Descended (18 page)

“I don’t believe Reese would betray us and even if I did, I know he would not betray you Gabriel,” Vie said with conviction.

“I didn’t believe it either at first but it is true Vie,” he said.

“I’m sorry Gabriel.  I know this must be extremely hard for you. I know next to me, Reese is the person you trust more than anyone else in any world,” she said with her deepest sympathies.

“But I really don’t see what this has to do with me leaving,” she questioned.

Gabriel looked at her as if she were crazy. He couldn’t believe that she did not see that she was now a direct target alongside Carter. Gabriel always thought so highly of Vie and her skills, especially in seeing danger before it was knocking at her door. It is what made her great, always being one step ahead of the danger zone.

“Vie, this changes everything!” Gabriel put his hand up in the air bellowing at her in disbelief.

“How can you not see it?” he questioned.

“See what? That Reese betrayed you? I see that, I just don’t see why you would not want me here to help fight against this new army of evil,” she shouted back at him.

Vie could clearly see he was holding something back. It was something he did not want to say, but she was determined to pry it out of him. Vie knew Gabriel so well she could almost feel what he was feeling and what she felt right now coming from him was severe anxiety. She moved closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder, turning him toward her. It was then she felt something coming through Gabriel that she had never felt before. She recognized it because she herself had experienced this energy in training when she was in the dark. What she felt burning so strongly in Gabriel was fear. It was an energy he had never owned before now. When he turned to look at her, she was absolutely sure she saw fear for the very first time in Gabriel’s eyes.

“Gabe….I know what you’re feeling,” she said with complete certainty. Gabriel took one look at her and knew that she saw his fear. No one could see into his soul, no one until Vie. He was more ashamed by Vie seeing his fear then he was actually having it.

“Now tell me what you are afraid of,” she said.

Gabriel looked deep into her eyes.  He needed be able to see his friends eyes before he made his confession, he was able to actually bypass through Vivian’s vessel and found himself gazing into the familiarly beautiful violet eyes of the soul he loved, his friend Vie. He began his confession to her.

“I am afraid for you,” he spoke softly and honestly.

“Me?  Why?” she said.

“If they are coming, then they will be coming for you too,” he confessed.

Vie took Gabriel’s hand, stood up tall, proud, and fierce and replied, “And we will be ready for them!”

Gabriel saw something as she stood fearless above him. Suddenly, there appeared a gold aura around her that began to glow. It was as if she was illuminated by a light from above. Gabriel had only seen this aura around one other soul before and it was transcendent. No other Guardian had ever been given an aura because it is not based on ability but rather an emanation of a supreme being. The gold color surrounding her like a light represented the color of enlightenment and divine protection. When seen within the aura, the person is being guided by their highest good. It was divine guidance of protection, wisdom, inner knowledge, and spiritual mind that was present in Vie at the moment. Gabriel just sat in awe, speechless for the very first time.

“Gabe, what’s wrong now?” she asked wondering why he was staring at her with a strange look on his face.

“Vie” he said in wonderment. “I knew it! I knew you were special!” he said hugging her. Vie was beginning to think her friend had perhaps been indulging in some of the alcoholic beverages readily available in Newcastle or that breathing the dense air here had messed with his head somehow. Gabriel went from fear, an energy he had never experienced, to completely giddy, another energy he did not possess.

“Gabriel for heaven sake please
tell
me what is going on!” she shouted.

He said nothing. Gabe just turned her around slowly and showed Vie her reflection in the full length mirror in the corner of the room. They stood together looking into the mirror, silent and completely speechless. This was a game changer for the Guardians.

Chapter 12

Betrayal

“Lucian, someone wishes to see you,” a loyal subject approached him cautiously awaiting his answer. Lucian did not turn around but thundered angrily to the demon. “I said no more interruptions!” Suddenly, someone appeared from out of the shadows and replied, “Oh, I believe you will want to hear what I have to say.” Lucian turned around abruptly to face his defiant intruder and his eyes glowed in surprise of who was standing before him.

“
Ahhh
, Fallon.  To what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked coyly.  “Did you get bored up at your gates of goodness and decide to descend down here to my world for a little play?” he taunted while waving his trident around the room.

“I don’t usually like to play with dogs, but I can certainly make an exception if you would like to go a few rounds,” she said confidently egging him on. The demons hurdled in out of the darkness the instant Fallon challenged him, ready to protect their leader.

“Now Fallon, it’s you that has barged into my dwelling uninvited. Surely you can’t think making threats would be in your best interest,” he said moving one eyebrow up curiously.

“If you came here to pick a fight, I can assure you….the odds would not be in your favor,” he said pointing his trident at the demons waiting anxiously in the shadows, ready to attack on command.

Fallon looked around at all of the soulless eyes lurking in the shadows and decided not to push it any further. She knew Lucian was trying his best to intimidate her, but she did a good job of remaining fearless and ready to defend if needed. Although it was clear the odds were stacked against her, she had a hidden weapon under her belt and planned to use it. Fallon knew she had Lucian right where she wanted him and that gave her the confidence she needed to stand without fear of the army of hungry demons.

“Actually, I have come bearing gifts,” she said straight faced, waiting for Lucian to bite.

Lucian was intrigued, but also angered by the audacity of the game she seemed to be playing with him. His patience was wearing thin and his army was watching closely. He approached Fallon slowly, backing her up.  He placed his trident up to her neck forcing her back to the wall. Fallon continued acting fearless but couldn’t help but notice the blood stain on the wall she was now blended into. It was blood of the boy that Lucian had drained after snapping his neck just hours before Fallon arrived.

“So my dear, what gift would you like to bestow upon me? I would suggest you do it quickly because as you can see…I am done playing games!” he whispered angrily in her ear.

“Before I deliver, I want something from you…a guarantee,” she said.

“My dear you haven’t given me anything to bargain with.  And surely you must know by now, there are NO guarantees offered here in my world,” he said pressing up closer to the beautiful Guardian.  “Besides, I don’t make deals with Guardians.  You can’t possibly have anything I want!” He pinned her to the wall, threatening to take her soul. Fallon knew she had to act fast before she became ashes on the floor in a pit of hell.

“Well then,” she struggled to speak, “I guess I will be going.  But before I do…” Fallon reached behind her and pulled out an angel blade and held it up between her neck and the trident Lucian had braced against her. “Maybe this will change your mind?” she said feeling instantly back in charge.

“Yes Lucian, take a good look at it!” Fallon challenged him.

Lucian stopped dead in his tracks with eyes widened in surprise and completely speechless. Fallon knew by the look on his face that he was very much aware of what he was looking at. It was the same expression that was on her face, no doubt, when she discovered the blade. It was as if Lucian had seen a ghost.

“Where did you get this?” he said grabbing the blade from Fallon’s hand. He released the trident and stepped away from Fallon to examine the blade. The tables had turned and now Fallon was in control. This was her opportunity, the only chance she would have, to bargain with Lucian.  Smiling coyly, Fallon approached him and said, “Oh, and Lucian, about that guarantee we were discussing? I believe I’ll take it now!” she ordered with a smug, satisfying grin.

Chapter 13

Friends

Gabriel was still reeling from the aura that had presented itself around me, but that was now gone.  I was busy trying to put together the pieces of Vivian’s paintings. We were both intent on figuring out what it all meant, but each of us focused on a different piece of the puzzle. Gabriel believed I was given this special power and it was one that only the highest and most divine soul could receive. I was not convinced. While it was radiant, it offered nothing. I was not stronger or faster.  In fact I felt exactly the same while it was around me. I guess you could say I was disappointed.  I had hoped that maturation would bring me my wings like all of the other Guardians, but sadly it did not. I needed Gabriel to get off of the aura subject and help me. We needed to figure out why these paintings were speaking to me and why Vivian’s latest work would be so characteristically different from her earlier, more beautiful work.

“Gabe, come over here,” Vie said motioning him to the easel. “What do you see here?” Vie started on the first painting and waited for his reply. Gabriel had a very keen eye and if anyone could see through the paintings, it would be him.

“I see a woman.  A beautiful, happy woman,” he said.

“And this one?”
Vie turned the page of the portfolio.

“I see a family picnicking together,” he said casually.

“Vie, I don’t understand your obsession with these paintings? I mean, clearly she was a talented artist, but I really don’t see how these paintings are relevant to our mission,” Gabriel scolded.

“Please Gabe, just bear with me,” she begged.

Vie flipped through the paintings one at a time, waiting for one of them to catch Gabe’s attention. There had to be something there, she was almost certain. She still did not want to talk to Gabe about what happened before he arrived when the painting pulled her in. She needed to see what he saw and hoped she had not imagined the whole thing. Again and again, she flipped pages and suddenly noticed a change in Gabriel’s expression. Vie could see his face changing from indifferent to energized when she flipped to the first dark painting in the series. Vie watched eagerly as she flipped one last time.

“Stop!”
Gabe shouted as he got up from the bed and walked slowly toward the canvas. Gabriel’s expression was alarming, almost eerie and one Vie was not familiar with. She watched as he approached the painting, reaching his hand out to touch it as she did. He was in a trance-like state reaching for the canvas. Vie called to him but he did not answer. She knew it was the painting, as it had her hypnotized in the exact same way just hours ago.

“Gabriel?” she called again, now grabbing his hand to stop him from touching the painting.  He was broken from his trance and just looked at Vie in a daze.

“Gabe, are you ok?” Vie asked concerned about her friend.

“What, who is this?” she asked pointing to the canvas with the picture of the dark being Vivian had painted.

“It’s him,” Gabriel said surprised.  “It’s Lucian! Vivian painted Lucian!” he said alarmed by the revelation.

“But how could she? No one has ever seen him in this world, right Gabe?” Vie asked distraught.

“Right Gabe?” she asked again louder.

“I need to speak to Raphael at once,” he commanded.

“Gabriel, you’re scaring me! Tell me now how Vivian painted this picture of Lucian?” she demanded.

“There is only one way she could have….she has seen him,” Gabriel said with certainty.

It all started making sense to Vie now. Vivian’s mood changes, her friends, her fading family fading, and her problems with Jeremy. Of course, Vie thought to herself, it is all the work of the Dark One. What they needed to figure out was the how, when, where and why this meeting took place.  “What would Vivian have that Lucian would risk everything for?” Vie kept thinking as she looked into the eyes of the dark soul in the painting. Vie was sure a meeting such as this would be traumatic to say the least and surely Vivian would have told someone about it. None of this made any sense, but Vie was more determined than ever to get to the bottom of it. One thing was for certain, these paintings were definitely connected to their mission.

Gabriel was using telepathy to communicate his discovery with Raphael and just like
them,
he was staggered by the news. If Lucian had made contact with Vivian then he was closer to Carter than they had originally thought. Gabriel and the other Guardians needed to work fast now. They were already changing up their plans and preparing to put a bodyguard on Carter. Vie wasn’t quite sure how Gabe was going to put one of his men on Carter to keep him protected, but as always, she trusted he had a plan. Gabriel told Vie she needed to be on high alert at all times until they figured out how Lucian made contact with Vivian. Gabriel insisted that he stay with Vie for the next couple of nights so he could watch over her while she rested. Vie had not slept at all because of the fear she had of the darkness. Gabriel could see it was taking a toll on her and told her that the vessel needed to sleep at least for a few hours a night until she was completely merged. Vie agreed happily, feeling the fatigue of the vessel and not completely comfortable with the visions she’d been having during the night. And now with the painting haunting her, Gabriel was not going to be getting any arguments from her, not tonight anyways.