Glorious Companions

by Summer Lee

  “Asher,” said Kenana, and now there was real fear in her voice. “They are preparing to attack.”

  “Yes,” he said, without looking at her. He was still staring into the far distance.

  “But what shall we do?”

  “You, my queen, shall do nothing.”

  “But—”

  He focused his gaze on her, and Kenana could not believe the serene look on his face. He winked at her. “Just watch,” he said.

  Below, Nod and Ham had finished giving their orders; they turned and faced the palace. The catapults had now been fully loaded.

  Good El! thought Kenana. Those boulders will surely destroy the palace walls!

  And once the palace walls had been compromised, the giant warriors would come pouring in—

  Kenana did not want to think about it. She felt sick and afraid, and just as she began to wonder if her Goel had lost his mind, Asher raised his right hand high into the air, and something very remarkable happened.

  *

  To her right, the wall of thorny briers that stretched out from the palace, a wall that contained the Nephilim, suddenly burst into roaring flames.

  Kenana gasped. She saw many dozens of men running outside the row of bushes, lighting them with torches. Within moments, the thick bushes were burning furiously.

  Asher next raised his left hand and the bushes to the left burst into flame as well, lit by many more men with torches.

  Soon, twin walls of fires stretched all the way down to the rivers at the base of the hill, and Kenana saw what had effectively happened.

  The Nephilim were trapped within the walls of fire.

  The once-calm giant army, awaiting orders to attack and kill the simple humans, had now turned into a churning mass of confusion and rage and horror, and turned to fight each other.

  Now Asher raised both hands into the air, as if calling upon the power of El, and Kenana saw men on horseback appear at the crest of the distant hills, all holding what appeared to be blazing torches. They sat atop Arabian horses, like the one she admired in Adah and hoped to buy someday.

  The men on horseback immediately charged forward, and raced rapidly down the mount. As they got closer, Kenana saw that the torches were, in fact, burning arrows, and these arrows now rained down upon the trapped Nephilim army in a storm of fire and brimstone. The once gray skies were now blazing bright with red, orange and brown.

  Leading the charging men were Tall and Sethra.

  Kenana watched in horror as the first of the fiery arrows pierced the heart of her evil stepson, Prince Ham. Thrown to the ground, the young prince writhed in agony. The fire spread from his chest and engulfed his body. Kenana saw a brief silhouette of his burning face. She felt sick, revolted. Yet, a fear was lifted. She would never be afraid of that wicked one again.

  Hundreds of Nephilim met the same fate, including Nod, her most dangerous enemy. She happened to see Asher lift his bow with an arrow tightly fastened inside. He drew back the string and released the arrow, while Kenana watched where it was going. Nod took the arrow through the neck, pinning him to the ground. The creature kicked once and then lay still, and a moment later, he, too, was consumed in fire.

  Kenana turned in time to see Asher drop a bow to his side, turn and leave the battlefield. Asher had shot the fatal arrow through her dreaded enemy. He was a Goel in the truest sense. Sighing, she drooped her shoulders and turned away.

  Kenana stumbled away from the balcony, gagging. In the palatial suite, she found herself next to Lamech, who was sitting with Tyro and Noah. “That wicked Nephilim who tried to kill me so many times is now dead. So is my stepson, Ham.”

  “That is good.”

  “I know, but I feel so horrible to be released from fear of them. All the hatred I have had for them has tainted me. Now that it is over, there is a terrible aftermath. A turmoil, as if I have had evil inside of me.”

  “Later on, when we sacrifice the lamb to El, your guilt will be taken from you, leaving you with a pure heart again.”

  “Thank you,” she said, staring at the dead bodies of her former enemies. She looked for the girls. Ava and Sarah were holding each other, both watching her with round, scared eyes.

  Lamech took Kenana by the elbow and said, “Sit with me, my cousin. You do not need to see the carnage.”

  “I’m so scared.”

  “There is no reason for that. Your enemies are dead. I will pray that El takes your fear from you, along with your guilt and shame. You are going to find freedom. You will be just fine.”

  “I don’t understand what just happened. How did they all die so fast?” she heard herself say.

  “Asher summoned all the Goels,” said Lamech kindly. “All the Goels across the land. El’s army. They stayed out of sight until the right moment. The Nephilim never had a chance.”

  “El is truly a good God. He protects his own, rescuing them from the evil ones.” Kenana sank next to Lamech, weeping in relief.

  “So he is,” said Lamech. He released Tyro to her and she held her precious son close to her bosom, holding her hands over his ears, and trying to block out the screams of the dying Nephilim.

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Kenana was admittedly nervous.

  Standing under a stone arch, draped with blue and white morning glories, Kenana gripped both Sarah’s and Ava’s hands. All three women were adorned in lavish ceremonial gowns and veils. The tunics were pink silk with lace cloaks and matching veils. A maid walked up and handed them each a bouquet of red roses. They prepared to move forward to their waiting grooms.

  Lamech, dressed in a priestly embroidered robe and headdress, looked up toward the heavens. “Three weddings at once! Dear El, what am I thinking?”

  “You will be fine, cousin!” said Kenana laughing, and all three women giggled. “That is what you always tell me.”

  “El, give me strength,” said Lamech. But he winked at her, and stepped away from the arch and into the sunlight.

  A massive crowd filled the courtyard. Asher had invited all of the villagers, and many were here, clapping loudly and cheering on the procession. Hundreds of Goels were in attendance, as well, all lined up on the outer wall in perfect order. Their presence was comforting to Kenana.

  As rehearsed, Kenana and the other girls followed Lamech down a petal-strewn path, with Kenana leading the way. As they walked, more petals rained down upon them, and Kenana could not hide the smile bubbling out of her.

  She remembered her first and only wedding, a wedding she had been forced into. She remembered the aged and stooped man who had been waiting for her to descend the staircase to meet him at the other end of the aisle. She remembered leaning on Father’s arm, wanting to kill him for not stopping the wedding to Prince Jubal. She remembered Eber talking about money. All he cared about was the fortune she would come into as Princess of Adah.

  Life had changed drastically since then. She had fled to Zoan to get away from the foul-minded Nod. Only to be raped by the fallen one. However, Asher had been there, rescuing her from both of them. Even though she did not want to, she had to set him free to discover his roots. Now she was glad that he had. King Asher!

  At the other end of the aisle, the three men, all dressed in formal robes and fancy turbans, waited for their three brides. Two of the men were extremely tall, and the third was especially broad-shouldered. All three men watched the women approach. All three men were beaming, grinning from ear to ear.

  It was high noon, and the sun was shining nearly straight down. The courtyard had been decorated with garlands and flowers and colored ribbons. The fragrance of delicious roasted meats and vegetables wafted through the air. A large table, covered with grapes, melons, and colorful berries decorated all the corners of the hall. The guests would be served an elaborate meal once the ceremony was over. Asher had said all would be limited to one glass of wine. “El does not like to see people drunk,” he often said.

  Earlier, a sacrificial lamb had been slaughtered to cover th
e sins of all in attendance, and Kenana could smell its meat cooking over a nearby open pit. She had not been able to watch the poor creature be put to death. Lamech had comforted her at the time, saying, “Someday, the son of El will come and be our final sacrificial lamb. After that, we will only have to believe that He died in our place. We will only be required the sacrifice of praise.”

  Kenana hoped so, and she hoped the son of El would come soon. She thought, that way, people would not have to die in a flood.

  Now, as she continued following behind the young prophet, Kenana caught Asher’s eye, and the hundreds in attendance magically disappeared into the background. For one brief moment, she was alone with Asher, her Goel, her savior, her angel, her king and her best friend. Asher smiled and winked. Kenana knew she had found the love of her life.

  When Lamech reached the waiting men, he proceeded up a short flight of stone steps, and turned and faced the audience. Kenana settled in next to Asher, just as the other two women moved over to their own proudly beaming men.

  Kenana never wanted much in life. Sure, she wanted to be loved by the man of her dreams, but what young woman didn’t? She wanted happiness and respect. She had had neither with Jubal. And Malluch, her fallen angel, had only wanted to take from her. But Asher was different. Indeed, he gave to her without thought, and never, ever asked for anything in return.

  Kenana had once felt so alone. But now, as she stood before her cousin Lamech, surrounded by dear friends and family, Kenana realized that she would never be alone again. Her dream of having a wonderful family and a loving home had come true. Granted, she never dreamed that her home would be a high palace overlooking all the land, but she was not complaining about it.

  “Mama!” a small voice called out. Kenana looked out into the audience. She saw Eber and Methuselah sitting side by side, each holding his own grandchild. Tyro waved vigorously. She quickly threw him a kiss as the audience burst out in laughter.

  Lamech beamed with pride when the baby Noah waved to him. “I believe we are now ready to begin the ceremony,” he said, laughing.

  As the ritual continued, Lamech read from the sacred scrolls written by his father, and blessed those standing before him, Asher took Kenana’s hand in his own and held it tightly.

  Somehow, Kenana knew he would keep on holding it forever.

  Twenty Years Later

  Queen Kenana sat in the front row in her reserved seat, waiting to hear the story one more time.

  With the help of his gnarled cane, the old bard made his way onto the circular stage and sat slowly down onto the uneven wooden bench. Once seated, he adjusted his travel-dusted robe and looked out into the faces of his eager audiences, many of whom had traveled a great distance to hear his words.

  No, not necessarily my words, he thought to himself, amazed again at the size of his audience, which ranged from the very young to the very old. They have come to hear stories about him, the one they cannot get enough of, and I do not blame them.

  The old bard, who made his living traveling from village to village, spinning his tales for a small price, was no fool and gave them exactly what they wanted:

  “In the land of Mesopotamia, there is a mighty warrior who stands heads and shoulders above the rest. His enemies call him a demon, for he has been known to singlehandedly remove cruel rulers from their thrones. Many call him a savior, for he has given hope where none had existed before. Still others call him the Great Goel, the Great Protector, and even El’s Warrior. He is, in fact, all of these and more, but we shall simply call him Tyro the Fearless, son of King Asher and Queen Kenana….”

  The End

  Return to the Table of Contents

  ROYAL FAMILY

  Glorious Companions #3

  Copyright © 2011 by Summer Lee

  Dedication

  To the children who touch my life.

  Acknowledgment

  A special thank you to Annette Holstine, Sandy Johnston, Leslie Whitaker and Elaine Babich.

  Royal Family

  Introduction

  Although this book is fiction, the idea for this series came from the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament. Sometimes, we may read a passage in the Bible that grabs our attention and shakes us up a bit. That was what happened to me when I first read, “Whenever the Sons of God had intercourse with human women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes mentioned in legends of old.” (Genesis 6:4). The heroes mentioned in legends of old are the Nephilim, the Giants and the Titans.

  Some Bible scholars believe they were nothing more than the wicked descendants of Cain sleeping with righteous descendants of Seth. Others say that they were fallen angels who approached human women. Whichever it was, God was so unhappy that he sent a worldwide flood and destroyed everybody, except the eight people in Noah’s Ark.

  I could not help but wonder how a young woman would feel about being approached by an angel for sex. So, I created Kenana, a descendant of Enoch—the holy man who walked with God. It is set in the Middle East in 5000 B.C.

  In Angel Heart, Kenana was forced to marry the wicked Prince Jubal, descendant of Cain. At the same time, she met Malluch, a fallen angel, who misrepresented himself as her guardian angel. Once that was established, my imagination soared. “The Glorious Companion Series” was the result.

  The books in the series are in this order: Angel Heart, Kindred Spirits, Royal Family and Awaken the Passion. The four main characters have their own stories told in this book, both individually and as they intertwine. The characters are Kenana, Asher, Tyro, and Rachael. I trust you will enjoy them. —Summer Lee

  Chapter One

  KENANA

  In the sweltering upper rooms of the palace, Kenana couldn’t sleep.

  Asher tossed fitfully beside her and once again, turned his back to her. Kenana knew he worried about the drought that sucked the abundance from his land and his people. He kept one eye on their precocious daughter, and the other on their warrior son, who was coming of age during a time of growing conflict. The king of Mesopotamia had a lot of concerns.

  Kenana worried about those things, too, but at the moment, a secret longing prickled at her desire…and at her conscience.

  Asher had recently been preoccupied with the state of affairs in Mesopotamia and, as a result, the passion in their marriage had ceased. Asher no longer pursued her affections, and it would have been untoward for Kenana to pursue his. So, she longed for intimacy and suffered quietly.

  Restless, Kenana tiptoed from their royal bed. She ran her tongue over her dry lips and thought, I wish I was eighteen again. She remembered how exciting her life had been when Malluch, the fallen angel, had won her heart with his passionate kisses…and his deceit. Later, Malluch had been imprisoned in the netherworld for his disobedience to El. And though those days were long ago, she could not forget his compelling kisses.

  Kenana got a drink of water from the fired clay pitcher and cup on a small table in the royal bedchamber. She stood by the window, looking out at the night. Her body yearned for fulfillment.

  I should act like a queen, she thought, and stop wanting…youthful passion.

  Finally, when her husband fell into a deep sleep, Kenana gathered a few things and prepared to go to the garden. She walked outdoors with an oil lamp in one hand and a bag with a clay tablet and a reed in the other.

  The night sky was dotted with stars scattered across the blackness, and the air was still, but at least it was cooler than in the palace. For once, the wind wasn’t blowing grit throughout the land and salting her hair and eyes with it.

  There had once been thriving vegetable plots and trees loaded with so many figs and olives that the branches had sagged to the ground. Now, it was even difficult to keep a few straggling flowers alive. The red dust that blew in from the desert invaded every crack—several times a day, the servants had to sweep it from the palace floors.

  Even the nearby river had receded from the banks. Instead of rushing past with abundant silver fish f
lashing in the clear shallows, the now-greenish river flowed sluggishly and carried with it a thick layer of silt. Fish were scarce.

  Kenana realized that things were changing in Mesopotamia, but not for the better.

  She crossed the drooping rose garden and sat on her favorite bench under a lacy elm tree.

  Kenana placed the oil lamp on the table in front of her. She wanted to record her thoughts—creating a legacy of her family’s activities and her thoughts calmed her and helped her to make sense of the daily events of palace life.

  As she sat thinking, the full moon rose and its soft radiance infused everything in the garden with a silver glow. The glow reminded her of the fallen angel, Malluch, and the son she’d had with him. Their son, Tyro, had grown into the fiercest warrior in all the land. She also thought of her daughter, Rachael, the beautiful girl she’d had with Asher.

  Kenana began scratching the words onto her tablet as she always did, by identifying herself as the scribe:

  Greetings. I am Kenana, the Queen Mother of Mesopotamia, reigning beside King Asher.

  Taking a deep breath, Kenana realized that she was not at peace at all. Perhaps writing down her woes would release some unhappiness and provide enlightenment. With her reed, she pressed her worries into the soft clay:

  My royal life is difficult and uncertain. I have my husband and children, and we are well enough. However, the morning mists that once saturated the earth are now rare. Even in this time of drought, we have food stored. I should be happy and grateful. But I am not. The prophesied flood frightens me. I don’t know how to live from one day to the next without fear. I cannot go back to innocence. And yet, I fear to go forward into knowledge. I am a prisoner of this prophesied future, and yet, my secret woes chain me to the past.