Angel Incarnate: Second Sight (7 page)

Chapter 8

When Bren and Tracy
arrived in Purgatory, they were impressed by the beauty and enormity of the
island oasis.

White sand beaches and
crystal blue water added to the island’s charm. It was hard to imagine this
being home to the fallen angels, but then again, some of them always did have
champagne taste.

In the distance was a
quaint village, the brick buildings reminiscent of the early nineteenth
century.
 

Groups of fallen angels
gathered at the outdoor cafes, consuming trays of food and pitchers of drinks
which were arranged on small wrought-iron tables. Vendors lined the cobblestone
streets offering a hodgepodge of jewels, clothing, and trinkets for sale.

A large rock kept the
girls hidden, but Bren sealed her grandfather’s shield around her and Tracy
just in case.

“I don’t think all of
them are angels,” Tracy whispered. “If Mortriel and Samhael have been taking
angel-bloods, they probably captured mortals too. If you look closely at some
of the merchants, they have scars on their arms. Why don’t they try to hide
them?”

It was true – the men
wore faded blue jeans and t-shirts with sleeves haphazardly cut away, while the
women donned sleeveless dresses. Bren had to admit they displayed their scars
proudly.

“We don’t know what
their circumstances are. Some of them may have chosen to be here because it may
have been a better life than they were used to.”

“They’ve been burned.
How can this be a better life?”

Bren shrugged her
shoulders. “It doesn’t seem to bother them.”

Her eyes scouted the
area until she saw a dilapidated building in the distance. “There’s the
dormitory where the girls stay. It’s about a mile from the village. We should
find Gracie and get out of here before the dark wings spot us.”

“Why didn’t we just go
there in the first place?”

“I needed to get my
bearings, plus some of Mortriel’s guards are watching the girls. We’ll have to
take care of them before we can get inside the house. Alorrah says we can
silence the dark wings, and my shield should prevent them from running for help
from their friends. The shield should also keep us hidden.”

“Are you sure? Nobody
knows what powers the dark wings have. What if they see us?”

“Alorrah has already
seen all of this in her visions. She assures me that we’ll be safe. Now, it’s
time to test some of those powers Uncle Gabe gave to us.”

“Are we going to use
his swords?”

“Not unless we have to.
Remember when he showed us how to take someone’s breath away?”

Tracy nodded.

“Let’s see if that
pendant works.”

Tracy clutched the blue
stone.
 
She needed to think of something
without actually speaking the words.

“
Can you hear me
?”
 

A second later she
heard Bren giggling, and knew the charm was functioning.

The two girls made
their way past the rocks until they were close to the old wooden building, but
still concealed.

Half a dozen guards
were seated on lawn chairs and stone benches outside the entrance. Bren planned
to strengthen the shield first, and then make their presence known.

“Shouldn’t we warn the girls that we’re coming
?”
 

Bren shook her head.

“
We won’t have to. When they see the dark wings falling on the ground,
they’ll know we’re here
.
We’ll each
pick out one of the biggest guards, and then start squeezing them, just like
Uncle Gabe showed us
.
Are you ready
?”

“
Yep -- I choose the one with curly brown hair who’s dressed like Elvis
Presley
.”

Bren wrinkled her brow,
and Tracy explained, “
What
--
I’ve never been a fan; who wears polyester
sequined jumpsuits anymore? I’m more of a Beatles girl. They had style.”

“
That’s because your father thinks he’s Paul McCartney
.”

“
No he doesn’t; he thinks he’s George Harrison
.
Which one did you pick
?”

“
I’m taking the bleached-blonde with the punked-up hair.”

Tracy shook her head in
disgust. “
It should be a sin to wear
leather pants, especially if you’re that ugly. Maybe he thinks he’s a rock star
too.

Both of the girls
started snickering again. It was hard to believe in a few minutes, they would
be battling the guards. Uncle Gabe would be proud.

Before they could
approach the fallen angels, a young woman came out of the shack.

“Go get our lunch,” the
Elvis impersonator yelled, “and be quick about it.”

Without answering, she
hurried through the yard, winking at Bren and Tracy as she rushed past them.

Tracy became nervous.

“
She looked right at us. Do you think those dark wings can see us too
?”
  

“
No – don’t you remember Verah? She’s married to Alistair, the governor
of the Australian colony. She has special abilities and can see through the
shield. The older girls are working in the village, but the youngest are still
inside. It will be better for Verah not to be there when you rescue the
children. That way, none of the fallen angels can blame her
.”

Tracy stared at Bren
and gulped. She didn’t recognize this new voice. “
Who’s there
?”

“
I’m Alorrah. Since you wear the pendant, you can hear me now too
.”

“
I thought we were just supposed to take Gracie
.”

“
You need to take all of the little ones. If they are left behind, they
will be severely punished
.
I will try
to help silence the guards, but you need to hurry before Verah returns with
their food
.”

Tracy turned to Bren. “
Let’s get this over with so we can beat feet
out of here
.”

“
Ready when you are
.”

Bren removed the shield
to make her and Tracy visible before they slowly approached the guards.

“Hey – what are you two
doing out of the house?” Punk Guy asked.

Bren and Tracy extended
their fingers and called for Gabriel’s weapon. A clear mist shot out of their
hands and wrapped itself around the throats of Punk Guy and his friend Elvis. A
second later, they were both on the ground gasping for breath.
 

One of the dark wings
rushed to their side, while another approached Bren and Tracy, who stood
defiantly still.

“Bree and Tercia – it’s
not possible – I saw Mortriel kill you both. Angels can’t be resurrected.”

A pair of fallen tried
to run towards the village to notify their friends, but when they hit the
shield, it knocked them to the ground. Bren and Tracy watched triumphantly as
the dark wings continued to try to break through the barrier, without success.

Alorrah’s voice
re-entered their thoughts.
 

“
Use your weapons and kill them now. There isn’t much time. My powers
can only silence them for so long
.
Tracy
can call for Bodhi’s bow; you will need Gabriel’s sword, Bren.
”

As they envisioned the
weapons, the girls extended their fingers and raised them towards the sky.
Instantly, a small golden bow and quiver of arrows fell in front of Tracy’s
feet. She placed the quiver around her shoulders and notched one of the arrows
into the bow.

Bren tightened her grip
around Gabriel’s sword which fell from the sky with a thunderous clap.

The weapons were
magnificent; the light from the sword cast a brilliant shadow over their
bearers. Even though they were made for the archangels, Bren and Tracy had no
problem handling them.

Recognizing the sword
of Gabriel, the fallen angels struggled to free themselves from Bren’s shield,
but their efforts were futile.
 

Their faces grew red
with rage, and the angrier they became, the more Bren and Tracy provoked them.
Though they stood within arm’s length, the dark ones couldn’t touch the small
angel-bloods.

A vision of her angel
friends dying and burning flashed before Bren’s eyes. It was time to avenge
their deaths.

“You like hurting
little girls?” Bren asked. “We’re not going to hurt you; we’re going to kill
you, and then we’re going to watch you burn!”
 

Despite his lack of
breath, Punk Guy decided to use his last words to offer a threat. He pulled
himself to his knees, and then turned to face Bren.

“Mortriel killed you
once; he will enjoy killing you a second time.”

Bren’s face was
expressionless. “Yeah – we’ll see. Now, say goodbye to your friends.”

Punk Guy and Elvis were
the first to die. The girls increased the strength of the vapor until there was
no breath left in the dark wing’s bodies, and they lay motionless on the
ground.

The shield was already
immobilizing the others, and Bren and Tracy became more determined as the dark
wings became desperate to break through the barrier.

Despite being
outnumbered, the girls moved swiftly – Bren beheading her opponents, while
Tracy’s arrows took out the rest.
  
Puddles of thick black ichor -- the blood of the fallen -- stained the
grass.

Some of the
angel-bloods came to the door to witness the massacre. They didn’t know who
these little warriors were, but prayed they were friends.

When the last dark wing
fell, the weapons disappeared, and Bren and Tracy ran up the steps and entered
the house.

Seeing the condition of
the children made them want to cry. Many were dressed in clothing that was
dirty, ragged and worn. Their hair was uncombed, and they were barefoot. Fresh
marks were visible on their arms and legs -- a reminder of the recent beatings
they endured.

Bren and Tracy quickly
gathered them together, not asking their names. There would be time for that
later. They counted seven, including Gracie; all three and four years of age.

Alorrah spoke again.

“
Take the lanterns outside and douse the dead with the kerosene. You’ll
find matches on one of the tables. When you have finished, let the little ones
burn them. Then, have everyone hold hands and take them back to Aeden. Don’t
dally – their friends will come when they see the flames
.
Tell Gracie her sister is with me, and I
promise to keep her safe
.”

There were a dozen
lanterns on the porch. Bren and Tracy quickly emptied their liquid contents on
the fallen angels. Most of the captives insisted on helping. They were shown
how to safely strike the matches, and then throw them on the bodies. It didn’t
take long before a thick, black cloud of smoke filled the air.

Bren watched another fallen
approach from the village.
 
The shield
continued to protect her and the girls, but they were running out of time.

Staring at her and
Tracy, his eyes widened in shock. He recognized them too, but how – these
angels both died in the war?
 

It wouldn’t be long
before the rest of the dark wings arrived.
 
“We have to leave, now,” Bren said. She had them form a circle and hold
hands.

“Hurry, and don’t let go of each
other,” she cautioned.

Chapter 9

Before Paul announced
their presence, Gabriel hurried into the kitchen to see if the girls had
returned. He found Aura standing at the stove, stirring a pot of vegetable
soup.

“Where are my little
ones?” the archangel asked.

“They’re probably
upstairs in their room,” Aura said.

Without waiting for her
to question his sudden appearance, Gabriel climbed the stairs two at a time
until he reached the top landing.

After finding each of
the rooms empty, he called for Bren and Tracy. When they didn’t rush to greet
him, he knew they weren’t back from Purgatory. Disappointed, he walked down the
steps and returned to the kitchen.

It wasn’t like Gabriel
to be rude. Aura stirred the soup one last time, and turned off the burner. She
replaced the lid, and then washed her hands, drying them on her apron.

“Did you find them?”
she asked.

“No – they weren’t in
any of the rooms.”

 
“I suppose we should just wait,” Paul said.
“I’m sure they’ll be back soon.”

“Back – back from
where?” Aura asked. Bren and Tracy knew never to leave the house without
permission.

“I’m going to have a
look around the property,” Adam remarked. “I want to make sure we don’t have
any uninvited guests hiding in the park.”

“That’s not necessary,”
Eve said as she entered the kitchen with Adam’s wife Angie. “Aeden is secure.”

Unlike her best friend
Eve, whose deep chestnut tresses touched her waist, Angie’s honey-blonde hair
fell just below her shoulders. Both mothers demonstrated kindness in their
turquoise eyes.
 

Eve placed her hand on
Gabriel’s arm. “Bren and Tracy are on their way with the angel-bloods. I
suggest we have some tea while we wait for them.”

The archangel nodded,
and then took a seat at the kitchen table while Aura brought a freshly-brewed
kettle of tea and some cups.

Eve placed a cold Pepsi
in front of Gabriel who reached for one of the leftover brownies, and waited
for Paul to explain Bren and Tracy’s mission.

“Where are the rest of
the girls?” Paul asked his wife.

“They decided to spend
the night in New York and are expected home tomorrow. Should I ask them to come
back now?”

“No -- I don’t think
they are in any danger.”

Befuddled, Aura looked
at her parents waiting for an explanation. “Will someone please tell me what’s
going on?”

“We were just informed
some of the angel-bloods who live in the outlying areas have been murdered, and
their young daughters were taken captive,” Paul said.
 
“According to Esra, this has been going on
for some time now. The most recent victim was the wife of Josiah, a member of
the Elite Guard. Both his daughters were taken – one to Hell – the other to
Purgatory – an island most of the dark wings call home.”

“What does this have to
do with Bren and Tracy?”

“They have gone on a
rescue mission.”

Aura collapsed in one
of the chairs and stared incredulously at her father. She was angry, but more than
that, she was scared.

“How could you let them
leave? They’re not even five years old. We’ve known full-grown angels who have
died by the hands of the fallen. What if I never see them again?”

Your sister is much older than five human years, but that is
a discussion we will have another time.
“Bren and Tracy are fine,” Eve insisted.

“How did they know
where to go? Did someone show them the way?”

Eve didn’t want Aura to
know about Bren’s second sight. She shrugged her shoulders. “When they come
home, you can ask your sister. The angel-bloods will be with them, so I hope
you won’t make them feel uncomfortable.”

Hearing the front door
slam, Aura ran from the kitchen, with her parents and Gabriel following. Bren
and Tracy had returned with the tiny waifs they had rescued.
 

Paul had no words for
what he saw.

All of the children
were wounded, some worse than others. The exception was a young girl who was
trying to help those with the nastiest injuries.

She must be Josiah’s daughter, Gracie.
S
he
is trying to be so brave, putting her own grief aside to help the others.

The rest of the group
couldn’t help staring at the horrific marks on the arms and legs of the little
girls. Some of their wounds had begun to heal, while others were still open and
raw. They had to be in pain, yet none of the children complained.

Eve swallowed the lump
in her throat; Angie had to turn away, trying to choke back the tears that were
streaming quietly down her cheeks.

Aura wanted to be angry
with Bren and Tracy, but after seeing the condition of the children, she
understood why her sister needed to rescue them.

Gabriel pulled Bren and
Tracy into a fierce hug, and the dam of flood waters they had been holding back
finally broke loose. “We kicked their ass,” Bren said between sobs.
 
Gabriel nodded, and pulled them closer.

Aura sat on the living
room floor and opened her arms, beckoning the children to come closer. At
first, they were apprehensive, but then, they slowly nudged towards her. She
spoke in a soft voice.

“This is our family.
We’ll take good care of you until we can find your relatives.”

One of the four year
olds started to cry. “What’s wrong?” Aura asked.

“Mommy and Daddy are
gone; I don’t have anybody else.”

“What if they come for
us?” another asked. “I don’t want to go back there again.”

Eve knelt beside them
and forced a weak smile.

“You’ll stay here with
us. None of you have to leave if you don’t want to. We have plenty of room, and
our valley is protected, so you don’t have to be afraid. Mortriel will never
touch you again.”

The front door opened.

Standing before them
was Raphael – the healer. Looking more like a mortal, than an angel, he was
wearing blue jeans and a white cotton polo shirt; his shoulder-length blonde
hair was secured with a leather band.

He took one look at the
girls, and knew he would be busy since some of the burns were made with
hell-fire. Regarded as one of the kindest and most fun-loving of all the
archangels, he couldn’t help be angered by the treatment of such innocent
children.

“Thank you for coming,
Brother,” Gabriel whispered.

“This is Raphael – he
is known as God’s Medicine. He’ll fix you,” Aura said.

One by one she handed
the girls to the archangel. As soon as they were healed, Eve, and Angie, who
was finally composed enough to help, led the children upstairs where bubble
baths were waiting.

None of the children
were older than four years, and since Aura kept all of her childhood clothes,
she was sure they could find something to fit each of them.
  

While the children were
being bathed, Paul and Adam left to buy cheeseburgers, French fries, and
assorted flavored milkshakes. Aura put the vegetable soup in plastic
containers. They could heat it up for lunch the next day.

By the time the
children were bathed and dressed, they were taken to the family room. Since
they would be eating fast food, Aura thought they would be more comfortable
playing video games and watching television as they ate.

When the last child was
healed, Raphael left, but Gabriel stayed behind with Bren and Tracy.

It didn’t take long for
the children to be feel safe in their new surroundings, and Aura almost cried
when she heard them laughing.

Wearing beautiful
dresses, their hair was decorated with satin ribbons.

If she didn’t know
better, she would have never known they had been prisoners until a few hours
ago. But she did know. She couldn’t imagine the suffering they had endured, and
knew others were still there. Eventually, she would find a way to bring them
home too, if they were still alive.

Mortriel wouldn’t
hesitate to take out his anger on the children, especially if they were
angel-bloods.

Bren and Tracy fell
asleep in Gabriel’s arms after dinner. They offered to show him what happened
in Purgatory, but he decided against it. There was no need to remind the little
ones of that hellish place again.

One of the rooms on the
lower level of Aura’s house had been converted to a dormitory, which could hold
several dozen children.

Gabriel placed Bren and
Tracy in one of the beds, and then kissed them goodnight before he returned to
Heaven. Nightlights were situated around the room, and would remain lit.

The other beds were
large enough to sleep three or four comfortably. Paul and Adam pulled them
closer together, while Eve and Angie went home to get their nightgowns. They
decided to spend the night in case some of the children had nightmares.

Gracie insisted on
sleeping with Bren and Tracy. When she crawled in the bed beside them, all
three went to sleep holding hands.

Aura showered, and put
on a cotton camisole and short pajama bottoms before returning to the dorm.

Angie had two girls in
one bed; Eve another pair in bed with her. Aura would sleep with the last two.
As she wrapped her arms around them, she hoped they would have sweet dreams.

She gazed at her sister
and Tracy. They were so grown up.

Rescuing the little
girls was something even the most gifted angels wouldn’t have considered. Yet,
these young angel-bloods never gave it a second thought. Aura couldn’t have
been more proud, but knew there would be repercussions from Lucifer and his
son.

“
Please Father -- give us the strength we need to defeat our enemies.
”
 

She turned out the
light and snuggled next to her tiny friends. As soon as her eyes closed, the
visions started. Everything that happened to those girls in Purgatory played
like a horror movie in her head.

Aura pulled the girls closer, and
cried herself to sleep.