“And once you do, then what?” Michael asked, “You’ll turn your back on us all again and disappear to your little hut by the sea? You’ll sit in your home powerless against the past while we bleed and die to keep the darkness at bay?”
Raphael’s eyes burned with rage. At first he opened his mouth to speak then thought better of his response and rephrased his words, “I do not need to explain myself to you,” Raphael turned his back on Michael and started up the stairs.
“That’s your problem,” Michael said clenching his fists, “you don’t answer to anyone anymore. The only reason you’re here now is because you think in some way this will atone for your past. But Raphael, what you did—what we all did—was necessary for our future. We can’t make up for our actions because we did what we had to do and there is no dishonor in that. ”
Raphael stopped as his feet crested the top step. He swayed in the breeze before turning to address his counterpart. He fixed Michael with a firm look. It was impossible to tell through his cold grey eyes what he was about to say. When Raphael spoke, his words laced with a thick tone, it was clear he was still living in his guilt. “You say there is no dishonor in killing our own?”
Michael licked his lips and nodded.
“I say you are the one I pity for you do not know what you do. One day they will come back to haunt you, Michael. And their memory will be the penalty for the life you have led.”
Without another word, Raphael turned and walked into the Temple.
Chapter One Hundred Six
“Oh, yes, they’ve been good while you were gone. I knew you’d come back when they started howling like they were going to take the whole place apart.”
Alan chuckled as he was nuzzled and welcomed back with low growls and barks. As the Horseman of War, Alan’s steads were three gigantic animals that closely resembled a wolf and dog hybrid. The only real difference being, his dogs of war were larger than he was.
Gideon, the eccentric angel inventor, continued on as he tinkered over a table of shining metals and ancient tools. “I take it Danielle found you. When she left with Esther, she was in a panic to get to you. I think she…might have thought something happened to you.”
Alan scratched one of the beasts behind the ears as his attention piqued at Gideon’s careful words. “What do you mean?”
The angel lifted his eyes to Alan from his bench. Shaggy white eyebrows arched with a look of innocent intrigue, “Well, it’s not my place to say but it seems to me Danielle cares for you in a very…deep way.”
Alan took a deep breath. Faced with what he knew he needed to address, he only wished there was a better time. Gideon took his silence for confusion, “Well, Alan, what I’m trying to say is that sometimes when two friends come together—”
“Whoa, whoa,” Alan stood up from his seat with both arms extended, “I know what you meant, Gideon.” Images of Seraphim drifted through Alan’s mind, the kiss they shared. “It’s just complicated.”
“It always is,” Gideon smiled.
At that moment, the dogs’ ears perked up and all three of their large heads swung towards the door. Raphael walked in a moment later nodding to Alan and Gideon.
If Gideon was surprised to see him, he showed none. Instead of welcoming back a missing colleague, Gideon smiled at the Archangel, “Hello, Raphael. How have you been?”
Raphael exchanged a confused look with Alan before responding, “I’m well. Thank you, Hephaestus, and you?”
Alan perked up at the mention of one of Gideon’s alias used during the time of the Grecian-demonic uprising. He made a mental note to ask Gideon about it in the future.
“Oh,” Gideon scratched at his beard musing over Raphael’s use of the name, “ I haven’t been called by that name in such a long time. I’ve been better. You know getting older and all that. Can’t stop the wheels of time. But you didn’t come here to hear me talk about my age. You want your abilities back, don’t you?”
All three canine heads swung to Raphael to hear his response, “Yes,” Raphael said, “is there a way?”
Gideon straightened his back, bringing a series of cracks and groans from him as he spoke, “I knew the day would come when you returned.” Gideon shuffled around the room looking in stacks of books and piles of tools. To Alan, the inventor’s workshop looked like a cyclone had ran through and spit out whatever it didn’t destroy.
“Let’s see here,” Gideon rummaged through a pile of books in a corner of the room that closely resembled the end result of an avalanche. “Here,” Gideon said as he lifted a leather-bound book that looked as if it could be as old as the angel holding it. “When you first decided to relinquish your powers, I was intrigued by how you did it and whether there were a way to obtain them once again.”
Gideon made his way back to the table careful to avoid stepping on any of his many tools strewn over the floor. “I did some research and took some notes compiling them down here in this book.” Gideon opened the book on the table careful not to tear any of the crisp pages.
Alan’s eyes tracked along as Gideon flipped through the sheets muttering under his breath. What Alan saw was amazing. It was like a book he read as a child full of mythical monsters and ancient beasts. Along with the writing in the book were drawings of creatures. Some were familiar to Alan, like phoenixes, gryphons and sea serpents, others Alan had never seen or heard of before.
“Here it is,” Gideon said turning the book upside down so Alan and Raphael could tell what he found. Gideon pointed a knobby finger at the open page.
Alan reminded himself to breath. “What—what is that?”
“minotaurs,” Raphael said in a hard tone.
Alan looked at the picture again still not believing his eyes. A creature half man, half bull was etched on the page. The figure Alan was looking at stood erect like a man but his head was horned. His gigantic, muscular frame was covered in fur and was accompanied by hooved feet . The bull-like eyes on the drawing practically taunting him to try and deny the possibility of its existence. “How…” Alan’s voice trailed off into a stupor.
Raphael picked up where he left off, “Gideon, how are the minotaurs supposed to restore my power?”
Gideon pointed to the next page where a series of notes were written down in neat order. Alan listened as his eyes refused to move away from the minotaur’s stare. “Well, this is purely conjecture to be sure,” Gideon said. “Nothing like this has ever been done. I mean, no Archangel has ever given up his ability let alone try to reclaim it. However, if a way does exist, they would know. Their own abilities in internal regeneration and the way they are able to transfer their power from one of their kind to another is the closest example we have of what you are trying to accomplish.”
Raphael stared long and hard at the picture, “It’s a long shot, Gideon.”
“Still, it is the only chance you have,” Gideon said.
Chapter One Hundred Seven
“How much longer?” Ardat turned startled by the voice that caught her off guard. She chided herself for being so naive to her own surroundings. Her eyes tracked the landscape outside the Temple for the Shaman.
He was standing in the lengthening shadows that the Temple structure provided. Ardat hid her surprise and instead chose to act as though she knew he was there the entire time. “How much longer for what? I do not have time for your riddles.”
The Shaman chuckled in a strange way, free from any kind of genuine merriment. “How much longer until you return to the monster they make you out to be?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I mean. You try so hard to help them, to fit in and be one of them again, except you can’t. Not for lack of trying but because they won’t let you. You’ll always be the villain in their eyes.”
Ardat shook her head in frustration. She had no love for the Shaman, however what he said held weight. “What is it that you want? You came all this way to tell me that?”
“No,” a sm
irk came to the old man’s mouth. “I came to make good on our deal. You owe me a favor if I am correct.”
Ardat set her jaw. Every instinct in her body told her the Shaman could not be trusted.
The Shaman took her silence as a sign to continue, “I want you to come with me, Ardat, but I would never command that. So, I guess, my favor in exchange for transporting you to Golgotha will only be for you to think on my offer. These people will always see you as a monster. Come with me and we can prove to them you are not.”
Ardat thought over the possibilities. For every reason she came up with to not accompany the Shaman, another appeared to outweigh her reasoning. The strongest case in the Shaman’s favor was Michael. The way he looked at her, the way he treated her, after she came back with information about Gabriel. It hurt her in a way only Michael could.
Her love for Michael was something that would never die, but could it thrive in an environment where no one trusted her? A moment of clarity washed over Ardat and she knew her future was clear. She would have to prove to Michael and everyone else that she was a changed person outside of their presence. “I will not need time to consider,” Ardat said walking towards the Shaman, “I will go with you.”
Chapter One Hundred Eight
“And that’s the plan,” Alan said wishing he sounded more sure of himself in Michael’s presence.
Michael looked from Alan to Raphael and back to Alan. “I’m leaving in a few hours to attack Gabriel and, if we’re not too late, save Kyle. Even with Seraphim and Esther’s help we still need you, Alan.”
Alan took a deep breath; he knew this was coming. He needed to make a choice: defeat Gabriel and rescue Kyle or go and help Raphael reclaim his powers to save Kassidy. The only thing that swayed his mind was that if he did not accompany Raphael, no one would. “We’ll be back as soon as we can,” Alan said, “if I don’t go with Raphael, no one will.”
Michael shook his head. He still refused to speak to Raphael directly. Alan felt as if he were in the middle of a standoff with the loser having to address the other first. Michael didn’t plan to lose. “So be it. We will be gathered and ready to attack Gabriel’s stronghold tomorrow night. If you can make it, your help would be greatly appreciated.”
Alan could practically feel the tension building between the two Archangels by the minute. Instead of trying to play intermediary, Alan extended a hand towards Michael, “Be careful.”
Michael embraced Alan’s hand with a firm shake of his own. “You too.”
---
Alan and Raphael made their way towards the entrance to the Temple. Esther and her army were just arriving. The Temple was filled with noises of running feet and shouted orders. Alan found his thoughts wandering to Danielle and what Gideon alluded to earlier. There was something there, as much as he couldn’t define the exact feeling. Or maybe it was that he didn’t want to. As if his thoughts could summon the physical, Danielle rounded a corner and slammed into Alan.
“Oh my gosh, Alan,” Danielle said rubbing her right shoulder that had taken the brunt of the impact. “You’ve been working out, jeez. What’s underneath there, abs of steel?”
Before Alan could ask her if she was all right, Danielle’ face reddened. “I mean, not that I’ve been looking—or even wondering but…”
Alan shook his head with a smile trying to ease Danielle’s awkward moment. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she said rotating her shoulder and rubbing it with her free hand, “I mean, not like I couldn’t heal it if I needed to, right?”
Alan nodded.
Raphael cleared his throat, “Danielle, it’s nice to see you again.”
“Oh, you too, Raphael,” Danielle’s eyes drifted back and forth between the two men as realization hit her. “Oh, you two are leaving, aren’t you?”
“We think we’ve found a way to give Raphael his powers back,” Alan said. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
“Of course,” Danielle said readjusting her glasses while hiding her face.
“What’s wrong?” Alan asked.
Before she could answer, Raphael excused himself from the conversation. “I’ll be outside the Temple, Horseman. Don’t be long.”
Alan nodded, turning back to Danielle who stood in front of him struggling for the right words. “Hey, Danielle,” Alan said extending an arm and gripping her gently by the shoulder, “it’s me. What’s going on? Talk to me.”
Danielle licked her lips, “It’s nothing really; it’s silly. I just thought we’d have more time before you go off and put yourself in harm’s way again.”
“I know what you mean. But until we stop Gabriel and the Four Horsemen have been chosen, that’s kind of what I do now.”
“I know,” Danielle said pursing her lips, “it’s like you have a really, really dangerous job. I—I just don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”
Alan took a step closer. “I’m coming back. I’m coming back and we’ll have plenty of time to catch up and figure things out. I promise you.”
“Be safe.”
---
Alan made his way down the Temple steps more confused than ever. It was obvious feelings more than mere friendship existed between himself and Danielle. So much muddied the water that it was impossible to tell if he could have any kind of normal relationship with Danielle. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, it was clear the answer was no. How could anything normal be part of his life ever again?
“Are you with me, Horseman?” Raphael asked snapping Alan out of his trance-like state. “I’ll need you aware and ready for what comes next.”
Alan nodded as the two men extended their wings. Alan’s light blue, vibrating wings and Raphael’s own pure white, feathered wings couldn’t be more different. Images of the creatures Alan had seen in Gideon’s book teased his mind. Having previous been the hurry to leave, Alan finally considered what he actually knew of minotaurs: nothing. “So where exactly are we going?” Alan asked as they soared above the Temple.
“Follow me,” Raphael said, “and I’ll explain everything on the way.”
Alan obeyed, following Raphael’s lead as the two flew from the Temple. The air was warm, if not hot, and the world opened up to them as far as the eye could see in every direction. “Angels and demons are not the only beings that inhabit the supernatural plane,” Raphael said over the rushing wind. “There are races that exist apart from human, angel or demon.”
Alan’s mind spun as he tried to wrap his head around the idea. “How?”
“Think of it like this,” Raphael said. “Within the human species there are numerous different races of men and women, correct?”
“Yes.”
“So, too, are there many different kinds of supernatural beings. So far you have only come into direct contact with angels and our fallen counterparts. Though our kind makes up the bulk of the supernatural order, there are others.”
“And where have they stood while the war in heaven took place and even now? Are they our allies?”
“Allies would be a strong word,” Raphael scratched at the underside of his beard. “They have remained content to allow us to keep our own house in order. Our kinds have very little interaction. It’s an unspoken agreement. They are content to remain in the supernatural plane and stay out of our affairs. In return, we grant them their privacy.”
Alan’s wings flapped behind him with no more thought than if he were walking beside Raphael. The two were headed away from the sun and across the empty landscape of dirt and grass below. “So, where do the minotaurs live?”
“On a mountain range not far from here,” Raphael gave Alan a sideways glance. “Kassidy may not have long. Do you think you can keep up if I were to fly faster?”
Alan opened his mouth to retort just as he caught an unfamiliar twinkle in the Archangel’s eyes. Alan wasn’t used to hearing Raphael say anything in a teasing manner. “I’m the Horseman of War, remember?” Alan said as he urged his wings to pump faster. �
��Do you think an old man like you can stay with me?”
---
The rest of the way was spent in silence as the two bent their will to speed and traveled through the air like comets descending from heaven itself. The ground below them blurred with different colors like a painting created in water colors. Soon green grass and dirt roads gave way to grey stones and sloping hills.
A gigantic mountain range took shape before them within hours. The peaks rose so high they were lost in thick pillows of clouds. As Alan conceded the lead position to Raphael, he felt the air thin. His wings needed to beat harder to maintain the altitude while his lungs burned from the effort.
Raphael must have been feeling the same affects, the Archangel slowed his rise and maintained a constant pace. “It seems that when Gabriel used his spell, another factor was also limiting our supernatural endurance. I could have made this ascent in a moment given my former power.”
Alan concentrated on breathing as they continued up the steep sides of the mountains and approached the cloudbank. One mountain stood apart from the rest, a giant of its kind that dwarfed the mountains to its right and left. Alan found as no surprise this was the mountain they headed towards. “When we exit the clouds and depart through the other side, we will be in minotaur territory,” Raphael said with an edge in his tone that sent a shiver down Alan’s back. “Let me do the talking and no matter what, do not lift an arm against them.”
Before Alan could ask one of the dozen questions on the tip of his tongue, they were in the clouds. Cold moisture prickled his skin as beads of condensation gathered around him and snaked down his exposed skin. The clouds were so thick, Alan lost track of Raphael. One moment the Archangel was in front of him, the next he was gone. “Raphael?” Alan said. The words came out muted and heavy with the weight of the moisture in the air around him. There was no response.
The Complete Archangel Wars Series: A Shared Universe Series (The Archangel Wars) Page 50