Inception (The Reaping Chronicles, 1) (3 page)

“I know who you are,” the demon continued, “and what you are
supposedly
capable of. But we are seven against you and one other. And there are more on their way. Your time is over.”

“You seem so sure of yourself. I’m surprised …
if
you really do know who I am.”

“You’re Gabrielle.
The Reaper
, as we like to call you,” the demon said with more than a little venom pricking into his tone.

That name made her skin crawl, and the Fallen knew it. The Reaper. She didn’t cause death, but those who crossed her sometimes wished for it by the time she was done with them.

“The Angel of Karma,” the demon continued. “I believe that’s what you like to call yourself. I’m much older than you. I fell long before you were created, so I don’t hold the same respect for your abilities as those who lived with you in Heaven.” The demon glared at Gabrielle, and there seemed to be more than loathing behind his scrutiny—there was curiosity. “Let me guess,
angel
, you’re here to try and find a certain book before we do.”

Gabrielle’s puzzled expression was the only answer she offered. She didn’t have time to inquire about what book he was speaking of. “I see. If you had known me in Heaven, you might have made a wiser choice.” Gabrielle continued to consider the positions of the others and moved herself to be able to see Phalen. It was true that Phalen was a skilled ally in combat, but Gabrielle would never forgive herself if she was hurt. It would be better to keep her in view as much as possible.

The demon who had spoken and two of the others fixed their attention only on Gabrielle while the remaining demons seemed to be more interested in Phalen. Gabrielle realized the plan must be to take her friend out first so they could then focus all their efforts on her. They were obviously underestimating Phalen. Gabrielle couldn’t help but let a smile hint at the corners of her mouth.

Phalen is definitely going to have fun.

“Remember, Gabrielle,” Phalen whispered, “you said you’d let me have some of them.”

Gabrielle smiled knowingly at her friend. That was all there was time for before the demons began their attack. As Gabrielle suspected, four of the seven focused on Phalen.

They swiftly encircled her as the other three cautiously made their move toward Gabrielle. She was glad they were being wary of her; it gave her the opportunity to see how Phalen would do before her own combat began.

The demons surrounding Phalen presented their weapons; all wielded Dither Swords that gave off a slight silver shimmer. That shimmer would turn blindingly white when it struck another weapon, confusing the opponent by making it difficult to see. The demons smiled, revealing their razor sharp teeth, so sure of their choice and perceived advantage.

Phalen smiled back, and Gabrielle could see her relax with the knowledge of her own abilities. Gabrielle focused her attention back to her own aggressors, keeping her friend partially in view. Phalen closed her eyes and raised her palms to the sky. The demons rushed her friend as a Dither Sword appeared in each of Phalen’s open hands. The day lit brighter as Gabrielle heard the crash of the swords meeting. It was as if they were in the presence of Yahuwah himself. Sparks from clashing swords peppered the air around them, creating an amber glow that invaded the white light.

The demon who’d spoken so surely moments before now looked upon the scene with a deep scowl. Gabrielle didn’t have to look to know Phalen was proving to be a more than worthy opponent, and smiled as the demons in front of her realized their miscalculation. The space around them dimmed as the racket of opposing swords behind her ceased.

Gabrielle felt the approaching energy of her comrade.

“Was it as enjoyable as you had hoped, Phalen?” Gabrielle asked without looking at her. The sound of Phalen’s voice told Gabrielle there was a smile on her face.

“Yes, better than I’d hoped. I’m not sure why Yahuwah allows them to still call Divine weapons, but it sure makes things more fun.”

The demon who had acted as the leader released a deep, throaty growl. “Don’t get too happy yet, little angel. We aren’t done here. Not by a long shot.”

Gabrielle’s smile faded as she suddenly felt the urge to be done with this, compelling her to make quicker work of her opponents than she had intended. Partially because she didn’t want Phalen to be in even more awe of her, to have her then add to the tales of
Gabrielle’s might
—there was enough story telling going on already—but, more than that, she wanted to get the
I told you so
from Amaziah out of the way.

“Demon,” Gabrielle said with an edge seeping into her tone, “I am most certainly done here. Playtime is over.”

Gabrielle did no more than raise her hands. A golden bow appeared in one hand, and three arrows tipped with crackling, white Holy Fire manifested in the other. With a swift motion, she pulled the arrows back as if they were one and let them loose. The targets fell to their knees before they took two steps. Matching expressions that held both pain and surprise gazed back at her. The Fallen slowly began to burn from within, consumed by the fires of Hell they would now never leave.

The only demon who’d spoken maintained his targeted glare at Gabrielle. “
Bitch!”

Then his form succumbed to the death that came for him, turning him into nothing more than ember and ash.

“For you,” Gabrielle said in no more than a whisper to the space where he once stood, “I
was
The Reaper.”

Phalen stepped forward and looked at Gabrielle. “
So
… how many arrows
can
you use on different targets at once, anyway?”

Gabrielle looked at Phalen. She’d tried not to inspire what was behind the look in Phalen’s eyes as her friend waited for an answer to her question. Gabrielle just smiled and quickly looked away, focusing back on the area around her.

Satisfied that the lingering stench and ash was the only remaining evidence of her fallen brethren and their conflict, knowing the storm would unleash rain upon the landscape—joining the ash with sand—Gabrielle turned and responded to Phalen’s question.

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s go”

“Sure. Why does Yahuwah allow the Fallen to still use His weapons?”

“Amaziah told me it’s some deal He made with Ramai. To keep things as equal as possible with the war.” Gabrielle considered the deal Yahuwah had made before continuing. “This war is more about humans than us. He wants humanity to win it for themselves by making the right choices on their own, not through his own power or ours. It would be very easy for us to wipe out the entire population of demons if they had no defense.”

“Hmm …” Phalen said. “Hey … do you know what he was talking about when he said he thought you were trying to find a book?”

“No, but I need to. Maybe Amaziah knows.”

“
So
,” Phalen began, her playful tone lightening the mood slightly, “that demon was pretty sure of himself, asking you to
dance
. What would you do if the Devil asked you?”

Gabrielle smirked. “If the Devil asked me to dance, I’d tell him he couldn’t handle me.”

As they returned to their human forms, Gabrielle glanced back to make sure everything looked as it had before the fight began. Satisfied, she descended into her temporary body. Together, they continued walking away from the crowd until they found sufficient cover to ascend.

What Gabrielle couldn’t have noticed on the island was a flock of crows hidden behind a veil of their own. They had observed the battle as it unfolded and ended—and listened closely to the angels’ conversation after it was over. As Gabrielle and Phalen resumed their stroll, the flock took flight—disappearing into the heavy black clouds closing in on the coastline. A flash of lightning lit the dismal horizon as the last crow was enveloped in the storm’s roiling shadows—as if it was embracing a lost love.

Chapter Two

Gabrielle ~ Battle Won

‘T
hen tell me how you expect me to learn how to get through to humans, Amaziah.’
Gabrielle found herself trying, for what must be the hundredth time, to convince her closest ally she needed to live as a human
.
And, once again, her mood wasn’t helping her keep her cool. She could feel the negativity from giving out so much bad karma trying to push toward freedom—ready to lash out at whoever was nearest. Right now, that was Amaziah, and she certainly didn’t want to use him to ease her edginess.
‘Because I have tried everything else I can think of to get them to want to be closer to Light, and all I see is more of them drifting toward Ramai and the shadows of Darkness. As we lose their souls, we are also losing our Asarers.’

Amaziah sighed. Gabrielle knew he understood her need to be on Earth, but it didn’t mean he would plead her case to Yahuwah. It was more than a little dangerous for her to be incarnated for any substantial length of time, both physically and spiritually. Being on Earth in any form made her a physical target to the Fallen, but being in a human body would make her a spiritual target in ways she would not be able to control. If her request was granted, she would be there for months, maybe longer.

‘Gabrielle, I know the struggles you have had in getting the results you want when you assign karma. And I am well aware of the angels we have lost. Especially our Asarers and the human souls they have bound themselves to. But that doesn’t mean putting yourself in jeopardy with only a
hope
of understanding humanity’s motivations is the answer. Why is it that you can’t do the same from here?’

‘That’s what I’ve always done. It’s not working anymore. I’ve tried to make adjustments for the changes I’ve seen, but I’m not making any headway. If I can live in a human body, feel and think like a human in different situations, maybe I can get a better grasp on what drives their decisions. Then I can give out karma in ways that will cause them to want to move closer to Light.’
She realized her illuminated hands were clenched tightly at her sides. She immediately opened them, but her tension still showed clearly as her energy quivered and took on a light red hue, instead of her normal shimmer of mingling white and silver.

She was weary of this debate, but she needed to calm herself. Amaziah was Yahuwah’s closest advisor and one of the only angels who could see Him whenever he needed to. He was her only real hope in being granted the task she sought.

‘Gabrielle, you would be in constant danger. The incident that just took place when you went to Earth with Phalen and the quickness in which the Fallen noticed you should have made that clear.’

‘I don’t need to be reminded of the danger. I am quite aware of it,’
she snapped, then took a deep breath. Amaziah’s pulsing energy turned a deep crimson—a visual caution for her to be careful. There was no other angel she was as close to as Amaziah now that Javan was gone, no other she trusted and loved more, and she knew he felt the same. They were more than just brethren; they were much like a human father and daughter though angels don’t have biological ties like humans. Regardless of their closeness, his patience with her and her moods had limits, and judging by the silent warning, she was pushing it. Gabrielle took a few more moments to get a grip on herself, then continued.
‘That doesn’t change anything. Would you please just ask Yahuwah again if He’ll let me do this? Tell Him I am willing to take the risk.’

‘But
He
may not be willing to let you take the risk, Gabrielle. You are important to Him. You hold a lofty position, one difficult to fill. One that’s too important to risk a new angel with no experience stepping into your role if something were to happen to you. The abilities and powers that go along with it can be ill-used if put in the wrong angel’s control. You have gained a great amount of trust with our Lord, and every demon on Earth knows it. They will try to hurt you—
kill you
—if they have the chance, just to get a taste of revenge on Him for casting them out of Heaven.’

‘I could have dealt with what happened earlier even without Phalen.’

‘It might not always go so well for you, Gabrielle. Or for those with you. You are not invincible. For an angel who seems to be so wary of attention concerning her powers and abilities, you certainly seem to have every confidence of what you are capable of doing. There are those who have fallen who are powerful., and when gathered in force, they can be even more so. What will you do when faced with an opponent who is, at the least, as skilled as you?’

‘They
were
more powerful. I realize I don’t know just how much it would have affected them, but those who were created, at least as powerful as me, would have lost a significant amount of that power in their fall. And I don’t know what I will do when faced with an opponent who is a good match or better than me, Amaziah. I suppose I will do what I always have, use the gifts Yahuwah has bestowed on me. But we both know there are few demons I have to be concerned with. I’ll see them coming. I can evade them and any threat they pose.’

‘But that won’t help you against the spiritual attacks. You, alone. Against Darkness. Even you won’t see it coming. And it will happen often, quietly, sneaking into the places in your mind that a human body will leave unprotected.’

Gabrielle had no argument. She would not be able to protect herself as well from the dangers to her spiritually while incarnated. Amaziah waited for her to respond, but she took the opportunity to change the subject instead.

‘Speaking of the encounter with the Fallen, one of them assumed we were there to try and find a book—a book the demons are apparently seeking. Do you know what they were talking about?’

His face clouded with a puzzled expression that she was sure was identical to the one she had when the demon spoke the words to her, only Amaziah seemed a bit more taken aback.

‘Amaziah, do you know what he was speaking of?

Amaziah snapped back to their conversation.

‘There are many powerful books, but I don’t know of any still in existence that would benefit the Fallen enough to demand our attention.’

Even as he said the words, Gabrielle could sense that wherever his thoughts had been, he was being pulled back there to search for an answer.

Quiet lingered between them, and she remained still, both in form and communication. The best thing to do was wait. She wasn’t sure what to say now, anyway. For the first time, though she didn’t know why, she felt the argument was turning in her favor. Amaziah had never before relinquished on this subject, but she sensed his desire to fight what she wanted was waning.

I wonder why?

Something else was brought on by his silence. A feeling of dread washed over her. She shivered. Was the chill just an after effect of being so close to evil or some early foreboding? Something concerning the book? As the silence stretched, Gabrielle searched for a way to shake the dark feeling. It seemed to be taking root, though, making her want to go to Earth even more to find out what the demon was speaking of.

She tried to remember anything she had heard about a book over the thousands of years of her life that may be of some concern. Something that Amaziah had not heard of. That wasn’t likely. There didn’t seem to be much he didn’t know. Regardless, she didn’t like the feeling that hung over her. Something was coming—something the Fallen knew and she didn’t. And
that
was definitely troubling.

There wasn’t much she could do with so little information, but she could make a trip to the realm of the Shifters—to Corstorphine. She could find out if Grayson or any of his fellows had any information, and if they didn’t, she could ask for their help in finding out more about it. She felt her heart warm as she thought of taking time out to see her old friend. It had been too long since their last meeting—far, far too long.

Amaziah’s voice pulled Gabrielle back from her thoughts. When she focused her attention on him again, she noted his color was back to normal. From the glow cast around her, she knew hers was, too.

‘Gabrielle, while you were on Earth, Yahuwah made the decision to allow you to live as a human if you still wanted to when you returned. It seems dealing with the danger you are bringing on yourself, first hand, has not changed your mind as I had hoped it would.’

Amaziah paused, and again, Gabrielle remained silent, shocked to hear Amaziah’s words. She never prepared herself if what she was asking for was granted. Now, she not only didn’t know what to say, she wasn’t sure how to act or feel. Part of her was thrilled but another part of her was concerned. Even if Amaziah didn’t think she took the threat seriously, she did.

‘However, this is only being granted to you for six months. You will have to return to us and the safety of Heaven after that time has transpired, whether you have accomplished your goal or not. Do you understand?’

Gabrielle took another long moment before she could answer him as thoughts of all she would learn and all the dangers she would face played in her mind.

‘Yes, Amaziah. I understand.’
She found her thoughts immediately going to the young man in her visions and wondered if she would have enough time to find him. She hoped so. As much as she tried not to, she couldn’t help but feel the desire to search him out.

‘Good. I’m surprised you don’t seem happier about the news.’

She pulled her mind away from the human, worried that she wasn’t being careful enough to block her thoughts.
‘Believe it or not, I am not happy about the need to do this at all. I have to, though, if I want to help regain the upper hand in this war. I admit I am looking forward to experiencing things I never would otherwise, but this decision is driven by concern and fear of what will happen if I don’t go.’

‘Yes, I imagine it is. You have always carried a tremendous burden along with the position you hold. No other comes to mind who would have done as fine a job as you.’

‘Really?’
Gabrielle couldn’t help but laugh humorlessly at the accolade.
‘I wonder. If I had done a better job to this point, there would be no need for me to live as a human.’

‘My dear Gabrielle, if you must doubt something about yourself, doubt your negative thoughts. Don’t waste your energy on what doesn’t deserve it. You have always been more critical of yourself than needed.’

‘Maybe … maybe not. I’d like to believe you are right, though,’
Gabrielle responded, but so quietly she wondered if Amaziah heard her at all. In a normal tone, she continued.
‘When do I begin?’

‘Right away. The location has already been chosen. I can take you now.’

‘You’re coming with me?’

‘Only to make sure you are safe, and I will be there if it is ever needed. You will have to have my Aegis Veil around you, as well as in your mind, at all times while in your human body. It will help protect you from detection but still allow for the most realistic sensations and emotions possible. It’s the most powerful protection I can offer without being by your side myself. But it will dull your Divine discernment. You won’t be able to easily spot the Fallen. So be even more cautious than usual.’

Gabrielle was still having a difficult time believing this was finally happening. She was moments away from beginning her life in a human body—even if it was going to be brief.

‘Are you ready, Gabrielle?’
Amaziah asked to get her attention. But what captured it more was the undertone of concern she was sure she heard with the words.

‘What? Oh … yes. I’m ready.’
She realized he wasn’t just asking her if she was ready to leave, he was asking if she was sure she was ready for all this task would ask of her.

‘Then let’s get this over with, shall we?’