The Taking (27 page)

I nod my head once. “I understand. I just wanted to show my respect up close.”

He raises his chins and gazes down at me with his dark, malevolent eyes. “Bow deep and low to me and promise on your life, and Ethan’s, that you will serve me for the rest of your immortal life doing my wish at every whim.”

Bending my knees, I sink until they rest on the floor. The hardness of the cement pushes its way through my thin bodysuit. I ignore the uncomfortable feeling and bend my top half forward with my hands stretched out before me in Separus’ direction. I hold in that position for a few moments then rise back into sitting on my heels.

He moves closer to the edge of his pedestal his face etched with annoyance. “I said swear to me on your life and Ethan’s that you will serve me for the rest of your immortal life, doing my wish at every whim.”
 

I tilt my head slightly. “I was about to bow again. I thought it would be better if I bowed three times.”
 

He looks down at me over the bridge of his raised nose. “Very well then. But you must make the promise or the deal will not stand.”

I bend my top half down and reach my hands out further. I feel the edge of the platform. Holding my position for a few moments again, I then rise. I do not look up, as I know that the black eyes will be watching me intensely. This is it; the next one is the final commitment. I breathe in then breathe out slowly letting my hands fall in the prostrate position. When they have almost reached the floor, I push forward and place both hands around the ankle of his cracked, exposed feet. The howl of pain instantly rings through the air as his skin singes under my angelic light. Rapidly, I pull forward and step up onto the pedestal placing my bare feet on the top of his, feeling the light pulsate from me into his body. Before he has time to register, I grasp one arm around the wrist with my hand and my fingers on my right reach for the hilt of my dagger. In a swift motion, it is slipped out of its sheath, and I stab it directly into Separus’ heart.
 

The blackness in his eyes turns red as I release his arm to hold the protruding end of the dagger. I slam my right palm onto the hilt pushing it deeper into his heart. A powerful white light radiates from the connection and within a few moments it bursts outwards and his body disintegrates into black dust, falling to the floor.
 

Without wasting a moment, I gaze around the room for the next attack from a lower demon. Surprisingly they all crumble to their knees and onto the ground in ugly demonic heaps. Seeing the threat diminish before my eyes, I harness my dagger, and I feel the buried panic rise rapidly. I turn and run, torn between which one I should run to first — Ben or Archangel Michael. Tears stream down my face as the calculation of what is more important for angelic world registers. Both are important to me and mean a lot to my angelic world, but my wants must be shoved aside. I just hope that I have enough time to heal them before I lose one or both. I hold back the sob as I run past Ben toward Archangel Michael. I cannot call for help because both the angels that have the ability to call the others are out of action. I am on my own with three injured angels, all precious to my new life.
 

- Chapter Twenty-Five -

After reaching Archangel Michael, I skid to my knees ignoring the pain of the rough landing on the hard floor. I lean over him and see large amounts of red blood mixed with gold.
 

Placing my hands over his injury I seal the wound externally and internally. I search for his heartbeat in his neck and cheer inwardly when I sense the slightest of beats. I would hate to be known for the rest of my life that I was the one that killed the great Archangel Michael; the mightiest warrior of all time and only able to do it because he trusted me.

I listen for his breathing. It is laboured and soft, but it is there. Beads of sweat break out on my forehead. I have to heal him enough to survive and quickly. Ben needs my help. I close my eyes to focus, allowing the healing power to gather.
 

A whoosh sounds followed by a few others. I must be about to be invaded by a new wave of demons. My eyes fly open and search the room. Before me only inches away from my face, I am greeted by the smouldering pots of honey. Archangel Uriel is crouching over Archangel Michael.
 

“Aurora. What have you done? You stupid, stupid fledgling,” Archangel Uriel demands. His white angelic robe is turning golden red from kneeling in Archangel Michael’s blood.
 

I open my mouth to answer when over his shoulder I see the flash of green I would welcome with open arms at the moment no matter what the consequences. “Archangel Raphael. Please, come heal him quickly. I need to get to Ben.”

Archangel Uriel’s eyes look over my shoulder to Ben lying face down on the floor looking pale and lifeless. “This will not go unpunished, fledgling. You will pay for this betrayal.”

“Yes, I know.” I snap. “I get it. I will be punished. Whatever. I have played a risky game, but I don’t have time for your lectures right now. I need to heal them, so let me do my job in peace and you can punish me all you like after.”
 

Archangel Raphael gives me a disgusted look but doesn’t say anything, going to work on Archangel Michael straight away.
 

I stand up and rush to Ben.
Please, oh please be okay.
I place my hands on his deep dagger hole in his back. His skin feels cold. Tears are streaming down my face.
I hope I am not too late.
 

Having trouble seeing through my watering eyes, I wipe them with a hand and place it over the open wound. My tears mix with his blood as I heal the skin back together. Putting my hand on his neck, I feel for his pulse. I can’t feel anything. I roll him onto his back and rest my ear up to his chest listening for the beat that had calmed and comforted me so many times. It wasn’t there.
No!
I scream inside.
This cannot be!
Tears are falling like a waterfall down my face and onto his cool skin. His chest is not rising and falling as it should and with the tears cascading to my mouth as I bend over him, they fall into his. Touching my lips to his I breathe the white angelic air deep into his lungs.
 

When completely expelled, I sit on my heels and gather the energy of the angelic power holding it over his heart, shooting it deep into his chest. His back arches off the floor for a moment then slumps back down to the ground. I wait, holding my ear against his chest again. Nothing.
 

I lean down whispering in his ear. “Come back to me Ben. Please. It was all a play to earn his trust falsely. Come back to me, please.”

The tears fall from my mouth again and into his as I open it to breathe angelic air into his lungs another time. On my way down to his mouth, I believe I see one shine as it hits his tongue, but it was so fleeting that I assume I am seeing things through the gathered moisture. After filling his lungs again with air, I gather the healing power and charge his chest again over his heart. His back arches off the hard floor and then slumps.
 

Desperate to hear something, I hold my ear close to his heart holding my breath. My lips part in a smile as I hear the very faint beat of a heart — that giving, comforting heart. With my face now being flooded with tears of joy I reach and kiss him gently on the lips. I don’t care what archangel may or may not be watching.
 

As one last measure, I hold my hand over his chest inserting healing energy into his body and wait for him to heal. I sit and hold his hand, inserting more healing powers slowly into him. Now that I am more relaxed, my eyes glance over at Archangel Michael. His eyes are open, but he still lies on the floor surrounded by the archangels. A twinge of guilt surges through me again while I look at him.

My final worry was Cindy, but I am pretty sure that the demons were only draining her so she would not be a threat, and her energy would return after a while of non-demonic contact. I gaze over at her. Her lovely pale face was facing up, and her eyes closed. She looked like an image of sleeping beauty with her golden curls falling to the floor. I am certain she would be okay soon.

A movement crosses my peripheral vision, and I turn my head. What I see makes me blink twice. My expectation was to see a demon coming to life and getting ready to attack. Instead, my view is crowded with humans of all shapes and sizes, male and female draped in the loose saris. Their faces wear a stunned look as they gaze around in the darkness surrounding them. The way that they are grasping around makes me think that they probably can’t see in the dark. I look above and see that there is a manhole above with a ladder leading up the wall to the hole.
 

I focus my energy and push the angelic light directly at the hole. The lid blows off and onto the surface above, and the light instantly shines into the room. I look around and notice that every angel that has any form of light hitting them has turned invisible, so the light will not show them to the human eyes. The humans immediately head for the light. I watch feeling comforted that I had managed to set them free from serving as demons — each one of them would have been turned by Separus or one of his creations.
 

“We need to go.” Archangel Uriel is looking at me. His look is still disapproving. I am sure my back chatting would not have helped my cause. I feel a twinge of remorse for my disrespect, but I stand by my decision. Healing my loved ones was much more important to me than worrying about any punishment he may bestow upon me.
 

Archangel Gabriel places a hand on my shoulder affectionately as they walk past. I didn’t even know that they were here. I was so worried about healing Archangel Michael and Ben.
Good work, sweetie.
The voice sounds in my head.
You have set free many humans, but you know you will be punished for the methods you used toward your result. I won’t be able to protect you from that one.

I look up at the kind eyes as they pass and nod.
Yes, I know
. I project back. I am not sure that it would be heard, but it works with Ben so maybe it will work with archangels as well.
 

The eyebrows lift.
Ah, very good. The only person who might be able to rule against the punishment is Michael. I don’t like your chances as you just about killed him.

Chances are slim then
. The side of my mouth rises, but I don’t find it humorous.
I just hope that it fixed Ethan too
.

We will only find out when we return to the monastery. Oh, and Zacharias is pretty peeved that you left also.

So, it’s joy all around. I’ll deal with it. I’m just happy that everyone is okay in the end, and Separus can no longer cause harm.

“Are we all coming?” Archangel Uriel’s voice booms, only the angels can hear.
 

Archangel Gabriel scoops up Cindy and Archangel Uriel gathers Ben in his arms. As I look in his direction, Archangel Raphael teleports out with Archangel Michael and I follow, knowing I will meet them on the other side.
 

- Chapter Twenty-Six -

We arrive at Tatev Monastery in full view of several refugees. Wide eyes and pale faces greet us. Slowly the faces recoup their colour when they realise that we were angels, not demons. As we walk in silence, the wide eyes continue to follow us until we disappear into the angelic part of the monastery followed by a touch of forgetfulness. It is so strange seeing the great Archangel Michael wilted in someone’s arms. It is stranger knowing that I was the reason that he is there. My eyes pass over Cindy in Gabriel’s arms and Ben in Uriel’s. Will they ever be able to forgive me? The three of them have every right to hate me forever, I hold on to the hope that they will understand why I did it.
 

My eyes are still gluggy with the sting of excessive tears, and this headache will not go away, yet I know my day is far from over. We stand outside Zacharias’ door. Being the only one with free hands, I open it and walk through followed by the three archangels and their precious cargo.