In the center, Azazel stood beside Tess with a single bag of groceries in his hand. He raised the bag up to the sky and brought it down. Suddenly, four other bags appeared in one hand and five in the other. A couple wiped tears from their eyes and hugged each other than Azazel as he handed the bags to them. Next, Tess prayed for a rail-thin woman with a bandanna covering her head. Her cheeks grew rosy while her body seemed fuller. She undid the bandanna, dropping it to the floor as she tossed her full head of luscious gold hair.
“Thank you, my priestess,” the woman said, exchanging kisses with Tess on the cheeks.
“Tess,” I said under my breath.
Azazel turned—our gaze meeting. His eyes were now a deep forest green shade while he moved toward me. With each stride he took, every nerve in me weakened as if I were going to have a panic attack from my head spinning, and my sweating palms. Leslie gulped as terror formed on her face.
“Maricel, what brings you here?” he said, standing inches from my face. I kept my eyes at his chest level, not bothering to look up.
“I….was just in town,” I said. Tess glared at me cocking her head, around her neck was the necklace Azazel had once given me.
“Well…?”
“She’s leaving, now,” a male voice answered for me. I turned to see Leo standing behind us with Cecily, Rain and his brother. Azazel smirked.
“I’ll see you around,” he said smirking at Leo.
“Maybe,” I said low in tone. Leo grabbed my arm as I walked back to the hummer.
“Why is it your concern?” I said, shoving his hand off my arm.
“Speaking to the devil?” he said.
“No, I was leaving.”
I plodded away, getting in the car with Leslie, Erich and Warren. My eyes darted to Leo again. He was already watching me with Cecily, as they got into their vehicle.
“What did he say?” Erich said.
“Not much, Leo interrupted him.”
“It looked to me like you were quite chubby with Azazel like old times,” Erich said.
“Hardly,” I said, rolling my eyes.
* * *
When we arrived home, the house smelled of pot roast and dinner rolls. My mother was setting out plates and silverware.
“Dinner already?”
“Yes, what took you guys so long?”
“Traffic and crowds. You’ll never believe who I saw.”
My mother covered her head.
“Oh dear, was it Belial, or did you “coincidently” run into Leo?”
“Azazel.”
“What does he want now?”
“I don’t know, but he and Tess are performing miracles.”
“Who’s Tess?”
“My half-sister.”
“What?”
“When dad divorced you, he remarried her mom.”
“It figures, and she just happens to be tied to all this craziness too?”
“Yes, and she is a high priestess.”
“Yikes. Well, the fact Azazel is performing miracles makes since in Mathew 24:4 For the great messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible even the elect.”
“Leo said the same thing about Belial.”
“I’m sure he’ll have a part to play too, come on help me finish setting the table.”
I assisted her in placing silverware on the placemats and carrying over the platter of pot roast, vegetables, and a basket of bread.
“Maricel, can we talk,” a male voice said. I turned to see Leo peering into the kitchen. To my horror, Cecily and his brother were on the couch, pretending to watch television while eavesdropping. I shrugged.
“Let me just finish what I’m doing, then we can talk.”
He nodded. I turned back to my mother.
“Run along, I’ll finish dishing out the food.” She gave me a slight smile.
I left, walking around the corner where he stood, fiddling with his thumbs. When he looked up, noticing I was standing there, he ran his fingers through his short wavy hair. He motioned for me to follow cutting through the living room upstairs. Cecily glanced up at me, whispering to his brother. The two snickered.
We were alone upstairs, standing in the old bar where empty liquor cabinets remained. Most of the glass and broken bottles had been swept up by Rain. The bar was starting to look ready to reopen.
“I know things have been different since my friends and family entered the picture, but I think there’s something else you’re not telling me.”
“What?” I shook my head.
“You’ve been different.”
“Different how?”
“Attacking police, making a scene in a church, contacting Azazel. What has gotten into you?” I was surprised he knew about me and the church then again his brother and Cicely probably told him about me.
“Nothing, I figured since you were busy with whatever you’re doing, I should carry on. It’s not like when I found out I had the gift of prophecy there was crazy glue that bound us together.”
“Maricel, I care about you.” He said. It was the first time I ever heard him say he cared about anything. “It bothers me, we don’t seem as close. First Belial, now my folks and next thing you know you’re talking to Azazel.”
“I heard what you told Naamah back at Yellow Stone. And you’re the one that’s been distancing yourself from me when I try to reach out to you.”
“What I said to her back there was to protect you.”
“I don’t need protection but if anyone does it’s you,” I said.
“I’ve never told anyone this but…” His voice trailed.
“What?”
“I would kidnap people for satanic rituals. I got paid a fortune. Sometimes I was present when they’d torture them.” He craned his head as he spoke. I covered my mouth.
“What made you stop?” I gasped.
“You.”
“Me? Cicely was the one getting through to you.”
“There was a reason I ran away. Pretending to care about Flo was more than I could take. I tried with everything in me—I had too much hate pent up inside. I was all about looking out for myself, but you changed my view.”
“How?”
“When I was first assigned to kill you, I viewed you as another brain dead celebrity.”
“How charming.”
“That Wednesday I saw you putting books back on the shelf, it was hard to explain how I felt.” He paused as if he were re-experiencing the moment. “At first, the very essence of you angered me. I wanted to rip you from the ladder and shatter you into a million pieces.”
“Oh my God, that’s extreme.”
“When you turned around, it was if I was struck by lightning. It was debilitating. There was something in your eyes that called out to me. My hatred turned to love in that very second.”
I turned away from him as a low pain set in my stomach. His confession of care with his honesty about his internal chaos to destroy worsened the growing ache.
“I couldn’t kill you so rather than vomiting on you like I had planned so that you would die a slow death and be blamed for the spread of the disease, I spared you,” he said. “I rethought things angered by my weakness. I tried to fight what I felt for you. I had never let an assignment go, and I sat in my hotel room in Dallas beating myself up about failing to get rid of you worried about the consequences.”
“So, you tried again?”
“No, by sunrise it was clear you were meant to be in my life, and I went searching for you to stop the second assassin Naamah had sent to follow up on what I failed to.” His arms wrapped around me. I buried my head on his chest.
He let go, beholding my countenance. Part of me was flaming from the idea this man had confessed to taking pleasure in the pain of others and the idea of my destruction. There was a chance this was an act. For all I know, he still dreamt of that day, yet as we gazed into o
ne another’s eyes, my rage subsided—replaced with passion. Our lips moved closer. My body felt as if it were set on fire. All the pain from Azazel faded. Just as the corners of our lips touched, experiencing their softness, I spied a familiar face from the corner of my eye. I jerked away. Leo glanced back to noticing her there crossed armed.
“Excuse me,” she said. Leo sighed and walked away, heading back downstairs. She followed him, passing me.
“Stay away from him, you witch,” she said before descending downstairs. I frowned and headed to the dining room behind her, entering in to see dinner was prepared but displeased to see Leo’s father was there as well.
“Who would like to lead us in prayer?” my mother said. Caroline volunteered to pray. When I opened my eyes, Cicely glared sideways at me. The table was sheathed in silence with everyone observing one another, yet not daring to speak to worsen the unspoken tension hanging in the air.
“Erich, how did the trip go to the supermarket?” Kevin said. Erich winked at his attempt to break the ice.
“Pretty well, actually people were stocking up. It felt like a jungle at times, but the best part was it was all free!”
“Get out!” Caroline said.
“No joke. You want to see the receipt,” Erich said.
“Wow that’s something else, God is good!” Caroline said. “Praise God, we prayed to get food to stock up on and stretch the dollar—he did more than just that!”
“He sure did!” Leslie said.
“Who knows how things will look when that mark goes into effect. At least we have a start,” Kevin said. Leo’s brother smirked.
“Simpleton, you can’t depend on the government ran business to be your source,” Leo’s brother said.
“Not all people have the same luxury of an underground market,” Leslie said. Caroline gasped. He exchanged glances with Cicely, and they both shook their heads.
“Baran, they’re just making use of the last of what they’ll be able to get,” Leo said.
“When did siding with those become your concern?” Baran said. Before Leo could answer, he spoke again. “Oh wait, ever since you got caught in her snares.” He pointed at me.
“If you want to talk about me, why don’t you address me directly instead of acting like a little coward?” I said. Everyone at the table went silent.
“Leo, for the love of God can you please calm that woman down. If it should even be called that,” his brother said, laughing. Leo stood up and grabbed his brother by the collar.
“Shut up about her!”
“Don’t you see what she’s doing to you two? She’s trying to create division with her sorcery? She is an incarnation of Discordia, queen of mischief like her lover Azazel. She’ll get us all killed and use us as human sacrifices!” Cicely said, leaping up to help Baran.
“Is that so Cicely?” I said.
“No one is fooled by your tactics,” she said.
“None of this is about me being a witch or not. It’s clear, the real reason you hate me is because of Leo.”
Leo’s mouth parted. He had let go of his brother’s shirt. She turned to me glaring.
“I would shut my mouth if I were you, bitch!”
“Why should I?” I said. She ran at me with a fork. Kevin and Crystal blocked her from me.
“Just sit down and eat. We’re all adults here, let’s act like it,” Crystal said. Leo’s father now watched me.
“What interest do you have with my son?”
“Like it or not, sir, your son and I have a mission to complete.”
“Your no prophetess you tart,” he said.
“My daughters no tart, you bonehead,” she said. He gave my mother a taunting smile.
“You’re the hag that raised this witch? It’s a no wonder she’s as boorish as her mother.” My mouth dropped at how rude Leo’s father was to my mother considering he had a good fifteen to twenty years on her and had the nerve to call her a hag.
“What’s the matter with you people? Just eat your damned food and shut the hell up! If you have a problem with my sister than get out,” Zev said.
“It goes beyond that, she’s corrupted Leo, she speaks to demons!” Baran shouted at him. Zev shook his head.
“Don’t’ talk about my sister that way you lunatic!” Zev said, standing with his fist clenched. Although I despised Baran, I didn’t want Zev fighting him.
“People, please don’t ruin a perfectly good meal,” Crystal said.
“It’s already been soiled by the ill-bred witch,” Cicely said, giving me a look over.
“What in the world is going on?” Rain said as he walked in late from being out.
“A fight broke out,” Leo said. Rain rolled his eyes.
“Give Maricel a break, you barely know her, she seems like a pretty nice girl,” Rain said. Cicely crossed her arms, rolling her eyes.
“Yeah, just wait and see. I bet she used love spells to brainwash him.”
I didn’t appreciate being defamed, especially when none of it applied to me. I let my tongue slip.
“I wouldn’t have to use love spells to make him want and care about me unlike you. Five years and an engagement, and he still left you.”
Leo shook his head at me, pinching the bridge of his nose. Everyone gaped.
“Damn she’s cold,” Warren said, appearing to enjoy the drama.
The candle flaring in the center of the table blew out with a violent gust of wind darkening the room.
“Good evening folks, I’m not interrupting anything am I?” A familiar voice uttered from a distance, stepping out of the darkness glowing. The entire table looked up at Azazel, approaching the dining room with a huge grin.
“Azazel?” I said. My eyes following him, disenchanted.
“If you excuse us, Maricel and I need to talk,” he said. I glanced back at my friends as they gaped. Leo’s family stood back, frightened.
I rose, drifting over to him until we were standing side by side.
Leo sprung forward to attack Azazel. Azazel extended his palm—Leo blew back, his face and body landed in Warren’s, Zev’s and Kevin’s food. All three men sighed. Cicely hopped out of her chair, screaming. Leo wiped the carrots, potatoes, and pieces of meat off his face and clothes. His eyes narrowed at Azazel, who returned a sly smile.
“What did you think you were going to do boy? Save her?”
Azazel took my hand, issuing a familiar shock. We vanished from the midst of them.
* * *
Rows of cypress towered over us, stretching across the limestone pathway. The brightness of the Middle Eastern sunlight and clear blue skies was a welcome sight to the dull atmosphere of artificial light I’d grown used to. Several feet away stood the white marble Temple Mount with its golden colored dome.
Azazel, clasped my hand walking through Jerusalem with me and stopped, withdrawing a bouquet of roses.
“I want you to have these.”
“I can’t accept them.”
“Come on, don’t be that way.”
“What is it that you wanted to speak about?”
“Curiosity is a powerful weapon. It works every time with you,” he said with a smile, revealing his round teeth. “I got you to leave with me.” His golden curls were growing longer again, creating a perfect halo around his head. I turned away from him. “Don’t tell me you feel a connection to those rodents in that basement they lock you in.”
“Azazel!”
“Your family and friends haven’t changed since the day you left with me for Lemuria? Don’t you remember how tired of it all you were?”
“Yes, but I was deceived.”
“They are still as two-faced as before if not more.”
“I’m not going to be taken for a fool this time, you’re a monster.”
“You know in your heart you don’t believe that.”
“I do,” I said. Azazel sighed, closing his eyes and reopened them. This time they wer
e a golden hue, matching his hair.
“Leo is lying about how he feels about Cicely.”
“My relationship with Leo is none of your business.”
“You are my business.”
“Azazel, I’m not your property.”
“He stuck with her five years,” he leaned in and whispered, tickling my ear with his warm breath. “That’s a long time. Longer than you and I were together. Half a decade.”
“He still left her like I left you.”
“There’s a part of the story he’s leaving out.” He laughed.
“Why are we talking about them?”
“Ignorance is bliss,” he said. “In another week, the new international government will be finalized.”
“So, what now?”
“To gain trust, you have to create disruption, people are far more willing to accept whatever you give them if you take food from their bellies.”
“So, this is all one sick psychological experiment?”
“It’s far more elaborate, my dear. Now that they understand what it’s like to suffer, they’ll accept whatever we give them even if it means surrendering their liberties they once fought for.”
“Unbelievable.”
“Even the watchmen will bow down before us to protect those they love most.”
“How can you be so sure of this?”
“Love is a dangerous weapon,” he said.
“You sound just like you did in Mu still as self-serving as ever. You’re nothing more than a misanthropic fallen angel.”
“I am what I am.”
“Unfortunately,” I said.
“How much are you willing to lose for a God you’ve never even seen?” he asked, circling me like a turkey vulture ready to swoop for its prey.
“A lifetime of hell is nothing compared to an eternity in the lake of fire separated from the creator.”
“I’ll hold you to it,” he said. Those words tightened the knot in my stomach. He paced around me, wagging his finger. “So hardheaded, so loyal to a cause you have doubts about.”
“Says, my former captor.”
“The more time passes, the rise of the Lemurian Order is imminent, the closer we come to Armageddon. And the closer I come to conquering.”
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