“I saw an angel,” she said with conviction. “I don’t know why he came or what he said, but I know he was here.”
Gabriel maintained a thoughtful silence. He neither challenged nor acknowledged her story. Instead, he watched Molly with a slight crinkling of his marble brow. Although it would have been hard to tell by looking at his composed face I knew Gabe was thinking about damage control. Molly’s discovery spelled disaster for my family. They had been loath to let one human in on the secret and only relented because they had no choice. I’d revealed my true self to Xavier without consulting them. Now two people knowing the truth in a town as small as Venus Cove could pose real problems. But what could they do? Molly had seen Michael with her own two eyes.
I wished I could have been there at that moment to comfort my brother who was facing his own internal struggle. I circled Gabriel in my wraithlike form and tried to transmit my support. I wanted him to know I was behind him whatever decision he made. It wasn’t his fault, although I knew he would assume responsibility. Michael had appeared without any forewarning and there had been no time to shield Molly. When the archangels were on a mission, they did not make allowances for human frailty. They served God single-mindedly, delivering His word and His will to those on earth. When Lot’s wife had disobeyed their command several thousand years ago, they’d reduced her to a pillar of salt without hesitation. They carried out their mission with fierce determination, obliterating all that stood in their path. Molly had posed no threat to Michael and he had overlooked her, leaving Gabriel to deal with the fallout. I wondered if like me, my brother was changing. Living among human beings made it difficult to maintain divine neutrality. Gabriel was loyal to the Kingdom, but he had seen proof of Xavier’s commitment to me and he knew the depth of our attachment. I knew he would never break his allegiance to the Holy Seven, to his rank of archangels, but he seemed different than when we’d first arrived in Venus Cove. Then he had been a representative of the Lord, watching the world go by with a detached, measured outlook. Now he seemed to truly want to understand its workings.
Gabriel began to pace, and before I knew it, he’d walked right through me. He stopped abruptly and I knew by the look in his eyes he’d picked up a vibration in the air. I longed for him to tell the others he could sense my presence, but I knew my brother and how his mind worked. There was no point in telling Xavier and Molly I was there. They couldn’t see or touch or speak to me in any way. It would only make things harder for them. Gabriel’s face returned to normal and he crossed to where Molly was sitting and settled on the arm of the sofa beside her. She instinctively gravitated toward him, but Gabriel made no move to touch her.
“Are you sure you can handle the truth?” he asked. “Please keep in mind that it may affect you for the rest of your life.” Molly nodded mutely and kept her eyes fixed on his. “Very well then—what you saw was indeed an angel. In fact, it was the Archangel Michael. He came to offer help so you have nothing to fear.”
“You mean he was real?” she whispered, seeming hypnotized by the idea. “Angels are real?”
“As real as you are.”
Molly frowned as she considered the astounding information Gabriel was offering her. “Why am I the only one who’s freaking out?”
Gabriel drew a deep breath and I could see vacillation in his eyes, but he’d gone too far to back out now. “Michael is my brother,” he said softly. “We are one and the same.”
“But you … ,” Molly began. “You aren’t … how can that … I don’t understand.” Her own lack of comprehension was flustering her.
“Listen, Molly. Do you remember when you were young and your parents told you the story of Christmas?”
“Of course,” Molly stumbled. “Doesn’t everyone?”
“Do you remember the story of the Annunciation? Can you tell me about it?”
“I … I think so,” Molly stuttered. “An angel appeared to the Virgin Mary in Nazareth bringing news that she was going to have a child and name him Jesus and he would be the Son of God.”
“Very good,” said my brother approvingly. He leaned in closer to her. “Now, Molly, can you also remember that angel’s name?”
“His name?” Molly looked confused. “He didn’t have one. Oh, wait, yes he did. It was … he was … the angel”—she drew a sharp intake of breath and looked like she might be on the brink of passing out again—“the Angel Gabriel.”
“That would be me,” my brother said almost unassumingly.
“Don’t worry, it took me a while to get my head around it,” Xavier added. Molly barely heard him. She was still gaping wordlessly at Gabriel. “Gabriel, Ivy, and Beth are all angels,” Xavier added. “A whole other world exists around us that most of us are never aware of.”
“I need to know that you understand,” Gabriel pressed Molly. “If this is too much for you, I can ask Ivy to wipe your memory. If you are going to be a part of this you need to be clearheaded. We are not the only supernatural creatures here. There are beings out there darker than you can imagine and they’ve taken Beth. If we’re going to get her back, we need to be united.”
“It’s okay, Molly,” said Xavier, reading the fear in her face. “Gabriel and Ivy won’t let anything happen to you. Besides, it’s not us the demons are interested in.” That got Molly’s attention.
“What do you mean demons!” she shrieked, leaping off the sofa. “Nobody said anything about demons!”
Gabriel looked across at Xavier and shook his head in disapproval. “This isn’t working,” he decided. “I think we need Ivy.”
“No, wait,” Molly jumped in. “I’m sorry, I just need a minute. I want to help you. Who did you say has taken Beth?”
“She was abducted on Halloween by a demon who has been here before,” Gabriel said. “We think he was invited back by your séance. You may remember him as Jake Thorn. He attended Bryce Hamilton briefly last year.”
“The Australian guy?” Molly asked, scrunching up her face as she tried to tap into the memories that Ivy had deleted from her mind like files from a computer.
“British,” Xavier corrected.
“Believe me, he’s someone you never want to cross paths with,” Gabriel said.
“Oh my God,” Molly groaned. “Beth was right about the séance. Why didn’t I listen to her? This is all my fault.”
“There is no point in blaming yourself,” Gabriel said. “It won’t help us get her back. We need to focus now.”
“Okay, what do I need to do?” Molly asked bravely.
“We’re leaving for Tennessee in a few hours,” Gabriel said.
“You just need to stay here and not breathe a word of this to anyone.”
“Hold up.” Molly rose to her feet. “You’re not leaving without me.”
“Oh, yes, we are,” Xavier said and I could see the animosity between them flare up again.
“It would be safer for you to stay behind,” Gabriel said emphatically.
“No,” Molly insisted. “You can’t drop a bombshell like that and then leave me behind to stress over it.”
“We can’t wait,” Gabriel said. “You would need to talk to your parents, notify the school … .”
“Who gives a stuff about school?” Molly said. “Hello? I ditch all the time.” She pulled her cell phone from the back pocket of her jeans. “I’ll tell Mom I’m staying at Tara’s for a few days.”
Before anyone could stop her, Molly was punching in numbers and ducking into the kitchen. I heard her spouting a familiar story about Tara having broken up with her boyfriend, being a mess, and needing her friends around her.
“This is a really bad idea,” Xavier said. “I mean it’s Molly we’re talking about. She’s the biggest gossip in town. How is she going to keep this to herself?”
But I trusted my brother’s judgment completely. While I was worried about Molly being involved I knew that she could be levelheaded when she needed to be.
Ivy didn’t appear to share my opinion and fo
r the first time I witnessed real dissent between her and Gabriel. A door slammed somewhere in the hall and suddenly she was in the room with us wearing an expression like thunder. She threw down the two duffel bags she’d packed. Her ice blue eyes kept flickering toward the kitchen and back to Gabriel. The stress of the situation seemed to have brought out a new side of Ivy. My gentle, patient sister was fading fast and in her place was a soldier of the Kingdom, a seraphim preparing for battle. I knew that seraphim rarely got angry, it took a lot to invoke their wrath. Ivy’s behavior told me that perhaps my capture meant more than I realized.
“This is a serious breach of the rules,” Ivy said darkly, turning to Gabriel. “We can’t afford any more setbacks.”
“What rules?” Xavier asked. “There don’t seem to be any.”
“Demons have never targeted us before,” my sister replied. “They go after humans in order to spite Heaven. But this time they’ve taken one of our own knowing we must retaliate. Unless that’s exactly what they want us to do … in which case they’re trying to start a war.” Her gaze fell on Molly. “It’s not safe for her.”
“Like I said,” Gabriel replied. “I don’t think we have a choice anymore.”
“Just because Molly and Bethany are school friends does not mean we can simply abandon normal procedure.”
“There is nothing normal about this situation,” Gabriel snapped. “The Covenant is clearly not concerned about another human knowing our identity. If they were, Michael would have timed his arrival more carefully. You may be right in thinking something much bigger is going on here.”
Ivy remained skeptical. “If I’m right, think of what we’ll be facing. She’s a liability.”
“She’s very insistent. I can’t reason with her.”
“She is an adolescent girl and you are an arch,” Ivy said bitterly. “You’ve had to deal with much worse in your time.”
My brother simply shrugged his shoulders. “We need all the allies we can get.” Ivy scowled and pointed a finger at him.
“Fine, but I assume no responsibility for her. She is yours.”
“Why are you wasting time arguing about Molly?” Xavier burst out. “Don’t we have bigger things to worry about? Like getting on the road and finding this nun?”
“Xavier’s right,” Gabriel said. “We must put our differences aside and deal with the present. I only hope we get there before it’s too late.”
As soon as he’d spoken the words, Gabriel seemed to regret them. A pained expression crossed his face while Xavier’s flushed with emotion.
“You sound like you’ve given up already.”
“I didn’t say that,” Gabriel replied. “This is a unique situation. We don’t know what we’re dealing with. The only angels that ever see the inside of Hell are those that go there of their own volition, the foolish ones that are blinded by pride and turn against Our Father, choosing to follow Lucifer.”
“What are you saying?” Xavier said. There was indignation in his tone. “You think Beth did this on purpose? She didn’t choose this, Gabriel! Have you forgotten that I was there?”
I could have kicked my brother at that moment. Did he really believe I had chosen a path of darkness?
Ivy crossed the room in a flash and placed a hand on Gabriel’s back. “What we’re trying to say is that Jake shouldn’t have been able to drag an angel into Hell. Either Bethany went willingly or we are on the verge of Armageddon.”
16
One Heart
IT was getting harder to hold on. My spirit form seemed to be blurring around the edges, anxious to return to my body. But Ivy’s words had me reeling. Could my capture really be a sign that something terrible was brewing?
Unlike Xavier, I didn’t blame Gabriel for saying what he did. He was merely calling it as he saw it. It was true, I had accepted Jake’s offer. I had done so unwittingly, but that didn’t seem to matter. I knew Gabriel hoped for the best, but it was his job to consider all possibilities. I just wished he would soften things a little for Xavier’s sake. But my brother could never shy away from the truth. His very creation was intended to embody and protect the truth. Xavier didn’t understand that and I could see he was frustrated. He was used to Ivy and Gabriel always having an answer for everything. But this time things were different and their indecision scared him.
Xavier was growing restless. He sat down and then immediately stood up again. His entire body was as taut as a bow and his pent-up energy was almost tangible.
“I saw her,” he said after a long pause. He spoke with a quiet intensity. “You weren’t there, you didn’t see the expression on her face when she realized who she was with. She was terrified once she realized what was happening. I wanted to help her, but I was too late. I tried to save her … ,” he trailed off, staring uselessly at his hands.
“Of course, you did,” Ivy said. She was always more attuned to Xavier than Gabriel was. “We know Bethany; we trust in her. We know that Jake employed the dirtiest tactic of all to win her trust. But it doesn’t matter now. Jake won—she’s on his turf now. The situation is delicate and the truth is there is no easy way to get her back now.”
Gabriel was less inclined to sugarcoat the facts. “If there is a way for us to access the dimension known as Hell, I’ve never heard of it. No angel has returned to that place since we sealed Lucifer beneath the ground.”
“I thought you said we needed to find a portal.” Xavier’s mouth was a tight line and he was fighting hard to control his emotions. Seeing him like this made my own eyes sting. I wanted so badly to wrap my arms around him, stroke his face and comfort him, whisper that I was alive and even below the earth I’d never stopped thinking about him.
“I did say that,” Gabriel conceded. “But that task is easier said than done.” He wore his faraway look now and I knew he was no longer present. He was locked in his own private world of contemplation. Despite the doubts I’d just heard him express, I trusted Gabriel. If there was any way to rescue me, I knew he was the one who would find it.
“I don’t understand. If Jake broke the rules, why can’t we?” Xavier persisted.
“If Jake tricked Bethany into trusting him, then no rules were broken,” Ivy said. “Demons have been manipulating souls and damning them to Hell for centuries.”
“So we need to play dirty,” Xavier said.
“Exactly.” Ivy put a hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t you stop worrying for a while? Let us figure it out. Maybe this trip to Tennessee will shed some light. What happened to Bethany, an angel of the Lord being taken into Hell, is totally unprecedented. There is no rulebook to consult. Do you see what I’m saying?”
“I think it might be a sign.” Gabriel had drifted back to the present.
“What kind of sign?” Xavier asked.
“That Lucifer’s powers are growing. This could be an indication of his rising strength, even if it manifested through Jake. We have to think carefully. Rushing in could make things worse. That’s why Michael is sending us to this source.”
“Look, sitting around drinking herbal tea isn’t going to help Beth. You two can think about the big picture all you want, but for me this is about her and I’m going to do whatever it takes to bring her home. If you’re not with me, then I’ll handle it alone.”
Xavier rose to leave and I panicked momentarily thinking he might do something reckless. But Gabriel moved like a flash of lightning to block his path.
“You won’t handle anything.” Gabriel’s tone was chilling. “Is that clear? Control your raging testosterone for a minute and listen. I know you want Beth back—we all do—but acting like some comic-book hero isn’t going to help.”
“And sitting on your butt acting like there’s nothing we can do isn’t going to help either. Beth once told me your name means ‘Warrior of God.’ Some warrior you turned out to be.”
“Watch what you say,” Gabriel warned, his eyes flashing.
“Or what?” Xavier was seething now. At any minute he mig
ht lash out and do something he’d regret. I wished I could just reach out to tell him that Gabe was right. Much as I loved him for his loyalty and determination, I knew this wasn’t something that could be solved through valor alone. Deep down, I knew Gabriel was hatching a plan, at least I hoped he was. Xavier just needed to give him time to think. Gabriel was still blocking Xavier’s path, their eyes locked in mounting tension. To his credit, it was Xavier who backed down first.
“I need to get out of here and clear my head,” he said, pushing past Gabriel.
“Okay,” Ivy called out after his retreating back. “We’ll wait for you.”
I trailed behind him as Xavier tripped lightly down the sandy steps leading to the beach. I tried to send out rays of calming energy and hoped he could at least sense them. Xavier seemed to relax a little once he hit the beach. He took deep breaths and exhaled in relief. He walked right down to the dark sand of the shoreline where he stood with his hands deep in his pockets looking out to sea. I watched him shift uneasily from foot to foot, struggling to overcome his restlessness. If only he could stop focusing on his own sense of failure for one minute I might have a chance of making him aware of my presence. He needed to stop mourning my disappearance and just free his thoughts.
As if he could read my mind, Xavier calmly peeled off his sweater and tossed it aside. He pulled off his shoes and left them lying in the sand so he was standing in just his shorts and white T-shirt. He looked down the deserted beach and took a deep breath before breaking into a run. In my spectral form I ran beside him, exhilarated by his accelerated breathing and pumping heart. It was the closest I’d felt to him since our separation. Xavier’s movements were graceful, those of a trained athlete. Sports had always been his release and I could feel his tension ebbing. Suddenly his brain had something to focus on other than losing me. The exercise was helping. The expression on his face was less drawn and his body moved with its own rhythm now. I was aware of the muscle definition in his calves and broad shoulders. I could almost feel his agile movements and his weight hitting the sand. I lost track of how long he ran, but when Byron was just a speck in the distance, Xavier finally came to a halt. He bent over, bracing his hands on his thighs. The sun was already setting and tingeing the ocean red. Xavier’s chest heaved as he waited for his breathing to slow. I could tell he wasn’t thinking about anything right now—for what was probably the first time in weeks his mind was completely clear. I realized there was no time to lose. I had to seize this opportunity. The Crags were behind us, not far from the spot where I’d first revealed my identity to him by releasing my wings and throwing myself from the cliff. I had to wonder now whether I’d done the right thing. From that moment I had complicated his life irrevocably. I had tied his existence to mine and burdened him with problems he should never have had to deal with.
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