by Bryan Davis
“The plan will not make anyone worse,” Enoch said. “No one in the world will submit to corruption except by choice. If your song is warped or taken away, people will have lost a helpful influence, but to succumb to temptation would still be their decision. On the other hand, those you would meet on your journey are true victims who can benefit greatly from your help.” He stroked his chin. “Well, perhaps it would be better to show you what I mean. The proverb is true that a picture is worth a thousand words.”
“I should see the suffering before I decide.”
Enoch nodded. “A harbinger of the future might provide a sobering influence on the present.”
“But I can’t see the future. That’s impossible.”
“True, but you can see into the present, and that could make all the difference.”
She blinked at him. “How?”
“When you became an Oracle of Fire, you gained a new ability. Although you are not the variety who sprouted from plants, and you are not able to produce fire, you do possess an important characteristic. Oracles are able to see things that normal people cannot, and you do so while you dream.”
Bonnie nodded. “I saw Joran and Selah, but that was the past, not the present.”
Enoch closed the book, making the pipe-smoking man disappear. As its wrinkled pages pressed together, it seemed to exhale. “You are a dream oracle, so you can see both. Your daughter is one as well.”
Bonnie touched the title on the book’s cover. Like smoke rising from a fire, dark lettering lifted off the page, spelling out Sherlock Holmes.
“If I became a dream oracle after I was born, how could I have passed it on to Lauren? It’s not genetic, is it?”
“Acquired traits are not normally passed down to future generations, but this quality became a part of you. The fire you endured from Abaddon altered your genetics. When the song was infused in your body, you became a bard, a prophetic singer. So your children are blessed with special gifts other children of anthrozils never possessed. Still, Lauren won’t be able to control hers until she is taught.”
She tapped her chest. “How do I control mine? I didn’t choose to dream about Joran and Selah.”
“Quite true. Dreams that come during sleep are unpredictable. For you, some night dreams will reflect reality, and some will not, so you cannot always rely on them.” He touched her hand. “Yet, you can rely on those that come while you are awake, while you are resting, at peace, and focusing on the word of God. If what you see agrees with that word, since you are a dream oracle, you can be confident in the vision.”
She looked at his wrinkled finger, still touching her hand. “I wasn’t at peace when I dreamed about Joran and Selah.”
“Those were sleep dreams. Again, such dreams are unpredictable. They might or might not provide insight into reality.” Enoch drew his hand away and again fingered the book’s spine. “Joran and Selah have served a great purpose and will decrease, but I suspect that God still has an important duty for them to perform. I don’t think he would have let them suffer for so long just to spin a protective sound barrier.”
“I think I understand.” Bonnie gazed at Enoch’s shadow, cast on the table by the lantern. “So now if I am to make an informed decision, I should try to dream while awake, try to see what’s happening to my loved ones.”
“If you dare. I expect that the bait will be difficult to refuse.”
“Choosing ignorance is the coward’s way.” She focused on the lantern and let her mind relax. Pain from the injected candlestone flared, but the weakness it caused helped every muscle unwind. All the years in prison had provided a lesson in how to rest in spite of pain and turmoil. If not for that, survival would have been impossible.
Soon, ribbons of light flowed from the lantern. After swirling for a moment, they coalesced in a full-color hologram that floated above the flame. In the image, Matt, now the size of a soldier action figure, flew away from a volcano and plunged into a lake. As he swam to the surface, lines of pain dug into his forehead. Even the bubbles pouring from his nose and mouth looked real.
Bonnie rolled her fingers into a fist. Come on, Matt! You can make it!
Finally, he broke the surface. During the next few minutes, he trudged to shore in a devastated land, rode on a log with Semiramis, and hurtled over a waterfall, the series of events flashing by more quickly than real time. Just as a dragon’s claws knifed into his shoulders, the colors mixed together and retreated into the lantern.
Bonnie blinked at the flame. “What happened? Why won’t it show more?”
“I assume you saw a vision.”
She looked up at Enoch. “You didn’t?”
He shook his head. “You are the dream oracle, not I.”
“Matt was in trouble, but it all went by so fast, it couldn’t have been the present, and the vision stopped before I could see what happened to him.”
“What you witnessed was probably a series of past events that continued to the exact present moment, and that is when the vision stopped. Of course, it could have slowed down to show the new present events as they unfolded, so the truncation might be something of a lure to draw you to help your son.” Enoch rubbed the book’s cover. He seemed nervous, unsure if his counsel was right or wrong. “It won’t be the first time God has used a dream to call for someone’s help.”
She slid the lantern closer and gazed at its undulating flame. “Let me get this straight. These visions come only from God, right?”
“That is my understanding.”
She refocused on him. “Then God is the one who didn’t want me to see past the end of the vision.”
“I assume so. Why do you ask?”
“It means that God is allowing the bait to work. He wants me to go on the journey.”
“I expected as much, but I had to allow you to come to that conclusion on your own. A coerced sacrifice has no value.” Enoch drummed his fingers on the book, a sad expression on his withered face. “At least this revelation proves an important fact. The forces of evil hold sway for a season, and they will influence many. Perhaps even your loved ones will try to stop you from continuing in this quest, but God’s ultimate purpose is never thwarted. I will try to help you if I can, though I think my hands will be tied.”
“I understand.” She firmed her lips. “It seems that my hands are also tied, but I’ve gotten used to it.”
Enoch pushed Bonnie’s sleeve up past her elbow, revealing needle marks. Some were red and raw from the recent prison medical experiments, while others had faded to tiny dots, remnants of her father’s experiments from twenty years earlier. “All bonds are temporary for those who cherish freedom,” he said. “Love has set us all free, but ultimate liberty often takes time to realize.”
Bonnie stared at the old prophet. It would be wonderful to sit and talk with him for hours, but Matt couldn’t wait. Still, there was one more item to learn. Someone else needed help. “Speaking of bonds, can you tell me what happened to Thomas and Mariel? I heard that Kaylee and Dallas found them, and back when my children were born, you said that Billy and I were supposed to—”
“I said, ‘Be sure that your offspring forge friendships with the others, especially Listener, Thomas, and Mariel. It is clear that their paths, should they choose the way of faith and righteousness, will lead them toward many adventures.’”
“Right, but we never got to see Thomas and Mariel. They went into hiding when the Enforcers started their crusades, and no one heard from them again.”
“Nor have I. Their disappearance is a mystery. I have not been able to find either one in my chamber’s viewer.”
Bonnie fingered a depression within a knot in the wood. “I think Tamiel has them now, but I don’t know what he’s planning to do.”
“Then I assume you must free them from their bonds. If Tamiel is involved, you can be sure that they will be part of the bait that lures you to sacrifice.”
“So be it.” She leane
d over the table and kissed Enoch’s forehead. “I bid you farewell, good prophet. Maybe the next time I see you I’ll be able to stay in Heaven.”
His features sagged further. “And maybe someday I will be able to enter fully.”
“Enter fully?”
He waved a hand. “Never mind. You should get going.”
“Yes, I have to help Matt.”
“Mrs. Bannister!”
Bonnie turned toward the voice. A tall man with wild white hair took the same pose Karen had, his smile wide and his eyes bright.
“Professor!”
“I’m here, too, Bonnie.” Another white-haired head appeared, peeking around the professor’s body, a young woman with bright blue eyes.
“Acacia!”
Acacia stepped to the center of the doorway, revealing a silky white dress that flowed from her neck to her knees, radiant and roomy. “I am dedicating my time at the prayer altar to your journey.”
“And I am praying for William, though I am certain your name will creep into my prayers from time to time.” The professor pushed his hand through his hair. It morphed to brown, and his wrinkles smoothed over. “This is my normal appearance here. I thought you might like to see it so you’ll recognize me when you arrive.”
Bonnie stared. The professor looked no older than twenty-five, and his eyes shone as clearly as did Acacia’s.
Chuckling, Enoch rose and reached for the door. “I think we’ve had enough of this.” As he began closing it, Acacia and the professor waved.
“I love you,” they said in unison.
When the door clicked shut, Bonnie brushed tears from her cheeks with her sleeve. “I … I guess I’d better hurry.” She stepped over the bench and backed toward the front entry. “What do I have to do to leave?”
Enoch nodded toward the wall. “Just walk through the mural. The gate is open.”
Bonnie turned and strode right through the gate. A bright light flashed, but it quickly dispersed. She now stood in the Bridgelands meadow next to Tamiel. With short, curly black hair, rail-thin frame, and androgynous face, he looked like a badly drawn cartoon. Yet, there was nothing funny about this demonic spirit.
He flapped his wings slowly. “Shall I assume that you are ready to embark on your journey?”
She nodded but said nothing. Talking to this foul beast never accomplished anything beneficial. Besides, the embedded candlestone continued flaring, bringing new pain and weakness.
“Seeing that you don’t want to have a conversation …” He gestured toward her wings. “Can I trust you to fly with me? My guess is that your talk with Enoch has convinced you to go without coercion.”
Lowering her head, Bonnie stared at the ground and nodded.
“Excellent.” He stepped in front of her and spread out his wings. “We will now go to your next destination. Stay close. I expect to fly through an area of low visibility.”
When he lifted into the air, Bonnie beat her wings and followed. Flying at about fifty feet aboveground, they zoomed across the meadow, past a series of hills and dales, and over a deep chasm. “I have been told of Matt’s trials,” Tamiel called as he closed in on a cloud bank. “He is a brave young man, but he is involved in a crisis that is over his head. He will need your help. You are far more experienced in dealing with unearthly dangers.”
Bonnie fumed. Tamiel’s words were as convincing as a politician’s promises. He caused the problem and now feigned concern. Whom did he think he was fooling?
They pierced the clouds and continued flying, both silent. After a few minutes, they descended over a lake and landed on a pebbly beach near its edge. “Stay here,” Tamiel said as he drew in his wings. “I will return in a moment.”
Bonnie folded in her own wings. “Where are you going?”
“Ah! You can speak!” He pointed away from the lake. “The southern wall of Heaven’s great city. I need permission from a certain angel to open a portal out in the midst of this lake.”
“Can you …” She shook her head. “Never mind.”
“You want me to ask about the condition of a loved one.” Tamiel’s face took on a concerned aspect. “Which one?”
“As if you didn’t know. You probably caused his trouble.”
“Caused Matt’s trouble?” He shook his head. “No, Bonnie, not at all. I am merely using the circumstances. Although I will benefit greatly, I am but a knight in this game of chess. Soon you will learn who is behind this carefully orchestrated plot, a plan developed long before any of the pawns you know ever took a breath.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Care to explain further?”
“My pleasure.” His grotesque smile seemed calculated to produce nausea. It worked quite well. “At one time, you thought your former principal was the evil force behind the persecution of dragons. Yet later you discovered that Morgan controlled his puppet strings. This unmasking brought assurance that you had exposed the true devilish schemer, until, of course, you learned about Semiramis and Mardon and their plot to unite Earth and Hades. Finally, the truth had emerged. The assault by ancient warriors on Heaven’s gates had to be the ultimate reason behind all the cruel plans, but again you found out that this was but another step in a bigger plan.”
He laughed. “What fool really thinks a human army could break down the barrier to Paradise? This was but a ploy to bring the remaining dragons to Second Eden, and it was comical watching all the effort put forth by your husband and his stalwart friends as they carried out exactly what we had hoped for. They became unwitting allies, pawns for our side, if you will. Such is the narrow vision that blind passion brings. It incites action without regard for wisdom. It makes a man move a boulder without asking why it is in his path.”
“You can cut the insults. Just stick to the facts.”
A scowl flashed across his face but quickly eased into a snobbish smirk. “That your allies are stupid is a crucial fact. We will continue using their mistakes for our benefit.”
Bonnie kept her arms tightly crossed. “This is all Arramos’s doing, isn’t it? He planned everything.”
“Of course. He used Devin, Morgan, Semiramis, and Mardon, and now he will use you to create chaos on the Earth. Only this time, his pawn will realize that she is a pawn for her own opposition, and every step along the way she will wonder what effects her sacrificial acts are having in her world.”
Bonnie kept her face slack. Even this demon’s words were designed to choke the song. She couldn’t let his caustic bile singe her resolve. “You said you were going to ask permission to open a portal. I suggest you get on with it.”
“Gladly.” He offered another hideous smile, then spread his wings and lifted into the air.
As he flew low to the ground, Bonnie looked beyond him. A wall with three gates stood about fifty yards away. The middle gate, shining and ivory white, swung open, and a brilliant glow poured out over the beach, as if inviting a lost wanderer to enter and walk on the street inside, a street of transparent gold, sparkling and reflective.
A winged man dressed in white met Tamiel at the gate. While the two conversed, Bonnie turned toward the lake. How could anyone bear to behold the splendor of that glorious city without rushing to its welcoming embrace? Oh, the joy a few hours in that radiant paradise had conceived! And the sounds of ecstatic chatter and dancing feet still echoed to this day. She took in a long breath and let it out slowly. Someday she would go back, but for now, she would have to be content with the journey ahead.
She gazed again at the lake. Mist hovered over the glassy surface, and Heaven’s glow cast her winged shadow across the water. The shadow from one wing overlapped a rowboat that floated near the shore, tied to a stake embedded in a boulder.
Stinging pain pulsed in her chest. The tiny candlestone had migrated and lodged somewhere near her heart. Before she visited Enoch, the candlestone would deliver a jolt every few minutes, sometimes gentle, sometimes strong, but always enough to interr
upt her heart’s rhythm for several seconds. It was definitely on a rampage now.
Each heart flutter brought back a nightmarish memory, the day she blocked the energy field at the portal door, allowing Shiloh to escape from the sixth circle of Hades. That jolt caused a torturous fibrillation that eventually led to death, but the nightmare ended when she awoke in Heaven.
Tears welled in her eyes. The cost of the journey would be high, but there was no choice. Maybe Tamiel was right. Maybe corruption would come. Someone else would have to worry about that. She had to do what any good mother would do. She had to rescue her son.
Chapter 3
CORRUPTION
Gabriel sat atop a snow-covered hill, his body enclosed in his wings as he stared at the landscape—low, rolling hills and sporadic trees, some evergreen and some deciduous. At a dip between two hills, light radiated, the rising sun coloring a retreating cloud bank with streaks of purple and orange. The blizzard they had endured now assaulted regions far away, but it had ushered in a polar air mass—icy temperatures and bitter winds.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and texted Larry, firing through the keys with both thumbs. “Dawn has arrived. Portal still closed. Will update in two hours.” Fortunately, everyone’s phones had been altered to use a tooth-transmitter protocol that employed new encryption. Now that the prison-escape mission was over, the security change allowed them to remove the annoying chips from between their molars. The phones didn’t buzz painfully, no one could trace their communications, and Adam even programmed speed dials for instant messages like “Emergency,” “Going to silence,” and “Can’t talk, but listen in.”
Gabriel rose to his feet and shook frost from his wings. Unfortunately, the four layers of clothing, including jeans and a hip-length coat, weren’t quite enough to keep the frigid air out. Still, it was time to get going. With dawn breaking, Sapphira would want to try the portal again. If the military discovered their presence, they would be sitting ducks. They had to get to Second Eden as soon as possible.
