by Summer Lee
As the band played on, couples danced together. The dancing was unlike any Kenana had seen before. Very formal and ritualistic, with much bowing. Kenana urged Sarah and Tall to dance together.
“You are much too kind—more so than any princess in the world, madam,” Tall said, bowing.
“Actually, I make a lousy princess.”
“No,” he said, seriously, “you don’t.”
Tall escorted Sarah out onto the flagstone floor. He bowed and Sarah smiled. He took her hand and gently spun her around. He caught her smoothly and pulled her in close. Kenana watched them for a few minutes, feeling both joy and sorrow in her heart. Joy, that her servants were so in love. Sorrow, that she could never love her old husband as completely as Sarah loved Tall.
She drank much that night, perhaps too much. With Tall and Sarah dancing and Asher busy with the band, she felt alone. The friendly chitchat around her did little to assuage her loneliness, and she could understand very little of what was being said, anyway. Later, drunk again, she tapped on Asher’s shoulder and asked to be taken back to her room.
At some point along the way back to the inn, she passed out into his arms.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Considering how much she had drunk the night before, Kenana awoke feeling surprisingly refreshed and galvanized.
Did I really pass out in Asher’s arms?
Sarah was tucked into a ball next to her, sleeping contentedly. The sleep of those in love, Kenana thought.
She dressed quietly, lifted the heavy beam from her door, tiptoed past Asher’s closed door, and then headed outside to a dry field beyond the inn. The day was beautiful. A warm breeze swept across the inlet, bringing with it the smell of brine and salt. Kenana inhaled deeply and, keeping an eye out for the Nephilim, took a long walk across a semi-arid pasture.
Sitting under an olive tree, Kenana picked a daisy and pretended it could magically control her future. She pealed the petals slowly, letting them drift away on the breeze. Did Malluch love her, or not?
She heard voices, and looked up. Tall and Sarah were coming, but they had not seen her. Kenana watched them walk by, heading toward a small stream, holding hands. She craned her neck until they disappeared beyond a hedge of sagebrush.
A voice spoke behind her. “Let them go. They have young love.”
Malluch!
He stood above her, grinning, his teeth perfectly white. Muscles roped the length of his arms and bulged along his calves. Kenana took a deep breath—as she often did in his presence.
“Would you like to come away with me?” he asked.
“Yes, but I have to be back soon. I don’t want Asher to worry.”
Malluch offered his hand and she took it. “Come. I know a quiet place that you would like. It is a rock formation with a beautiful view of my star. I will carry you. You will be in good hands.”
Kenana looked briefly across the field, toward the inn at the pier. Beyond was the ocean. She was alone with Malluch. Sarah and Tall had disappeared. Asher was nowhere to be seen.
“Only if you promise to return me by nightfall.”
Malluch grinned and swooped her up into his arms, then started jogging across the field. Kenana bounced happily, hanging on to his neck.
Malluch picked up the pace and soon they were running swiftly, his strong legs a churning blur, faster than any antelope or deer or leopard. They sped through the grass and despite herself, Kenana laughed with glee.
Trees sped by. Mud homes and carts. They dashed along a winding dirt road, turning and twisting rapidly. Once or twice they passed a farmer, tilling his field. One farmer looked up, just missing them, scratching his head. Kenana laughed.
Hills turned into valleys. Valleys merged into rivers. And rivers opened into oceans. Malluch ran until the sun slipped behind a rocky mountain to the west. He angled toward the mountain, and swiftly carried her up its steep slopes. High above the surrounding plain he set her down, and Kenana took a moment to regain her equilibrium.
Malluch pointed into the sky, grinning. He wasn’t even breathing hard. “Look there, do you see that red light?”
“Yes!”
“That’s my home.”
Kenana knew the object, for she had been drawn to it her entire life. “The red star. My favorite.”
Malluch beamed. “I’ve seen you stare at it when you were young. Of course, you never knew I was there with you.”
“I knew. One way or another, I knew.”
He sat down beside her. “I brought you here for a better view of my home. I wanted you to experience its radiance.”
He put his arm around her. She could feel his warmth. No, it was more than warmth. She could feel his energy; he was radiating heat like the sun. “It’s beautiful,” she said.
“Look over there,” Malluch said, pointing.
Kenana followed his slender finger to the northern star-filled sky. Streaks of light crossed the heavens, flaring briefly and then dying completely.
“Those are burning star fragments.”
“They look like falling stars.”
“In a way, they are.”
He pulled her in close. She allowed herself to be loved and embraced. “This is truly a gorgeous night,” she said.
“Is this better than what any human can give you?” he asked. His breath was hot on her neck. Gooseflesh prickled along her arms and legs.
She nodded. “As a little girl I used to gaze into the night sky and wonder if the stars were little or big, close or far away. I never knew the answer, not really, but I was always spellbound.”
“Are you spellbound now?”
“More so than ever.”
“I can take you to any star you want. I can take you to planets full of craters and volcanoes and strange creatures. Or you can come with me to my star.”
“How would I go?”
“In spirit. You would leave your body behind.”
Kenana felt a shiver of thrill at the prospect of flying through the heavens with Malluch by her side, experiencing the universe together, seeing new worlds and alien skies. Then she had a troubling thought. What if he abandoned her again, but this time in a distant world, with no Asher to save her? Malluch was prone to tantrums, which seemed very un-angel-like.
“I do not think I am ready, Malluch.”
He pretended not to hear her. “Let me tell you the story of the Orion constellation. Long ago, there was a magnificent city on the red planet. Myself and fellow Watchers designed this city with perfect symmetry. We built pyramids synchronized with the pyramids you saw in Giza. This synchronization created a magnetic force which made traveling possible back and forth between the two planets,” he said. “A celestial road, and travel was effortless; one needed not to enter the spirit world.”
“What happened to this celestial road?”
“There was a great war, a devastating universal war. The pyramids on the red planet were destroyed. But someday humans will understand the connection between the two planets, and might even rebuild it. But until that day arrives, only Watchers know of the secret link between the face of the Sphinx and the face on Mars.”
“Does this have anything to do with my family’s secret?”
“No,” he said simply. “This is my secret. Our secret. I long to take you into the starry skies, and keep you with me forever.”
Excitement surged through her. Why not run off with Malluch and experience the world—and the universe? What was keeping her here? A ruined wreck of a marriage with an old man? Her duties as a wife? Bah.
Still, she wanted to respect herself, and she wanted the respect of others. Leaving a husband for another man, even an angel, was morally abhorrent to her. But this was not the only reason….
Asher drifted into her thoughts, her brave and handsome head servant. He treated her with respect and tenderness. Protected and watched over her.
No, she could not stand the thought of ever leaving Asher. Friend or lover, she wanted the man in her life. He
made her feel beautiful and special and he asked nothing in return. He accepted her for who she was, and this was enough to bond him to her forever.
She looked again at Malluch. All he wanted was her for himself, but seemed to care little for what she truly wanted. Being in his physical presence was breathtaking and powerful, and it took all her concentration to stay focused on who she was and what she needed, all her focus to remain true to herself.
“Spend the night out here with me,” he said urgently. “That’s all I ask. One night.”
“No, Malluch. I cannot.”
His face darkened. His eyes smoldered as red as his star. “You spend night after night with that wretched dried parchment of an old man, but you cannot spend one night alone with me?”
“That wretched dried parchment of an old man is my husband, and I am bound to him for life. His life. Patience, Malluch. I must do the right thing right now.”
Malluch paced across the rock formation, his giant strides taking him quickly from edge to edge. He stopped before her, his imposing presence completely obscuring the night sky. “I want to hold you forever. I want to love you forever. Forever. Do you understand this concept?”
She did, which is why she found herself crying. These were tears of loss. Loss for Malluch, for she could not have him, would not have him. In one way or another she loved this heavenly creature, but he was just too late. Too late.
“I’m sorry, Malluch,” she said.
His great hands embraced her shoulders. His warmth was supernatural. No man should create such heat in any woman. “I want to make love to you. Now.”
She pushed his hands away. “You must promise to honor my marriage vows.”
“You want me,” he said, tugging at her clothing.
She did, yes. But not in the way Malluch had hoped. Unfortunately for him, another man appeared in her thoughts, and his name was Asher. His love for her, even if it was subtle and not vocalized, made her strong—strong enough to resist the supernatural creature who had once been the light of her life. But whose light had fallen so very far.
“We should not be here,” she said, pushing his groping hands away.
And to her horror, her angel pounced. His mouth closed around hers. He sucked her breath away. She struggled, but he was just too strong. Too strong.
Her mind cried out: It was only supposed to be a fantasy.
But the fantasy had become a reality, and he was too powerful, and suddenly so very evil, and he took possession of her body and soul.
Chapter Thirty
Kenana awoke the next morning to find herself in her bed at the inn. She sat up abruptly. The room spun wildly. Her stomach lurched; she thought she might vomit.
What had happened last night? Was it all a dream?
She remembered being carried through fields and woods, up a narrow dirt road and onto a rocky edifice. And staring up at the starry sky.
Malluch!
He had wanted her to run away with him. And not just leave Egypt, but to leave the known world. She had refused. He had propositioned her.
Again, she had refused.
And then….
She collapsed back into bed. Her hands reached down and rubbed her belly. The nausea remained, threatening to come up at a moment’s notice.
And then he raped me.
She turned her face into her pillow and wept.
*
She quietly lifted the bolt on her door and fled the inn in silence. She hailed a farmer on his way to town.
In Zoan, after meeting with the librarian, she found the large house across from the library. She approached it with some trepidation. She rang the cowbell hanging on the gatepost. When an elderly male servant appeared, she asked if she could have an audience with the great prophet from Mesopotamia.
“We have been awaiting you, princess,” said the man, bowing. “The librarian informed your grandfather that you would be gracing us with your presence. It is truly an honor.”
The estate home was spacious and warm. Obviously, the Zoan librarian was a well-paid man. She was led through the main entrance hall, past furs of lions and zebra, and into a well-lit study hall. There, sitting in a chair made of wood and cowhide, was an extremely old man of medium build wearing an oversized tan burlap cloak that was draped over his faded brown tunic. He was watching her closely, hands clasped just beneath his chin.
“Come in, my granddaughter. I’ve been expecting you.”
Kenana’s heart began to pound. She sat down on a stuffed cushion, took a deep breath and said, “I appreciate your seeing me. There is so much I want to ask you.”
Enoch studied her face, and then nodded. “What can I do for you, child of Eber?”
“I want to know more about our family. I want to know more about the spirit world,” she said. “I want to know more about angels and the Nephilim.”
“Slow down, child,” he said gently. “The Nephilim? Angels? The spirit world? My granddaughter, what have you gotten yourself into?”
And so, she told him. Everything. From her childhood visions of angels, and even to Malluch’s attack last night. She left nothing out, trusting the wisdom of her grandfather to help her sort through her fears and worries.
He listened quietly, occasionally, nodding sagely.
When she finished, when she had uttered her last word, he simply rose from his chair, and hobbled over to her with his cane, and wrapped his arms around her while she sobbed uncontrollably.
“You are a strong girl, and El loves you,” he said soothingly, over and over. “You are a strong girl, and El loves you…”
*
“One of my missions on this earth is to judge the Watchers, or, as some call them, the Fallen,” said Enoch, after a servant had brought them tea and warm biscuits. Kenana had collected herself, eternally thankful that the great Enoch was her grandfather. “Over two hundred Watchers abandoned their heavenly posts to come to Earth and marry the daughters of men. The Fallen know it is wrong to violate a woman, and many have asked me to pray for them. But they will have to answer to the Ancient of Days.”
“Who is the Ancient of Days?”
“You know him as El. Creator of the Earth, Moon, Sun, and stars.” He smiled. “I know him by many names, such as the Great Redeemer and the King of Glory. He is my friend. I am a blessed man, for I have found favor with Him. He often meets me in the cool of the day and shares His secrets with me.”
“That’s amazing. I would like to know Him like that.”
“I’ve found Him to be forgiving and kind to those who admit they need Him.” Enoch scratched his neat, trim beard. “He has revealed much to me about heavenly beings in visions and dreams. I have been to the mystical world beyond the skies, and know its secrets. I was once snatched up in a whirlwind and carried far away to Mount Armon where Watchers had gathered. There, they were binding themselves to an oath to take human wives, to teach their wives sorcery and witchcraft.”
Kenana felt sick. “Why would a Watcher want to violate a woman, and then destroy her soul with witchcraft?”
“Evil brings them pleasure. They are fallen angels, and the powerful Nephilim are their offspring.”
Kenana’s mind was spinning. “But why did the Watchers forsake their heavenly posts?”
“That was Lucifer’s doing. Long ago, he was an exalted high cherub, until he sat on the Ancient of Days’ throne and tasted power, demanding to be worshipped by those around him. Lucifer was cast out of Heaven, and one third of the heavenly beings followed him. A war has been fought in the starry skies ever since. It’s a combat between the armies of light and the armies of darkness. And now the Fallen have contaminated the human bloodline and will destroy us all, if permitted to thrive.”
Kenana shivered, recalling Malluch’s attack of the night before. Was her bloodline thus contaminated? Were her children forever cursed?
“Grandfather, is it possible that I’m being used by my angel?”
“Tell me more about your angel, chi
ld.”
“He has always watched over me, even as a child, but I first saw him again as an adult on my wedding day. Since then, he has come to me often. Later, I convinced Jubal to hire him to accompany me to Alalakh.”
“Prince Jubal is a Cainite. You do know there is a curse on Cainites and Sethites who marry, don’t you?”
“I know. I just didn’t think I was important enough to matter.”
“We all matter, child. One way or another. You will need to ask El for mercy.”
“I will, but I hope El will be merciful. Between my mother and my father, I did not have any choice as to this marriage. I only did it to prevent a war, which my father said would happen if I did not go through with the wedding.”
“Ah, I see now.”
“Is there any hope for me, Grandfather?”
“Justice is coming, child. The Ancient of Days showed me in a great vision his plan to destroy the evil ones in a great cataclysm.”
“Cataclysm?”
He continued, “I saw the earth covered in a global flood, destroying all evil.”
“Is that our family secret then? The cataclysm?”
“Why do you ask, my child? This is not for young girls to know.”
“I am no longer a girl, but a woman, and the granddaughter of a prophet.”
He smiled at that.
She explained, Jubal’s fascination with the secret torments him because he does not know it. He has drawn me into this web and I am also intrigued. I feel the secret concerns me, and I should know more about it, especially if I am part of what is to come.”
He clasped her hands tightly in his and looked at her. She could sense his kindness, and his wisdom, all revealed in his knowing eyes. “Why would you marry someone in the bloodline of Cain?”
“It was an arranged marriage, Grandfather, not by my choice.”
“Arranged by whom?”
“My mother, mostly, but Father went along with it, thinking that I wanted to marry Prince Jubal.”
He turned, scowling briefly. “Ah, your mother. She was a rebellious woman, and learned sorcery when she was very young. Your father married a heathen against my will, because he did not like the good Sethite girls. Now, you carry a heavy burden for your father’s lack of faith. But I can see you possess none of your mother’s wicked ways. You have found favor in El’s eyes.”