The Light of His Sword (17 page)

Cody didn’t respond.

Gabe glanced up as Rafi appeared at his
side. He rose and handed the boy to him. Rafi touched the top of
Cody’s head for several moments before he said, “He’ll live, I’ve
done what I can to minimize the damage. But we won’t know how bad
it is until he regains consciousness. The best thing for him right
now is sleep.”

“Damage?” Alyssa asked reaching out to touch
the boy’s cheek.

“There’s a reason why possession of children
is forbidden.” Rafi answered sadly.

Gabe turned to Alyssa and reached out for
Samantha saying, “Let’s discuss this another time, Samantha and
Cody need to get some rest. Let’s get them back to the house.”

Mike shook his head and said, “They’ll have
to rest here. We’re out of time.”

All eyes turned to Mike as he stepped out of
the chapel and into the light. “The failure of Samantha’s abduction
has accelerated the assault. They’ll be here shortly after sunset,
and we are not ready.”

Rafi handed Cody to Alyssa then followed
Mike to the plywood that lay on the grass. They lifted it quickly
and headed to secure the last window. Gabe shifted Samantha in his
arms and offered his hand to Cora. “Let’s get the children settled
inside.” He said quietly. “I think it may be time to open that
picnic basket of yours Cora.”

Cora smiled weakly and took his hand,
“There’s a small wood burning stove inside we should gather some
firewood. It’s going to get cold when the sun goes down, and I only
have one blanket.”

“I’d rather not start a fire, Cora.” Gabe
explained in a matter of fact tone. “I’ll have Mike bring back some
blankets when he returns the tractor to the barn.”

He set Samantha on her feet and laid Cody on
the blanket Cora spread out on the altar. Cradling Cody’s head in
her lap, Cora tucked the blanket around him. Samantha leaned over
and kissed his cheek saying, “It’s okay Cody; the monster is gone.
Mike killed him; he can’t hurt you anymore.”

Alyssa came to Gabe’s side and asked, “Why
can’t we start a fire?”

He turned to her and said, “Can you help me
outside?”

Alyssa nodded and followed him out the door.
He turned to face her as they stepped into the cool air. Taking her
hands in his, he said, “We can’t risk a fire. You saw what happened
to the demon; they won’t be able to enter the chapel. But that
doesn’t mean they won’t try to drive you out. That’s why we boarded
the windows, and we’ll board up the door when the time comes. No
matter what happens you must keep everyone inside until it’s over.
Demon battles don’t happen often. They don’t like to be caught out
in the open. When they do they come, it will be fast. They swarm in
like insects, devastate everything and disappear quickly. We just
have to hold them off long enough for them to tire of the
effort.”

Alyssa stepped closer comforted by his
touch. “How will they come? Will they be in human form?”

“No,” Gabe smiled as her soft scent reached
him, lilac, she smelled like lilac. “A demon is weakened
substantially during a possession. Now that they know what they’re
up against. They won’t want to waste any of their strength. They
will come in their true form.”

“The black oily creatures I saw in the
sanctuary?”

“Demons come in many forms. You’ve seen only
a few. Demons can take any form and vary in strength depending on
their origin.” Gabe glanced up at the sky as a thick layer of dark
gray clouds approached from the north.

“How can you stop them? You said your sword
only sent them back to hell it doesn’t destroy them. Won’t they
keep coming back?” Alyssa followed his gaze toward the sky.

“Earth is an open battlefield to all
ethereal beings. We are all subject to banishment. Once banished
from the earth no ethereal being is allowed to return for one
hundred years. There is no need to vanquish them.” Gabe looked down
at her and leaned closer.

“But the demon inside of Cody said he would
be destroyed.” Alyssa said confused.

“Yes,” Gabe answered sadly, “Possession of a
child is a mortal sin and punishable by death. That demon was
removed from existence. Just as all demons are, when they violate
the sanctity of Holy ground such as the chapel. It would be better
if those creatures had never been born.”

“Born? Demons are born?”

Gabe smiled at her and said, “Very few are
actually born demons. All demons are a product of hell. A few of
the most powerful were born there. Most are created from the worst
criminals in the history of the world treated to a millennia of
hellish punishment. They are victims of their own greed and sloth
enhanced by Hells unending torment. They can’t help but change into
the vile creatures they become.”

“You feel sorry for them.” Alyssa released
his hands and reached up to touch his face. “You don’t want to kill
them. You want to save them. They are evil incarnate and yet you, a
warrior of God sent to protect the world from these creatures,
risking your own existence. You want to save them.”

“They are to be pitied, not vanquished.
Perhaps someday they can be saved.” Gabe pulled her against him.
“The true power behind all demons comes from the few who rule over
them. The followers of Lucifer cast into hell when he was exiled
from Heaven, the Fallen Angels. Let’s just hope none of them have
decided to join our little party.”

“If they do, you should leave them to me,”
Mike’s deep voice came from behind Gabe.

Gabe’s hold on Alyssa lessened a bit, but he
did not release her. Alyssa gazed into his eyes as a flicker of
challenge flashed then quickly faded replaced by a smile. Gabe
slipped one arm around Alyssa’s waist as he turned to face Mike and
said, “Mike’s an old pro at battling Fallen Angels, aren’t you
Mike?”

A flicker of a grin crossed Mike’s face. He
turned and walked away as he called over his shoulder, “I tossed
Pretty Boy Satan on his ass one time, and nobody can let it
go.”

Gabe chuckled and called after him, “Cora is
asking for some blankets.”

“Yeah, yeah, like that’s going to make any
difference.” Mike answered as he climbed on the tractor and started
it up. He put it in gear and shouted to Gabe as he pulled away, “I
may be a while; I’m going to take a look around.”

Rafi walked around the corner of the chapel
and moved past them, heading inside. “Keep your eyes open, I’m
going to check on Cody.”

Alyssa walked to the door and stared after
him, “Will Cody be all right?”

Gabe came up beside her and said, “He’ll
have a dark side that will show it’s face on occasion. But if Rafi
has anything to do with it, he will be a brooding knight, as
opposed to a serial killer.”

“Serial killer?” Alyssa gasped turning to
face him.

Gabe chuckled, “Don’t worry, he’s been
touched by the greatest of all archangels. No dark force will dare
touch him again.”

“And Samantha?” She gazed anxiously up at
him.

“Samantha is a fighter.” Gabe reached for
her, “She may not be the chosen child Walton thinks her to be, but
I’m certain she will play an important part in this prophesy.”

Alyssa frowned and glanced down; Gabe cupped
her chin and lifted it to face him. She stared at his questioning
expression and said, “If you are an angel, an archangel, then why
don’t you know Samantha’s future. Why didn’t you know she was going
to be attacked? Why didn’t you know the boy was possessed by a
demon?”

Gabe nodded and said, “We aren’t
clairvoyant. When God gave man free will He set a plan in motion
that allowed man to decide how to travel his path to the end of
days. He only gives us what we need to move forward. The future is
subjective; we don’t always know which path will be taken even
though the ending is clear. Cody was not possessed when he walked
out of the woods. The demon must have jumped into Cody a few
seconds before taking Samantha.”

Alyssa stared at him with a blank
expression. He sighed and added, “It’s like traveling to your
grandmothers. We knew how to get there, but our path was altered
because of the demons. We still reached our destination, but not in
the way we intended.”

“So you know the demons will be defeated
tonight?” Alyssa whispered with uncertainty.

“I know evil will be defeated on the last
day. I know Rafi, Mike, and I will continue to do battle to protect
the innocent until that time. I know I will sacrifice my very
existence if necessary to accomplish those goals. But I don’t know
how this battle will end, just as I don’t know when the end of days
will begin.” He pulled her to him. “I can tell you this battle is
important or Mike would not be here. I can tell you that Mike’s
presence offers a greater chance of victory. I can promise you I
will do everything in my power to destroy Walton’s reign and break
his hold over you, and Samantha.”

He pulled her closer, so close his lips
brushed against hers as he added, “Promise me you will never give
up hope. Promise me you will stay strong. You will protect yourself
and Samantha when others cannot. Your time of submission is over.
Promise me you will never allow a man to dominate you ever again.
Promise me you will find love and cherish it with all your being
until the end of your days here on earth.”

“I have found it,” She whispered hoarsely,
“And I’m not letting you go.”

He kissed her fiercely releasing the passion
he’d held back for so long. She melted into him feeling his manhood
grow as their kiss deepened. Yet this time a man’s virile response
offered no threat, caused her no fear. She trembled with
anticipation, clinging to him, desperate to feel his warmth, his
love.

He lifted her from the ground pressing her
tight against him as his tongue explored her mouth. Alyssa’s heart
pounded; her face flushed with desire as she dug her fingernails
into his back. Yet as quickly as the kiss began, Gabe withdrew
pulling away from her. His breath came in ragged gasps as he slowly
set her feet on the ground and released her. “I can’t love you…
there is no future with me.”

He turned and walked away. Alyssa stood
frozen, stricken by his words staring after him as he disappeared
into the trees. Rafi came up behind Alyssa and stood gazing over
her shoulder as Gabe disappeared into the woods. He sighed and
touched Alyssa’s shoulder softly. Startled by his touch, she spun
to face him. Rafi reached out, brushed a tear from her face, and
said, “He’s not rejecting you because he has no feelings for you.
He has no choice. Love is a complicated thing for an archangel; it
can lead to our downfall. We spend our entire existence protecting,
cherishing and loving the entire human race, but we are forbidden
to indulge in the delicate realm of passionate love.”

His words offered no comfort.

Alyssa sighed and glanced down not wishing
to meet his gaze. She whispered, “I have spent my entire life
dreaming of a wonderful, kind man who would protect and love me.
The thought of such a man has kept me alive deep inside for so
long. I can’t imagine not having that dream to hold onto.” She
looked up at him as tears streamed down her face. “Why would such a
loving God as you describe forbid his most precious of all servants
from experiencing such a wonderful gift?”

Rafi hugged her. “Alyssa, surely you can
understand how love can be twisted into a weapon against even the
purest at heart. Think of Samantha and how you risked everything to
save her from Walton and his demons. You placed her individual
safety above everything else. Archangels can’t do that. Our very
existence for the last millennia has been to keep the balance of
good and evil in check as we wait for the end of days. If just one
of us were to allow evil to triumph for our own personal gain; the
tide could turn and the entire world could fall into chaos.”

Alyssa pulled back from him and said, “Gabe
said God gave mankind free will. Did He give the archangels free
will too?”

“We always had free will.” Rafi gazed down
at her.

“So God trusts you to keep the world
safe?”

“Of course,” Rafi answered with a frown.

“Then shouldn’t He trust you to make the
right decision if someone you loved was placed in danger? Shouldn’t
He trust you to make the necessary sacrifice so it won’t change the
world?” Alyssa asked softly.

Rafi gazed into the trees where Gabe
disappeared and said, “I don’t know.”

The sun kissed the horizon disappearing into
the deepening hues of the approaching darkness. The wind howled,
rushing through the trees as if beckoning the fury of the
approaching battle. The air around grew thick with anticipation.
The shadows seemed to writhe and swirl with a darkness void of life
and hope.

Alyssa took the blankets Mike brought and
wrapped one around Samantha. Gabe walked out of the trees and
headed straight for the last piece of plywood helping Rafi to lift
it from the moist grass. “Gabe,” Alyssa called to him as he
neared.

Mike stepped in the doorway blocking her
path. His stern expression startled her. She stepped back and
stared at him in questioning silence. “I’m not used to people not
following orders.” He said with annoyance. He glanced back at Gabe
then gave her the same penetrating stare as on the day they first
met. “I told you to stay in the chapel when we went after the boy.
You didn’t listen. Don’t do it again. Stay inside the chapel.”

Alyssa nodded her assent unable to break his
gaze. He turned and walked past Gabe and Rafi without another word.
They leaned the wood against the front of the chapel. Rafi glanced
at Alyssa and turned to Gabe saying, “I forgot the nails” Then
disappeared around the corner of the chapel.

Gabe’s face was drawn and tired. Alyssa
stepped closer and reached out to touch his cheek. He took hold of
her hand and said, “I meant what I said; I won’t let Walton hurt
you again.”