Rise From Darkness

by Ciara Knight

Herak continued. “As time passed I began to resent answering to those who bestowed my powers. It seemed pointless as I had already gained the strength and wisdom to rule the world. Certainly, I was their equal. My love of helping those who were wronged and fighting those who had committed crimes changed. The desire to be a God consumed me.”

  Herak paused in the story as if to muster up the strength to continue. To anyone other than an angel who had lived eons, Herak would seem like a crazy man. Alexander knew better.

  “I gave up the love of my life, the mother of my children. I turned my back on my people and left them to die. A war raged not only between kingdoms but between Heaven and Earth. Hell caught wind of my power and tried to convert me.”

  It was a fascinating story but how would it save Sammy? Why couldn’t Herak give him the medicine and send him on his way with a guarantee of his servitude afterwards?

  “I tell you these things because you need to hear what happens when a person allows pride and self-importance to fill their life, to become the center of all things. To live a life that is harmful and unjust. To condemn those you love even when you mean to help them.”

  “I have only protected the ones I love. I’d never harm them.” Alexander managed to say before his mouth sealed shut, again. Herak must have been distracted long enough to falter on his concentration. So he did have a weakness. Then Alexander could make his move. Once he knew what and where the medicine was.

  “But you have. Sammy’s fall from Heaven, Gaby being scratched and almost driven mad. Even Sammy’s wound that you so desperately want me to heal. These are all things you have caused either directly or indirectly to happen. Stop playing the victim and recognize what your role was in these events. I know it’s difficult but you must open yourself up and see what you have done, in order to overcome it.

  Alexander glared at Herak. He’d find a way for Sammy to return to Heaven if it was the last thing he did. “You missed two. The death of Gaby’s mother and her father’s ensuing alcoholism.”

  “No, I missed nothing. Those were Forras’ actions. However your hubris in believing you, and only you, could stop him is another matter. He used it to gain his revenge. He still is.”

  Alexander stood up, rock in arms, stomach twisted in grief, fury and importance. “Be that as it may, I can’t change the past, only try to save my sister who’s lying in bed dying.”

  “If you will calm yourself and stay seated, I might be able to explain things better.” Herak gestured to the seat.

  Alexander’s legs buckled and he collapsed onto the bench. “How can you control me? Are you demon or angel? Or something else?”

  “It is not that simple. I must explain my entire story for you to truly understand.”

  “I’ll listen to everything you have to say but first, please, let me save Sammy.” Alexander pleaded.

  “If you listen, you save her.” Herak stared down at him as if he were the densest being alive. “In the beginning I was a man of great ability and full of compassion for others. I traveled and used my strength to help villages build homes, dig wells, and protect them from harm. I would teach the townsmen to fight and defend their land. I was seen by all Greeks as a great man, and was worshiped as if I were a God. As time passed I found favor and developed more powers. I was a God walking among people, so I thought. I had such great power I was able to save those from evil, or even death.

  “As time went on I felt used by the people. I thought I deserved more favor and became angry when others did not appreciate my abilities. I was young and ill tempered. There were those who thought I did not belong on Earth. There were demons who wanted me gone so they could have their way.”

  Herak knelt in front of him, stared into Alexander’s eyes as if looking for something then rose and paced the small cave.

  “A group of Greek townsmen fell prey to the promises of the demons and joined their cause to rid Earth of my great power. When they came to destroy me. I showed no mercy. After that, something inside me changed. The slightest incident sent me into fits of madness. As time went by I became paranoid, believing all were plotting against me. Heaven became angry and denied me the death of a warrior.”

  He drew a chair over in front of the bench and sat. “Anger welled up inside until I could no longer control it. Now, I look back and find the death and destruction of those around me. I see how I used my powers and strength to bully others.”

  Alexander’s actions mirrored Herak’s. As the man leaned forward, his hands tightened around his cane.

  With a nod, Herak stood, stooped over his cane. “I will make tea now.”

  Alexander had been so engrossed in his story he’d forgotten for a moment about Sammy. Was it Herak’s powers forcing him to listen? “I don’t need tea. I need medicine.”

  “I require tea and rest in order to continue so you may help with the fire and speed the process along, or you can sit there sulking. I have a feeling you are more accustomed to self-brooding than hard labor.”

  Alexander froze. The words while different were similar to things both Grace and Sammy had said to him. It was time he stopped arguing. Maybe, if he listened to what Herak wanted, he could save Sammy’s wings and her life, and protect Gaby from Forras’ revenge. “What do you need?”

  “You may gather more wood. You will have to go down the mountain to retrieve it.”

  Alexander stood up, dropped the rock to the ground, and walked out of the cave ready to take flight from the side of the cliff.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

  “Why not? I thought you wanted firewood.”

  “Yes, but I don’t want you in a million pieces. Your powers do not work here anymore than mine. It is part of my punishment. The knowledge that once I was strong and could do anything and now I am as weak as a newborn. However, if you do not believe me, continue in that direction and fall to your death. Of course, it will mean Sammy’s death, also.”

  Alexander stepped back in the cave contemplating all out war but the smug old man just sat hunched over the wood, stoking the fire, whistling to himself.

  No use. There was no choice but to descend down the mountain, and pray the old man was right, time didn’t matter here, that he could still save Sammy. But that meant trusting Herak, and he wasn’t sure he could. Yet, he had no choice.

  The moonlit path kept him from falling to his death but the walk seemed eternal. Not a sound filtered through the air. Not from nature. Not even his own footfalls. Nor was there any smell of flowers or trees. This sunless, soundless prison was a hell as surely as the ones demons lived in with Lucifer. Maybe more so, because Herak had no relief whereas demons came to earth to torment and tempt weak humans.

  Upon reaching the bottom of the hill, Alexander tried to pry a small limb from a nearby tree but couldn’t. No strength at all. He was reduced to the simple task of finding and gathering wood. On the ascent up the mountain his back, arms and legs throbbed. Never had he felt so tired and sore. Or old.

  By the top, he could no longer stand and fell to the ground. Blood oozed from one of the wounds inflicted by jagged stones he’d landed on. How was this possible? An angel’s skin couldn’t be cut by mere rocks.

  He pushed himself up and collected the wood. As he staggered into the cave, he spotted the old man sprawled on a bed in the corner, his snores echoing through the cave.

  “Herak.” Alexander dropped the wood to the floor next to the burning embers. “Herak, I’m back with the wood.”

  No response. “Oh, God, please don’t let him have a stroke.” Alexander walked over and nudged the bed to wake him but nothing. “Herak, you need to wake up. It’s time to finish. We are running out of time.”

  Herak snorted awake. “You don’t need to yell at me. I’m old, not deaf.”

  “I’m running out of time.”

  “You are running out of time?”

  “My sister, she’s running out of time but she’s counting on me to save her.”

  “Have you ever
thought that the fact you’re always trying to save everyone is at the heart of your problems?”

  “What am I supposed to do? Let her die?”

  “I’m not saying that. But are you the only one that can save everyone? Does it always have to be you alone, standing against all odds, with no one else’s help?” Herak sat up, his silver eyes keen and probing.

  “Grace. Those words came straight from Grace’s mouth.”

  “Thank you.” Herak said with a smile.

  “I don’t understand. How do you know Grace?” He shook his head, trying to make sense of everything he’d experienced. “Right now, I don’t care. The sun has not yet risen, so that means I still have time.”

  “If you wait for the sun to rise, you will be waiting a long time. As you have already figured out,” Heark said with a smirk.

  “You’re right. But the sooner I leave the better Sammy’s chance is to survive.”

  “Then go my young friend.”

  “I can’t I need your—”

  “Help? Hmm. I thought you needed no one’s help.” Herak stated with a look of satisfaction.

  “Fine, I need your help. Please.” Alexander said, yet he knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Herak wasn’t finished with him.

  “Where was I?”

  “You’d had great power but used it for evil.” Alexander struggled to stay focused on Sammy. Yet … if what Herak said was true and he really communicated with Heaven from Earth, there could be a way to help Sammy redeem herself. Maybe a way he could save her.

  “You just don’t learn, do you?” Herak interrupted Alexander’s train of thought.

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  “I tell you that you need the help of others and you start planning how to save someone alone by using what I know. Grace was right. You are the makings of me all over again. Well son, you’ve heard that I spoke to Heaven but did you know I’ve been to Hell?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Gaby pushed the pale green curtain back and searched the driveway. “Where are you?” Two hours had passed and still her dad hadn’t arrived home.

  For some reason, the empty house made her nervous. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other then backed away from the window at the sounds of far off dogs howling in the night.

  Patronus raised his head but still remained on the foot of her bed.

  Kaboom. A loud crash sounded from the woods outside. A tree falling? Forras and his friends having a party? Could be anything.

  Patronus appeared unfazed. As she walked toward the bedroom door, he rose up on all fours and looked at her as if to say, you’re not going anywhere. It did seem ludicrous. Nothing like repeating the things seen in all those horror movies she’d watched. The dumb blonde goes outside to investigate some strange noise, only to be slaughtered by a deranged lunatic waiting for her.

  Forras could definitely play the role of the lunatic and she sure looked like the helpless blonde. Touching the play button on her iPod, she scanned through some dance music and picked a more recent song. Turning the volume up she danced around her room trying to ignore how quiet and lonely her life was.

  If Alexander were here he’d know what to do. After all, he’d sobered her dad up. That was an amazing act in itself. But when he returned would he even want to see her after all those horrible things she’d said and accused him of? Gaby tried to lose herself in the music, escape all the questions. But it was no use.

  What if he didn’t return? No, he had to, if for no other reason than to bring the medicine to Sammy. There hadn’t been any time to speak about what happened before left. Once he had time to think about things would he hate her? The minute their love was tested she betrayed him.

  Defeated, she fell into her desk chair, panting.

  Patronus jumped down and waged his tail. She turned the music down and changed it to some soothing jazz. Something her father listened to often while sipping on his bottle.

  Was she trying to torture herself? Wallow in self-pity for a while?

  Maybe she should call and see how Sammy was doing. It was late but certainly Grace would be up tending to Sammy.

  She reached into her shorts pocket for her cell phone. It wasn’t there. Where could it be? Downstairs, in the kitchen?

  The sounds of the rustling leaves and chirping crickets invaded her senses the minute she reached the bottom of the stairs.

  All she found on the counter were the toaster oven, block of knives, and a dish rack. After searching the kitchen table the living room and the laundry room, there was still no phone. Her pulse raced at the thought of having no landline or cell phone to call for help. There was never a land line in the house because her father always believed a cell phone was closer and with you at all times. Landlines were useless in a pinch.

  Thinking back over the day, could she have left it at Grace’s house or in the clearing of the woods? The thought of going out into the night to find her phone didn’t seem reasonable but staying at home with no phone wasn’t a particularly good option either.

  An uneasy chill ran down her back.

  “Patronus, come.” Gaby and Patronus went to Bruce’s room and peered around the corner. She ran for the drawer and pulled out one of his handguns. Checked and saw it was loaded. She wasn’t sure if mere bullets would harm a demon, but what other choice did she have? Hopefully all the time she logged at the range with her dad would pay off.

  “D-Dad.” No answer. “I’m locked and loaded here so you better speak up quick.” She stood next to the doorway but no answer came. Locked and loaded, how stupid did she sound. The phrase her father always said when they were shooting together.

  She walked to the bathroom door. Clutching the rough black handle, she angled the gun down toward the floor. “Patronus.” She motioned him to go in, when he didn’t bark, she followed behind him. He stood in front of the shower and whined. Gaby walked over and yanked the shower curtain back. No one was there. But blood ran along the floor of the tub. More resided in the sink.

  Her father must have snuck in at some point to tend his wounds. When she walked out to the bedroom there was gauze and bandages, iodine and a threaded needle. Items she had seen far too often in her life.

  She sucked in a quick breath and checked the closet. Clearing the room strategically as taught by her father, she bent down to the floor to look under the bed. To her relief there was no one there. Her father must have been well enough to leave again and no unwanted bad guys remained behind. There were several boxes under his bed. That was strange considering she had done all the unpacking.

  They were heavy as she pulled them out from under the bed.

  As she looked down at the boxes, a vision flashed in her mind. This scene, it was from one of her drawings. She was sure of it. And if she drew it, that meant it was something significant.

  There could be a clue in the picture. Gaby darted up the stairs, leaving the gun on the floor.

  Papers flew in all directions as she pulled her portfolio out and bolted back down stairs. Patronus waited in her father’s room as if he knew she would return. He was a strange dog, but invaluable the way he was a walking alarm when demons approached. Well, excluding Boon of course.

  Returning to him, she patted Patronus on the head. “Let’s see what’s going on here. Maybe I can figure something out that can help.”

  Removing one of the lids, she discovered it was full of papers. She read a few lines from each page as she flipped through them. They didn’t make any sense. She reached up to grab her portfolio off the bed. Untying and opening the flap, she pulled the pictures out and started to spread them around. The picture of her looking through the boxes sat in front.

  For an hour, she sat on the floor trying to make sense out of the pictures in front of her, but nothing clicked. She organized them into two piles. The pictures on the left showed past events, those on the right future ones. The one that showed Forras attacking Sammy sat on top. If only she’d realized what it meant, she co
uld have prevented what happened. Now, Sammy would probably be maimed forever. She shivered at the thought and pushed it aside.

  Pulling another lid off the second box, she found it full of more papers. There were symbols that looked foreign to her, pages written in Latin. One looked like a diagram of a demon but the comments pointing to the various body parts were all in Latin.

  The third box was full of maps and diagrams. She pulled all the papers out and tried to put them in piles based on diagrams, foreign language, maps, etc.

  They meant something but what? In the bottom of the third box, she found an old worn leather bound book. The pages were crinkled and the handwriting appeared to be her father’s. It was a journal. Her father’s journal.

  A white envelope fell in her lap when she opened the creased pages. She ripped it open and discovered a letter in her father’s handwriting. Glancing down the page she froze.

  Fallen angel located. Termination guaranteed in two weeks. Demon will follow within one additional week. Request retirement and relocation after mission completion.

  Respectfully,

  Earthbound Hunter.

  “Earthbound Hunter?” She’d heard Alexander mention them. Was that her father’s real occupation? Were the cuts and bruises caused by demons? Did her father know about Forras and his role in her mom’s death? Is that why they were here? To get revenge?

  Her heart thumped hard against her chest. “Angel? Termination?” A choked cry escaped her lips. No, it was okay. Alexander had left. But Sammy was still here and so was Grace. It could be any one of the three of them because the letter stated singular angel.

  Why would he want to harm an angel? Alexander had only mentioned being hunted and protecting Sammy from hunters. The only thing she could recall Alexander having said is that the hunters believed no supernatural creatures should be on Earth, and that a fallen angel is the same as a demon.

  She needed to find Dad, now. She needed to tell him he was wrong. Somehow, the government must have convinced him they were the same. He’d believe his own daughter over anything they’d told him. Especially when she told him how a fallen angel saved both of them, several times.