by Mary May
Gideon had exposed his right side and his sword hand was low, too low to be brought up in an defensive strike against the demon. Legion laughed out loud when he slid up to Gideon’s right side, his claws extended to grip Gideon’s chest shield. He brought his hind feet up and slashed across the angel’s sword hand and sent the weapon sliding across the pavement. The demon then brought his other leg around and swept the feet out from under the warrior. He landed on top of the angel, smiling with victory.
“And here lies the legend, the Mighty Gideon!” Legion, certain of his victory, opened his jaws wide and went for the kill.
Gideon reached up with his left hand. Gripping the massive jaws, he jerked the foul creature closer until he could stare it in the eyes, and the stench of hell burned his nostrils. “Bite this!” he whispered, then with a powerful shove he thrust the razor-sharp feather up through the bottom jaw of the demon until the tip came spewing out the top of the demon’s skull.
Sabrina watched as the men tried to grab her again and again, but each time they would hit something that sent them soaring through the air. Charlotte was frightened by the roars of fear and outrage as the men kept charging and kept getting knocked back. Why wouldn’t they stop? Sabrina tried to open the car door to reach her baby, but the air currents that kept whipping around her prevented her from moving. During the midst of the chaos, she heard a familiar male voice tell her to just be still.
She turned into the car, covering the window where Charlotte was with her body, and covered her head with her arms and prayed. Finally after what seemed like an eternity the wind died down and it was silent except for the sound of her thundering heart. She slowly turned around and the men were all staring at something over her head. They were pale and bloodied; then she saw them start to shake. They all started stammering and one actually crossed himself. A huge gust of wind blew up from behind her and knocked the group of men off their feet, rolling them to ground like bowling pins. Three scrambled to their feet while one just started crawling away on his hands and knees until they were all gone and the lot was silent and empty.
Gideon hovered just behind Sabrina and slowly allowed his form to be revealed to the group of men surrounding the car. He held nothing back as he allowed them to see a warrior of God in full battle gear, covered in green slime and rot from the numerous demons he slashed. He let the righteous fury he was feeling blaze from his eyes, and with a mighty swoosh of his powerful wings he sent them all tumbling to the ground….
Sabrina was shaking so hard she couldn’t get the key in the ignition, Charlotte was crying in the back seat and Sabrina wasn’t in much better shape. She kept replaying what had happened over and over in her mind. She knew she needed to calm down before she tried to drive, but all she wanted was to get home and as far away from this place as possible. “What did I just see? No way I just saw that,” she told herself. “Oh Jesus, I know you sent your angels to protect me and Charlotte!”
Gideon sat in the back seat with his head against the seat and his eyes closed; he was clean again and had another battle scar to add to his collection. “Angel. Singular. Only one, Sabrina, only one,” he said to himself. He couldn’t believe that he had just squared off against Legion. What in the world was a demon of that rank doing hanging out in back parking lots of small town USA? It didn’t make any sense. But he knew without a doubt that had he not been there things would have gone much differently for Sabrina and Charlie. A regulation Guardian would not have been able to go up against that mob of hellions, especially being commanded by Legion. He glanced over at Charlie who had fallen asleep in her car seat; the thought of what could have been terrified him.
Chapter 11
Gideon watched as Sabrina hurried around the house straightening already straight pillows and cleaning things that only appeared messy to her eyes. Her mother was flying in for the holidays, and she was bringing Evan to meet Sabrina and Charlotte. The past two days Sabrina had been a cleaning whirlwind, and she had made repeated trips to the local grocery store buying items for the Christmas dinner she was preparing. As far Gideon knew, only four people were coming to dinner, but Sabrina was cooking enough to feed a battle battalion. She appeared happy and back to her normal self. She had been jumpy for a few days after the demon attack, but she seemed to have put it behind her.
Gideon had continued to be extra watchful. He had a feeling something was going on in the spirit realm that seemed to have something to do with his little family. He walked over to watch Charlie; she seemed just fine. She was playing in the living room that Sabrina had barricaded off. He watched as she would try to stack her blocks and then would get mad when they tumbled over. He chuckled. Little Charlie didn’t have much tolerance for things that didn’t go her way.
A car honked as it pulled into the drive; Sabrina gave a happy little yelp and hurried to the door. Her mother was getting out of the passenger side of the car and she rushed to meet her daughter with hugs and kisses. She was a far cry from the Catherine he had known before. She was so open and loving; it was really amazing to watch. Catherine looked truly beautiful, her eyes glowed, her cheeks were flushed and she couldn’t seem to stop smiling. A tall man with silver hair got out of the passenger seat.
Gideon studied the man who had stolen Catherine’s heart. He looked to be in his mid-fifties and was tall and lean with gray blue eyes with laugh lines at the corners. He watched with an amused smile on his face as he stood completely forgotten by the car, as Catherine hugged and chatted with her daughter. Sabrina finally looked over and saw him standing there.
“Oh, Mother! This must be Evan! How rude, I’m so sorry.” Sabrina hurried over to meet her soon-to-be new stepfather.
Evan just laughed and walked to meet her halfway. “The pleasure is all mine, Sabrina.” He ignored her outstretched hand and pulled her into a warm hug.
Catherine looked ready to burst with happiness as she watched. “Where’s my Charlotte?” Catherine asked.
“She is in the living room. I’ve created a giant playpen for her in there, so I could actually get some work done.”
The ladies hurried off toward the house and once again Evan was left standing alone. Gideon watched as he got out the luggage and carried it into the house, then leaned against the doorframe and watched the women with Charlie. Catherine pulled Charlie into a tight hug and kissed her neck; Charlie giggled and smiled. Catherine walked over to where Evan stood and showed him her granddaughter.
He smiled at her. “You were right; she is a little beauty!” Charlie hid in her grandmother’s shoulder. She was shy around strangers but give her a few minutes and she usually warmed right up to people.
Catherine bounced Charlie in her arms. “I smell my mother’s rolls!” Sabrina beamed. “I tried to make them like I remembered her doing it, but I’m sure they won’t be nearly as good!”
They all walked into the small kitchen and admired all the hard work Sabrina had been doing. Within five minutes the women were finishing up the meal and Charlie was placed in Evan’s arms. He sat down at the table with her; he seemed to be a natural with children.
“Do you have any grandchildren, Evan?” Sabrina asked. Evan looked up from where Charlie was pulling on his tie and smiled. “No, we never had children at all; my wife wasn’t able to conceive. We tried everything but we were never successful.” He bounced Charlie and she shrieked and laughed. “My wife passed about five years ago in a car accident,” he explained.
Sabrina laid down the knife she had been peeling potatoes with, walked to the table and sat down with Evan. She laid her hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry; I know exactly what that feels like,” she offered.
“Your mother told me that you lost your husband in an accident last year. I’m sorry for your loss as well,” Evan said.
Catherine continued to finish the meal as Evan and Sabrina got acquainted. When the doorbell rang again, Evan went to answer it, being the women were elbow-deep in stuffing the turkey. A few minutes later he was back in
the kitchen followed by Carl, Luke’s father.
“Well, I hear congratulations are in order!” Carl said as he hugged both Sabrina and her mother. “Evan, you’re a lucky man to snag an Avila woman.”
Evan winked at Catherine, “I do believe you’re right, Carl. I’m a very blessed man to have caught this lady’s attention.”
The women laughed and Catherine blushed, then they shooed the men into the living room with Charlie while they finished their meal preparations. An hour later they all gathered at the dining table.
Sabrina laid a beautiful table. A deep red tablecloth with dark green leaves on the edges set off the china that was given to her by her great grandmother. The turkey held the place of honor in the middle and she had placed red tapered candles on each end of the table in elegant crystal candleholders. The table was filled with side dishes and rolls; Gideon really wished he could eat, it looked so wonderful. The family then reached and joined hands while Carl prayed over the meal.
“Heavenly Father, we come before you this day with joy in our hearts that you would choose to come to this earth and be born so that you could make the way for our salvation. Lord, let us never forget that is the reason for this special day. We thank you for the blessings you have given us and for the new members of our family. We asked that you would bless this meal and the ones that help prepare it, and lead us all safely back home when this visit is over. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”
The meal passed with much eating and laughter. Charlie sat in her high chair in her red velvet Christmas dress, a bib as large as a bath towel covering her up. She picked up the green beans with her chubby little fingers and watched happily as her family enjoyed the rest of the meal.
Later that night when the house was quiet, Gideon went and stood once more in front of the nativity scene. He picked up the figure of the baby Jesus in the manger and considered what the Lord had chosen to go through for mankind, most of whom would never even acknowledge His existence or His sacrifice. He tried to imagine that kind of love.
Sabrina heard the doorbell ring again about a week after Christmas. A postal carrier was there with a certified letter she had to sign for. After he had left, she walked back in the living room and sat on the sofa looking at the large manila envelope. It was from a law office in upper state New York. She opened it up and pulled out an official-looking document.
“Mrs. Blakely, we have been advised to release the funds from Luke Blakely’s life insurance policy. Policy number 158763498. You have been listed as the sole beneficiary. The amount to be released totals a sum of $750,000.00. Please be in touch regarding how you would prefer to have the funds issued. We at Cooper, Holdenburg and Stiles Law Firm offer our deepest sympathies in the death of your husband. “
Sabrina gasped out loud and the letter floated from her lifeless fingers to lie on the carpet where she stared at it… Then she raced to the phone to call her mother.
“Mother, I had no idea about this policy; Luke never said a word to me about it!” Sabrina was still in shock and her mother seemed to ask her the same questions over and over. “No, not a word! I have no idea how long he had it. I guess I’ll call them tomorrow on my lunch break.” She spoke a few more minutes with her mother and Evan then hung up the phone. She walked into Charlotte’s room where the toddler was taking a nap. She was snugged up in a corner of the crib on her knees with her bottom sticking up in the air; this was her favorite position to sleep in. Sabrina pulled the pink princess blanket over her and whispered, “Baby girl, it’s all going to be ok. Your daddy is still taking care of us.” She covered her mouth so she wouldn’t wake Charlotte and collapsed in the rocker and wept.
The wedding of Catherine Elaina Riley Avila and Evan Drake Reynolds was a beautiful affair. They were married April 7, 2011, at a friend’s estate in North Carolina. Gideon rode in the plane with Sabrina and Charlie and actually got air sick! What kind of sense did that make? He had wings; he flew all the time! But they hadn’t been in the air ten minutes when he felt the first sign of trouble. He had never been sick a day in his existence so he didn’t know what it was he was feeling, but it got worse and worse and he thought he was going to need one of those little brown bags. Considering he didn’t eat, he didn’t know what was going to end up in that little brown bag… He was just glad the seat directly across the aisle from Sabrina and Charlie was empty. He sat down holding his stomach and hoped no heroic action would be needed and prayed for a quick flight. When they landed in North Carolina, Gideon got to his feet a little on the shaky side. He was pretty sure that Sabrina had booked a round trip ticket, but the next time this angel’s feet left terra firma it would be under his own flight plan.
The estate that belonged to her mother’s friend Sherrilyn Foster was gorgeous. Sabrina knew it was rude to stand with her mouth hanging open, but she couldn’t help it. The house was four stories, and was honestly the size of her old high school. It was gray rock with wrought iron balconies and captain’s walks on the roof. The lawn went on for acres and was landscaped with coy ponds, flower beds and walking paths circling the old mansion. Around back was a lovely white gazebo that was covered in pink, yellow and white roses that were already in bloom. Sabrina felt like she was walking in an episode of Life Styles of the Rich and Famous!
Her mother came rushing out to meet her, “Darling, you made it!” She grabbed Sabrina in a neck breaker hug and they just kind of danced in a little circle.
Sabrina laughed, “Mother you’re strangling me!” Catherine let go and reached for Charlotte. “I’m sorry, sweetie; I’m just so happy I can hardly stand myself!” Gideon could see that with his own eyes. Catherine positively glowed with happiness.
Evan came down the steps and wrapped his arm around Sabrina’s shoulder. “How was the flight?” Gideon felt his stomach protest at the mere mention of the flight; he scowled at Evan for bringing it up and laid a hand over his rebellious stomach.
“Oh, it was fine, no problems at all!” That earned Sabrina a scowl, too.
They walked up the circular front steps and entered through large double front doors into the front foyer. The ceiling was at least twenty feet overhead and had skylights every few feet to let in natural light. There was a grand staircase that swirled along both sides of the room and almost met in the middle, greeting you as you walked in. The hardwood floors gleamed and seemed to stretch on forever throughout the massive house. Sabrina was looking this way and that way, her head looking like it was on a swivel. The foyer was shaped in a circle and had rooms leading off from it in almost every direction.
Gideon wasn’t impressed. Compared to Heaven this was a shack. But Sabrina didn’t have Heaven to compare this with, so he supposed she had a right to be starry-eyed. Catherine stopped to allow Sabrina to look her fill. “It’s just so…so …” she searched for the right words.
Her mother laughed, “I know, it’s a bit awe-inspiring, isn’t it?” She nodded, completely at a loss for words. “Your suite is up the stairs.” A butler led the group up the winding staircase while Sabrina gazed around in wonder. Another set of double doors were opened and the butler ushered them inside. The suite was beyond anything Sabrina had ever seen before. It was like a whole other house. It was probably bigger than her house. There was a sitting area with two tan leather couches seated in front of a fireplace large enough to stand in. Past that was the bedroom with the largest bed Sabrina had ever seen. It was at least twelve feet across and seven feet long with four marble posts and a sheer white canopy over the top.
Sabrina laughed nervously,” Do they expect me to sleep on that thing or run laps around it?”
Gideon thought it looked just about right for someone of his stature, but a tiny thing like Sabrina would get lost in all that bed. The butler advised that the evening meal would be served promptly at seven then left the room. “Really, mother, I can stay at a hotel. This is all just a bit too much for me.”
Catherine laughed. “Sweetheart, I know it’s all a little over the top
but, believe me, Sherrilyn is the most down-to-earth person you will ever meet. She will put you right at ease. I promise!” Sabrina set down her bag and continued to explore the rooms. Through a set of French doors a large balcony overlooked the grounds behind the house. She could see the gazebo and the lily pond behind it. A pair of white swans glided along on the water, making the picture perfect. She turned and went through yet another set of French doors to the bathroom. There she stopped and stood with her mouth hanging open. The bathroom was made out of a cream marble with golden swirls through it. The tub was three feet deep and seven feet across at its widest point; it was in the shape of a heart. Past the enormous tub was a standing shower that was big enough for five people at once. With a skylight above it, it had a showerhead the size of a hula hoop. There were several different jets coming from the back of the shower, and the entire front was glass with swans etched into the lower half. The entire room was too much! It had a long counter with free-standing sinks and a mirror that you could adjust according to what light you needed. Sabrina just laughed out loud at the absurd amount of money wasted on a bathroom.
“Mother, where am I supposed to give Charlotte a bath? She will drown in that swimming pool they call a tub.”
Catherine smiled, “This is your bathroom, darling, and Charlotte’s is through those doors there.”