by R C Knight
Gideon glared at her, his eyes burning with anger. “I want to teach that little bitch a lesson.” He continued pacing around the room. Lilith sighed loudly as she laid across the bed. Her pale skin sharply contrasted the dark bedding.
“I thought you called me here for some fun.” She pouted as she spread her legs apart. “Not to complain about some silly, little angel.”
Gideon stopped pacing; his eyes glued on Lilith as she began to massage her breasts. “Don’t you want to play?” she asked seductively, her eyes pleading for attention.
“Enough Lilith!” he shouted in frustration. “This is serious. That silly, little angel almost got the best of me. I was promised weak, young angels. He said it would be an easy job.” He looked over at Lilith, who was still laying on the bed. “Put some damn clothes on.”
“Fine.” She pouted as she grabbed her black robe and slid it on. “But you owe me for this.” She sat on the bed, crossing her legs so the robe split open, revealing her smooth thighs. He sighed with frustration.
“As you wish,” he muttered haughtily. “After all, you are the reason I have all of this.” He waved his hands around the room.
“And it’s best you remember that,” she replied with a smirk. “Now, what about this angel?”
Gideon walked over to his desk and sat down. He stared at the small, round crystal that he kept on his desk. “We need to find her and bring her in for testing. She’s strong and will make an excellent test subject.”
“What about her companions?” Lilith asked with excitement.
“Take the angels alive if we can. Kill all of the humans.” Lilith giggled excitedly as she clapped her hands. “But she is our priority. If we must kill everyone else to get to her, we will.”
“I hope they put up a fight.” Lilith smiled. “My children love to get their hands dirty. Shall I call them in?”
“Yes, that would be –” The crystal on Gideon’s desk began to shake, a bright silver glow encompassing it. Gideon held up his hand. “Hold on.” She sighed impatiently as she stared at the glowing crystal. A small, hooded figure appeared.
“I am disappointed in you, Gideon.” The figure stared at him, its blue eyes penetrating his soul.
“And I in you,” Gideon replied haughtily. “You said these angels were young and would be easy to take. Care to explain what happened?”
“Aria is stronger than I realized, but that shouldn’t be a problem for you. You are the Lord of the East, are you not?” The man said skeptically.
“Of course I am!” Gideon shouted.
“Then use your resources,” the man responded calmly. He looked around the room, his eyes stopping on Lilith. “I see you’ve already called upon the mother of demons. I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to help you again, for a price of course.” Lilith smiled as the man nodded at her then returned his focus to Gideon. “Anyway, I have good news.”
“I hope it’s more reliable than your last information.”
The man chuckled darkly. “You would be wise to watch your tongue when you address me.” He made eye contact with Gideon, asserting his authority. “Anyway, you don’t need to do a thing. The angels are on their way to you. And if everything goes as planned, Aria will be easy to capture.”
“How?” Gideon whispered in disbelief.
“I have eyes everywhere. If I want something done there will always be someone around willing to do it. You’d do best to remember that.” The figure smiled darkly. “Now, all you have to do is prepare to capture them once they are here. I’ll take care of the rest. Now, I must take my leave.” The figure nodded at Gideon and Lilith.
“Wait!” Gideon shouted. The figure looked at him, his eyes burning with frustration.
“What now?”
“I want to keep Aria for myself.”
“And why would I allow you to do that?” the man asked with curiosity.
“That little bitch almost bested me. I need to teach her a lesson she’ll never forget.” Gideon replied with a sly smile.
“Very well. I never cared for her anyway, she’s quite arrogant.” the figure smiled up at him. “Just make sure you keep her alive for testing.”
“Of course.”
“Well then. If there’s nothing else, I must get going.” Gideon shook his head. “Until next time.” The figure disappeared as quickly as he arrived. Gideon turned towards Lilith, a manic smile on his face.
“Call your children. It’s time we prepare for our friends’ arrival.” He smiled as Lilith giggled excitedly and she clapped her hands together.
“This will be fun.” She pursed her lips and let out an ear-piercing whistle. The ground began to shake as black wisps rose from the floor, taking shape in the bedroom. “My children!” Lilith smiled as she stood from the bed. “Your time has come.”
Chapter Fifteen
Heaven
Michael knew something was wrong when Selaphiel had sent a messenger for him. A message from Aria had arrived in the Book of Whispers. It was clear her mission was going to be more complicated than they had originally planned. She’d only been there for one day and had already been compromised. He felt like she knew more than what she was telling them, but there was no way for him to be sure.
“Is this it?” he asked Selaphiel.
“Yes,” Selaphiel replied. “How would you like to respond?”
Michael grabbed the silver feather and pricked his finger, writing quickly across the yellowed page. We will look into Gideon. For now, stay out of trouble. Don’t add to the chaos down there! He watched as the words faded into the paper and disappeared. “There,” he put down the silver feather and turned towards Selaphiel. “Let me know if there’s any new information.” Selaphiel nodded as he closed the book.
Michael turned and left Selaphiel’s room, his face full of fear. What have I done? he wondered, I promised Raphael I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Michael made his way through various hallways until he reached the library. He looked at all of the books and smiled, this had always been Aria’s favorite place. Michael walked through the shelves of books and made his way to the back corner of the library. He placed his hand against the wall. A golden sigil formed on the wall, glowing brightly as an archway appeared. He quickly walked inside the hidden room, the archway disappearing behind him.
The walls of the room were filled with books. A long table sat in the middle of the room. Michael examined the shelves until he found the book he wanted. He pulled it out and brought it to the table, sitting down he stared at the book. The cover was black, red lettering was engraved in the center. Gideon Johnson. Michael skimmed through the pages, looking for any information that would be helpful to Aria. Most of the book was still blank, waiting to be filled. He found the Battle of Armageddon. A warning filled his mind as he read through the passages.
“This isn’t right,” he muttered under his breath. Michael examined the book, looking for any evidence that it had been tampered with. He turned to the front of the book and read the account of Christ recruiting Gideon. Everything on that page was normal, so why had the other page changed? Michael closed the book and returned it to its shelf.
It’s time for you to find out what happened to Christ. Cordelia’s words echoed through his mind. He scanned the shelves again and pulled out several gold books. He laid them on the table and started scanning through them.
After several hours, Michael still felt like he hadn’t learned a thing. What am I missing? he wondered as he returned the books to their shelves. Everyone knew that Christ had been injured during the battle. But no one knew what happened after he was brought back to Heaven, most assumed he had died. He looked around the room one last time then went to the wall and reopened the archway. If he was injured, he would’ve had to receive some type of medical care, Michael thought as he walked through the library.
He quickly left the building and made his way to the medical center. The building of the healers was huge, its marble exterior glowed with holy light. The
healers had taken years to develop and build the perfect medical center. The walls had been imbued with holy light to help with the healing process. Michael was filled with an overwhelming peace as he walked into the medical center. The lobby was empty, one of the healers sat at the reception desk, a look of boredom across her face.
She looked up as the doors closed behind Michael. “May I help you?”
“I need to speak with Laila,” he responded.
“Follow me.” The healer stood up from the desk and waited for Michael. She continued through a door and walked down the hallway. Michael looked around at all the doors that led into the exam rooms. The healers had decided to set up their medical center similar to how the humans had. The design allowed privacy for their patients and convenience for the healers.
The healer stopped in front of a door and knocked softly. “Laila,” she gently opened the door, “Laila, you have a visitor.” She stepped aside and motioned for Michael to enter the room.
He could sense Laila’s presence as soon as he entered the room. All the healers had rooms in the medical center where they stayed when they were on duty. Laila was sitting at her desk, her dishwater blonde hair pulled back into a simple ponytail. “What can I do for you, Michael?” she asked, her voice like a soft melody.
“I would like access to your patient files.”
“And why should I breach the privacy of our patients for you?” She looked at him sternly.
“It is a matter of high importance. I cannot tell you what it is about. But I can assure you that I will only be looking at the files from a specific time period.” Michael exhaled loudly, suddenly nervous that this might not work.
Laila scrutinized him. Her face softened as a small smile appeared. “Oh Michael. You are adorable when you’re nervous.” She laughed as the tension released from his shoulders. He closed the door and walked over to her, resting his hands on her shoulders.
“You always know how to make me nervous.” He laughed as he pulled her up from her chair. She turned around and leaned into his chest, placing a soft kiss against his lips.
“And I enjoy watching you squirm” She smiled up at him, her green eyes shining with love. “Now, why do you need to access the patient files? If it was for official business, you would have sent a formal request.” Laila’s face turned serious as she stared into his eyes.
He let out a sigh of resignation. “I was hoping you wouldn’t see through that.” He looked around her room, his face set in concentration. “What I’m looking into might be nothing. But it could also become dangerous, and I don’t want to put you in danger.”
Laila sighed. “I allowed you to take me off Aria’s mission because you thought it was too dangerous. I doubt anything happening in Heaven would be more dangerous than going to Earth!” She pushed herself away from Michael. “Now, if you want access you will tell me what you are working on.”
Michael walked over to the bed and sat down. He motioned for Laila to sit next to him. She complied, her white robes accenting her gracious curves as she walked. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched the way she moved. God, she was beautiful, he thought as she sat down next to him. He grabbed her hands and looked deep into her eyes.
“If I tell you, you have to promise not to breathe a word about this to anyone. I don’t care how much you trust them. No one else can know.” Laila nodded in understanding. Michael let out a sigh as he ran his hands through his blonde hair. “I need to know what happened to Christ after the Battle of Armageddon.” Laila gasped as her face filled with surprise.
“Why?” she whispered, fear lacing her voice.
“Cordelia said it is time for everyone to find out what happened. That there is about to be a great war and this information could be the key to our survival.” He pulled her into him, running his hands through her hair. “I have to do this my love, but I understand if you don’t want to be a part of it.”
Laila looked up at Michael, her face set with determination. “I will get whatever you need.” He sighed with relief as he held her close. I hope I haven’t doomed us all, he thought as he gently ran his hand up and down Laila’s back. God, please keep her safe.
Chapter Sixteen
Earth
One week later…
Zane couldn’t believe it, but he was actually enjoying the angels’ company. Not that he would admit it to anyone. They had been making good progress over the last week. Bishop had woken up a few days ago and was absolutely elated that angels accompanied them. Aria had bought them more horses at the first village they had come across. Since then the trip had been smooth sailing. He wasn’t looking forward to meeting up with the rest of his group. That meant they would have to go back to fighting, and for once He was enjoying the peace and quiet. He especially enjoyed his late-night talks with Aria around the fire, she was nothing like he imagined an angel would be.
The port village was a small speck in the distance. The road they were traveling on seemed deserted, they hadn’t seen anyone in a couple of days. Aria and her team were scanning the countryside, alert for anything. He could tell they were a little nervous, probably because of their new surroundings. From what he had learned Heaven was safe and structured, vastly different from the chaos of Earth. His eyes fell on Aria; she was the only one whose face was full of excitement. She seemed delighted in these new surroundings, everything fascinated her and was a new adventure waiting to happen. It made him realize how much he took for granted.
Bishop’s face lit up with excitement as they grew closer to the village. Zane imagined how excited he must be to see Mikayla again. Strange, he thought, why am I not excited to see Keira? He couldn’t deny that they had fun together, but he didn’t feel lost without her around. In fact, he hadn’t even worried about her over the last week. He started to feel nervous as they entered the village.
Zane could see multiple ships anchored at the port. The village itself was huge, the buildings were sturdy, made of concrete and solid wood. A row of windmills stood tall at the village’s border. This was one of the villages that had electricity and running water. He couldn’t wait to see how the angels reacted to the concept of a shower. Aria had informed him that they had bathing pools with waterfalls in Heaven. She didn’t even know what indoor plumbing was, all she knew about it was what she had read in some books.
Bishop took the lead as they made their way through the village. “They should be waiting at the hotel.” His voice was filled with excitement as he scanned the buildings. He stopped outside of a large building, roughly ten stories high. He jumped off his horse and tied it to the wooden post in front of the building. “I’ll go check.” He ran up the stairs and disappeared through the doors.
“So.” Aria stopped next to Zane. “You don’t look very excited.” She looked at him, a hint of concern on her face.
“I was just enjoying the break from fighting.” He looked around at their small group and sighed. “I feel like I’m getting too old for all of this.” He chuckled as he looked over at her. “I guess I’m just a baby compared to you.” Aria laughed as Zane’s face lit up.
Bishop came running through the doors, Keira, Mikayla, and Liam followed closely behind. “Oh, thank God!” Liam shouted in relief. He stopped as he saw the angels. “I didn’t know we had company.” He glanced over at Zane, confusion on his face.
“We’ll explain everything once we get settled in,” Zane replied as he dismounted his horse. The rest of the group dismounted as well. Keira ran up to Zane and threw her arms around him.
“I’m so glad you’re safe.” She smiled up at him and softly kissed his lips. “I got us our own room,” she whispered seductively in his ear. “Shall we go and relax?” He looked around at the group. Bishop and Mikayla had already left for their room.
“There are stables for the horses.” Liam chimed in. Zane looked over at Aria. Her face was filled with joy, like she was happy that his group had been reunited.
“We’ll take care of everything,” she sai
d, nodding at Zane. “You go and have fun. Everyone can meet back up in the morning.” Keira pulled Zane into the hotel, a triumphant smile on her face.
Ryder walked up to Aria. “You do understand what they’re going to go do. Right?” Aria laughed as she shrugged her shoulders.
“Good for them.” She looked over at her team and Zane’s men. “All of us should relax and have some fun. I’m not one to belittle someone’s way of escape from reality.” The group nodded in understanding, Myra and Eliza giggled with excitement. “Kai, why don’t you go inside and get us some rooms for the night. Preferably singles if they are available.” She turned to Liam. “Let’s get these horses to the stables.” He nodded and led them to the back of the hotel. They stabled their horses and grabbed their gear. The rest of the group went inside, leaving Aria and Ryder alone with the horses.
Aria was quiet, gently running a brush through her horse’s mane. “What are you thinking about?” Ryder asked quietly.
“Nothing important.” She shrugged as she continued brushing.
“Come on, Aria. I’ve known you for far too long to know when something’s bothering you. It isn’t that human, is it?” He looked at her, concern lining his face.
“Of course not,” she responded a little too quickly. “I just need to relax. It’s been a long week. And I still haven’t heard anything else from Michael. I have no idea what he wants us to do next. So, let’s just have some fun and relax while we can. Before you know it, we’ll be locked back up in Heaven.” Aria sighed.
“You don’t want to go back?” He grabbed her hand, stopping her from brushing. “Aria look at me. You want to stay here. Don’t you?”
She looked up at him, sadness filled her green eyes. “I don’t know,” she whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek. Ryder pulled her into his chest and ran his hand through her hair.
“It’s alright,” he replied calmly. “Everything will be alright.”