Authors: Ciara Knight
“There’s also a chance she could free the
same number, if not more of the demonic souls. Then the war would
be over quick, but not for the better.” Sammy chewed on her bottom
lip. “I’m with Alex, this is dangerous.”
Boon’s eyes softened with sadness at her
taking Alexander’s side.
“See, it’s done.” Alexander stroked Gaby’s
hair.
“Wait, I’m not saying we shouldn’t try.”
Sammy waved her hands in front of her.
“You just—”
“I’m saying that we need to proceed with
caution. Figure out how she will open the gates and determine if
there’s a way to only release the right souls. If not, then it
isn’t worth the risk, but if so, we need to do it. We’d end the war
without major casualties.” Sammy looked between them.
Boon removed his glasses and pinched the
bridge of his nose. “Alex, you weren’t here during the first war.
Herak released so many demons the blood of the innocent filled the
sea. No mercy…” He choked and walked from the room.
Pain radiated from Boon, permeating the air
with heavy sorrow.
Sammy rose and followed him. “Please Alex,
just consider the options.”
He wanted to end the war before it began,
but what Boon spoke of was exactly the reason he wouldn’t allow
Gaby to free the souls. How many angelic versus demonic souls were
imprisoned? What if all were released and the dark souls far
outnumbered the good? No, it was too dangerous.
“Gaby, listen to me. You can’t do this.” He
attempted to push calm energy through his palm into her arm, but
she pulled away.
“Don’t you understand, this is my chance.
The reason for my powers. Heaven meant for me—”
“Heaven? You think Principal Mastema is a
messenger for Heaven? If so, why does she remain in hiding? If
Heaven ordered this, she’d be here right now defending
herself.”
“To you? The one who never listens?”
Gaby’s words made him flinch. Her lips
softened, and she dropped her arms to her side. “Alex, I’m sorry.
It’s just that you make a decision and there is no way to change
your mind. At least think about the possibility. If this works, we
could all live in peace again.”
Something in the pit of his stomach churned.
“It could also end humanity.”
Gaby took his hand. “If you promise you
won’t kill Judy on sight, I’ll convince her to speak to all of us.
Right now, she thinks you only judge and never listen.”
“You can’t go near her. She could—”
“I’ll take Sammy with me. Boon, too.” She
squeezed his hand. “Please just hear her out. If you still don’t
trust her then we’ll consider other options.”
“We’ll protect her. I promise.” Boon leaned
against the hallway leading to the grand room.
For the first time Alexander saw the years
of suffering in his eyes. Boon might appear to be a small-framed
kid, but inside he’d lived through centuries of hate and suffering.
If anyone could protect Gaby, it was Boon. He’d ended the first
war, sacrificing himself in the process. If there was a chance, he
needed to consider it. “Sammy, too, and I’ll be nearby.”
Gaby opened her mouth to protest but he held
up his hands to stop her. “But far enough away she won’t see us. Or
sense us if she is a demon.”
“I think my big brother is finally growing
up.” Sammy smiled.
Gaby’s phone buzzed and she pulled it from
her pocket. “It’s Dad. We need to get home. The hunters are on
their way.”
Boon pulled his cell phone out also. His
shoulders tensed.
“What is it?” Alexander asked.
“The hunters are coming to seal the gate to
hell.”
“They can do that? That’s great news. Now we
don’t have to deal with the principal at all. This will stop, or at
least postpone the war.” Alexander put his arm around Gaby, but saw
Boon’s mouth pull to a thin line.
“They’re coming to terminate the
gatekeeper
. The one we call the divine warrior.” Boon shook
his head. “They know it’s Gaby.”
Chapter Seventeen
Gaby sat on the bathroom floor, flipping
through the old worn journal. Pages upon pages of a century of
information. She decided to concentrate on recent months.
Alexander and Gaby are growing closer, and I
fear for their future. Either could perish leaving the other to
suffer. Gaby’s powers are coming to fruition, and the instability
is drawing the demons closer.
“Gaby, you okay in there?” Dad called from
the bottom of the stairs.
“Yes, I’ll be right down.” Gaby carefully
placed the old book into her bag, and ran some water for a second
before she headed downstairs.
Sammy sat on the love seat watching out the
window, waiting for the next demon to attack. Gaby analyzed the men
sitting at the kitchen table.
“How long do we have?” Alexander paced the
living room floor.
The pungent odor of bitter coffee filled the
room, churning her stomach.
Bruce shuffled through a few other maps.
“Not sure. David left. He’ll report back as soon as he can. We
believe they’ll be here by morning.”
Alexander rubbed his forehead. “Then we have
to get Gaby out of here. It’s time to run.”
Gaby shot up from the loveseat and clutched
the back of a kitchen chair. “I’m right here. Don’t I have a say in
this?” Frustration crept up and a hint of energy followed. Taking a
deep breath, she forced it back to the dark hole it came from.
“Listen, if we have until morning, I can talk to Judy and figure
out how to free the souls. We can end this and show the hunters I’m
an asset instead of a curse.”
“She has a point, Alex.” Boon popped open
the top of a soda and sat down at the kitchen table with one of
Bruce’s old books.
“You want me to send Gaby off to find a
demon…oh, sorry,
principal,
while hunters close in to murder
her? We need to flee while we can. Put distance between us and
Kemp.”
Gaby glanced between Dad and Boon, for them
to back her up. Alexander just wanted to protect her, and she loved
him for it, but she could do this. She had to do this.
“That gateway is small and confined at the
moment, guarded by one master demon. We might have a shot if we can
manage some help. Do you know what will happen if that gateway
expands across all of Kemp, or all of Florida for that matter? It
will happen. I’ve seen it. Why do you think they needed bodies to
sacrifice? They are proving to Satan they have control of the land,
and deserve to lead his army on Earth to win his favor.”
The image of an apocalypse sent a chill
through Gaby. A warning from above?
“And what if Gaby is sacrificed?”
Fear heated her skin. Boon turned away, the
words didn’t need to be said. Everyone knew if she was the key to
the gateway, and to the souls, her death would rip open the
fissure, and swallow all of Florida. Her hands shook and the spark
of fear threatened to test her resolve, but she couldn’t let that
happen. Finally, she had a direction with her powers and some
control. Did they know she was off the meds? She’d been too scared
to tell them. If she did, would they just sedate her again? She
couldn’t take that chance. “Then we won’t let them capture me.”
Dad crinkled the map in his hand. “I can’t
lose you, too, Gaby. I promised your mother I’d protect you and I’m
going to do just that. I’m with Alex on this one; we need to get
you out of here.”
Great, at least she had Boon on her side,
maybe Sammy. Why wasn’t she chiming in?
Alexander gave him a nod of thanks.
“Listen, please. Just give me one shot.” She
had to convince them, it was the only chance to save them all.
“I’m not letting you run off again.” For the
first time in ages, Dad sounded like a parent. He’d backed off and
let her live by her own set of rules since he returned from rehab,
but now he was asserting his parental rights. Something she had
longed for, but now it just didn’t fit. Not now.
“You might be the divine warrior, but I’m
still your father.”
“I’ll go.” Sammy offered.
Boon and Sammy exchanged a look. One only
they understood. But Gaby didn’t need to understand the full
meaning to know they were on her side.
“She might be able to convince Judy to talk
to us. It’s a shot.” Sammy’s tone softened in that
non-threatening-I’ll take good care of her-kind of way.
It had to work. Dad and Alexander would be
watching every move she made until they thought she was safe.
“What do you think?” Alexander raised an
eyebrow to Dad.
“I say we start packing. If Sammy can locate
and bring the principal here by the time we are ready to leave,
then we listen to what she has to say.” Dad held out a hand for
Boon to pass the old worn book to him.
“We could just fly out.” Gaby suggested.
“If it comes to that, but we need supplies.
We need to get out with a truck load before the hunters arrive, or
we won’t stand a chance for more than a day or so.” Dad flipped
through the old, yellowed pages. “I found something that might help
us. I’m not done connecting the pieces yet, but it appears that we
might be able to seal the gate all together.”
“That’s great news.” Her blood pumped with
excitement. The first piece of good news in days.
Boon’s forehead crinkled. “I read that,
too.” Dad gave a solemn nod to Boon.
“What is it?”
“If we seal the gate, and you’re not able to
pull the souls trapped between Earth and the underworld, they’ll be
lost forever.”
Alexander punched the wall, sending bits of
drywall and paint into the air. He leaned his head against the
cracked plaster. “Sorry.” He whispered. Grief laced his single
word.
“It’ll be okay. I’ll figure it out.” Gaby
tried to reassure him, but she didn’t even know how to release the
souls. She needed Sammy to find The Prim, or Grace and the others
would be gone forever. “Sammy.”
“I’m on it.” Sammy gave Boon a quick kiss
and ran out the front door.
“Start packing. I’ll work on figuring out
how we close the gateway.” Dad opened two other books. “Alex…son.
You saved me once for Gaby. Now I’m going to figure out how to save
your mother. You have my word.”
Alexander nodded. “Come on, let’s get some
of your art stuff and clothes together then we’ll look at some
hardware. You still confident with a gun?”
She nodded, but hoped it wouldn’t come to
that. Fighting demons was one thing, shooting a hunter…that felt
like murder.
“Dad, do you think there is any chance David
will convince the hunters I’m not a threat?”
Dad lowered the book to the table and turned
to face her. “G-Bear, think about how much it took for me to
believe earthbound creatures weren’t a threat.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” A singe of
anticipation pricked at her soul. Those men were just prejudice
about things they didn’t understand. If they would stop and listen,
maybe they could all work together and seal the gateway.
Alexander took her hand and led her upstairs
to her room. He shut the door behind him, leaned back, and pulled
her flush against him. His musky cologne instantly calmed her
stomach and soothed her nerves.
A chair squealed against the linoleum
kitchen floor downstairs, and footsteps echoed away. Dad had gone
to his room for something.
Alexander raked his fingers through her
hair, pulled her face to his, and pressed his strong, soft lips to
hers. His hands caressed up and down her back. Holding her tight,
as if it would be their last kiss ever.
Was it? Would this be their last moment
alone together? Everything could end by morning. She wrapped her
arms around his neck, and held on for everything left worth living
for in the world. He leaned down and tucked his arm under her legs,
lifting her from the ground. The floor squeaked beneath his steps
as he carried her to the bed.
She crumpled the hem of his blue shirt in
her palm and pulled it up over his head. His lips ran down her neck
and her body awoke. Distant sounds of birds and mole crickets
indicated all was right around them. His finger grazed her stomach
before he rolled on top of her.
He stared into her eyes and ran his knuckles
down her face. “I love you so much.” His words were husky. She
could feel his heart beat against her own.
“I love you, too.”
“Since the moment I carried you from the
water that day Forras attacked you, I knew I wanted to spend
eternity with you. The words ‘I love you’ don’t even begin to
describe how I feel. You are the reason I could fly again. The
reason I believe that I can be a better angel. That someday I’ll
win the favor back of Heaven, and we will be Soulbonded, never to
be separated again. I now understand why Sammy agreed to Soulbond
with someone who was destined to roam Earth for eternity. Gaby, I
never want to be apart from you again. I’ve tried to be strong for
you.” His voice cracked, and he rested his head against hers,
drawing in a long breath with his eyes closed. “I want to give you
a small taste of how I truly feel for you. If you want to share
this with me. It’ll be…intimate and personal. A taste of what
bonding would be like.”
His body trembled against hers, and she ran
her hand down his back.
“Yes, I want to share everything with you.”
She wanted to be one with him and live for eternity by his
side.
“You ready?” He whispered.
“Y-yes.”
He lifted her shirt and pressed his palm to
her belly. After a moment he groaned and lifted his head. His eyes
were glowing with his navy angelic hue. “This is how you make me
feel.”
The blue blanketed over him then surrounded
her. A want greater than the need for life itself in the face of
death overcame her, and she dug her nails into his back to keep him
from moving from her. A warm energy danced up and down her skin and
pure joy and happiness followed. An unearthly sense of complete
fulfillment, beyond human love and satisfaction.