by BJ Sheldon
Michael said nothing. His demeanor was calm, his gaze fixed on me, unwavering. I watched one corner of his mouth curve up ever so slightly, and I could almost see his mind turning from the tongue lashing he’d just received, amused by my outburst. Then suddenly, he looked up as if something had captured his attention in the stars. He turned away and stared into the sky.
He remained still and didn’t move. I cleared my throat to pierce the silence and gain his attention, but Arna’s hand quickly landed on my shoulder.
“Say nothing,” I heard Arna say inside my head.
My instinct was to reply with a smartass comment, but I thought better of it and kept quiet.
A few more minutes ticked by, and just as the group started to grow restless, I watched Michael’s dirty head of hair tilt forward. Then, Michael turned around to face us once more.
“The apocalypse. It is inevitable,” he stated.
“Maybe,” I replied. “Maybe not. Personally, I don’t put a lot of stock into fate. I mean did your God tell you it was going to happen? Or even when? I know God is omnipotent. But are you?”
He didn’t appear to like my question, his eyes narrowing.
“Only God knows all. But I go on faith…like anyone else. It was written, so shall it be.”
“It was written by men who only wrote down what they think they saw. Or what was told to them by people who heard a story that was retold tens of times. I mean, as far as we know, everything in the book of Revelations already happened back in 50 AD. The world very well could be destroyed…by global warming, flooding, mass meteors falling from the sky. But as long as I’m alive and kicking, there is no way in hell that I’m going to let the people on this planet die because they had the misfortune of existing when Hell and Heaven wanted to gain control over a piece of jewelry.” I took a step and found myself mere inches from Michael, staring him in the face. “Do you even have the ring?”
“That is the question, isn’t it? What if I say I do possess it? Will you attack me and take it from me by force?”
“I have a feeling that would be a bad idea. You may look like a weak human, but this isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve come up against Watchers before, and I know just how strong you can be. Look…I’m not looking for a fight. I just want answers.”
Michael seemed to ponder my response. Then, he stepped back and threw out his arms. His body began to glow, gradually growing brighter until we were all forced to look away for just an instant, shielding our eyes from the intensity of it.
As the glow diminished, I heard Grace gasp and mutter holy shit under her breath.
The once dirty, homeless man had transformed, and there before us stood a nearly seven-foot-tall Watcher with a large build and flowing, dark hair. His snow-white wings were massive—considerably larger than even my father’s. But his face hadn’t changed, his eyes still piercing the darkness which found me, his gaze never faltering from my own.
I wasn’t easily intimidated, but the sight of the Archangel Michael in his true form did cause me to take a step back and gather myself.
He reached behind his neck and pulled a chain up and over his head. As he removed the chain, the front of it slid out from under the neck of his robe revealing a ring.
Michael held it up for all to see.
No one said a word. We could only gaze upon it, wondering if we’d really found it. It didn’t look like much. The ring was made of metal, possibly the brass and iron that it was rumored to be made from, but it still looked like a piece of cheap, costume jewelry. The top of it was flat with raised symbols which looked exactly like my painting, right down to the stones in each quadrant…with one exception.
One of the stones was missing.
“That’s it. That’s the symbol from my painting,” I said, almost whispering.
“Before King Solomon died, he grew increasingly more unhinged, his mind no longer what it once was. He could no longer be trusted with its possession. Asmodeus had stolen the ring from him once before, and I knew that with Solomon’s health quickly failing him, it would only be a matter of time before he tried again. I retrieved the ring, hoping to keep it from falling into anyone else’s hands. A demon like Asmodeus could cause a lot of problems for the world if he managed to get his claws on it, and odds were he would have given it directly to Satan himself to use against his enemy…the Watchers. And if humanity were to possess the thing, the world would be thrown into chaos. So, I ran and went into hiding. I knew that Asmodeus would never give up looking for me or the ring, and I’ve been looking over my shoulder ever since.”
“You’ve managed to hide from him all this time?” asked Grace, summoning her courage and stepping forward.
“Yes—and no. I would see him from time to time in his alternate form, so fearing that I had been discovered I would quickly change my appearance again and flee to another part of the world in hopes of keeping my identity a secret.”
“Alternate form?” I asked.
“Asmodeus has the ability to shape shift into a falcon. He used this ability to spy on the enemies of Solomon, forced to do so by the power of the ring. As a falcon—”
“Wait,” I interrupted. “A falcon?”
“Yes,” said Michael.
“Well, shit,” I mumbled to myself. I looked up and suddenly realized everyone was staring at me as if waiting for me to explain. “Sorry. It’s just that I’ve been seeing a falcon following me. Everywhere I go, it shows up. And I’m ninety-nine percent sure it’s the same bird. Do you think it could be Asmodeus?”
Michael rubbed his chin, deep in contemplation, before speaking.
“I’m certain it is. He has probably been watching you for some time to see if you’d attained his prize, yet. It’s only a matter of time before he shows himself to you in his true form.”
My gaze fell on the ring that still hung from Michael’s chain. I reached out to touch it, stopping just short, looking up at the Archangel.
“May I?” I asked.
He nodded. I placed my palm under the ring, bringing it up closer for me to study. It gave off a subtle vibration in my hand as if it were alive with energy.
“It’s missing a stone,” I stated.
“Asmodeus has the fourth gem. A piece of moldavite like the other three. Without it, the ring will not allow the user to control the spirits or perform exorcisms. But the ring is still powerful enough to allow a non-demon to locate the gateway to Hell. And it will also guide a non-angel the gateway of Heaven. This is why I cannot allow it to fall into the hands of anyone.”
“Heaven?” I asked. “Are you sure?”
Michael nodded solemnly.
I turned and faced my group.
“Maybe it’s best if we let Michael keep the ring. No one knows he’s here or even what he looks like, so Naberius and his people will never find it,” I said.
“But even you said Naberius will keep coming after you and the people you care about unless you find it,” said Grace, stepping forward.
“And let’s not forget what he did to you when he trapped you inside your mind,” said Rami.
“But I can handle Naberius and his legion of demons if it means Michael can keep the ring safe,” I replied. I turned toward the angel. “Humanity would remain safe. Right?”
“There’s more you need to know,” said Michael, placing the chain back around his neck, tucking it inside his robes once again. “The ring doesn’t just have the capacity to control evil spirits such as demons or the spirits of those long dead. It also has the ability of controlling…Watchers. Angels.”
My mind raced. The ring was far more powerful than anyone had imagined.
Michael placed his hands behind his back and continued. “But even if you possessed the ring and could locate one of the entrances, only a demon can actually open the gate of Hell and enter. The same for Heaven’s gate—only a Watcher can open the gate and enter. And as I’m sure you’ve learned by now, if the ring is used to unlock the gates and allow either population ou
t, it would create an imbalance in the universe, once again putting humanity in the crossfires of a heavenly war.”
“I know that,” I replied.
“But what you do not know is if you were to possess both the ring and your sword…you would be invincible. While most demons can be killed by any weapon by removing their heads, your sword is the only thing that can kill a Watcher. If Hell were to figure out a way to control you, they could use you as a weapon against Heaven.”
I stood in stunned silence. There had been far more to the story than I’d realized.
“But I would never do that,” I said, glancing first as Michael and then Arna. “I couldn’t.”
“I don’t think it would be by choice. I am certain you would be coerced in some way,” replied Michael. “Therefore, I cannot release the ring to you. Not unless God Himself advises I do so.”
“You said most demons can be killed. What did you mean by most?” Grace asked, suddenly speaking up.
“Demons such as Naberius…the high-ranking demons in Satan’s army. They cannot be killed by regular means. Only the Speer of Azazel—Skyy’s sword—can kill them.”
“Great,” I said and sighed. “This just keeps getting better and better. Well, I guess I better figure out a way to keep Grace and Dorian safe from Naberius and his minions.”
As if on cue, demons crawled and rushed out of the shadows. Without even thinking, I shoved Grace hard, getting her out of the way before someone could get to her. From the corner of my eye, I witnessed Michael catch her as she stumbled back. He led her to a safe spot just off the path, leaned in and whispered something in her ear, then turned to join in on the fight.
I’d seen Watchers battle before and even battled a few of them myself. But I clearly hadn’t seen anything until that exact moment. Michael was graceful and powerful, making it all look completely effortless as if he wasn’t even trying. The demons continued to chase him, but he cut them down nearly as fast as they appeared on the scene. Meanwhile, Arna, Rami, and myself all struggled to take on two and even three at a time, making it look a bit more challenging than Michael.
Clearly, being an Archangel had its advantages.
Three demons rushed me. My sword held firmly in hand, I swung hard immediately making contact with the one unfortunate enough to reach me first, his body falling to the right, his head rolling left. The death of their cohort didn’t deter the others whatsoever as they reached me, bringing their weapons down from over their heads. I raised my own sword level over my head and blocked their assault. I released my wings and leapt into the air sending them both stumbling backward. I flapped with as much force as I could, blowing dust in their eyes before landing hard between the two of them. I swung my sword in a figure eight as I spun on one heel, decapitating them both. But no sooner had I dispatched my enemies than two more came at me.
As I fought off their advances, I kept a watchful eye on the surrounding skirmishes to ensure no one was being overpowered or overtaken just in case I was needed.
I watched a pair of demons double-team Rami, backing him up against the dead tree. He blocked with one of his swords, meeting every potential blow with a strike of his own. Rami swung high, his assault stopped by his foe mere inches from a demon’s neck. The other demon took the opportunity to thrust his sword at Rami’s chest, but the Hybrid wasn’t taken by surprise. With the speed of a hurricane, Rami dropped to the ground and kicked his feet, taking out the legs of his nearest opponents who tripped, falling into his counterpart. With both demons off balance, Rami leapt to his feet and beheaded one of his opponents.
Arna battled three demons on his own. While he was a Watcher like Michael, powerful in his own right, he didn’t make it look quite as easy as his counterpart. He had to work a bit harder to defend himself, but that’s not to say he didn’t make short work of dispatching them all before taking on the next three who rushed toward him.
Suddenly, a demon bolted in Grace’s direction, his weapon raised and ready. Grace still had a firm grasp on Gladys, but she didn’t raise the gun to defend herself. She was frightened, her expression one of terror, as she shone her flashlight from one battle to another, trying to grasp the gravity of the situation.
I had my hands full and wouldn’t be able to get to Grace in time. Michael was the closest, but was in the middle of his own fight.
“Michael!” I screamed. “Help her!”
The Archangel whirled around and took the head of his rival with a swing of his sword, then raced toward Grace, his enormous wings catching air. In one swift move, he stabbed the demon through the chest, ripping out his sword nearly as fast before severing its head. Grace screamed as it landed directly between her feet. She instinctively kicked it and sent it flying like a soccer ball toward a goal.
“Thanks,” I shouted, nodding at Michael.
He nodded back in response. Both of us went back to fighting our own respective battles, the demons pouring in with unrelenting force. We were all outnumbered, and with Grace in the shadows of the battle, it made it difficult to focus on those I was fighting while simultaneously ensuring no one got too close to her. I wondered if I’d again made a mistake by bringing a mortal along. I’d known she wasn’t safe, alone in town. But she wasn’t any safer with me…not as long as I was hunted by Naberius’s cronies.
As if in a trance, the demons suddenly ceased their attack. They quickly backed away and lined up shoulder to shoulder near the dead tree in complete unison. They stood silently, unmoving…not blinking, their swords raised like a group of medieval statues. All of us stood dumbfounded, wondering what was behind their strange behavior.
But we didn’t need to wait long.
A head of bright red hair appeared from behind the wall of demons. My stomach flipped with dire anticipation. I instinctively placed myself between him and Grace, determined to keep her safe and out of harm’s way.
Naberius emerged from the far end of the formation and motioned toward his soldiers who immediately lowered their weapons. He then turned to face us, his expression almost showing surprise at seeing us there.
“I see you’ve met some of my loyal pets,” said Naberius. He walked down the line inspecting his warriors, stopping to playfully tap the cheek of one of them. “Aren’t they lovely? Extremely loyal. Can’t say that for all demons, unfortunately. Or Watchers for that matter.” His gaze met mine for only a second. I raised my sword, not willing to be caught off guard if he attacked.
“Naberius.” Michael was calm as he stepped forward to face down his old foe. “You will never get your hands on the ring. You must know that.”
Naberius threw up his hands and shrugged.
“What can I say? I enjoy striving for the impossible.” Naberius turned his head and caught my gaze. He smiled smugly and headed in my direction, but he was forced to stop when he reached the tip of my outstretched sword. I kept it aimed at his throat, my arm steady and prepared for anything.
“I should have known I’d run into you,” I growled.
“Oh, my dear Skyy. I told you that I would never stop hunting you or your friends until I had possession of the ring. And I may be many things, but I am no liar. Something tells me that the ring is near,” said Naberius, glancing sideways at Michael.
“I’m sure I have no idea,” Michael replied.
Naberius eyed Michael, sizing him up, possibly to gauge if he was worth engaging in a fight. But we all knew that not even Naberius would be stupid enough to go up against Michael without a larger army than he currently had at his immediate disposal.
“I apologize if my boys here got a bit rough with you,” said Naberius in his gravelly voice. “They can be so naughty sometimes. I let them off their leashes for just a second and off they run in all directions.”
“Nothing we couldn’t handle,” I replied, rolling the head of one of the dead demons toward Naberius with the tip of my toe.
“We’ll be off. Sorry to have bothered you.” The demons all turned and began to wander mindle
ssly down the path, Naberius close behind. But he abruptly stopped and turned to face us. “Oh. One more thing. The next time we meet, you will be outnumbered a hundred to one. I will bring my legions to force you to hand over the ring, and then I will destroy you all. Mankind as well…if they happen to get in the way.” He strolled over to me and gazed deeply into my eyes, smiling with that incredible charm that he seemed to possess. “Except for you, my dear. I have special plans for you. It would be a shame to destroy something so beautiful.” He gently placed his finger under my chin and winked seductively.
And with that, he walked away and disappeared into the darkness with his demons.
Chapter 21
“God, I hate that guy!” I barked.
“Join the club,” Rami replied, replacing his swords into their scabbards.
“No. I mean I really, really hate that guy. I hate how likeable he is and how smooth he is and I swear to God that hair isn’t natural. There’s no way that color is natural. And I really, really, really hate his voice. He sounds like an old blues singer that needs to be accompanied by an electric guitar, only he’s nowhere near as likeable as a blues singer. He pushes my damn buttons and I hate that.”
“Don’t hold back,” said Rami, slapping my shoulder.
Michael said nothing, instead closing his eyes and dropping to his knees. We all glanced at one another, curiously wondering what was happening. He fell forward and placed his forehead on the ground, his arms stretched out in front of him. Seconds turned to minutes as we all gathered in front of Michael, waiting to see what would happen.
“What’s he doing?” I whispered, leaning over toward Arna.
“Quiet,” he ordered in a low voice.
I rolled my eyes and gave Arna a dirty look.
Michael whispered now and again in a language I couldn’t understand. We all continued to wait impatiently for the Archangel to finish whatever it was he was doing.
I looked up. The moon was high in the night sky. It was a full moon, and the stars splayed out above in the darkness like a roadmap to the galaxy. It was hard to believe that with the vastness of space, and the endlessness of the universe, that Heaven or Hell would care about one tiny planet that amounted to a single speck of sand on a beach. I suddenly felt very small and unimportant. The idea that the earth was at the center of a battle between God and Satan seemed ridiculous, and I wondered if all my best intentions were in vain.