“Well, this is not what I expected,” Karma announced curtly. “Does your father know you’re here?”
“No, mother,” Destiny replied meekly, appearing submissive. “I’ve come to beg for my people,” she said more loudly. “Keeper has abandoned us. I’ve come to offer my assistance to you and your house, with one condition.”
“You should be so bold,” Karma bit through clenched teeth. “We don’t need you.”
“Karma,” Dante interjected, placing his hand on her arm.
Glancing at him briefly, the older woman appeared agitated at his interference. Recovering quickly, she addressed her child again; “What is it that you want? Why are you present in my house?”
“I have come to serve you,” Destiny insisted, a tear gleaming in her eye. “Please, mother. The Light Angels will be destroyed. Help us.”
Charlie watched the exchange in awe. Hundreds, even thousands of years, Karma had longed to have her children back. One of them now stood before her, and it looked as if her pride would prevent her from accepting her. “Please, Karma,” he reached out to her telepathically. “She’s here; don’t miss this chance t’ make things right with your child,” he silently begged.
Turning slowly, Karma located Charlie among those who remained awake. Her mouth relaxed, and her lips parted, “I’m not sure I can forgive you.”
“Then don’t; not yet. But allow me to at least begin to make amends,” the head of the Light Angels pleaded. “Can you let me show you my sincerity?”
Realizing that they did indeed need her, Karma closed her mouth firmly and announced, “Wake the others. Everyone meet in my haven. Let’s get this over with quickly, before I change my mind.” Glaring at Charlie with a dagger-sharp stare, she replied, “things will never be right with my child.”
“Give it time,” he smiled, turning to his wife. “Do you think she will sleep through? I’ll move the bed over for her an’ meet you there.”
“Emily will be part of the ceremony,” Karma announced. “Bring the bed if you wish, but I dare say she won’t need it.”
“Part of the ceremony,” Clarisse gasped, running her fingers lightly over the top of her child’s head. “Karma, I don’t understand.”
“Not now,” Karma replied, her red hair glowing brightly around her. “Take her over to my haven; I’ll join you in a moment.” She disappeared before any further argument could be made.
Running his hand down her back, Charlie soothed, “It’s ok, love. Emily will be fine. We’ll both be there t’ protect her.”
Clarisse did not appear convinced, but transported herself and her daughter just the same. Arriving in the large dark chamber, she held her tiny bundle close, breathing against her hair. “Don’t be frightened, my sweet,” she whispered. “Daddy isn’t going to let anything happened to you.”
The others arriving one and two at a time, the room filled quickly as they milled about, no one quite sure what would happen next. A small table appeared in the center of the room, where Charlie had once kneeled and been connected to Karma. Walking over to it, he examined it to find that it stood waist high. The top covered in a thick, flat pillow, he deduced it would hold his daughter during the ceremony. I guess it’s a good thing she’s too small to roll over yet; she would fall off if she did. The thought of her crashing to the floor sent a shudder through him, and he sighed, almost certain that the danger his offspring would face would be far greater than a mere tumble to the floor.
“Everyone, gather around, please,” Karma announced, appearing beside him. “We need to from a circle, and I need for the baby to be placed here,” she indicated the cushion Charlie had been inspecting.
Reluctantly, Clarise came forward, resting the sleeping infant on the stand. Her golden hair falling in a shimmering cascade, she bent over slowly and kissed her on the forehead, fear gripping her that this would be the moment she would lose her forever.
“Don’t worry,” Charlie reassured her, his hand atop the tiny head. “Everything’s gonna be fine.”
“Spread out, everyone,” Karma called loudly. “Charlie, you and Clarisse, stand opposite each other in the circle; one of you at her head, and the other at her feet.”
Twirling around, she scrutinized as the ring formed. “That’s it, we need about two feet between each of you,” she praised, weaving her way around, directing them to adjust accordingly. When the group appeared set, she darkened the room with a wave of her hand, and then turned, igniting the candles along the walls one by one, in quick succession.
Moving to the center, she lay her hand gently on the infant’s chest, and smiled. “What was broken has been mended,” she announced loudly, beginning her ritual. Her long red gown flowing about her, she flittered to the ring and wound her way through it; in and out, she passed between the members.
Inside, outside, Charlie watched her dance between them, transfixed with the grace of her movements. When she passed before him, he felt an odd pull, as if he were kneeling on her floor again, and she were extracting his soul.
Caught up in the spectacle, he had failed to notice the faint glow that the child in the center had begun to emit. The light glowing brighter as she moved, muttering her chant, he suddenly caught it when his daughter twitched, raising her arms for a moment, and then dropping them slowly back to her sides. “Emily!” he breathed.
“Focus,” Karma commanded. “Everyone, get on your knees.”
Around the circle, each member knelt in place, as Karma resumed her waltz around them. Placing her hand on their heads, she moved one to the next. “Yes,” she hissed, as the ring began to display a soft radiance of its own.
Only able to see the top of his daughter’s head from his new position, Charlie’s heart raced. Stopping at him, Karma moved in a full circle around him. Her hand on his crown, she paused and said in a low tone, “Give her to me.”
“What?” he stammered, unsure if she wanted him to get up and fetch her.
“In your heart,” Karma slurred the words together, connecting them like a song. “You must let go, and release your child to us.”
Swallowing, his adam’s apple moved up in down as he raised his head to stare up at her. Unable to see her face, as the light behind her covered it in shadow, he blinked at her, trying to bring her into focus. “Please, Karma,” he begged.
“Do you trust me?” Karma whispered.
Images of the past flashed through his mind; the fight with the Dark Angels, Keeper and his warning before his father died. His eyes flicking around, he could see the outline of John. “Yes,” he replied, his voice raw. “She is yours, as I am yours.” Dragging his clear blue orbs back to his mistress, he raised his chin and dropped his head back before closing them. The power surged within him and he could feel his spirit being torn from his flesh.
Around the group, sixteen pods of light floated above their forms, then converged in the center, over the newborn babe.
A moment later, it exploded into a million points scattered around the room, like stars hurtling through space, then collapsed into darkness; the deed was done.
Nothing to See Here
Blinking, Charlies vision slowly returned to normal, and he could make out the candles that decorated the walls. “Is that it?” he called with a shaky voice. Groggy, it seemed as if a dense fog surrounded him, slowing his movements and impairing his thoughts.
To his left, he could see Annalise, who appeared to be experiencing the same circumstances. Reaching out to her, he asked, “Are you ok?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she mumbled, holding her head in her hands. “I feel drained. Like I have no energy.”
“It will pass; your strength will return,” Karma assured her.
Looking in the direction of her voice, the woman appeared hazy, but he could tell she stood next to the podium in the center of their group. “How is she, Karma? Is she ok?” his voice cracked, afraid he had lost the only thing he had ever loved as much as Clarisse.
“Your daughter is fine,”
Karma soothed. “She’s resting.”
“Resting,” he coughed, getting his feet under him and forcing his legs to move. “Is that some nice way of saying that she’s dead,” his voice trembled as tears formed in his eyes.
“No, she isn’t dead!” his benefactor gasped. “What sort of monster do you take me for!” Staring at him as he reached them, she could see the agony on his features. “Did you really think I was going to sacrifice her to save the rest of us?” she demanded in horror.
“I was afraid that you might,” he confessed, laying his hand against a tiny cheek and feeling the air of her breath brush against his flesh. “I was so scared,” he whispered.
“Oh, Charlie,” Karma sighed. “Everything will be different now. We must be strong for what comes next.”
“What comes next, anyway?” Phil demanded, having regained some of his faculties.
“We prepare for battle. The humans must be culled; we don’t need nearly so many of them, and in time this planet will recover from the destruction they have brought upon it. And we must remove the Dark Angels from our world,” she grinned, her eyes meeting those of her daughter. “The Summer Angels will be spared, as promised,” she assured her.
“What do you mean, culled?” Charlie stammered, his own strength returning. “Surely you’re not planning to kill them.”
“No,” Karma laughed. “They are killing each other quickly enough. But, I’d like to set up a sanctuary and start evacuating the ones I plan to keep.” Her smile seemed out of place in the context of the carnage her words implied.
“But the Angels; their eyes have been opened, right?” Charlie stated in an agitated tone. “They know who they are now?”
“Yes, they are self-aware,” Destiny intervened. “They are… confused. There’s so many of them!” she breathed. “Mother, what do we do? How do we help them?”
“First things first,” Karma insisted. “It may have only seemed like a few minutes, but the ritual has taken all night. It is light outside. Let us have a meal and we will discuss our course of action.”
Transporting the gathering in unison, Karma placed them each in a chair at the tables and lined each of the flat surfaces with a variety of breakfast foods and drinks. Looking around at each other for the first time, those who had been part of the living plane all along seemed in awe.
“I can see you!” Portia exclaimed, reaching over to touch Father’s arm as he sat beside her.
“Of course you can!” Karma smirked. “The planes are united, and we are rejoined. No more crossing.”
“Mother,” Destiny interrupted with an odd look on her face. “Wouldn’t it be wise to remove the Dark Angels first? Perhaps Fate could be spared,” she stated hesitantly, “but I feel like the rest need to be dispatched as soon as possible.”
“A wise precaution,” Karma agreed, taking a slow stroll around the gathering.
From his place at the end of the table, with Destiny in Karma’s previous spot on the far end, Charlie felt an odd tickle in his gut. His lips tingled, and he rubbed at them anxiously. “Why must any of them be destroyed?” he asked, only half afraid of being punished for speaking up. The irritating sense of bugs crawling over his flesh consumed him as he squirmed.
“Charlie, what has gotten into you?” Karma’s voice became loud, filled with disgust.
“I don’t know,” he shrugged, running his hands over his burning flesh. “I feel weird. I need to get out of here.” On his feet, he turned in a quick circle, as if searching for the exit.
“Charlie, where are you going?” Clarisse spoke up, holding her daughter firmly against her chest. “We need you here with us!”
“You’ll be fine,” he patted her on the shoulder with the reassurance. “I have to see what’s out there. I’ll be back later.”
“Charlie Phillips, sit down!” Karma commanded. “No one leaves the house until a plan is in place!”
“Arruh,” he grunted, “I’ll be fine!” Scratching at his arms, his face contorted, he didn’t look fine. “Everyone else stay here. I’ll be back in a bit,” he informed them before he vanished.
Looks of awe and surprise flickered around the group before Karma soothed, “Finish your meal. We will convene in the lounge in one hour. That should give him enough time to return.”
Across the world, Charlie materialized in a familiar park. Recalling the couple he had seen there a few times with their child, he focused on them. Searching, he located the man in a small cottage nearby. At that moment, it occurred to him that he could not hide in the magical plane to spy on them as they had always done; “Shit.”
Thinking quickly, he stepped over to the wall next to him, where a large window made of smaller panes of glass decorated a storefront. Many of the panes broken, the business had obviously been looted, as he could see the empty shelves inside.
Choosing one of the small squares that remained intact, he tapped it and brought the image he wanted to see into view. Inside the small dwelling, he could see the man and woman holding one another and weeping. “Their child; their baby girl!” His heart pounding, recalled Clarisse saying that she had been part of the rapture.
Placing his hand flat against the glass, Charlie touched the image of the man. “The aura,” he breathed. He could see the faint glowing haze he had observed on other humans only a few days before. Tapping the surface again, he removed his connection and turned to scour the street.
Few people moved about, despite the time of day; about five p.m. local time. Watching the few that did, they moved quickly from place to place, virtually ignoring everyone around them. Walking for about a block, he noticed that no cars moved, only pedestrians. Deciding to talk to one of them, he stopped a young blond, about his height, catching his arm and demanding, “Excuse me. Where is everyone?”
His eyes wide, the boy stared at him, then let loose with a flurry of German.
“Yeah, that was dumb,” Charlie confessed aloud. Grabbing the side of the young man’s head, he pressed his palm against if for focus and scoured his thoughts. Releasing him a moment later, he felt numb.
The town had been in chaos since Keeper had stripped away the Angel’s children, as much of the world had been. To top it off, some of the men in the village had apparently gone insane only a few hours before, claiming to be gods from another world and demanding to be worshiped.
“They’re terrified of us!” Charlie breathed. “Thank you,” he said more firmly, releasing his grip on him and stomping down the street for another half a block before teleporting to the location he had previously been observing.
Materializing on the small stoop, he knocked vigorously on the door. When nothing moved inside, he shouted, “I know you’re in there! Open up, or I’ll come in after you!”
The door swung wide abruptly, and the man, short with dark straight hair, stood before him. “What do you want?” he demanded in perfect English.
Sensing the aura around him, Charlie’s breath grew shallow and his heart raced. “We need to talk, that’s all,” he informed him, holding up his hands to show him his palms.
“Who are you?” the man insisted, peering around him to discover if he were alone.
“My name is Charlie,” he stammered. “I know you don’t know me, but I’ve seen you. I know about… your daughter,” he said in a low voice.
His eyes wide, the man’s face lost three shades of color and he stepped back, closing the door with a slam and throwing the deadbolt into place.
“Ah, come on,” Charlie grunted. “You know that ain’t gonna stop me,” he muttered as he walked through the covering as if it weren’t even there. Inside the entry, he paused, locating the man through another open doorframe backing away and knocking over furniture as he went, inside what appeared to be the living area.
Stepping towards him, Charlie held up his hands once more; “I jus’ wanna talk!”
The woman cowering behind the man began to weep loudly, crying out in fear. Connecting with her telepathically, he sooth
ed her inside her thoughts; “It’s ok. I’m not gonna hurt you.”
“Oh my God,” she panted. “How are you doing that?”
“Doing what?” her spouse demanded, glancing over his shoulder to see her.
“He’s talking to me… inside my head,” she admitted in a trembling voice.
His eyes wide, the man glared at him.
“Yeah,” Charlie informed him, using his thoughts, “we can connect with each other.” A look of pure panic washed over his target’s features, and he realized that the man hadn’t told his wife about his condition. “I know you’re afraid,” he continued the silent conversation. “Please, let’s go somewhere an’ talk. Your wife is terrified.”
“She has a right to be,” the man replied aloud. “Everyone has gone insane!”
Chuckling, Charlie shrugged, “I guess it does look that way.” Lowering his hands, he held the smile. “Please. Sit with me a few minutes, an’ let me speak with you about your daughter. There’s some things I need t’ know.”
“She disappeared,” the woman informed him. “Along with everyone else, a few days ago.”
“Yes,” Charlie nodded. “I know about the rapture.”
“Rapture,” the man scoffed.
“Do you know why she was taken?” Charlie pushed, watching the man’s features when he asked. Seeing the confusion in his eyes, it became clear that the man could not make sense of the memories and knowledge that had surfaced. “It’s only been a few hours,” he consoled. “Don’t worry, it will become clear with time.”
“What will?” the woman asked, glancing between them as she worked her way from behind her mate.
“Please, Karen,” the man asked in a guilty tone. “I don’t know what any of this means yet.”
“Yes you do,” Charlie challenged. “It scares you, but you know the truth. Your eyes have been opened an’ it frightens you.”
“None of that is real!” he wafted a hand around, indicating the world beyond the walls of his home. “It doesn’t make sense!”
The Keeper Set - Summer Spirit Novellas 7 - 9 Page 15