by Mary Ting
“Jonah. Mayra,” I called but they didn’t respond. Apparently, I still had Enoch’s memories. That was a good thing.
I couldn’t move. And though my heart pounded, I wasn’t sure if I was alive and breathing. Then my spine arched, my stomach bowed forward. My lips parted wide without my doing and light shot from my mouth and eyes. I could see everything that was happening to me and yet I had no control of any of my actions. Then it stopped.
I found myself still in the world, but not in the present time. Tombstones surrounded me. A graveyard. The sun dipped lower. It would soon be dusk. Why was I here? Then I saw me...Uriel. The past Uriel stood beside a burial, ready for a casket to be placed. Not just one, but dozens. Then by some force, my body zapped into past Uriel. I was him or he was me. We became one. And I saw everything through his eyes.
“Uriel. Why have you demanded that we come here?”
I recognized Ko. He looked the same—sinister and cold, demanding an answer. His expanded dark wings closed and he cautiously stepped closer.
“Stop right there,” I said. “Either you surrender willingly and forsake this world or you die.”
Ko scoffed and eyed the empty coffins. He raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “Did you dig these up yourself? So pathetic. You must have had nothing to do. Why don’t you come with me and I’ll show you what it means to live. Drink. Have pleasure with human women. Get married if you will, and produce children. You have no idea the freedom you are missing, my brother.”
“I am not your brother. And you have lost your mind.” When I roared, the leaves bristled and the fallen ones blew away.
Ko bellowed a mocking laugh. “I have not lost my mind. Look at yourself and what you have done. You think you can bury me alive? I’m tired of playing your game. If you want war, let’s do it right here, right now. You know I’m not alone, don’t you?”
Just as he said it, the other original watchers appeared, popping into existence. Armaros, Gadreel, Samyaza, and many others snarled as they materialized. Boom. Boom. Boom. Their wings pushed through the air. So many of them. I shuddered, fear passing through my veins.
“I’m not alone either.” I tilted my chin with confidence. Then Michael, Araqiel, Ramiel, Selsphiel, Raguel, and Barachiel materialized behind me, their magnificent divine swords readied.
“So perfect.” Ko grinned triumphantly. “This is going to be so much fun.”
Ko charged, and like a magic trick, his sword appeared in his hand. Just as he slashed across my neck, missing by an inch, I kicked his stomach, sending him tumbling through the air. Ko’s chest pierced through a branch. As he bellowed in pain, Gadreel helped him by cutting off the branch. Ko thumped to the ground.
That had to hurt like hell.
Ko’s soldiers formed a protective circle around him, giving him a chance to heal. They hissed and swung their swords when we got closer.
“Come with us, and you’ll be pardoned,” Michael said.
“Liar.” Gadreel pointed his sword at Michael. “You’ll say whatever you think will make us surrender. There is no place for us where you come from. We have done too much, have said too much. We are unforgivable. And I’d rather rot in Hell than atone for all the riches and fun I’m having.”
“This world stinks of humans. Pathetic, stupid creatures.” Though not fully healed, Ko pushed through his men to be heard and seen. “They lie, cheat, and steal. Humans do what they please. Why shouldn’t we get to do the same? They think because their God forgives that I will? We watchers are the true sons of God. We were created first. We were sent to rule over mankind, but God was unjust to us. It’s time we took our world back.”
Ko’s soldiers whooped and cheers erupted.
“You’re insane,” I spat. “And you’re all going to Hell.”
“Let’s finish this, Michael. Give the order,” Ramiel gritted through his teeth.
“We fight. Wipe away the evil and cleanse the world.” Michael charged, and everyone dashed behind him.
The clanking of swords echoed through the cemetery, and the sound of steel upon steel crashed like thunder. Lightning struck where Michael swung, giving him the advantage. The archangels fought with precision, but their strength seemed to be no match for the watchers’ superior numbers.
Until...
“Stop!” My chest rose and fell, panic struck.
As if my word had the power to control everyone, they halted.
“My, my, my. Look what I have here.”
A man, or more like an ugly beast I had never seen before, slipped between the two rival groups with a girl that looked like Keira, but...I recognized her. She was the same girl at the forest with me. Abigale. My Abigale. My heart soared to see her, but yet at the same time raged.
The beast had a dagger across her jugular. Then more humans emerged from the shadows and Ko’s soldiers held weapons by them.
“No.” Fury blinded my focus. There were too many humans to save. An impossible task.
I tried to keep my expression steady. I could not give any inkling Abigale was my weakness.
“Micah. A bit late, but just in time.” Ko pushed down Michael’s sword merely inches from his chest and walked around him.
Ko grinned too happily and it made me sick to my stomach. Abigale was supposed to be far away from this wretched town.
Abigale locked her wide eyes with mine, her body trembling.
“By the way, did you know Uriel has a lover? A forbidden lover.” Ko tapped Abigale on her head as if she were a pet.
I didn’t look upon my brothers, for I knew they would not pass judgment. They too had loved mortals from a distance; however, we had stayed faithful to our God at the end. We wouldn’t be here together had we gone astray.
Ko pushed Micah and grabbed his dagger. “Tell Malum his debt is paid to me. You may go, demon, unless you want to stay and fight.”
Micah raised his hands. “Not our fight. I’m doing what I was told by my master. Good luck.” With that, he became a blur, racing between trees.
“Let her go. She has nothing to do with this.” I inched toward Ko.
“Oh, but she does. She’s a nephilim. And since you want to get rid of all the half-bloods, we should start with this one.”
“What do you want?” My heart flapped like a bird trapped in a cage.
“I want you to kiss my feet and call me Lord.”
It took every ounce of will in me not to throw my sword through Abigale to get to Ko. No matter the cost, I would never harm her. I had told her I would find her, but I purposely stayed away to keep her safe, and now this.
“And,” he drawled, “I also want the Book of Watchers.”
“No.” Ramiel spun and in a second he was behind Ko, his sword pointing at his back.
“No, no, no, Ramiel.” Ko smirked, no inkling of fear. Just pure arrogance. “What do you think you’ll accomplish? The second I feel your blade, I’ll have swiped my dagger across her neck. She’ll die, but I might survive. If I’m lucky. And I feel very lucky today.”
“You can’t open the Book of Watchers.” I clenched my jaw, fingers flexing and unflexing on my sword.
“True. But you can.” Ko’s lips curled wickedly. “Do it!”
“No,” Michael demanded. “You fool. You do not know the consequences.”
“I know it will take you somewhere between realms where I’ll never have to see you again. And that is good enough for me.” Ko tightened his arm around Abigale.
“How do you know this? How do you know about Book of Watchers?” I scrunched my nose.
“I have my sources. Stop talking and do as I said, or I’ll cut her and kill the others just to show you I can.”
Abigale yelped, and blood seeped from a nick in her throat.
I swore and clenched my teeth. “Fine. But think about it. If your source is Malum, he’s doing it for his own cause. He’s using you.” I fanned out my wings halfway, reached into my feathers, and brought out the exact same treasure box I had taken
from my mother.
The Book of Watchers was a gift from God, but it was not a book, but rather a device to capture the prisoners and bind them to neither here or there. Michael had asked me to be the keeper. Though I was honored to have such responsibility, I also dreaded the price that would come with it.
“Malum won’t cross me. A bounty will be on his head.” Ko sounded so sure of himself.
“Think very carefully, Ko,” Ramiel said, his tone calm, as if to sooth a troubled child. “He wants all of us gone. He’s playing you for a fool.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t open it,” Samyaza said. “What if they’re right about Malum?”
“Shut your mouth. We do this right here, right now.” Ko’s eyes beamed in red.
“I’m not sticking around to see what happens. I’m done.” Samyaza disappeared, along with a handful of others.
My brothers and I exchanged a knowing glance. As if that look was a secret code, I slammed my hand on top of the book. I felt the same electrifying shock through my skin as I had in the vault. The book unlatched and popped open. Light erupted from it, pouring to the sky, and then it stretched and expanded, making a circle around all of us.
“What’s going on? This isn’t what’s supposed to happen. What did you do?” Ko barked, jabbing his sword through the brightness.
“I can’t move my legs.” Gadreel twisted his body, trying to free himself, as if he had sunk into quicksand.
The light intensified and swallowed each of us until we were all one.
“Close the book, Uriel,” Michael ordered. “It’s time.”
Guilt flooded through me. My brothers would be trapped in another realm. They didn’t deserve that fate. We had debated about this situation. What I would have to do if we had an opportunity to capture the leaders of the watcher faction.
Talking about it was one thing, but I had become an executioner and it felt wrong. I was condemning my brothers to darkness, loneliness, and despair until the book was opened again. My heart hurt from the thought.
“Until next time, Uriel. Remember us.” Each of my brothers said this, and each time their words drove the dagger in my heart deeper.
As the light began to dim, my brothers got on bended knees and closed their eyes while the sons of God bellowed in horror and began to disappear, like the fading sun.
After I closed the book, I soared and wrenched Abigale out of Ko’s arms. When the light finally dissipated, everyone ceased to exist. I whispered a promise to Abigale and she did the same just before we died in each other’s arms, the book vanishing with us. Or rather we disappeared into the book.
In a hundred years, we would be reborn.
Chapter 22
Uriel Awaken
Enoch
I gasped and found myself standing inside my mother’s...Enoch’s mother’s vault. My mind had been split between Enoch’s memories and mine, but without a doubt I knew who I was and what I had to do.
I recalled my death with Abigale in my arms. The keeper of the book had to die and be re-born for the book to be restored. On the hundredth year, the keeper would be born like a fallen star. Of course, I had no recollection of myself shooting down like a rocket from the sky; however, I did recall picking the soul I would possess, to use as my vessel.
My brothers were still trapped, and I had to save them. But it had to be done carefully. Opening the book again would surely bring them back, but there was a great possibility Ko and his solders would also return.
I glanced around the room. Nothing disturbed. Good. Except either the room had shrunk or I had grown taller. Then I recalled Mayra and Jonah.
In my past, I had recruited a nephilim, Jonah, to help me upon my rebirth. He was to find me and protect me to ensure that while I was human, I didn’t die. If I had died, my brothers would be entombed for eternity. It was a risk and price we agreed to make. Now it was time to end all lingering watchers and demons.
“Jonah. Mayra?” I said, panic rising to my throat. Had I hurt them? Had the book sucked them in?
“Welcome back, Uriel.”
Jonah’s voice seemed far away. I supposed my hearing was adjusting, like my vision. Everything sounded so loud and seemed so bright.
When I looked down, Jonah and Mayra were on their knees with their heads down.
“Rise, my friends,” I said, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
I’d never liked people bowing to me. I wasn’t their god. Though I held a higher ranking, I was no better than them. In fact, I should be bowing before them, for taking care of me. It couldn’t have been easy to always watch my back and wait patiently for my memories to be restored.
“Are you—?” Mayra began.
“Yes, I’m Uriel in Enoch’s body. And I’m indebted to you both.”
“So you remember everything?” Jonah blinked. “I mean everything?”
“Everything.” I chuckled and paused to adjust to a rough, jingling laugh that didn’t sound like my own. Adjusting to a new body would take some time, time I didn’t have.
“What do we do next?” Mayra licked her lips eagerly.
My fingers tightened on the book. “I need to find the location where it all happened and open the book.”
“Let’s go then.”
Jonah took a step and I stopped him.
“I don’t remember everything.” I rubbed at my temple. “I can’t recall where.”
“Oh. That is a problem.”
“We have another problem,” Mayra said, staring at the security screen. “Enoch’s mother is home.”
“Not a problem.” I took a few steps toward the exit and halted when my gut jolted and something shiny caught my eye.
Displayed on the shelf was my weapon. The one Enoch’s mother had told him specifically not to touch. I grabbed it, happy to see it. Then I pressed on the handle. The blade collapsed into the handle, the size of a large flashlight.
“Wait.” Jonah gauged my body, his eyes going up and down. “You’re too tall. His mother will notice. You need to shrink about a foot.”
“Very well. I’ll shrink down to human level.” I sighed and exited.
“I don’t know if I should be insulted.”
Mayra whispered to Jonah, but I heard every word.
“Mom.” I greeted with open arms. It felt strange to embrace her, but Enoch’s memory and his love for her stayed with me, and it would continue to linger as long as I was in his body.
“Enoch. What a nice surprise.”
Her tender, happy voice caused my lips to curl and a warm sensation coursed through my heart. Then I remembered who I was and shifted the attention.
“Mom. You remember Jonah and this is Mayra.”
Mom hugged Jonah and shook Mayra’s hand. Then her eyes pinpointed the book, her treasure.
I swallowed. “Oh, I-I need...it...for a project. I promise to bring it back. I should have asked you first, but I was in a hurry and I knew you would be fine with it.”
Mother’s blank face gave me no inclination of her thoughts. Then she smiled. Warm and beautiful. So much love in that simple human gesture.
“Sure. Whatever you need, sweetheart. It all belongs to you anyway.”
“Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.” I kissed her cheek and suddenly I felt awkward, more aware of the human things I was doing. Jonah and Mayra snickered.
I glared at them and they immediately became stoned faced. When I waggled my eyebrow out of guilt for intimidating them without cause, they relaxed their shoulders.
“Enoch. Won’t you and your friends stay for dinner?” Mother asked, her eyes pleading.
“I—we are kind of—”
“Sandwiches are ready.” Jeffrey carried a tray set with drinks and finger sandwiches.
I had forgotten I had asked Jeffrey to make them. I frowned and held in an exaggerated breath.
“Perfect.” Mom clasped her hands together. “Please take them to the family room.” She laced her arm through Mayra’s. “Shall we?”
“Where’
s Dad?” I glanced behind her.
“Away on business.”
Mom’s tone told me she didn’t like that I had brought him up.
Mom had an elegant taste. Ornate furniture sat on a large beige rug, no doubt costly. Oil paintings from famous painters hung about the room. Precious trinkets filled the bookcase. She too had angel statues that matched mine. I suppressed the urge to look under the statues like Mayra had with mine, and sat next to Enoch’s Mom.
Enoch’s Mom poured tea for everyone and passed out a dainty little dish with bite size sandwiches and scones. Then she took a small sip and placed the other hand on her lap. Pristine and proper. She wore a lavender double-breasted dress suit.
“Where did you go today?” I asked.
“I had lunch with Father Sam and some others from the church.”
I nearly choked on my tea. Seeing Samyaza in action in my past life gave me no comfort, even though he claimed he had changed his ways. And by others, she meant the ladies from church who acted like her friends.
“Oh.” I looked at Mayra and Jonah for help.
Jonah pointed to his mouth and exaggerated his chewing to show his mouth was full. And Mayra looked away. What did humans talk about? I dug into Enoch’s memory. Having nothing to talk about, I was just about to say we had to leave when Jonah opened his mouth.
“So...” Jonah gave an awkward grin. “Do you watch football?”
Jonah jerked when Mayra pinched his side.
Mother raised an eyebrow.
“What he means...well...” Mayra tugged a strand of hair around her ear and cleared her throat. “Oh! Do you garden?” She got up and quickened her steps to the long siding door. “These flowers are beautiful, and I love the waterfall pond.”
Enoch’s Mother beamed a smile. “Yes, I do. Would you like to take a look?”
Mayra looked over her shoulder to me, silently questioning. I nodded.
“Mom. I’m going to stay here with Jonah. He doesn’t care for flowers.”
“I know. Most men don’t. Very well. I’ll give Mayra a tour. You boys talk about football and eat.” She waved us away with her hand.