by S S Bazinet
“The only power you have is fear, Col, but I’m not that helpless child anymore.”
“No, but you’re still gullible, aren’t you? It took so little to get you here,” Col said as he moved very close to William. “Now you can’t get away. You’re no better than a fly caught in a spider’s web. And I’m the spider who’s going to have my fun just like I did with that child you once were.”
William tried to look away, but the feeling of being held captive again was back. His mind became a child’s mind. Rough hands had hold of him, tearing off the rags that he wore, exposing his skin to the heat coming off the nearby flames. As the images flashed in his mind, he knew Col was showing off his powers.
This is all a trick. I’m in a world of energy and thought, and Col simply knows how to use it. He’s planting suggestions in my mind like he did with Rolphe.
Col countered William’s thoughts by targeting William with the full brunt of his fierce gaze. His lifeless, sunken eyes were like black holes in space. When they widened even more, William felt himself being drawn in by a mesmerizing force that was impossible to escape.
Col sneered with satisfaction. “Oh, wouldn’t that be nice, thinking this is all a trick? You are quite the fool. A weak, feeble-minded fool.”
William tried to shut out Col’s words, but another bout of Col’s laughter bolstered Col’s power to prove himself. His triumphant shrieks invaded William’s ears and mind with so much unfettered hate that he lost almost any sense of self. But the sounds didn’t only affect William. Col’s high-pitched mirth struck the slimy walls of the cell that surrounded them. Instead of diminishing in volume, it became a raking force that clawed over every surface, making even the hard stones cry out in whimpering squeals, asking for mercy and knowing it would never be given.
William stared back in shock. Col hadn’t only clung to his sadistic ways, he was even more demented than he’d been when he’d shared a lifetime with William and Arel.
Col let out a screech of satisfaction. “You’re catching on, William! You’re starting to understand what you’re dealing with. Now deal with this. I’ve had a long time to hone my powers since we met last,” he said. “Take a look around you.”
William’s gaze darted around the holding cell. But he had trouble believing what he was seeing. The depraved sounds that tormented the walls were still floating in the air. Only now, they’d crystalized into small, black particles.
Col leaned in close to William’s ear. “Watch this, you dim-witted imbecile.”
Col began to call the particles to himself. As he motioned this way and that, they began to assemble themselves into an object. When he was finished, Col took hold of a glassy, black dagger that floated close to his hand. He held it suspended over William. “How about this for brotherly love?” he asked as he plunged the dagger into William’s chest.
William didn’t have any breath to respond, only surprise and an explosive pain that gobbled up any ability to utter a sound. His eyes were useless too. All of the light disappeared when the dagger pierced his body. He was suspended in total darkness. But he could hear. Col’s foul breath was close to his ear.
“This is only the beginning, William. Arel will try to save you. Then I’ll have him too. I’ll have both of you to torture forever.”
In spite of his condition, William had to resist Col’s message. He had to get beyond his pain. He couldn’t repeat what had happened the first time he’d been Col’s victim. In desperation, he’d screamed out for Arel’s help. It was a useless gesture. Arel couldn’t come to his aid. He was tied to a stake and burning too. This time, William had to think of another source of aid. He mentally called out the first word that came to mind.
“Michael!”
His plea was answered immediately. It came in the form of a whisper. It was Michael’s quiet, but powerful whisper. It gently reverberated throughout William’s body. Unlike Col’s shrieks, Michael’s whispers were comforting. They dismantled the icy talons that held William captive. The freezing cold began to thaw.
An instant later, he was back in his body, lying on his bed. He’d never fully appreciated Michael before. Now, he knew why Arel had always depended on the angel. When he opened his eyes, Arel and Rolphe were there, looking down at him. Michael stood off to the side.
William had never felt so relieved to see their faces. He’d visited a hellish place run by an insane villain, and he’d survived. He immediately tried to sit up, but Arel shook his head.
“Don’t move, Will, you have to lie still,” Arel cautioned.
William smiled back. “Are you kidding? I’m out of that brute’s clutches,” he insisted. But when he tried to sit up again, he cried out. His chest was a massive source of pain.
Ten
AREL SAT UNEASILY on the side of William’s bed. He tried to maintain a clear-headed approach so that he could use his healing abilities. William had a wound in his chest. It was an energetic wound more than a physical one, and no amount of effort on Arel’s part seemed useful. Every time he put his hands near William, a surge of Col’s smoldering hatred fired through his mind and body and rendered his efforts useless. Michael and Raphael had tried to intervene too, but neither angel could breach the barrier Col had erected around the area.
Arel sat back. Sweat beaded his brow as his fears and frustration called for retribution. It was easy to see why William was in so much pain. A complicated web of black, swirling energies surrounded William’s heart. Their malignant nature seemed to be poisoning the physical area. William’s chest was icy cold and deeply bruised. Even more alarming was the damage to the heart itself. The vessel was very weak. Its etheric counterpart had been viciously attacked and penetrated. Vital energy, as real as physical blood, was flowing out in a steady stream.
Arel had to swallow back his feelings. William’s wound was definitely a fatal one if it wasn’t treated quickly. He tried to spare William and withheld that fact. Instead, he gave William the best smile he could manage. “And you call me an idiot. How could you do something so dangerous and visit that monster?”
William’s reply came out in a wheezy gasp. “I guess I’ve been hanging around you for too long.”
Arel made another attempt to help, but once again he was bombarded with Col’s rage. He tried to remain composed and unaffected by Col’s handiwork, but images of killing Col, of tearing him limb from limb, were so powerful he almost got sick. He was grateful he’d had so much experience with Michael’s methods. The angel had taught him about how important it was to control his emotions. In Arel’s earlier days, the intensity of his negative state would have consumed him completely.
William opened his eyes, still trying to communicate. “Arel, first of all, don’t do what I did and visit Col. He said that’s what he wants. Secondly, Michael’s angelic blood is useless around him.”
Arel’s golden eyes flared, but he managed to answer in a civil tongue. “I wouldn’t be so critical if I were you. Michael just saved your butt.”
“Yes, but I had the ridiculous idea that having his blood might bolster my own power. I learned how stupid I was.”
Arel could hear the despair in William’s voice. William had never wanted angelic blood. But Arel had been in a very judgmental place at one time. He blamed William for the misery he’d suffered when he thought of himself as a vampire. His need for revenge was so great he couldn’t help himself. He passed Michael’s blood on to William.
Arel knew what he was doing. Giving William angelic blood would set a process in motion. That process would change William’s life drastically. It was a terrible mistake on Arel’s part, a mistake that nearly destroyed William.
Now, things were even worse. William seemed to have lost all faith in what he’d been given. Arel couldn’t fault William for his attitude. Obviously, the angelic blood that circulated in his body didn’t protect him in the least.
Arel glanced at Michael for advice. When the angel returned a nod, Arel stood up. Black energies swirled ben
eath the weak smile he gave William. He was holding them in check, but he couldn’t do it much longer. He squeezed William’s arm. “I’ll be back soon, Will, I need to speak with Michael in my room. Rolphe will stay with you.”
William scowled back. “Sure, why not? I’m already in Hades. How much worse can it get?”
* * * * *
Arel barely made the short distance between William’s bedroom and the one he was using. His nerves were live-wire hot and his rage was peaking. When he thought about William’s pale face, twisted in misery, it triggered something deep down that Arel couldn’t bear. It was as if Col had stabbed him too. When the pain hit his brain, he knew he had to destroy something. If he didn’t, he’d go mad.
He’d managed to contain his feelings around William by using his will and sheer determination. Once he shut the door to his own room, he scanned the space looking for something to hurl against a wall. He headed for a bank of shelves that held a library of priceless books. Valuable collectibles were dispersed throughout.
With a bout of insanity prompting his actions, he grabbed a stunning, antique vase. The crystal piece was probably worth a good deal of money, but the only thing Arel cared about was smashing it out of existence, just like he needed to smash Col out of existence.
He held it aloft and was about to throw it when Michael intervened.
“Try to hold on for a little longer,” the angel cautioned as he removed the vase from Arel’s white knuckled fingers.
Arel’s breaths were coming out in snorts, like those of a bull in the ring after it had been tormented with barbs. “Michael, I feel like my head is about to detonate if I don’t do something.”
“I know you’re extremely upset about what happened to William—”
“I’m literally seeing red!”
Michael put a hand on Arel’s chest. “I think you better let me help before your blood pressure goes any higher. Col’s energy is affecting you. It’s intensifying your emotions,” Michael said in a low, calming voice.
“What do you mean?”
“Think about your feelings. It’s been a long time since you wanted to destroy something as beautiful as this vase.”
Arel glared back. “I swear, I’m going to get rid of Col once and for all! But before that happens, I’m going to make him pay for every second William has suffered.”
“Try not to think about him. Take a breath.”
Arel had to find a way to follow the instructions. No matter how extreme his feelings were, he knew enough to let Michael do his magic. It was a lesson he’d learned the hard way. He’d done things on his own, and the consequences had been disastrous.
After a few minutes, he felt better. Michael’s energy was like a cooling balm. It surrounded the fires burning in his mind and quickly put them out. Strangely enough, his rage was gone too.
When Michael took his hand away, Arel staggered over to a leather chair in the reading area of the room. After the massive expenditure of adrenaline that had flooded his body, he felt weak and unstable. “Thank you, Michael. It’s like you were able to switch off my anger button.”
“That’s the point. Col knows how to turn that button on. He’s a master when it comes to provoking others.”
Arel leaned his head back, shut his eyes, and let the information sink in. “I have to find a way to help William.”
“Yes, but you have to be very careful in how you proceed. William was almost lost. A couple of seconds more in his out-of-body state, and he would have been trapped in the astral realm, one that belongs to Col.”
“Maybe you should keep that information to yourself for now. William has been humiliated enough already.”
Michael sat down in a chair that was identical to the one Arel was sitting in. There was a lamp and table between the two chairs.
Arel glanced over at the angel. “So tell me more about Col.”
“He’s a master at rage and punishment. Anyone who tries to beat him at his own game is going to end up like William.”
“I don’t understand how Col can be so powerful? I thought William and I were making progress, learning how to wield our own power. I did a pretty good job fighting Rolphe when he was still a monster. I might have won if I hadn’t exhausted myself.”
“Rolphe was a formidable opponent and a good teacher.”
Arel sat up more attentively. “A teacher?”
“Yes, you do have power, but your power is more about aligning with your true self, not beating another into submission. When you allowed your anger to direct your actions, it depleted your energy. Rolphe helped you to learn that lesson.”
“Am I supposed to be grateful? I didn’t think I’d survive.”
“Use what you learned. Col’s been feeding his hatred and rage for a very long time. It’s all that he knows. It’s made him much more capable than Rolphe.”
“So tell me what to do, Michael, and I swear I’ll follow your advice to the letter this time.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’ve always done your best.”
“But my best isn’t going to help unless I can defeat Col.”
“You have to let go of all judgment to even get close to impacting what he calls his existence.”
“But how? I just found out how easy it is for Col to trigger my emotions. I might have your blood, but I’m still human.”
Michael stared back with appraising eyes, giving Arel a quick scan. After a moment, he looked away.
Arel fidgeted uneasily. “Tell me. Do I have a chance?”
“You’re doing very well. Your time with Elise has helped you to relax and enjoy life. That’s good.”
“Oh great, I forgot about Elise. If she’s pregnant, and I can’t control Col—”
“I’m sorry to cut in, my friend, but for now, you have to stay focused on William.”
Arel looked away. “All this time I’ve been trying to integrate what you gave me, and yet my mind is still so easily diverted. With William’s life in the balance, how do I get it right?”
“Instead of concentrating on Col and what he did to William, you have to think about William and your connection to him.”
Arel opened his fist and traced the scar that ran across his palm. It was the result of a blood brother ceremony. William thought it was a juvenile idea, but Arel had been insistent that he and William join their blood. “William is as close as any brother could be.”
As soon as Arel made the statement, he remembered how many times William had been there for him. The man might have been cold-hearted around most, but he made an exception in Arel’s case. The memories of William’s selflessness were like sparks of flame, but these sparks were in Arel’s heart, warming it with a fresh appreciation of William’s place in his life. “When I had no one, William was there for me.”
“William always saw who you really are under all of your self-doubt. But you’ve tried to be there for him too, remember that.” Michael smiled. “Your two souls are bonded in a very special way.”
“But how does that help William now?”
“Your bond to William has to be stronger than the connection Col has made with him. One is based on love, the other on hate.”
Arel was about to comment when he suddenly felt anxious. “Something’s wrong with William,” he cried out. He jumped up and ran for the door. When he got to William’s room, his headache was back instantly. But this time it was because of an acute attack of fear. “Rolphe, what are you doing to William? Get away from him!”
Eleven
WHILE STANDING WATCH over William, Rolphe had felt a powerful need to take action. Even though he’d learned to be the passive one in the group, to let Arel or William call the shots, he knew he had to step outside that role in this instance.
A shout came from the doorway. “Don’t you dare touch him, Rolphe,” Arel cried out. “You don’t know how to control your energy!”
Rolphe ignored Arel’s warning and remained steadfast. Something was guiding his actions, and he had
to pay attention to what he was doing.
William looked up with an anxious scowl. “Rolphe, I don’t think I have much time . . . if Arel is right—”
Arel rushed over and stopped abruptly when he ran into an invisible wall of energy. “What the—”
Rolphe barely acknowledged Arel’s protests. When he’d thrown up his shields, he wasn’t trying to aggravate the man. He wasn’t thinking about Arel at all. He was on a mission of mercy. Maybe that was why his shields were so strong. After losing his children to disease long ago, some part of Rolphe insisted on helping William. With that part propelling him forward, he’d opened himself up to forces that even eclipsed Arel’s power, at least in that moment.
Rolphe concentrated on his mission and let his artist’s soul take over. Just like he’d mixed paint colors on his palette, he saw himself standing on some inner plane, mixing energetic colors. Exquisite greens, a touch of soft rose, a dollop of delicate orange. All were blended together, and Rolphe believed he could use them to help William’s injured body.
But when William stared up at Rolphe, the man didn’t seem so sure about what Rolphe was doing.
“You aren’t trying to kill me again, are you, Rolphe?” William asked.
Rolphe understood William’s apprehension. In the past, Rolphe had almost snuffed out William’s life, not accidentally, but with a vicious intent. Granted, it was before he’d been reclaimed by angelic blood, but William never seemed able to forget Rolphe’s mouth on his wrist, almost sucking him dry.
Rolphe smiled back. “You’re as precious as my own child.”
William’s handsome face was distorted by the pain. “Just so you’re not one of those fathers who eat their young.”
After a couple of minutes, Rolphe was satisfied with his efforts. The healing colors he’d mixed were ready. He was about to apply them to William’s wound when he made a discovery. It was such a shocking discovery that he gasped.
William frowned. “What now?”
“Mon Dieu, he’s left the weapon inside. It’s embedded. I didn’t see it before. It was so well hidden.”