Retriever of the Lost Souls (Retriever Series Book 1)

by Brian

  Lilith paused and told him “She sounds really scary. What does she want?”

  “She says she wants the password.’’ He explained perplexed.

  “Do you know the password, maybe I can keep it for you just in case they get to you one day. I can pass it on to Isabella if anything happens to you.” Lilith answered cunningly.

  “I don’t know what she’s talking about.” Eoin told her angrily.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to pry, maybe I should go?”

  “No, No, I’m sorry I snapped. I’m just frustrated with the situation.” He shook his head. Looking at her, he suddenly began to feel aroused. As much as he tried to fight it, he could not. Finally leaned forward he began kissing her deeply and holding her tight. Lilith knew that the managa was still working to a certain degree. It was about 3:00 am, when Eoin’s phone began to vibrate. Although he could hear the texts coming in, Eoin was fully involved with Lilith and ignored it. After they had finished making love, and he was sure she was asleep, he checked his phone, and saw it was Isabella. It had been sent almost an hour ago.

  Her text read “I can’t sleep, for some reason I feel scared. I don’t know what to do”

  Eoin replied, “Baby, I’m, sorry you can’t sleep. Are you ok?”

  The reply he got back made his blood run as cold as ice water in his veins.

  “Yeah BABY. Why don’t you come here, BABY?”

  Shaking, Eoin replied and demanded that Alaya “leave at once.”

  “Come over here and MAKE ME BABY.” She was capitalizing all the words that stressed who it was he was talking to.

  “Isabella, I’ll be right there,” he replied. “Hang on baby. I’m coming.”

  Quickly waking up Lilith he told her Isabella was in trouble, and he needed to leave. Lilith feigned being upset.

  “I’m leaving and won’t be coming back - I don’t want to be around if you bring her over here!” Lilith hissed at him as she gathered her belongings and left.

  “Please, Lord, let her be ok.” Eoin prayed as he drove the short, one-mile distance.

  When he pulled up to Isabella’s house, Alaya walked out in a bathrobe and sat down on the chairs in front of the house. Jumping out of the car, he ran straight toward her.

  “Why are you doing this to her?” he yelled.

  With that laugh he so despised, she told him, “I can do what I want when I want.”

  Eoin was angry and frustrated and started to move in on her, but she stood up, towering over him by a good six inches, and pushed him backward on his heels into the middle of the front yard, where Eoin put his left foot behind him to stop his involuntary retreat.

  “Leave her alone and leave NOW!” he demanded.

  “And just what are you going to do about it?” she countered.

  “I’ll cast you out like the demon you are!”

  Eoin was now shaking, but their conversation allowed his thoughts to focus. With a shove on her chest, she stumbled backward, and he lunged at her. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around her, squeezing as hard as he could. He felt her breath leave, momentarily giving him the upper hand, but Alaya countered by throwing her weight against him, and Eoin fell backward, with Alaya landing on top. As Eoin struggled to push her off, she managed to take Isabella’s cell phone out of her pocket, keeping it in front of him.

  “Let me go, or I call 9-1-1 and have you arrested for assaulting me,” she hissed.

  Breathing hard, he looked at her with disdain as she continued.

  “Let’s see,” she said. “You were drinking and came to my house. I refused to have sex with you and asked you to leave. You came back and started threatening my mother and daughter. We struggled in the front yard…”

  He could see where this was going and knew that nobody would believe him.

  “Ok, you win. I won’t touch you. But, if you harm Isabella in any way…”

  “What? What will you do, tough boy?” she taunted.

  Eoin did the only thing he could think of and prayed silently and fervently. He asked the Lord for strength to save Isabella. Looking at her, he saw that she had momentarily let her guard down and lunged at her again, this time grabbing her shirt right above her heart, and in commanding, firm voice, he commanded Alaya to leave.

  “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, I command you to LEAVE NOW!”

  She only laughed, but it wasn’t the confident laugh she usually had.

  “You can’t make me go!” she cried.

  Eoin repeated his command as they wrestled to the ground, sending the phone flying from her hands. This time, without thinking of what he was doing, he cast Alaya out of Isabella’s body by throwing his hands up and into the air, away from Isabella. Her body rolled face down, and she lay still on the ground.

  He sat in silence, sweating and breathing heavily from his mouth. Had he done what he thought he had? He quickly crawled to her and rolled her onto her back. He checked to see if she was breathing, and when he saw her chest gently rising and falling, he was grateful and uttered another prayer of thanksgiving. He gently shook her shoulders, calling softly to her.

  “Isabella. Isabella, it’s ok. She’s gone now”, he said.

  There was a deep intake of air as her eyes slowly opened.

  “Isabella, she’s gone. Are you ok my love?”

  As her eyes opened, he could see she was extremely disoriented. She began to sob as he helped her to stand, yard debris clinging to her robe. She was speaking in Spanish and he didn’t understand most of what she was saying. Using the little Spanish he knew, he spoke in both languages.

  “Alaya attacked you. Mira, con permisso, let me help you inside.”

  Isabella leaned on Eoin as the two of them walked through the front door and around to the side of the house where her bedroom was.

  “What’s the last thing you remember?” he asked.

  Her head was slowly clearing, allowing her a moment to think.

  “I remember texting you that I was having problems sleeping. Then Alaya started taunting me, telling me that you were with another. I told her that wasn’t true. She told me if I drove to your house that I would find my sister’s car parked on the side of the apartment building. That’s all I remember. Is it true?”

  Eoin hated to lie to her, but he denied it.

  “No, that didn’t happen. Alaya told you that just to make you angry or to make you hate me.” Wanting to believe him, Isabella nodded.

  Eoin then showed her the log of the text messages he had gotten from Alaya.

  “I don’t remember sending those,” she said. “How does she know how to use a cell phone?”

  “She is a crafty one who knows our society pretty well. We struggled in the front yard, and she threatened to call 9-1-1 on me.”

  Isabella could only shake her head.

  “I’m scared, Eoin.”

  “I know. I am too.”

  They embraced and held each other tightly. It was 3:45 am, and Isabella’s household would soon be stirring. She was supposed to go to work in a few hours, but Eoin convinced her to go with him and get some coffee at an all-night restaurant where they decided she would call out sick, so they could spend the day together, and come up with an action plan. Eoin didn’t wish to leave her, but he had to get back to his apartment as well and they agreed to call each later that morning.

  Chapter 43

  Alaya’s attack signaled the beginning of their battles with the coven. She was usually first, followed by two stronger male spirits. At first, the fights were just a few nights each week, and would always start with Isabella becoming lethargic as her energy rapidly drained from her.

  Eoin was always ready for this and had each knee firmly pressed against both of Isabella’s hips, with his hands clamped down on each wrist placed above her ears.

  This time, however, things took a twist. Instead of Alaya coming and being pinned down, Eoin felt his world suddenly shift as his surroundings vacillated. As the shift con
tinued, Eoin lost his balance, and just as he was about to fall over, everything went dark. He found himself standing in an unfamiliar land, with Alaya about fifteen feet away from him laughing hysterically, almost maniacal.

  “Didn’t expect that one did you lover?” she cackled.

  “Let’s get one thing straight, Alaya. I am not your lover, nor will I ever be. I wouldn’t waste my seed on the likes of you!”

  Eoin noticed that his clothing had changed. He was wearing cream-colored clothing that resembled gossamer instead of his pajamas. The shirt he had on was long, almost to his knees and the pants were at his feet but were big enough around his legs to give him room to move freely.

  “Where are we?” he queried.

  Laughing, Alaya said, “You are in my world now, lover.”

  Taking advantage of Eoin’s disorientation, Alaya sprang at him, knocking him flat on his back. He was stunned that she could move so quickly but recovered enough to shove her away from him and bounce back to his feet, marveling at the swiftness in which he moved. Alaya lunged at him again, but this time he sidestepped her, causing her to go flying past him. Quickly turning around, she was on him once more as a wounded bear protecting her cubs, biting, kicking and shrieking. Eoin wasn’t the type that would ever hit a girl, no matter how evil she was, and Alaya was no exception, no matter how much she taunted him.

  “C’mon lover, is that all you got?”

  Chuckling, Eoin quickly looked around, keeping a wary eye on Alaya.

  “I told you. I’m not your lover. Why doesn’t Magus send somebody who can fight? Why don’t you go back to the kitchen where you belong? The forest is no place for a female, or a puta, a wormhole such as you.”

  Alaya let out a shriek that nearly caused his eardrums to burst, and flew at him in a blind rage, her long hair flying behind her. Once again, he sidestepped her, grabbing her hair firmly in his right hand as she flew past him. Yanking her back, he threw a chokehold on her with the crook of his left elbow and could hear her gagging as her hands clawed his arms in a futile attempt to break the hold.

  “Not so tough, now are you?” His grip tightened. “I want you to take a message back to Magus. You tell him to bring somebody worthy of fighting me, not some two-bit puta.” With a shove, he pushed her away from him, causing her to stumble and fall to her knees.

  Then, looking at her, he said, “That, lover, is a natural position for you. Get used to it!”

  Getting up, she flashed him a contentious look and ran off. He was about to follow her when once again felt his world melting away, and found himself back in the bedroom, in his pajamas, standing at the foot of the bed. Isabella was lying there, breathing rhythmically, but otherwise still.

  He tried to rouse her, but she either couldn’t or wouldn’t. Then her eyes opened, and she blinked, looking around. Immediately Eoin realized that again this was not Isabella. They were throwing others at him at a faster pace, trying to tire him out.

  “Who are you?” Eoin asked.

  “I am Trymond,” he said. “I hear you asked for a fighter!”

  “I did. But why send a sissy boy like you? Is Magus that stupid? Tell me, what do you do besides make an ass out of yourself?”

  “I’m one of the ones who transitioned your Talitha,” he said with glee.

  Eoin instantly felt anger well up within him that he was unable to contain. Without a word, Eoin jumped on Trymond with enough force knock the air out of him.

  “You disgust me! How could you do that to somebody? How’d you like it to have it done to you?”

  The fury of Eoin’s anger was no match for Trymond and using lessons learned from his fight with Alaya in the forest, Eoin put his hand around Trymond’s throat and squeezed hard enough to cause his eyes to bulge and his tongue to protrude slightly from between his lips.

  “If you ever do that again to her or anybody else, I’ll come down there and destroy you myself!” he shouted as Trymond could only nod his head in affirmation.

  “Now get your stupid ass out of here before I put an end to your miserable existence!”

  Eoin could feel Trymond leaving Isabella’s body, and let go of her throat as he climbed off and tried to wake her. There was little comprehension in her eyes as they opened, then slowly, as her spirit filled her body, she curled into Eoin’s lap and mumbled something Eoin couldn’t discern.

  Magus was sending the weaker fighters to conduct a recon of his own, wanting to know what else Eoin could do and in the process, discovered Eoin had a soft spot for Talitha.

  Once again, Isabella’s body took a deep breath, preparing Eoin for a third battle. Gently pushing her off his lap, he watched her eyes open once more.

  “I saw what you did with Trymond. He’s a weak fool. I am Terrial – also one of the transitioners of Talitha.”

  Eoin once again felt the anger rise within him, but this time a thought overrode his rage.

  “Stay calm and don't react.”

  Terrial swung his legs to the floor and stood up and walked around the bed to where Eoin stood and shoved him. Eoin pushed back and tried to toss Terrial onto the bed, but it backfired and instead it was he who was thrown on to the bed. Terrial was stronger than Trymond, but he was still no match for Eoin’s strength, and it wasn’t long before Terrial found himself with Eoin’s hand on his throat. Then, just like Trymond before him, Terrial left without a word as Isabella’s body once more relaxed.

  “Perhaps I was worried about nothing,” Eoin thought. “God’s faithfulness is amazing.”

  Chapter 44

  Eoin was still pondering why God had chosen him. After all, there was nothing extraordinary about him. Then one night after a battle, Isabella was ready to sleep when she sat up in bed, full of energy, and shouted, “Gideon!”

  “What?” Eoin asked, confused by this burst of energy.

  “Gideon. You must read the story of Gideon,” she implored.

  “Gideon?” He asked. “As in the people who put Bibles in motels?”

  She laughed. Pulling out the bible she shortened the story in a way that Eoin would understand, she said; “Yes, but I didn’t think of it until just now. To show everyone that God, not man, was in control, he chose the youngest member of the weakest clan to fight for Him. Gideon had no inheritance and no special blessing of the family. But when he trusted in God, he was able to use a small army of 300 to beat the Midianites army of 135,000 men.” Then, the burst of energy was gone, and she fell asleep on Eoin’s lap.

  This still left Eoin perplexed as to why God was using him, but after thinking it over for the rest of the night, it finally came to him that it was so God could have the glory and not himself or anyone else. The next day, while Isabella was at work, Eoin read the story of Gideon and understood what Isabella was telling him. It was a stunning revelation, and as he read it repeatedly, he was more than humbled as he tried to comprehend all it meant to him.

  In these early battles, Eoin would remember the scriptures he studied, as well as songs, learned from his college days and would speak or sing them to his opponents, and watch as they recoiled from the Word of God or songs of His praise.

  A few months later, he and Isabella were making love when her head lolled to the side, followed by that deep intake of air. By now he was leery of those below and was put on the defensive immediately.

  “You must get out of here now! You are in great danger!”

  Confused Eoin insisted on knowing to whom he was speaking.

  “Who are you? How do I know to trust you?”

  “I am Martha, and I am from above. I’ll explain very soon, but if you value your life and that of Isabella’s, you must get out of here now. They are almost here! You must leave! You must get out NOW!” she emphatically stated.

  Eoin suddenly felt very cold and knew that something was very wrong. As quickly as Martha appeared, she left. Upon returning, Isabella looked around and could literally feel evil surrounding them. She immediately knew something was very wrong.

 
“What just happened?” she asked with growing panic in her voice.

  “We have to leave now! Get dressed. C’mon, let’s go. I don’t know what’s happening, but we have to leave now!”

  “I can feel it too! What’s happening, Eoin? It doesn’t feel right in here.”

  “I don’t have time to explain right now, but if we don’t leave I think we will both regret it”

  Scrambling to dress, they left without bothering to lock the door and went to the same restaurant they always did, but this time sat in silence, shaken by what they had experienced. Eventually they were able to talk about what had just happened and the feelings they had felt right before they left. Eoin told Isabella about someone named Martha who had warned them to leave. He had known almost without thinking that he could trust her.

  A few hours later, Talitha came in and told Eoin that it was safe to go back home. When they arrived back at Eoin’s apartment it was torn apart. Things were thrown all over the floor, glass was broken, and clothes was strewn all over the place. The only good part was that the stench of evil was gone.

  *********

  In each coven, there is a group of demons called minions, whose only job is to do the “dirty work” of the Inner Council. One thing they were known for was their lack of discretion. They had bragged of the double takeover of those that were part of the prophesy. They also talked about using the green light as a bargaining chip for the one with the rose lights soul. However, this time when they bragged about their plans, Martha heard about it immediately and had no choice but to enter Isabella when she did. She knew if they had not been warned, they would have been taken over and the prophesy would not have come to fruition. After they left, a fierce battle took place in Eoin’s apartment between angels and demons. The angels, led by Gabriel, dealt a resounding defeat to those from below.

  The next time Martha visited him, Eoin remembered who she was.

  “You’ve been a brave warrior,” she said.