The Journey (23 page)

*****

“Back so soon?” Father Robert smiled as he approached. “You are either an extremely fast reader, or I gave you the wrong book.”

“Neither… sadly. I’m back because I had no place else to go.”

His handsome smile faded. “Come, child. Tell me what has befallen you.”

“Child. Pffts. I’m pretty sure I’m older than you.”

“Force of habit.” He smiled again. “And my age is much farther along than my face will admit.”

“Poor you,” I half mumbled. “Just gonna be stingy and keep all that perfect DNA to yourself, huh?”

He muffled his laugh. “I have many brothers who have passed on our father’s genes, many times over. The world does not need me for
that
.”

“I’m pretty sure just about every woman who walks through that door would disagree with you.”

He cast me a sideways glance, still smiling, but didn’t speak.

“Eh, well… Whatever gets them to come to church, I guess.”

“Stop your teasing, child, or I will be compelled to join you.”

“Against the rules, huh?”

“By the time you leave, I’m certain the need for extra penitence will be in my future.”

“Alright. Alright. I’ll be good.”

He opened a door and motioned for me to enter. We walked down the long hallway for several quiet steps before he next spoke.

“I cannot recall ever speaking with a woman who so easily spills her thoughts.”

“Liar… Are you trying to tell me I’m the first one to notice your obvious sex appeal? I find that rather hard to believe.”

“I did not mean
that
. I wasn’t even certain
you
meant that. No… some women are rather blatant concerning such things. Yet, those kind are easy for me to ignore. Actually, I was speaking about how comfortable and free you are with your thoughts—even the bad ones.”

We both chuckled.

“Normally people, women more so than men, are visibly rigid and uptight when they come to a priest.”

“Oh,
that
.” I shrugged my shoulders, then winced from the pain. “I got comfortable with that
years
ago. You’re just men, after all. Perhaps more devout in your beliefs than the everyday-joe, but a man all the same. Besides, I don’t normally get to carry on conversations with just
regular
guys. If I wasn’t at ease talking to priests and monks and Ang—” I bit my lip and paused. “Well… if I wasn’t comfortable around guys like you, I’d have to live a pretty miserable life.”

He opened another door and led me into an office
filled
with books, and motioned for me to take a seat.

“Can you tell me why I felt so at ease simply
handing
over one of our sacred manuscripts to you?”

“Yeah, about that… I’m afraid I got some blood on it.”

“Blood? Were you injured?”

“Attacked in the park. Some dude stole my backpack—cut the strap right off my shoulder.”

“Did anyone help you?”

“A lady took me to the police station and an officer saw that I got all stitched up.”

“Stitches?”

“Yeah, hence the blood.” I reached for my shoulder. “It hurts like hell, now that the pain meds have worn off and I don’t even have a flippin’ Advil or anything. But don’t worry about the book. He only stole
my
possessions, not yours.”

“Thank God you are okay.”

I nodded my agreement.

“What will you do now? Is there not anyone you can call?”

“I called the bank. They froze my account, but the pecker-head had already wiped me out by then. As far as people… I’m all alone in this world now. My job’s a solitary one—no coworkers. Well, no coworkers I can call up on the phone.”

“Yes… about that—”

“I don’t know
why
you remembered me. Normally, the dude who hands me the requested tome doesn’t even make eye contact with me. Maybe things were different with you because I no longer have the stones. I just don’t know.”

“Stones?”

I sighed and leaned back in the chair. “I’m just gonna shoot straight with you, Father Robert. I’m a Witness for the prophesies of Revelation. That’s my job now. I was at the Tiger’s Nest Monastery when I meditated myself right into hell. Well, right into the Nether. Smells like you’d think hell would, though. A Seeker found me, gave me the
keys
to traverse the Otherworld, then took me to the bound Angel whose blood would fuel those access-granting stones. Now…” I held up my left hand. “I hold a blood bond with an Archangel. This is his mark. But, he’s currently busy with some super important summons. So… I’m stuck here until he finds me. That was the plan, anyway. Uriel told me to wait for him in Paris. Of course, that was before I was penniless and bleeding.”

“Can you not just go back to the Nether, or send word somehow?”

I smiled with only one corner of my mouth. “Nothing, huh? No amazed reaction? No…
You’re a nutter of the tenth degree, lady
, or marking me up as a delusional lunatic?”

“It is not my place to say. I am Catholic. We have believed in much more absurdity through the years. With far less evidence, I might add.”

“Yeah, a historically superstitious lot, to be sure.”

“Yes.” He smiled. “No matter if I believe your story or not, I cannot deny that I was
compelled
to fulfill your previous request. I did not fear, or even feel uncomfortable, when you walked out that door with the rare text wrapped up in your arms.”

“That’s one of the perks, for sure—not having to be all sneaky about what you want.”

“Yes… Now, about going back into the Nether?”

“I can’t stand that place. It gags me. Not to mention the fact that Paltiel is a total douchebag towards me. Still… I would go there now if I could.”

“You can’t?”

I shook my head. “I no longer have the keys. Gadriel confiscated them before Paltiel shoved me out
here
. Something bad is going on somewhere else on Earth. It’s got the Angels in an uproar. All of the portal passages have been closed—no in, no out, no nothing. Not right now. Uriel can hear me whispering his name, yeah. But if he can’t come, he can’t come. No… until this current mysterious crisis is resolved, I’m stuck here.”

“Where would you go if you
could
make it to the Nether?”

“Japan.”

“Why Japan?”

“That’s where Drella is—my Seeker. He showed me a certain bridge I could cross at dusk that would take me directly to him.”

“Would that portal not be closed as well?”

“…I have no idea.”

“I see… So, where will you sleep?”

“That’s why I came to
you
.”

When his gorgeous eyes went wide, I chuckled.

“Chill out, priest dude. You’re hot, alright, but I’ve got
zero
interest in getting funky with a Father.”

He didn’t even blush. “I will take that as a compliment
and
an insult.”

“Yeah, whatever. Anyway, I was wondering if the church here had places to put people like me. I’ve stayed in monasteries, share-houses, hostels, convents—you name it. They let me spend the last couple of nights at the police station. They were nice, yeah, but it’s not really somewhere you can actually rest. I’ve worn out my welcome there, though. So I came to you. What do you say, Father? Are you able to provide sanctuary for a lost and abandoned Witness?”

“I can… if you promise to be quiet and remain hidden as much as possible. The accommodations are sparse and the food will be meager…”

“Anything’s better than sleeping on the streets and eating out of garbage cans.”

He smiled then. “I would never let that happen to you, child.”

“Just call me Jem. Okay? Someone looking like you calling me child… it feels super weird.”

He chuckled. “Per your request, Jem.”

“Yeah, that’s better.”

“Come with me.” He stood. “I will take you to your sanctuary.”

*****

My borrowed room was down two long corridors, up a spiral stone staircase, then last room on the right at the end of the hall.

“I fear you probably won’t find these lacking accommodations up to your standards.” Father Robert turned the skeleton key and motioned for me to enter. “But I do hope you manage to get some rest.”

I gave him a small, appreciative smile as I stepped inside.

“You can go ahead and set your books on the table, there. I’ll return soon with some linens.”

“Umm… Where’s the closest place to go pee?”

He shot me that ridiculously handsome smirking smile. “The things that pop out of your mouth.”

“What? Pee? How’s
that
bad?”

He just opened the door and pointed to the other side of the narrow hallway. “The washroom is just straight across there. That’s the main reason I brought you to this particular wing.
That
… and people rarely come here anymore.”

“I don’t blame them.” I placed my books on the table and turned back to face him. “If you forget and leave me here, I’ll be hopelessly lost. Some poor old priest will stumble across my dried up bones
years
from now—give him the shock of his life.”

“I will not forget you, Jem,” he said through a smile. “I will return in a moment.”

“Take your time, Father.” I ran my finger along the back of a dusty wooden chair. “I’ll just start cleaning up a bit.”

“Do try to wait until I return. I’ll bring some things to help in the cleaning. Otherwise, you’ll stir all this up and won’t be able to breathe.”

“Yeah… you’re probably right about that.”

When he softly closed the door, I took a deep breath and looked around the room.

“I’ve stayed in worse places, to be sure. Right now, this forgotten old room looks pretty much like a mansion.”

I pulled off my police hoodie and rolled up my sleeves.

*****

“Ugh… I’m spent.”

I tossed the blackened rag into the pan of dirty water and plopped down on the edge of the newly made bed just as the door opened.

“Are you hungry?”

“Starving, yeah.”

“Then I’ll bring you something to eat.”

“If you don’t mind, will you hold off just a bit? I’m filthy. I’d like to take a long hot bath before I sit down to eat. Will that be alright?”

“Anything you wish, Jem. I’ve only just brought up clean towels and assorted toiletries. It’s ready when you are.”

“Assorted toiletries? Did you go shopping or something?”

Father Robert stepped on into the room. “No. I didn’t have to. The Sisters keep a donation box here at the cathedral. Still, if there’s anything you need I haven’t thought of, please just ask.”

“No, please. Don’t go to any more trouble on account of me. Anything you’ve found in the donation box will be perfect… and more than I’d even hoped for.”

“I will give you some privacy then.”

I stayed seated there on the bed, resting until his footsteps had long since faded away.

Uriel… I’m staying at Notre Dame, in Paris. I will patiently wait for you.

*****

I turned the knobs on that old tub and smiled as steam began to fill the room.

I have no idea how long I stayed there, soaking. I washed my hair twice and changed the water three different times. I didn’t want to get out.

Finally, I conceded… wrapped one towel around my hair and another one around my body, then stared into the aged mirror at the swollen wound upon my back. It felt
some
better after the bath, but still hurt like hell.

I sighed as I picked up my dirty clothes and headed back across the hall. I was gonna wait absolutely as long as possible before I had to put them back on again.

When I opened the door to my room, the delicious scent of roasted chicken wafted over me. My stomach roared. Father Robert chuckled.

“Looks like I made it just in time.” He finished filling the wine glasses and turned to face me. “Oh… Apologies.” He glanced away. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Don’t worry about it.” I shut the door. “I didn’t want to put these old things back on until I had no other choice. Looks like that time is now.” I sighed. “They reek of blood and sweat… and I feel so clean and fresh right now.”

“I completely understand.” He walked over to the paper bag now sitting on the floor beside my bed. “That’s why I already took the liberty of picking you out some things from the donation box. I even hit up the lost and found.”