The Light of His Sword (13 page)

“My mom and dad, Grandma Vada and Grandpa
Joe got married right out of high school. They grew up together.
Grandpa Joe knew all of Grandma Cora’s children.” Alyssa kissed
Samantha on the cheek and pulled the covers up around her. “Will
you be okay if I go take a shower?”

“Will you leave the door open?” Samantha
asked.

“Yes, Gabe and Grandma are downstairs so
just holler if you need anything before I come back.” Alyssa smiled
and headed for the stairs. “The living room is right at the bottom
of the stairs so they’ll hear you. I’ll only be a few minutes. You
should take this time to relax and think about what you’d like to
do tomorrow. There are so many things to do on the farm. We are
going to have so much fun! Wait until Grandma learns we know how to
can fruit.”

The small bathroom sat partially under the
stairs. Alyssa smiled. Her mother told her they didn’t have indoor
plumbing until she was ten years old. The space under the stairs
was close enough to the outside wall to make installing plumbing
affordable for the family. They’d installed a small toilet under
the stairs and a shower stall in the area that had once been a
closet. The bathroom sink sat outside the bathroom under a mirror
in what had once been a sewing room. Now it served as her
grandmother’s bedroom.

Yellowed pearly rosebud wallpaper lined the
small room. Alyssa took a quick shower and stepped out of the
steamy bathroom wrapped in a large pink towel. She glanced around
the bathroom smiling at the fact that every single towel was pink.
It was then that she realized the new clothes that Cora bought her
were still sitting on the kitchen table. She peeked around the
corner and down the hall toward the living room. She could hear
Cora talking to Gabe and Rafi.

Pulling the towel snuggly around her, she
dashed across the hall into the kitchen and snatched the bag of
clothing off the table. She spun to dash back and nearly jumped out
of her skin as Gabe walked into the room.

Gabe stopped in the doorway and stared at
her, unable to move. His breath caught in his throat. Alyssa’s damp
golden hair hung loosely about her shoulders. He couldn’t help
noticing how the moisture clung to her pale skin. The towel had
slipped down to reveal a hint of her ample cleavage. His eyes
wandered slowly down the length of her admiring her small waist and
shapely legs. Gabe couldn’t help himself. He moved slowly forward
and reached out to brush a strand of damp hair from her cheek.

“Alyssa,” He whispered leaning closer.

Alyssa froze; his touch felt like fire. She
gazed into his eyes. Her lips parted slightly as his hand trailed
down her throat. His fingers traced her collarbone and down her
arm. He took hold of her hand.

Alyssa leaned against him and kissed him
boldly then pushed away and ran from the room. The smell of
perfumed soap snaked up his nostrils as she disappeared back into
the bedroom. Gabe stood silently taking in the scent, imagining the
feel of her soft skin rubbing against his. Her naked form lying
beneath him. Gabe’s head snapped up as he forced himself back to
reality. He shook his head violently forcing the image from his
mind. Indulgence was a waste of time. He couldn’t afford those kind
of thoughts. They were a deadly distraction. He walked slowly to
the small rounded box-like refrigerator and pulled a tray of ice
cubes from the tiny freezer. Popping out a few cubes, he dropped
them into his glass and filled it with water. Turning, he stared at
the bathroom door for only a moment. When he returned to the living
room, Cora was heading up the stairs to check on Samantha. Rafi was
adding another log to the red brick fireplace. He turned and stared
at Gabe. His face was flushed.

“What’s with you?” Rafi asked, “You seem out
of sorts.”

“I’m fine,” Gabe answered sinking into the
lumpy sofa covered by a large multi-colored patchwork quilt.

“She’s very pretty,” Rafi added, nodding
toward the kitchen as if he’d witnessed their encounter. “She's
sad, beautiful, protective of her young daughter and has an abusive
past. It would be easy to get caught up in the role of her
protector.”

“I’m just doing my job. She’s no different
from the others.” Gabe snapped, “Let it go.”

Rafi sat down in the high back chair across
from Gabe and stretched his long legs out before him. He stared at
Gabe’s brooding expression. Gabe ignored him and gazed into the
fire.

Alyssa came in wearing a long pink nightgown
and a fuzzy white robe. She glanced around the room. “Where’s my
grandmother?”

“She went upstairs to check on Samantha.”
Rafi added rising. “Why don’t you sit down and relax for a moment?
Samantha is in good hands.”

Alyssa did as he suggested. There wasn’t
much time to talk at the dinner table. Cora was too busy asking
about their trip to allow Alyssa to ask Rafi any questions. She
wanted to know why he was here. She sat down on the far end of the
sofa and gazed at Rafi careful not to look at Gabe. “How long have
you been helping my grandmother with the farm?”

“I ran into Cora at church a few weeks ago.”
Rafi smiled at her. He could see why Gabe was attracted to her. She
was beautiful. Her small mouth, delicate lips, high cheekbones, big
blue eyes with long lashes and sun blonde hair were irresistible.
He continued, “She was handing out doughnuts in the church
basement. I love doughnuts.” Rafi chuckled and glanced at Gabe, who
continued to gaze at the fire. “When she found out I was an
independent contractor she mentioned a few repairs she needed done.
I was new in town and didn’t have anything urgent on my plate. So I
offered her my services in exchange for room and board.”

Alyssa glanced at Gabe not missing the fact
that he would not look at her. “I’m glad she found someone to help
out.” Alyssa smiled back at Rafi, “How do you know Gabe?”

Rafi smiled and said, “We’ve worked together
in the past, we go way back.”

“How did you two meet?” Alyssa pressed. If
Gabe insisted on ignoring her, she would do the same and pretend
Rafi was the only one in the room.

Rafi chuckled and added, “Wow, that’s a
great question. It seems like we’ve known each other forever. As a
matter of fact, I can’t remember what my life was like before we
met.”

Gabe’s head snapped up. He turned and glared
at Rafi. “We grew up together.” Gabe explained finally turning to
look at Alyssa.

As soon as their eyes met, Alyssa blushed.
She was still reeling from the encounter in the kitchen. Gabe’s
expression softened when he noticed the color rise in her cheeks.
His eyes went to her lips. He could still feel them pressing
against his. He forced his eyes from her and glanced across to find
Rafi studying him intently.

Before Gabe could respond the roar of an
engine came from outside. Rafi sprang up and walked quickly to the
door followed by Gabe. Alyssa rose uncertainly. Rafi and Gabe
disappeared through the door as the sound grew louder. Alyssa ran
to the window and looked through the glass.

A black motorcycle driven by a man dressed
in black leathers wearing a black helmet pulled up the driveway and
stopped in front of the house. Gabe and Rafi rushed down the stairs
as the man climbed off the bike and pulled off his helmet.

Gabe walked up and embraced him roughly.
Rafi followed suit. Alyssa frowned as they laughed and slapped each
other on the back. She pulled back from the window in amazement.
What was going on? Who are these men? How did they know Gabe was
going to be here? Alyssa’s stomach lurched as she realized they now
had three strong men on a farm with two women and a child. She
suddenly felt very helpless. What if Gabe’s intentions were not as
he described? What if they not here to help them, but to hurt
them?

Cora walked down the stairs and glanced out
the still open front door. She smiled softly and turned to head
down the hall. “He’s going to need a good meal.” She said to no one
in particular and disappeared into the kitchen.

Alyssa retreated to the stairs as the new
visitor’s loud, boisterous voice came closer. She was used to Gabe;
he had kind eyes. Rafi was quiet, and his deep voice was soft and
caring. They weren’t threatening. But this new man was completely
different. Alyssa considered rushing up the stairs as they entered,
but she held her ground. This was her grandmother’s house. It was
now her home; she was not going to allow this man to stay if he
didn’t quiet down. He was going to wake up Samantha. His loud voice
would certainly scare her.

“When did you get a bike?” Gabe asked as he
walked through the door.

The stranger was an extremely tall man with
unusually wide shoulders and muscles so large they bulged through
his leather coat prominently. Alyssa was certain his jacket would
explode from the intense pressure. His shoulder length blonde hair
was greasy and wild. He laughed at Gabe’s question and said boldly,
“I met this gal that had a fetish for bikes. She talked me into
trying a Harley on for size and it fit, so I kept it.”

“You always were a sucker for the ladies,
Mike.” Rafi added following them through the door.

Mike stopped just inside the door as he
noticed Alyssa. His entire hulk filled the doorway. He ducked his
head to clear the frame. Her heart raced in fear as his deep green
eyes seemed to penetrate hers.

Gabe stepped around him and said, “Alyssa,
this is my friend Mike. He’s going to be staying with us for a few
days.” Alyssa couldn’t move under Mike’s intense stare. Gabe
glanced from one to the other and added, “It’s been a long day, why
don’t you get some rest Alyssa while we get Mike settled in. We can
talk in the morning.” He stepped between them and motioned toward
the living room.

Mike nodded at her and turned to follow Gabe
into the living room. Alyssa glanced at Rafi and received an
encouraging smile. She glared at the back of all three men’s heads
as they moved to sit down in front of the fire. They certainly
didn’t hesitate to make themselves at home. Her eyes bored into the
side of Gabe’s head as he sat down on the sofa.

Did Gabe just dismiss her? She couldn’t
believe it. Despite the fact that she desperately did want to run
upstairs and hide under the covers, Gabe had no right to order her
around. Who did he think he was? Alyssa took a step down the stairs
then stopped as Cora appeared from the kitchen and handed Mike a
large glass of iced tea. She nearly jumped out of her skin as a
boisterous laugh rang out from the living room. She spun and rushed
up the stairs.

Used to sharing a twin bed with her
daughter. Alyssa climbed into the small bed, pulled Samantha into
her arms and tried to ignore the muffled voices that drifted up the
stairs.

“We’re supposed to be safe here.” She
whispered to the darkness. The loud stranger made her feel anything
but safe. There was an air of danger about him, something she’d
never felt before. Something she found unsettling. There was
comfort in holding her daughter within the safety of her
grandmother’s home. Alyssa forced the foreboding the stranger
brought with him away and closed her eyes. The voices slowly faded
away and exhaustion washed across her petite form. She was asleep
in less than a minute.

********

Cora called the men into the kitchen as she
placed a bowl of chicken and noodles on the table. “Bring that
young man in here for his dinner.”

Mike rose without hesitation and went to sit
at the table as Cora added a bowl of mashed potatoes and a platter
of green beans. Mike said, “Ma’am, this is the best looking meal
I’ve seen in a long time.” He smiled at the elderly woman as she
rushed around placing a plate stacked with slices of bread and a
bowl of honey butter next to him.

She answered, “I’m sure you’ve come a long
way and if your appetite is anything like Rafi’s you’re going to
need dessert. There’s plenty of food for everyone so dig in;
there’s a peach pie in the breadbox.”

Rafi and Gabe sat down at the table and
helped themselves as Mike began to eat. Cora added, “I put some
extra blankets in the barn for bedtime. I’m going to bed unless you
boys need anything else?”

Rafi smiled at her and said, “We are fine,
Cora. Thank you.”

Cora disappeared down the hall; Mike watched
her go, “Nice gal,” Mike said softly, “Does she know?”

Rafi glanced toward the doorway and then
said, “Strangely enough, I think she understands perfectly.”

“And you?” Mike turned his steely gaze on
Gabe.

Gabe met his stare boldly, “The leader has
pursued us aggressively. He’s called on several greater demons for
help. We encountered a group of reptilian demons and a small group
of wraiths. The woman is in denial. She chose to deny Heaven and
Hell to keep her daughter safe from the demons. She has no faith
and refuses to accept the existence of the demons that attacked us.
For what’s it’s worth, her strategy worked, Samantha is still an
innocent child whose eyes are more open to the truth than her
mother’s. Her grandmother secretly told her bible stories.”

“Why is this woman and her child so
important to them? Why are the demons helping this man? They don’t
care about mortal schemes for power. Why has Alyssa remained
unscathed?” Mike’s eyes narrowed.

“Unscathed? She was raped at a young age and
gave birth to her daughter at the age of fifteen; I’d hardly call
that unscathed.” Gabe fought to keep his voice low.

Mike glanced at Rafi then back at Gabe
saying nothing.

Gabe clenched his jaw and explained,
“There’s something about their leader Walton. He reeks of darkness.
Walton believes Alyssa is destined to give birth to a blessed
child. He claims a prophesy dictates this child will be protected
by a divine host in the days before the apocalypse. I think this
prophesy protected Alyssa and Samantha from the demon rituals and
elder abuse that plagued the other children. Walton raped Alyssa
until she got pregnant in an attempt to control the prophesy for
his own purposes.”