“Should I? Even after you saved my life?”
He studied her for a second before replying. “No. You have nothing to fear from me.”
“I suppose I owe you a thank you,” she said softly. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome Mina.”
“Do you know me?”
“No…I watched you perform…and you have a beautiful voice.”
“Thank you. I love to sing…”
“As you should…but Mina I have to get you home. Sam will trouble you no more, that I promise…”
Yes he needed to get her home soon before the inquisition came along and demanded to know why he did more than allow this woman to live.
“Grim?”
“Yes?” He loved how she said his name, and suddenly he wanted to hear her sing his name too.
“What are you?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you…”
“Try me.”
“Fine. Think of where you heard my name…my name is associated with a particular duty…”
One thing he noticed about her was the fact that she was quick to catch onto something. She gasped as soon as she realized who was responsible for saving her life.
“No…”
“Yes Mina. You have just been rescued by the Angel of Death. Now where do you live so I can take you hMina watched from the pond that Grim had constructed for her as she had always done from a realm that he built specifically for her. The isolation at one point had become too much for her to bear, but considering the fact that he defied her fate ever so blatantly just to secure her soul she never wanted to seem so…ungrateful. But something was wrong. Grim had not come to steal a moment with her as he always done. It had been days since his last visit, and she could sense that he was in trouble. She silently prayed that their secret had been discovered and he was suffering whatever punishment those On High deemed as a necessary retribution for his actions…and hers too. Unfortunately the pond only allowed her to see what took place in the human world, and from time to time Sin.
Speaking of Sin, she had grown up to be a beautiful woman with a stubborn heart and an even more determined will. Mina fought back tears at the memory of waking up in Grim’s arms, here in this world, his expression mournful, his eyes filled with unshed tears…and no Sin. The pregnancy itself had been difficult enough, having nearly miscarried; she had been commanded by her doctor to a 9 month sentence of bed ridden confinement, only to die within hours of giving birth. She did not even have the chance to name her daughter before her life was stolen from her and all for what?
She brushed her hand against the cool surface of the water and watched the ripples extend well beyond the center of the pond before returning to its naturally calm state. She remembered the day Grim finally brought Sin, who was still an infant down where she would raise her until she was old enough to begin her trainings with Grim. It had broken her heart to watch her 12 year old leave to learn things a 12 year old should not know, but Grim had explained it was for her survival. Sin is not human, at least half of her isn’t and she would need to know how to defend herself, understand her own powers and the world from which her father existed. She needed to learn the truths about Life and Death and the sacred Veil that separated the living from the dead. And last but not least, Sin is special and Grim had known that whatever her calling was would send her beyond the gates of hell and perhaps even beyond the reach of heaven…
And so Mina was forced to return to a state of solitude missing both Grim and their daughter and powerless to do anything else other than wait. She stared harder at her reflection until her reflection was no longer her reflection, but an image of Sin. Sin was out in the world once again, more than likely on a mission for her father, and this time she was accompanied by what appeared to be a very handsome gentlemen with long dark hair like Grim’s and a gorgeous, perfect smile. They were leaving some sort of novelty store, looking as if they were dressed and ready for war, but judging by her daughter’s demeanor, sparks were definitely flying in her direction.
“Oh Grim look at our daughter,” she whispered although knowing there isn’t anyone around to hear her. Just then her skin prickled with gooseflesh and her body awakened, heating up in places that only responded to one touch: Grim’s. Her body would respond like that only when he thought of her, and that is how he often would let her know she was in his thoughts. She sighed from the pleasure of it and sat up in hopes that he would be appearing shortly. She felt a soft caress against her cheek, and she knew that he didn’t just want her, he needed her. “Grim, come to me,” She moaned as another wave of pleasure attacked her senses. “Grim!” Her voice echoed throughout the realm, and after a few minutes, the sensations dissipated and that is when she knew for certain something was wrong.
She returned her gaze to the pond where she saw Sin’s expression turn from serene to deadly, it dawned on her that this is no ordinary mission. “Wherever you are Grim,” she said as worry filled her heart. “Please hold on…I love you.”
Chapter 15
I suppose Domino is a little rusty because he led us on a journey from Greece to Athens to Paris and then back to Greece. I tried my best to keep calm but after the brief connection with Grim I found myself close to hitting the Dominion on top of his handsome head. The blind spots that Mary the witch spoke of were a part of the reason why we were thrown off, but I knew we were close. We had to be. I could sense the presence of several strong entities, which made me wonder if Asmodeus was working alone or if he had recruits. We materialize behind a small café and I opted to switch from leather into a pair of jeans and a cropped top ensemble and of course sandals to give myself a more tourist look. It is midday, the sky painted with a vibrant blue, and the sun’s rays embracing me in a rapture of warmth. I love it. I find it nourishing to my spirit, for it is nothing compared to the merciless and devastating heat that is emitted from the darkest pits of Hell.
Domino did the same, appearing in a pair of rugged jeans, tennis shoes and a V neck shirt that showed off his hard body. He tied his braided hair behind his head and tucked it underneath the collar of his shirt. We walk in silence to the front of the café and take a seat on the patio chairs so I could think.
“We are running out of time,” I say running my fingers through my locks.
“We are close…I am picking up a vague energy trail that I believe to be that of Asmodeus…but the location is what is throwing me off.”
“Well where is it?” I demand.
“The Vatican.”
“Hmmmm, I can tell you that I am not really surprised that that may be where he is hiding considering the fact that I do know the human responsible is a cleric. And given the history of that church, demons have been taking refuge in there since its inception, but he is the first to steal the Seal and hide behind its walls…”
“So what are we going to do once we arrive there?”
“Well, the first thing is to find the Seal without him knowing that I have arrived. I don’t want to give him an opportunity to move the Seal to another location where it will be difficult if not impossible to find. I am thinking the best way to enter the building is as a tourist, and then once inside I look for the human.”
“Do you even know what the human looks like?” Domino asked skeptically.
“No. But when I was on the Island of Patmos I managed to uncover the fact that he has cancer and he is in the very early stages of it becoming terminal. The cancer will act as a beacon and-“
“You do know that it is not going to be that easy right? Asmodeus is a shrewd entity. Eons ago before he became one of the fallen, he was listed to aid in the formation of the stars. And just a thousand or so years ago, he made an attempt on the highest ranking angel there is. He is a master at fooling humans and even members of his own kind. And you must know he isn’t working alone, and probably has the loyalty of some of your father’s men. And the-“
His eyes widened at whatever personal revelation he is having. He stares at me with a
look of uncertainty and bewilderment.
“What?” I ask feeling unnerved by his continued stare.
“You should be able to locate the Seal.”
“If it was that easy don’t you think I would have done it by now?”
“I take it Grim did not have time to teach you how to use your newly bestowed gifts…and didn’t that witch tell you that you are the in between?”
I swear I have never been so confused in all of my life. “What are you talking about Domino? If Grim knew where the Seal had been taken, instead of giving me his powers he would have went and retrieved the Seal himself. And what does me being the in between have to do with anything?”
“Asmodeus does not hold the power to break the Seal which is something he wants more than anything. If the Seal is broken the first Horse of the Apocalypse is set free, which will render Michael and the entire company of Heaven too busy to fight him leaving him free to go about his plans. But you…I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before. Sin use the light to locate the Seal! Inside of you is the key to finding the Seal! Ha! Ha!”
I am starting to believe that I am staring into the eyes of a mad man as I watch Domino laugh hysterically. Does this being even understand that I do not know how to use the light? Grim only taught me about utilizing darkness and shadows, and all things Hell and death related. Thanks dad for the depressing insight.
“Sin, your dad never taught you because he always held a grudge about having to be the Angel of Death but he is an angel and not a fallen angel at that which means he can bend and manipulate light as can you. You manipulate light in the same manner that you manipulate shadows and being that it is midday this is the perfect time to do so. You are unique to your kind, having a human mother and all of the powers of a Reaper; and with you having assumed your father’s powers you also assumed guardianship of the Seal…and one more thing,” he says with excitement brewing in his eyes. “Your father knew you are the best tracker he’s got and it makes sense why he only had you doing mostly bounty hunting jobs. You have remarkable skills in locating whoever and whatever he sends you after.”
“Yeah? Well so far I have gotten absolutely nowhere and Grim is losing time-“
“Yes, but you have been close to the Seal all along and didn’t know it. Your instincts are dead on. You just have never been taught how to properly use them.”
I am not sure what to say in the seconds that follow. There was just too to digest and hope for and very little time to sort any of it out. Yes it is true that finding people and things is somewhat of a talent, and although Grim did not dare admit it, he must have known that I am the best chance that he’s got to survival. Domino continues to hold my gaze, and in doing so, I can sense the demands of my new role pulling at me from hundreds of directions. Souls of the dead and dying calling out to me, begging me for mercy or second chances at life; chaos as always had broken loose in Hell with a few hundred of my men abandoning their positions and roaming about the earth realm in search of mischief and glory; wicked humans performing ancient rites of demon summoning; and there in the dark corners of the Vatican lied an elderly man in his fifties hunched over a locked chest, sweating profusely and mumbling prayers requesting for forgiveness. He was dressed in the white papal robing, with a pair of thin, round shaped glasses sitting on the bridge of his narrow nose. What was left of his salt and pepper hair was barely enough to cover his scalp. His olive toned skin had lost a lot of its luster due to the cancer, and the man appeared to be as thin and frail as a twig. The vision was quick and blurry, due to what Sin assumed to be from Asmodeus’ shield. She wasn’t supposed to see this, but clearly this human was looking for an out from this situation and he figured the best way to do that was through repentance and prayer.
“We don’t have time for me to practice something that may take decades for me to perfect,” I say finally as I take a stand. “The Vatican has been blanketed by some sort of invisible shield courtesy of Asmodeus, but the human responsible must have had a moment of guilt and decided to pray which is why I was able to sense him. His illness is progressing and I guess he realized that Asmodeus was not about to fulfill his side of the bargain…” Suddenly a sobering thought crosses my mind. I have never worked with anyone that I thought to could really trust and as I looked at Domino, the realization of facing an unknown and notoriously powerful entity forced me to ask a question that I could only hope I did not regret. “Domino?”
“Yes Sin?”
“I need you to promise me something.”
He gives me a puzzled look. “What?”
“If for some reason I do not make it, make sure the Seal gets to the proper hands…”
“Sin, don’t-“
“Promise me, please?”
He swallows thickly and we face off with each other silently for a minute before he sighs and reluctantly agrees.
“So how are we going to do this?” He asks, hoping to change the subject.
“Scratch the idea of going in as a tourist,” I say calmly. “It’s about time that all of you get to know just who the Grim Reaper’s daughter truly is.”
Before Domino is prepared to properly respond, I open a portal through the dimensions and snatch him alongside me and we disappear into the ether. The human cleric or slave as he was often referred to by Asmodeus, gingerly ran his fingers across the ancient manuscript that held the key to releasing the Pale Horse of the Apocalypse. He thought by summoning Asmodeus from his desert prison that he would be restored back to his full health and perhaps granted something every human being on earth wished they had access to: immortality. Unfortunately, like all demons, Asmodeus had other plans, and plans that did not include at least ridding him of his cancer. And, as the Fates would have it, his cancer advanced and spread throughout his body. The chemo no longer effective, Edward and his doctors decided to end the chemo treatment, but he himself opted to not accept hospice care. The Vatican would continue to financially support him until the end of his days, and now that Asmodeus had taken almost total control over the city-state it seemed, the rest of the papacy had no choice but to cater to his whims.
This was his entire fault. Had he not been so selfish and so full of self-pity he would have never sought the assistance of a witch to break the barriers of Asmodeus’ prison and send him straight into the protective walls of the most powerful church in the world. He knew that what he has done would send him straight to Hell where none other than Grim would be waiting for him to escort him personally to his room of eternal torment. There is no turning back from this. He trusted brethren can now barely look at him whenever he passes by. He has single handedly doomed humanity to an existence much more badly than what waited beyond the gates of Life and Death.
He slouched closer to the lit fireplace, embracing the soothing warmth from the crackling embers in the small chamber room on the lower east end of the building, far away from prying eyes. Asmodeus was busy preparing his legions for what is sure to be a heavenly onslaught. The fallout from this war would haunt humanity for ages.
He shivered from the permanent chill that always seemed to follow him around since his body is no longer able to take care of itself even through regulated body temperatures, and he knew that he needed to rest as much as he can before Asmodeus sends him on another expedition. He stretched out on the hardwood floor and rested his head against the plain white wall and closed his grey, weary eyes. Asmodeus had turned this building of rich, lavish and lengthy history into a den of sexual indulgence. No one was permitted to leave unless authorized by him. The place is filled with various demon phyla, including members of the Fallen breed. They paraded in and out frequently, and would often force the residence of this building into doing humiliating things for their amusement. The Vatican had secretly become a house of horrors.
Thomas coughed hard, spitting up mucus and blood into a handkerchief he kept in his pocket. He guessed he had maybe a few months if that before his body completely succumbed to death’s call. Clearing h
is throat, he recalled a time when he had just stepped into his shoes as a man of God. He accepted his call to ministry at the age of 23 after his father had died after spending a couple of years in the Italian military. God had spoken to him in a vision telling him that there was work to be done in the world and that he would be needed to speak to the parts of the world where the Word had not been well received. Fast forward 25 years later, after decades of humble service, tragedy strikes once again when he is diagnosed with abdominal cancer, and well…here is. Probably banished from the eyes of God for stealing something that was supposed to be protected from human and demon eyes for violating a covenant that was an honor that is as rare as an arctic breeze in the Sahara Desert… And all for what?
He is going to die anyways.
He inhaled deeply before stretching out on the floor, his head resting on back of his hands as he relaxed onto the floor. As his mind began to drift back into a time when none of the on goings of this world mattered, he mumbled sorrowfully to himself, “Forgive me Father for I have sinned….” The fire continued to crackle and burn while Father Thomas surrendered to a much needed sleep.
Chapter 16
Grim could not wipe the smile from his face even if he wanted to once he had safely transported Mina to her tiny one bedroom apartment in a sketchy area of Houston. It took her a few minutes of reassurance from Grim that she was still alive after having dematerialized from one part of Texas to another in a matter of minutes. The way that she clutched her chest with one hand with the other gripping tightly on his right bicep made him feel…protective over her, probably more now than ever. Her eyes were wide with shock as she struggled to steady her heart rate making Grim wish there was something he could do to ease her. Without thinking he folded her into an embrace, crushing her with his broad chest and startling her at first…and then only for her to accept it.
“You are safe now Mina,” he whispered to her while he held her and silently wished that Time would stand still for a few millennia so that he could hold her in his arms a bit more.
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