An Angel's Touch

by Susan D. Kalior

  “If we live that long,” I mumbled. “Hurry!”

  Tupuro knelt and ran his finger from Jen’s forehead down to her throat. He groaned a bit of visionary want.

  Marco bumped Tupuro out of the way, while staring at the blood on Jen’s gown. “I’ll get her.”

  Tupuro narrowed an eye of warning, and Marco stepped back.

  Sabin brushed his hands against his navy, button down shirt, and told Cecelia, “Give the baby to me.”

  They were all going Tazmark on me. I shouted with the last of my energy, and it hurt my stomach, “Third realm!”

  Tupuro lifted Jen in his arms. And with that, they disappeared.

  The twins, Omar and Zahna each took an arm and lifted me. Dian, with her bright blonde hair just stood there, smiling, “Amusing to see you as such—Prince of Darkness.”

  The twins took me into the third realm. Dian followed.

  As I lay there on the ground, I could see the Shens closing in around Jen like flower petals, ignoring the Tazmarkian crew. Granny, or I guess, Charlotte—and Angel Boy, or I guess André, and the High Lama Khandro, apparently had been waiting, seeing and sensing but not able to enter the sixth realm on their own.

  Six hands hovered over Jen, flowing Divine Light. Apparently, André had been taught. With three Shens healing her, she’d be in great shape, even if she did just go through childbirth.

  Charlotte said, “Là, là chère fille.”

  André said, "Vous serez tous, Jenséa."

  The High Lama Khandro said, “Om mani padma hum.”

  Nearby, Cecelia rocked my daughter roughly. Her voice rang faint in my ears, as I began to fade away. “Oh what a special creature you are!”

  I heard Sabin tell Cecelia, “Let me have the kid.”

  I wished they’d hurry. I wasn’t sure I would make it.

  Cecilia barked, “She’s mine!”

  Aruka answered, “These special creatures are my grandchildren.”

  I was sinking down, down, down and their voices sounded far, far away. The sound of the surf, it had become faint.

  Cecilia’s voice. “Perhaps, but I birthed two that made it to this showdown.”

  Aruka’s voice. “Yes, but the one I birthed is the leader of you all.”

  Cecelia’s voice. “Yes, but Diego gave me two of Quen-tan’s offspring.”

  Aruka’s voice. “Diego gave me the best.”

  A wave of darkness came over me. And I was out.

  Chapter Twenty

  Time left me for a bit. Then shadowy heads were above me. Oh, the Shens. It was the Shens. “Jen?”

  “She will survive,” Charlotte’s voice, “she sleeps now.”

  Six hands hovered over me.

  “Remember,” I practically whispered, “personal love, not Divine Light—personal love.”

  Charlotte said whimsically, “We shall try.”

  André joked, “Yes, you are pretty hard to love.”

  “Ah,” said the High Lama Khandro, “piece of cake.”

  “Blue light,” I murmured, “blue.”

  I lay there soaking in the healing energy of the three Shens. I could feel blood congealing and in a time enhanced way, producing new cells. The crackling burnt welts softened and closed. Strings of energy seemed to flow through my limbs. My skin tightened and tingled—such a rare sensation for me. My heartbeat evened and my breath steadied. My head didn’t hurt any more. Relief at last. And to think I had wanted them dead.

  I opened my eyes. Sapphire sky. Off to the right, a yellow sun shined warm for my Shen. The swashing sound of the surf was loud again. Turning my head right, I saw the hem of the High Lama Khandro’s maroon robe and the toes of brown leather loafers. Next to that, André’s guanaco boots stood firm with smears of lava ash. Turning my head to the left, Charlotte’s little blue pumps tightly fit over her olive skinned feet.

  I sat up, looking at Charlotte. “Thanks,” I mumbled. Thanks was such a rare word for me, and I felt strange saying it. Charlotte said, “Now I believe you are on our side.”

  “Yes,” I said, “I’m glad to say—I am.”

  I looked to the High Lama Khandro. “Thanks.”

  He just smiled.

  I narrowed an eye at André. “Thanks . . . André.”

  “You said my name!" exclaimed André. “You called me by my real name. We are on the same side now, right? I mean are you finished tormenting me?”

  I said with half a twinkle in one eye, “We’ll see.”

  He scowled but tried to be playful. “Yeah, I know the odds are against me.”

  I rose, dwarfing Charlotte and the High Lama Khandro, but not tall, lanky André. “Actually, the odds are against all of us. We really need Jen in full power if we are to defeat the Dragons. And Diego robbed her.”

  André blurted, “What did he take?”

  I said, “I don’t know. But I do know she is also missing her unconditional love and her memories. But Diego foiled, and two of Jen’s Angels now possess those things. Diego means to dispossess them, however, so I must find them before he does. My level ten powers are new. His are ripe. I am not sure how to defeat him, but I will find a way.”

  The High Lama Khandro placed his square hands together in prayer position and bowed. “Yes, an impasse is merely a clouded perception.”

  I nodded. “I remember.”

  I surveyed the scene around me. Jen was sleeping on Charlotte’s dark blue tunic, across the way in the shadow of the nearby rock cliff. I quickly manifested a pocket of warmth around her, as the air was borderline cold for humans. Tupuro and Marco were seemingly on watch, arms folded, standing a few feet apart. But I knew what they were really watching: Jen and her blood stained gown. Their urge to combat each other for the prize was thick—even though the prize was needed to defeat the Dragons. I could almost see sparks flying. Next to them Aruka and Cecilia each held a baby like a heap of tempting food. They were a sight, Aruka in her purple gown, and Cecelia in her sparkling, purple cocktail dress.

  Charlotte glanced at the scene. Her wrinkled palm went to her forehead. “I must rescue the babies.”

  The High Lama Khandro said, “I shall accompany you.”

  André nodded his head, signaling he would join them, still too uneasy to be around me.

  “I’ll be along soon,” I said, needing to finish surveying our perimeters.

  The three of them nodded and walked toward the babies. Charlotte’s white dress, patterned with little blue gardenias, blew gently about her thighs. Her body was taut, as if cold for having sacrificed her tunic for Jen to rest upon. So, I manifested a thickly woven, smoky blue sweater on her. She jumped, stopped walking, and looked down at it on her. She turned her head back over her shoulder and smiled at me with a nod, French brown eyes twinkling.

  I nodded back, and turned my attention to what else was going on around me.

  As I looked about me, Omar and Zahna were on top of the rock cliff with arms extended, a strong breeze rippling their long-sleeved, bright red shirts. They were throwing out Black Light Shields over the expanse of our battleground to ward off any possible incoming Dragons.

  Dian was standing by the cavern entrance staring at Charlotte. She seemed to be fantasizing, hand on the hip of her suede dress, and cocked head with brass band glaring in the sun. She was no doubt daydreaming about how she could ‘play’ with Charlotte after the Dragons were defeated.

  Sabin was sitting under a beach tree, closer to the woods, eyeing the High Lama Khandro. His fingertips brushed up and down along the line of buttons on his blue shirt, as if contemplating. Then he grinned. Guess he imagined something good.

  André was just not ripe enough to much tempt them, making him somewhat safe—for now.

  Everyone on our team was present. Now I must retrieve what was stolen from Jen. I hoped the Angels were successfully eluding Diego. I magically changed from my ragged, bloody three musketeer getup to a fresh pair of black boots, jeans, and tee shirt. The sixth realm Black Box was off to my right.
I peeked in clairvoyantly just to see how it was holding. It looked solid yet, but once the Dragons were freed, they‘d likely summon more armies. The twins’ Black Light Shields might stall them, but certainly not stop them.

  Jen must be restored. She was simply the most powerful weapon we had to defeat massive numbers of Dragons. If they entered the third realm looking for her, which they would, having sensed her restoration, she could ambush them with a massive Divine Light Ice Storm. Then we’d have a decent chance for victory. Since I’d set earth back on course for regeneration, it would be saved. Unless . . . unless the Council soared into Cyrus restoring it to the way it was before I set it right, hence resurrecting earth’s call for destruction.

  Before tracking Diego, I really needed to see Jen once more. I needed to see her breathing—though it was said she was alive. I stepped over to her, my boots sinking into white beach sand. I was glad to have my health and dexterity replenished, but somehow my mind was still groggy—going from abject apathy to channeling humanity into Quen-tan and all.

  As I reached Jen, Charlotte’s arms stretched to Aruka. “Shens should take care of the babies.”

  Aruka turned her body away from Charlotte. “They are my grandchildren too!”

  “Yes,” said Charlotte, “but you eat children.”

  Aruka turned her head to Charlotte with a huff. “You know, we don’t wage war on them until they turn one hundred. Didn’t you know that?”

  Charlotte scowled.

  “Oh very well,” said Aruka, “take the damn baby.”

  Aruka handed the baby to Charlotte. Charlotte’s face warmed and her age seemed to fade away.

  The High Lama Khandro reached his hands to the baby Cecilia held. “I will take that baby,” and the look in his eyes was stern.

  Cecelia did not resist, a little afraid I think of being zapped with Divine Light. She handed the High Lama Khandro the baby, but her eyes remained fixed on the infant’s flesh.

  Arriving at Jen’s side, I eyed Tupuro and Marco.

  They stepped back.

  I didn’t blame them for their urges. I had them too.

  Tupuro adjusted his skullcap more securely on his head. “I bet she’d be fun.”

  “Not anymore,” I said, “Diego robbed her of what makes her who she is.”

  Tupuro raised a brow. “Still.”

  “Yes,” I said, “still we need her help to defend our territory. Once we replace what was stolen, she can use her goddess powers against the Dragons.”

  Marco hooked his thumbs in his orange belt. “So, she could do that now even though Diego messed her up.”

  “Yes,” I said, “but she wouldn’t want to with how he messed her up.” Glancing down at her delicate face, I magically dressed her in a clean, sky blue, Grecian style gown with a low neck, cloth draped waist, and hem just above the knee, conducive for action if need be. On her feet, I manifested matching fuzzy ankle socks and sky blue running shoes.

  I wanted badly to rouse her and hold her in a sweet embrace to celebrate surviving the first wave of our battle with the Dragons. But no, I really didn’t want her awakened with so much of her missing inside. I didn’t want to see her void of unconditional love, the love she and I had worked so hard to win. And I didn’t want to look into her eyes and see no recognition of my identity. And I didn’t want to behold what else Diego stole of her in the mystery silver box by noticing it absent in the way she related to me. It was best she slept, and I cast a little spell to make sure she stayed that way a while longer.

  A breeze blew single hairs off her cheek into the sunlight. A seagull flew over Jen and glided over the pounding surf with other seagulls. There was a mile long empty spot—where in the sixth realm the Dragons were imprisoned. The seagulls could have overlapped that area in the third realm, but I just don’t think they wanted to.

  I was assuming an off-limits spell had been cast on the beach to keep away humans for I saw none. Even though we were somewhat south of Puerto Montt, stragglers sometimes come.

  Tupuro said, “You going for Diego?”

  I nodded.

  Marco said, “He’s deeply shielded. I can’t sense him anywhere.” He looked to Tupuro. “Can you?”

  Tupuro shook his head.

  I said, “I know the Angels he chases.”

  They looked at me like I was a nerd for knowing Angels.

  I slanted my eyes sideways, feeling like one. “I will summon them, and thus locate Diego.”

  Omar and Zahna had come down from the cliff joining the group. Dian and Sabin walked over too. Everyone had pretty much gathered. Tazmarks and Shens eyed each other closely, and it was difficult for the Tazmarks not to get sidetracked.

  I announced, “I am going after Diego, but we might have to attack before we are ready if the Dragons dissolve the Black Box too soon. The important thing is that we lure them into the third realm. It is essential that Jen remain here. The other bait is me—so I will return in haste.”

  I looked at the Shens. “A few things about Dragons . . . A Shen’s subzero ice storm will significantly slow Dragon reflexes. Divine Light shots to their foreheads are affective in wounding or killing them. Our problem is that there are so many. They are even more adept at mind reading and shielding than Shens or Tazmarks. In addition, the Dragon’s ability to paralyze, manifest, and destroy are markedly more advanced than a Tazmark’s. However, with Tazmarks and Shens working together, we do have a chance.”

  Aruka said, “The Jackaeels are on stand by. Thousands await by the edge of the sea. If the Dragons reflexes are slowed, we can strike before they realize they have been ambushed.”

  “Yes,” I said, “that will be entertaining.”

  Zahna said, “I have enchanted the Alacalufes to believe I am their demon god and they must fight for me. I have armed them with machine guns, the bullets of which are imbued with red laser light.” She shrugged her shoulders. “The target will be Dragons instead of Tazmarks. Easily done.”

  “That should prove interesting,” I said, hoping I would get to witness that scene.

  I looked to Dian. “And you?”

  She gave a sinister smile. “Chilean militia, been messing with their heads that Tazmarks were aliens attacking their country. I’ll just switch the target to Dragons.” He sniggered, “Well, Dragons are aliens.”

  Tupuro interjected, “Yeah, I have been messing with Chilean Air Force like that.”

  Omar said, “I’ve got some confusion spells.”

  Marco said, “I’ve got a trap, looks like a sixth realm exit, a lure, but it leads to the seventh realm.” He made fists, then snapped his fingers open indicating annihilation. “Poof.”

  I half-laughed, “That will be most amusing.”

  Cecelia said seductively, “I’ve got love spells.”

  “That would be a sight,” I affirmed.

  Sabin said, “I can enlist sixth realm creatures to disguise the Time Portal’s entrance to Cyrus. Since it is the only way in from earth, it might buy us some time.”

  I nodded approvingly, excited for the battle to commence. I said, “Merged, we have a cavalcade of interesting plots. I’ll go after Diego, restore the goddess, and then . . . the fun.”

  Tupuro’s face twitched with excitement. “Want help?”

  I said, “I need you here should the battle commence before I return.”

  Tupuro nodded, a bit disappointed that he was banned from the Diego escapade.

  I walked away from the group so that I could concentrate. I headed toward the beech trees at the forest’s edge. A few yards from the trees, I stopped and faced the sea, standing in the breezy air I could not feel. I summoned Jen’s Angels two, concentrating in Latin—Angelus adveho! I scanned the cloudless blue sky for a sign.

  Out of the air, two clusters of zooming sparkles, one pink and one yellow, rushed in front of my face with a black streak following like a trail of airline smoke. The sparkles and smoke trail turned upward and flew away. The black trail was Diego chasing the A
ngels. This was a bit of a bleed through from the fifth realm. They were flying fast, hence the aftermath of the chase without seeing much of them.

  Since the Angels would be blocked from escaping into the seventh realm by possession of the Shen proof silver boxes, the fifth realm is where they’d likely hide out if they could get Diego off their tail. They seemed quite deep in, which would mean more than a mere change of scenery. The atmosphere would be richer than I’d ever chosen to experience, and the ground might literally fall away. Jumping into this realm, that deep, would be akin to jumping off a cliff, even though I aimed to go upward. Well, it’s as they say, ‘here goes nothing,’ or I hope—something.

  I telepathically called to the Angels again, One more time. I heard a faint hum. I could feel the conflicted energy of the trio coming closer. I focused hard. I had to concentrate if I were to fly up in between the Angels and Diego.

  The hum grew louder. Almost here. Almost. Sensing them directly overhead, I shot up like a rocket into deep level fifth realm space, aiming to come in-between Diego and the Angels. Just as I emerged, a flying white horse smacked my head—hard.

  “Hey, sorry fella,” said the horse as it flew away.

  The trajectory of the hit threw my body into a topsy-turvy fall, head over heals, then spinning horizontally. I was trying to straighten out, but fifth realm gravity has rapidly colliding wind currents, sometimes buoyant like salt water, and sometimes swift like a shooting star, depending on the vibration of the creature one is nearest. My effort to gain equilibrium strained my wings, and I pulled a muscle—and for that I was still falling out of control.

  In my gyroscope whirling, my feet smacked something hard, and then I was hanging upside down by my boot. From an upside down position, I turned my head upward. Chubby human hands held my boot. The hands belonged to a giant gold-colored bull with fairly short white wings. He was treading air with his hind bull hooves, somehow able to remain level. He turned his head down to me, flaring his bull-sized nostrils. His big, almost cartoon eyes, glared curiously into mine. He said with a deep voice in his language, “What are you, a Tazmark?”