The Light of His Sword (18 page)

“Gabe,” She whispered, “I love you.”

His eyes grew dark with emotion. He kissed
her hand softly and released it as Rafi returned. Rafi gazed after
Alyssa as she turned and went inside without another word. Gabe
picked up the plywood and shoved it over the door. Rafi secured it.
They drew their swords and went to stand by Mike as the shadows
came to life writhing and hissing.

Mike spun and headed for the barren field
beside the chapel. “I’ll draw as many as I can out to me. You two
keep the rest away from the chapel.” The shadows began to boil as
Mike reached the center of the field. A large female demon emerged
from the darkness and headed out toward Mike. It was a headless
creature with large red eyes in the center of it’s breasts and a
shark-like maw at it’s groin. Mike flashed a wicked grin and rushed
to meet it.

Gabe spun to face a pack of wolf-like beasts
with long serrated legs. Rafi raced around the side of the chapel
to meet two Centipede demons with knife like appendages and lion’s
heads.

Alyssa rushed to sit beside Cora. Cody began
to moan and thrash around under his blanket. Cora picked him up and
held him tightly against her. She sang a soft lullaby to help
soothe him, but nothing worked. Alyssa pulled Samantha to her and
held her. Samantha put her hands over her ears and buried her head
in her mother’s chest.

Blood chilling howls filled the air followed
by a mired of screeching snarls. Alyssa’s stomach churned as the
sounds became guttural and savage. Slowly, and with increasing
speed came the sounds of rocks and branches slamming into the
chapel as the demons grew more aggressive. Cody’s moans grew
louder. He began to sob uncontrollably and struggle against
Cora.

She began to pray. “Father of all creation,
be with us now in our hour of need.
Strengthen
your glorious child Michael, guardian and defender of Christ’s
House; come to the assistance of Your followers, against whom the
powers of hell are unchained. Lord, I ask you to give him the power
to overcome this evil and free the world from this
wickedness.
Strengthen your child Michael with your grace
and speed. Let your mighty power flow through him so he can destroy
the enemy and triumph in your name.”

“Grandma,” Alyssa stared at her in
amazement, “What are you doing? Mike is already here fighting for
us with all his strength. There is no need to pray.”

Cora opened her eyes and gazed at Alyssa,
“Sweetheart; there is always need for prayer. We must pray for God
to strengthen our warriors so they may overcome the demons or they
could fail.”

Alyssa shook her head in denial. Suddenly, a
huge crash came from the front of the chapel. She handed Samantha
to Cora and rushed to see if the door was still secure. When she
reached the door, the flash of Gabe’s sword rushed through a small
crack at the edge of the frame.

Kneeling on the floor, Alyssa peered through
the hole to see Mike in the center of the field moving with great
speed and intensity cutting down a circle of the same large
reptilian demons that attacked Gabe on the highway. She moved
slightly and caught sight of Gabe struggling against two large
winged beasts with thin bodies and long clawed arms, as smaller
slithering demons nipped at his legs and climbed up his back. Gabe
spun, and Alyssa gasped as the light of his sword revealed his
chest and arms were covered in blood. Suddenly Rafi appeared
rushing into the fray as three more beasts, crawling low on the
ground, rushed up behind Gabe with their long razor filled jaws
snapping and slashing.

She glanced back at Cora, who held both
children in her arms and continued to pray.
Alyssa peered out from the broken spot at the battle. The
archangel’s swords flashed in utter darkness against the horde of
beasts of all shapes and sizes as they swarmed in around them like
a tidal wave of evil. She watched in horror as the full moon broke
through the clouds and spread it’s dim glow across the
clearing.

Rafi was bloody and pale
but continued to swing his sword with great strength. She glanced
at Mike in the field. His face with flushed with challenge. He was
in his element fighting in all his glory striking down giant beasts
as he screamed in triumph.

Racing back to Cora,
Alyssa asked, “Grandma, Mike is cutting down the demons, but Gabe
and Rafi are hurt.” She reached out and took hold of Cora’s arm
shaking her. “Stop praying for Mike, he doesn’t need your help.”
She was desperate yet she couldn’t bring herself to ask.

Cora’s head rose to face
her. “Lord heal and strengthen your child of healing grace. Turn
Rafael’s gift of healing and wisdom upon himself. Raise him up so
he may defend Your followers from the evil that pursues
us.”

Alyssa sank to the ground
as Cora prayed amazed at the soothing tone of her voice and her
calm demeanor in the midst of the horror that surrounded them. She
tried to calm herself recalling Gabe’s words that he would not
fail. He would protect her from Walton. But who would protect him
from the demons?

“Grandma, please pray for
Gabe.” She whispered so softly Cora hardly heard her
words.

Cora stared at her in the
darkness and said, “My darling, Gabe is your champion. He is yours
to pray for.”

Alyssa couldn’t believe
what she was saying, “No, Grandma, I can’t pray.”

Cora’s expression
hardened, “Child now is the time for you to come to Gabe’s defense.
He needs you. He needs your faith.”

“My prayers are never
heard, Grandma. God has never answered me. He will not listen. He
never has.” Alyssa grabbed Cora’s arm in desperation. “Please, you
must help Gabe.”

“I cannot,” Cora pulled
her arm away. “And you are wrong; your prayers were always heard.
He has been with you always.”

“With me?” Alyssa rose to
stand before her, “Then where was He the night my father was beaten
and murdered by the elders for trying to save us? Where was He the
night I was dragged from the sanctuary and thrown into Walton’s
bed? Where was He the day my mother died? He never came, never
saved me. He wasn’t there.”

Cora’s eyes filled with
tears, and she reached out to take Alyssa’s hand. “Baby He was with
you, right there holding you, giving you strength to continue,
comforting you.”

“No grandma He wasn’t.”
Alyssa sobbed.

“Sweetheart, He doesn’t
always answer your prayers the way you want. Think back to those
moments you asked for His help. Wasn’t there a time when you were
frightened and suddenly became calm, or you were confused and found
clarity where there had been none, or weak and didn’t think you
could go on when you suddenly found strength?”

Alyssa gasped as the
vision of her running through the darkness flashed before her eyes.
She’d snuck out the back of the diner with a terrified Samantha in
her arms exhausted. She was out of breath and terrified Walton
would find them. It was in that instant she’d silently asked for
strength. At the time, she’d mistakenly thought fear gave her the
power to continue. She recalled her mother’s death. How she’d given
up all hope and cried herself to sleep that night. Yet when she
woke the next morning with renewed strength, she realized that an
escape was possible and wrote to her grandmother. Those nights
after Walton finished with her when she thought she would die from
shame and pain. Yet she’d always managed to carry on. She met
Cora’s eyes and said, “Yes.”

“That was Him.” Cora said
softly.

A sudden calmness came
over Alyssa. She turned and walked slowly toward the chapel door.
Kneeling down to peer out she found Rafi and Gabe standing back to
back battling a sea of black oily beasts that flowed over them like
a tidal wave. Gabe stumbled, and Rafi reached back to pull him to
his feet as the beasts slammed into them.

As she watched Gabe
struggle to hold back the demon horde, she remembered his
words.
Once banished from earth no ethereal being can
return for one hundred years.
Everything suddenly became clear.
Gabe was trying to warn her. His immortality was limited on
earth.

“No!” She gasped. She
couldn’t lose him; she’d just found him.

Alyssa watched in horror
as the demon wave overwhelmed Gabe and drove him to the ground
sending Rafi reeling through the air away from him. Alyssa fell to
her knees and prayed. “God I’m sorry for denying You all these
years. I’m sorry I didn’t teach Samantha how to love you as my
mother taught me. Thank you for keeping me alive long enough to
free Samantha from Walton’s evil. Thank you for sending Gabe to
protect us. I don’t deserve his protection. I don’t deserve his
love. I don’t deserve Your grace or Your protection. Gabe has never
denied you or forsaken you as I have. Yet he is the one suffering
now. Please God heal his wounds and give him the strength he needs
to defeat the demons and free the other children from Walton’s
evil. Don’t let him suffer because of me. Don’t let him be banished
from the earth because of me. Save him Lord, please.”

Alyssa’s head jerked up as
a battle cry filled the air. She sprang to her knees to watch as
Mike climbed on top of a fallen demon and raised his sword to the
sky. Her eyes opened wide in awe as a pair of massive white
feathered wings sprang out of his back. Rafi leap forward toward
Gabe as his wings burst forth. Her eyes went to where Gabe had
fallen.

Where Gabe once stood was
a pile of writhing demons screeching and clawing at something
beneath them. Alyssa sobbed, “Please God, save him!”

Slowly the pile of demons
appeared to grow and rise up. Then in a shower of black demon blood
Gabe burst from beneath them. He stretched his arms wide as two
silver wings burst through his flannel shirt and sprang
outward.

Alyssa’s heart leapt with
joy, but it was cut short by the sound of splintering wood. Gabe
spun somehow knowing Alyssa stood watching. He gazed directly at
her and shouted, “Get to the altar!”

Alyssa staggered backward
as the splintering turned to a snapping crack of a large tree
breaking in half. She sprang to her feet and ran toward Cora who’s
face had turned white as a ghost. Alyssa dove toward her as the
ceiling collapsed in a shower of wood and debris. Then everything
went dark.

Alyssa awoke with a
pounding headache. Cora called out to her as she began to stir. A
flash of white light appeared directly over her. Alyssa glanced up
to find Gabe perched on a large wooden beam directly above
her.

“Samantha!” Alyssa called
softly shoving the debris aside to find them a short distance away
lying under the same large beam.

“Alyssa, we’re all right.”
Cora called back to her, “Samantha is with me, she’s
unharmed.”

Alyssa was stunned to hear
her grandmother’s voice. “Mommy,” Samantha’s tiny voice called out
to her, “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay, baby, I’m
here.” Alyssa answered.

When she reached them,
Alyssa glanced up toward Gabe realizing the sounds of battle had
silenced. She was astonished at what she found. There above them
was her grandfather’s wooden cross. It had fallen from the wall
landing on the split log pews creating a barrier against the cross
beams the tree forced through the chapel roof saving their
lives.

Gabe stood on top of the
cross gazing into the woods beyond. “Stay down,” He ordered
glancing down at her. “It isn’t over.”

Rafi appeared to drop from
the sky as he suddenly appeared at Gabe’s side. Alyssa rose
slightly trying to follow their gaze into the trees. The soft light
of the moon gave rise to a churning mass of black shadows that
flowed through the trees. The mass surged forward only to stop a
few feet from the chapel. The demons parted as if a knife drew a
line down the center leading back to the trees.

A tall shadow moved from
the depth of the woods and walked slowly toward them. Alyssa’s
blood froze as she realized it was Walton. He pulled his sword from
the sheath on his back. Walton stopped at the edge of the trees
raising his sword high for all to see.

Mike stood on the ground
in front of the horde and raised his sword in response. Walton
stepped forward slowly opening his arms wide as if to embrace them
all. Alyssa watched as his temples burst open, and two ram’s horns
swirled out of his skull. He shouted a war cry as large black raven
wings sprouted from his back.

“A fallen one, it’s
Vi’ati. He hasn’t shone his face in over a thousand years.” Rafi
whispered.

Mike turned and flashed
them a wicked grin announcing, “I’ve got this.”

“No,” Gabe replied, “he’s
mine.”

Mike’s expression changed
to one of concern as he locked eyes with Gabe. Nodding his assent,
Mike turned back toward Vi’ati and lowered his sword.

Gabe slapped Rafi on the
back and said, “Keep them safe.”

Rafi turned to Gabe and
said, “I’ve never seen a fallen angel take such a prominent role
before. He’s powerful; don’t let him get the advantage. End it
fast.”

Gabe knelt down and gazed
through the debris at Alyssa. She reached up through the rubble,
and he took hold of her hand. Their eyes met for one brief moment
as he said, “I will always love you.”

Alyssa watched through
tear-filled eyes as he rose and leapt to the ground.

The demons drew back as
Vi’ati walked out of the trees. Gabe strode quickly to meet him.
They locked eyes. Open hatred distorted Vi’ati’s face. Gabe flashed
him a brilliant smile and raised his sword in challenge. Vi’ati
sprinted from the trees toward him. The demon horde surged backward
giving room for the battle.