Spirit Fighter (Son of Angels, Jonah Stone)

by Jerel Law

  Suddenly, they began to transform. The suits faded away. In place of them, armor appeared across their torsos and legs. It was black and silver and looked like steel, covering most of their bodies.

  Silvery wings sprouted from their shoulders, and the ones on the man looked like they’d engulf the entire room if he spread them out fully. On his left wrist he wore a silver band that looked like a regular wristwatch.

  The female angel was smaller but just as impressive. Her hair was sunset orange, streaked with yellow and white. And her eyes blazed with fire.

  Jonah shivered as he studied their faces. They were strong, fierce, but somehow kind, all at once. These were angels of war. Jonah would bet anything that they served under the archangel and battle-warrior Michael’s command. Henry had his wings on display too, but was still wearing jeans and a white T-shirt.

  “Um . . .” Jonah couldn’t find the right words. “You’re . . . you’re . . .”

  “Angels,” the female one said, smiling slightly. “I’m Taryn. And this is Marcus. It’s nice to meet you, Jonah.”

  Jonah’s mouth hung open.

  “I came home just a little while ago. I felt in my heart that something had happened to your mother,” Benjamin said, calmly at first, but his voice grew more and more strained as he went on. “Marcus and Taryn were waiting for me on the porch. They knew what happened—Eleanor was kidnapped. By . . . by Abaddon.” He sank onto the sofa and covered his face with his hands.

  Henry moved to the sofa to comfort Jonah’s dad.

  Marcus stood perfectly still, his arms folded across his chest. “Reverend Stone, you have done the right thing. There is no point in calling the human police. They cannot do anything to help under these circumstances. For years we have kept close tabs on Eleanor Stone, closer than you have realized. She has always been a person of . . . interest to us. As a nephilim, an exceptionally powerful creature, we wanted to monitor her . . . safety,” he said. He seemed to be picking his words carefully.

  “Oh, don’t beat around the bush, Marcus! I know what you think,” Benjamin suddenly shot back. “I know how you all feel about the nephilim. You think they are uncontrollable, dangerous, and prone to great evil! And yet Eleanor and I have always led peaceful lives.”

  Jonah saw indignation burn hotly in Marcus’s eyes. “Only because that is what I have seen, Reverend Stone. With my own eyes. They have a great weakness. They can easily be manipul—”

  Jonah’s father stood up. “I will not have Eleanor disrespected in her own house by you or anyone else, even if you are under Michael’s authority! She is kindhearted, self-controlled, and I daresay loves Elohim as much as anyone in this room! You are referring to things that happened thousands of years ago and have nothing to do with her.” He and Marcus locked eyes and said nothing, smoldering silence shaking the room.

  Taryn stepped forward, her wings expanding slightly. “Both of you. That is enough,” she said, eyeing Marcus. “We are here to share our intelligence with you and to assure you, Benjamin, that Elohim has a plan. Even in all of this. Our sources have indicated that her kidnappers did not kill her but are taking her somewhere. They have a purpose in mind. Which means they will keep her alive.”

  Marcus relaxed slightly and said, “Taryn is right. Abaddon must not want her dead.”

  “And at this point,” Taryn continued, “that is a good thing.”

  “At this point?” Jonah asked. “What does that mean?”

  Taryn looked at him for a few seconds, as if she were measuring him up somehow. “I simply mean that the best time to retrieve her is now.”

  Jonah couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Is this some kind of weird daydream? No, he was really here, and there were three angels talking with his dad in the living room. Mom’s been kidnapped. Angry tears began to form in his eyes. Abaddon and his fallen ones took my mother.

  Taryn glanced at Marcus quickly before she spoke again. “There’s something else. Our sources tell us that there were apparently others who were taken today as well.”

  “Others?” Jonah’s dad said, confused. “You mean, other . . . ?”

  “Nephilim,” she said. “We have been monitoring not only Eleanor but others as well. Across the world.”

  “How many others?”

  “Seven,” said Taryn. “Eleanor makes eight.”

  Benjamin sighed. “I thought she was the only one.” He had taken his seat back on the sofa. “What does this mean?”

  “It is quite possible that there is a larger plan at work here. That the fallen ones are up to something . . . big. These are certainly more than just random kidnappings,” Taryn answered.

  “Why would the Fallen want to kidnap eight nephilim at the same time?” Jonah asked.

  Silence.

  “If you must know,” Marcus finally said, “we believe this was his plan from the beginning. That he intended to do this all along.”

  “All along?” Jonah’s father repeated, looking confused.

  “Yes,” Marcus said quietly. “Ever since he planted them here.”

  The room was silent again, until finally Benjamin spoke quietly. “You said . . . planted?”

  Marcus nodded.

  “You mean to tell me that the nephilim, their existence on earth . . . my wife’s existence . . . has all been part of some plan Abaddon has?” The disbelief was clear now in Benjamin’s voice. “That Abaddon sent his own fallen angels to find human women and have children through them? You can’t be serious!”

  Taryn spoke up. “It is not that far-fetched, Reverend Stone. We are confident that this is part of his plan, which has yet to unfold fully. We intend to make sure that it never does.” Her confidence helped Jonah breathe a little slower. She spoke more softly now. “And by the way, of course we do not wish to imply that Eleanor Stone is an evil person. Clearly, Elohim has done much through and around her.”

  “But you said yourself,” replied Benjamin, brushing off the compliment, “that the nephilim have a capacity for great evil in our world. Exactly what kind of evil are you talking about?”

  Marcus moved to the window, his back toward Benjamin. “Do you know why Elohim flooded this world?”

  “Because of the sin of mankind,” Benjamin answered. “It had grown so atrocious that He brought an end to the world. Only Noah and his family survived.”

  “Yes,” Marcus said. “Dark days in the kingdom. Very dark. But, Reverend Stone, do you know who the ringleaders of human wickedness were in those days before the flood?”

  Benjamin was quiet.

  “Nephilim,” Marcus said, unable to hide the disgust in his voice. “They were there, leading mankind astray. Influencing them. Using their abilities to incite great violence and sin in men and women, against each other. Against Elohim.”

  Benjamin rose up from the sofa again.

  “My Eleanor is not like that!” he yelled, approaching Marcus. “She is not like they were! You don’t know anything about her!”

  “What you don’t know is that some of the greatest, most-feared warriors and leaders this world has ever known were nephilim,” the angel said, glaring at him. “Attila the Hun. Genghis Khan. Joseph Stalin.”

  Benjamin’s mouth dropped. “All of them were . . . ?”

  Marcus nodded. “Imagine eight Genghis Khans united under Abaddon’s thumb.”

  Taryn stepped in between them now.

  “We pray that you are right about Eleanor, Benjamin,” she said, her hand against his chest. “But for now, let’s just focus on the task at hand. Time is running short.”

  Benjamin backed off, his eyes drifting to the window. “Just one more question,” he said quietly. “What does Elohim have to say about all of this?”

  Jonah had been wondering the same thing.

  “As you know, Reverend, He is personal, and yet mysterious. Even to angels.” Marcus offered a hint of a smile for the first time. “But one thing you can always be sure of: He sees, He knows, and He is watching. There is nothing that s
urprises Him. And He will speak, and act, when He deems it necessary. We have our orders from Him. That is enough.”

  “So what exactly are we going to do?” Jonah asked.

  Benjamin turned around to face Marcus, Taryn, and Henry. “I’m going to get her back.” He stared defiantly at Marcus, waiting for him to respond.

  “No, you aren’t,” Marcus said quietly, locking his eyes with Benjamin, then glancing past him to Jonah. “And neither are we.”

  Benjamin’s eyes narrowed and his forehead wrinkled.

  “What exactly is that supposed to mean? We can’t just leave her to Abaddon!”

  “That task has been assigned to Jonah and Eliza,” Taryn said evenly. “We are simply here to deliver the orders.”

  Benjamin moved between the angels and Jonah.

  “Im-impossible!” he stammered. “I won’t allow it! Are you two insane? Do you know what you are saying? You want to send two children out against the Fallen? Against Abaddon himself?”

  “We understand how you must feel,” said Taryn. “And I know this will be a difficult test for you as well. But our orders—”

  “Our orders are clear,” Marcus interrupted, “as hard as they may be to hear. The mission is theirs, and theirs alone. They may be children, but angel blood courses through their veins. It is the will of Elohim.”

  Benjamin started to speak again, but suddenly it seemed as though the fight had gone out of him. It is the will of Elohim. Jonah knew how much those words must weigh for his father. Benjamin leaned over, snatched his glasses off his face, and put both hands on his knees.

  “Eliza too?” he finally whispered. “She doesn’t even know who she is yet . . .”

  Taryn moved closer to him, compassion in her eyes. “It is time that she knew.”

  Jonah’s mind was spinning. How were they supposed to rescue their mother from the forces of darkness? They were just kids. But the words of the angel echoed inside his head. It is the will of Elohim. God was trusting him with a mission. He’d been chosen. And his mother needed his help. Jonah felt himself stand a little taller. He stepped forward and put a hand on his dad’s shoulder.

  “Dad . . .”

  His father placed his hand on top of Jonah’s, looked back up at Marcus and Taryn with tears in his eyes, and whispered, “I just can’t lose Eleanor and two of my children in the same day.”

  “I know why you feel that way,” Taryn said gently. “But they will go with the favor of Elohim. We must trust Him.”

  Marcus stood with his arms folded again, looking sternly at Jonah. Jonah wasn’t sure, but he thought the mighty angel appeared less than excited about this too.

  “So how does this work?” Jonah finally said. “I mean, how are we supposed to find her?”

  Marcus took the thing that looked like a watch off of his wrist.

  “You’ll need this,” he said, snapping it around Jonah’s arm.

  “I’ll need to know what time it is?” Jonah asked, looking at the silver band with the large, round face. There were two fancy, scrolled hands that pointed to numbers like any other watch. Currently it read 3:57. “Um, it’s a nice watch and all, but how is this supposed to help us find Mom?”

  “Push the button,” he said.

  Jonah pressed the knob on the side. The watch hands dissolved away and the face glowed orange. It was now a digital display, with strange markings running across it. Some kind of language Jonah couldn’t read.

  “Sorry,” Marcus said, grabbing his arm to look. “Need to change it from the Angelic tongue to English.” He gave the knob a turn. It said:

  Mission: Recover Eleanor Stone

  Priority: Critical

  Location: Manhattan Island, New York City

  Further instructions upon arrival

  “This is not just a watch, Jonah,” said Marcus. “It’s a warrior-class, military-grade angelic navigation system. This one is a MissionFinder 3000. It will give you direction when you’re not sure where to go.”

  “MissionFinder 3000,” Jonah repeated, admiring the device. He pushed the knob again, and it morphed back into the watch face. “Cool.”

  “A gadget like this will help you,” Taryn said, “but remember, Jonah—the Spirit of Elohim is always with you. He is there to guide you on your journey.”

  Marcus nodded.

  “Jonah.” He turned to see his father, who had tears running down his cheeks. His dad grabbed him in a bear hug. “I . . . I love you, son,” he finally whispered, hugging Jonah so tight he was afraid he might crack his ribs. “Your mom and I . . . we never meant . . . we never thought that anything like this could happen. But as much as I am afraid, and as much as I wish I could take your place right now, you and Eliza have to do what Elohim is telling you to do. I would never stand in the way of that. He has a plan.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” Jonah said, feeling both worry and excitement course through his body.

  “Speaking of Eliza,” Benjamin said wearily, “I guess it’s time to tell her too.”

  “Not necessary,” came a shaky voice from behind them. “Are those really angels? Standing in our living room?”

  They all turned to see Eliza emerge from the hallway, wide-eyed, staring at them all.

  NINE

  THE MESSENGER

  You can see them, Eliza dear?” asked Benjamin. “The angels?”

  “Of course I can.” She straightened her glasses and pushed a curly wisp of hair out of her eyes. “Those are costumes, right?”

  Marcus chuckled and expanded his wings again, filling the room with glittering silver.

  “Costumes?”

  Eliza gasped. “You mean, you’re real?”

  Taryn smiled, bowing her head slightly. All of the color drained from Eliza’s face as she stood speechless.

  Benjamin heaved a sigh, sat down on the sofa, and patted the cushion beside him. “Come sit down, dear. There are some things you need to know. Can you give us a few minutes, friends?”

  Marcus spoke haltingly. “Time is of the essen—”

  “Of course we can,” Taryn interrupted, pulling Marcus down the hallway with her.

  “You’re going to find what I’m about to tell you hard to believe,” Benjamin began. “But I assure you, Eliza, it is all true.”

  Then he started back at the beginning, the same way he had with Jonah. He told her about the battles being waged between good and evil, among the angels of Elohim and the Fallen of Abaddon, and who their mother really was—a nephilim.

  “Which makes her three children—”

  “Quarterlings,” Jonah interrupted eagerly. “You, me, and Jeremiah—we are one-quarter angel. Which means we have a special connection with Elohim and the angels. And certain . . . powers.”

  Eliza smirked. “Like Superman or something? Really, Jonah?”

  He shrugged his shoulders, and Benjamin nodded to him. Jonah grabbed the sofa where his father and sister were sitting and lifted it over his head like he would a tissue box.

  When Jonah set them back down, he saw that Eliza’s mouth was open but no sound came out.

  “Each of you has gifts. Angel powers,” Benjamin said, as Jonah took a seat next to him on the sofa. “Jonah seems to possess a superhuman strength. But angel gifts, like human gifts, are unique to the person. And more than one may appear.”

  “Zack and the bullies in the alleyway,” said Eliza, nodding slowly at Jonah.

  Jonah raised his eyebrows. Benjamin looked curiously at both of them but said nothing.

  Eliza stood up slowly from the sofa, stooped down, and began to pull. She strained but couldn’t budge it.

  “Nothing to worry about, Eliza,” said Benjamin. “Your gifts will present themselves when they are needed.”

  Marcus stepped back into the room, Taryn behind him.

  “We can’t waste any more time,” Marcus said. “Did you tell her about the mission?”

  Benjamin sighed again. “We were just getting to that, Marcus, but listen, I don’t agree—”
>
  “It’s not for you to determine,” Marcus said loudly and impatiently. “It is for Jonah and Eliza to decide.”

  Jonah spoke up. “Look, Eliza, I don’t totally get it, but Marcus and Taryn are here to deliver orders—to us.” He took a deep breath. “Mom’s been kidnapped. And we are the ones who have to rescue her.”

  “She’s been . . . what?” Eliza searched all of their faces. They each nodded silently. She swallowed hard. Her forehead creased, a visible sign of her mind working to make sense of it all.

  “Who took her? Why aren’t the police here?”

  “Because she wasn’t kidnapped by humans, Eliza,” said Jonah. “She was kidnapped by fallen angels.”

  “That’s why we’re here,” Taryn said, trying to ease the tension. “Let us come together, dear friends. Let us listen for Elohim.” She extended her hands to Jonah and Eliza. Benjamin, Henry, and Marcus joined in, and they stood in a circle in the Stone family living room. She closed her eyes. Everyone else followed her lead.

  Jonah began to feel strangely calm and focused. Strength and peace washed over him, slowly replacing the fear that had been threatening to overpower him ever since he had heard his mother had been taken. He breathed in and out, feeling cleansed with love and protection. Is this Elohim? His eyes remained closed. Is He near? It sure felt that way. He wondered if Eliza and the others felt the same thing. He cracked one eye open, and one look answered that question. The confusion on her face was gone, replaced by a peaceful glow. The same glow he saw on everyone’s face in the circle.

  Eliza opened her eyes and calmly said, “Okay. I’m in. So, when do we leave?”

  Jonah could not go to sleep, so he stared at the ceiling. After a hushed but fierce argument between the angels and their dad, Marcus and Taryn had agreed for Jonah and Eliza to leave at first light. So reluctantly, he and Eliza had gone to bed to try to get a few hours of sleep.

  Jonah closed his eyes and tried to pray, but as soon as he did, he saw his mom. They were in the kitchen together, just Jonah and her, face-to-face.