Angel Incarnate: Second Sight (2 page)

They may be protected, but their mortal friends are fair
game.
 

Lucifer was still
chuckling as he vanished behind the trees.

When the swords
disappeared, Bren and Tracy wrapped their arms around Gabriel who pulled them
into his chest.
 

Michael continued to
stare at the park, half expecting one of Lucifer’s minions to pop out from
behind the trees. Thankfully, no one came. He turned to Bren and began to scold
her.

“You should have stayed
inside. Now, Lucifer knows you and Tracy are alive.”

“Relax, at least he
doesn’t know about Aura yet,” Bren argued.

“I’ve never known a
dark wing to be able to avoid the wards and enter our valley. Who was he?”
Tracy asked.
 

Michael gazed at Bren
who shrugged her shoulders. Esra had warned her not to give the necklace to
Tracy, so she had no idea the fallen angel who just left was Lucifer.

“We should speak
inside,” Michael said. “Who else is home?”

“Just my mother,” Bren
said. “I can have her to send a message to Daddy and ask him to come home.”

“That won’t be
necessary. We will speak to your father when the Guild meets with the Council
this evening.”

Bren’s father, Paul Allheart,
and Tracy’s father, Adam Dunn, who was Paul’s best friend, were both members of
the Guild who lived permanently in the valley of Aeden.

Three other members of
the Guild resided in Savannah, Georgia, but were often traveling around the
country, keeping watch on those who refused to acknowledge their heritage,
preferring instead to live as mortals.

Protecting them from
the fallen angels was often difficult because they lacked the skills and
training afforded those who embraced their birthright.

Since the numbers of
angel-bloods had increased in the last century, two colonies were established –
one in Europe, and the other in Australia.

They were
self-governed, and the Guild tried not to interfere with their politics, as
long as it didn’t threaten the well-being of their own children.
 
A few families, wanting greater protection,
lived in and around the valley.

Bren and Tracy led the
archangels back to Aura’s house where Eve was waiting. She greeted each of them
with a hug.

Aura occupied the house
with her godfather, Howard, and his son, Rusty, but the rest of the family
spent as much time there as in their own homes. Maybe because Aura made it so
welcoming, or maybe it was because she was an exceptional cook who always
prepared enough food for an army.

Most angel-bloods
waited until their seventeenth birthday to move away from home, but because
Aura felt such a strong bond to her godfather, permission was given for her to
move out when she was three years of age.

She lived right next
door, and since her mother was a seer, there was nothing to worry about… until
now.

Lucifer had never been
brazen enough to venture into their valley before today, and his presence meant
some devious plot was underway.

The house was
magnificent, resting on five acres of unspoiled land and measuring over twenty
thousand square feet. From the twelve foot mahogany entrance doors, to the rich
cherry furniture, the home was spacious and tastefully decorated.

Large cathedral
ceilings were covered by hand painted murals of angels; a scene that would have
impressed Michelangelo. Even though it boasted an old world charm, all the
modern conveniences were included.

Big-screened
televisions with surround sound speakers, and every kind of video game could be
found in the family room, but the sweet spot was the updated kitchen which
exhibited state of the art appliances.

The hand-carved
mahogany table in the dining room, could seat one hundred, and if more space
was needed for friends and family, a smaller, identical dining set was brought
up from the basement which could seat fifty of the younger angel-bloods.

“Can you stay for
dinner?” Bren asked Gabriel. “Mom isn’t much of a cook, but we could order some
Chinese.”

Michael shook his head.
“Not this time, but we promise to come back soon.”

Gabriel rarely left
Heaven, and Bren treasured every second with him. Next to Tracy, he was her
favorite person in the world.
 
Well,
maybe not as special as Santa Clause, but he was close.

Bren had hoped to see
her Uncle Gabe when she visited Esra earlier that morning, but his duties must
have kept him away.
 

She couldn’t hide the
disappointment in her voice. With her eyes staring at the floor, she couldn’t
even look him in the eye; he might see the tears slipping down her cheeks.

“OK, I know you’re busy
fighting the bad guys.”

Grabbing his little
protégé and throwing her into the air, Gabriel started laughing.

“It is a never ending
job. One day we will again fight on the battlefield together, my little
warrior.”

The sadness in Bren’s
face was quickly replaced by a smile.

“Did you hear that
Trace? We’re gonna fight the bad guys with Uncle Gabe. I’d like to take a crack
at Lucifer’s son, Mortriel. I owe him.”

Tracy gave Bren a
quizzical stare. “What did he ever do to you?”

He killed both of us, but don’t worry, when your memory comes
back, you’ll understand.
 
“It’s what he did to Heaven,” Bren
said, not wanting to break her promise to Esra.

When everyone was
seated, Eve served chocolate milk for Bren, strawberry for Tracy, and hot tea
for the others. There were already brownies on the table – left by Aura before
she went to New York.

“I would prefer one of
those cola soft drinks, if it’s not too much trouble,” Gabriel said.

Bren hopped off the chair
and brought a cold Pepsi from the refrigerator. Gabriel popped the top and
emptied the can in seconds. Bren replaced it with a new can and made a mental
note to always stock plenty of Pepsi for when her uncle stopped by.

 
“Are you going to tell us who that Dark Wing
was?” Tracy asked.

 
“You must be very careful. Lucifer doesn’t
often leave the underworld,” Michael warned.

The little ones scooted
off their chairs and climbed onto Gabriel’s lap.

“Lucifer -- how could
he get into our valley? Shouldn’t Gideon’s shield keep him out?” Tracy asked as
she snuggled closer to Bren.

“No one knows what
powers the dark one retained when he was cast out of Heaven. His white wings
are gone, but he has other means to travel between this realm and his own.
Apparently, he isn’t affected by my brother’s shield,” Gabriel remarked.

“Why would Lucifer come
here?”

Michael reached for one
of the brownies. He chose his words carefully, not wanting to allude to his
suspicion that Lucifer was there to confirm Aura was alive. “We suspect he is
looking for the bow of Bodhi.”
 

“My grandfather’s bow
was broken during the war,” Tracy said. “The weapon doesn’t work anymore
because Daddy says half of it is still in Heaven, and the second half is
nowhere to be found. Why would he want something that doesn’t work?”

“Your father is partly
correct, but the bow still holds some powers, and if Lucifer were to find the
second half… Well, we mustn’t allow that to happen.”

Tracy placed her arms
on the table, resting her chin in her hands, and disregarding what anyone
thought of the scowl on her face.
 

Bren patted her on the
back. “Don’t worry; we’ll find the bow and return it to Heaven. Then we’ll set
everything right again.”

Tracy turned and smiled
sheepishly at her friend. If Bren believed it, then she would too.

“I know you may have
some knowledge of the Great War in Heaven.
 
It was a terrible time -- a civil war where brothers turned against
brothers, fathers against sons and daughters, and husbands turned on their
wives and children. Angels rebelled against angels,” Michael said.

“Lucifer became
arrogant, thinking he was as powerful as the Almighty,” Gabriel added.

“He was always jealous
of our fathers love for his mortal children, and believed angels should be
superior to all living creatures. In some ways they were, given their divinity,
but Father loved all of his children the same.”

Visions of the war
flashed in front of Bren as she felt an ache in her chest again. She watched
the scene silently, as angel after angel fell dead to the ground.
 

The youngest were the
most defenseless; not having access to any weapons, they were sitting ducks.
Though Bren had witnessed this scene many times before, she was glad Tracy had
been spared those memories.
   

“Didn’t you know what
Lucifer was planning?” Tracy asked.

Seeing the obvious pain
on Bren’s face, Michael spoke in a quiet tone.

“No, we were
ill-prepared for the devastation that would befall us.
 
No one could have imagined Lucifer would take
his rage out on the youngest, thus many of them were left unprotected,” he
sighed.

“What about Esra? She
must have known what he was going to do.”

“Esra is bound by a
covenant; she cannot alter fate, even when it means the deaths of those she
loves the most.”
 

Michael took a bite of
the brownie, and then washed it down with a long drink of tea. “Did your father
ever speak to you about the Angels of the Tier?”

Tracy shook her head.

“There are several
levels, or tiers of Heaven, each protected by an angel. Because these guards
were defending the holiest of places, each received a special gift from our
Father.
 
These weapons became known as
the Sacred Gifts. Each was unique and held a special power. My wife, Kaelariel,
was given a whip; Gabriel’s wife, Dionese, a dagger; Ariel’s husband, Bodhi, a
bow; Raphael’s wife, Cerci, a bracelet, and Avriel – the first angel murdered
during the rebellion – was given a ring.”

Gabriel’s silence
shrouded the heaviness of his broken heart.

Though he never spoke
of his wife, Bren knew how much he longed for the day Dionese would awaken.

Michael continued his
story. “Two of the sacred gifts were stolen by Lucifer -- the dagger and the
whip. Bodhi’s bow was broken, and Avriel’s ring was hidden before she
died.
 
Unbeknownst to Lucifer, the gifts lost
their powers once they were taken.
 
They
were not intended to be used anywhere else, except Heaven. It was an insurance
policy of sorts to keep him from using the weapons against us.”

“If these gifts had no
power, why would Lucifer want them?” Tracy asked.

“After Avriel’s death,
the Angels of the Tier were placed in a deep sleep. Our Lord Father wanted to
ensure they would not fall by Lucifer’s hands. They were positioned in glass
tombs, and gently laid to rest for all of Heaven to see.”

“So they have been
asleep since the war?”

Michael nodded.

 
“It was foretold, if the gifts were ever
returned to Heaven, the Angels of the Tier would awaken and once again return
to their positions.
 
Lucifer would never
allow that to happen.”

“Did he kill Kaelariel
and Dionese?”

“No – they were
injured, but Raphael was able to heal them. Do not concern yourself with
Lucifer. Your fathers have trained you well. We don’t believe you are in any
danger.”

Bren’s expression
turned severe. “I hope he comes here again.
 
I’ll send him back to Hell!”

“Yeah -- we’re not
takin his crap,” Tracy added.

Eve couldn’t help but
stifle a giggle. Bren had no fear, and Tracy tried to be brave, though she had
no idea what she would be facing in the next days.

Bren was in a volatile
state. Eve had seen the same visions and knew many of the young angels who died
were close friends of her daughter.

Perhaps if she had been
in Bren’s place, she would want revenge too, but they had to be patient because
any small change could have a devastating effect on the outcome of the next
war.

Going off half-cocked
wouldn’t help anyone. In fact, it could lead to more angel-blood and mortal
deaths.
 
But try reasoning with a
five-year-old who has been holding a grudge since the beginning of time. Eve
would definitely have her hands full restraining her young daughter.

Michael stood and
pushed the chair under the table.

“We must be on our way.
We’ll see you again, soon.”

Eve and the girls
walked the archangels to the front door.

“Don’t forget to mark
October 31st on your calendar. Aura’s friend Ryan is being ordained as a priest
on the 30th, and we’re having a party to celebrate. It’s Halloween, so we’ve
decided on a costume party. Will you be able to come?” Bren asked.