Redemption of the Dead (37 page)

Authors: A.P. Fuchs

BOOK: Redemption of the Dead

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And Joe. Her Joe.

After she
passed out at the bank and came to later in an odd realm of golden
light, she’d been told the pocket watch activated a temporal vortex
which drew the demons back to the Pit, sealing them in once more.
Billie hadn’t survived.

Amidst the
heartache over losing her, it was a relief to know that because the
timer had been reset, none of it had ever happened. Joe was alive,
so was Billie—her counterpart that was not present at the
bank—August, even Des, though she never met the last
two.

Nathaniel had kept her company every
day since the bank, had helped her heal. Aside from Michael,
Nathaniel was her only friend. Once she had been feeling better,
she asked specific questions about stopping the demonic assault on
the Earth. She wanted to know if she was able to finally lead a
normal life, even right some wrongs. It was then she found out the
horrible truth.

She would never have a normal life because she never
returned to her own Time. No human would ever see or hear her
again. She begged Nathaniel to fly her back to Hell so they could
somehow get back to their own time, activate that portal which in
turn would cause the Storm of Skulls and lead her back to
her
present.

“It can’t be
so,” he had said. “To activate the portal fueled by their evil is
abominable. Lucifer was the one that powered it. Even if we did, it
would quickly lead to all that we just fought to
prevent.”

“Couldn’t you and your army just go
down there and stop them from entering?”

“It’s not
our time to fight them, not the one ordained. That is still a
little ways off yet. Besides, that portal has been destroyed as was
its maker after Michael and his archangels took the devil back to
where he belonged. It won’t happen again.”

“What about me? Life?”

“It is the cost of changing the course
of history, in your case, getting history back on
course.”

“I’m doomed?”

“No, but
chosen, and one day you will be rewarded by the King for your
sacrifice and service. He won’t forget you, Tracy. He loves you and
will one day restore you. Until then, I will remain with you until
we received word as to where we are called next.”

After that
conversation, she spent many nights weeping, thinking of Joe and
the life they could’ve had, the bitter thought that maybe he was
now with April. She couldn’t bring herself to check on him. She
mourned for her family and friends who she’d never speak to again.
She was assured there was a version of her here and now living in
the natural realm. What that woman was doing, she wasn’t yet
prepared to face. Maybe in time, maybe when things
healed.

Now, looking
up at the sun shining overhead, she longed to feel its warmth.
Instead, she had to rely on the warmth of promise and of one day
being restored. Until then, she had to bear the pain and carry her
cross.

They turned a corner and started
heading to the railway bridge underpass. A glimmer of gold caught
her eye and she looked up. Michael stood on the bridge overhead,
sword drawn, fire in his eyes.

“Come, he has been located,” Michael
said.

Tracy looked at Nathaniel.
“Who?”

Nathaniel’s
eyes lit with a fresh burst of holy fire. “The
Antichrist.”

As the angel
changed form beside her, Tracy reached back over her shoulder and
drew her own sword. Its energy passed through her and liquid silver
armor formed over her body, delicate scripts and glyphs surfacing
right after. She turned to Nathaniel, who asked,
“Ready?”

“Ready,” she
said, then spread her wings and rose into the air.

* * * *

About the
Author

A.P.
Fuchs
is the author of many novels and
short stories, most of which have been published. His most recent
books are
Redemption of the
Dead
, the third book in his zombie
trilogy,
Undead World
;
Axiom-man: City of
Ruin
; the paranormal romance series
Blood of my World
;
and
Zombie Fight Night: Battles of the
Dead
, in which zombies fight such classic
monsters as werewolves, vampires, Bigfoot, and even go up against
awesome foes like pirates, ninjas, and Bruce Lee.