by Lignor, Amy
Emily opened the doors of the burning church and used her umbrella of light to protect the ones who would have to live through this—live with the nightmare of what was to come.
She herded them into the town square where Matt, Gabriel and the other warriors began to destroy the murderers. The criminals fought hard against the warriors and the angels who teamed up to bring them down. The persecutors failed, yet Emily knew the souls who struck fear and terror in the hearts of mankind would eventually rise again. There was no stopping true evil.
As she watched the last one die on the end of her partner’s sword, Emily knew the night of savagery was over.
A small child tugged on her robes. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Emily raised him up inside her raindrop; the enclosure acted like a glass elevator to Heaven. The laughter of the boy was intoxicating, as he watched the sky open up and his mother race towards him. Holding her beloved son’s soul in her arms, the happy family walked through the gates of Heaven together.
Emily stopped and waited for Matt to ascend. She watched as Gabriel herded the sinners toward the gates; their human forms melted before crossing the threshold.
Gabriel stared down at the circles of black ice.
Sunlight filtered through the gates as a warning, but the pure evil in their souls made them heavy, dropping them back down where they would be swallowed up by the other side.
Gabriel shook his head. “I hope you both remember that. Those are the souls of the tyrants you’ll need to fight. They start out so well. It’s a shame they don’t remember where they came from.”
Emily waved her hands over the scars and broken tissue on Matt’s arms and legs. The blood dripping down his forehead faded from sight as she gently pressed her fingers against the wound.
She turned to Gabriel. “What makes them forget?”
Gabriel shrugged; the sudden movement sent a river of ash and soot into the air. “I don’t know. We send people down to explore, to fight, to love, but mostly to learn. Some learn a little too much, or translate it into something it was never meant to be. Their souls turn cold and something goes missing from inside of them.”
“What’s missing?”
Gabriel smiled. “We laugh at Mark, but he’s right. A soul needs love. Some get tired of waiting and settle for less than what they really want. Their souls grow heavy and they forget what was good in the first place. They don’t remember the wonderful things that they can have, the good people they can become, and the true love they can experience—so they simply settle because they’re afraid of being alone.”
He sighed. “Those black circles were the product of loneliness—the one emotion that is entirely man-made. Humans created it—the mother who didn’t care; the father who struck his family; the schoolboy or girl whose first crush broke their heart, an addiction to drugs—loneliness drags people down and they forget they have someone to turn to. Without faith, they just settle for whoever will pretend to listen. If you don’t believe in anything, you feel abandoned. And the world is much too harsh a reality without having something to believe in. We’ve given the two of you everything and even you feel alone down there. You’re both questioning all the good things you should be enjoying, and you’re staying away from all the wonderful feelings you should be accepting into your heart.” He cleared his throat and hung his head to the floor. “If an angelic team can feel that, what hope do humans have?”
Emily raised herself on her tiptoes and whispered in Gabriel’s ear, “I feel like I’m betraying somebody.”
The archangel hugged her close. “If you settle for something you don’t want, or if you don’t give someone a chance, then the only person you’re betraying is yourself.”
He kissed her forehead, and reached out to shake Matt’s hand. “You did well tonight, son. We wanted to give you both some quiet time, but this was important. We aren’t angry about anything you’ve done. Tonight was just the first nightmare in a long line to come.”
Gabriel walked to the gate; his flowing robes sweeping the remnants of black ice from the floor. He turned back to them taking a deep breath. “No matter what you choose to do, in the end we’ll be here, and you’ll always have each other. Enjoy life down there and bring back the knowledge of how to fight this demon of loneliness that’s killing and consuming souls. We have faith in you.”
With a wave of his hand, a ray of sunshine appeared through the gate and he disappeared from sight.
Matt began, “I…”
“Don’t,” Emily spoke quickly. “We have a job to do, Matt. It isn’t time for us.”
“Maybe soon?”
“Is there a girl down there?” Emily asked as she tried to keep her voice from trembling.
Matt nodded slowly. “I think there is, but she’s with someone else right now.”
“Oh.”
Matt continued, “But she’s not you, and it’s you I miss. Here, I understand. You make me feel honorable, but down there, without you, I feel like I’m changing into someone I don’t even recognize.”
“I’ll always recognize you.”
“What about you?” Matt stuttered. “Is there someone down there?”
“Yes,” she answered a little too quickly. “Someone who should be given a chance.”
As she turned to go, Emily didn’t feel the pang of jealousy that soared through her partner’s heart at her words, nor did she notice the dark red puddle that she left in her wake.
Matt jumped through the clouds behind her. “Wait,” he shouted. “You’re still bleeding!”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Liz bolted upright in bed. The sudden movement reopened the wounds that now covered her skin, and they started to bleed more profusely as her heart sprang back to life.
Her mouth opened wide as she focused on her friend sitting beside her. A small squeak came from her lips as she expelled the air from her lungs.
“You’ll be fine,” Faith said, quietly. “Just…fine.”
Without noticing, Liz ran her hands haphazardly over her skin, back and forth, pressing her palms against the broken strips of flesh. She smiled at her friend’s pale face. “Don’t worry—you should see the other guy.”
“Is everyone…all right?”
Liz searched through the fog in her brain. “Only the ones who are supposed to be.”
“Good,” Faith stated, as she stared at the bloody sheets. “You look like you’ve given birth, for goodness sake. You know, there’s not enough money in the world to be your maid.”
With her words, the blood-soaked sheets magically transformed back to their normal white sheen and the bruises began to fade from sight. It was almost as if the pain was being wiped away by the strange energy that Liz felt burning inside the pit of her stomach.
As her skin filled with color, she moved her gaze back to her speechless friend. Fear slammed into her chest. “Oh, my God!”
“Relax,” Faith said as she patted her shoulder. “Jason’s not here.”
“He didn’t come get you?” Liz whispered. Her stomach knotted as her feeble brain tried to come up with a believable explanation for her horrible dream.
“No, he was with us. He’d come to wake up Charles before you…started.”
“Charles knows?” Liz panicked.
“No, calm down. Believe me…Charles doesn’t know anything, and Jason never saw a thing.” Faith took a drink of water. “Charles really doesn’t know anything,” she repeated.
“What’s wrong? What did Charles do?”
“Nothing.”
“It’s not like you don’t know my darkest secrets.” Liz offered a crooked smile. “What happened?”
“Jason told Charles that he wants to go back to Dublin. He feels like we should all go together.”
“Why would he want to go back there? I thought he and Charles hated the very mention of that place?”
Faith stared at her intently. “He wants to go for you. He says it’s very important for him to show you something there. He thinks tha
t if you see it…you’ll let him love you.”
“Oh…”
Guilt washed over her. Gripping the sheets in her fists, tears sprang into her eyes as she imagined the look of revulsion she’d get if he ever saw what happened to her during the midnight hour.
Daniel’s words still rang inside her head. Jason would never understand the strange things that happened to her and she wished she could explain, but even she didn’t know what went on when she was asleep. “I do love him,” she whispered.
Faith sent the glass of water flying across the room. Hitting the wall, it shattered into a million gleaming pieces. “Then tell the man!” she shouted. “Why do you insist on keeping it from him? Jason is offering you everything, yet you stare over his shoulder looking for someone else…someone better. It doesn’t make any sense! You’re his life, you silly little twit. Why are you trying so hard to lose him?”
Sarcasm erupted from Liz’s soul. “Maybe because there isn’t enough money in the world for him to be my maid.”
Faith threw herself off the bed. “Don’t give me that! If there were ever a man who would understand your…ways, it would be the one who truly loves you. He knows you’re hiding something. He’s not stupid. He’s just so deeply in love with you that he doesn’t demand an answer!”
“You’re one to talk,” Liz said expelling a rush of air from her aching lungs. “I don’t see you asking for any explanations from your husband.”
“Explanations for what?”
“Oh, come on. Dublin can’t possibly be that scary of a place and he certainly can’t be afraid of a couple of rich, demented parents. And there’s no way that he set out to journey to America, or he would’ve sailed by now. That’s all lies and you know it! You just refuse to ask because the answer to your question may not be something you want to hear.”
Liz tossed the sheets off her body and tore across the room. She grabbed Jason’s coat from the hanger. “Just because I bleed at night, doesn’t mean that Charles doesn’t as well. Perhaps he’s fighting something on the inside, and that’s why his bruises don’t appear for you to see. Maybe you should look closer and find out what sent this man running across the country to find a wife in the middle of bloody nowhere.”
Faith ducked down, as Liz thrust her arms into the jacket. “You know what’s in Dublin, don’t you? He told you?”
Liz sighed. The sweat was drying in her auburn hair, as she gathered her curls into a ponytail. She walked to the mirror and stared at the fading bruises visible through the thin fabric of her nightgown.
“Tell me,” Faith pleaded. “What do you know about Dublin?”
Liz stared at Faith’s pained reflection behind her. “I don’t have any idea what went on there…I promise. I just have a feeling.”
“Well, what’s your feeling? I’m too close to him to understand what’s going on. I love him so much, I can’t see straight.” Tears of frustration welled up in her eyes. “I know what it’s like to battle yourself, Liz. Charles uses his fast talk and highbrow education to hide what he’s feeling, but I’ve seen the clouds come across his face. There are memories haunting him. Don’t you notice how in his stories—everyone else is to blame for the bad things that happened? Yet, he continually finds fault with himself. His words—I should have, I could have—it’s like he’s trying to defend his own actions. But what actions?”
Liz stared at Faith’s exasperated face. “Look, I don’t know what it is that Jason wants to show me, and I don’t know what we’ll be walking into, but it’s obviously important. It’s time for them to face whatever there is to face in Dublin, and move on.”
“What if this is the beginning of the end?”
Liz spoke quietly, “Without endings there would be no beginnings.”
“I hate philosophers.”
“Hate’s a strong word. Be careful how you use it.” Liz walked to the window. “You can’t move forward until you deal with the past. Whatever comes will come. We can’t stop that now. Besides, with you and I fighting beside them, whatever demons appear won’t stand a chance.”
Faith whispered, “Hope springs eternal, I suppose.”
A bolt of familiarity shot through Liz’s soul at the strange statement. She yelped in surprise as the door suddenly swung open and Jason appeared on the threshold, a smiling Charles at his heels.
Charles looked over at Liz. “Sorry, he seems to have an aversion to knocking before being invited into a room.”
Jason shrugged and walked over to Liz, completely oblivious to the faint pink welts on her arms. “We’re going.”
“Where?” Liz asked, feigning innocence.
“Dublin.”
She shrugged indifferently and pushed the men toward the door. “Well, we should get packed then. We’re already up, so there’s no time like the present.” She smiled at Charles’ rumpled shirt and the sleepers clogging his eyes. “Then again, maybe we should pack and Charles can get some more sleep.”
“Good idea,” Charles said winking at Jason. “This is a very bright girl. It still puzzles me why she’s sharing a room with you.” He reached for Faith’s arm. “Come, my wife, back to bed.”
Liz watched them race from her room like children; the idea of sleep was no longer shining in their passion-filled eyes.
Jason reached under the bed for his bag and smiled at the closed door. He turned to her and the look he gave her left her breathless. His gaze was filled with the same desire. She knew that he wanted to experience the same type of love that their two friends were already indulging in across the hall.
Liz choked on her fear, knowing she was walking a very thin line with Jason. Although he’d always been respectful of her, there would come a time when his desire would eventually become too much for him to handle. Of course, she wasn’t against the feelings he brought out in her. Somewhere deep inside, past her fear, her heart begged her to share everything with him. But Faith was right. Something kept her away. Maybe it was the guilt that mysteriously filled her soul with every stolen kiss. She knew her feelings for Jason were great, but after her dreams, confusion always settled over her like a veil of darkness. It was as if she were waiting for a sign; a voice to let her know that she indeed belonged in his arms.
She walked cautiously to the bed. “You should get some sleep. Dublin is a long way away.”
“What about you?”
“I need some air to clear my head. I’ve slept enough.”
“Do you want me to join you?” Jason asked sweetly.
“You don’t clear my head,” Liz said with a smile. Her kiss was quick and light, like a butterfly landing on his soft cheek and then fluttering away.
Jason’s eyes closed and he stretched out on the soft bed. His long body spread out across the tousled sheets. His sculpted chest lifted and fell in a quiet rhythm as he fell into a dreamless sleep.
Liz put on her dress and drew her gaze away from his handsome face. Her heart was heavy as she wrapped herself in his jacket and walked quietly from the room. No matter what, Liz would always know that Jason deserved far more than her troubled soul could ever provide.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Liz walked outside and sat down on the inn’s porch. She took a deep breath of the chilly night air to calm her nerves, but the sudden sound of the door squeaking behind her made her jump.
“Relax,” Charles called out. “I’m fairly safe.” Sitting down beside her, he reached into his pocket to grab a thin, white square of paper and a pouch of tobacco. He meticulously began to assemble the pieces into a long, cylindrical stick. Striking a match, he offered it to Liz.
“Ick,” she said. “No, thanks.”
Charles blew a halo of smoke above their heads and grinned. “Don’t tell Jason. He thinks it’s a disgusting habit too, and I don’t think I can bear another one of his long-winded lectures tonight.”
Liz smiled. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
“Is it?”
“Why aren’t you with your wife? Didn’t yo
u need more…sleep?”
Charles laughed. “Yes, well, Faith has a way of changing my mind.”
“You poor soul.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “Having a beautiful wife who can’t keep her hands off me is difficult. It’s hard being me, I’ll tell you.”
“I may puke soon.”
Charles punched her playfully in the shoulder. “Why aren’t you upstairs packing?”
“It’ll get done. I just needed a breath of fresh air,” she replied as she began to cough from the smoke-filled air.
Charles laughed. “You take entirely too many breaths, Liz. Air is always around. You should grab some livelier refreshment once in a while.” He winked. “Might make breathing even easier. I’m sure Jason could help you out with that. God knows that boy needs something besides fresh air too. I’m afraid he’ll die if things keep going so…slowly.”
“Speaking of such intimate matters on a dark porch with a lady, Charles? What will people think?” Liz scolded.
He snorted. “They wish they could think. Maybe that’s the problem with this world—all the drones that can’t come up with one original thought. They’re all sheep.”
“Maybe there are people who think too much?” Liz countered.
Charles grinned. “A quick wit you are, luv. Probably the reason why we don’t have these heart-to-hearts more often.”
“I like listening.”
“A little too much, I’m afraid. You seem to figure things out that people really don’t want you to know.”
“Explain,” Liz said defiantly.
“I think you know a great deal more about me than my wife does, but you don’t share your hypotheses with Faith. I wonder, seeing that you two are so close, why you never say anything.” He raised his eyebrows at her. “You do like to listen, but you never listen objectively. It’s like…it’s your way or no way.”
Liz stared into his brilliant green eyes. “We’re a lot alike then. You would cook the rest of us over an open fire, if just one of our thoughts didn’t match your own.”
“Hmmm,” Charles muttered. He inhaled the last drag and threw the dying embers into the street. “Maybe…Faith says that you know a great deal about people, and she’s always right,” he said, with a smile. “Or, so she keeps telling me.”