Feisty Heroines Romance Collection of Shorts

by D. F. Jones

  Angel Watcher by D. F. Jones

  Bestselling Author

  * * *

  Dragon Rules by Tia Didmon

  International Bestselling Author

  Moon Magic by Angela Sanders

  Within the Shadows by Amy Hale

  Dawn of a New Era by Brenda Trim

  Bestselling Author

  Banshee’s Kiss by Ellen Mint

  Angel Watcher by D. F. Jones

  A Ditch Lane Diaries Short Story

  Preface

  I wrote Angel Watcher the first of October 2019. I wanted to try my hand at post-apocalyptic writing. It is a Ditch Lane Diaries short story from the angel’s point of view. I never dreamed of a real-life global pandemic. The Ditch Lane Diaries is a series based on a six-thousand-year angelic conflict that uses certain humans in the fight over good and evil. Angel Watcher is a fantasy, and I trust you will enjoy it.

  Prologue

  Kaduntz, an angel watcher, lived in a time before humanity. A time when all supernatural beings in the Universe dwelled in harmony.

  When the Morning Star, her superior in the angel choir, organized a crusade for democracy that threatened the delicate balance of power in the known and unknown planetary systems, rebellion rumors flooded Fifth Heaven.

  Rumblings shook her realm. Lightning bolts shot across the darkening sky. Never in the known existence had Kaduntz witnessed such a sight.

  A strange feeling made the hair on her neck rise. Fear. She glanced at her brother, Tabris. “Quickly, go to Erinelle. She’ll protect you.”

  He stared wide-eyed. “I won’t leave you.”

  “You must.” She gripped his arms and searched his eyes. “No matter what happens to me, you must write this down, and pass it on to the others, so it never happens again. Go, Tabris!” She watched him race across the streets of gold and vanish.

  The ground shook underneath Kaduntz’s feet again. She watched in helpless horror as The Angel Armed Forces, known as the AAF, led by the Archangel Michael, marched through the Worship Angel quadrant. The streets of gold splintered and cracked under their weight.

  She watched from the edge of her lawn. Her hands turned into fists.

  Out of nowhere, a soldier grabbed Kaduntz’s hair with such force that it brought tears to her eyes. No one had ever treated her in such a manner, and she couldn’t put the emotion into words. She clawed and kicked. “What have I done? What have we done?” she shouted.

  “Your leader incited a rebellion in the throne room.” The warrior angel snarled, “He threatened The Creator. He who no longer has a name in Fifth Heaven is cast out along with every angel under his command.”

  “It’s not fair!” Kaduntz struggled to get out of his grasp. “I’ve done nothing. My family has done nothing but praise the Trinity.” She knew Lucifer had followers, but she’d never attended one meeting.

  “It has been written, and so shall it be done.” He pushed her into the center of the road and tied her together with other members of the angel worship choir, one-third of the angelic hosts in heaven under Luc’s command.

  Stunned. Shocked. Spurned.

  That was the last day Kaduntz saw Fifth Heaven.

  The AAF cast one hundred and thirty million worship angels to a planet in the formation process, called Earth. The Fallen quickly adapted as The Creator, comprised of three distinct and separate entities, instantaneously molded the inner and outer layers of the core, then lastly, He formed the upper crust.

  Kaduntz sensed the heat but did not burn.

  The Trinity turned the metal ball inferno into a paradise teeming with life, full of lush greenery with a vast expanse of waters called oceans. With a flick of His finger, mountains sprung from nothing. He called it land.

  She watched from a short distance, in awe of The Creator’s work.

  Did He know not all the worship angels followed Luc? The Creator looked at her, then nodded.

  He knew.

  He was here to help them, after all. He’d not forsaken them.

  Relief washed over Kaduntz.

  There’s a season and a time for every purpose under the sun, my child. I need you here to lead my people. She heard His thoughts.

  How?

  You will know—when it’s time.

  During the Trinity’s interim, Luc continued to stoke his plans of claiming Earth for himself. Luc’s hands rested on his hips as he stood between the tree of life and the tree of knowledge. His jet-black hair fell over his shoulders in waves. He had beautiful features, but she knew him as selfish and self-serving. “I won’t deny I’m proud.” He called out to the crowd, “Father’s blood runs in my veins as it does in yours. He sent us to this place, and I will rule it.” He paused, then outstretched his hands. “Of course, with your help.”

  The crowd roared in approval.

  “Earth is our new home, and we will grow strong together.”

  “No! I did not fall of my own accord,” Kaduntz shouted, without thinking about herself or the consequences of her actions. “You are the reason we are here. You’re the reason we will never see the only home we’ve ever known. We will never walk the streets of gold, and I will never see my brother, Tabris, again.” At least, he escaped. Erinelle would protect him. “This place doesn’t hold a glimmer of the life we left behind. For me, I will never follow you. And you, he who has no name, will not rule me.” She flew away with one-third of the cast-outs following her. She didn’t want to rule, but she would.

  The Creator told her she would know when and what to do, and she did. She would lead The Creator’s people, the Angel Watchers, and they would serve the Trinity.

  Kaduntz prepared for war, and her strawberry blonde hair turned white when she shorn it off, then she donned the garments of a warrior. She taught His people how to make divine weapons.

  Kaduntz turned them into a lethal force of warriors before the calculations of time began. She and the Angel Watchers helped humanity throughout thousands of years.

  Chapter 1

  Earth 2070, Ice Mountain

  What does Uriel want from me?

  Kaduntz preferred to work alone except for Shadow, a Semargl, and her constant companion since the eruption of the supervolcano in Yellowstone forty years ago that led to the demise of humanity. The Angel Watchers either joined the ranks of the AAF or migrated back to Fifth Heaven. She chose to stay on Earth. She chose no longer to lead.

  The AAF used her and Shadow as trackers. Some beings saw Shadow as a devil dog, but he had a genuine heart, a compassionate soul, superior intelligence, and an undying love for her. His black leathery wings ruffled as they walked across the chromite drawbridge spanning the River of Fire.

  “What is it?” she asked, walking toward the castle entrance.

  “Something isn’t right,” Shadow growled.

  “Not to worry, my trusted friend, some of the Fallen are prisoners here.”

  “I would’ve died many suns ago if it weren’t for you. You have my loyalty for life.” He nudged her thigh. “Kaduntz, I am warning you. Demons are close.”

  She stopped and knelt, cupping Shadow’s face with her hands. “I love you. I sense the evil, too, but I don’t want to be late to my meeting. The archangel is known for his anger.”

  To her knowledge, Uriel, the Archangel of Thunder and Terror, had recently been given charge of Ice Mountain. The location neared the middle of the old Tennessee principalities.

  The command station seemed to relax the rules since humanity no longer existed. She and Shadow went through the gates without so much as a search for weapons.

  AAF guards stood at various posts within the courtyard. They laughed and talked with barely a glance in her direction. To the right, winged horses and unicorns grazed on exotic flora while griffons perched on the battlements running along the curtain wall. She glanced up. The crystal castle carved into Ice Mountain cast shimmering rays with a prism of colors reflecting the sun and fire.

  “Their security is subpar,” Shadow growled
.

  “Not our problem. I’m not staying here longer than I need to.”

  Walking up the marble steps and into the neoclassical rotunda, Kaduntz hesitated. She looked at humanity’s priceless works of art. While humans at times got on her last nerve, she’d grown attached to them. She missed them.

  It made no sense why Uriel summoned her. She mentally reviewed her recent day-to-day military operations. She hadn’t breached any protocols.

  Shadow nudged the side of her leg again. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” Words she’d often quoted to him.

  “I suppose I asked for that one.” She chuckled. “I’m not afraid, but I don’t want any of my powers stripped for breaking some lame-ass rule.”

  “You’re not. Let’s get it over. Who knows, it may be a promotion.”

  They followed the curved crystal walls with Doric columns down a long hallway. Above their heads, thousands of flowering plants weaved a magical tapestry while a slow-moving stream flowed below the glass flooring, to nowhere she could see.

  The cocoon effect of quietness within the castle unnerved her. Only the clicking of Shadow’s nails and the slap of leather from her military boots echoed through the hall until they rounded the corner.

  They came to an abrupt stop.

  Two Illuminators holding Byzantine tridents blocked Uriel’s door. She had not seen the beings since the Great Flood.

  She bowed a greeting and motioned for Shadow to do the same.

  The Illuminators stepped aside, allowing her entrance but stopped Shadow.

  He growled, bearing his vicious teeth, and his leathery wings jutted upward. The hair on his back bristled.

  “Stand down, Shadow. I won’t be too long.”

  He sat on his massive haunches with his head held high. The Illuminators didn’t recognize his majesty, or they chose to ignore it.

  When she entered the room, something niggled at her brain from a long-ago memory. She shook it off as nerves. She hadn’t seen or talked to another angel face-to-face in ten years.

  Uriel stared at the dazzling winter tundra from the wall of windows in his office. The stark landscape, while beautiful in her opinion, didn’t compare to the lower lush terrain near the ocean basin.

  She cleared her throat to get his attention.

  He turned. His facial expression contorted with concern or maybe agitation.

  Her insides fluttered, but she remained at attention.

  “At ease, soldier.” He pointed to an intricately carved chair made from bristlecone pine. She’d only seen one other in her lifetime, in the Vatican.

  “I’ve heard rumors of human survivors.” He took in a deep breath, then released it. “I’m sending you on a covert mission along the Campbell Ridge Rim.” His jaw ticked. “Do you know the area?”

  Was he mad?

  She understood why they called him the angel of terror, but she would show no signs of fear. She lifted her chin, then squared her shoulders. “I know it well, sir. But how would you know of survivors? Has The Creator received their cries?”

  “To my knowledge, no communication has been received from any human since the pandemic wiped them out.” He leaned against a mesquite desk with crystal and gemstone inlay.

  “What about their guardians?”

  “No, but I’ve heard rumors among the Ellauroa and other nature spirits that some humanoid species may live within the territory. Do you still have the Semargl?”

  “Yes, sir. He waits for me at your door.”

  “Good. I want intel, but don’t engage if you find any mortal survivors. I need their location but use discretion. If they exist, their evolution may have given them a higher order of intelligence like the angels. It’s happened before. It could happen again. We need to know if they’re hostile, and you’re the best at reconnaissance. Do you need any soldiers to accompany you?”

  “I won’t need help. I have Shadow.” She stood. “Sir, are you referring to the Nephilim?”

  “Possibly.”

  The moment Luc saw Kaduntz, it transported him to another time, to Fifth Heaven’s Rose Garden, a gathering place for angels to catch up and hook up. He’d wanted her since she came of age, and her soprano voice within the worship choir nearly brought him to tears more than once. Luc had pursued her. He loved her spirit and often fantasized about pairing with her. Kaduntz repeatedly thwarted his efforts, then she divorced herself entirely from his Fallen after being cast to Earth.

  The Uriel suit melted away after she closed the door to his office.

  Luc waved his hand, and a wall surveillance screen replaced the tundra landscape. He traced her image with his forefinger, watching her and the Semargl walk through the crowded courtyard and back over the drawbridge.

  Keepers of the Sacred Law came through the door of the adjoining room wearing long black trench coats, black turtlenecks, leather pants, and laced military boots.

  “You called a meeting. How may we be of service?” Anoth, the leader of the Keepers, asked.

  “Follow Kaduntz. She’s looking for a possible threat to the planet. Humans may have survived. Stay close, but not too close. She has a weakness for the species, and if they’re in the vicinity, she’ll find them.” Luc often consulted with the Keepers, although they didn’t work for him or the AAF. “I suggest using your spirit animals. Go, she’s crossed the bridge. Make sure she stays safe, and alert me to any dangers. Teleport to me at once if she discovers humans. They may be hostile.”

  By chance, Luc had found the Keepers of the Sacred Law in nature. They strived to keep balance in the world. They helped him with insight, universal mysteries, and they were fearless shifters. He placed his hand on the back of Anoth’s neck, instantly attaching a tracking nanochip. “Our planet appreciates your service.”

  Had he told the Keepers his plan to destroy any human survivors, they would never comply. But as a service to Mother Earth, Anoth eagerly accepted the assignment. “We endeavor to protect and serve Mother in all ways.” The Keepers morphed into three crows.

  Luc pushed open the vertical window. They flew, swooping overhead and into the forest waiting on Kaduntz and the Semargl. He didn’t want to kill Kaduntz’s beast, but if Shadow proved dangerous to his operation, he would cut him down.

  As his technology evolved through the ages, Luc developed three-dimensional holograms and numerous avatars of himself to multitask low-level threats to his dominion. He communicated directly with his generals and special op units via the telepresence screen, allowing him to simultaneously observe multiple areas around the globe, pinpointing any angelic beings or nature spirits at any given time until the Campbell Ridge incident. There, he hit a brick wall.

  Since the demise of humanity, the AAF and the Angel Watchers left Earth in droves returning to Heaven, so Luc loosened his reins. But the description of the new species on the Campbell Ridge Rim indicated possible human-like movement.

  He didn’t trust humans. He loathed them.

  Kaduntz’s turquoise eyes widened at the mention of humanity. He intended to use her love for mortals to kill them once and for all.

  The fact that so many of the AAF had vanished gave him pause.

  Maybe they’d returned to Heaven, and maybe they hadn’t. He never underestimated the power of Father or the other superior races within the Universe.

  Maybe the prophecy he’d dreaded for thousands of years was coming true. Would the Archangel Michael cast him into the pit? One thousand years chained in the Eternal Darkness was a death sentence for any angel, Fallen or otherwise.

  Luc wasn’t going to wait around to find out. Proactive instead of reactive had served him well so far.

  Chapter 2

  Kaduntz could’ve time walked to Campbell Ridge, but the long flight to Ice Mountain had drained her powers.

  She strolled the old highway trails with Shadow at her side.

  Alone in her thoughts, she remembered the day signaling the end of the last era.

  At first, the tremors had been fa
int but grew stronger, releasing a swarm of quakes before the cataclysmic supervolcano erupted in North America. The force of the blast spewed rock, ash, and about a million tons of sulfur dioxide gas into the atmosphere. Over one hundred thousand humans died instantly, along with animal and plant life. Layers of molten ash spread over thousands of miles, eventually blocking out the sun.

  Summer turned into the long winter lasting more than a decade. Food shortages resulted in widespread famine. Humanity hadn’t fared well. Looting and riots killed more humans than even The Creator predicted.

  Then the pandemic claimed the remaining humans on the planet.

  As the Angel Watcher commander, she’d been in charge of protecting humanity. Watching and knowing the healers could do nothing to stop humanity’s demise utterly devastated Kaduntz, leaving her heartbroken.

  The Angel of Destruction had released the four horsemen.

  The age-old prophecies had come to fruition.

  Years, then decades passed. Buildings, homes, and many ancient structures crumbled without humans. The seeds of destruction continued to spread. Meetinghouses around the world sat vacantly, consumed by greenery, ravaged by the elements and the passage of time. Whole cities and communities disappeared, consumed by enormous sandstorms similar to previous ancient civilizations and cultures.

  The age of humanity ended.

  A winged horse appeared in a nearby open meadow.

  With a raised brow, Kaduntz asked, “Did you call Moonsilver?”

  Shadow nodded. “You know that I read your thoughts. It’s not good to relive the chaos of the last days. There was nothing you could do to prevent it. And, there’s a chance some humans survived, but I don’t trust Uriel’s mission. Something stinks, and it’s not my ass.”