by R M Gauthier
“Your parlor tricks no longer work on me, Michael,” Azrael informs. “I have a few of my own.” He turns and glares at Aaron. “Now, Aaron.”
Aaron stands perfectly still, his stunned gaze on Azrael and his eyebrows disappearing in his hairline. He understands Azrael wants him to do something but he’s unsure why.
Azrael reaches his hands out, grabs Aaron’s head and tilts it upward so he can stare directly into his eyes. Azrael’s stare penetrates Aaron on a whole other level and Aaron has trouble thinking clearly. His mind spins out of control as a subtle voice whispers within the confines of his brain.
“You know what to do,” the soothing voice whispers. “The world will be restored.”
Aaron closes his eyes attempting to shake the resounding feeling of losing control of himself. He remembers this feeling from that night many months ago. The night of his incident that began this entire affair. He recalls staring into the mirror above his dresser, a bottle of pills in his hand. At the time, the voice urged him on, but he struggled not to obey. In the end he lost, and his life has never been the same.
“Dig deep and you’ll find what is needed inside of yourself,” the voice reaffirms.
Aaron’s eyes spring open, he spreads his arms wide, tilts his head back and recites.
““Free the mind. Free the body. Free the soul,” Aaron spews.
Azrael steps back and glances at Michael.
Michael’s gaze remains on Aaron, his head shaking back and forth with a sad expression on his features.
Azrael returns his gaze to Aaron.
“When the skies fall and the earth crumbles, the universe shall be lost,” Aaron exclaims. “We are all doomed.”
The earth under their feet shakes and rattles, cracks begin taking shape. Clouds tumble into the vicinity taking over the sky at a fast pace.
Michael grips the handle of his sword tighter and yanks it out of the ground, while positioning himself into a fighting stance. His face like granite, jaw tight and eyes boring into Azrael. He appears ready to take on the world.
Azrael watches Aaron as he transforms from the little magician with a couple of parlor tricks into the powerful wizard Azrael knew was waiting to escape. It’s a magical moment and Azrael is delighted he is here to witness it.
Aaron stands with his arms stretched out at his sides, palms flat and head tilted toward the sky. With his eyes squeezed tightly shut the wind around him begins kicking up. Sand swirls around him in a tornado effect with him in the center. The clouds above get thicker and darker the longer Aaron remains in this position.
Michael’s gaze shifts to the sky, then back to Aaron.
“There’s still time to stop this, Azrael,” he yells.
The wind howls and the ground cracks making hearing difficult, but Azrael hears him loud and clear.
“Not a chance,” Azrael yells back.
Suddenly, the sky opens, and a beam of lightning strikes the ground behind Michael, causing him to jolt forward, the sword falling from his hand and hitting the ground.
Azrael moves quickly and dives for the sword.
“No!” Michael screams out.
A blast of bright light and a horrendously loud noise bursts through the entire space sending all three of them tumbling to the ground.
Azrael peeks over at Aaron and spots him unconscious on the ground about three feet to his left. He shifts his gaze to the last place he saw Michael and the spot is empty. He scans the rest of the space but can’t find the other angel anywhere. He attempts to get up, but drops back down as his eyes fall shut, and the world turns black.
37
When Fallen’s plan formulates in his mind, he quickly dashes around the clearing gathering the most powerful in the crowd. Topping the list is Dominick, the dragon who’s been closely watching the events unfold. He hasn’t attempted to fly out, but the thought has crossed his mind several times, especially while everyone was busy arguing.
Everyone except Leo.
Leo’s struggling to remain in control. Once the crowd began channeling their powers and their anger is hitting its peak, Leo finds it even more difficult to keep his vampire side at bay. Dominick helps him quite a bit, again. However, now the dark angel is threatening to take Dominick away and Leo knows his control will collapse completely. Losing control in this crowd would be disastrous.
Fallen handpicks Dominick to follow him and in turn Dominick grabs Leo’s arm, dragging him along. Fallen raises an eyebrow, but Dominick just shrugs a shoulder.
After Fallen has gathered the creatures he needs, he returns to Nevaeh with the pack in tow.
Marut shakes his head but doesn’t make any move to stop Fallen in his pursuit. Marut knows its futile. He simply watches with an amused expression.
“Shouldn’t we be stopping him?” Caleb bids.
“No. Let him waste his time. It won’t do any good,” Marut explains.
“But what if—” Caleb starts, but is immediately cut off.
“Leave the thinking to me,” Marut warns.
Caleb stares at him for a moment as he considers whether to push the subject, but then glances at Mazereth who shakes his head ‘no.’ Caleb immediately turns his focus back to Fallen and his cohorts.
Fallen, on the other hand, has gathered his troops and is heavily in the planning stages of bringing down the barrier that encases them. His plan is simple—he’s going to pool everyone’s power to blast the bubble apart. It didn’t work for him and his brother the last time, but he’s sure with the strength in numbers and power he has lined up, this enclosure won’t stand a chance.
The crowd is becoming impatient and fights are breaking out all over. With so many different species in this contained space it’s no surprise these mortal enemies can’t remain civil for more than half an hour. Some of these creatures have been at war since the beginning of time.
“What are you looking at?” A wolf shifter spits out at one of the dark angels.
The wolf stands tall, pushing long strands of black hair over his shoulder and out of his way as he stares down the angel. His stance tenses as the angel raises an eyebrow at him.
Nevaeh notices the standoff and turns to Murat.
“Control your tribe, Murat. The last thing we need is war breaking out in here,” she demands.
“Would that be so bad?” Marut smirks.
“What happened to you?” she retorts.
“Same as you, only I’m tired of waiting. This whole experiment is a failure. The sooner he realizes that, the sooner things can return to how they were.”
“And what makes you so sure things will go back?” Nevaeh counters.
Murat stares at her unsure how to respond for a moment.
“What else could happen?” he questions, with a shrug of his shoulder.
“See, this is the problem with you all. You don’t think ahead. You’re so bent on returning things to ‘normal’ that you never asked if it can happen,” she explains, raising her hands and using fingers to show quotes on the word normal.
“You’ll see, Nevaeh. And you’ll be thanking us once this is done,” Marut assures.
“I wouldn’t count on it,” she counters, then turns and goes back to stand next to Fallen.
Fallen is holding court in the small group he has chosen.
“So, I’ll need you all to work together to bring down this barrier,” he explains.
Some of the creatures are staring up at the glass enclosure.
“Who did this?” Sherman inquires, his gaze shifting around the invisible shield.
“A human magician, we believe,” Fallen answers.
“The same one you told us about at the meeting?” Dominick interjects.
“Yeah, the same one,” Nevaeh responds.
“Well, if he’s as powerful as you say, I’m not sure we’ll be of much help,” Sherman informs, his gaze landing on Fallen.
“It’s worth a try,” Fallen counters.
“Sure, but I’m sure we’ll need everyo
ne,” Sherman says, as he waves a hand at the rest of the mythical creatures in the clearing.
“I was hoping you would all spread the word and get the ball rolling,” Fallen says.
“We can do that, but what will you be doing?” Sherman probes.
“Nevaeh and I will be dealing with the wayward angels,” he informs, then glances at Nevaeh. “Hopefully, we can change their minds.”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Dominick mumbles, then grabs Leo by the arm again and makes his way over to where the fairies are hovering.
“We’ll try,” Sherman replies, then he walks over to where the wolf shifters are in a huddle and joins their group.
The rest of the creatures make their way to different groups within the barrier. They all lay out the plan for the rest. Some seem excited, others are doubtful, but all are willing to try.
As the crowd is distracted with their plan, Fallen and Nevaeh begin making their own.
“We have to stop him, Nevaeh,” he comments.
“I know, but how?” Nevaeh replies. “You know this won’t work, right?” She waves her hand at all the busy creatures.
“We don’t know that,” he counters. “However, I have a backup plan in case it doesn’t.”
Nevaeh stares at him waiting for him to elaborate.
Instead, Fallen strides away heading toward Caleb.
38
The next time Azrael opens his eyes, he’s lying flat on his back peering up at the sky. It takes a moment to recall where he is and why. He scrambles to his feet and quickly looks around. He spots Aaron standing a couple of feet away and walks in that direction.
“What are you doing?” Azrael questions, but stops short right behind Aaron, his gaze caught by the sight over Aaron’s shoulder. “Holy,” he whispers.
“You can say that again,” Aaron also whispers.
They both stare straight ahead at the absolute paradise set out in front of them.
It takes another couple of minutes before either of them finds their voices.
“You did it,” Azrael says, astonished.
“Where are we?” Aaron inquires.
“Paradise, Aaron. We’ve made it to Paradise.” He claps Aaron on the shoulder, then takes a tentative step forward.
Aaron remains still, his gaze forward, but expression awed.
Beautiful luscious grass makes up the terrain for as far as the eyes can see. The space is filled with every kind of tree known to man. Aaron can see a banana tree, orange tree, maple tree, you name it, it’s represented here. His eyes settle on an unassuming tree near the middle of the rest that has bright red apples hanging from the branches.
“Is that?” He points his index finger at the tree.
“Yes,” Azrael responds.
Aaron glances at him, eyes wide and his eyebrows reaching his hairline.
“It’s okay,” Azrael reassures with another clap on the back. “Everything is going to be great now.”
Aaron turns his attention back to Paradise, attempting to take it all in, but knowing it’s impossible with the number of things in the space. He glances toward the back and spots something truly inspirational. He can’t help himself as his feet begin moving of their own accord toward a sight to behold.
He strides across the space, the grass as soft as air until he’s several feet from the object that’s caught his attention.
“Is this?” He points the expanse, which glows a golden color.
“Yes, Aaron. It’s the tree of knowledge, life, whatever you want to call it,” Azrael informs.
“Wow,” Aaron stares at the tree.
It’s smaller than he’d assumed it would be and has bare branches. However, the roots go on forever above the grass, like long tentacles going off in every direction. Aaron follows one of the roots until it disappears under the grassy knoll. That’s when he realizes the root is the same root of the apple tree. He quickly follows another root which leads to the banana tree. The tree of life is the root for all trees.
There’s so much to see, Aaron doesn’t know where to begin.
“Does this provide life to everything?” Aaron questions.
Azrael steps up beside him and stares at the tree in awe.
“Yes,” he simply says.
“And your plan is to what?” Aaron probes.
“Now.” Azrael steps forward giving the tree the once over. “We destroy it.”
“What?” Aaron shouts.
Azrael turns around, the sinister smirk in place as he stares directly at Aaron.
“Now, we destroy it, Aaron,” Azrael repeats, then spins back to glare at the tree. “Then, everything will return to normal.”
Aaron frowns behind Azrael’s back trying to comprehend why he’d want to demolish something so beautiful. He can think of no reason whatsoever. Instead, he wanders around the space with the hope of buying a little time to change Azrael’s mind. He has his doubts, but it’s worth a shot.
“Tell me about your family,” Aaron calls out.
“Why?” Azrael bids.
“Well, you know all about my family. It’s only right I know about yours,” Aaron explains with a shoulder shrug.
“My family.” Azrael chuckles. “My family is completely dysfunctional, as you know.”
“Your brother seems fine,” Aaron disagrees. “He’s been good to me.”
Azrael glances at him with a look that says ‘really.’
“Okay, he can be a bit intimidating,” Aaron admits.
Azrael says nothing, only gives him the look again.
“Okay, he’s difficult, arrogant and a little bit scary,” Aaron concedes. “But he’s helped me a lot.
“Has he now. How?” Azrael probes, genuine curiosity in his tone.
Aaron thinks for a moment before he speaks.
“We’ll he—” he stops talking and thinks some more. “Then they—”
“Exactly what I thought,” Azrael says. “Look, my family has a lot of problems that go back way before you—humans—were even in existence. We’ve been this way for too long and now it’s time to go back.”
“But in order to do that you want to destroy earth, right?” Aaron questions.
Azrael remains quiet as he stares at the tree of life.
“Right?” Aaron offers, a little louder, his voice echoing throughout the vicinity.
“You won’t be far,” Azrael whispers. “I promise.”
“What does that mean? I’ll go to heaven?” Aaron inquires.
Azrael laughs for a moment, then quiets down and glances at Aaron.
“If you believe that, then yes,” Azrael offers.
“I want to know everything,” Aaron shouts.
Azrael stares at him with a pity-filled expression, which only fuels Aaron’s anger more.
“What can I tell you?” Azrael asks.
“Why don’t you start with the truth,” Aaron replies.
“You sure you want the truth because people say they want the truth, but then don’t like to hear it,” Azrael explains.
“I want the truth.”
“Fine,” Azrael snaps, then walks over to the tree of life and stands in front of it, studying its beauty.
He’s quiet for so long, Aaron believes he’s lost his opportunity to find out the biggest secret to humankind.
Suddenly, Azrael spins around and faces Aaron. He shrugs his shoulders twice unfolding his large black wings. He flaps them twice showing off the ten-foot span from tip to shoulder. They’re glorious, all trimmed in red, giving off a red glow. In this moment, he looks exactly like Fallen and if Aaron didn’t know any better, he’d think it was him.
His head is bowed, his body vibrating as he stands in all his glory. His head snaps up, eyes open revealing his demon like red eyes. His smirk is back in place as his fierce glare lands on Aaron.
Aaron takes a step backward completely uncomfortable under Azrael’s scrutiny. He really believed he’d get the truth out of him. Now, he’ll just have to settle for the knowle
dge he’s already gained, which is much more than he ever believed possible.
Azrael spins back to the tree of life, lifts his hand to the sky and his body vibrates more violently. A huge staff appears in his hand, a flame runs along the wood from the top ball down to the handle in Azrael’s hand.
Aaron’s eyes widen as he watches Azrael swing his arm back, then rushing it forward, striking the tree with the burning staff. The tree immediately catches fire, but Azrael hits it again. After several more swings of the wooden stick Azrael tosses it to the ground and steps back to admire his work. The fire spreads from the top of the tree to the bottom quickly. It rushes along each root reaching every tree in Paradise.
Aaron watches in horror for a moment before he turns and rushes out back to where they started. A frown appears on his face as he watches Azrael practically celebrating. It’s a scene he would rather avoid but knows there’s nothing he can do except be a witness.
Azrael turns in a circle, carefully inspecting every inch of Paradise. His impatience is showing as he glares at every angle waiting for something to happen. Once all the trees have burned to the ground and the glow from the tree of life dims, Azrael stares at the aftermath with a frown on his features. It’s apparent he’s waiting for something.
“Are you done now?” Aaron calls out.
Azrael turns and stares at him for a moment.
“What did you do?” Azrael demands.
Aaron only smiles.
Azrael breaks into a run heading straight for Aaron, anger present in his features and he’s growling something fierce.
Aaron remains unmoving with a huge smile across his face.
39
Fallen steps beside Caleb and studies his features. He remains quietly watching as Caleb talks with a few of the angels who joined their cause. Fallen is stunned to realize how many angel’s side with Caleb and Mazereth. It’s been common knowledge that factions of the family are upset with the dynamics of their existence, but he underestimated their numbers.
Fallen finds it difficult to comprehend the severity of Caleb and Mazereth’s actions for the sake of peace. Cutting their wings off is an act of defiance. Whether the two former angels realize this is unknown. The true meaning of clipping their wings remains a mystery, a mystery Fallen vows to solve.