“It will come,” I say. “I’ve never seen an angelic presence grow in strength as quickly as you. It’s a good thing, trust me. From what I gather about this mission, we’re going to need that. If for no other reason, you’ll be able to give us advance warning if demons locate us.”
“Can they find us here with the spells up or whatever?” Braham says, his face suddenly full of alarm.
“They shouldn’t be able to… but that doesn’t mean they won’t. We’re operating in unknown territory now,” I say. “Finding Purgatory should be more difficult for them than most.”
“Purgatory?” Braham says. “Bea mentioned that before. What is it?”
“It’s a place between places. Kind of like a holding cell for energies who have no home. Well, usually. In our case, it was the only safe place. The darkness was starting to consume everything. Even in our reality, demons were beginning to take over more and more humans. They were extinguishing the light, one person at a time,” I say, thinking back to all the horrendous things happening in our world.
“But—aren’t there more of us? Angels, I mean? Why are the demons allowed to win?” Braham asks, adjusting his legs so they lay straight out in front of him.
“I don’t know why. If there is a god or gods, they haven’t made themselves fully known. We know there must be a signature in everything we see. Patterns exist everywhere. But this balance between light and dark—it’s something I’ve never fully understood.”
“Guys, I could use a little help over here,” Thea calls out from one of the pews near the back of the sanctuary.
I stand up, reaching out to help Braham do the same. He reluctantly accepts, standing up with a groan.
“I am getting too damn old to sit on a stone floor that long,” he mutters. “But at least I know I’m still alive.”
My forehead wrinkles in response. As an angel, all of the humanly aches and pains should have begun to subside by now. He should be well on his way to full regenerative capabilities as his immortality kicks in.
If that hasn’t happened yet, then all of the abilities surfacing so far are even more astounding.
“What do you need?” Braham asks as we reach Thea.
“There is no way in the known universe to get this thing to work. I swear, only crazy-smart lunatics can make sense of how to get it to even turn on,” Thea says, pushing the device across the table and running her hands through her hair. “I mean, if I would've had time with Mike where he explained the functionality of it, then maybe I could have made sense of it. But at this point, I don’t even understand what makes it turn on. And if I need a physicist’s level of math—yeah, it’s just not gonna happen. Right now, I'm just trying to poke at the thing and hope something works.”
“Are you sure you’ve tried everything?” Braham says. “Do you mind if I take a look?”
Thea peers at him from under her eyebrows. “Be my guest. Another set of eyes would be phenomenal. It’s why I called you over.”
She stands up, pushing the office chair away with the back of her legs.
Braham walks around the table and takes the seat she vacated. Pulling the time machine closer to him, he begins his own assessment of the device.
“I think this might be the time relay—but it looks like it needs some sort of power cell hooked up to turn it on. Unless we know what kind of energy it needs, I don’t think we’ll be able to input our destination at all,” he says, rotating the device in his hands. “So math is a moot point.”
“That may have been where Mike was hoping we’d come in handy. Didn’t he mention he thought we’d be able to boost its capacity?” I say, walking over to him.
Braham tips his head. “Yeah, that’s right. So, maybe if we, I dunno… connect to it somehow, we can get it to work?”
“Connect to it?” Thea snorts. “Who’s the first one who’s gonna bend over? Because it’s not gonna be me.”
Braham shoots her a semi-glare. “Not like that. You know, like our angelic power and whatnot. Think about it—if we can manipulate space and time, or walk between veils, we have a far more powerful energy output than ordinary humans. Maybe we just need to harness it somehow.”
“Like a solar panel would?” Gabe asks.
Braham’s scrunches his eyebrows. “Kind of. I was thinking more like kinetic energy. I’m just not sure how it would work. It’s not like we have an energy floor or some other way to direct what we harness into the device.”
“What if we’re simply able to direct the energy? Morgan can do that in a way. She can show people what they need to see through contact. She also gets impressions that way. Perhaps it could work the same way?” I offer.
“Want me to go get her?” Thea asks, jabbing a finger toward the kitchen.
“That may be a good idea. Thank you, Thea,” I say.
She takes her leave, disappearing into the hallway leading toward our kitchen and dining area.
A moment later, both Morgan and Bea emerge, followed by Thea.
“Thea says you need us?” Morgan says.
I exhale slowly. “Yeah. Thea and Braham are having trouble getting the device figured out. We were brainstorming about energy transfer. Can you explain how you send thoughts and images to others? Maybe it will help us figure out if it’s possible to do the same with this machine.”
“Well, for me, it’s touch, mostly. I mean sometimes I can do it without contact, but it’s way harder. The energy diffuses,” she says, flicking her eyebrows upward.
Bea hobbles to a pew and takes a seat, hanging her walking stick over the wooden seat in front of her. Her eyes dart back and forth, watching each of us closely.
“Just simple contact?” Thea says, walking to the devices and picking it up.
Morgan nods.
Closing her eyes, Thea holds the machine close to her body. We all wait for a brief moment, half expecting it to light up.
When nothing happens, she drops it back to the table.
“Well, that was stupid. Guys, I think it’s time to admit our plans are falling apart,” Thea says. “We’re making zero progress with this thing and we’re down to only four and a half hours.”
“There has to be something we’re missing,” Morgan says, beginning to pace. “I can feel we’re on the right track, but I don’t know what we’re missing.”
“What if the device is a dead end? Maybe we’re supposed to be thinking about something else? Coming up with an alternative plan altogether,” Thea says.
“Like what?” Braham asks, quirking an eyebrow.
“Hell if I know, Braham. Do I look like I have to come up with everything?” she fires back.
“Guys, let’s not go at each other’s throats. We’re here because we can fix this. We simply need to figure out how,” I say, trying to reason them back to some clarity.
“What about time-walking?” Braham suggests, turning to me.
“Without getting this device working, we can't all go back. We’d be lucky if one of us has the gift to be able to manipulate time. Even if by the graces one of us did, we don’t have the time to figure out who—or give them the space to learn how it works,” I say.
“Does it mean it's not possible at all or does it just mean it might take some practice if one of you could do it?” Morgan asks, flitting her gaze between me and Braham.
Bea chuckles, “Oh, honey, it's definitely possible.”
“And how would you know that?” Thea says, crossing her arms over her body. “Got your foot in death’s door, so you’re crossing your fingers hoping it can be done?”
“Because if we can dream it up, anything is possible,” Bea offers, casting Thea a knowing look.
“Well, gee, thank you for that Hallmark moment, Bea,” Thea says, rolling her eyes. “But we need something a little more concrete.”
“I think… I think maybe I can do it,” Braham says, chewing on his lower lip.
All eyes turned his direction, and Morgan's mouth pops open
“Why do yo
u say that?” she asks.
Braham knits his eyebrows together and he paces for a moment before finally saying, “Because I think I might have done it already.”
“What?” I say, taking a step forward. “When?”
“When you lost me. When we were running from the demons who took Mike, there was a time—it was only a few seconds, really—but I went back in time a few minutes. I saw us going into Mike’s lab to get the device,” Braham says, exhaling loudly.
“Why didn’t you tell us this sooner?” I growl.
I don’t get angry all that often. It’s an emotion that no longer holds much residence in my being, but every once in a while, it still sneaks up on me. Remnants of my humanity still linger, despite the years knowing who and what I am.
Braham scratches at the side of his head. “I dunno. I felt like maybe it didn’t really happen. Maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see. You know? It was literally seconds.”
“Seconds is still more than I was capable of. Can you try again?” I ask, moving swiftly to him.
Braham shrugs. “Well, sure, but how do I know if it works?”
“What if I anchor you?” I ask. “You pick a time and place, and I’ll just act as your backup generator?”
“Sure, we can try,” he says. “Where should we try to go?”
“Why not go back and try to save Mike? I mean, then if all else fails, maybe he can still help with this thing.” Thea says, tapping the time machine.
“That’s a fair point—let’s do that,” I say, tipping my chin toward Thea. “Don’t you agree, Braham?”
“Yeah, actually, that sounds like an excellent idea,” he says, standing up. “I feel like such an ass. I could have suggested it sooner. I just didn’t want to get my hopes up. Or fail, you know?”
“Don’t worry about all that right now. Let’s make this happen,” I say, extending my arm to him.
“All right.” He says, grabbing hold of my wrist.
The two of us close our eyes, both thinking of the time and place we need to go. Static electricity begins to pull at the spaces around us, making the hairs on the back of my neck rise. The sensation is far different from pushing back the veil. Instead, it’s like reality pushes back, trying its hardest not to allow it to happen.
Buckling down, I concentrate harder, focusing on the last few moments we spent with Mike. The time frame before everything went sideways, in the hopes we can stop anything bad from ever happening.
The room tilts to the left, and instinctively, I open my eyes.
Sure enough, I’m back in the lab, but Braham’s no longer holding onto my forearms.
“Braham?” I call out. “Are you here?”
I walk down the hallway, making my way to the glass encasement to Mike’s lab. Before I can even make it there, Mike bounds around the corner.
Instantly, relief floods my body, and a smile breaks across my face.
“Mike, you have no idea how good it is to see you,” I call out to him. “Have you seen Braham?”
Mike tilts his head almost imperceptibly to the side and, again, static electricity creeps up my spine.
Dark pools reside in his eyes, and no hint of his usual good-hearted nature permeates from him. Instead, it’s almost as if he’s hollow—a vessel in waiting for information.
I take a step backward.
“Mike, are you okay?” I call out, even though I already know the answer.
The demons didn’t just kill Mike—they took over his body completely.
His body moves toward me awkwardly at first, as if the demon is still learning how to drive.
“Braham,” I call out. “Are you here?”
Silence greets me, and I take two more steps backward. My heartbeat elevates, and I know I’m seconds away from needing to make a decision I won’t like. One that could mean leaving Braham trapped, if he isn’t already.
I take another step back, peering over my shoulder to look for other demons.
Mike’s form continues to surge forward, his feet shuffling against the floor at an odd angle. Something pops into place, and suddenly he manages to walk forward more confidently.
“Gabriel, it’s so good to see you.” Mike’s voice hisses with a low frequency.
I narrow my eyes. “Mike?”
“Don’t be such a fool. You know your angel has been given to the black sea of darkness. A sacrifice in a long line of repentance,” the demon says.
“Repentance? For what?” I say, giving in.
“For existing, of course,” he shrugs.
The hallway seems to close in as any warmth seeps from existence. My breath billows out in front of me, and I know I’m running out of time.
“Where is Braham? Have you done something with him?” I demand.
“Abraham is not my concern when I have someone far more enjoyable to disembowel,” he says, his eyes sparkling with menace.
His face abruptly twitches back and forth, as if he’s fighting internally with himself. When the twitches subside, the darkness seeps from his eyes and he composes his stature.
“Mike?” I say, tentatively stepping forward.
“Gabe? What are you—?” he says, confusion written across his features.
The next moment, he twitches again and vanishes before my eyes.
Confused, I race forward, looking for any sign of him—or anyone, for that matter.
Bursting open the glass door to Mike’s lab, I race through space, searching for any sign of Braham or Mike.
They’re nowhere.
A cold chill rushes past me, setting alarm bells off. The demons are coming.
I turn just in time to see two of them seep through the walls, reaching their billowing tendrils of smoke and nothingness out toward me.
Without thought, I lift the veil and slip out of this location in reality and back to the sanctuary. If I stay any longer, I’m sure to be in more danger.
When I slip into the sanctuary, Morgan, Bea, and Thea are huddled around the table with the time travel device. Everyone looks up, twisting around to face me.
My eyebrows tug in, and my heart constricts.
Not only have we lost Mike, but now Braham, too. And it’s all my fault.
I’m jeopardizing this entire mission.
“I’m so sorry everyone. I lost connection with Braham,” I say, trying to compose myself. “I don’t know what happened. He was gone as soon as I opened my—”
The women all look past me, their eyes wide as they take in whatever has taken shape behind me.
Twisting around, my mouth pops open.
Standing in the middle of the room, Braham has his arms enclosed around Mike’s body, then they both crumple to the floor.
17
Thea
Holy shit—he actually did it.
My mouth gapes open like a dead fish, and the weight of the time machine is hefty in my fingertips as I work to process the sight in front of us.
“Mike?” Morgan says first, moving around the table and heading for the two men on the floor.
Gabe is immediately at her side, dropping to the floor beside Braham and Mike.
Without another word, Morgan throws her arms around Mike’s neck and pulls him in tight.
“I am so glad to see you, my friend,” Gabe says, placing a hand on his back.
Braham leans back onto his hands and closes his eyes.
“Are you all right?” Gabe asks, turning to him.
“Yeah, just a bit dizzy. For a minute there, I thought we were both goners,” he mutters.
“Braham scared the Hades outta me. I couldn’t figure out what was going on or why he was in two places at once,” Mike says, making a move to stand. “Before I could even process, he was dragging me outta the room. I mean—hey, is that my machine?”
Mike walks over to the table, his face crumpled in confusion as he pulls the device from my hand.
“How? I never got the chance to pull it free before Braham got hold of me,” he says.
> Recognition dawns across Gabe’s features as he holds out his arm to help Braham stand up.
“I think I can answer that,” he says.
“Good, because I’m confused too,” I mutter.
“In this sanctuary, we exist outside of time, at least to an extent,” Gabe says, walking to the table.
Morgan nods. “We’re also protected by so many wards. It’s possible some of them are protecting us from fluctuations.”
Gabe tips his head in acknowledgment.
“What are you saying?” Mike pulls in his dark eyebrows. “We did this once before, but managed to get the device?”
Braham makes his way to Mike and sighs. “Yeah, buddy, we did. But you didn’t make it.”
Mike’s wide eyes circle the faces in the room. “You… you mean, I died?”
“In a sense,” Gabe says, frowning. “Demons invaded the lab and—”
“Whoa. I didn’t make it, did I?” Mike says, clasping his hands behind the back of his head and walking away from the table.
Braham swallows hard. “You almost did, but no. They got hold of you before we could stop them and—”
“Okay, so hold up. If I died, or was taken over—whatever—how did Braham make it back in time? Did you get the device to work without a power cell?” Mike asks, twisting back to us.
“Nope. Couldn’t figure this damn thing out. Let me be the first to say, we are happy to have you back,” I say, shooting him a cheesy smile.
“Braham has found one of his gifts,” Morgan says.
“Turns out, I can time-walk,” he says, shrugging. Braham turns to Gabe, his forehead creasing. “Where did you go, by the way?”
“I was back at the lab, too, but it was empty except for the demons…” he says, his eyes narrowing, “and Mike.”
“You saw Mike, too?” Morgan says, taking a seat next to Bea, who pats her leg in return and shoots her a big, cheesy smile.
“Yeah,” Gabe says. “He was still possessed, though. So I don’t…”
The Chronicles of the 8th Dimension - Limited Edition Box Set (4 Books): A Supernatural Thriller Box Set Page 43