by Diem, J. C.
I didn’t usually get up quite this early, but there was no chance that I’d be able to fall asleep again after that nightmare. I took a shower and Sophia had made me breakfast by the time I headed downstairs.
“You look awful,” Brie noted dispassionately after I sat down.
The buzz that I’d received from Nathan had completely worn off. All of the extra energy that I’d been suffused with was gone. “Thanks,” I said sourly. As always, she looked beautiful. Both she and Leo wore black t-shirts and jeans that were as identical as their faces nearly were. “Can angels be twins?” I asked the room at large as I dug my spoon into the bowl of cereal.
“Of course not,” she scoffed.
“Then why do you two look so similar?” Their vessels were twins, but I couldn’t really see their human faces clearly. All I saw was their inner beauty that came from being holy creatures. Their goodness never disappeared, so they were always beautiful to me. Demons, on the other hand, were different. It was far easier for me to see their hosts. They had to strive to control their impulses, which meant their hideous real faces came and went at random.
“When they are in heaven, both Briathos and Leo have blond hair and blue eyes,” Sophia told me. “Perhaps their vessels being twins has enhanced their likeness.”
“Maybe,” I said and looked at her critically. “What does your vessel look like?”
“She is in her forties and has long, graying brown hair. She is tall, fairly slim and quite plain. In heaven, I have a similar height and build, but my hair is a different color.”
“I see your height and slimness, but your hair looks almost white to me. You’re just as stunning as the others.”
Her hand went to her hair wistfully. Without her grace, she probably couldn’t see her true self anymore. I was surprised she’d managed to recognize Nathan when he’d come knocking at her door.
I gestured at Nathan with my spoon. “What does your vessel look like?”
“A typical young male,” he replied with a shrug.
Brie let out a snort and I flicked my attention to her. “His vessel appears to be around nineteen and is particularly good looking. He is six feet tall, has chin length black hair and blue eyes. No human would ever describe him as being ‘typical’. His chosen host is surprisingly similar to how he looks when he is in heaven.”
I frowned, which prompted Leo to nudge me with his foot. “What do you see when you look at Nathanael?”
“I see exactly what Brie just described.” That wasn’t the whole truth. To me, he was the most handsome man in the entire world. I guessed his vessel just enhanced his looks. At least I now knew how Sophia had recognized him when he’d first arrived.
Finishing off my breakfast, I drank the tea that Sophia always had ready for me whenever I wanted one. She’d taken on the role of my foster mother far better than I could have ever expected. She’d never replace my mom, but I was glad I wasn’t alone in this war. “So,” I said, drawing everyone’s attention. “What’s the plan for today?”
“Today you will rest,” Nathan said in a tone that brooked no argument. “My power healed you, but there appears to be aftereffects. You seem to be suffering from tiredness now that the grace has worn off.”
Brie had already pointed out that I looked terrible, so it was pointless to argue with him. Her lips were pressed tightly together as she struggled not to remind us that she wasn’t in favor of him healing me.
“What are you guys going to do?” I asked.
“We will search the city again,” Brie said. “We still do not know who is responsible for killing the demons’ vessels.”
Their last search hadn’t found any clues, but maybe they’d get lucky this time. Finding whoever had ejected our enemies from their hosts could help turn the tide in this war. We needed allies if we were going to have any chance of winning.
“I have a client coming to the store for a reading at three this afternoon,” Sophia said. “I would appreciate it if you could all make yourselves absent until after she is gone.”
“We will make sure we are not here when she arrives,” Leo promised. Then he, Brie and Nathan disappeared without ceremony.
“Sam and I will go for a walk before your client gets here,” I assured Sophia. Her clients preferred their privacy and she respected their wishes. We had the whole day to kill before she’d kick us out and I was already bored. I never would have believed it, but I actually missed school. I’d never really enjoyed the learning process before, but at least it had kept me busy. Right now I had too much time on my hands and not enough to do. “How does a reading work?” I asked curiously.
Giving me an assessing look to see whether I was really interested, Sophia gathered up my dishes. “I will show you if you like.”
“That’d be great.” I didn’t have to feign my enthusiasm. I’d always been fascinated with fortune telling, even though I thought it was bogus. Since Sophia was an actual clairvoyant with the ability to see the future, she clearly had power left over from being an angel. It would be interesting to see her in action.
She left long enough to stack the dishes in the sink. Stepping behind the counter on her way back, she took a deck of cards out from a drawer then returned to the table. She handed the cards to me. “Shuffle these a few times,” she instructed.
Bright and colorful, the cards were hand painted. They weren’t the traditional Tarot cards that I’d seen on TV and in movies. “Who made these?” I asked.
“Leo painted them for me shortly after we became trapped here.”
“He’s quite an artist,” I said in admiration.
“His vessel is the one with the talent,” she said absently. “Leo merely borrowed his skill for a short time.” I wanted to ask how that worked, but she was slipping into some kind of trance. “Take three cards at random and place them face up in front of you.”
I did as she instructed and a look of deep concentration stole over her face. Her eyes moved from card to card, examining each one as if she’d never seen them before. The first card depicted a woman wearing a black cloak with a hood that hid her face. A chill went down my spine when I realized she had to represent Fate. The second showed a handsome man with black hair holding a sword. The third had an image of war with two armies facing each other across a battlefield.
“These cards represent your current situation,” Sophia said. “Fate has indeed chosen you to be the champion of mankind. She has placed Nathanael as your protector.”
Warmth made my cheeks turn red and Sam gave me a curious look. I was relieved that Nathan would be with me to the end of this war and that he would keep me safe.
“Choose three more cards,” Sophia instructed me. One by one, I picked a card and placed them in a row beneath the others. The first depicted a male and female angel with white wings and golden halos. Their faces were lovely, but stern. The second showed a weeping woman with her face covered by her hands. A shadowy figure stood behind her, wearing a barely detectable malicious grin. The third was of another handsome young man, but this one had blond hair.
“What do these cards mean?”
“They are an indication of what will come to pass. It seems that you will come to the attention of angels and they will doubt your purpose. Someone close to you will betray you.” That had to be the person standing behind the woman, laughing at her back. “A young man will offer you solace.” She sent me a warning look. “To become involved with anyone while you are on this mission would be folly. It will only distract you from your task.”
“Who could I possibly become involved with?” I asked innocently. “The only people I know in Manhattan are you guys.” Zach had immediately sprung to my mind, of course. Just like the man on the card, he was blond and handsome.
She gestured at the deck. “Draw a final card. This will indicate your long term future.”
Choosing a final card, I flipped it over. The face of a red skinned devil looked back at me and I drew a startled breath. Insane scarlet eyes
blazed from a face that was so evil it made my flesh crawl to look at it. It grinned, revealing long, sharp fangs. A forked tongue flicked out and licked the back of my hand.
“What the hell?” I said, unable to hide my panic. Pushing my chair back with a noise of utter revulsion, I wiped my hand on my jeans.
Sophia’s hand darted out and picked up the card. She tore it in half with shaking fingers. “That card does not belong in my deck,” she said, clearly disturbed that it had somehow found its way there. “Samuel, would you please fetch me a metal bowl and some matches?”
Just as startled as we were, he shot to his feet. He ducked behind the counter to find what she needed. He was back in moments and handed her the items. With a look of distaste, Sophia placed the torn card in the bowl then lit a match and set fire to the item. The devil laughed at me as it went up in flames.
“What did that card mean?” I asked when it had been reduced to ash.
Avoiding my eyes, she drew the bowl in close and used a match to stir the ashes. “I cannot interpret a card that does not belong to me,” she hedged, but we both knew what it meant. The devil, or whoever it was that had taken over in hell, was even more powerful than we’d guessed. This wasn’t exactly an indicator that we would win this war. In some small way, he’d managed to infiltrate our base. I was pretty sure he didn’t know where we were. If he’d known, he’d have sent his minions to try to storm the place. Brie’s spells would keep them out, but we didn’t know what spells they might have. It was possible that the hellscribes knew runes that could counteract her wards.
“The raven must be responsible for this,” Sam said in tones of certainty.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“It must have forged a connection with you when it wounded you.”
“It used the demons’ standard ritual of blood and flesh,” Sophia said. Her lips tightened in annoyance that she hadn’t thought of it herself. “It was able to bind itself to you enough to transfer this filth here.” She gestured at the scattered ashes of the devil card. “I will ask Brie to cleanse the store and to renew her spells when she returns.”
I wanted to apologize for her store’s defenses being breached, but I hadn’t asked the raven to attack me. I still felt guilty enough to take the bowl from her and to wash it thoroughly in boiling hot water. The Hellmaster had managed to infiltrate our sanctuary once, which meant it was possible that he could do it again. I’d have to be careful not to allow the raven to touch me a second time.
₪₪₪
Chapter Eleven
With the whole day ahead of me before Sophia’s client would arrive, I needed something to do to keep me busy. Finding a book tucked away on a shelf, I studied the cover. A picture of an angel pinning a writhing demon down with a foot on his neck held me riveted. The angel was as blond as Brie and Leo and was almost as handsome as Nathan. He pointed his blazing blue sword at his terrified foe. The demon didn’t look much like the creatures that I’d seen. This one had ashen skin and a face of a bat.
Taking the book and a cup of tea with me, I retreated upstairs to the living room. Sam trundled in after me and sat down to watch TV. I had no trouble drowning out the sound of a sitcom. He watched the screen through puzzled eyes as canned laughter floated out from the speakers.
Nathan had explained demon hierarchy to me, but he’d neglected to mention what it was like in heaven. I wasn’t really surprised to see it was more complicated than how things ran in hell.
There were nine classes of angels that were broken into three spheres. In the first sphere, Seraphim were the highest. They were God’s personal bodyguards. Next were the Cherubim, who guarded the tree of knowledge and God’s throne room. Thirdly were the Thrones. They dispensed their master’s justice.
In the second sphere, Dominions were at the top. They were the supervisors of the lower orders. Beneath them were the Virtues. They carried out the miracles and signs that humans needed to see every now and then to reaffirm their faith in God. The third order were the Powers. Their duty was to keep an eye on the balance of power among humans. I figured they whispered into the ears of top government advisors.
Principalities were at the top of the third and final sphere. Their task was to protect and guide large groups of people. They were supposed to inspire and educate humans to help protect the planet. I wondered if Sophia had been from this order before she’d lost her grace.
Next were the Archangels. They were the messengers and envoys of God. They were also the captains of his armies and directed the troops in battle. I’d always believed that Archangels were a lot higher up on the hierarchy. It just showed how little I really knew about them.
Lastly were the normal angels, who were the foot soldiers of God. They made up the bulk of celestial beings in heaven.
Movement in the doorway drew my attention as Sophia entered with a tray. She’d made sandwiches and tea and put them on the coffee table in front of me. “Thanks,” I said with a grateful smile. I hadn’t realized how much time had passed since I’d started reading.
“You are most welcome.” I was glad to see she’d lost her reserve from hearing me speak in the same language that demons used.
“Can I ask you something?” I said before she walked away.
“Of course.”
“This book lists the different angelic orders,” I began, trying to find a way to ask about her former position without hurting her feelings.
Reading my expression, she sighed and sank down on the couch next to Sam. He shifted aside to give her more room then turned his attention back to the TV. From the sidelong glances he was giving us, I knew he was only pretending not to listen in. “You wish to know which order I belonged to,” she said.
“You were in the Principalities, weren’t you?” Leo had told me that she used to guide the smartest humans to expand their minds.
She inclined her head. “I was.”
“Did you possess a human vessel and pretend to be one of us, or did you whisper to them secretly?”
Her smile was amused. “Angels are not able to communicate with humans while they are in their spirit form. Every now and then, we borrow a vessel so that we can gain the trust of certain individuals. We have guided humanity towards greatness and enlightenment for as long as they have existed.” Her expression was wistful and I regretted reminding her of everything that she’d lost.
“What about Nathan, Brie and Leo? Are they just normal angels?” I knew they were warriors, but I didn’t know much more than that.
“Briathos and Leo are God’s soldiers,” she confirmed. “Nathanael is from another order.” At my curious look, she shook her head. “It is up to him whether he wishes to divulge his past to you. He would not appreciate it if I were to speak about him without his consent.”
My curiosity was instantly piqued at her maddeningly vague answer. “Thanks for bringing my lunch to me,” I said instead of peppering her with questions like I wanted to. She’d already told me as much as she was going to. Something told me Nathan wouldn’t be very forthcoming with an answer if I were to ask him about his rank. I’d sensed sadness in him even before I’d become aware that he was real. I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear his story yet.
Sam waited for her to leave the room then slid across the couch towards me. He sent a furtive look at the door before speaking. “I would wager that you are dying from curiosity about Nathan’s origins.”
“You know me too well,” I replied and picked up my sandwich. It was ham and salad, my favorite. Apparently, Sophia knew me just as well as Sam did.
“Which order do you think he comes from?”
“He might be an Archangel,” I replied. From what I’d seen, he was an even better warrior than the twins.
“Do you think he somehow fell out of favor with his master?” By master, he meant God.
I halted in mid-bite. “What do you mean?”
“Angels do not usually act as guardians for specific humans,” he reminded me. “Do you
think being delegated to be your protector is a form of punishment?”
My appetite abruptly fled at that possibility. “I don’t know. Maybe. It would explain why he’s been watching me all these years.” I forced myself to take a bite as Sam returned to watching TV. I was sure he hadn’t meant to hurt me, but my heart ached that I might be the instrument that someone was using to dole out punishment to my guardian.
In an effort to forget my woes, I returned to the book when I’d finished eating.
It was fascinating to read about the mock battles that angels staged in heaven to keep their skills sharp. The battle had become very real when Lucifer had rebelled and had tried to lead a coup against his creator. Angels couldn’t die, which meant the war had raged on for a long time.
God had eventually grown tired of the bickering and had kicked the rebels out. Badly weakened by the fall, it had taken Satan a few centuries to regain his strength before he’d managed to escape from hell. He’d immediately begun his campaign to tempt humans into sinning just to spite God. We’d been more important to his master than he was and he despised us for it.
Sadly, too many of us were all too willing to do the wrong thing. Corrupted souls ended up in hell where they were tortured for eternity. Good souls went to heaven where they were rewarded with eternal bliss. Doing the right thing all the time was exhausting, but I’d been to the ninth realm of hell and I’d seen firsthand what happened to sinners. It wasn’t a pretty sight and it was one that I’d remember forever.
₪₪₪
Chapter Twelve
“Sophia’s client will arrive soon,” Sam said, breaking into my reading. “We should probably leave now.”
Alarmed that it was already two-thirty, I stood and stretched. “I’ll just grab my jacket and we can go for a walk.”
I crossed the hall to my bedroom and snagged my jacket off a hook on the back of the door. We headed downstairs and I placed the book back on the shelf where I’d found it.