by Jerel Law
Jonah had no time to stick around for a fight. Not if they were going to make sure Eliza was okay and get out of there.
“Where are we going, Jonah?” asked Jeremiah, trying to move his shorter legs fast enough to keep up.
“We have to go find Eliza, now!” he barked at his brother. “I’ll explain it later. Just come on!”
Jonah, Jeremiah, and the three remaining angels ran toward the sixth-grade classrooms as the bell rang and students began pouring into the hallway. As was always true in the hidden realm, each person they passed had a glow. A dull glow in some. In others, here and there, the bright glow of a life given to Elohim.
Jonah’s heart was racing. What was going on? Why were they being attacked? He found himself praying silently as they moved down the hallway. Elohim, please protect Eliza and my parents.
Turning down the sixth-grade hall, Jonah and Jeremiah arrived just in time to see an angel fire an arrow into a screeching fallen one, who disintegrated into dust on the floor. Eliza’s glowing shield of faith was surrounding her and a group of angels, but there were no more of the Fallen in sight, and Jonah watched as she lowered it. Her ability to create the shield of faith had appeared when Jonah and Eliza were rescuing their mother. She had learned to summon it by raising her hands in the air and focusing her mind and heart on Elohim.
“Eliza!” Jonah called out, running over, followed by Jeremiah and the rest of the angels. “Are you okay?”
Eliza nodded. “Sure, now that the fallen angels are gone.”
“Yeah,” said Jonah. “I got attacked in the boys’ bathroom. If it wasn’t for these angels . . .” He didn’t want to say it out loud. He wouldn’t be here right now.
“Me too,” she said. “I was just getting ready to go to my locker when these guys came at me out of nowhere.” Eliza turned toward the angels. “Thanks.” They bowed their heads slightly in return.
“Jonah?” said the commanding angel, tapping his finger on the hilt of his sword.
Jonah nodded. “We need to go, Eliza. It’s not safe here. There may be others.”
“You mean, leave school?” she said.
Jonah rolled his eyes. Even when they were under attack, the thought of missing even one minute of school had her worried.
“It’s just the first day, Eliza,” he said impatiently. “You’ve got all year to be here. But today, we need to get home.”
Jeremiah was still watching the dust on the floor that used to be a fallen angel. Jonah grabbed his hand as they turned to leave.
“Come on, Jeremiah,” he said. “Time to go home.”
Jeremiah nodded his head but continued to look back over his shoulder at the remnants of the fallen angel. He had seen Elohim’s angels before, but never one of the Fallen, and he hadn’t discovered any of his powers yet. Jonah was sure Jeremiah was scared that he wouldn’t be able to stop the Fallen if they came after him again.
But they had to hurry. They ran down the hallway, carefully looking around each corner for signs of Elohim’s enemies. They made it to the front of the school, past the offices, and stood together outside the main entrance.
Jeremiah finally spoke up, his voice trembling slightly. “Those were . . . fallen angels?”
Jonah saw the angels looking out in all directions around them for signs of more trouble. He rested his hands on his knees, bending over toward his brother, who stared up at him with wide eyes.
“There are bad angels out there, Jeremiah,” he said as calmly as he could. “They turned their back on Elohim, and now, well . . . they don’t like it when anybody follows Him.”
Jeremiah bit his lower lip for a few seconds, letting that sink in. He looked back up at Jonah with his clear blue eyes. “They want to kill us?”
Jonah tried to smile. “We have angels here to help us. And look, we’re not totally defenseless. Kids like us—quarterlings— have special gifts.”
“I don’t,” he said matter-of-factly and folded his arms across his chest.
Jonah put his hand behind his brother’s head and pulled him close. “You will. You just have to be patient, that’s all.”
One of the angels had approached them. “Time to fly, kids.”
“Fly? With you guys?” Jeremiah asked.
The angel extended his hand. “How ’bout you ride with me, young Jeremiah?”
A small smile creased Jeremiah’s mouth for the first time since he’d been pulled from his class. “Okay,” he said, beaming up at the angel.
“Oh brother,” Eliza said, who’d been busy patrolling with the angels. She hated flying. It always made her feel sick to her stomach.
“Oh, come on, Eliza,” Jonah said, holding on to the angel beside him. “Just think of it like . . . a ride at an amusement park.”
“I don’t like rides at amusement parks!” she yelled as the angel she held on to lifted off the ground.
They soared through the air, over the trees, held aloft by the angels. Jonah watched as the cars became smaller and smaller. Over to his left was Jeremiah with his right arm stretched out, away from the angel. To his right was Eliza, with her jaws clenched and lines creasing her face, tightly clutching her angel.
Jonah’s mind churned through the battle at school, hoping when they arrived home there would be some answers waiting for them.
From this distance, above everything, it was hard to imagine that any battle raged at all. Peacefield looked quiet, sleepy. Moms were out with their little ones in strollers. Joggers ran up and down the streets.
No one seemed to have any idea what was happening around them or what might be lurking around any corner. Jonah considered this as they flew along. If only they could see what we just saw. Then they would know.
“Look, Jonah, look!” Jeremiah pointed excitedly toward their home, the small white house on Cranberry Street.
Lining the roof of their house stood a battalion of angels. More than Jonah had ever seen. Across their front lawn were more, forming an angelic perimeter around the house. As they approached, Jonah saw their determined faces, their bodies standing rigidly at attention, arrows strung or hands resting on the hilts of their swords.
Jonah, Eliza, and Jeremiah landed on their driveway, and two angels stepped aside briefly to allow them to pass through.
Jonah turned to the commanding angel. “What’s really going on here?”
“My orders are to get you into the house safely,” he said, moving Jonah and the others toward the door. “I’m sure you’ll get your answers inside.”
If Henry were here, he would have some answers for me, Jonah thought, but he bit his tongue and didn’t say anything. There was no use snapping at their protectors. Before Jonah, Eliza, and Jeremiah could reach their front door, Eleanor burst outside and came running toward them.
“Jonah! Eliza!” she cried out as she pulled them close to her. “Jeremiah! Let me look at you.” She held each of their faces in her hands and looked them over until she was satisfied that they were all unharmed.
“Mom, we’re all fine,” Jonah said. “We didn’t have too much trouble. The angels were a lot of help.” The commanding angel eyed him and raised his eyebrow at Jonah’s attempt to downplay the attacks, but said nothing.
“You three better come on inside,” she said. “We need to talk.”
“Good,” Eliza said, pushing her glasses up her nose and glancing at Jonah. “Because I have some questions.”
They hurried through their front door and were immediately grabbed by their dad, Benjamin, in a big bear hug.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he said as calmly as he could manage. “We’ve been praying as hard as we could ever since the angels let us know what was going on. We wanted to come get you ourselves this morning. But Taryn and Marcus wouldn’t allow it.”
Before Jonah could say anything, Eliza squealed.
“Henry!”
Their former guardian angel stood in the living room. His usual T-shirt and jeans were replaced by full-fledged angelic armor.
He was covered in silvery metallic gear from head to toe. But his face wore the same grin he always had.
“Eliza! Boys!” He nodded. “I’m glad to see you’re all doing okay.”
She ran to hug him, and he blushed but hugged her back.
“Hey, Henry,” Jonah said quietly. Seeing him for the first time since he’d left made him feel weird. They had become really good friends, and then Henry had ditched him and his whole family.
“Jonah,” said Henry warmly. He held up his hand. Jonah hesitated but finally slapped a high five with his former guardian angel.
Beside him stood two angels, one of them enormous and muscular, the other a female, lean and sleek, with a blaze of red hair.
“Marcus. Taryn.” Jonah walked over and greeted the angels they had met last year when their mother was kidnapped.
Eliza stepped forward now, unable to contain herself any longer. “Does someone want to tell us what is going on? I was almost attacked at school by fallen angels.”
“I was attacked,” Jonah said. “In the boys’ bathroom, right after they sent two of the school’s bullies after me. If the angels hadn’t come, I would have been toast.”
“They were after me too,” said Jeremiah. “I saw them, Mom, the black angels with the yellow eyes.” He reached out for Eleanor’s hand and grabbed it, drawing close to her. She leaned down and placed an arm around his chest.
“Attacks on nephilim and quarterlings have taken place today across the world,” Taryn said. “Probably entirely undetected by humans. We were tipped off when we lost contact with your guardian angel.”
“You haven’t heard from Cassandra?” asked Eliza. “Is she okay?”
“We’re not sure yet,” Taryn said. “You can imagine, of course, that we keep close tabs on the nephilim and their families after what happened last year. When Cassandra didn’t file her daily report this morning, we grew concerned. When the other guardian angels didn’t either . . .”
“We sounded the alarm,” said Marcus. “We believe that these were coordinated efforts by Abaddon and his forces.”
Jonah’s mind churned. “What are they trying to do?”
Taryn glanced at Marcus. “We’re not entirely sure, Jonah. But we have sent angelic forces to each nephilim family around the world, just like here. Based on what we know, it makes sense to assume that they are trying to rid the world of the nephilim.”
“And their children,” added Marcus, without a hint of emotion in his voice.
The room grew silent. Jonah felt his heart begin to beat faster. The reality hit him that his entire family was in danger.
The phone rang and reluctantly Benjamin picked it up across the hallway in his office. Jonah’s ears perked up when he heard him say, “Good morning to you, Mr. Anderson.”
“Yes, he’s here . . . Yes . . . No . . .” He paused, listening. And then, “You think my son flooded the boys’ bathroom?!” Benjamin was pacing around his desk now, a sure sign that he was getting angry. “I understand, Mr. Anderson, that he may have been seen walking out of the bathroom as it happened, but there has to be some kind of . . .” He paused again. “The police? You think he’s a vandal? You have to be kidding . . . Yes, yes, okay. It really doesn’t matter at this . . . well, never mind. I’ll speak with him, and we’ll talk to them when they get here. And we will be speaking with you again as well—understand? Good-bye.” Jonah’s dad hung up the phone.
“Dad?” Jonah watched his father take off his glasses and massage his forehead.
“It’s, uh . . . it’s really not a big deal, considering everything now.” He gave a hollow laugh. “They think you flooded the boys’ bathroom on purpose. They have witnesses who say they saw you run out. He’s suspending you from school until this matter can be sorted out.” Benjamin replaced his glasses with one hand and patted Jonah on the shoulder with the other. “One more thing— the police are on their way to pick you up. For vandalizing school property. I think he’s overreacting a bit.”
Eleanor had her hands on her hips. “You think?”
Jonah put both of his hands on his head as his mind spun. His life was over.
But Eliza’s voice broke through his thoughts. “Well, I’m sorry to have to bring you all back to reality, but if Abaddon is after our very lives, Jonah getting accused of flooding the bathroom is the least of our worries.”
“Agreed.” Benjamin nodded. “It just means we have to act fast. The police are on the way, after all.”
Taryn spoke up. “As I was saying, we can assume that the nephilim and their families have been attacked, or are about to be. How successful our forces have been at protecting them, we won’t know for a while.”
Marcus nodded. “One thing’s for sure. You are no longer safe here, and we need to get going.”
“What exactly do you mean? Are we moving?” asked Jonah. “When? Where?”
Taryn looked at him squarely.
“Now. New York City.”
FIVE
THE PEACEFIELD CITY DUMP
Benjamin turned the old white Subaru station wagon so hard around the corner that the tires screeched, and the suitcases slammed around in the back. Jonah had packed so fast, he’d only had time to grab a handful of clothes. After turning his room upside down, he had finally found the Bible Mrs. Aldridge had given him and the silver watch he’d used on his mission to rescue his mom.
“Slow down!” Eleanor cried out, holding on to her armrest. “They’re not following us!” Marcus and Taryn had seen to that, sending a few angels to lift the police cruiser just millimeters off the ground so its tires couldn’t get any traction.
He waved his hand in the air. “Sorry, everyone.” But he punched the gas again hard, zooming past the school where the Stone kids had been attacked less than an hour before.
Eleanor sat beside him, with Jonah, Eliza, and Jeremiah in the backseat. They held on to each other and the door handles as their dad drove wildly down the street.
“Don’t you think you’re going to draw more attention to us driving like this?” Eleanor said pointedly.
Benjamin shrugged. “Maybe,” he said, and let his foot off the gas slightly. “But we just need to get there as fast as we can.” He kept shifting his eyes from the road ahead to the rearview mirror, back and forth.
Jonah finally had a chance to catch his breath. “So, New York? We’re really going back there?”
“How can that possibly be safer than Peacefield?” Eliza jumped in.
Jeremiah held Eliza’s hand tightly, biting his lower lip, clearly trying not to cry.
Jonah was thinking the same thing Eliza was. New York was where they had entered the hidden realm for the first time, where the battle between good and evil takes place. Where Abaddon was gathering all of his awful strength to fight Elohim. Jonah remembered all the creatures they had faced and almost lost their lives to. How could that place possibly be better than the place they were leaving?
Eleanor looked out her window as she spoke. “We have to trust Elohim,” she said simply. “And that these friends of ours out there know what they’re doing.”
Jonah looked out the window and up. He saw the power lines and clouds zooming by, but he also saw a band of angels flying above them, encircling the car. He was comforted by the fact that they were riding with more protection than a presidential secret service escort. Warrior angels from the Second Battalion of the Angelic Forces of the West were their front and rear guard.
Henry was part of the circle, flying right above him. Jonah caught his eye and waved. His former guardian angel saw him and smiled slightly, then returned his focus to his task.
“He looks good up there in his battle gear, don’t you think?” Eliza said, leaning over Jonah to take a look.
Jonah looked at her and snorted. Eliza turned a dark shade of pink and hit him in the stomach. “You know what I mean. He looks like he . . . belongs up there, with them.”
He was about to hit her back when he saw Henry turn his head sharply b
ackward and focus on something behind the car. Jonah looked through the rear window but saw nothing.
Eliza noticed Henry’s concerned gaze too. “The hidden realm?” she suggested.
Jonah nodded. They both closed their eyes and in an instant had entered the spiritual world.
Before Jonah could even turn around, he heard the roar of an engine behind them.
Turning now, he quickly realized that it wasn’t just the sound of one engine. Jonah counted at least six motorcycles on the horizon. They were spread out across two lanes, side by side, and they were closing in on them fast.
Jonah saw his dad’s face in the rearview mirror, continuing to focus on the road ahead, unaware of the bikers behind them.
Jonah popped back out of the hidden realm. Eliza had stayed in and was now invisible. “Do you guys see them?”
“You guys just went . . . ?” questioned Jeremiah.
“Into the hidden realm, yes,” Jonah said impatiently. “There’s an entire motorcycle gang on our tails.”
Eleanor glanced back. Jonah saw lines of worry crease her forehead. “Maybe they’re just . . . out for a nice ride,” she said faintly.
“What are you talking about?” said Benjamin, cutting his eyes up at the rearview mirror. “It’s as clear as day back there. I don’t see a thing.”
“They’re in the hidden realm,” Jonah muttered. “I’ll be back.” And with that, he reemerged into the hidden realm with Eliza.
The motorcycles had grown closer, until they were no more than a car length behind. Jonah could see the six riders clearly now, wearing black helmets and dark glasses. A few had leather vests on, while others rode shirtless. Golden bands glistened around each arm and wrist. Every rider had an identical long, thin beard. On their helmets were markings that Jonah faintly recognized.
“Look at their helmets,” Eliza said. “Hieroglyphs.”
“They’re Egyptians?” Jonah said.
Benjamin was clearly getting frustrated, looking back at the two empty seats behind him. “I still don’t see anything, guys! Are you sure? Are you even still there?”
“You’d better step on it, dear,” answered Eleanor. “Just in case.”
