The Guardian Trilogy

by Robin M Helm

  Chapter 21

  “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.”

  Psalm 23:4

  Xander was still moving restlessly about Elizabeth’s room the next morning as the clear, beautiful Sunday dawned. As her mind began to leave its dream state and form thoughts, he stopped by her bed to watch her awaken. It was his favorite part of each day; he had her to himself and could gaze at her with his feelings undisguised. There was no need to school his features or stop himself from speaking aloud. He tried to control his thoughts, for Niall and Roark were nearby with their charges, but these few moments were always the time that he felt the most freedom to admit to himself his growing feelings for Elizabeth. His flawless face reflected the tenderness in his heart for his charge as his expression softened into one of longing. He felt vulnerable and weak before this human girl.

  He recognized that it was an impossible situation. He was a holy angel, and would never follow the ways of the foul Nephilim; he would never leave the service of His Master. Elizabeth cannot ever have a relationship with me – not even a friendship. If she ever did know me for what I really am, what would she think of me? Surely she would be terrified if she ever saw me in my true form. Even if she learned to be unafraid, how could she accept that she was my assignment? I know everything about her; I have seen her most private moments and heard all of her most intimate thoughts. She would feel violated, and she would never understand.

  He caught his breath in a near sob. One day, she will truly fall in love. She will marry, have children, and grow old with someone else. That is how it should be. Father, please let her husband be deserving of her.

  As he watched her, greedily devouring every detail of her face, she suddenly smiled, her eyes still closed. He “saw” the remnants of her pleasant dream fade away as she came closer to full consciousness. She is so unbelievably beautiful. Her eyes slowly opened, still heavy with sleep, and he was pierced to the soul. I cannot bear it. He clenched his fists. I cannot watch her fall in love with someone else and give herself to him, yet I will not leave her. The very thought of being separated from her is painful; I think it would kill me to live the reality. Beyond that, how could I explain myself? What would I say?

  Elizabeth sat up and stretched, deciding what she would wear to church, and Xander covered his face with his hands. I will not become what is anathema to Jehovah-Sabaoth. I will not leave my first estate or abandon my proper abode. Jude 1:6 records the Lord’s condemnation of the fallen angels who have behaved in that way. ‘And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.’ I will not become a byword, a whisper, to my brothers. I shall conquer this!

  Xander heard Niall gently question, Xander, are you well?

  He stiffened, realizing that his inner struggles were not secret. I shall be, Niall.

  But you are not happy.

  No, Xander agreed. I am not. But there are more important things at stake than my happiness.

  Both Niall and Roark knew what Xander had not yet admitted to himself – their Chief loved Elizabeth, not as a brother or a father, not as a friend, but in the way of a man for a woman. They would not speak to him of it as yet, but they were very concerned. Roark had approached Niall a few days earlier while Xander was gone with Elizabeth to her Aunt Grace’s house.

  I am anxious for Xander. Have you not noticed his growing love for his charge? Roark had asked.

  I have, but I have confidence that Xander will do what is right in the sight of Jehovah-Elyon. He is honorable, and his strict sense of duty will not allow him to do what is wrong. Our brother suffers, and we must help him when we can do so, Niall had answered with conviction.

  Roark had agreed.

  ~~oo~~

  Xander walked by Elizabeth’s side as she left home Sunday morning to attend her Life Group at Tabernacle Church. He trailed her as she entered the room, where Charlotte rose from her chair and hurried to meet her, Edward walking beside her.

  “It’s so exciting, El! You must be thrilled!” her friend exclaimed happily.

  Elizabeth’s forehead creased as she drew her brows together. “What are you talking about, Char?”

  “You mean you don’t know? That’s rich. The entire world is watching you, and you don’t have the faintest idea.” Charlotte laughed at Elizabeth’s puzzled expression.

  “Okay, Char. Spill it. What is ‘the whole world’ watching?”

  “YouTube, silly. You and Gregory have gone viral.” Charlotte was nearly giddy with excitement.

  Xander’s jaw tightened. Elizabeth and Gregory.

  “YouTube? Gregory and I are on YouTube? Doing what?” Elizabeth asked incredulously.

  Yes, please tell us all about it. He ground his teeth together. Edward looked at him with curiosity.

  “The film crew put up several videos of your concert last night, and it’s going crazy. There’s one of you singing ‘Angel’ with Gregory playing the violin, another of his ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia,’ and several of the solos and duets. You, my friend, are the latest YouTube sensation. And I must say, both of you are gorgeous as well as supremely talented. It’s unreal. The comments are wonderful. Some of them are in foreign languages. Everyone appears to understand what you were singing. It reminded me of those people you talked to from India last week.”

  Ah. Her gift will soon be recognized. The Master’s plan progresses.

  “That’s so bizarre,” Elizabeth replied thoughtfully. “I do remember that the people filming asked us to sign releases for publicity purposes, but I had no idea that it would be put on YouTube. How did you find out about it so soon?”

  “It was on the local news this morning. Everyone is talking about it. El, you are famous! I googled ‘Elizabeth Bennet,’ and you came up as the top choice. There are about a zillion hits on your name.”

  “Wow! I’m speechless. I wonder what Gregory will say about it.”

  “Ha! Gregory won’t mind at all. He lives for attention, especially yours.”

  Xander’s blue eyes narrowed. She does not return his attentions. He is her friend. That is all.

  As if on cue, Elizabeth’s cell phone buzzed. It was a text from Gregory. “Hey beautiful! How does it feel to know the world is watching u? Ur awesome!”

  She replied, “Weird, huh? I’m at church. Talk to you later.”

  I do not think modern technology is of great benefit. It is very intrusive. And texting encourages poor language skills. He had spoken aloud. Edward and the other guardians turned their heads toward him.

  You disapprove of cell phones, my Chief? Edward questioned.

  Not really. I just think that people should avoid interrupting church with calls and texts. It is very distracting to those who are trying to listen.

  Edward considered his answer. It was reasonable. He nodded.

  The class was ready to start, so the girls took their seats in the circle, and Elizabeth began to lead the discussion of the day’s lesson. She was in her senior year at Converse and had completed over half of her classes online for her degree in theology from Liberty, so she had been asked to team teach with an adult. Her knowledge of the Bible was vast; she had been taught the Scriptures from the time of her birth, and her mind was like a gigantic filing system. She never forgot anything she saw or heard; it was all stored away for future reference. In addition, her understanding of the Word had grown through her theology classes. Her own father marveled at her grasp of the things of God and enjoyed having regular discussions with her. His wisdom tempered her knowledge.

  ~~oo~~

  Spring 2007, Midnight

  Xander stood rigidly in the small pool of moonlight by Elizabeth’s bed. He was unaccountably anxious. She had been sleeping peacefully for at least an hour, turned toward him on her side with one leg bent and her hands by her face on the pillow. The light d
anced in her long hair, tangled and spread out behind her.

  He felt the tension in the air, and thunder sounded in the distance. A storm was coming. The wind had been blowing steadily for the last hour and now was gaining strength. Xander saw the light flash; then the clouds drifted over the moon, blocking the moonlight and darkening the room.

  The wind began to howl mournfully outside, and he suddenly noticed that something was not right. The massive angel lifted his head and sniffed the air. What is that stench? He detected the same offensive odor that he had found in her room during the previous year. His every sense was heightened as he examined the room with his eyes, never leaving Elizabeth’s side.

  Xander found the object of his search perched in a corner of the ceiling about eight feet beyond the foot of Elizabeth’s bed. His blood ran cold as he recognized the source of the putrid smell. Gregory.

  My first instinct was correct. Gregory Wickham is Nephilim. Who is his father? Who has challenged Jehovah-Bara?

  Gregory was alone, having instructed his four guards to wait in the trees outside Elizabeth’s bedroom window. He was confident that he would need no help, as he did not intend to fight.

  Gregory smirked at Xander, winking at him, teasing him, issuing a dare.

  Come down from your hiding place, Nephilim, Xander said to him softly as the wind picked up outside, whistling through the trees. The first raindrops began to pelt the windows, and thunder rumbled as the storm moved in.

  Elizabeth began to stir, shivering and tossing in her bed. Her dreams had become nightmares; she was running as hard as she could in the darkness, but she could not escape. She panted, looking behind her, hearing something monstrous crashing through the trees, coming closer and closer to her. She could feel the heat radiating from its twisted body and smell its foul breath. The dream seemed to be happening in slow motion. She started trying to run again though she was not able to move more than a few feet. Her chest was exploding with the pain and the awful weight of the effort of escaping through the thick night, and she fell.

  Elizabeth, all is well. Sleep, my little one. Nothing will harm you, Xander whispered to her, never moving his eyes from the halfling.

  Elizabeth’s body jerked when she fell in her dream, and she awoke to a sense of pervading evil. Her eyes were wide with fear, her pupils dilated until she seemed to have no irises. She trembled, too frozen in dread to reach out and turn on her bedside lamp.

  Gregory laughed at him from his place up in the corner. How can you promise her that nothing will harm her? How can you lie to her? You are worse than I am, Xander. At least I know that I am lying. You actually believe that you can protect her from me. I am an arm’s length from her every day. One day, she will come to me willingly. You will not be able to stop her.

  The darkness of her room seemed thick and airless. The lightning flashed, and she could make out the distorted shapes of familiar things: her dresser, a bookcase, the clock on her nightstand, the windows – but she found no comfort. The shapes became sinister in her mind, and she was terrified. Her beloved room seemed to be haunted, and though she refused to believe in ghosts in the light of day, anything seemed to be possible in this black, shifting world.

  Xander fought to keep himself under control. Gregory’s wicked avowal to seduce Elizabeth ignited his anger, but he knew that he must remain calm to defeat the abomination. If he allowed his feelings for Elizabeth to rule his temper, he would lose the battle, and Gregory would achieve his goals. Gregory has a smooth tongue, but can he hold his anger when insulted? Xander asked himself. The guardian had to have just cause in order to attack the fiend, and they both knew it.

  Come down here, little halfling, Xander mocked him. You are nearly as tall as I. We are evenly matched. Do you fight as well as you talk? Do you fear me? You should.

  The thunder drew closer; flashes of lightning were accented by the booming sounds. The rain came down in a cloudburst, hitting her windows heavily and pounding on the roof. Elizabeth caught her breath in a little, frightened gasp. She knew that something vile was in her room, come to take her, perhaps to kill her. Her rational mind said that it could not be true, but her spiritual self knew that it was so. She was too afraid to speak aloud. What if it answers me? It hates me. She held her breath, not wanting to make a sound, and closed her eyes tightly.

  Gregory rose to the bait and drifted to the floor. He had eschewed his regal robes in favor of a black tunic very much like Xander’s white one. He faced the imposing guardian, his contempt evident in his sneer.

  I fear no one. I am the Dark Son. Already Elizabeth is fascinated by me. Do you think she will be able to resist me? Women fall all over me even when I do not try to attract them. They cannot wait to give themselves to me. Do you think Elizabeth will refuse me if I make an effort to secure her affections?

  She began to recite Scripture in her mind, and then she sang every song about God that she could remember. After she sang in her mind, she prayed continually, pleading for protection from the wickedness that had invaded her sanctuary. The hours dragged on minute by minute. The storm grew fiercer, and the branches of the trees whipping in the wind hit against her windows and made eerie patterns in the lightning flashes.

  The Dark Son? Xander could not believe he had not seen it before. The amber eyes and black hair, the feeling that he had seen Gregory before – Gregory was a younger version of Lucifer! You are the spawn of Satan! He spat the words.

  Niall and Roark, following the exchange through Xander’s mind, were horrified. They could not leave their charges, but they could ask them for help.

  Niall woke Lynne as Roark roused David. Pray, the angels whispered. Pray for Elizabeth.

  Husband and wife looked at each other, each surprised to see the other awake.

  “Why are you awake in the middle of the night, David?” Lynne asked.

  “I just had an overwhelming impression that I should pray for El. How about you?” queried David.

  “That’s exactly what has just happened to me,” she answered. “Should we go check on her?”

  “That’s not what we were told to do. We were told to pray for her. I would have heard if anyone were climbing the stairs outside our door. This is a spiritual battle, not a physical one. We need to obey the Holy Spirit,” said David; they held hands and began to pray for their daughter, interceding on her behalf. It had not been the first time that David and Lynne had been awakened from their sleep with an impression to pray for someone or about something, but they had never before been awakened together. Neither Lynne nor David believed in coincidences. Something was not right with Elizabeth.

  I cannot believe you have not realized who I am before this time, Xander. I thought you were known for your intelligence and discernment. You seem a little slow to me.

  I am more than fast enough for you, boy. Draw your sword and test me.

  Look at her, Xander. She is frightened out of her senses. That is what my presence can do to her. How I look forward to her pain as I pleasure myself with her.

  Xander turned his head to glance at Elizabeth. In that second, Gregory could not resist exploiting the guardian’s weakness. The Dark Son lunged forward, unsheathed his sword, and swung it with all his might in an arc aimed at Xander’s unprotected throat.

  The house shook with the crashes of thunder, and the explosive lightning hit a nearby tree, ripping it to shreds as it spiraled around the tree and into the ground. By turns moaning and whistling, the wind ripped its way through the woods and around the buildings.

  Xander heard the metallic shriek of Gregory’s weapon being drawn and he turned, raising his left arm to block the blow. As Gregory’s sword hit Xander’s armor, Xander drew his own sword with his right hand and swung it in a half circle at his enemy’s abdomen. Gregory leapt backwards in an attempt to avoid Xander’s sword, but he was not fast enough. Xander almost severed the Dark Son’s upper torso from his hips, slicing him nearly in half with one motion. Gregory’s wound was a mortal one, but he did
not dissolve. For a moment, Xander stood confused over Gregory’s form, splayed out over Elizabeth’s floor, waiting for him to disintegrate, but he did not.

  As fast as the strike of a snake, two of Gregory’s guards flew through the walls, scooped up his body, and sped into the night, leaving Xander with more questions than answers.

  How could he survive that cut? Demons have died from wounds that were much less severe. Why did the guards take his body?

  The storm abated, turning into a gentle rain, and the thunder sounded in the distance as it moved away. The danger had passed.

  After a few seconds of reflection, Xander remembered that Elizabeth was still very much afraid. She was shivering as he went to her and knelt by her bed, stretching his upper body over her and breathing the peace of the Lord into her. His strong heart was over her fluttering, human heart; his brawny arms encased her fragile mortal form; his dark hair mingled with hers on her pillow; his lips spoke words of comfort into her ear. He began to quote Psalm 3:1-5 to her. ‘Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no deliverance for him in God.’ But Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.’

  Elizabeth, I am God’s shield for you. He is your Jehovah-Magen, your God Shield. Elizabeth, I love you, and I will never allow you to be hurt while I draw breath. I will always watch over you as God has charged me to do. I will never leave you, no matter how difficult it becomes for me. Please, Elizabeth, my little one, be at peace. Sleep. You are safe.

  Xander spoke softly to her until she calmed and relaxed. Somehow, she knew the threat was gone; she felt safe, her breathing slowed, and she slept. The massive angel did not move from her for the rest of the night.