Angel's Messiah (15 page)

He turned to face the wall, the blackness of his clothes helping him to blend in as the demons entered the tunnel. The specialists were making a lot of noise, for creatures so used to working silently, as they scrambled back down the tunnel. The demons set off after them, following the noise. The chase was on.

Drake hoped there were no more demons waiting on the surface and held his breath — quite a silly reaction really, it would make no difference either way — as he took the last few steps out into the light of day. He ran swiftly to the cover of the trees, and didn’t look back until he reached the well-disguised door that led to Gorema, his mansion.

12.
Comatose

Drake carried Helena to his chambers and laid her on the bed. He yanked on the bell pull nearest his bed to summon one of the six permanent vampires on staff at Gorema. They never knew when to expect Drake. He would turn up when it pleased him, using any number of entrances, and would leave the same way.

One of the vampires knocked on the bedroom door and entered, bowing.

“Master Drake, sir, so nice to see you again.”

“Argyle, I need wash cloths and cold water.
Quickly man.
”

“Very good, sir. I shall return shortly.”

Argyle bowed and retreated from the room. He was used to unusual requests from his master.

Helena was burning up. Drake had to bring her temperature down. The baby was no longer kicking and moving. If it was too late to save them, everything he had been through was all for naught. There was one other thing he could try in the meantime. Drake didn’t hesitate as he stripped down and climbed onto the bed next to Helena. He unravelled the sheet he’d tied around her body for the journey topside and pulled her into his arms, her back burning his chest.

Argyle returned with a basin of iced water and a number of cloths and towels. He set the basin on the bedside table closest to Drake, and handed him the towels.

The staff knew better than to ask questions. Argyle had seen many things, but nothing like this. His curiosity may have been piqued, yet he knew better than to ask. If his master wished him to know he would tell him.

“Will there be anything else, sir?” Argyle asked.

“I’ll call if I need anything else,” Drake said, waving him away.

Argyle bowed and left the room.

Drake soaked the wash cloths in the icy water and wrung them out before placing one on Helena’s forehead, one on her neck and one on each of her wrists. He wet one of the towels and draped it over her stomach.

Helena’s body continued to tremble for some time. Drake could feel her core temperature slowly falling. Her skin no longer burned to the touch.

“Helena, I can’t send you back to him,” Drake whispered. “He
will
kill you, just as he killed Amy. You should have stayed with me. I love you more than him.”

Helena’s eyes fluttered and Drake lightly stroked her cheek with his fingertips, trying to encourage her to wake.

“Danizriel,” she murmured.

“
No,
” Drake yelled frantically, shaking his head. “He’ll have heard your call and will come. He cannot find you like this. We have to flee.”

He placed his hands under Helena’s body and lifted her. She cried out in pain, yet he could do nothing about it, not if they were to outrun the angel. He struggled to open the door. Behind him he could feel the heat of a bright white flash. Too late, it was too late.

“Drake,” Danny called out. “Where are you going with
my
wife?”

Drake turned around and cradled Helena’s body to him. He could see the angel fire forming in Danizriel’s palm, but couldn’t reach the remaining dagger that was strapped to his arm. He let himself slide to the floor, still cradling Helena.

“Please don’t kill her,” Drake begged, resting his chin on top of her head.

The fire in Danny’s palm went out.

“That wasn’t meant for her,” Danny said, “it was meant for you.”

“I am not responsible for her condition,” Drake said.

“Be that as it may, you endeavoured to hide the fact you had returned with her by coming here,” Danny said.

“I only sought to protect her from
you,
” Drake said with distain.

“Helena
does not
need protecting from me,” Danny scoffed.

“And what of Satan’s spawn?”

“What are you talking about?” Danny asked.

“Are you so blinded by love, Danizriel, that you cannot see what Satan has done to her?”

Danny looked at Helena. Her eyes were closed, so he could not tell if they had changed. Apart from being slightly larger, she seemed the same as when he’d left her in the cottage to seek out Michael.

“Her eyes?” Danny asked.

“
Please,
” Drake sneered. “Her eyes should be the least of your concerns. It’s what’s growing inside of her that I speak of.”

“My daughter?” Danny asked. “What has Satan
done
to her?”

“Your daughter?” Drake seemed mystified. “Helena carries
your
child?”

“Yes.”

Was this the information that Drake felt Danizriel had withheld from him when he first sought his aid?

“Why did you not tell me?”

Danny sighed. “Because I thought you may not go if you knew the truth.”

“Danizriel,” Helena murmured.

Danny dropped to his knees in front of Drake and took Helena’s hand. She cried out in pain and squeezed his hand tightly.

“I’m here, Helena. Drake has brought you back to me.”

“Drake,” Helena whispered.

He squeezed her arm with his hand. “I’m here,” he said.

She reached out with her free hand to touch his cold cheek.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Her back arched in a spasm of pain and she screamed.

“Is it the baby’s time?” Drake asked anxiously.

“Not for another five weeks,” Danny replied.

“But babies have been known to keep their own schedules, have they not?” Drake asked.

“Yes,” Danny sighed, running his hands through his hair. “Let’s get her back on the bed. She won’t be going anywhere.”

Danny helped Drake to stand and watched as he gently laid Helena on his bed. That Drake was clad only in his underwear did not go unnoticed.

“It’s not what you think, Danizriel,” Drake said dryly. “She was in the grip of a fever and was burning up. The baby had stopped moving and I feared I was losing them. I only did what I could to reduce her core temperature.”

Danny looked at the towels and basin of icy water, nodding. He believed what Drake had said.

“What do we do?” Drake asked.

“We wait,” Danny replied. “There’s nothing else we can do.”

They covered Helena’s body with a light blanket and sat on either side of the bed, both of them holding a hand. Danny owed Drake much and allowed him this small thing. Helena would have wanted him to.

“I’m cold,” Helena said, shivering.

Drake gave the bell pull a tug and requested extra blankets.

When the blankets had been heaped on Helena’s body and her shivering subsided, she remained conscious for a time. She cried out in pain every now and then, squeezing the hands that she was holding until bones crunched. Both angel and vampire healed, awaiting the next spasm of pain that would cause her to squeeze again.

“It’s a real bummer not being able to take drugs,” Helena laughed weakly, “or to be able to have an epidural. This pain
sucks.
”

“I can take your pain away,” Danny said. “Let me try.”

Danny placed a hand on Helena’s forehead and a hand on her heart. In reward for his efforts he was thrown across the room in a flash of bright red light, crashing into the hard, stone wall. He lay on the floor for a few moments, waiting for his body to heal the internal damage that had been done.

“
Danny,
” Helena called out.

“He’s all right,” Drake said, laughing, “just taking a moment to catch his breath.”

Danny stood up and walked back to the bed, stretching his arms out and rolling his shoulders as he did so.

“Clearly our daughter feels you should have the full childbirth experience, pain and all.”

“How do you know it’s a girl?” Drake asked.

“I don’t,” Danny replied. “I feel it,” he tapped his heart, “here.”

“Danny,” Helena said. “I have a question, about the afterlife.”

Drake glanced at Danny and both men feared she felt she would not make it through her ordeal. Neither of them could imagine life without her.

“Go on,” Danny said.

“Where will Drake go when he dies?”

Danny sighed, relieved. “Why don’t you ask Drake?”

“I want you to tell me.
You
have to tell me the truth. Drake can lie if he chooses to.”

Danny looked at Drake and Drake shrugged his shoulders. He hadn’t gone through the whole mood swings and hormone ups and downs over the past few months like Danny had. He left it to Danny to tell Helena what fate awaited him.

“Drake will go to hell,” Danny said candidly.

“Danny, I
know
what they do to souls down there. Drake can’t go there. Maybe before, when he was on good terms with Satan, but not now.”

“There’s nothing I can do, Helena,” Danny said.

“Danny, I wouldn’t be
here
if it wasn’t for Drake.”

“Do you think I don’t know that?” Danny said angrily.

Drake gave him a warning glance.

“If this baby is a gift from God, then He should be smiling favourably on Drake for saving the baby’s life. Okay, so Drake may not be entitled to go to the ritziest part of heaven … surely there must be some place for him?”

“It’s not my decision to make, Helena. Perhaps Drake will have the opportunity to plead his case to Saint Peter, if he wishes to enter heaven.”

Helena looked at Drake and smiled.

“You have to try,” she said. “Promise me you’ll try.”

Drake nodded his head.

“
Say it.
”

Drake rolled his eyes. “I promise I’ll try whatever I can to get into
heaven
, if and when the time comes.”

Danny chuckled and Drake sighed. “Is she always like this?”

“She’s been
worse
since the pregnancy,” Danny laughed.

“How can you stand it?” Drake asked.

“Hey guys, I’m right here,” Helena reminded them. “I can hear what you’re saying about me.”

Drake and Danny laughed. Helena squeezed their hands as another contraction took hold.

Danny retrieved one of the wash cloths and wiped her forehead. She was starting to get hot again. They peeled back the layers of blankets until the cool air touched her skin.

“Here we go again,” she said, through gritted teeth.

He body convulsed. A scream was torn from her throat, then all was silent. Her eyes were closed and her body limp.

“This happened before,” Drake said, “When we left hell. I had to carry her most of the way out.”

“This isn’t normal,” Danny said, worry creeping into his voice. “Labour is painful, but she should not be like this, almost comatose.”

Helena’s body continued to convulse over the next several hours and her temperature fluctuated wildly. Her labour did not seem to be progressing well. Danny wondered if he should seek the aid of a mortal obstetrician. He voiced his concerns out loud.

“What do you plan to do with the quack when it’s over?” Drake asked. “They can’t be allowed to return to the mortal world after having helped deliver this baby.”

“What else can I do?” Danny asked helplessly. “I can’t let her die.”

Helena’s body convulsed violently once more, her arms and legs shaking so savagely that the two men lost the grip they had on her hands. Her body rose in the air, a red glow issuing from every pore, until it was so bright that Danny and Drake had to shield their eyes.

A prolonged clap of thunder sounded, shaking the mansion to its foundations. It was loudest in the room in which it originated — Drake’s bedroom. Paintings literally jumped off the walls. Furniture bucked and bounced across the floor, as though trying to find a way to escape the noise. Both Danny and Drake covered their ears with their hands, trying to drown out the roar. Windows shattered outwards, raining glass down to the grounds of Gorema. At its crescendo, all within the walls of the mansion were temporarily deafened. When the thunder stopped, the light was gone … and so was Helena.

The Book of Helena Part II

13.
Gina

I opened my eyes and quickly closed them again. Everything was far too bright. I remembered being in a room with Danny and Drake when the pain started.