Angel Incarnate: Second Sight

by Linda Creel

  Obediently opening the box which contained a beautiful doll, Hope cringed when the edge of the paper cut her finger.

  Before she could put it in her mouth, Lucifer grabbed her hand. He assumed the child was mortal, but her blood was laced with tiny specks of gold glitter. “You’re an angel-blood.”

  “I don’t understand. What’s an angel-blood?” she asked.

  “Haven’t you ever noticed that your blood isn’t completely red?”

  “I’ve never seen my blood before,” she admitted.

  “I must know more about your parents. What were their names? Where did you live?”

  “I was raised by my mother; her name was Violet. I never really knew my father,” Hope replied. “He came around once in awhile, but he wasn’t part of our lives. We lived on a plantation in Savannah, Georgia. Do you know where that is?”

  “I’m somewhat familiar with the area. What was your father’s name?”

  “I think his name is Josiah. My mother didn’t talk about him much.”

  Josiah – I wonder if he is the angel who once led the Elite Guard. Knowing Malakiel hates angel-bloods, it would make sense for him to keep his wife and children hidden.

  “Did your mother ever tell you how they met?”

  “No, but I know she loved him. She said his job kept him away, and that’s why he couldn’t live with us.”

  “Tell me more about your home. Your mother must have had some help raising two daughters alone.”

  “We had servants to take care of the cooking and cleaning, and there was a gardener who kept the lawn mowed. There were a few neighbors who visited sometimes, but mostly, my mother liked us to stay to ourselves. My grandmother lives in Brooklyn, New York. We were on the way to her house when Mommy had the accident. It was raining really hard. We were driving on some back roads, and it was dark. I tried to get her to pull over, but she kept driving.”

  By now Hope was sobbing uncontrollably.

  “The car skidded out of control and hit a tree. My mother wasn’t wearing her seatbelt. Her head went through the windshield and my little sister was thrown from the backseat. I climbed out of the car and saw that Gracie was hurt. That’s when Mortriel came. I thought my sister was going to die, and he promised he would save her if I agreed to come with him. But he lied. I don’t even know what happened to their bodies,” she whimpered. “Gracie was only four years old.”

  Mehri pulled the child into her arms, trying to comfort her. If her sister was alive, she hoped Mortriel would not abuse her too. It was better not to speak to Lucifer about his son; he would deal with him in his own way.

  “We should leave now. I want you to meet your new friends,” Lucifer said. He placed his arm around his wife, who put Hope down, but held tight to her hand.

  Mehri had only seen the angel children once before, and found them pitiful to look upon. Hopefully, the little girl wouldn’t be reminded of her sister when she visited the angels.

  Lucifer didn’t have any trouble maneuvering through the dark tunnels, but Hope stayed close to Mehri. Clutching the doll against her chest, her body trembled with each step. She couldn’t tell which direction they were moving, but felt like they were going down.

  The sounds of screams and laughter filled the caverns, but Mehri didn’t pay any attention to them, so the young girl continued on in silence.

  When they finally stopped, Hope found herself in front of a large glass room. Nothing could have prepared the five-year-old for what she saw.

  A frail looking young man – in his twenties she guessed -- lay on a straw mattress in the middle of the room.

  The long brown hair that shrouded his bruised face was matted and unkempt. A button-less, once-white shirt stained with dried blood, hung off his shoulders – rips and tears in the sleeves revealed deep red welts. Black, thread-bare trousers did little to cover the marks on his legs.

  As bad as he looked, it didn’t compare to the two small beings that were huddled in a corner on the dirt floor, next to two smaller mattresses.

  Without hesitation, Hope moved closer, pushing her nose against the glass. That’s when she realized the dark and dingy clump of feathers protruding from their backs were wings. They were angels.

  Lucifer didn’t rebuke the pair of females who were standing watch at the open door. Instead, he remained calm.

  “I told you they were to be bathed and dressed.”

  “Forgive us, Father. We tried to clean them up, but they threatened to burn us if we touched them,” the red-haired girl responded.

  “Leave us,” he commanded.

  Both of the women ran through the tunnel without looking back. They failed in their duties, and suspected a severe punishment would soon follow.

  Two basins, filled with clean water, were on the floor next to the man, who heard the voices and looked up. Despite the injuries to his face and body, his azure eyes brightened when he saw the little girl.

  A pair of blue dresses, similar to the one Hope was wearing, were hanging over the back of an old wooden chair. There was a tray of fresh fruit and bottles of water on a round table in the other corner of the room.

  Both of the little girls lifted their heads. They were twins.

  Like the man, their blonde hair was dirty and uncombed. Hope had never seen anyone with violet eyes before, and imagined what they once looked like. She suspected the thin grey cloth covering their small forms had been worn since they arrived -- however long ago that was.

  Will I look like that one day? There is so much sadness in their eyes; I can barely stand to look into them.

  It was then Hope knew the extent of Lucifer’s cruelty. Determined to help them; she began to walk through the open door when Mehri grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

  “It isn’t safe to go inside.”

  Ignoring her warning, the angel-blood broke free of her grasp, and ran into the room.

  A smug smile crossed Lucifer’s lips. He would leave the little girl with the angels, hoping to get some much needed information about their mother.

  “Come, Mehri -- if she wants to stay here, I’ll allow it.”

  Even though she was disappointed, Mehri didn’t dare argue with him. It was better not to become attached to the little girl. Lucifer could change his mind about her in the blink of an eye, and then, she would become another plaything for his son.

  “Enjoy your time together,” Lucifer said.

  He clasped Mehri’s hand, but when he turned to leave, one of the angels spoke. “Mommy’s coming.”

  Lucifer hesitated momentarily, but didn’t answer the young girl. Instead, he continued to walk down the corridor until he and Mehri were both out of sight.

  So – they know Avriel is alive? I wonder if they have seen Bree and Tercia in Aeden. I haven’t decided how I’m going to deal with them yet. With any luck – they’ll all be together again; maybe sooner than they realize.

  Hope remembered her mother speaking about angels, but never imagined meeting any. Of course, she never imagined she would ever be taken to Hell either. Even though she was only seven, she tried to be a good girl, and help with her little sister.

  “She’s alive,” one of the angels said.

  “How did you know what I was thinking?”

  Both of the angels started laughing. Hope couldn’t help staring at how white their teeth were. Everything else about them was filthy, but they smelled like springtime.

  “We’re seers.”

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  “We see past, present and future. We can talk to each other without speaking. My name is Alorrah, and this is my cousin, Alexis.”

  “Your cousin – aren’t you twins?”

  “Alexis’ father, Nyael, was my mother’s brother. Her mother, Rutha, was Michael’s sister. They were both killed in the war.”

  Alorrah told Hope the story of how they came to be there; everything from Lucifer’s attack, to them being taken by Samhael, to Fionn’s capture, and their mother’s rein
carnation.

  “You said our mother – I thought you weren’t sisters?”

  “Since my parents are dead, Avriel will be my mother now,” Alexis said.

  “She calls herself Aura now,” Alorrah reminded her. “She doesn’t remember us yet, but her memory will come back when Alannah goes to Aeden.”

  “Who is Alannah, and where is Aeden?”

  “Alannah is my twin sister,” Alorrah said. “We are called Eternal Children because we never grow any older than thirty three months.”

  “You don’t talk like babies.”

  “We don’t grow in size, but our mind is very .mature.”

  Alorrah told her the story of how Bree and Tercia died protecting Alannah, and how they were reincarnated too.

  “Time is different here, but you won’t have to stay a long time. Mommy is coming for us soon.”

  Hope’s body tensed. “You can’t let your mother come here. Mortriel will hurt her.”

  “She won’t really come here, but she will find a way to bring us home.”

  “You shouldn’t give the child false hope.” The man named Fionn spoke in a thick Irish accent as he crawled off of the mattress.

  “It isn’t false hope; I’ve seen it,” Alorrah insisted. “Don’t you want to go home?”

  Fionn tried to stand, and collapsed on the floor.

  The angels ran over and helped him to his feet. With their help, he walked over to the sideboard and opened a bottle of water, quickly emptying the contents before taking a seat in the only chair in the room.

  “I have been here so long; I don’t even remember what home looks like.”

  “Mommy’s friend will heal you. You’ll see; my visions never lie.”

  Hope started to sob. “You said Gracie is alive. Do you know where she is?”

  The angels left their uncle, and clasped the little girl’s hands. Even though they were filthy, Hope didn’t pull away; the children made her feel safe.

  “Mortriel has taken her to Purgatory. He kills their parents, and then takes all the angel-blood girls there. Our friends are going to rescue her. She’ll be taken to Aeden, and then Mommy will go back and free the others. Mommy will take good care of Gracie; she takes care of all the little ones,” Alorrah said.

  “Yes – she’s a good Mommy. She loves all of us the same,” Alexis chimed in.

  “What if Lucifer comes back for me?” Hope asked.

  “You’re in our room now; he can’t touch you,” Alorrah insisted.

  “He can’t touch Fionn again either,” Alexis said. “Once you’re beyond the glass, we can use our powers to protect you. Lucifer will be angry, and he’ll stop bringing food, but I can sneak out and bring you something from the kitchen.”

  “If you can get out, why don’t you leave?”

  “We have to wait for Mommy. Besides, we can’t leave our uncle.”

  Hope looked at the man who stumbled back to his bed.

  “Mortriel enjoys causing pain. That’s why he separated you from your sister. Your mother didn’t have an accident; Mortriel planned everything. He doesn’t know you are Josiah’s children. That’s why we have to keep you and Gracie safe,” Alexis said.

  “How do you know my father?”

  “Josiah is an angel – a member of the Elite Guard. They hunt don angels who violate the laws of Heaven. Your father couldn’t tell anyone about you, or your sister, because some of the guardians hate the angel-bloods.”

  “Does he know about my mother?”

  “Not yet – she’s in Heaven, so he’ll see her again.”

  Hope managed a weak smile. “If I have to be here; I’m glad I’m with you. Do you want me to help you wash up and change?”

  “No – we want Mommy to see us as we are. Would you like a glimpse of our mother?”

  Alorrah waved her hand, and then an image of a young woman and two little girls appeared on one of the walls. They were all wearing blue jeans and white button-up shirts. One of the girls had curly blonde hair; her friend’s hair was dark brown. Both shared blue eyes. “That’s our friends Bree and Tercia.”

  “They call themselves Bren and Tracy now,” Alexis said.

  The young woman’s blonde hair hung over her left shoulder in a single braid, and fell almost to her knees, but it was her eyes that mesmerized the young angel-blood; they were violet too. “She’s so beautiful,” Hope gasped.

  “She looks like her grandmother,” Fionn said. “Except the hair; Esra’s hair was never that long.”

  “Esra is Mommy’s sister, and Fionn’s wife. She’s a seer too,” Alorrah said.

  Hope walked over to the man whose cheeks were wet with tears. She reached down and dipped one of the towels in the basin. After taking a seat beside him; she began to clean his face.

  “You must miss her. Would you like some more water?”

  She ran to the table and grabbed another bottle, which she handed to him. Unable to answer her, he nodded before opening the drink, and again emptying the bottle.

  “You should get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day,” Alorrah said. “By the way, remember what I told you about time here? A few hours, is like months where you come from.”

  She and Alexis moved onto the bed, and after giving Fionn a gentle hug, Hope joined them.

  Before placing her shoes next to the table, she threw the porcelain doll out the open door, listening to it shatter against the stone floor.

  She climbed beside the two little girls, and within seconds, she was fast asleep.

  Chapter 6

  While Eve was informing her best friend, Angie, about Lucifer’s visit to Aeden, and the arrival of the archangels, Bren led Tracy into one of the spare bedrooms. This one was on the top floor, away from where the family slept.

  When the Guild met with out of town guests, they stayed at Aura’s house, so the rooms were always prepared.

  The room was designed in a beach theme with white Adirondack chairs and wicker furniture. Seashells and flip-flop borders were painted all over the sand-colored walls.

  After closing the door, Bren pulled Tracy to the large bay window that overlooked the backyard.

  “Don’t you want to stay and listen to what your father has to say?” Tracy asked.

  “I have something important to show you.”

  Bren pulled the curtains closed to block out the fading sunlight so her projection would be easily visible.

  She turned around and raised her hands. An image appeared on the far wall above the queen-sized rattan bed.

  A maroon colored car was driving down a dirt road in the middle of a rainstorm. Thunder and lightning could be heard in the distance.

  The car skidded out of control, throwing a woman through the windshield, killing her instantly. At the same time, a small child was ejected from the backseat, unconscious, but alive. An older child, after realizing her mother was dead, climbed out of the car in search of her little sister. A few seconds later, two males appeared – dark wings.

  Bren and Tracy listened to the conversation, and watched in horror, as each of the girls was taken in different directions. Seeing her sister being abducted, the eldest child began to scream while trying to escape the clutches of the fallen angel who held her arms in a firm grip. Ignoring the girl’s tears, he started laughing before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke.

  “How did you do that?” Tracy asked.

  Bren told her about the meeting with Esra that morning. She made her sit on the bed, and then handed her the pendant.

  “Wear this and you will understand everything.”

  It took all of thirty minutes for Tracy’s memory to come back. She ran to Bren and threw her arms around her. “I knew there was something special about you,” she whined.

  “Did you see everything?” Bren asked.

  “I know we were guardian angels and Lucifer’s son killed us while we were protecting Alannah.”

  Bren went back to the image on the wall. “The one with the silvery-blonde hair is Lucif
er’s son, Mortriel. His friend is Samhael, another fallen angel. Mortriel has taken the seven-year-old to Hell; her name is Hope. I can’t get past the gates, but Alorrah says she is with her and Alexis, and she’s safe.”

  “What about the other sister?”

  Bren pointed to the wall, and they both continued to watch as the child was taken to what appeared to be an island.

  The little girl, Gracie, opened her eyes soon after she arrived, and being disoriented and afraid, she began to cry for her mother.

  A group of young girls were standing outside a dilapidated building. There must have been at least a dozen of them ranging in age from three to twenty three.

  They were angel-bloods too, and judging from the scars on their bodies, they were not there by choice. Keeping watch was a group of fallen angels – Mortriel’s guards.

  The angel-bloods gathered around the new child, and one of the eldest, Verah, picked Gracie up and began to walk towards the entrance of the wooden house. The others girls followed.

  “This one is not to be touched,” Samhael warned. “Mortriel will deal with her when he returns.”

  Verah’s back stiffened, and she tightened her grip on the child. She knew firsthand how Mortriel liked to torture the youngest whose only crime was being loyal to Heaven. She wondered what pain awaited this poor child.

  The projection disappeared, and Bren turned to her best friend. “Alorrah says we have to go after her.”

  “There are guards everywhere, and we don’t even know where that place is?” Tracy insisted.

  “It’s Purgatory – I know where to find it.”

  “Did you see the marks on their bodies? Aura will never allow us to go. What if we can’t get out?”

  Bren wondered if giving Tracy’s memory back had been a mistake. She seemed even more apprehensive about rescuing the girls, but Bren was determined.

  She wanted to free all of them, but Alorrah warned her to only take the youngest because Aura would eventually bring the others home.

  Since she was a year old, Bren had been listening to Alorrah. At first, she didn’t know how to respond to a little girl’s voice interrupting her thoughts. It soon dawned on her that she was a seer too, powerful enough to communicate with the angel children imprisoned in Hell.