“Jophiel no!” Theodore said loudly, coming to the table and pulling at the angel’s dress. “No don’t!”
“I have too!” Jophiel said aloud, her eyes filled with anger. “This is the consequence of your pride Cael and my indulgence of it! This could have been averted if you had simply obeyed your orders and brought Eveline to London!”
“Jophiel please,” Theodore begged. “I can’t lose you! Please think about what you are about to do!”
“Her life is worth more than mine,” Jophiel said with bright eyes. “My whole life I have been searching for a reason, the reason why I fought the urge to give up, to end my life such as it was.” The room fell silent as the angels stood close by watching on with sadness in their eyes for the death of an angel was a great loss.
“She will live on in the afterlife,” Theodore pleaded. “Angels do not.”
“She has life here!” Jophiel cried out. “She has parents and a life to go home too.”
“Jophiel, Theodore is right, you need to think about this rationally,” Michael said calmly as he came to the top of the table, placing a hand upon the child’s forehead. “She will be safe in Heaven.”
“No, I will not stand by and watch her life being taken from her,” Jophiel argued hotly.
“Even if it means giving up your own?” Theodore returned desperately.
“Yes. I never believed in purpose or fate, not until this moment,” Jophiel said quietly, pity filling her heart for the man she loved. “Fate led me to this moment, led me to her.”
“Please,” Theodore begged. “Please don’t leave me.”
“You don’t need me,” Jophiel cried. “At least not now. I am only a burden.” She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “If I can do one good thing to redeem myself then it is to save this child and give her life, where mine is all but spent.” Jophiel reached her hand out to Theodore, who took it and held it firmly, letting her guide him to her. Theodore placed his forehead against her own and closed his eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “Forgive me.”
“There is nothing to forgive,” Jophiel said gently as she touched his nose, and cupped his face. “I have and will always love you Cael, no matter your flaws, no matter your wrong doing. I have nothing left to give but this one gift to Belle.” Softly she brushed his lips and held him in a lingering kiss before letting him go and placing a hand over the child’s heart. Theodore stepped back and watched on as the angel closed her eyes and muttered beneath her breathe. A gentle stream of golden light flowed from Jophiels mouth and weaved its way down to Belle’s mouth, surging through the child’s body and bringing it to life. Jophiel drew out one last breathe before she fell upon the child, dead. Jophiels body began to fade away into a thousand particles of light, leaving behind a still Belle, whose chest rose and fell softly. Michael rounded the table and lifted the child into his arms.
“Take my hand Theodore,” said the angel. Theodore looked up from the floor, hardly aware of his surroundings and made his way over to Michael, placing a hand upon the sleeve of his arm. In one swift motion they disappeared from the mortuary.
XIV
Fallen Through Time
For time is the longest distance between two places…
Tennessee Williams.
Bath Abbey was sombre, the bodies of Eveline and Belle laid to rest upon two tables, placed before the high altar. A dozen or so angels from surrounding areas came to fill the choir pews, offering themselves as guards and protectors until such a time when both Eveline and Belle awoke. Theodore was bent upon his knees before the altar rails, his elbows bent and his head between his head as he grieved over the night’s events. Before him on either side of Eveline and Belle stood the high arch angels Michael and Gabriel, both still and silent, their faces drawn and sad. Behind him the angels began to chant beautifully as the morning sun rose high, letting a stream of brilliant morning light pour into the abbey through the beautiful stained glass windows. The light sought out every corner of the abbey, illuminating the beautiful fan vaults, pews, nave and the altar. Outside of the church, shadows stood awaiting news, Lagmar leading the large group. He knew that Galean would return for his love and waited patiently for him, for he knew to return to his master without the blood of enemy upon his hands would mean death.
“You need to rest Cael,” Michael said to the distraught and broken angel. He came to stand before him, placing a hand upon Cael’s head and bid him to raise his eyes, so that both pairs could meet.
“I cannot leave her,” Theodore said through muffled groans.
“Find somewhere within the church and close your eyes, I will awake you if there is any change,” Michael replied with kindness, a warm radiating from his touch, spreading throughout Theodore like a blanket of warmth.
“This is all my fault,” Theodore whispered reverently, his eyes red and sore.
“No this is not of your doing, although your pride and arrogance did not aid matters,” Michael said with patience and steadiness.
“What will become of me?”
“Not even I can look into the future,” Michael smiled with tenderness. “Do not live in tomorrow, it has enough worries of its own. Live in today.”
“She will live?” Theodore asked, his face etched with pain and longing.
“She is stronger than you or I and she breathes still.”
Theodore began to weep, uncaring of who surrounded him. He bent his head back into the palms of his shaking hands and wept. He had lost his mother, first love, and friends and was losing his wife. He did not know how to feel and scorned the anger within that whispered to him constantly that it was his wife’s doing that they had died. He battled within himself to find understanding towards Eveline, he knew it was not her fault, knew she had no power of the demon within. Secretly he had been relieved to find that Galean had left and was gone from this world, no longer here to antagonise Theodore, no longer here to initiate the prophecy.
“If she lives,” Michael interrupted his thoughts, his eyes searching Theodore’s soul hotly. “She will never be the same. Her place is not here in this world, her place is in another world. Will you let her go home?”
“I will follow her wherever she chooses to walk,” Theodore lied. In truth he did not want her to return to Unas, for there she would surely re unite with Galean. When Theodore truly looked at himself he could see the flaws, see the conflict and hated himself more for it. Jophiel had seen straight through him and still loved him, how he did not know, he was a shadow of his former self. He wanted to keep Eveline to himself and yet in truth could barely feel anything towards his wife but guilt. How would they ever look at one another the same now that a river divided them. Galean had left, Jophiel had died, he was free to claim his bride once again and yet he had no claim over her, his heart, his true heart had died with Jophiel. How could he return to his former self? How could he wave away the anguish, pain and grief that consumed him like a deadly virus. Theodore felt the hand leave him and stopped weeping, once again turning his eyes upwards to the ancient angel, who looked down at him with sadness.
“If you keep her here, she will wither away into nothing.”
“I will not force her to go where she does not wish to go,” Theodore said roughly.
“That is what I fear young angel. That you will put your own needs before the needs of those who depend on her.”
“I am not the enemy,” Theodore spat as he forced himself to his feet. “Remember that.” He turned and walked away, Michael’s silver eyes burning into his back.
“I will remember.”
*
Eveline felt herself awake, a warmness penetrating her heart as though a ray of sunshine had burned through her skin, directing all of its heat at her barely beating heart. Around her she heard a beautiful song fill the air. She raised her eyes and took in the large, stained glass window before her, filled with light and life. Turning her gaze she found the body of Belle, resting upon a similar table
next to her, roses surrounding her pale body. Beyond Belle stood a tall man, garbed in white and gold. He was beautiful and magnificent to behold, so still and silent, his vivid and unearthly blue eyes upon the child. Eveline returned her gaze to herself, looking down at her body. A shock vibrated throughout her as she realised her physical body lay quite still beneath her, limp and frail. Quickly she touched herself and found her hand disappearing within her chest. Fear took a hold of her until she felt something warm touch her back. She turned her head and found a ball of golden light, the same ball of light that she had seen in Keswick, hovering in mid-air above her lifeless face. Eveline realised that she was having a vision and found herself considerably relieved. Slowly she turned her spiritual self away from the table, climbing down onto the marbled floor of the great Abbey. Before her were men and women, clothed in fine gowns, sitting among the choir pews singing softly. She recognised the Abbey at once and smiled, how glorious and beautiful it was, so much more than the pictures she had lured over for so long. The ball of light began to move down the nave of the Abbey and so Eveline began to follow, her bare feet cold against the marbled floor. Quietly she passed the solemn men and women and made her way down the isolated aisle until she came to the great oak doors of the Abbey. The ball of light made its way through the oak and disappeared from sight. Turning slightly to look back down the long nave, Eveline drew in a breath before turning back to the great doors and pushing them open with her hands, using all the strength she could muster. As the abbey doors parted ways, her golden gaze fell upon a great land that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Eveline’s bare feet dug themselves into the warm soil as she looked over the sloping field of barley that met with a wide river, bordered with tall trees similar to Italian cypress trees. A gentle rush of warm air ran over the barley, causing it to sway beautifully as the warm, golden light of the sun ran over the land. With her hands, she gently stroked the heads of the barley and lifted her eyes to coral blue sky. With her left hand she shielded her golden gaze and smiled as she observed three circular planets within the sky, each of them a different size and colour. The closest of the planets, lay east to the large sun and was the colour of vermillion, vivid and bright. To the south west was a smaller planet, blue and hazy and to the West was a planet of similar size its colour white and brown. As she beheld the beauty of the sky, a flock of brightly coloured birds reminiscent of the turquoise browned motmots she had so lovingly adored flew overhead, chirping lightly as they danced in unison with one another in a whirling, ever – changing pattern. Eveline turned her body to watch the flock of birds fly away into the distance, her eyes falling upon three large villas. Her hand fell from her forehead as she took in the grand sight of the white bricked villas, the outer two slightly smaller in size from the large villa that lay in between them both. The large villa in the middle was rectangular in shape and boasted a grand porch, decorated with ten large columns with shafts that where around twenty to the thirty feet tall. Delicate white voile curtains swayed from the large arched doors of the villa, brushing the elegant columns lightly. Eveline felt her body fill with a strange sensation as she a lover of architecture observed with wide eyes the beautiful villas, quiet and still. The steps of the villa were decorated with tiles and led down to a small square garden that lay bordered to the barely field. With curiosity she began to walk towards the villa, stopping abruptly when four young children ran out of the large arched doors, a young woman following closely behind.
“Hedron, do not stray far,” the young woman shouted out as her three sons and daughter bounded into the barely field, the girls wild auburn hair running after her as she screamed with joy and excitement, chasing her brothers through the barley with a small stick sword. Eveline watched the children, their heads bobbing through the field as they cried out, all involved in play acting. Their voices, tinted with an accent she had never heard before filled the warm air and as she stood watching them, she felt the presence of the young woman close to her and turned her eyes to get a better look. The woman was tall, at least six foot tall and her frame was petite and her skin a swarthy olive. She too like her daughter had red hair, a few shades darker and a few inches longer. Her hair was half up and half down, the front plated and woven about her head like a crown, with a small golden crown of leaves and flowers settled atop her head and the rest beautifully curled down her lithe back. Her face was heart shaped with a wide forehead and a pointed chin. Her golden eyes lay beneath thick lashes and finely arched brows which gave her a perpetual expression of slight surprise. Her nose was long and pointed and her cheekbones high and wide, gently cushioning her full lips and dimpled chin. The beautiful woman wore a light gown of white muslin which flowed down her petite frame, falling to her sandal bound feet. Along the hem of her gown was a delicate pattern of golden leaves, which made their way up the gown to the woman’s shoulders.
Eveline registered the perplexing fact that woman like herself had golden eyes and auburn hair and found herself remembering the young Queen Unyae of Caci and found herself even more perplexed, was this woman related to the young Queen? As she tried to understand the vision she heard the young cry of the little girl, no more than five years old. She strode out of the barley, the stick by her side. With her small hands she wiped away the tears that filled her round eyes, also gold and deep. She too wore a similar gown, not as long nor as tight. Her feet were also bound by sandals and as she made her way up to who Eveline presumed was her mother, she let her sword fall to the ground and wrapped her arms about the woman’s legs.
“What is it Unyae?” the young woman murmured, picking the child up into her arms. Eveline felt the force of those four words hit her with shock. The child was indeed the young Queen and so, Eveline realised with a deftly beat of her heart, the young woman must have been her mother.
“Gallias, Alypias and Hedron have gone to the river,” Unyae sobbed into her mother’s shoulder. “They left me behind on purpose.”
“It is too dangerous for you to be near the river at such a young age,” the young woman soothed, her hand stroking the child’s face lightly. “I told Hedron to stay clear, the river is to wide and deep.”
“He said he was a prince and princes are allowed to go down to the river and princesses are not because we are too frail and weak,” Unyae cried, wiping her nose with her tiny hand.
“Frail and weak?” a booming male voice re iterated. Eveline shook with surprise and turned to the villa where a tall man stood. She didn’t quite know how to describe the man, only that he looked like a Greek God and spoke with a voice that would quite easily silence an auditorium in seconds. He bore a striking resemblance to the statue of Zeus at Olympia and put the fear of God into Eveline’s heart as he walked down the tiled steps, dressed in a golden robe, making his way over to the young woman and Unyae. The man’s hair was as golden as the sun and thickly curled. A golden wreath lay upon his finely curled head, larger than the woman’s crown. His eyes were peculiar, his right being blue and his left gold. As he came closer to Eveline she was able to observe him with curiosity and silent fear. His face was firm and angular, his brows high and his eyes deeply set. He had what would be described as either a roman nose or an aquiline nose, having a prominent bridge which gave it the appearance of being slightly bent and eagle like. His body was large and athletic, intimidating and beautiful to look at, draped in a fine golden robe.
“I’m afraid your sons are being rather naughty husband,” the young woman smiled as her husband took the young girl from her arms and lifted her into his own, planting a gentle kiss on her cheek.
“And where are they?” the man asked his wife, with eyes so loving they betrayed the hard and firm face that beheld them.
“They have gone to the river,” the young mother replied as her husband kissed her forehead lightly.
“I see,” the father smiled knowingly.
“Are princesses frail and weak?” Unyae asked her father with wide eyes, her lips trembling.
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“Princesses and Queens are to be feared daughter,” the god like man replied with kind and knowing eyes. “Your mother is the high Queen Uneos of the Heavens, Queen of peace and giver of light. We King’s never underestimate the strength and power of our Queen’s and Princesses, for their beauty can befall a kingdom and strip man of his senses.”
“And our powers of compassion and kindness can heal even the deepest of wounds,” the Queen smiled gently.
“Then why did they call me weak and frail?” Unyae asked her parents with a confused expression.
“Those who try to oppress others are merely afraid of them, because they know them to be equally as powerful and great as themselves,” The King exclaimed regally to his daughter. “When someone tries to demean you, do not see it as an insult, see it as a compliment to how revered you are.”
“Hedron said I will never be able to wield a sword like him, that only princes can wield swords.”
“How unwise is he to believe that wielding a sword alone makes him stronger than you,” Uneos cooed as she softly placed one of Unyae’s curls behind her ear. “Hedron cannot ride a horse like you, nor can he shoot an arrow like you.”
“Neither can he sing like you,” the King added as Unyae smiled up into her father’s face, her tiny hand settling itself upon his cheek.
“You have the fairest voice in Aurelius daughter,” Uneos commended her youngest, wrapping an arm about her strong husband and another around her daughter’s body. Eveline felt her heart thud with pain at such intimacy, she had longed for so many years to have parents such as these and she found a rush of envy course through her as she watched the trio embrace one another lovingly. As tears filled her eyes she felt the earth beneath her suddenly begin to shake and without warning her body was forced to the ground as the light around her began to fade, the sound of lightening filling the air. Her hands fell into the warm soil as the earth shook and with fear she moulded her body to the ground, afraid and trembling. When the shaking dissipated, she looked up from the ground and found the atmosphere altered. The trio had vanished and the once perfectly white voile curtains where ripped and torn, sweeping across the tiled porch. In the distance she could hear the terrifying sounds of thunder and when she turned witnessed a great streak of lightening erupt through the darkened sky. The barley field lay still as the thunder rolled through the sky. With caution, Eveline brought herself to her feet and made her way towards the villa. Slowly she crept up the steps and walked past the great columns, passing through the arched doorway and into a great hall. The great hall was square and beautifully decorated with mosaics. In the centre was a small, square pool and above it they was no roof. Rain began to fall heavily into the pool as Eveline walked around it, mesmerised by the pool and the way in which the large droplets of water fell, creating a soothing echo within the hall. Before her was a large arched door. With caution she opened the large door slowly and peeped through. The bodies of three guards lay before her in an even larger hall, all of them fatally wounded and dripping with blood. Eveline began to feel fear take her, something wasn’t right, something sinister had occurred. She placed a hand over her nose as the stench of death and blood made her stomach turn with nausea. She crept along the outer perimeter of the hall until she came to an open doorway that merged onto a long corridor. Across the hall another open doorway was in sight, leading to another long corridor. Between both corridors another great door stood, made of copper. Each of the corridors had an open wall, filled with small columns. With a deep breath Eveline made her way down the corridor to her right and stopped, turning her gaze out onto a large courtyard which lay in the middle of the villa.
One Crown & Two Thrones: The Prophecy Page 39