The Beloved Fire

  Once you kill an angel, there was no heaven for them, they’d already been in heaven. Ander would never again get to see Mikayla’s smiling face or hear her laugh. He already failed her, she fell for Anocks tricks, all due to his lapse in judgment. He used to be the best judge of character, it was why he was picked to guard her and had the honor of being born into human form so he wouldn’t ever have to leave her side physically. So that Mikayla wouldn’t be taken or tricked. She had been both because of his curious side, because he was tricked by a person who had once helped guard her. What about the others, in James’ group, the others like him who had sworn to help protect mortal women? Why had they left her high and dry?

  A great hiss sounded through the stadium bringing Ander’s attention back to the matter at hand. Like black cigarette smoke drifting through the air, he traveled quickly around his subjects, stopping at a black throne at the end of one side of the oval stadium. He took form as the opposite of what Ander had once seen him. He was ugly and terrifying. Black scales covered his body, he’d grown a pointed tail, and had massive sharp claws, and blood red eyes that could blind an average human. It was definitely something Ander never cared to see, how could someone so beautiful turn into such a monster, or even care to? Underneath his massive throne, were seven small red thrones lined up for who Ander could only assume were some other important figures in hell, if there was such a thing.

  As the members of those seats began to take their places of honor, Ander only recognized one, Lilith with her long red hair and bright green eyes. Blake, and James’ mother. They had been the only male children of hers to ever survive and not be born dead like the heavenly father’s curse had once plagued her. She holds control over the succubus and incubus, the sexual demons who survive off the souls that seduce mortal men and women. Nasty things and hunting just those kinds of demons are left to a special types of angels in the army of heaven. Ander was glad to be born a mortal guardian and not a hunter, just looking at Lilith’s demonic form made his skin crawl. If it weren’t for her and Samuel, Mikayla would have never been thought of, but then again if it weren’t for her and Samuel, hell wouldn’t have found a loophole to win the apocalypse.

  She walked blankly down the hallways as she’d done the first time this damned necklace had been placed on her, only this time she was able to think, where-as before, she couldn’t think or act. Sarah smiled the whole time they walked rubbing in the fact that she was obviously alive and well, only adding to Mikayla’s frustration. Not seeing Sarah since she’d the first time she’d placed the necklace on her, she was hoping she’d fallen in a hole in the ground and rotted.

  “Oh now, don’t act so disappointed.” Sarah laughed. “Or do, it doesn’t really matter anymore…your majesty.” Evil bitch. The words rang through Mikayla’s head loud, and she only hoped that Sarah could read minds, like apparently everyone here else could.

  “I was summoned to help mentally prepare you for the ceremony, tell you where to step, who to eat, blah blah blah. Speaking of which starts in ten minutes. So, since you are under this lovely obedience charm you won’t have to do anything, and neither will I. There, I’ve prepared you. Shh, don’t tell lover boy or he won’t be happy that you are under a spell for this. He seems to think that you actually have to be in love and consent, that your heart is actually turned. Well I know better, and I’m not willing to take the chance.” Sarah said squeezing harder on Mikayla’s arm.

  They seemed to be walking forever down the same never ending hallways that all looked the same, when Sarah finally opened a random door, the once mahogany, class filled hallways they were walking down, turned into a dirt tunnel and she could feel her dress dragging remnants of dirt along with her. With her group of stylists and one bitch assistant in tow, they only had to walk a little way down the dirt tunnel. Upon turning a corner, the gleam of what seemed like a thousand fireflies shone bright almost making it hard not to squint, and before she knew it, they were standing in front of the biggest, shiniest gold doors she’d ever seen. It would have taken Mikayla’s breath away if she’d been able to react, the doors reminded her more of heaven than hell.

  Almost as if Mikayla could feel his presence, her body shivered as Anock walked up beside her, reaching over entwining their hands. He seemed nervous, which was a new look for him, and he was dressed in a long red leather sleeveless vest that trailed the floor at his sides and had slits in the back of it to accommodate his huge ebony wings. He wore a crown similar to the look of Queen Eiseth had worn. His green eyes were striking as usual and his bronzed hair was pulled back. Looking down at herself she could tell their outfits matched, and it only added to her agitation; they were a matching couple, this really was hell.

  “Now, now my love. We look as a queen and king should look.” Anock glanced over, looking her up and down, before looking back to the giant golden doors. “You’re the most ravishing thing I’ve ever seen.” He said in a quiet voice, almost deadly, like he was getting mad.

  A groan sounded as the huge golden doors opened inward, followed by a gust of wind that would have knocked her back if Anock wasn’t holding her hand and the twins weren’t at her back. Fire flared up on either side of the now visible walk way and just as the twins started pushing her prodding her forward Anock reached over unclasping the back on the cursed necklace she wore letting it fall to the ground as he started pulling her along slowly to walk in. She paused wondering if she had time to try to fight this. Seeing her reluctance he pulled her arm harder and she stumbled forward growling in anger.

  “You will be going through with this on your own accord or it won’t work.” Anock said before letting go of her hand and watching her to make sure she walked beside him. Her heart raced in anticipation, she honestly didn’t realize how much she needed that necklace, every step made her legs feel more glued to the ground. She didn’t want to do this, big mistake, huge mistake. She had to do this for Blake and Ander, but her stomach twisting told her something different.

  The fire that raged up beside them was as tall as walls, and if it wasn’t for huge stands of demons or who she assumed were demons on either side she probably would have never seen anything. The place was bone quiet, other than the crack and rush of the fire. Why would it be so quiet? Her voice introduction to Hell was loud and unruly, this was calm and collected. Almost thinking that the audience was being forced by Anocks mind control to stay quiet she looked to her left and she spotted him; the worst thing she’d ever seen.

  It is something no one, or no depiction from a book, letter, or description can prepare you for, Satan was the most bone chilling thing she’d ever seen. She couldn’t help but halt in her forward motion for the fear of her bones melting, but Anock without looking grabbed ahold her hand reading her thoughts and helping her along. As clear as day his voice rang through her head.

  Look at the ground my love, you see him as your mortal self now but, you will warm up to him after this is over.

  The words did little to comfort her, but she swallowed hard and continued on.

  She noticed all the females were to her left and all the males were to her right, they all looked equally terrifying and each represented something unique about them. A different color glow, it confused Mikayla as to why Anock didn’t glow. She tried to keep focusing on the demons different colored glow, but her eyes were torn back forward to the huge black throne and the smaller gender mixed thrones below. There seemed to be both males and females sitting in them, all wearing red crowns and white clothes except a woman at the far left end, wearing a long green dress and red hair; the demonesses eyes caught Mikayla’s and a sense of Deja view rushed through her.

  A stone platform was where they were headed, and it wasn’t until they started up the stone steps heading to it that she caught the glimpse of two white wings, Ander.

  Was this when the sacrifice was? She stopped unable to go any further, her breathing was coming so fast and she had to open her mouth to try to get air but it only made things worse
and she was gasping before Anock even started pulling her forward, forcing her up the stairs.

  Her Ander, she couldn’t kill him, her best friend, her life, her angel. The familiar dizziness she got when it was time to pass out started and Anock looked over at her hard his eyes blazing red. It surprised her so bad she sucked in her breathe holding it as his voice once again spoke to her without his lips ever moving. His face looked like a true fallen angel with his piercing red eyes.

  You will proceed and you will act normal. You will kill Ander when the knife appears before you, you will stab him in the heart. You will love me. There is only me. Ander is the threat. Kill Ander.

  He was right she did love Anock, and she felt fine. She would kill Ander.

  They topped the stone stairs with Ander now in full view. He tilted his chin down trying to look down his body to see her.

  Ander didn’t need his heart.

  Anock walked away stepping around the right side of Ander’s stone platform as he motioned for her to step around the left just as a long, red hilted dagger appeared on top of Ander’s stomach.

  Proceed in killing Ander.

  She walked towards the knife while looking into her loves red eyes. She stopped at her mark, there was only Anock. Ander’s skin was slick from sweat as he breathed heavy in and out shaking his head letting out grunts through his black gag. Ander’s eyes pleaded with her. Something jump started her mind trying to tell her something, but she couldn’t remember what it was, so she proceeded.

  Her hand only trailed his skin for a second while she retrieved the knife lifting it to meet her mark.

  Ander is the threat.

  The words chimed loudly in her mind, and though her soul burned a strange cold passion trying to reach her, she couldn’t make sense of what to do.

  Do as I had said!

  She remembered what she needed to do now.

  Kill Ander.

  23

  Closure

  Ben Renifum had been told a lot of crazy stories throughout his life, but this topped them all. They opted to get into the back of a black limo with the Salena woman, who convinced them she was their only hope. They drove for a couple of hours in silence, Ben watching the passing objects out the blackened windows, he had questions for Selena as he was sure Anita did too, but both were more than a little frightened by the threat they’d received after he’d let her in the motel room.

  Salena wasted no time in telling them what she was, or what Ben considered thought she was, and that was, a witch. Salena told them to pack their bags as she launched into the story of her birth around 1300 in England from a woman who had an affair with a demon named Romic. Her mother died giving birth and passing on her gift to Salena, she then left her to be cared for by the local orphanage. Salena told them of how she fought to contain her unknown powers and live for good, only to be hidden from the world, for fear she would be burned at the stake on charges of witchcraft. After hiding and keeping a low profile she fled to the United States after they were assembled and had been in hiding ever since.

  Salena told them that she was Mikayla’s real mother and that if they wanted to see Mikayla alive, they would do as she said. It was enough to make Anita break down, just to hear such powerful words, of the daughter they had considered theirs for so long. Mikayla was theirs. Images of Mikayla sprang through his mind, as he watched a flickered black and white screen of memories; Mikayla eating ice cream at her first grade social, she and Ander chasing each other about the backyard throwing snowballs, Mikayla hugging both him and Anita before her high school graduation. Such powerful memories, and from the words this stranger spoke made it feel as if he’d somehow stolen them from her. Then to hear such a threat, only added to the tense atmosphere, was this woman on their side? Was she really a witch? Not long before Anita finally calmed down, Salena took off her hood that had been pulled up over her head only showing her mouth for some time, and she looked neither worried nor sorry for the words that she’d spoken.

  “I’ve been on the run my whole life, I’ve done nothing but good, but I can’t trust people to see me as that. I couldn’t let Mikayla be put in danger. You can understand that much.” Salena spoke with no emotion and her accent lead on to something of the mid-century England, she almost had an Irish accent; maybe he just couldn’t read her accent?

  Ben shifted uncomfortably as there was so much to ask her. He decided to start with an easy one. “Where are you taking us?”

  “Somewhere safe so that once Mikayla is back home, out of danger, she will still have her adoptive family to look after her.”

  “We are her family, not just some adoptive family!” Anita cried out sitting up as much as she possibly could. Ben put a reassuring hand on her shoulder to calm her, but he could tell what Salena said had worked her up by the tears that formed in her eyes.

  Salena never flinched at Anita’s statement, but only held the same concrete look making Ben wonder if maybe she was that old, she reminded him of a petrified tree never giving way to the harboring wind that howled and bellowed trying to break its bark.

  “You are not blood, as she and I, we hold more of the dark and magic than is allowed of this world. Mikayla was granted to you until the time came for her decision. She is the age of decision and her fate is the reason she was taken.”

  “Why do you know the reason she was taken and who took her? If you know so much why haven’t you contacted the authorities? I find it hard to believe anything you say is true!” Ben said feeling the anger rise up in him. What if someone hadn’t taken Ander, and now Ander was looking for them back in the motel? Maybe he just thought he saw that guy shoot someone and the person magically disappear? This could have been a big mistake to have gone with these people.

  Salena reached inside of a burlap messengers’ bag and pulled out a golden necklace holding it up in front of her. “I’ve been on the run. I work to cast a spell every day and every night to hide my location so that not even heaven may find me. She is wanted by both heaven and hell for her blood.” She reached forward dropping the necklace in Ben’s lap. Ben picked it up and examined it showing it to Anita as she talked. “This is a battle for her soul. Nothing that humans can control, she was to be one of the hosts. Hell has taken her. She can only be saved by her guardians.”

  It was the brightest, heaviest little gold chain Ben had ever held. A plain, flat gold circle pendant dangled from it. “I don’t understand.” Ben asked, was she saying Mikayla was an angel and from a supposed witch no doubt? How did this necklace prove it?

  “Heaven above, I’m on earth below, show me her father, and show me her home.” Salena said looking away from the necklace with what looked like longing.

  Both he and Anita watched as the circle pendant turned into a screen showing a white world and a ball of light moving around. It wasn’t clear what they were supposed to be seeing. The chant sounded like she wanted to show them her biological father, but that couldn’t be what they were seeing.

  Salena spoke after a minute, letting them stare in confusion at the golden pendant. “You don’t have the sight but that is the closest you will get to a glimpse of an angel, unless you are prepared to be blinded.”

  “Why would you say she was in hell then? What an awful thing to say about her.” Anita quipped sitting back, she didn’t seem convinced by the necklace; Ben wasn’t sure what to think.

  He lifted the necklace for Salena to take, but she only shook her head. “No, you will be the one to give it to her. I’m saying that she was taken by demons, she resides in purgatory, as hell tries to turn her into one of them. I’m not saying she is damned. I’m not saying that is where her soul belongs. I’m saying it literally…that she is there. She can be saved, but you will not be the ones to do it.”

  Ben was more than a little confused by all this, she told them that she was there to save them but why would they be in danger? Why didn’t she save her daughter instead and if she knew all of this was going to happen why didn’t she warn them
earlier? Ben sat back looking down to the floorboard remembering she still hadn’t told them where they were going. Questions popped up left and right, throwing more holes in her story. He felt confused but also couldn’t help but feel closer to finder his little girl, giving him blind hope as they rode in silence watching the sun rise up ahead.

  Ander willed her to see him, even as her eyes shone bright red matching Anock’s. Possessed or not possessed Mikayla had to see him, she had more power than any of them here she just didn’t know it. Why hadn’t he tried harder to help her escape? Why didn’t he let her know what she was before she turned of age? This was all in her mind, she can’t really be possessed by him, or controlled by him, could she? As if feeling his fear, his commander spoke loud in his mind.

  “We’ve reached the golden doors. I fear there will not be enough of us to make it out the way we came. Will her to see reason Ander. Will her to stop.” Gabriel’s voice flickered through Ander’s mind.

  He didn’t waste time. He closed his eyes and gave it all he had. “Mikayla! You don’t want to kill me; you want to kill Anock! You want to be in heaven! You want to be with your guardians! You want to…” His voice trailed out as a huge bang radiated through the stadium and he opened his eyes to see Mikayla’s internal struggle. He could tell Anock was still controlling her, or trying to by the way both their eyes shone red. She blinked once, then twice but her eyes remand red and she lowered the knife slowly, questions written all over her face. Ander held his breath.