But that couldn’t happen.
I frowned. Turning back to the light, I forced myself to focus.
Inside the light circle, I could see Alex’s best friend, Nathaniel. He was just as physically beautiful as Alex, but darker and leaner. His expression was more serene, even while he was so focused. He held out his arms inside the circle, chanting in a strange language - a fluid, quick tongue. I studied his words and his movements, fascinated. The resonance of his voice grew deeper. The slate floor trembled slightly.
The last time he’d called up the channel to the Angelic realm, I’d been unable to concentrate. There had been the little matter of a billion tortured souls screaming inside my head. At the time, I couldn't fully appreciate the soothing, blissful presence of the light. Now, I drank it in, trying to absorb as much of the soothing vibrations as I could.
Nate’s brow knotted, as suddenly, a golden glow materialized within the white-blue light. The glow solidified; forming the chubby little body of a child, with stubby, fluttering silver wings.
My breath hitched in my throat. It was a Katadonis, the cherub messengers of the Angelic Realm. They were supposed to be on the side of good, but recent events had me convinced that they were as conniving and deceitful as any flawed being could be. A Katadonis had followed us into the caves and fed information to the Sanctum Domeni - the militant branch of the Catholic church, who were out to kill me.
I felt the softest touch on my hair. It was the briefest contact, but it sent a thrill through me, chasing away the icy fear I felt as the Katadonis materialized. I turned to look at Alex. His eyes were soft, but held a warning that we should both be staying silent.
It wouldn’t be great if the Katadonis sensed Alex’s presence in the room; as a half-demon, he was the enemy. And speaking of enemies, I was probably Numero Uno. Because of a bizarre cosmic alignment, I was destined to give birth to the Antichrist, therefore marked for death by anyone who wished for life on earth to continue.
With effort, I tore my eyes away from Alex to watch the spectacle play out in the lounge room. I wasn’t scared anymore, not of the creature that was materializing inside the blazing light.
With a sharp wave of his hand and a word uttered in a low tone, Nate dismissed the cherub. It vanished into a puff of light.
Nate centered himself, holding his arms out in front of him in a supplicating gesture. He started calling out again, his words growing faster and faster. This time, I recognized the language he used - it was Italian, his mother tongue.
The circle blazed; the light grew brighter. A figure started to materialize out of dazzling sparks and orbs.
It was the body of a man. He was bigger than a human, almost twice the size - and built like a warrior, with a broad bare chest, and wide shoulders rippling with muscle. The color of his skin was the darkest, richest teak. He had close-cropped black hair, stunningly high cheekbones, a strong jawline, and beautiful full lips. Enormous pewter wings draped down his back, twinkling like they were made of starlight.
The angel unfolded himself from the light sphere, stretched out, and sighed deeply. His eyes opened and glowed like dark amber.
My mouth dropped open. He did not look like I imagined.
“Nathaniel.” The angel’s voice was the smoothest, deepest timbre, flowing slowly with the majesty of a glacier. “My son,” he went on. “It’s been too long since we’ve spoken.”
“Well, I’ve been calling, Dad,” Nate said testily. “You haven’t been answering.”
Sadness washed over the angel’s face, and I felt myself wanting to cry. “I’m sorry, my son,” Malach said. He stretched out his huge hand and placed it on Nate’s shoulder. “I know what happened down in the caves. I found out too late.”
“So you know what’s been going on.”
I caught another flash of sorrow in Malach’s glowing amber eyes. I wanted to reach out, to put my hands on him, to soothe this enormous, heartbreakingly beautiful figure of a man.
There was a polite cough from my right, and I looked over to see Alex mock-glaring at me. I was probably ogling Malach a little too much. I shrugged, rolled my eyes at him and mouthed, gesturing at the glorious figure of the Archangel: C’mon. What do you expect?
Alex rolled his eyes and shrugged. Fair enough.
I smiled at him, suddenly overwhelmed by this beautiful man who had sworn never to leave my side. I was lost for a moment in the icy depths of his eyes, which inexplicably burned me to my core.
Malach’s deep timbre broke through my concentration. “Yes, I know what is going on.”
“But you haven’t been to visit?” Nate sounded hurt.
“I am sorrier than you can possibly imagine, my son. I know the pain that you were forced to bear yesterday when you were down in the caves.” Malach’s brow furrowed. “I have only just learned of it. Please know that I had no part in what happened to you.”
“It’s okay, Dad,” Nate said. I noticed that his shoulders sagged slightly: He was relieved that Malach wasn’t involved in the plot to kill me. “I was just worried. You've never ignored me when I call. I’m guessing someone pulled a fast one on you.”
Malach’s tone shifted, his voice resonated with power. “I had been called by a Katadonis to assist the soul of a potential Ascended yesterday in Zimbabwe. I had been told that she would need guidance when she passed on, and that she would be a valuable soldier in the fight. However, when she drew her last breath, she needed no help at all.” His mouth softened, and he smiled. “She is already assisting her kin in the mortal realm as if she was borne to the role of Ascended Guardian.”
“So the Katadonis lied to you.”
“The Katadonis are unable to lie. It would go against their very existence. But, now that I replay the creature’s words in my mind, I can see how he deceived me,” Malach’s expression grew thunderous, and I shivered. “When he came to me with the message of the potential ascended, he was very vague but compelling.”
“No other Katadonis came to get you when I called?”
“None. But I felt you call, and I assumed that the messengers, or another Angel helped you with whatever you were wanting.” His beautiful, full lips drooped in a frown, and the weight of sadness swept through me again. “I am sorry, my son. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to help you.”
“It’s okay, Dad,” Nate held up his hands, brushing off Malach’s concern. “But it looks like we have a bigger problem. If the Katadonis have turned on the Archangels, and they’re following their own agenda, there must be some sort of mutiny going on up there.”
“Well… no,” Malach said. His shoulders sagged, and I felt a flood of sorrow emanating from him again. Nate hadn’t lied - the Archangel did feel the weight of the world very acutely. And he broadcast it very loudly, throwing it around like confetti. He was, like Nate had described, a bit of a downer. It was almost painful for me to watch. “There is no mutiny, because the Host hasn’t been overthrown. The Katadonis aren’t following their own agenda.”
I felt Alex stiffen beside me. “The Percuitait,” he whispered, venom in his voice.
Malach’s proud head lifted sharply. “Is that Alex I hear?”
“Yes, Malach,” Alex said loudly. “It’s me.”
“Of course it would be,” Malach muttered. “It seems you two never go anywhere alone these days.” His brow smoothed out. “So, uh, Alex. How’s your mother?”
“She’s fine,” Alex said easily. “Fighting the good fight, clearing out hell, you know.”
“I know,” Malach said, a touch of anger in his tone.
My fingers itched. I was getting impatient. I’d spent my whole life hiding in corners, behind things, hoping that no one would see me. But now, I didn’t want that. It seemed that Alex had cured me of something else. I wanted to be seen.
And I wanted some answers.
The words were out of my mouth before I could stop myself. “I’m here too, Archangel.”
Malach’s head whipped around towards me. “W
ho is that? A human? A human girl?”
I ignored Alex’s frantically waving arms. “Uh, woman, thank you. My name is Eve. Apparently, I’m the Black Chalice.”
Malach’s expression grew thunderous; for a minute, I regretted opening my mouth. But it appeared that I had a death wish, so instead, I stood up off the couch and faced the Archangel directly.
My legs shook. But I was used to feeling scared, so I brushed it off.
“I’m the one they’re trying to kill,” I said unsteadily. “Angels are supposed to oppose sin, regardless of the situation. To the point of ridiculousness,” I said, trying to sound stern. “I want to know why they think it’s fine to murder me.”
Malach’s eyes narrowed. I felt the ground shake underneath me, as he took a deep breath and exhaled, pushing out with his enormous hands, stretching as though he was shaping solid air around himself.
And he was. The blazing light tunnel bulged, bending out of the circle, pushed out by the sheer will of the Archangel. He was expanding the light, and before I knew what was happening, it had passed through me. I was inside the circle with an enormous, terrifying otherworldly being.
He crossed his massive arms over his chest, like the Djinn. “I see you, Chalice,” he boomed.
“Uh, hi.” I waved back.
Malach was silent, appraising me with his burning eyes. “So,” I tried. “Do you… uh... come to earth often?”
Behind me, I heard Alex snort with laughter. The sound gave me courage. If Alex could laugh at me at a time like this, I was obviously in no danger.
“I do come to earth often,” Malach bellowed. “I have work on this mortal plane. I assist the Ascended souls in guiding them towards their roles as Guardians. ”
“Hmmm. Tough gig, right? Not much work going around?”
Malach scowled at me. “I am doing everything I can.”
Nate suppressed a smile. “Okay, Eve, I’m going to go ahead and honor my father here. He’s one of the good ones.”
“I get that,” I told him, then I turned to eye Malach steadily. “But who are the bad ones? Who is trying to kill me?”
The archangel frowned. “It is as your demon friend fears. The Percuitait are becoming desperate, and they’ve infected some Katadonis with their zeal. They imagine the Chalice is a sacrifice, the same as Abraham was asked by God to offer. They are hoping that if they destroy the Chalice, then she will be saved by God, and we will hear His voice again.”
Those goddamn lesser angels. Furious smiters of sinful humans. I remembered that Alex had told me that the angels had not received any direct guidance from God since the fall of Satan. It made absolutely no sense to me that God would go quiet at such a crucial time. “And you have no control over the Percuitait?”
“We all serve God; we all follow the Plan. It is not for us to extend control over anyone.”
“So there’s nothing you can do? You’re just going to wait around until they manage to kill me, and you might hear the voice of God again?”
Malach glared, and a thrill ran through me. He moved his arms wide, his huge biceps bunching and unfurling in a gesture of frustration. It mesmerized me. “I wasn’t aware of their new direction until this morning. The Percuitait insist they are not hiding anything, and that they are doing God’s will.”
My frustration, too, was building. “But you don’t know God’s will,” I replied through clenched teeth. “That sneering little Cherub told me that they were taking direction from the Church now; they believe the Church had been giving God’s proxy. We all know how unlikely that is. If I’m following this whole hierarchy thing right, it’s only the Metatron that can translate God’s word, right?”
Malach’s mouth dropped open. “You know of the Metatron?”
“I’m sorry?”
“You know where he is?” He leaned forward, a light of urgency in his eyes.
“Okay, what?”
Nate looked confused. “Dad, what’s going on?”
The Archangel sighed and turned to his son. “The Metatron has disappeared from heaven. We don’t know where he’s gone.”
“What?”
“It happened a couple of days ago. We thought he might be wandering on earth again. It was another reason why I took so long to figure out what the Percuitait were doing. I was looking for the Metatron.”
“Have you tried summoning him?” I wasn’t trying to be snarky, but it came out a little sarcastic.
Malach turned back to glare at me. The look pierced me right through, rooted me to the spot. “Of course. But the Metatron hasn’t answered to summoning in millennia.”
I sighed. We were getting nowhere. “So, a rogue band of vicious angels is trying to help a militant branch of the Catholic Church to kill me, to avoid the apocalypse, and to provoke a response from God. And you can’t do anything about them. And you’ve lost the Voice of God, so even if you started getting messages now, you wouldn’t be able to interpret them.”
Malach growled. It was a petrifying sound.
But he didn’t know who he was dealing with. I crossed my arms over my chest, mimicking him. The tension within the light sphere built steadily. I shot a quick glance at Nate - he looked apprehensive, but he didn’t move.
Finally, Malach narrowed his eyes and lifted his chin. “You are not what I expected, young woman. I assumed the Chalice would be a scared little girl.”
“Oh, I am a scared little girl,” I told him honestly. “I’ve been so scared my whole life, but I’ve faced the worst. And I’m still alive.”
“You are not intimidated by me.”
I cocked my head. “You’re looking at a woman who was screamed at for twenty minutes by a Mafia boss because she forgot to put chocolate sauce on his ice cream,” I told him. “My danger sensors are so finely honed. I know exactly when someone will hurt me, and when they just want to try and scare me.”
Malach’s face softened. “I would never hurt you.”
“I know that you wouldn’t. As Nate said, I know you are one of the good guys.”
His glowing amber gaze dropped down, no longer meeting mine. “And I’m sorry that I cannot help you. I have remonstrated with the Percuitait as much as I can, but the human world is their domain, and they do not seem to surface in the heavenly realm anymore. They will continue to pursue you, no matter what I tell them. ”
I heard Alex hiss behind me. I was glad that I had my back to him; his presence gave me the strength to not tremble in front of Malach. But I also didn’t want him to try and stop me from trying to bust through all this stupid nonsense.
I raised my hand, getting Malach’s attention. “I know that you think that there’s nothing you can do, but there is.”
Malach lifted his head again and eyed me steadily.
“We need information,” I continued. “The more we have, the easier it will be to figure out a way out of this mess.”
He cocked his head to the side. “There is no way out. The pressure is building on all sides. It’s going to come to a head, no matter what we do. And then, we will finally see what God intends.”
“Well, I’m not going to wait around until someone kills me, or gets me pregnant,” I replied testily. “I need to know what I’m dealing with. So, we know that the Sanctum Domini and the Percuitait have banded together. Why have the Percuitati done that?”
“Well, the Percuitait can’t directly murder you. They cannot commit a sin like that; they do not have that free will.”
Alex snorted behind me.
Malach raised his voice. “You can scoff all you want, young Sorensen. It’s true.”
“Free will is a choice.”
“And they choose to follow the strict word of God. We all do.”
“But they’re not, are they? They’re getting the church to do their dirty work,” Alex sneered. “And on that note, why were those monks so physically strong? Where did they get that from?”
Malach pursed his lips. “It seems that the leaders of the Sanctum Domeni have lea
rned the trick that the Katadonis did, as well as the Nuntius, millions of years ago. They are devoted enough to imbibe angelic essence. They’ve taken unto themselves the strength of the Percuitait.”
“Can… can they do that?” Nate stammered. “I thought that was a one-off alignment of the stars.”
“So did we,” Malach muttered darkly. “But the level of fervor and devotion to God in these men is boundless. They believe, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that they will be forgiven and granted access to Heaven if they commit this murder. And the Percuitait have given their essence willingly.”
“Bastards,” I muttered. The monks were super-strong and fast - not as strong as Alex and Nate, but enough to give them a run for their money. “Okay,” I said, regrouping. “So we know that Godric and the monks of the Sanctum Domeni are being influenced by the Percuitait. The monks are super-strong, and all of them believe that only the Catholic Church can interpret God’s will.”
Malach held up his finger. “Not quite. I’ve been busy, digging through my sources within the church, and something interesting has come up.” He took a deep breath; his chest expanded invitingly. “It seems that the Pope has not sanctioned your assassination.”
Nate took a sharp breath. “He has forbidden it?”
“No. He does not know about it,” Malach said darkly. “It seems that there has been a fair bit of political maneuvering. The Sanctum Domeni aren’t being funded by the church right now. Godric, as the cardinal tasked with executing God’s will on earth - as determined by the church - has failed to request the appropriate approval. He has sought funding from other groups.”
“Hang on,” I held up my finger. “I want to make sure I understand this. So Godric, a religious maniac, has decided that I need to be killed in order for God to be pleased. But he understands somewhere in his brain that the Pope might see this as a mortal sin, regardless of the consequences. So instead… he just didn’t ask if he could do it?’
Revelations: The Black Chalice (Revelations Series Book 1) Page 26