by Lynn Landes
“Good morning, need any help?” Ruby asks from the door.
“She has a good set of lungs, doesn’t she? I hope she didn’t wake you?”
“No, I was up. Curse of old age, you long for sleep, and then when you finally can, you can’t. Why don’t you let me take her while you rest?”
Varena looks at Ruby and yawns, “I would love to get cleaned up. Do you mind?” she asks looking at her newborn daughter.
“Are you kidding, I would love to hold her! Hunter hogs her, he won’t let any of us near her,” Ruby says cuddling the baby in her arms.
With a laugh as she thinks about him, Rena says, “He is amazing with her. I am so thankful to you all. I won’t be long.” She heads to the bathroom for her shower.
Ruby walks out to the living room choosing a chair near the fire. As she looks at the newborn snuggled up in her new white blanket Alex picked out for her. “You are so beautiful, yes you are. What a gift you are! Today is Christmas Eve. You got here just in time for the excitement. Don’t you worry; Santa just went into the woods to cut down the largest tree he can find. You won’t be forgotten.” Her tiny hand clutches Ruby’s fingers and she lowers her head and presses a kiss to the fist holding so tightly to hers. Silently she offers a prayer asking for protection for the new life that has entered this world and for her family fighting for those living in it.
Christmas Eve, Hunter thinks, sitting on his deck watching the sun welcome the day. He sits in prayer asking for guidance on the journey he is about to take and pleads for the correct words to convince Alex that this is what must happen. He looks up as he hears Alex move beside him, he watches as his son sits beside him, bows his head, and prays.
“Father, today we thank you for the gift of your son so long ago. We ask that you enlighten our path, so we may do your bidding.”
Hunter says “Amen.”
“We need to talk,” Hunter, says standing up and stretching.
Alex stands and looks at his Father. “You can’t keep me hidden forever.
Surprise rushes through Hunters body. “I know that Alex, I only want to do what I feel is right for you. Yesterday Elina came to me and asked me to take Varena and the baby to safety. She feels that the Angel’s Covenant is broken and she no longer trusts them. In the mind of the Fallen, the birth of this baby proves that they were lied to. Many more will fall now. Some will want revenge.”
Pacing he continues saying, “Raphaim is unstable. He does not want Varena and the baby now, but what happens when he changes his mind? I can’t protect them without your help, son.”
Alex listens without arguing. “Elina will need my help soon, Dad. I think she is correct in moving them and you are the perfect person to protect them.”
With a serious look, he tells Hunter. “Understand, I am the ace, Dad,” he says determined to make him understand. “The Fallen now know about the book. Raphaim will free them all. In doing so he will build an army that will be faithful to him. They will go after Elina with everything they have and she is not strong enough to defend against that.”
“I understand that you think that Alex, but she is the Keeper. No one can know about this. We will tell no one where we are going; Elina has said she will provide everything we need. A few days more and we must go. Your time is not yet upon us. In order to be the ‘Ace’ you must remain safe and hidden.” Alex starts to argue, but stops when Hunter holds up his hand.
“I promise when our Father calls you to fight, I will not hold you back. I will do everything I can to help you meet your destiny. Right now, we have two people who will need all our skills to protect them. The question is will you trust my judgment until then?”
Frustration boils in Alex’s soul but he knows his father is right. “I will do as you ask until I feel it is time to act. I guess we should pack.”
Heading inside, they both are quiet as they begin to gather important documents and clothes. Hunter walks into his bedroom and looks around. Picking up the picture of his wife, he traces her face with his finger. “I wish you were here to see him. You would be so proud, angel. Watch over him, when I can’t” he whispers and places her photo back on the dresser.
Elsbeth wakes alone once more. Grabbing the pillow she pulls it to her body and wraps her arms around it. Inhaling his fragrance, she smiles. As she looks around the room, she sees a small white box with a note. Tossing the pillow aside she jumps up and runs to the box. Carefully she opens the note and reads:
Since I have stolen your heart, I thought it only fair to give you mine in return. Merry Christmas Elsbeth
Carefully opening the small white box she finds a tiny crystal heart necklace resting on a pillow of black velvet. It is filled with gold angel dust. With tear filled eyes she puts her necklace on and it rests perfectly over her heart. “Merry Christmas, Simeon.”
She hurries through her shower, dresses in jeans and a sweater, and gathers her gifts for everyone. Excitement hums through her and she prays that they provide the safety required for the watchers. Quickly she goes to her work station set up near the window and decides that she has two more gifts to make, one for Varena and one for the baby. Getting to work, she skips breakfast and finishes about two hours later. Smiling at the perfect creations, she wraps them carefully and decides to join her family.
Jake smiles when Elsbeth steps into the living room. “Beth, how are you feeling? All healed?”
With a quick nod she tells him “I am fine, just sore.” Looking at Ruby holding the baby, she walks over and coos over her. “Ohhh, you are so beautiful. May I hold her?” Simeon had filled her in on all they had missed.
Ruby laughs “Of course. I will get us some coffee.” Handing the baby over, Ruby moves off to the kitchen. Elsbeth holds the tiny perfection and sighs. There is no use wishing for what she will never have. Jake sits beside her and touches her tiny fist.
“What is next for us, Jake? We can’t stay here forever, and I think I am a hindrance to you.” Elsbeth asks looking at Jake.
His eyes meet hers and he runs a hand through his blond hair. “Don’t say that, Beth. I agree I am feeling the urge to move on. I want to go to Seth and Heather. They are gathering more Watchers together. I think we could be of use. Sitting here waiting on the next attack is driving me crazy. Lucas did not deserve to die like that. I feel responsible and I want to feel in control again.”
“Beth, we will be safer in large numbers. Your skill can help buy us time until we can figure out how to train others how to block our threads. It is an amazing gift that you have been given.”
She smiles at him as she says, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure, I guess. I am tired of being everyone’s punching bag, Jake. When I am with you I always get in trouble?”
“I feel it is the right choice, but I will not force you, Elsbeth. I might point out that you get into trouble without me as well.”
“Touché big brother,” she replies laughing. “I would like to meet more Watchers. I say, let’s do it.” The baby begins to fuss just as Elina brings in coffee.
“My turn” she says clapping her hands together. “You are ready to eat, aren’t you, angel. Let’s go see your Mama.” Elsbeth and Jake finish discussing their travel plans.
Varena hears her coming and smiles through her tears. She can’t seem to stop crying. So much has happened so quickly that her faith is shaken and she fears for her child. Elina walks in and the concern is immediate.
“What’s wrong? Are you in pain?” she asks. Varena gathers her daughter in her arms.
“No, just emotional, I realized that I am finally free but unable to care for her in any way.” She sits in the rocker to nurse her daughter and she calms down immediately.
Elina smiles “Looks like you’re doing exactly what you should be doing.” She sits on the edge of the small bed and asks, “Are you afraid Raphaim will come for you?” The tears increase and Elina apologizes. “I am sorry, Rena. It is going to be okay.”
She tries to calm dow
n; Varena realizes her friend thinks she is upset Raphaim left her. “When he looked at his daughter for the first time he said, ‘It is a shame she is a girl. Boys are more valuable.’ He does not want us, he never did.”
“I am not so sure about that, Varena.” She tells her about how Raphaim saved her and gave her the scroll, then asked for her promise to free Varena. “That sounds like someone who cares a great deal.”
Lifting the baby to her shoulder, she pats her gently and tells her emphatically “We were alone for years, Elina. I can’t tell you what that was like, but I can tell you I do not love him, I never did. I felt sorry for him, compassion for him, and I felt a connection with him because I was isolated for so long. Whatever he thinks he feels for me is only because I showed forgiveness and mercy. He only cares about one thing, Revenge. He wants his father to pay, and now he has the tool to do that.”
“What happens after, Varena?” Hunter asks stepping into the room with Alex behind him. Moving closer he asks her “What happens when he has no one to fixate on?”
Alex stumbles as the vision hits him falling to the ground.
He sees Raphaim screaming in rage when he finds they are missing from Polly’s. Infuriated he lights the house on fire. Raphaim calls on the Fallen and orders them to scour the Earth, “Find my wife and daughter!” he orders.
Releasing the vision, Alex is shaking on his knees.
“He will scour the earth with his army of demons and he will not stop until he finds you. He called you his wife!” Alex tells them as Elina helps him stand.
Varena jumps up clutching the baby to her heart, “I am not his anything! I have to go now!” Fear for her child has her running for the door.
“Wait,” Hunter says blocking the door. “You are in no condition to run from an army of the Fallen. Think, woman! Don’t react, think.”
Elina supports Alex and says, “We will let you two talk. Come on Alex. I know the after effects of the visions. Let’s get some water.”
“I am sorry I scared you, Rena.” Alex says, “That’s never happened before.”
Hunter moves aside and lets Elina care for Alex, knowing he needs to convince her. “I have a proposition for you, if you will hear me out.” Rena listens carefully to Hunter, but her mind can’t comprehend what he is saying.
Sitting down heavily in the chair, she looks up at him and asks quietly “Why? What’s in it for you? Why would you give up your life, job, and friends for us?” Feeling on the verge of hysteria, she is shaking so hard that he takes the baby from her gently.
Aware that what he says could scare her off, he simply says because “God told me too.” Dropping her head into her hands, she sobs and her sobs turn to laughter.
“God told you to?” Standing up she screams “Are you kidding me? I have been locked in a cell most of my life, beaten, raped, impregnated and tossed aside like trash. God has forsaken me!” The pressure in her chest builds, and for the first time ever she lets it. As she looks at Hunter her eyes begins to glow, and she feels a tingling in her arms and hands. “What’s happening to me?” she whispers.
Alex feels the rage and ports into the room followed by Elina. Stunned, Elina looks at her and knows they are almost out of time. Alex steps forward and grabs Rena’s hand reaching for Elina with his other hand, they form a circle. Immediately the power amplifies. Leaping from person to person, it creates a circle of light that radiates peace, not violence.
“God has not forgotten you, Varena. He gifted you with his most precious treasure. Will you honor that gift?” Elina asks quietly.
Feeling ashamed, she nods her head. The glow dims and they release her hands. Her eyes dim, and she walks to Hunter. He hands her daughter to her. Varena and the baby are enveloped in a white light. They all step back from her as she cradles her daughter and the light disappears.
“You are a Keeper” Alex says in awe. Hunter smiles at Varena as a look of wonder crosses her face. Elina laughs, relieved to know she will not be defenseless.
“It makes sense!” Elina says excitedly. “Our gifts are evolving as they need to. That’s why the baby is so strong! It is how she survived when the others didn’t. She will need to be protected until she is old enough to be trained.” Hugging Varena, she tells her friend, “Everything is going to be alright. You just have to put your faith in God. Are you okay?”
“I think so. It is a lot to take in at once. I felt this pressure growing before but I always held it back. I was afraid of what would happen if I let it go.” Horror fills her eyes when she wonders if she could have saved her family. “Elina if…”
“Don’t go there, Varena! Do you know how many times I have asked myself that question? Could I have saved you all? It is my failure not yours. We can’t change the past, but we can make a difference here and now.”
Varena looks at her daughter and says, “I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe from him, how long until I can travel?” Relief fills Elina’s heart, and she sits to make plans with her.
Twenty_Five
The burden of all that has occurred and the battles to come, weighs heavily on everyone’s minds. A quiet descends over the house as they all drift apart, finding solace alone. Doubt, fear, and worry do a victory dance as the joy of the season is stolen away.
In the distance the sound of sleigh bells rings out. Softly the jingling of the bells drifts through the woods growing louder by the second. Alex is the first to hear the sound. He follows it slowly to the window in the living room. Elina smiles from her room and comes running. She knows that sound! Grabbing Alex’s hand she laughs.
“Come on, little brother!” dragging him behind her. She throws open the door and runs down the steps. Jake and Elsbeth hear a commotion and watch as Elina runs outside, dragging Alex. Hunter hears Alex laughing and he and Varena follow slowly with the baby.
Polly watches as they all trickle out front, and she looks at Ruby and smiles. “I love that man.”
Laughter bubbles out as the mood lifts. Joy fills the hearts of all who watch as “Santa” comes out of the woods. He wears a red and white Santa hat and around his neck is a single sleigh bell. Over one shoulder he carries an axe, and he walks slowly, smiling, dragging a large Christmas tree behind him. Jake is the first to help, followed by Hunter.
“It’s huge!” Alex says excitedly.
Elina laughs watching “You never bring home a Charlie Brown tree, do you, dad? One year we had to cut two feet off the bottom just to get it in the door.” Ruby laughs as they all look in wonder at the tree.
“How could we forget it’s Christmas Eve?” Elsbeth asks.
Varena holds the baby wrapped tightly in her blanket and asks quietly “What is the tree for?” Elina turns to look at her in horror. They all realize just how isolated she has been.
Hunter smiles as he sees the look on Alex’s face. “This is the baby’s first Christmas! We have to do this right!” he demands.
Rejuvenated, they all move at once. Jake calls out, “I will make a tree stand.”
“I will get some hot chocolate brewing!” Elsbeth calls out. Polly and Ruby move off to get the boxes of ornaments out of storage. Hunter helps shake the tree to get any loose needles out, and Ronnie stands back smiling at his daughter. Walking closer she moves into his waiting embrace.
“Thanks, Dad” she whispers and squeezes him tight. “We needed to remember to honor our Father for his gifts to us this year. It is easy to forget with everything that has happened.”
The rest of the day is spent decorating, laughing and sharing Christmas memories. The lights are hung on the tree and Uncle Ronnie snuggles in the recliner holding the baby and watching Alex show Varena how to hang ornaments on the tree. Looking at the beautiful infant in his arms, he says, “I do believe this little angel needs a name. Have you chosen one for her yet, Varena?” Softly smiling she turns and everyone moves closer.
“Her name is Alexandria Hope.” Looking at Alex, she smiles, “Alexandria to honor the one who saved us, an
d Hope because that is what you gave us.”
Smiling with pride, Alex responds “Perfect just like she is.”
“Merry Christmas, little one” Ronnie says with a soft smile.
Christmas Day
When the sun breaks through the morning fog, Elsbeth gathers her wrapped gifts and places them around the base of the Christmas tree. With a hand on her crystal heart, Elsbeth smiles and slips back to her room excited for everyone to wake up.
Polly walks to the kitchen to start the morning coffee. She feels him watching once again. Grabbing her coat, she steps out onto the deck and stares at the woods. A tear slips down her cheek for she feels his longing in her soul. It rips through her spirit with every breath she takes. “Merry Christmas, Nameed” she says softly and she walks back inside with a lonely heart.
Ronnie watches his wife sleep with a heavy heart. His family is in trouble and he knows they have to leave. The nightmares will not leave him alone. With a trembling hand he scrubs his face, trying to erase her screams from his mind but remembering them clearly;
They are all trapped inside the burning house, and he can hear Ruby screaming. Elina’s hand is pushed through the rubble and she reaches for her dad. Ronnie fights to pull them out, but with every board he pulls, more tumble in. Screaming for Malach, he watches as the dragon lands.
“Help me, they are trapped inside!” he screams frantically pulling at the boards. He turns when he hears a growl and sees that the emerald greens of Malach’s eyes have gone black. With a flick of his spiked tail he spears Ronnie through the heart. Wide eyed Ronnie stares down at his chest, and up at Malach “Betrayer” he says, with his last breath.
He wakes clutching his chest trying not to scream in agony, as the pain explodes through his body. Ronnie turns to look out the window, he whispers, “Okay, I am listening now. You lead and I will follow. Protect my family, Lord, and guide my steps so I do not lead them astray.”
