Feel the Flames

by BJ Sheldon

  “I will take my leave now,” said Naberius, his voice raspy and low. “Twelve hours. And not a minute longer, or it will be too late.” Naberius leaned in again, pressing his lips to my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “You will be mine. Join me, and we will rule together. Deny me, and not only will humanity suffer, but so will lover boy here. And there’s something you must know. Whatever I want…I get.”

  Naberius snapped his fingers, and his demons made a path to the door. Dorian stood and stretched, allowing his black wings to flutter slightly behind him. He made his way over to me and leaned in, studying my face. With the back of his fingers, he wiped the tears from my cheeks and placed his hands on my waist.

  “I can hear him inside my head, you know.” The voice was Dorian’s, but I knew it was the demon inside him speaking to me. “He’s screaming for me to leave you be. But I must confess, I understand what he sees in you. I can only imagine how your lips taste.” He leaned in and tried to kiss me. I pulled back, placing a hand on his chest to stop him from drawing any closer.

  “Stay away from me.”

  “If you want to save your boyfriend, you better get to Hell with that ring. Or you’ll be feeling the flames yourself.”

  He laughed and backed away, dutifully following his master out the door.

  Chapter 24

  I raced to the door. There was no trace of Naberius, his demons, or Dorian. They had all completely vanished into thin air. My heart sank as I thought about Dorian being trapped inside his mind, unable to control his own actions against the force of the demon within him.

  As I struggled to compose myself, anger began to build. Anger against Naberius. Anger against Hell. And even anger against Heaven for allowing it all to happen. I spun around and suddenly had Gavyn by the front of his shirt, repeatedly slamming him against the wall.

  “You better start talking,” I demanded, gritting my teeth.

  “I already told you everything,” Gavyn replied. He was visibly afraid of me, his hands in the air.

  “Not everything.” I let him go and backed up, prepared to walk away when I felt an overwhelming to urge to cause him pain. I whirled around and punched him in the face sending him sliding to the floor, his back to the wall. He held his jaw and stared up at me in disbelief. “Like your master said…the absence of truth is still a lie.”

  “He’s not my master,” snapped Gavyn, picking himself up off the floor. He wriggled his jaw back and forth and straightened up. “And I deserved that. I’m sorry I lied about who I was. But you must know I only wanted the ring for me. I would never have given it to him.”

  “Wow. The ring in the hands of one demon over the hands of another. Well, that makes me feel so much better.”

  “I had no intention of using it for the same purpose that Naberius does. I wanted it for the same reason I took it from Solomon all those years ago.”

  “And that would be?”

  “To control the other demons…to keep them from bringing me home. I could live out in the open and wouldn’t have to hide like I have now for thousands of years. I have existed for generations constantly looking over my shoulder, hoping not to be discovered. But with the ring, I would no longer need to run. The other demons wouldn’t stand a chance against the ring and would be forced to stay away simply because I told them to.”

  I glared at Gavyn, my trust in him shattered—not that I had completely trusted him to begin with. His explanation, however, made sense.

  Didn’t mean I believed him. Not yet.

  “What about the scar?” I asked.

  “The scar?”

  “When you’re in falcon form. You have a prominent scar. Over your right eye.”

  Gavyn didn’t blink. He froze briefly, then lifted his shaggy hair up from his forehead revealing a faint scar above his eyebrow.

  “A gift. From that redheaded asshole. Back when Solomon died and he tried to bring me back into the fold.” Gavyn allowed his hair to fall back over his eyes once again. He appeared to be genuinely angry at Naberius…and frightened.

  “What was Naberius talking about? The lies. He said everyone has lied to me.”

  Gavyn didn’t speak. He shook his head slightly, giving me the indication that he didn’t want to tell me what he knew.

  “Spill.” I took a step forward, drawing closer to where he stood.

  Rami had already retrieved Grace from her hiding spot in the corner. She shook with fear, Rami’s arms around her as he tried to comfort her. Together, they silently watched as I confronted the ancient demon standing in my studio.

  Gavyn still said nothing.

  I took another step closer and without warning, I drew back and punched him in the gut with my left and followed it with another blow to his jaw with my right.

  He stood hunched over as he tried to compose himself. Finally, he stood and wiped the blood from his lip.

  “Fine. But if I tell you, you must remember that I’m only the messenger,” said Gavyn. He ran his tongue along the corner of his mouth where it had split from my fist.

  I didn’t reply. I simply waited for what he had to say.

  “There’s more to the ring than what you’ve been told. It goes beyond simply being able to control demons and angels and locating the entrance to Hell. It has a lot to do with who the possessor of the ring is. Even if someone locates the entrance to Heaven, only an angel can enter. If a demon possesses the ring, he still wouldn’t be able to able to enter the gates of Heaven. Not without the consent of an angel, which we all know would never happen. The same goes for Hell. Only a demon can enter, and no one who isn’t a demon can enter without a demon’s consent. Again…never happen.”

  “Your point?” I asked.

  “My point is this. With the ring, you can find the gateway to Heaven and enter because you’re a watcher. But you…you would also be able to enter Hell…without needing permission.”

  “What—what are you saying?” I stammered.

  “Naberius said it himself. Why are your wings gray? Did it never occur to you after you met the Watchers why your wings weren’t white like theirs? You’ve seen Dorian’s wings. You know what I’m saying.”

  I had wondered about it, but truthfully had never worried that it meant anything sinister. Considering I wasn’t a full-blooded Watcher, I had always assumed it was the result of having a Hybrid mother.

  “You’re lying.” I charged at Gavyn and pulled out my sword, placing it firmly under his chin, prepared to relieve him of his head. “I am not possessed by a demon,” I stated slowly. “But by the time I’m done with you, you’ll wish I had been.”

  “Whoa now. I told you not to kill the messenger, remember?”

  I stared him down, eventually lowering the sword.

  “Finish.”

  “You’re not possessed. But…” He slid to the side to avoid being struck again. “Look. Your father was a Watcher. That’s always been true. But your mother—she…”

  He paused.

  “What about my mother?” I barked.

  “Put your sword away first,” he said, eyeing the weapon in my hand. “Then I’ll tell you.”

  I didn’t move, stubbornly refusing to listen to anything he had to say. But my curiosity eventually got the best of me. I rolled my eyes and slid my sword into its scabbard on my waist. I put my hands out and gave him a look that said ‘there, are you happy?’.

  “Your mother Keelin was a Hybrid, but it goes beyond that. Keelin’s mother…she wasn’t…human. Not completely.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “He’s saying that your grandmother was part demon.” My father stepped through the studio door in his angel form followed closely behind by Arna. “Your great-grandmother, unbeknownst to her, was seduced by a demon. Naberius had laid out a plan for your family lineage and was determined to see it through. Their union resulted in the birth of your grandmother. Her name was Brannagh, and from an early age her people knew that there was something dark within her. She herself knew
that she was different, but no one…not even her own mother had any idea as to why. Your great-grandmother hadn’t known that the stranger who had fathered her child had been a demon. As far as she knew, he had seduced her and disappeared, never to be seen again.”

  “Sounds familiar,” I muttered, giving my father a terse look as I tried to absorb what he was telling me.

  Ignoring my words, he continued.

  “When Brannagh met Calvin, the Nephilim Hybrid who would become your grandfather, she couldn’t understand how someone like him could fall in love with someone like her. She didn’t know he was Nephilim when they married, obviously, but she always said he was the kindest person she had ever met. Said she did not deserve him. And when they conceived your mother, it was as if being pregnant with Keelin was the antidote for her demonic anger. Brannagh died in childbirth, but the lineage had been completed as intended. Naberius had plans for your mother…nefarious plans. Apparently, she was to be used as a weapon against the Watchers. She fought a darkness of her own, holding back the evil that she had been born with and managed to channel her inner light. And when you were born, she knew that you were meant for greatness.”

  My stomach dropped, and my chest tightened. I suddenly became very lightheaded and stumbled back, finding a chair. I sat before my legs gave out from under me.

  “So, Heaven decided that a part demon-part Hybrid would be the best approach to defeating Naberius,” I stated, bluntly.

  “Yes.”

  “So, once again, I’m nothing more than a pawn in someone else’s game?”

  I laughed weakly in disbelief. I got my legs back under me and paced about as I tried to understand it all. Feeling betrayed and used, my life had been a lie.

  “I’m a demon.” I glanced over at Grace and Rami and tossed up my arms. “I’m a demon. Great. Wonderful. That’s exactly what someone wants to learn about themselves after all these years. As if I wasn’t screwed up enough, now I’m being told that I’m part demon.”

  “Skyy.” My father’s expression softened. “This behavior doesn’t solve anything.”

  “Did she know?” I asked. “Did she know that she was part demon?”

  “Not at first,” he replied. “But she was eventually told…before you were conceived. She knew how important your birth would be to humanity.”

  I continued to pace, but suddenly stopped in front of Arna.

  “And you knew about this?” I asked.

  “Yes,” replied Arna flatly.

  “And you knew that Dorian was possessed all along, didn’t you?”

  “I suspected.”

  “You suspected. Well, maybe you could have filled me in on that little tidbit.”

  “I suspected because when I saw him again, his wings were black. And last I’d seen of him, they were white. So yes…I suspected. But you would not have believed me if I had told you. After all, you didn’t believe me when I tried to sway you that something about him was…off.”

  My father stepped forward to face me.

  “Do not blame Arna. He was tasked by God Himself with watching your family. He had been assigned to ensure that God’s will happened the way it was destined. It has always been your fate…your destiny…to defeat the armies of Naberius and keep the gates of Hell locked tight.”

  “And here I thought we were friends. Instead, as it turns out, you were nothing more than a spy just pretending to be my friend. You just wanted to make sure I was pointed in the right direction to do Heaven’s bidding,” I barked at Arna. “And what about Michael? That medium, Mina, said Michael had been watching me as well. So, all those years that I was running from people, hoping not to be discovered, trying to kill myself, living in complete solitude feeling completely alone…I was being watched. Not a single person thought that letting me in on this secret early on was a good idea? It was better that I lived all those years hating myself and my existence?”

  “That was never our intention,” said Arna, reaching out to me.

  “No. You’re no better than Naberius and his legions of demons. Any of you. Get out of here. I don’t want to see any of you ever again,” I yelled, pointing at my door.

  “Skyy.” My father found his way to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Only you can stop what is about to happen. You must protect humanity and keep the gate to Hell closed.”

  I took a step back and ran my fingers through my hair.

  “No. I’m not anybody’s puppet anymore. You want to stop the impending apocalypse? Do it yourself. I’m out. I’m done. Now get the hell off my property.”

  Arna and Raphael each bowed their heads, turned, and disappeared out my door. I stormed after them and slammed it shut.

  I screamed loudly, allowing all my frustration, anger, and disappointment to come out in one long release.

  Rami, Grace, and Gavyn remained silent, standing off to the side, giving me plenty of girth. I had a feeling it had more to do with the fact that they probably didn’t know what to say under the circumstances.

  A demon.

  I was part demon.

  “I’m sorry you had to find out like this,” said Gavyn quietly, finally breaking the silence.

  “You knew,” I stated.

  “I knew. And I should have told you, but the powers that be didn’t want you finding out until you absolutely needed to know.”

  “The powers that be?” I asked, looking at him, feeling completely defeated. I wasn’t sure I had any strength left to deal with more truth bombs.

  “Heaven. Hell.”

  “Ah. Those powers.”

  I wandered over to my bench and plopped down, placing my head in my hands.

  “If Naberius has the ring, he can use Dorian to find the gate to Heaven and open it. You know what that means. Only an angel can allow demons to enter. And with him possessed, he can do it. He can start the attack on Heaven itself,” said Gavyn.

  “And why should I care about any of this?” I asked.

  “Because once they have the ring, they can tip the balance. They can allow the demons out of Hell. All of them. And once Hell is emptied, the world will be destroyed. As will Heaven.”

  He was right. I knew he was right.

  But at that moment, I wasn’t sure I cared any longer.

  “Skyy?” Grace spoke up. I raised my head and considered her terrified face. “Did you mean what you said? That you weren’t going to help?”

  I sighed heavily, unable to answer her question. In fact, I didn’t know what I wanted to do…or should do for that matter.

  “I mean, if you do nothing, I’m going to die…me and everyone like me. Mortals. But if you decide to try, the humans could still get caught in the middle and die.” Grace walked over and sat down beside me. She placed her hand on my knee. “Look at me.”

  I looked into her eyes. They were full of tears, unable to comprehend what was ahead of her.

  “I’m scared. I don’t want to die. Not like that.” She wiped a few tears from her cheek. “Can I ask you a question?”

  I shrugged.

  “What would Sean have told you to do?”

  I shook my head.

  “That’s not fair,” I whispered.

  “All is fair in love and war, or so I’ve heard. You and I both know the kind of guy Sean was. He died doing what he thought was right. He died protecting this world from evil. He died trying to keep you safe. So, do you really think he’d be the guy telling you to give up right now? No. He’d tell you that you’re special and amazing.”

  I thought back to earlier times and chuckled.

  “He’d tell me I’m like one of the superheroes in one of his comics. That I’m an epic kind of special that he’d give his eye teeth to be.”

  “You do what you want, Skyy, but know this. You’re not alone. You have me, you have Rami…Gavyn even. And I’m sure that the Watchers won’t completely abandon you. Not when their very existence in Heaven is at stake. Yes…your family is totally screwed up, but then whose isn’t? Hell, my mom wa
lked out when I was just two and my dad is a homeless drunk. I have a brother who’s locked up for B and E, and my sister is living in a battered woman’s shelter with her four kids because she keeps picking the wrong guys. We don’t always get the family of our dreams, but we get the family that we need. Mine showed me that I needed to make different choices in life so I didn’t end up like any of them. I’ve worked my ass off to be a productive member of society…make the right decisions…hang out with the right kind of people. I’m terrified of dying, but if I have to die I might as well die like Sean…doing it for the right reasons.”

  I reached out and put my arms around Grace, hugging her, a gesture I rarely performed. But her words had struck a chord. It didn’t matter where I’d come from or how I was conceived. What mattered was where I was going and who I was becoming.

  Rami came and sat next to Grace and put his hand on her back. She pulled away from me and smiled, then turned and kissed Rami on the cheek. I rose and walked slowly to the painting of the seal. I stared at it for a while, taking in the very thing that had started it all.

  I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ring.

  “I’m going to save Dorian,” I announced, holding it out for everyone to see.

  “You do have it.” Gavyn was clearly shocked. “Michael gave it to you.”

  “He did. And now I’m going to use it to save Dorian.”

  “Didn’t you hear Naberius? You save Dorian, you’re dooming mankind to death. Hell will use the ring to invade Heaven. And besides, who’s to say they’ll release Dorian if you hand it over in the first place.”

  “I meant what I said. I’m not anyone’s puppet anymore. I make my own destiny. I’m tired of doing what’s expected. I’m going to save Dorian and I’m going to stop Naberius from destroying humanity. And you’re going to help me,” I stated, nodding at Gavyn.

  “Are you crazy? I’m not going back there. When I left Hell, I swore I would never return.”