The white angel, chief seraph of the Messengers, addressed the group:
“In exchange for the child, the demons request that we rid the city of Constantinople of all our missionaries.”
Tara felt a violent anger building up inside her:
“Out of the question!” she exclaimed. “Constantinople is mine and it will remain so.”
Michael raised his hand to impose silence upon the assembly, before taking the floor:
“The proposal is worthy of consideration.”
Tara felt herself boiling with rage and helplessness. She had had so much difficulty taking over the city of Constantinople. She had finally won after two centuries of strategic war, and now they wanted to take it away from her.
Headstrong, she fell silent. The seraph messenger spoke again, supported by Michael:
“The demons don't know how harmful the child's destiny will be to them. We’ll recover Constantinople within one hundred and fifty human years.”
A heavy silence fell around the table. Tara imagined herself jumping on the white angel and slitting his throat to make him shut up, while simultaneously, Michael addressed him serenely:
“Consult with your messengers on the relevance of this agreement. If the demons return the child to us, the missionaries in Constantinople will depart.”
Tara stood up, mad with rage:
“This is insanity! Constantinople is our best pillar on Earth! We must safeguard it and eliminate the threat!”
“Enkaz said the demons are now able to hide human beings from the angels. If they have indeed developed their powers, we need to find out to what extent before launching an offensive.”
“In that case, why don’t we save time!” insisted Tara. “Let my missionaries take care of it, we'll deliver them to you on a platter!”
“It’s not your job”, retorted Michael, imposing his authority.
“I...”
“Silence! The success of this mission doesn’t only depend on the skill of your missionaries. We’re all involved in this conquest. I will make the decision that will ensure victory for all of us.”
Tara trembled with rage. She remembered every detail of that merciless war: all the missionaries whose creation she had demanded, and who had sacrificed themselves in the battle; all the angels who had been destroyed by the demons forever, so that one day the Angels could reign over Constantinople. She herself had killed hundreds of demons with the blade of her sword, the powerful and luminous weapon she called Hagen.
Suddenly, she felt violently pulled backwards: a powerful force pushed her downwards, extracting her from Diane's body. Without warning, she was hurled back into the abyss where her free-falling body awaited her. Her descent was all the more unpleasant as she knew she couldn’t do anything to stop it. In an instant, she entered her body and woke up with a start by Emily's side.
Terrified by her fall, she felt out of breath as she tried to understand what had just happened:
“Tara?” asked Emily.
“I saw them!” she exclaimed, still in shock.
“What did you see?”
Tara tried to calm down as she sat up on the table. After a long silence, she looked Emily in the eyes with a grim expression:
“I was at a military council with Michael, Enkaz and Sarriah, the Messengers’ leader. It was before they delivered Constantinople to the demons. That was a huge error that we should never have made. Next, the demons assassinated the child and I lost several hundred missionaries. Entire legions of angels became involved in the conflict. It was one of our greatest defeats.”
“I know,” Emily sighed with sorrow. “I was there. Did you get your memory back Tara?”
“I remember almost everything Emily! The archangels, the missionaries, I remember! I know who Diane is!”
“You know who you are you mean?” verified Van der Worthen, surprised that Tara still differentiated herself from Diane.
“I don't know Emily... I feel like I've assimilated Diane's memories, but I don't feel like I am her.”
Van der Worthen didn't respond. She did her best to hide her disappointment.
“You must be blocking yourself somehow. Do you remember why you committed suicide in China? Do you remember why you disappeared for two hundred and thirty-six years?”
“No, I have no memory of that period at all,” Tara answered sincerely, making an effort to remember. “My memory ends at my last mission in America.”
“And what do you remember?”
“I was a prostitute. I infiltrated a gigantic network of human traffickers. My legionaries and I were on a mission to dismantle the network I belonged to. When the mission was over, my soldiers and I went back to Heaven.”
“Is that all?” asked Emily, puzzled.
“Yes, that’s all.”
Van der Worthen found that hard to believe. According to her, the only explanation for Diane's disappearance would be the occurrence of a significant traumatic event. But Tara seemed completely serene.
“You know Tara, when you disappeared, we all thought something terrible had happened to you.”
“No, not at all,” Tara answered categorically. “I have no memory of that.”
Emily nodded. Tara looked at her for a long moment. This red-headed woman wasn't as bad as she had originally thought. The archangel seemed to be one of Diane's favorites. Aware she was in the presence of an ally, Tara smiled and looked at her tenderly:
“I remember your archangel Sofia.”
Emily was moved, so much so that she couldn't bring herself to respond.
“Thank you for taking care of me today. I know how much you mean to Diane.”
“It's an honor to fight by your side,” Emily replied, bowing her head, her voice trembling.
“Did all the missionaries of the second regiment incarnate with you?”
“No, it’s just the six of us. This time, we were the only ones to obtain permission from the Decision-Makers to come down to Earth to find you. We've been looking for you relentlessly for over two hundred years, and today, you’re finally by our side...”
Tara looked at her gravely. Emily seemed to love Diane more than anything. She had never stopped believing in her.
“Thank you Emily. I hope I’ll be able to live up to your expectations soon. Are the other five archangels still in the Sphere?”
“Yes, they're eagerly awaiting your return. Our devotion is boundless Tara. We’ll follow you to the ends of the Earth.”
Tara remained silent; she was touched. Standing before her was a faithful archangel, she understood now. Sofia was at the head of the second regiment of the Fifth Legion. Nina, Hugo, John, Mark and Stanislas were legionaries under Emily’s command. Above Diane there was only the Great Seraph Michael, the sole messenger of the Decision-Makers.
“Do you think my memory will improve with time?” asked Tara, grasping her long ponytail in an attempt to fix her hair.
“I think we're going to have to do this over and over until we reach the event that caused you to flee the missionaries.”
Tara nodded:
“In that case,” she said as she lay back down, “let's start right now.”
“No,” replied Emily, smiling. “You've just recovered a large part of your memory. Your mind needs to fully integrate everything, and your body needs time to attune to your new power. Your energy needs to work in synergy with Diane's energy. Once your body and mind have fully assimilated this new information, we can journey back into your past lives once again. Hopefully, you’ll be able to help me direct the next session back to the precise moment when it all started.”
Tara sat up, frustrated.
“Okay. How much time will I have to wait?”
“Three weeks should be enough. It’ll depend on you.”
“And what do I do in the meantime?”
“You’re going to get back into shape, my dear Tara.”
Surprised that she would have the audacity to say such a thing, Tara examined Emil
y from head to toe. If she was insinuating that she was a little overweight, she was in no position to criticize. Tara was slightly round and proud of it. She wouldn’t allow Van der Worthen to pass judgement on her figure:
“What do you mean?” she asked, in a voice that barely disguised her boldness.
“That if you want to fight alongside Hugo and Nina, you're going to have to work out.”
Tara remained silent. Emily wasn't wrong. She was far from possessing Hugo's power and Nina's dexterity.
“Work-out sessions?”
“Every day.”
“When do we start?”
“Tomorrow. Today, you’ll settle in. We've already taken a giant step forward with this voyage.”
Emily walked to the door to show her out. Reluctantly, Tara got up and returned to her new room. Distressed, she sat facing the window, contemplating the sky. Hundreds of memories spun around in her mind. She now knew she was very strong, and that her power as a seraph was immense. After a long moment gazing at the clouds, she left the window and went to lie down on her bed.
Her past took over her mind as she allowed herself to let go. As an outstanding strategist, she had led her missionaries to victory whenever she had been given full authority. The more she thought about it, the more her desire to return to battle grew. Killing demons and eradicating them from the face of the Earth and the Universe, was her sole reason for living. Commander of a legion of six hundred missionaries, she gave orders and assumed an active role in battle. Hers was one of the most powerful weapons in the Sphere: Hagen, the crystal sword. The sword with which Diane fought all her battles. In the Sphere and on Earth, the seraph and her sword were one. In addition to its original form, Hagen could take on any shape commanded by Diane without losing its magical abilities: knives, crossbows, pistols… Hagen gave the attacks she perpetrated on the earthly plane virtually invincible power. It was able to pierce both the bodies and the souls of the demons, eliminating them forever.
All of a sudden, Tara sat up and looked around the room for Hagen. She was overcome with an unexpected desire to go back to the front lines. She had to get her weapon back. Determined to find it, she ran back to the Revelation room to see Emily who had just finished putting away the candles.
“Emily, I have a weapon.”
“Yes indeed, you do,” answered Emily as they left the room and she closed the door behind them. “It's good that you remember.”
“I need to get it back. Where is it?”
“First you need to learn how to fight.”
“The most important thing is that I get my weapon back.”
“Yes, that’s important. But before you do, there are things you need to understand about yourself.”
“No Emily, you don't understand. Without Hagen, I'm in danger.”
“Why do you think we asked the guards to watch over you at night?”
Tara’s eyes widened. She finally understood, and indeed, without Hagen, she needed the help of the guards and her soldiers.
Satisfied with her progress, Van der Worthen smiled and walked down the corridor, entering Tara's room. She sat down on the bed and looked her straight in the eyes:
“Sit down. I’m going to explain to you how incarnation works.”
Fearing that Emily would try to convince her to abandon the idea of retrieving her weapon, Tara sat down without saying a word, worried about what she would say next.
“A human being is composed of a body and a soul. Your body, Tara, is whole. It’s as we see it here and now.”
Tara listened. For the moment, Emily hadn’t said anything extraordinary.
Van der Worthen paused briefly before continuing:
“Your soul animates your body. It’s the energetic essence that presides over it. Diane exists in a parallel dimension; she has an angelic body and her own intrinsic energy. Her body is superimposed on yours. What you need to understand, Tara, is that your soul, the energy that animates your body, is only part of Diane’s energy. You are her earthly extension. However, when you enter into a state of full consciousness, through meditation for example, you return to your source and become one with the seraph within you.”
Motionless, Tara stared at her, wondering when she would finally get to the point. Emily continued with the same dedication:
“In the same way, when your body dies, the energy of your soul will return to Diane, providing her with the full consciousness of this life, as well as her past lives. It’s the connection to your body that takes away Diane's omniscience. Your experiences are hers, but Diane's experiences are not necessarily yours. Diane knows much more than Tara will ever know. The only way you’ll ever know as much as she does, is by fully connecting to her and becoming one with her.”
Emily fell silent and looked her in the eyes. Ill at ease, Tara said nothing. Despite herself, her ego was upset to learn that she was only a part of Diane. Trying not to show that her pride had been injured, she asked:
“So, if I understand correctly, I'm just a small part of Diane...”
“And that was already enough to create a wonderful woman and a remarkable missionary,” replied Emily, while she laid her hand tenderly on hers.
Tara rolled her eyes, annoyed. A "wonderful woman". Emily was trying to rub her the right way. And to top it all off, she meant what she said.
“So, when I die no one will care, because Diane will still be alive?”
She hadn’t really meant to say that but let it slip out nonetheless, hoping for an answer. Wounded, she questioned Emily with her eyes. Van der Worthen contemplated her without saying a word, sorry that Tara had taken offense. Revolted, Tara couldn’t stop herself from continuing:
“What if I don't want to be just a part of Diane, but if I want to me, Tara Châvignier? What if I want to exist as a full-fledged individual and not as a vulgar overgrowth?”
“You're not a vulgar overgrowth!” exclaimed Emily with love. “You’re the incarnation of Diane on Earth. You chose your body. You're unique, Tara!”
Tara looked at her without saying a word, barely reassured:
“If you say so.”
Disappointed to learn that, as only a part of the energy of the great seraph, she wasn’t as important as she thought, she stood up and walked over to the window. At the same moment, the front door opened and John appeared. When he saw Tara, he gave her a victorious and mischievous smile. A smile that announced amazing news:
“Congratulations Miss Châvigner, you’re now a multimillionaire.”
Chapter 11
“What do you mean, multimillionaire?”
“I mean, my dear Emma, that you can finally get a full-time nanny and take any classes you want in the school of your choice!” Tara exclaimed, as she hugged her sister.
Emma remained motionless, still shocked by the news. Tara was overflowing with joy. It would take time for Emma to realize what was happening, just as she herself had found it hard to believe.
“By playing the lottery?” Emma repeated in disbelief.
“Yes!” Tara lied. “And to think that I hardly ever play the lottery...”
“Yes, that's what I thought,” replied Emma, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.
“Aren't you happy?”
Emma stared at Tara in amazement:
“Don’t you realize the significance of this event? It’s incredible Tara… multimillionaire…”
“Your life is finally going to change, Emma! You'll finally have time to take care of Julie and live your own life! With this kind of money, you’ll have everything you need and get by effortlessly. You can take good care of Julie, you can study, set up a business or an association... You can do anything you want Emma, do you realize that?”
“It's just... unbelievable...”
“But what I don't want is for you to rely on the money to live like an annuitant.”
“Tara...”
“Promise me! I want you to keep working. You’ve finally got a chance to make your passion your p
rofession.”
Tara was so excited. She could hardly stand still as she told her sister about the new life that was being offered to her. But her enthusiasm disappeared when all of a sudden, she saw Emma's face turn haggard. Her eyes looked empty and her body became stiff. She looked like a living corpse. Seconds later, she fell to the ground and burst into tears.
“Emma?”
Trembling as she leaned against the kitchen wall, the young woman sobbed.
“Emma?” repeated Tara, who had caught her before she could fall.
“It's just so unexpected!” Emma exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.
“We both needed some extra support,” Tara reassured her sister, while kissing her on the forehead.
“I can't believe it...”
“I know.”
“There was no end in sight Tara! I felt so trapped!”
Tara hugged her. She was filled with joy in the knowledge that the fortune transferred to her by John, would allow Emma to pursue her passions and enjoy her life. By protecting her sister and niece from scarcity, she could join the angels without worry and devote herself to her angelic mission.
“Julie is lucky to have an aunt like you,” said Emma, as she regained her composure. “Don't worry, your money won't be wasted on me.”
“I never had a doubt,” replied Tara, kissing her one last time.
Moved by the effect the news had had on Emma, she got up and started poking around the kitchen.
“Are we going to celebrate with Julie?” Emma asked, drying her tears.
Tara hesitated. The missionaries had warned her that going out alone was too dangerous, and they had clearly forbidden her to do so. However, these same missionaries had also agreed to allow her to visit Emma and Victor this afternoon. Of course, Nina was supposed to have come with her, as Emily had announced. But the coach never showed up, so Tara decided to take the risk and go out alone. She remained cautious however, and refused to linger, aware that danger could arise at any moment.
“I'm sorry,” she began, troubled. “I won’t be able to...”
“Why?”
Tara deliberated. It was much too early to reveal the truth to her sister. As long as she herself wasn’t in control of the situation, she didn't want to alert her. Still, she didn’t want to lie to her either, so she preferred to remain vague:
HAGEN: 1. Revelations Page 15