Inception

by Teal Haviland

  “Then, let’s get started.”

  Gabrielle hoped for the best. Her mood needed to lighten.

  When they finished, she was relieved. She had been able to grant more good karma than bad. Tomorrow her mood would be better as long as she didn’t have any surprises. She’d have to deal with Javan at some point, though, and that was something she wasn’t looking forward to.

  Starting tomorrow, she had an additional goal—one she realized as soon as she’d woken with the broken pieces of her dream. The piece she was most interested in right now concerned the Book.

  Is it the same one the demon mentioned?

  It could be a coincidence, but Gabrielle didn’t believe in them. Between her dream about a book that looked just like the Book of Barabbadon—a book that could be used as a weapon to wage war on Heaven itself—and the look in Amaziah’s eyes, finding out more about the ancient artifact just became a high priority.

  And a convenient distraction from Lucas.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  GABRIELLE ~ NEW BONDS

  The complexities of human desire were becoming more apparent. Wanting companionship, acceptance, success, and things were becoming more prominent in Gabrielle’s mind. For an angel, wanting materialistic things was not an issue. Little was needed in Heaven.

  With no use for a personal home, there was also no need for the things that would be required or wanted for one—no use for a vehicle, boat, money, makeup, designer clothing and shoes, jewelry, expensive vacations, or even food. Angels simply need the connection to, and love of, Yahuwah and each other. That was it. No sleep, no eating, no time off—life simplified.

  She found herself with thoughts, even if they were fleeting, of wanting … things. It had crossed her mind several times already that this is probably how it started for most of her comrades who had become one of the Fallen. They were assigned duties that involved a lot of contact with humans, in human bodies, and they began to feel their emotions and desires. When they returned to Heaven, those desires stayed with them, even in their true form. Then, the desires could take them over. Gabrielle knew she could keep herself in check, though.

  At least I hope I can.

  However, the situation with Lucas had surprised her, and until she saw him with Mara, she had certainly had a hard time keeping from toeing the line that separated what she was allowed to do with a human and what was forbidden. She needed to stay clear of that line if she wanted to remain an angel.

  How could I ever have chanced my Divine life for him?

  It wasn’t an easy question to answer. No angel had ever spent as much time as she had in human form, not since Ramai, so no one really knew if the effect it had on him would be as profound in other angels.

  She hadn’t seen Javan again and had managed to avoid Lucas the rest of the week. It was now Saturday. She shouldn’t have to see Lucas at all, and hopefully, not Javan either, which had her emotions battling between relief and sadness. She hated how it all made her feel, and to make matters worse, avoiding Lucas also meant avoiding Nonie. She was enjoying getting to know her and had hoped to learn a lot from their new friendship. It all added up to not wanting to be at the school, but she really had no choice. This is where she was told to be, so this is where she had to stay as long as she continued the task she took on.

  Lucas had turned into a big complication, and the biggest was what was still unknown—why she was having visions and dreams of him. Whether she wanted to or not, she was going to have to find out the reason. Then, she could put it all behind her.

  “No more Lucas,” Gabrielle said in little more than a whisper

  She pushed him out of her mind as she waited for Phalen at a local coffee house near one of the college campuses. It had a wonderful outside area dotted with tables and chairs to enjoy whatever beverage she chose. Mostly, it was coffee with what some might consider a mountain of sugar and a ladle of cream. A young woman laughed one day while waiting to use the cream and said that Gabrielle was drinking more of a dessert than a beverage.

  The coffee house, once someone’s bungalow home, was now one of many businesses that had taken over the houses nestled close to one another on a city side street. Gabrielle had loved spending warm summer days in the shade of towering oak trees as she observed and listened to the humans she was here to gain insight into.

  She’d used the spot to better hone her teenage persona while figuring out text speak, cell phones, and the internet. She’d watch, trying to burn into her mind the gestures, speech, flirting, and mixture of uncertainty and boldness that seemed to be their demeanor, and then she’d go home and practice. It would be a comical scene to some if they could see her while she stood in front of the mirrored wall in her bathroom as she talked to herself.

  There were older people who frequented the coffee shop: college students of varying ages, business people, writers and musicians; all were intriguing to her because they lived such different lives from each other. Angels, for the most part, lived very similar lives to their counterparts. The choices a human had—jobs, hobbies, clothes, makeup, hair, shoes, movies, books, museums, friends, lovers—seemed endless to Gabrielle. What makes them choose one thing or one person over another or change their mind after a choice has been made? It was a mystery that she still felt no closer to understanding.

  Gabrielle took her seat on an outdoor chair, stretching her legs out to rest on another one across the table from her, then began to scan her surroundings. It was early in the morning, very early. The sun, now beginning its climb into the day, had only been fully visible for a little over an hour. The morning was already thick with humidity as the cicadas called to each other in the trees. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baking pastries were carried to her as people opened the door. Gabrielle smiled slightly, enjoying her human body on a morning that she knew was just one of a handful for her compared to what most humans would be given.

  I wish I had more time here.

  Her attention was drawn to a man and woman deep in conversation. They had their backs to her, but she could see their profiles as they spoke to each other. They seemed to be in their late twenties, dressed too casually for a business breakfast. There were no books or computers to indicate they were students, and their food and drinks seemed to be untouched. Gabrielle wasn’t sure what they were doing, but she found oddities intriguing. No one else seemed to notice them, or if they did, it didn’t garner their attention the way it had hers.

  They seemed to sit a little too close to each other. Not that it was unusual for a man and woman to sit close together, but even with Gabrielle’s limited experience in deciphering body language, their physical closeness didn’t match the feeling she got from them. It was like they were sitting that way to be secretive. Her ability to hear far better than a human wasn’t helping, either. She wasn’t able to make out enough of what they were saying to understand their conversation—which was odd in itself. They were only thirty feet away.

  As if they heard her thoughts, both glanced over their shoulders in her direction. She wasn’t sure if they looked directly at her because she glanced away too fast in an attempt not to be caught staring, and both had on sunglasses with very dark lenses. Whether they caught her staring at them or not, they were now standing, leaving their uneaten food at the table.

  Gabrielle watched them from the corner of her eye as they made their way to the sidewalk—a path that led past her own table. Unexpectedly, she felt the instinct to ready herself for confrontation. She fought off the impulse to call her Divine weapons as a tingling in her palms where they would appear grew intense—begging her to will them to her so they could be used again as if starved for battle. As the man and woman came closer, the desire became even more urgent. Two realizations hit her at once that made it clear why she was feeling the way she was.

  They are not human, and this is not a good place for a battle.

  There was no mistaking the sense of another with Divine blood now or the lurch of her insides that
made her want to vomit. Gabrielle’s muscles tensed and her heart raced with the anticipation of what was to come. She prepared to halt mortal time and create a shield to protect the humans, glancing at the demons as they continued their approach. They were definitely staring at her now. Both had lowered their sunglasses, allowing the chartreuse shade of their eyes to be seen. Her stomach did another complete turn and threatened to expel what filled it, this time with more force, but she pushed the bile back.

  Standing, Gabrielle readied herself, intensely aware of their every movement—their pace, position to each other, every step, every twitch of a finger, blink of an eye, and rise and fall of their chest with each breath. They seemed to slow unnaturally as they closed the short distance between their table and hers. It was as though everything around them moved at regular pace except for them. Finally, they were upon Gabrielle, and she opened her hands at her side as she prepared to call for her Dither Swords.

  “Hello, angel,” the male demon said with a sliver of a smile, not stopping as they passed.

  That was it.

  Gabrielle was stunned that they didn’t recognize or try to attack her, but then she remembered the Veil. It had been proven, several times, to not protect her completely from being shown as an angel, but she didn’t think the demons realized who she was.

  Gabrielle sat back down, adrenaline coursing through her human veins. Even if it was protecting her, the Aegis Veil was a problem. It dulled her Divine discernment even more than she was already admitting, dangerously so. Slowly, as more seconds passed with the demons out of sight, she felt the tension and nausea that had gripped her lose its edge. As she calmed, thoughts about the high amount of activity in the area from the Fallen began to race through her mind, and she felt her body shudder from an intense chill.

  In all the times she had been to Earth before, in all of her observations in the past made while doing her job as The Angel of Karma, she had never noticed so many demons in one area. There were many everywhere, at all times, but not usually above ground and centralized in such large numbers. The Underworlders were easily blending in with humans. It was unsettling. She had no idea their presence would be so obvious. Were they here because of her?

  This is becoming far too frequent of an occurrence.

  Her presence must somehow be attracting them even if they didn’t realize why they were coming here or who she was.

  Or … maybe they do.

  They could be gathering in large numbers to attack her. For whatever reason they congregated in this area, the feeling of heaviness was a clear indicator that something was going on—something Gabrielle didn’t understand.

  She needed to tell Amaziah about the demonic activity and the unexplainable dread she felt, but she didn’t want him to get more overprotective and call off this task. She needed the four months that remained to gain more insight. She had to stay even if something was coming—especially if something was coming.

  “Hi, Gabrielle.”

  Gabrielle jumped at the sound of the female voice, her nerves apparently still piqued. Turning around, Gabrielle saw Phalen approaching. She’d almost forgotten Phalen was coming this morning.

  Phalen still seemed to enjoy creating different bodies when she came to Earth in human form. Today she had the dark skin and butterscotch eyes of an African princess—tall and lean with feminine muscles that made her appear strong and proud, her hair cropped close to her head.

  “Hi,” Gabrielle said through a slightly forced smile as she tried to calm herself back down. It was nice to see a friend, especially after being in the company of enemies moments before.

  “Did I just see what I think I saw leaving?”

  “You did.”

  “I guess I didn’t miss anything since the place is still standing.” Phalen pulled out a chair and sat with Gabrielle, still looking in the direction of the exiting demons. “That surprises me.”

  “I don’t think they even knew I was an angel until they were right up on me, much less who I am, because of the Aegis Veil.”

  “Yeah, that would do it.” Phalen gazed at Gabrielle with curiosity. Gabrielle didn’t like that look, at least when it was cast in her direction. It meant questions were flitting about in the gazer’s mind—questions about things that made Gabrielle special.

  “Do you feel as important as you are?” Phalen continued. “I mean, I was just wondering what it feels like to be so protected … so looked after.”

  Gabrielle shifted in her chair—the only outward appearance of the unease she felt over Phalen’s question and others she suspected were going unasked.

  “I wish, sometimes, that I wasn’t so unusual.”

  “Really?” An expression born of surprise crossed Phalen’s face, pushing the curious one aside, to Gabrielle’s relief.

  With their friendship so new, Phalen didn’t know how uncomfortable Gabrielle was with who she was—that Amaziah was one of the only angels more powerful than her in Heaven. Gabrielle would want no other position than the one she had, but she had never been at ease with all that came with it. It left her feeling isolated, and she craved the companionship that she saw other angels achieve easily.

  It had been especially hard after Javan …

  Gabrielle met Phalen’s gaze, then dropped her eyes before answering.

  “Since I’ve been here, I’ve recognized something very familiar in human children concerning my own personality.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Small children, unlike how they tend to become once they are teenagers, don’t seem to want to be different from the children around them. I don’t know why, really. Maybe it’s because when they have done things that are different in their short lives to bring unwanted attention on themselves, that made them uncomfortable. Maybe they are unable to process what to do with that feeling of the unknown.” Gabrielle sighed. “For me … I am the unknown to the majority of our brethren. That’s what makes me different, and that makes it impossible for me to ever truly fit in. I am too different. Which is why I sometimes wish I was like you, Phalen. You aren’t looked upon by any other angel as being unlike them. Even though I’m an angel just like the rest of you, I am still unusual—a curiosity. I’m on the fringe of our world, and all I really want is to fit in … just like a human child—to feel I’m a part of my family instead of apart from you all.”

  Gabrielle and Phalen sat in the quiet that had become their moment. Gabrielle was glad. She could feel the human emotions contained in her body wanting to burst forth, and she wasn’t ready to deal with it. The emotions, once again, were proving more difficult to control in this form than she had expected, and she fought to keep tears in place.

  Ugh! They make me feel so weak and out of control!

  Other than Amaziah and Javan, Phalen was the only angel whom she had ever told how she felt about her uniqueness, and sharing it left Gabrielle feeling vulnerable, particularly in her current form. The silence continued and was interrupted in Gabrielle’s mind only when she closed her eyes and saw the face of the dark-haired, blue-eyed young man smiling back at her—the face she now knew belonged to Lucas. It made her heart ratchet. Thoughts about him never seemed to stop. She wanted them to, but didn’t want them to. She was angry, though it was getting harder to tell if she was mad at him because of Mara or mad at herself for being so reckless with him. That, and not knowing what made him seem off, made her conflicted about the peace that came with his image. She wanted that peace but had to deny herself of it. Right now, there were more important things to pay attention to, and Lucas was getting in the way of her focus.

  Her conflict of wanting to stay in her mind, looking into his eyes, and needing to focus on and her duties, was interrupted as Phalen broke the silence—and the vision.

  “I get it, Gabrielle.”

  Gabrielle finally looked at Phalen again, and she was met with a warm grin that pushed her friend’s cheeks into two brown peaks under her eyes. What Gabrielle saw in those eyes was acceptance. A sens
e of belonging filled her and chased away the vulnerability she had been feeling. She was becoming closer to Phalen than she ever would have imagined she could after being so betrayed by Javan. She never wanted to feel such a deep sense of loss again, and she truly wondered if she would ever be able to open up to another angel, but a feeling of deep kinship was forming. The realization that she was still capable of letting someone get close to her made her smile. She thought she and Phalen were going to be very good friends.

  Hopefully for a very long time.

  “So, Phalen,” Gabrielle said, “since you haven’t been to Earth much—well, not as a tourist anyway, do you want to see any of the city? See how the other half live?”

  Gabrielle and Phalen had talked away most of the morning at the coffee house, and Gabrielle was getting the urge to do something else. It was nice to have a friend like Phalen, and she was surprised by how at ease she was with her already.

  Phalen looked at her with a grin and a glint in her butterscotch eyes that spoke of something she definitely wanted to do,. She popped a piece of bubblegum into her mouth, offering some to Gabrielle without lowering her legs that were comfortably resting on a different chair. Gabrielle took the gum and smiled as she began chewing; the intensity of the grape flavor, both tart and sweet, caused her mouth to water.

  Humans have such wonderful things to enjoy.

  “They certainly do,” Phalen responded to Gabrielle’s quiet observation.

  “I forgot, again, that there was someone who could hear what I was thinking,” Gabrielle said and then blew a bubble the size of a grapefruit.

  “Bet I can beat that bubble. I’m quite the expert on bubble blowing.” Phalen smirked playfully.

  Gabrielle smiled at Phalen’s buoyant personality, wishing she could be as carefree.