Eve of Redemption (57 page)

SARA BLINKED AT the little girl. “Do I know you?”

The girl laughed. “No, but I assure you, you will.”

“Where am I?”

“That’s a long story, one we don’t have time for right now, I’m afraid.”

Sara studied the tiny face. “You don’t talk like a little girl.”

“Funny, your father said the same thing.”

“You know my father?” Sara’s breath caught in her throat. Though she barely remembered the man, the idea of him stirred strong feelings in her.

“Bossy? Pessimistic? Demanding, but all-in-all not a bad guy? Yeah, I know him.” The girl placed a tiny hand in Sara’s. Sara’s awareness shook at the touch as the vastness of the universe opened to her. Then the feeling vanished, leaving a profound loss in its wake. “Sorry about that,” the girl said. “Your human mind would probably turn to tapioca pudding from too much of that.”

“Tapioca pudding? You are a strange little girl. What’s your name?”

The girl paused, as though thinking. “You can call me Red. I’ve grown kind of fond of that name.”

“Okay, Red. Now are you going to tell me where we are and what’s going on?”

Again, the girl smiled. “Well, Sara, we’re in your soul. And we’re about to save your father’s life.”

“My father’s in danger?”

The girl nodded. “He fights for his life even as we speak.”

“Then we have to help him. What’s hurting him?”

“You are, Sara. You’re killing him.”

Sara stared at the girl. “Me? How can I be killing him?”

“He isn’t as far away as you may think. Concentrate on him, seek him with your mind, with your spirit.”

Sara shrugged her shoulders and did as the girl said. She imagined herself closing her eyes but didn’t know if she did or not as she still had no real awareness of herself. Next, she tried to put her father’s face before her. She struggled to even remember what he looked like, her imagination conjuring two different men’s faces. Finally, one face faded, and the other grew more solid, more familiar. She knew this man. It really was him. Sara’s eyes—real or figurative, she wasn’t sure—flashed open, and she recognized the bulging, bluish face that was inches from her own.

“Dad!”

BURKE’S FOGGED MIND heard the word, recognized the sweet voice, and latched onto it. The grip around his throat weakened, then he felt himself crumple to the stone floor. Through blurred vision, he saw Eve stumble across the cavern. Her howls of pain and rage filled the chamber.

“Sara?”

Eve spun toward him. Darkness surrounded her like a massive cloud of swarming gnats. Her huge eyes blazed, but something in her face had changed. “Shut up, human!” she shrieked. “It’s time for you to die.” She stormed toward him, crushing stone to dust beneath her feet.

Burke scuttled backward, scraping the palms of his hands on the rough stone. “Sara, honey, if you can hear me, I love you. I really do.” Burke knew he had never called Sara
honey
in her life, but it felt good now. It felt right.

Again Eve shrieked, this time in pain as the darkness around her grew more agitated.

“Sara,” he continued, “I know you’re in there. Please, honey.” He was sobbing now, unable to control these newfound emotions.

Eve pounded the walls, screamed, and then pounded them again. The light of her power flickered, and her form shimmered, shrinking in on itself before surging back again. As fast as lightning, she spun toward Burke, her eyes flashing fire. With a sharp intake of air, she raised her hands and lashed out.

Burke screamed as the living darkness crashed into him. The warmth of life faded. At the same time, he felt the power of God’s light grow stronger, holding the darkness off just enough.

Kill her.

Burke’s pain-wracked mind nearly missed the subtle words.
Kill her? No, I can’t.

The light of God’s power dulled, just enough for the nerve-piercing pain to sharpen again.

Kill her now.

Burke sank to his knees. The pain was so intense, the power of the light so tempting. He reached for it, claimed it, let it go.
No, I won’t kill my daughter.

Would you sacrifice your immortal soul for her?

Burke trembled with the implication. His immortal soul? After everything he had given, there was still a price? He forced his gaze back to the thing called Eve, the thing that was his daughter. Yes, his mind yelled. Yes, if it saves her, so be it.

Burke sensed a vast sigh.

It is enough.

EVE HATED THE feelings that confused her mind. She growled and lashed out but could not rid herself of them. Something was tearing her apart from the inside, something that was not supposed to be part of her. She turned her attention back to the human, wanting nothing more than to send the puny creature to hell and end this. Hatred and rage flooded her, strengthening her. Still, she felt the cancer growing.

The light of the enemy glowed around the human, stronger than she would have guessed possible. She braced herself for the coming assault. The human screamed—a sound that brought her satisfaction—but did not attack. Eve cocked her head, listening. Around her, some of the weaker spirits writhed, mewling and hissing, but she detected something else, something subtle and quiet. A whisper.

You are loved.

Searing pain stabbed Eve’s chest, setting her heart on fire. She staggered, dizzy and weak. The dark power left her as though a switch had been shut off. The thing that should not be in her shifted, and her vision swam and contorted.

“Daddy?”

Eve groaned and nearly fell. Had that word come from her? More dark spirits flitted about, fleeing her but finding nowhere to escape to. She fell to one knee, shivering and weak. She blinked, struggling to focus her eyes as two feet stepped into her view. She looked up to see a dark silhouette standing over her. The human.
Daddy?
Eve shook her head as strange new feelings flashed through her.

“Please, Sara,” the human said. “Let me love you.”

Eve shrank back as the human knelt before her. She wanted to run, to escape, but her body would not obey her. Her weak hand tried to push the human’s arms away as he reached for her. Then he wrapped them around her, and she melted against him.

BURKE CLOSED HIS eyes as his little girl fell, sobbing, into his arms. Eve was gone. Hot tears flooded down his cheeks, tears of joy he’d never thought would be shed.

He opened his eyes when angry shrieks and a brilliant burst of light filled the cavern. The dark spirits that had been the soul of Eve were sucked to the light before flaring into bright sparks and vanishing, like moths to a bug zapper. When they were all gone, the light flashed so bright that Burke pulled Sara to the ground beneath him, fearing an explosion. He waited, eyes squeezed shut, feeling the trembling of his daughter beneath him, but no explosion came. The light dimmed, and he felt a soft, warm breeze. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked around. It appeared to be early afternoon. A few feet away, gentle waves lapped at the shore of a lake. Turning, he saw the dirt path leading through the trees to where he knew the cabins would be.

Burke smiled. They were home.

S
ara revved the engine on her Harley once more before reluctantly shutting the bike down. Even after all these years, she still loved the bike’s power. For a few moments, she sat there, gazing at the other bikes, most of them Harleys—but not all. Tiny had grown lenient in his older years, taking in believers regardless of what they rode. There were even a few cars in the gang now. Of course, they brought up the rear when the Rebels hit the road. She could still smell smoke from nearly dead campfires in the midmorning air, but otherwise there was little to indicate anyone was around. The camp was silent, and she knew why.

Her father was about to die.

Sara had known this day was coming. The part of her that was Red knew such things, and Sara could not help but be aware of at least some of the thoughts that passed through Red’s vast awareness. Perhaps that had been why she had stayed away so much the past few months. Knowing but being helpless to do anything about it drove her crazy. God had been good to them, though. Even with all the adventures she and her dad had shared, God had allowed him to live to a ripe old age.

Sara sighed. After all those adventures, after so many battles won, the world was no better off. Though technically demon-kind was still confined to the spirit world, it mattered little. The human population practically invited the demons to live vicariously through them, and the demons were more than happy to oblige. Sara saw them everywhere. She was one of the rare few. Most viewed the changes in the world as progress. The vast majority of them were blind to the ugliness of it all.

A presence pulled Sara’s attention to the shadowed edge of the forest where the misty form of her great-grandfather, Caleb Burke, stood. His eyes locked with hers. He smiled and gave her a slight nod. She had been seeing him more and more of late. His presence didn’t really worry her. She knew that Caleb the man was much too old to survive this side of the veil, and his demon was still trapped on the other side. Eve growled, and Sara concentrated, forcing her dark side down. The presence of the evil ones sometimes awoke the part of her that would always be Eve.

Sara shrugged and forced the demons from her mind. She was here for another reason. One of the gang members saw her and hurried to a large canvas tent in the center of the camp. She followed at a much slower pace. She had time. Not much, but enough.