Spirit Fighter (Son of Angels, Jonah Stone) (9 page)

Marcus stood with his arms folded again, looking sternly at Jonah. Jonah wasn’t sure, but he thought the mighty angel appeared less than excited about this too.

“So how does this work?” Jonah finally said. “I mean, how are we supposed to find her?”

Marcus took the thing that looked like a watch off of his wrist.

“You’ll need this,” he said, snapping it around Jonah’s arm.

“I’ll need to know what time it is?” Jonah asked, looking at the silver band with the large, round face. There were two fancy, scrolled hands that pointed to numbers like any other watch. Currently it read 3:57. “Um, it’s a nice watch and all, but how is this supposed to help us find Mom?”

“Push the button,” he said.

Jonah pressed the knob on the side. The watch hands dissolved away and the face glowed orange. It was now a digital display, with strange markings running across it. Some kind of language Jonah couldn’t read.

“Sorry,” Marcus said, grabbing his arm to look. “Need to change it from the Angelic tongue to English.” He gave the knob a turn. It said:

Mission
: Recover Eleanor Stone

Priority
: Critical

Location
: Manhattan Island, New York City

Further instructions upon arrival

“This is not just a watch, Jonah,” said Marcus. “It’s a warrior-class, military-grade angelic navigation system. This one is a MissionFinder 3000. It will give you direction when you’re not sure where to go.”

“MissionFinder 3000,” Jonah repeated, admiring the device. He pushed the knob again, and it morphed back into the watch face. “Cool.”

“A gadget like this will help you,” Taryn said, “but remember, Jonah—the Spirit of Elohim is always with you. He is there to guide you on your journey.”

Marcus nodded.

“Jonah.” He turned to see his father, who had tears running down his cheeks. His dad grabbed him in a bear hug. “I . . . I love you, son,” he finally whispered, hugging Jonah so tight he was afraid he might crack his ribs. “Your mom and I . . . we never meant . . . we never thought that anything like this could happen. But as much as I am afraid, and as much as I wish I could take your place right now, you and Eliza have to do what Elohim is telling you to do. I would never stand in the way of that. He has a plan.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Jonah said, feeling both worry and excitement course through his body.

“Speaking of Eliza,” Benjamin said wearily, “I guess it’s time to tell her too.”

“Not necessary,” came a shaky voice from behind them. “Are those really angels? Standing in our living room?”

They all turned to see Eliza emerge from the hallway, wide-eyed, staring at them all.

NINE
T
HE
M
ESSENGER

Y
ou can see them, Eliza dear?” asked Benjamin. “The angels?”

“Of course I can.” She straightened her glasses and pushed a curly wisp of hair out of her eyes. “Those are
costumes
, right?”

Marcus chuckled and expanded his wings again, filling the room with glittering silver.

“Costumes?”

Eliza gasped. “You mean, you’re
real
?”

Taryn smiled, bowing her head slightly. All of the color drained from Eliza’s face as she stood speechless.

Benjamin heaved a sigh, sat down on the sofa, and patted the cushion beside him. “Come sit down, dear. There are some things you need to know. Can you give us a few minutes, friends?”

Marcus spoke haltingly. “Time is of the essen—”

“Of course we can,” Taryn interrupted, pulling Marcus down the hallway with her.

“You’re going to find what I’m about to tell you hard to believe,” Benjamin began. “But I assure you, Eliza, it is all true.”

Then he started back at the beginning, the same way he had with Jonah. He told her about the battles being waged between good and evil, among the angels of Elohim and the Fallen of Abaddon, and who their mother really was—a nephilim.

“Which makes her three children—”

“Quarterlings,” Jonah interrupted eagerly. “You, me, and Jeremiah—we are one-quarter angel. Which means we have a special connection with Elohim and the angels. And certain . . . powers.”

Eliza smirked. “Like Superman or something? Really, Jonah?”

He shrugged his shoulders, and Benjamin nodded to him. Jonah grabbed the sofa where his father and sister were sitting and lifted it over his head like he would a tissue box.

When Jonah set them back down, he saw that Eliza’s mouth was open but no sound came out.

“Each of you has gifts. Angel powers,” Benjamin said, as Jonah took a seat next to him on the sofa. “Jonah seems to possess a superhuman strength. But angel gifts, like human gifts, are unique to the person. And more than one may appear.”

“Zack and the bullies in the alleyway,” said Eliza, nodding slowly at Jonah.

Jonah raised his eyebrows. Benjamin looked curiously at both of them but said nothing.

Eliza stood up slowly from the sofa, stooped down, and began to pull. She strained but couldn’t budge it.

“Nothing to worry about, Eliza,” said Benjamin. “Your gifts will present themselves when they are needed.”

Marcus stepped back into the room, Taryn behind him.

“We can’t waste any more time,” Marcus said. “Did you tell her about the mission?”

Benjamin sighed again. “We were just getting to that, Marcus, but listen, I don’t agree—”

“It’s not for you to determine,” Marcus said loudly and impatiently. “It is for Jonah and Eliza to decide.”

Jonah spoke up. “Look, Eliza, I don’t totally get it, but Marcus and Taryn are here to deliver orders—to us.” He took a deep breath. “Mom’s been kidnapped. And we are the ones who have to rescue her.”

“She’s been . . .
what
?” Eliza searched all of their faces. They each nodded silently. She swallowed hard. Her forehead creased, a visible sign of her mind working to make sense of it all.

“Who took her? Why aren’t the police here?”

“Because she wasn’t kidnapped by humans, Eliza,” said Jonah. “She was kidnapped by fallen angels.”

“That’s why we’re here,” Taryn said, trying to ease the tension. “Let us come together, dear friends. Let us listen for Elohim.” She extended her hands to Jonah and Eliza. Benjamin, Henry, and Marcus joined in, and they stood in a circle in the Stone family living room. She closed her eyes. Everyone else followed her lead.

Jonah began to feel strangely calm and focused. Strength and peace washed over him, slowly replacing the fear that had been threatening to overpower him ever since he had heard his mother had been taken. He breathed in and out, feeling cleansed with love and protection.
Is this Elohim?
His eyes remained closed.
Is He near?
It sure felt that way. He wondered if Eliza and the others felt the same thing. He cracked one eye open, and one look answered that question. The confusion on her face was gone, replaced by a peaceful glow. The same glow he saw on everyone’s face in the circle.

Eliza opened her eyes and calmly said, “Okay. I’m in. So, when do we leave?”

Jonah could not go to sleep, so he stared at the ceiling. After a hushed but fierce argument between the angels and their dad, Marcus and Taryn had agreed for Jonah and Eliza to leave at first light. So reluctantly, he and Eliza had gone to bed to try to get a few hours of sleep.

Jonah closed his eyes and tried to pray, but as soon as he did, he saw his mom. They were in the kitchen together, just Jonah and her, face-to-face.

“Jonah,” Eleanor whispered, sucking in air heavily as if she were out of breath. “Listen to me, Jonah. Watch out. Be careful. Keep your eyes open. Abaddon . . . he wants to . . . to . . .”

But before she could finish this sentence, her mouth began to open wide. It grew larger and larger, as though it were being forced open from the inside. Suddenly, two yellow eyes emerged from her open throat. The creature, the fallen one Jonah had seen beside the house, came out, its own mouth open, razor-sharp teeth reaching toward him. Eleanor’s body fell on the ground like a wrinkled sheet. The creature struck at him quickly, like a cobra, and Jonah turned aside, throwing his arms up in front of his face, and leaned back, screaming, waiting for the pain.

He sat up straight in bed, sweating through his T-shirt, craning his neck out in front of him, looking for two yellow eyes.
It was just a dream
. The red numbers on the alarm clock read 1:33 a.m. Pulling off his covers, he hopped down from his top bunk and stumbled across the room.

He pulled on his old jeans and changed into another T-shirt, and then quietly emptied his life savings out of the tennis ball can—all $117.33 of it—stuffing it down in his pocket. He grabbed his old blue jacket and nothing else. They would need to travel light, and he hoped they wouldn’t be gone for very long anyway.

He found Eliza standing in her doorway, clearly unable to sleep too.

“You ready, sis?”

She frowned. “But the angels and Dad said to wait until morning.”

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’m getting any more sleep tonight,” he said matter-of-factly. “It’s our mission, Eliza. And I can’t just sit here knowing Mom’s out there somewhere.”

She pursed her lips but nodded in agreement and went back in her room to get dressed in the dark.

They bounded down the stairs as fast as they could. So fast that they almost didn’t notice the knock on the front door.

Jonah screeched to a halt and looked at the door. Who would be out there at this time of night? He saw the face of an old woman peering through the small window. She smiled and waved at them both. It was Camilla Aldridge.

“Jonah! Eliza dear!” she said as he opened the door, giving them frail hugs and placing a bony hand on their cheeks. “How are you both?” Her eyes seemed to hold them in place, and even though they needed to go, they found themselves unable to turn away from her gaze.

“We’re fine, Mrs. Aldridge,” Jonah said in a whisper, hoping Mrs. Aldridge would catch the hint and lower her voice. “Kind of tired, I guess. Middle of the night and everything.”
She must be wondering why we’re up right now
, he thought.
But then again, she’s up too
. “Uh, are you here to see Dad?”

She walked in and placed her purse on the chair, ignoring his question, and turned her blue eyes toward them again. Her voice started slowly, but was strong, filling up Jonah’s ears, his mind, and his soul with words that sounded alive, somehow. “Listen carefully, dear ones. Ephesians 6:10–17: ‘Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.’”

She nodded at Jonah and Eliza, making sure they had heard every word she said. Then she took a small black book out of her purse, placed it in Jonah’s hand, and pressed his fingers around it. He looked down and saw that it was a small Bible with a bookmark in it. She squeezed his shoulders tightly. He smiled shyly at her and, muttering a “Thanks,” shoved the book in his back pocket and turned to go.

“Be blessed, dear children,” she said. “Take that book wherever you go. You just may need it. And remember that scripture. Ephesians 6. Remember, young ones.” She smiled, and in that split second, Jonah knew that she knew. She knew where they were going and what they were going to do. And she was not trying to stop them.

She was sending them off with a blessing.

“Okay,” Jonah said. “Uh . . . thanks, Mrs. Aldridge.”

They waved a quick good-bye and made a beeline for the garage. Once in the garage, they grabbed their bikes and began strapping on their helmets.