by Nathan Parks
“What if I offered you Scintillantes?”
Denora didn’t know how to react to this. “What do you mean?”
“The place where you have not set foot for ages . . . that place to which humanity strives a small lifetime to be able to go . . . yet of which you spend eternity only hearing stories.”
“Get to the point, Hecate.”
“You come on board with me, and I can promise that you will do more than just hear about it: those laced-up boots of yours will actually walk upon the grounds of Scintillantes . . . and do so with power and authority.”
“What is the catch?”
“Just follow my lead.”
Denora thought for a moment. She really didn’t know of what this mad mistress of darkness was talking, but she also knew that she really had nothing to lose. Denora had always been about “what is in it for me?” and never had an issue with stepping away on her own terms. She knew that Hecate was more devious and viler than anyone with whom she had teamed up before, but she wasn’t scared of her.
“Sure, why not? You got me,” Denora casually answered.
◆◆◆
Michael walked quietly alone through the halls of the Arch Council. Scintillantes had not changed much over the ages, but there had been subtle changes here and there. The Hall of the Arch Council was one spot within Scintillantes that still looked as it did the day the Council had first been held. Scars from the War of the Serpents could be seen here and there, but overall it remained a citadel of eternal justice and tradition.
Michael walked out through the pillars and started down the stairs as he looked out over the evening sky. He had to chuckle at how many mortals would cite quotes about there being “no night” in what they perceived as their eternal home. “They believe so many things are shaped to mimic Jah but then come up with bizarre statements and beliefs like that? If their existence has night, then why in the ages would we not have a night?” He just shook his head and looked out over the vivid constellations above him.
His right foot barely stepped off the last step before he felt something that was not normal with where he lived: a cold sense of darkness. He stopped and just looked straight ahead without turning one way or the other. “Who stands at the 14th gate this evening?”
“You are keenly aware that I am able to be here and there at once, Michael.”
The Archangel turned around and looked back up the stairs into the shadows of the pillars. He faintly could make out the silhouette of a very unwanted guest. Michael paused at the bottom of the stairs, looking around to make sure no one else was around. He made his way back up to the figure standing within the shadows. “Dumah, how dare you show your face here! Do you realize what this could do if you are seen? How would that be explained? What extreme situations would arise?”
“Not my issue. I can handle myself just fine, and I am not the one hiding within the shadows of something I am not.” He laughed a minute at the irony. “Mantus wants to meet with you.”
“Why?” Michael questioned.
“I really have no clue. All I know is he sent me to tell you and to see what you are up to. He would like to know why you went to see Hecate.”
“Hecate? If he is worried about me around his wife, then maybe he should spend more quality time with her; and you can tell him that my business with her is exactly that: with her.”
Dumah leaned against the pillar, chuckling. “Would love to see you tell him all of this yourself. Remember how that has gone in the past. This world needs more than just one Angel of Death, so I would hate to see you leave me with that sole responsibility!”
Michael started to rage, his body flooded with adrenaline as he got up in the face of Dumah. “Don’t threaten me! It would be just as sad as it would be to see only one Angel of Death left, and I have no issue being the only one.”
Without notice, Michael felt the tip of a blade nick his abdominal area. “You forget, Council Leader, that I have no problem shedding blood upon what others believe is sacred ground. I willingly gave all of this up for the taste of blood spilled upon the grounds of this very building.”
Michael put his hands up and stepped back. “I know you are only doing this because your brother sent you as his little messenger pigeon . . . and as a good messenger, you can return back to your handler and tell him that next time he wants to breach the grounds of the place you both use to call home, let me know. I will make sure that I have a battalion standing by as a welcome home committee.”
“I’m sure he will thrive on the words I share with him about you.” With that, Dumah vanished in a haze.
Michael stood for a moment, still shaking. He quickly regathered his composure and headed into the darkness himself.
Chapter Fourteen
She watched as a forest full of trees flew by as they drove. They had not returned to the highway after breakfast but had headed into the wooded part of the state. Before, she had only seen thick, green foliage like this in books. She had dreamed as a little girl of finding where the concrete ended and the land of dreams started but had never really been out of the city. Now as they drove, she felt she had stepped literally into a fantasy novel; and she expected any moment to see mythical creatures step from between the tree trunks that hugged closely. She hoped that if they did, they would be the type of mythical creatures that one would want to see such as elves, unicorns, and maybe even a centaur; she could do without anything more of evil and darkness.
Her traveling companions had grown silent and just sat in front, watching the road and likewise viewing the landscape, lost in their own thoughts. They had not told her where they were going other than to say that they were taking her to someone who might know more about what she was going through.
She had lived so long depending on no one and growing up faster than a teenager needed to but not having a choice. It had been the norm to her; most of her friends were the same. They had all joined together and had become their own “little family.” They didn’t need their parents; although Tori knew deep inside she was lonely and that there were times at night that the loneliness was almost suffocating.
Tori leaned her head against the cold window as she watched them turn right into a small lane that took the trio off the main road. Her mind felt a weird mixture of anxiety and peace. She couldn’t really describe it. It was almost as if her mind was telling her she should be anxious and concerned but her heart was resting within her chest, beating an even rhythm of contentment.
The narrow lane they were on now was overgrown on both sides with evergreens that seemed to meet just a few feet above the level of their vehicle, creating a natural tunnel of sorts. She turned to watch as any view of the sky above them slowly became blocked from sight as the tunnel stretched out behind and before them.
“Where are we?”
“A place that not many really know about . . . or at least its true reason for existence. I'm hoping it is a place where we can find some answers, because that is something we are running really low on right now,” Serenity stated with a hint of concern in her voice.
“Have you been here before?”
“Once.”
Tori still could not see anything through the trees or anything up ahead. “What for? Why did you come here?”
“Well,” she hesitated. Did she really want to unlock that door again? She knew the subject may come up, but she had hoped not. That had been a few years ago, and she had changed . . . life had changed so much. Serenity was normally a very private person, and not too many people knew she had been here. She could feel her skin flush as she held her breath for a second.
She didn’t have to say anything, though, because just as she was trying to figure how much she needed to say out loud, the wooded drive they traveled opened; and there, sitting before them was a stone complex that looked like it had been built ages ago.
“Eden,” the teen girl read out loud from a sign that was framed by pillars made from similar stones from which the complex was buil
t. “It is breathtaking!”
“Yeah,” Serenity quietly stated, “more than you even know.”
They followed a drive leading up to a place that was clearly for incoming vehicles. The house had flavors of a medieval castle mixed with the warm feeling of a stone cottage. It was three stories high and had several windows that were accented with small drifts of snow here and there upon jutting rocks and window panes. To describe it as “enchanting” did not even do it justice. It truly seemed an “oasis” after everything this group had recently seen.
Tori stepped out and was taken aback by the purity of the air that filled her lungs and the tingle of the crispness about her. She felt lighter, as if all her cares and burdens had been left back somewhere in the tunnel of trees.
“Let’s get inside. No one is expecting us, because we didn’t think it wise to let anyone know where we were headed,” Chad expressed. He was nervous still that they had not heard from Gideon or Leah, wondering of their whereabouts. He also was wondering if or when Tori would have another spell like before, and he wanted experts to be there for the next one.
The three entered the building through heavy, wooden doors that had a carving of a large tree that took up both sides. The foyer was breathtaking and almost mystical. Accented in dark wood of which none of the three were familiar, it held a magical atmosphere. Lined with large display cases holding strange artifacts, the architecture of the room was smooth with strong curves, all bringing the focus of anyone who entered toward the center where a shaft of natural light from outdoors shown down onto an ancient-looking tree. It took the teen’s breath away.
“I . . . I have . . . I mean it is so vibrant! What is it?” She could barely speak. She couldn’t even explain what it was she was feeling or what it was she was even really seeing. She walked forward, her head going back some as she walked to take in the whole image.
She turned for a moment to look back at Serenity and Chad . . . but only for a second. “What is it?”
Serenity walked up beside her and took in the view. She didn’t answer for a moment but just allowed the immortal beauty of the tree to permeate the young girl’s soul. “It is known by many names, but it is called Etz Chaim or the Tree of Life.”
To attempt to even describe the tree to anyone who had never laid eyes upon it seemed impossible, not only to Serenity but also to anyone who had made their way to Eden. Its trunk was thick and was the deepest, darkest, and richest wood that one could imagine. The wood seemed polished with natural oils, glistening glass-like. The branches reached out in the regal glory of natural perfection: lush with leaves that had no sign of insects or disease or lacking natural nutrients and radiant in vibrant greens.
The splendor of the tree did not stop there, for the leaves were not just an expressive green but seemed to glisten with a hint of a prism, seemingly changing colors as one moved about it. It embodied the essence of a child ready to climb to safety, a lover longing to find romance beneath its branches, or even rest for a weary traveler. It stirred one to much emotion that centered on fulfillment and peace.
“I am in Heaven!” is all the young girl could whisper as she circled the tree.
“Not really . . .” Chad was cut off by a stern and glaring look from Serenity. He knew what it meant: “Continue and you may not be able to speak for a long time after I am done with you.”
“Victoria, there will be more time to look at it and everything else here, but right now we need to get some answers.” Serenity hesitated with her words, not wanting to take away this moment from her young ward; but she knew that time may not be on their side. If she was possessed by something they could not fully understand—let alone detect—and if the name she gave was any indication of what this may be related to . . . then they needed to do something sooner than later. She also was aware that “Heaven” was far from what this young girl was about to go through. She would be longing for Heaven while screaming from hell.
A door opened to their right, and an older gentleman stepped into the foyer. His hair was a beautiful white, and his eyes seemed almost to burn with fire. He walked with a firm and demanding gait that required attention, yet did not demand anything that didn’t seem to come naturally. Dressed in a simple sweater and a pair of dark khaki pants, he came off as a very professional man but one who could be a grandpa and make one laugh at the very way he told stories or the way he fell asleep when the day became a bore. A very personable and genuine smile broke across his face as he walked up to meet the trio with hand outstretched.
“Serenity, Chad, so great to see you both. It has been too long.” He smiled, grasping each of their hands respectively as he spoke. “It must be something of great importance for you to come here without any word beforehand or without Leah knowing. I am sure she doesn’t; thus, I received no word beforehand,” he laughed to himself.
They both looked at each other, wondering who should go first; but the older man saved them the hassle as he turned toward Tori. “My name is Gene, but many just call me Professor. Although some of the younger ones around here have been known to call me Old Gene,” he chuckled. “I think they mean it as a new title of respect. May I ask who you are, Young Lady?”
Tori felt warm and safe. She shook his hand, and then, to the surprise of her traveling buddies, she hugged him as if she wasn’t going to let go. He smelled of pipe tobacco and aged leather. She wasn’t sure why, but this brought a great sense of safety.
“My name is Victoria, but most call me Tori.”
“It is nice to meet you, Tori.” He turned to the other two. He could see the look of eagerness mixed with desperation on their faces. “I take it that this is a meeting full of information and desperation. Maybe we should go into my study,” he suggested as he motioned toward the door from which he had just entered.
They both nodded and followed him. As they headed in, Tori noticed two young children looking down at her from a banister to her left. She smiled and gave them a little wave. They both giggled and ran down a hallway out of sight.
◆◆◆
Gene sat with the same grandfatherly look with which he had first introduced himself to Tori. She sat, wiping tears away with a white cotton handkerchief Gene had given to her somewhere in the middle of the conversation where Serenity and Chad had explained what had brought them to Eden. Tori had not said much, feeling very sure that this man would turn them away once all was revealed.
He was not turning them away, though . . . at least not yet. He was sitting there with genuine concern etched within the wrinkles of his face. His fingers were interlaced, and he was looking toward a window in front of which were numerous picture frames sitting upon the windowsill.
“Serenity, would you and Chad do me a favor and give me some time with young Tori alone? Would you allow me that, Tori?”
She simply nodded.
The duo nodded, as well, and got up to leave. Serenity stopped for a moment and put her hand on Tori’s shoulder. “You are not alone anymore.” She and Chad then left the study.
As they walked out, Chad spoke first. “How is it that someone like her gets wrapped up within the darkest elements of what we fight with every day? I chose to fight these creatures!” He sat down on the bench railing that encircled the tree. “I chose to deal with the sewage of the spirit world . . . but her? Honestly, Serenity, how is it fair?”
She sat down beside him; and she wasn’t sure why she did, but she leaned her head onto his shoulder. It just felt comforting and right. Yeah, he was annoying, but he was . . . well, he was Chad; and he was always there. He rarely opened up like this, and this truly was a rare moment.
“That is the other side of free will, Chad. Everyone wants it, but no one wants to accept the responsibility of it.”
“Responsibility? She had no clue what it was she was getting into! You think she chose this? You think this . . .,” he asked, pointing toward the doors behind which Gene and Tori were meeting, “is free will? How can Jah hold her accountable for choosing
to be somewhere that she could never fully comprehend what it would hold for her? You saw her! She is a scared, abandoned teenager who now could literally have the weight of the demonic world upon her shoulders!”
“That is the part that is not fair, I agree. I am not saying I necessarily agree with how you look at it, but . . .” she stopped for a moment and thought hard. "Free will—free choice—always was an Achilles heel to humanity. Mortals wanted it, pleaded for it, fought for it, but so many refused to accept what came with it. So many refused to accept responsibility and the understanding that each action within free will sent out a ripple that touched others. Those ripples collided with each other; and in that, the outcome became even a new ripple far from the original."