her myself.”

  “Armisael has taken her to the Tablet of Union. It’s almost time,” Abigail informed both men. Freddie’s eyes could not hide the hurt that wrapped itself around his broken heart.

  “I must go to her then. Abigail, Phil, we must protect her and the baby once he arrives!” Freddie voiced his concern for Elizabeth.

  “What about Michael? Don’t you think he should be with her?” Abigail asked.

  “It’s impossible now, Abby. He’s already been stripped of his embodiment; therefore, my daughter needs her family with her. And you, Freddie, are her family.” Phil stressed his appreciation.

  “What about the bodies? I’ll never make it back in time for Beth if I deliver them to Luca’s front door!” Freddie said.

  “You guys go. I’ll take care of these goons.” Abigail beamed a wide, satisfied grin. “Hey, Freddie!” she called out to him as he wiped his bloodstained sword. “Glad to have you back. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint us! You’re too much of a jerk to stay away from us!” She smiled.

  Freddie laughed and winked at the cherub, placing his sword in his sheath, and walking out of the room closely following Phil.

  Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth, unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep.

  ~ John Milton, Paradise Lost

  SHADOW REALM

  Luca’s informants sent word that Sebastian and Maksim had met their fate at The Flame against the legion angels. Crushing a pewter tankard with his bare hands as easily as one would crumble paper, in a blind rage, Luca propelled the lead scrap across the room, hitting one of his soldiers square in the Adam’s apple, slitting his neck wide-open. The soldier jerked, gargled, and choked on his blood and fell dead to the floor as the rest of his army remained stone faced and numb.

  “I want what the Trinity and that girl have taken away from me!” Luca roared, causing a ripple of hairline fissures to slowly spread across the stone walls. The flickering glow from the lit torches cast eerie shadows across Luca’s menacing face. “That girl and her child will bring us enormous unrest. Her existence will cause the balance to shift. And if that child remains alive, if he isn’t brought to me, this will destroy us! The portals will close and our realm will never be granted passage to their world again! The Light Realm will not decree complete domination, and until those two are brought to me, I will not rest—and neither will you!” Luca overturned the centuries-old dining table. Almost in unison, his army took a step back avoiding impact with the heavy furniture.

  “I want them dead or alive, and anyone who gets in your way—annihilate them!” he demanded, pointing his long finger at the battalion before storming out of the lurid room.

  In a rigid pivot, the Hellions turned toward the door and marched out in perfect, rhythmic movements, seeming almost robotic. Yet on the battlefields, these barbaric warriors were not disciplined fighters. They were dirty and brutal combatants.

  THE TABLET OF UNION

  Faith waited for my arrival at the Tablet of Union, along with Dr. Magus and many new faces; gentle, beautiful faces smiling at Armisael, who effortlessly carried me in his arms through the arched passageways.

  In the archangel’s arms, the pains that stabbed at my belly earlier had settled. At the end of the gallery, I was relieved to see two faces I knew and adored; Victoria and Deborah.

  Armisael entered a room similar to the Crystal Caverns, with a pool of sacred waters cascading from a waterfall. Although, the chamber didn’t have humming crystals, it did have the same round pool. However, in the center of the basin sat an inscribed tablet the size of a table or altar. Dr. Magus, Victoria and Deborah made preparations for the birth of my baby. The women laid clean sheets and blankets across the tablet. Dr. Magus cleansed his hands in the basin and continued to dry and glove them immediately afterward. My breathing began to dither, watching as they quietly unfolded gleaming metal tools from a woven wrap, carefully laying them out on a silver tray.

  Focused on the scalpel, I took several long, deep breaths to quell my nerves. But, the pain that pressed furiously in my abdomen superseded
the horror of knowing that I’d soon be sliced with that tool.

  “Elizabeth, the baby is in position, and he’s ready to meet his mother. Armisael will lay you onto the tablet, and Victoria and Deborah will be by your side the entire time. Are you ready?” The doctor spoke slowly and confidently.

  Wiping away a bead of sweat from my temple, I squeezed my eyes shut, nodding vigorously to the doctor. “Yes, I’m ready. Let’s do this,” my voice trembled. Dr. Magus gave the maidservants-turned-midwives an insignificant nod. Deborah and Victoria slipped on their surgical gowns and gloves and shifted into position as Armisael laid me onto the tablet; Victoria at my side and Deborah behind Dr. Magus. Armisael removed his comforting hand from my head and abruptly the pressure deep in my abdomen began to progress, a sharp pain that exerted pressure on both sides of my distended belly. The affliction traveled from the top of my belly down to the base of my womb.

  “It really hurts bad!” I was now sweating profusely. “Please Dr. Magus, make it stop!” I cried, curving my spine forward caused by the excruciating pain.

  “Elizabeth, do not move. We do not want you to distress the child or for you to become too tired. Relax.” The doctor tried to calm me, but the pain only progressed, pulling from me my energy and focus.

  “I can’t! It feels like he’s ripping me open! I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe. Help me—” I choked on my words, fading in and out of consciousness. The magnitude of such an extraordinary birth slowly pulled energy from my life.

  Victoria whispered encouraging words in my ear as she stroked my sweat-covered forehead, trying her hardest to keep me alert. “Sssh, child. Picture your beautiful son in your arms. Just imagine him smiling at you. In a few minutes, you will be holding your little miracle,” she sang to me.

  Victoria’s soothing voice stole my thoughts away from the debilitating pain that now consumed my body. Her words exalted my mind and body back to the lake as I watched a curly, red-haired boy splash around in the lake. From this calming vision, Michael and I smiled and watched our son play in the warm afternoon sun. The images of my new family made me emotional. I wanted to go to them, to be with them, leaving this body that was riddled with pain to live in peace. “Faith—” I whispered to her through my prophetic dreams, “—let me go there . . .”

  It was shortly after that I felt a shift in my position. This time the pain didn’t come from my belly. Dr. Magus violently applied pressure to my chest as I heard the sound of my ribs snapping one after another. Victoria’s frenzied voice called to me to stay alive, but I felt myself slipping deeper, following a magnificent ray of light that drew in all my energy.

  “Beth! Beth! Can you hear me, it’s Faith!” I heard her frantic voice calling me from a distance. My eyes fluttered open to see her beautiful face staring down at me. Encumbered, I forced a weak, but noticeable smile on my lips.

  “Elizabeth, he’s almost here. Stay awake; don’t fade on us, please. You do want to see your son, don’t you?” Faith begged softly, fighting back tears. I nodded weakly, sensing my breaths reduce to an abysmal, hallow death-like rattle.

  Faith lifted her eyes, giving Dr. Magus a questioning glance. “We will do whatever we can to keep her alive. Perhaps now would be a good time to tell the others. Put them on high alert for the coming of the Nephilim. Go!” The doctor instructed Faith.

  Before exiting the birthing chamber, Faith’s lips brushed against my forehead.

  THE TRINITY

  “How can you deny me passage when my son and Elizabeth are in danger? This is senseless!” Michael flung his arms up enraged.

  “You have broken all rules, Mikael! I’m sorry, but you have been stripped of your embodiment, command and post.” Tobias held a firm position.

  “I did it for the good of all! To save our realms before destruction befell us! Do you realize that your decision comes at a vulnerable time for our existence and that of all humanity? How could you and the council agree to leave my portal exposed to the Dark Realm? The Hellions have been summoned already! They are halfway around the world by now. I cannot and will not allow Elizabeth, who carries my child, our savior, to be punished for something I did on my own! I deceived her and not the other way around! Grant me passage, Tobias! Just this one time, and then do what you will with me! Give me back my authority and embodiment before it is too late for them. For us all!” Silently, the council looked to one another, consulting telepathically on a solution to the unavoidable event that was forthcoming.

  “We will discuss this urgent matter, Mikael. You will have your answer by nightfall. Meanwhile, go to the conservatory. Faith awaits you with some news,” Erez directed him. Michael’s wide eyes stared at the men, swallowing back a lump of fear as he looked each one in the face. Punching the wall before exiting, Michael stormed out of the boardroom and toward the conservatory.

  Faith waited nervously for Michael to enter. Her face showed signs of distress.

  “Sister, what news do you bring me?” he whispered weakly.

  “Mikael, what in the Trinity’s name are you doing here? Why haven’t you been protecting your portal? What’s come over you? Are you pissed that Elizabeth is with Freddie’s child? Is this your way of getting revenge? I don’t get you!” She gnashed her teeth at him.

  Michael pinched the bridge of his nose as Faith lashed into him. He finally lifted his hands up to silence her. “Stop! Stop! Stop, Faith! Enough! I can’t go to her. I’ve been stripped,” Michael finally whispered lowering his head to his chest.

  “Why? What in Heaven’s name have you done to piss them off in there?” she asked pointing her finger toward the council chambers.

  “I assumed you already knew. I fathered the child,” he whispered as his eyes filled with tears. Faith only stared at him, baffled and uncertain if she understood Michael. “He is my son, mine and Elizabeth’s.”

  “Oh dear brother—what were you thinking?” Was all she could mutter for a while.

  Regaining her voice, she continued, “Mikael, I fear for their lives. The Hellions have entered the mortal realm, and Elizabeth is very weak. She’s not strong enough to give birth to a transcendent. Brother, you must prepare yourself for what may happen during her labor, and it may not be good. Your son’s heartbeat is strong. Magus feels confident that he will make it, but with the threat of Luca’s army, he may not make it for long. His birth will throw off the balance, giving us an advantage and strengthening our portals—but you know as well as I do that this change in the prophecy—the birth of this child will only call upon the Abigarian army. Mikael, please tell me what I should do!” Faith fell to her knees, clinging to his forearms; her eyes pooled in a silent plea for help.

  “Faith, you are the feminine energy, and my counterpart in the Light Realm. If the council does not allow me re-entry, then do what I would do for Elizabeth and my son. I leave their fate in your hands.” Michael said, blessing his female equivalent with a sacred symbol he drew on her forehead with his index finger.

  Erez stood at the doorway watching the archangels exchange blessings and support for one another, before interrupting. “Mikael, I regret to inform you that the council has denied your request.” The elder man did not wait for Michael to respond. Carefully, Erez, supporting himself on a wooden cane, exited the conservatory.

  Chilling cries from the strong and mighty archangel sent shivers across both the light and dark realms, causing powerful quakes.

  SHADOW REALM

  Luca stared out the tower window, across a bleak, gray sky. Black ravens flew low overhead, cawing at the sound of Michael’s chilling echoes. A ghostly smile crossed Luca’s lips as he inhaled the scent of rotting flesh around him, the corpses of soldiers he deemed unfit for his Hellions. If their loyalty to the dark lord was questioned, it only led to their demise and boorish deaths. As Luca sensed Michael’s distress, his laughter boiled deep in his throat, edging ahead with a rejoicing gratification. “Ah, Mikael! Even your own brethren turn their backs to you. Do you still believe, Archang
el Mikael! Do you?” Luca guffawed, throwing his hands up in glory.

  “Go my angels, go forth and conquer what is rightfully mine! Abigar, I call upon your army. Set them free and fulfill our mission!” the dark lord hungrily proclaimed.

  If a man is not rising upwards to be an angel, depend upon it, he is sinking downwards to be a devil.

  ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge

  The Blue Legion made preparations to scour the earth in search of Luca’s armies. Faith would return and stay at my side as my son enters the world. Dr. Magus and the maidservants continued to monitor my heartbeat. I had already lost lots of blood, and my pulse dropped dangerously low. It wasn’t until I faintly heard Faith’s voice that my eyes fluttered open, but then closed again. My low blood pressure and long pauses between each breath were indicators that death was lingering close by. I knew because I’d experienced it before.

  “How is she?” Faith asked.

  “Extremely weak. Her pulse is very low and there is fluid building up in her lungs.”

  Faith’s hand stroked my cheek as her voice drifted into my head. “Elizabeth, I spoke with Michael. Know he is so proud of you and misses you dearly. He wants you to be strong and push through this and he wants me to tell you that you’ll be together soon.”

  My thoughts again moved about aimlessly in search of my archangel. I called his name, reaching my hand out to him, but nothing seemed clear. It was only mists of fog, haze and hallucinations. “Michael,” I called out. “Michael . . .” Again my voiced echoed.

  “Elizabeth.” His voice called my name. I spun around, struggling to focus past the puffs of white confusion. He stepped forward and into clear view. I lovingly ingested the sight of him. We ran to each other, embracing one another tightly for a long time. Michael kissed my head and face devotedly, while I inhaled his calming scent, allowing him to touch every part of my visage with his tender lips.