by R C Knight
“How do you know I asked the Counsel for something?”
“Because that’s what I would’ve done in that situation,” he responded with confidence.
Aria looked around the library, avoiding eye contact with Ryder. She started tapping her foot on the floor since her hand was still trapped by Ryder’s. As she gazed out the window, she thought of all the things she could have requested from the Counsel.
“Come on, Aria. It couldn’t have been that bad,” he prompted. She sighed and looked at Ryder.
“Fine,” she whispered as she dropped her eyes and stared at the table. “I asked to see Cordelia,” she mumbled quickly.
“What?” he asked in surprise. “Why would you ask that?”
“Oh please. You know exactly why I would want to see her!” Aria responded as she looked up at him. Slowly realization dawned on him. He let out a soft sigh and nodded his head.
“Ah.” He sat there silently. “Is that why you were looking at Raphael’s biography again?”
“That’s part of the reason. But mostly I just miss him. I can’t believe it’s been thirty years since he died.”
“I know it’s been hard, Aria,” he responded quietly. “Hopefully our mission will help you find closure of some kind.” They resumed sitting in silence. Aria stared out the window and tapped her fingers on the table.
The sound of chirping filled the air. Aria brought her attention back to Ryder as a white dove landed on the table. A small scroll was tied to its leg. The dove held its leg out and Ryder gently removed the scroll. He stroked the dove’s back in acknowledgement of a job well done then looked down at the scroll.
“It’s for you,” he said as he handed it to her. She looked at the scroll and saw her name embossed in the paper. “Well don’t keep us in suspense. Open the damn thing.” He nudged her arm in encouragement. Aria broke the wax seal and unrolled the scroll. She read the note quickly then looked up at Ryder.
“They’re letting me see her,” she squealed happily.
“I knew they wouldn’t say no to you,” he replied with a smirk. “When do you get to see her?”
“At the end of the day.” She looked around the library, her mind spinning with all the questions she wanted to ask. “I need to get to work.”
Ryder stood up and offered his hand to her. “Come on. Let me help you with your search.” She grabbed his hand and allowed him to pull her from the chair.
~~~~
Three hours later and Aria and Ryder were still sitting at the table in the library. A pile of books about the Battle of Armageddon took up the center of the table.
“Why do you want to know what happened?” Ryder broke the silence as he closed yet another book and added it to the pile.
Aria looked up from her book. “Don’t you think it’s weird that we’ve never been told what happened during the battle? It’s almost like everyone has forgotten about it.”
“They probably don’t want to talk about how they lost. They essentially failed all of mankind.” He looked at her, his face filled with concern. He grabbed another book and began to browse through it. “I’m sure if our mission failed, we wouldn’t want to talk about it either.”
“There has to be more than that.” She reached across the table and stopped him from turning the pages in his book. “It’s one thing to lose a battle, it’s another to give up and abandon everything you’ve been working for. I don’t understand what happened that made them decide to abandon Earth like that.”
“Well, whatever happened, I doubt we are going to find it here.” He waved at the pile of books. “It’s obvious they don’t want it to be public knowledge. Why don’t you just ask Cordelia when you see her?”
“If I have the opportunity to ask her I will. But I haven’t been given a lot of time with her and I’d like to use it on more pressing matters.”
“Very well. Then why don’t we try asking around? Surely, someone here should remember what happened.”
“Ryder.” Aria let out a frustrated sigh. “No one here is going to talk about it. Only the Counsel has heard from God since the battle. As far as I know no one has heard from Christ, not even the Counsel. There are rumors that he was killed during the battle and that’s why we left. But if he was killed don’t you think we would have been told about it? Don’t you think Mary would at least know?”
Ryder looked around the library, clearly uncomfortable with the topic. “This isn’t a good place to talk about this,” he whispered. “In fact, this isn’t a topic that should ever be talked about.”
She sighed with frustration and stared at the pile of books. “Fine. It’s not like knowing why we left would make it any easier to help the humans now.” She looked around the library, wondering what she was missing. As she made eye contact with Ryder, she let out a long sigh. “Well then, let’s change the topic. What do you think about the rest of our team? You are the master strategist after all.”
He let out a little laugh and his shoulders relaxed as his tension went away. “Well, we’ve already determined that Eliza needs to be watched at all times. She’s just a pawn sent by Gabriel to make sure we behave ourselves.” He chuckled a little at his comment. “Like anyone could make you behave!” He laughed some more and then cleared his throat. His expression turned serious as he continued to talk. “Obviously, she is going to be the one we have to look out for. She is our healer and although she knows how to fight, she’s not as good as the rest of us.”
“Ugh, I hate having to babysit,” she responded with disdain.
“You would have had to babysit Laila if she came with!”
“Yea. But at least I like Laila!” Aria laughed, lightening the mood from earlier. “I’m just going to have to watch my back with Eliza around. Hopefully she doesn’t try anything stupid.” She sighed and took a deep, calming breath. “Anyway, what do you think of Myra and Kai?”
“Ah Myra,” he responded with a smile. “She is a great asset to the team. I mean with her bright green eyes and the way her ass curves and how –” Aria slapped him.
“Come on! Be serious!” She giggled as Ryder winked at her and laughed.
“Okay, okay.” He held up his hands in surrender. “Honestly, she’s probably the best archer we have at our disposal. And Kai is great at keeping the enemies’ attention in a battle. He’ll keep all the little demons busy while we pick them off. It should be pretty straightforward if we get in a fight.”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “There isn’t anyone you are worried about? I’m really nervous that I’ll screw everything up.”
“Relax, Aria. We have a great team! Other than Eliza of course. But with all of us keeping an eye on her there shouldn’t be any problems.” He smiled reassuringly and gently grabbed her hand. “This mission is going to be great! Stop worrying so much.”
Aria let out a small sigh of relief as she looked into his eyes. Everything was going to be great. She just needed to make it through her meeting with Cordelia, then finalize her plans for the mission. If everything went well, they would be on their way to Earth in a few short days. Hopefully there will still be an Earth left for them to save.
Chapter Three
Heaven
Cordelia’s chamber was made of rough stone with blood red drapery covering the windows, preventing any light from coming in. There was a fire crackling in the middle of the room, making shadows dance across the wall. Two benches carved from the stone surrounded the fire pit. Cordelia sat in a giant, stone chair with a small stone table next to her. Burning incense was on the table, a mixture of cinnamon and lavender, along with some other scent that Aria couldn’t identify.
Cordelia’s black hair flowed to the floor in waves. Her skin was lightly bronzed and seemed to glow in the firelight. She wore bronze robes with a blood red cloth that wrapped around her head and down around her waist. She looked up at Aria, her eyes as white as snow and glazed over. It was clear that she had lost her sight a long time ago, if she ever had it to begin with.
“Aria,” Cordelia’s voice whispered in her head. “I have been waiting for your arrival since Raphael left. Please take a seat.” She pointed towards the bench across from her.
Aria slowly walked to the stone bench and sat down across from her. She studied her face closely, taking in every wrinkle and scar. If she didn’t know any better, she would assume Cordelia was a human. All angels had light colored hair and bright green or blue eyes. Their bodies regenerated every night, therefore they never had wrinkles or scars. And all angels looked as if they stopped aging once they reached their late twenties. Cordelia’s appearance was so different than the norm, it was not a surprise she was kept away from the other angels.
“Tell me child. What reason did you give the Counsel for wanting to see me?” Cordelia’s voice echoed through her mind.
“I told them I needed to know how taking Laila off my team and adding Eliza would affect my mission.” The sound of Cordelia’s laughter filled her head. She smiled at the oracle.
“That is something you already know the answer to child.” Cordelia scoffed at her. “It is naïve of you to believe they wouldn’t see through this pretense.” She waved her hands around the room. The fire began to glow brighter, casting more shadows across the chamber. “Now, what do you really want to know?”
She looked at Cordelia, debating if she should trust the oracle. “How do I know you won’t tell the Counsel the real reason I came?”
Cordelia chuckled. “Foolish child. I already know the reason you wanted to come, and I still granted you this audience.”
Aria nodded. “Very well.” She looked around the room, watching the shadows dance across the stone floor. “I find myself wondering what truly happened on Earth. I can’t believe we would abandon the humans simply because we were overwhelmed. And then Raphael went to Earth and was killed?” Her voice rose with frustration, “he was an Archangel! There’s no way he would’ve been killed on such a simple mission.” She looked up at Cordelia. “None of this makes sense.”
Cordelia nodded her head in understanding. “Maybe you aren’t as naïve as you act.” She smiled. “I sense greatness in you. That is the reason I allowed this meeting. This mission to Earth will bring answers to your questions. Your suffering will finally come to an end. The task that lies before you is difficult, and if you make the wrong choices it will be impossible. There is more at stake here than the fate of mankind.” Cordelia looked deeply into her eyes. “Do you understand what I am saying, child?”
Aria shifted uncomfortably, averting her eyes from the oracle. “I, uh… I think so.” She looked up at Cordelia, her eyes were drawn to the oracle’s. A silent message seemed to pass from Cordelia to her. Aria’s face lit up with understanding. “Ahh,” she said, “I understand now.” She stood up and bowed to Cordelia. “Thank you for seeing me.” As she turned to leave Cordelia grabbed her arm.
“One more thing, child,” her voice echoed through Aria’s head. “Always keep in mind the prophecy of the Nephilim. He will bring ruin to our realm.” With that warning, Cordelia dropped her hand and nodded at her. “Go now. Everything will happen as it should.”
Aria nodded and left the room. The sound of the fire crackling filled the chamber. Cordelia lit another incense and added it to the pile of burning ones. “Well,” her voice cracked, “was that what you were expecting?”
A towering figure in a black cloak appeared from the shadows. The firelight danced on his face as he pulled down his hood. “She is treading dangerous waters.” Michael said as he stepped towards the oracle. “What did you say to her?”
“Now Michael,” Cordelia scorned. “Our agreement was that I would allow you to understand what she was seeking. I never agreed to let you in on my advice.”
Michael looked over Cordelia, wondering why she was so different from the rest of them. “Very well. I hope whatever advice you gave her doesn’t lead her astray.”
“You don’t need to worry about her, Michael,” she responded with confidence. “She is smarter than you realize. And I did not allow you to listen to our conversation so you would know what she was doing.”
He looked at her with confusion. “What are you talking about?”
Cordelia smiled as she looked in his direction. “The time has finally come. The truth needs to be revealed if we want to survive.”
“Stop talking in riddles woman,” he shouted. “What is going on?”
“It’s time for everyone to know what really happened on Earth.” Cordelia reached for his hand. “It’s time for you to find out what happened to Christ,” her voice whispered in his head. “The greatest war in history is about to begin.”
Chapter Four
Earth
Storm clouds darkened the sky as rain began to fall. A tall figure stood among the decrepit buildings. His clothes were worn down and stained. His leather jacket flowed down to his ankles and was the only piece of clothing that looked well maintained. The man walked along the buildings, his heavy boots leaving imprints in the mud.
As he walked along, he heard moans coming from the alley. He turned his head to look, and saw a man thrusting into a naked woman that he had pinned against the wall. A group of men were watching, waiting for their turn. He shook his head in disgust and kept walking. Straight ahead he could see the bright lights of the bar. It was a simple brick and mortar building; its thatch roof was worn and needed repairs. He walked inside the bar and was assaulted by the smell of alcohol, burnt tobacco, and sex. More couples like the one he had seen in the alley filled the corners of the bar.
“Hey Zane!” A blonde male waved his hand at the man. “We’ve been waiting for you.” Zane made his way to the table where his friend was sitting. A group of four men and two women sat around the table. Zane took off his jacket, placed it on the chair and sat next to Keira. Her red hair curled down her back and looked like it was on fire from the yellow light of the bar.
“How long have you been waiting?” Zane asked as he looked around the group. All of them had gathered here tonight; Liam, Mikayla, Riley, Bishop, Jackson, and Keira.
“Not long,” replied Liam, the blonde that had called him over. “We were just about to discuss our plans for tomorrow.”
Zane looked around at his group. They had been together for a few years now, traveling the country killing any demons they could and taking their supplies for trading. He still couldn’t believe that he was the leader of their small resistance. At the rate they were going there would be more groups like them. He had already heard of some forming in places like New York and Texas. It was only a matter of time before someone tried to start a large resistance again. Which would just get overthrown like they always did.
A waitress, wearing a battered tank top and mini skirt, waltzed her way over to the table. She leaned in next to him, her breasts barely staying in her top. She smiled at him, her eyes telling him she wanted to take him into one of the dark corners for some fun. “And what can I get for you, handsome?” she asked as she trailed her finger along his bicep.
Zane moved his arm, causing the waitress to pull her hand back. “Just a water is fine for now,” he responded, a look of disgust on his face. Disappointment fluttered across the waitress’s face.
“Okay,” she said as she turned around and left the table. She returned a minute later and set a glass of water on the table. “Let me know if there’s anything else you need,” she said seductively as she sauntered off to the bar.
Liam looked at Zane and started to laugh. “Dude!” he chuckled. “The look on your face right now is priceless!” The rest of the group joined in with the laughter. Bishop turned to Zane with a smile on his face.
“Don’t worry man,” he said as he punched Zane on the shoulder. “She tried that with all of us when we got here. Even the women.” He added with a wink.
“Women like her disgust me,” he responded. “Our world disgusts me.” He looked around the bar, noticing all the couples fondling each other and the groups having sex in
the corner. This was a daily occurrence, sinners allowed to run rampant and do as they pleased. The immorality of it all is what bothered him the most. Not that very many people had morals anymore.
Zane ran his hand through his black hair. His blue-hazel eyes looked far older than his twenty-seven years. He had seen a lot in his short time on this earth and he was tired of it. He looked at his group, his face turning serious.
“Is everyone ready for tomorrow?” he asked.
“Yes,” Bishop responded for the group. “Mikayla has gathered all the supplies she might need in the field. Keira has prepared her explosives for us. And the rest of us.” Bishop waved his hand around the table. “Have kept our weapons sharp and ready, as always.”
“How do our plans look?”
Bishop pulled out a scrap of paper that he had drawn on. Zane leaned over to take a look. “Everything looks good. Keira is going to place her explosives here and here.” Bishop said as he pointed to different spots on the map. “She will be positioned over here so she can see what’s going on at all times. Mikayla will be with her just in case someone is injured, plus she needs the field experience.” Zane nodded his head in approval. “The rest of us will be positioned over here.”
“This is very good.” He clapped his hand on Bishop’s back. “You are, and have always been, the best strategist I’ve ever met.” Bishop cleared his throat, folded up the paper and put it back in his pocket.
“We’ll need to leave at sunrise to make sure we have enough time to set everything up before their patrol comes through.”
“Perfect.” Zane replied. “Let’s head back to the hotel and get some rest for tomorrow.” They stood up from their table. Zane watched as each member of his group said their good-byes and left. Keira stayed behind, she was standing next to him, fidgeting with her hands.