Tyree studied her reflection for another moment then averted his eyes as she accelerated when the light changed. He looked down at the Journal resting in his lap, and tendrils of apprehension wrapped around his shoulders. Tonight's brutality was probably just the beginning. Of what he didn't know, but he suspected things were about to get a lot worse.
*
Malakai knew he was dying.
Cara's shot hadn't completely severed the carotid artery when it struck, but the gaping hole it had left in his throat was enough to allow the majority of his blood to flow freely from his body. Already he could feel the numbness in his hands and feet spreading throughout his extremities; a sure sign that he was going into shock.
He heard a gargled cough to his left, and managed to shift his position over in the chair just enough to catch a glimpse of Joey, lying in the pool of blood being continuously fed by the holes in his chest. As a former Marine, Malakai had seen enough gun shot wounds to know that his friend's were fatal. A part of him wished Cara's aim had been a bit more proficient. A clean shot through the heart would've been preferable to Joey suffocating as his lungs filled with blood.
Sitting there waiting for darkness to claim him, Malakai couldn't help but marvel at the way his life was ending. Him: one of the Presbyterii's most efficient Neutralizers, survivor of numerous campaigns in the Middle East, and a slew of equally hazardous assignments for the Elders, brought down by a single bullet fired from the gun of one of his own! Such an ironic demise belonged in a Hollywood melodrama.
The wounded man tried to chuckle at the sheer injustice of the whole thing, but the laugh quickly turned into a choking cough. A slight movement drew his attention toward the doorway, and his eyes widened as a nimbus of bright light materialized in front of him.
I guess this is it. The angels come to take me away.
Malakai had no doubt in his heart that his soul would find its way into Heaven. Hadn't he spent the past ten years of his life eliminating threats to God's holy plan? There was a war of the spirit raging throughout the world, and all wars resulted in blood-shed. Like the noble clergy of the Inquisition, his was a mission of Christian purity, and he had done all he could to see that mission carried out.
The light coalesced into a woman, and Malakai gasped in amazement for she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her skin was ivory, her body tall and lean. A heavy mass of platinum hair was braided into a single thick pleat that hung past her waist. Her eyes, the color of the purest emeralds were fixated on his, and a slight smile curved her sensuous lips.
"Who…who are you?" Malakai managed to croak.
The woman's smile deepened. "I am Lie, daughter of the Archangel Raphael."
"Are you here to…to take…take me to Heaven?"
Lie kneeled before him and placed a gentle hand against his cheek. "No my dear Malakai; I'm here to show you the Truth."
Malakai groaned as a wave of energy enveloped his body infusing every fiber of his being with a profuse heat unlike anything he had never known. He felt his strength returning and his wound began to heal. A kaleidoscope of images surged through his mind as Lie laid the truth of the Creation before his burning eyes.
When she was done, she removed her hand and stepped back.
"It's all…it's all a lie," Malakai whispered, a look of horrified betrayal on his face as he rose shakily to his feet. "Everything the Elders told us…everything I've ever believed about God and the church; it's all a LIE!" His fists were clenched so hard that his nails drew blood as they bit into his palms, but the anguished man paid the wounds no heed. "I've been such a fool," he whispered, his shoulder's sagging in defeat.
"No you haven't." Lie's soothing reply caressed his ears as she reached out and cradled his face with her hands. "You've simply been mislead by a God who takes pleasure in fomenting games of deceit and confusion throughout the worlds that He, Himself created."
Malakai was silent as he considered her point. He focused on Joey's twitching body then turned haunted eyes back to the Halfling. "Why did you save me?"
Lie favored him with a cunning smile. "Because I have need of you Malakai: agent of the Presbyterii. I've grown tired of the manipulations of the Hierarchy and wish to see it and all those connected to it fall. A man with your particular skills would do well for what I have in mind."
Malakai considered her offer for a moment then turned away to kneel beside Joey's pale form. "Same mud, same blood," he whispered thinking of the numerous adventures he and his friend had shared over the years, first as Marines then later as Neutralizers. He laid a hand gently atop the still man's forehead then shifted his gaze back to the waiting Lie. "Can you save him the way you did me?"
"I can do that and more, as you will soon come to see," she assured him, her eyes glowing softly in the dim light. "
Malakai easily sensed the power radiating from this green-eyed temptress, filling his shattered soul with a new sense of purpose. His lips parted in a grim smile. "Then consider us your servants!"
Chapter 35
The atmosphere in Nina's apartment was thick with anticipation as Willimena began her tale.
"My true name is Aken'ama. I was born in Egypt at the start of the nineteenth dynasty." Willimena smiled at the collective gasp her revelation drew from her audience. "My mother was Aken'sohep, the thirty-seventh daughter of Ramses the Second."
"And I thought you were old," Nina chided Gabriel who responded with an overly hard squeeze of her hand drawing a yelp from her mouth.
A smile briefly touched Willimena's face for the young couple's antics. "Unlike her sisters, mother had no interest in the intrigues of the Egyptian Aristocracy. Her love was for the stars, and she spent the majority of her time in the astrological archives, devouring the knowledge contained in the countless scrolls gathered by various scribes throughout the ages.
It was during one of her daily sessions that she came across a sealed box made of gold and devoid of any markings or inscriptions. Curious as to its contents she struggled for hours trying to break the seal. Eventually she did."
"Well what was in it?" Nina demanded when Willimena failed to elaborate.
"A copy of our father's Journal."
Nina blinked. "That book really gets around."
Her quip elicited a spattering of laughter from the others.
"Indeed it does, child. Mother wasn't sure if it was a sacred tome or the ramblings of a delusional scribe, but she was no fool. She knew that possession of such a book could potentially hold deadly consequences for its bearer so she mentioned it to no one while she diligently set about learning its secrets."
"And she was actually able to make sense of the whole thing?" Nina asked.
A mischievous gleam appeared in Willimena's eyes. "Father became her guide," she said, drawing a second round of startled cries from her audience. "Michael, attuned as always to the handlers of his Journal, had taken notice of her efforts and decided to meet the intriguing young mortal who had taken such a keen interest in his words."
Nina released an awed whistle. "I'll bet that was a memorable encounter."
Willimena beamed. "It was the one that eventually led to my conception."
"And speaking of which," Shift interjected. "As a Halfling your Celestial aura would be considerable, yet the lack of any mention of you indicates that your existence is unknown to the majority of the Creation. How have you managed to remain anonymous for so long?"
Willimena's voice took on a somber tone. "After I was born Father shielded me. He didn't want me to have to endure the negativity Halflings are often subjected to while he tutored me in the Ways of Divinity. Once I achieved a higher degree of control, I was able to conceal myself by transferring the bulk of my Celestial energy into a sentient Vessel."
Nina's left eyebrow arched upward. "What in the world is a…'sentient vessel'?"
"Celestials adept in the manipulation of the energy within their body can create a lower life form to contain that energy. Such transferenc
e drastically reduces the initiating being's Celestial imprint throughout the Creation's collective conscious; similar to what Morphs do in the formation of their various veils." she nodded at Shift.
"Creating veils to confuse the senses is one thing," the Morphling declared. "Creating an independent entity is magnitudes above what I am capable of."
"That's only because you lack the proper training. In actuality it's not that difficult a task. Caleb managed a similar feat during the mending of his fractured psyche."
Dichotomy's form wavered. "You are aware of our history?"
"I make it a habit to keep abreast of all Celestials whose actions impact the Creation or the lives of those whom I hold dear." Willimena favored Dichotomy, Gabriel, and Shift with an approving grin. "The three of you, and your mate Darius," she addressed Shift, "have done extremely well supporting Nina."
Gabriel released an amused snort. "The same can be said of you and the Little Angel Foundation."
The smile on Willimena's face broadened. "So you've uncovered my secret!"
Gabriel smiled in return. "I have. And judging from his absence by your side I would have to assume that the LAF's namesake was your Vessel."
"Aren't you the clever one," Willimena exclaimed. "It's easy to see why the solemn Omen holds you in such high regards."
"Wait!" Nina cried. "Are you saying that Angel wasn't a real dog?"
"Not in the Mortal sense of the word."
"But…how is that possible?"
Willimena gave the perplexed woman's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Worry not, dear sister; many of your questions will be answered during our Sojourn."
Nina jerked away from her touch. "Sojourn; what Sojourn?"
"The one you and I must embark upon if you are to achieve your full potential."
Nina turned frightened eyes to Gabriel then back to Willimena. "But I don't understand. Where are we going?"
"To a place more suitable to the Task ahead of us," the Halfling stated giving the living room and surrounding apartment a cursory look.
Nina held tightly to the Celemor's hand. "What about Gabriel?"
"Gabriel's Task is now complete," Willimena gently informed her, infusing as much compassion into her voice and manner as she could. Centuries of watching loved ones grow old and die while she remained the same allowed the Halfling to empathize with her sibling's pain.
"The time has come for you to venture forth on your own, Nina, although…" Willimena paused, an idea forming in her mind as she gazed upon the young woman's distraught expression. "Father didn't exactly specify that your Celemor's presence was forbidden during this process."
Nina brightened instantly. "Then…he can come with us?"
"I see no reason why not," Willimena said then steadied her self as Nina wrapped jubilant arms around her.
"Wait a minute," Nina suddenly exclaimed releasing her hold on Willimena. "What am I talking about? I can't go traipsing around the universe on some holy journey. I've got the Centers to run!"
"A dilemma that can easily be rectified," Shift said, her eyes glowing softly while her body morphed into an exact image of Nina.
"Now that's creepy," Nina uttered staring in amazement at her own self.
Shift/Nina smiled. "I know having your self duplicated can be unsettling. But in this case it's a necessary discomfort. You are a Halfling, Nina, and if what Caleb says is true, you are destined to become one of the most significant beings in the Creation. For that you must be properly schooled in the ways Celestiality and I will be your stand-in for however long said training will take."
"And you're willing to make that type of sacrifice on my behalf?" Nina was still awed by the fact that such immensely powerful beings were showing her such deference.
Shift/Nina's expression turned solemn. "Lord Iblis promised you that he and all those who serve him would do whatever it takes to see your purpose fulfilled. Now that we have a clearer understanding of what that purpose is, I and those who serve with me will do whatever it takes to make that happen."
The apartment was silent as Nina's gazed touched on the faces of everyone there, coming to a final rest on Willimena. "And where exactly are we going?"
"Nirvana."
Nina stiffened. "I'm actually going to…Heaven?"
"To the city itself, no; our Sojourn begins at father's Sanctuary. But worry not," she said in response to Nina's disappointment. "You will have ample time to explore the marble spires of your other...hometown."
The Halfling's quip brought a smile to Nina's face, and she set about detailing Shift on the pertinent details of her life while all the time marveling at her circumstances. Once again her world was about to take a drastic turn; whether or not it would be for the better remained to be seen.
"Well…I guess that's it," she announced a few hours later when everything was set. "Can anyone think of anything I might have overlooked?"
Gabriel smiled. "I can think of three: Tyree, Tony and Maria."
"My God you're right," Nina cried, aghast that she hadn't even considered the impact her leaving would have on her friends. "I doubt if you could fool them for long," she directed at Shift.
"It depends on their familiarity with you."
"Tony and Maria are basically my surrogate parents, and Tyree and I have known each other since we were toddlers."
"Then deceiving them could prove difficult," Shift admitted.
"Why fool them at all?" Dichotomy interjected. "The priest already knows a portion of the truth, and from what we've observed of your interactions with the winsome Scavelli's, we are certain they would accept your new stature with their typical aplomb."
Nina regarded the blended Celestial through narrowed eyes. "You've been keeping tabs on me too?"
"Not you per say." Dichotomy's eyes rested briefly on Gabriel. "Your guardian is one of the few beings within the Creation that we call friend. Our sight is often upon him and you by association."
Nina turned to Gabriel. "What do you think I should do?"
"I agree with Dichotomy; particularly about the Scavellis." A sparkle of humor lit the Celemor's eyes. "From the questions Tony's been putting to me I think he's beginning to suspect that I'm more than what I appear to be."
Nina laughed. "Yeah, you're probably right! Okay, let's go for it. We'll tell Tony and Maria first then we'll link up with Tyree. Will you guys come with us?" She focused on Shift, Willimena, and Dichotomy. "I've a feeling we're going to need all the evidence we can produce when we spin this tale."
"Of course," Willimena said while Shift, having reverted back to her Sheila persona, acknowledged Nina's request with an affirmative nod. Dichotomy also agreed, and the five Celestials appeared a moment later by way of teleportation on the front porch of the Scavelli's cozy ranch, located in the upscale Detroit suburb known as Grosse Point.
"Well hello people," a surprised Tony greeted the unexpected mob at his front door. "What's going on?" he asked after ushering everyone in to the stylish home's traditionally furnished front parlor where he and Maria had been watching television.
"I'm afraid I've been keeping a few secrets from you guys," Nina confessed as Gabriel and the others formed a semicircle behind her.
A look of concern appeared on Maria's face. "Nothing bad I hope,"
"I'll let you be the judge," Nina said then related to the couple everything that had taken place over the past two years, including her recent discovery of her Celestial parentage and the Sojourn that she was about to take. "And that's basically where we are now," she finished. "Well…what do you think?"
The parlor was quiet for several minutes as the Scavelli's tried to absorb her amazing tale. Finally Tony released a low chuckle. He turned to his wife while pointing an accusing finger at Gabriel. "I told you there was something peculiar about that boy."
"Oh, hush," Maria told her husband as she rose to embrace Nina. "You poor dear," she cried clutching her surrogate daughter tightly against her heavy bosom. "Why didn't you tell us from the sta
rt what was going on?"
"I figured you guys would think I was crazy," Nina admitted as she happily returned the plump woman's embrace.
"You know better than that!" Tony snapped. "There's nothing you could ever tell us that would cause us to not support you." He wrapped his muscular arms around the two most important people in his life while Gabriel and the other's looked on in respectful silence.
Their embrace might have lasted forever had Nina's cell phone not rang.
"It's Tyree," she said excitedly then pressed the answer button. "Hey bud! I was just about to…" Nina's smile faded rapidly as Tyree told her of the events that had transpired at the church. "And where are you now?"
"We're with Quinlan and Sanders at their apartment," Tyree's voice echoed from the speaker after Nina switched the phone to loudspeaker mode.
"Hold on a sec, Ty." Nina turned apologetic eyes to the Scavelli's. "I need to bring Tyree up to speed on this so I'm afraid I've got to go."
"Nonsense," Maria spat. "It sounds to me like you guys need to have a major pow-wow, and you can do that out back on the deck while I stir up some dinner."
"We can't impose on you guys like that," Nina began but Maria quickly waved her into silence.
"Of course you can," the plump woman charged with a snort. "Now go fetch the rest of your friends while I get started with dinner. Light the fire pit love," she barked at Tony. "It gets kind of chilly back there." She accorded the others a brief nod then stomped to the kitchen, murmuring to herself the entire way.
Nina stared after her in concern, and Tony placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't fret, Nina. You know cooking is how she relieves stress. Now call your friends and give them the address so they can get here by the time she gets everything ready."
"That won't be necessary Tony," Nina smiled then looked pointedly at Gabriel. "Would you be so kind?"
"Damn!" Tony spat as Gabriel promptly vanished from the room only to appear several minutes later with Tyree, Cara, Quinlan, and Sanders, all of whom were looking a bit queasy from the unnatural mode of transportation.
The Creation: Chaos Rising Page 24
