The Light of His Sword (19 page)

Vi’ati’s sword sprang to
life as a black fire engulfed it. He sprang into the air closing
the distance between them. Vi’ati’s massive curved blade came down
as he landed in front of Gabe. Gabe dodged the blow. He spun and
punched Vi’ati square in the face with the hilt of his blade.
Vi’ati fell back faltering for only a moment. Their swords flashed
in the darkness. The white fire of Gabe’s blade exploded each time
it struck Vi’ati’s dark flame.

Alyssa began to climb
through the rubble above her, desperate see the battle. She thrust
her head and shoulders above the debris in time to see Vi’ati lash
out. His sword sliced the fabric across Gabe’s abdomen. Gabe
staggered back as blood rushed from the gaping wound. Ignoring the
pain, he growled at Vi’ati’s evil smirk and charged.

Gabe arched his blade high
then swung low. He thrust his blade toward Vi’ati’s mid-section and
was rewarded as the blade sank into his flesh. Vi’ati snarled and
reached out with his free hand. He grabbed the front of Gabe’s
shirt. Ignoring the blade as it drove deeper into his side Vi’ati
pulled Gabe closer.

Vi’ati spat through
clenched teeth, “I will have Alyssa this night. When I have
finished, I will force Samantha to watch as my demons eat the flesh
from her mother. When Alyssa screams for the mercy of death, I will
allow Samantha to kill her. Then she will become my new
pet.”

Gabe pulled his sword
free. He shoved Vi’ati from him. Vi’ati’s laughter filled the
clearing enraging Gabe. Gabe advanced on Vi’ati with renewed
aggression. Vi’ati’s smile faltered as Gabe’s blade severed his
free arm at the elbow. Harder and harder Gabe pounded into Vi’ati
with his blade.

Vi’ati kicked out hitting
Gabe in the stomach, forcing him back. Gabe gasped for air as fresh
blood flowed from his wound. Vi’ati leapt high in the air. Swinging
his blade wide, he bore down on Gabe. Gabe spun below him catching
Vi’ati’s sword at the hilt with the tip of his blade. Vi’ati
screamed in rage as two fingers fell to the ground. Vi’ati hit the
ground hard. Gabe’s sword quickly found it’s home in Vi’ati’s
chest.

Vi’ati dropped to one
knee. He fell backward as Gabe pulled his sword free.

“I am not finished,”
Vi’ati snarled.

Gabe stepped forward, “I
am.” He answered as he severed Vi’ati’s head.

The demon horde slithered back into the
shadows of the trees as the fallen angel’s life slipped from him.
Gabe staggered back toward the chapel clutching his stomach and
dragging his sword behind him. Mike strode forward to meet him.
Rafi climbed down inside the chapel to check on Cora and the
children. Alyssa struggled to reach the top of the debris, jumped
down to the grass and ran toward Gabe.

Gabe collapsed in Mike’s arms. Mike lifted
him easily and spun to head back to the chapel. Alyssa rushed up to
them. “No! Please don’t let him die.”

Mike frowned, annoyed by her outburst. “If
you want to help him, go see if Rafi is done with Cora and the
children.”

Alyssa turned and ran back to the chapel
screaming Rafi’s name. She climbed up the side of the debris as
Cora appeared out of the rubble. “Grandma!” She gasped in surprise
pulling her up on top of the debris. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” She said slightly out of breath from
the climb. She turned around and reached down as Rafi lifted
Samantha up to her.

Alyssa reached down and helped pull Samantha
up then lowered her down to the grass as Rafi climbed up with Cody
clinging to his back.

“Rafi, Gabe needs you!” Alyssa said quickly
moving back to him.

She stopped to stare at Cody, who was
wide-awake and smiling. Rafi jumped down from the rubble and placed
Cody on his feet then reached up to help Cora down. He offered
Alyssa his hand and helped her jump down. Mike gently placed Gabe
on the ground at Rafi’s feet.

Alyssa knelt beside Gabe cradling his head
as Rafi placed his hand on Gabe’s stomach.

“Get your icy hands off of my gut,” Gabe
managed a weak growl.

“Shut up,” Rafi chided with a smile. “You
almost managed to spill your guts all over the clearing. Another
centimeter and the battle would have ended much sooner.”

Mike leaned over Gabe and said, “You did
well. That was Sarkus. He’s very powerful. He’ll have quite a chip
on his shoulder now. You’ll have to contend with him again one
day.”

Gabe’s smile grew at Mike’s praise. “Does
this mean that in the future, we will discuss the battle plan
before it begins? So Rafi and I can have a larger role?”

Mike chuckled, “Are you accusing me of
hogging all the action?”

Gabe smiled and looked up at Alyssa’s tear
filled eyes. He reached out and touched her cheek. “Rafi’s touch
heals quickly. I’m already out of danger.”

Alyssa kissed him softly on the cheek. He
reached up, pulled her face to him and kissed her gently. Turning,
he sat up and pulled her against him. Rafi glanced at Mike whose
face filled with a grimace. He turned and walked away.

“I don’t care if you’re an archangel.”
Alyssa whispered, “I won’t let you leave me.”

Gabe smiled softly, “I wish it was that
simple.”

Rafi looked down at them and offered Gabe
his hand. “We’ve got work to do.” He said pulling Gabe to his feet.
“Are you up to it?”

Gabe helped Alyssa to her feet and said,
“I’m not going to miss this.”

Mike called to them from the edge of the
field. “Gabe, you’re with me. Rafi get the women and children back
to the house.”

“Where are you going?” Alyssa asked
anxiously.

“The compound,” Gabe flashed a wicked
smile.

Alyssa watched in awe as Gabe’s massive
wings lifted him off the ground. Gabe and Mike flew high toward the
clouds and disappeared into the darkness.

Rafi touched her shoulder and said, “Let’s
get everyone to the house. Cody is doing much better. I can finally
heal the knife wound in his leg.”

“Knife wound?” Alyssa asked following
him.

“When Cody had a choke hold your baby girl
she pulled a knife out of her pocket and jabbed it into Cody’s leg.
It saved her life.” Rafi chuckled slowing his pace so Alyssa could
catch up.

Alyssa frowned at him then turned to look at
Samantha. She was sitting on Cora’s lap talking to Cody. “How did
she get a knife?”

Rafi shrugged his shoulders and said,
“Mike’s taken quite a shine to her. He tends to be protective of
those he cares about.”

“So Mike, the high and mighty leader of the
archangels, took it upon himself to give my little girl a weapon
without consulting me first.” Alyssa snapped. “You do realize he’s
out of control?”

Rafi’s boisterous laughter filled the
clearing. “That’s what makes Mike so incredible. He’s always on the
edge; you never know whether he’s going to laugh or reign down
total destruction.”

“I don’t think there’s anything funny about
that.” Alyssa mumbled.

********

Gabe landed softly outside the gates of the
compound beside Mike. Mike lifted his hand out in front of him. The
gates exploded inward as the fence on either side collapsed. A pack
of Rottweiler’s burst through the doors of the largest building.
The dogs raced toward them snarling and barking. Gabe stepped
forward and spread his arms wide as the dogs neared. They
immediately slowed and lowered their heads submissively. Gabe
slapped his thigh, and they trotted playfully toward him.

“Good dogs,” Gabe said softly then pointed
over to his right and said, “Sit!”

The dogs trotted quietly over to the mangled
remnants of the gate and sat down.

As quickly as their wings appeared, they
vanished, sliding back beneath their shirts. Gabe and Mike headed
for the sanctuary. The gathering hall was dark. No one rushed to
stop them or bar their way as the entered. Moving across the open
area inside the hall they opened a large black door and headed down
into the sanctuary. The basement smelled of incense and death.

Mike and Gabe stood at the
top of the stairs. Pulling their swords free they gazed down at the
circle of elders dressed in hooded black robes. The sanctuary was
nothing more than a large cement room bearin
g cryptic runes painted in blood across the walls. Walls
lined with dog cages just big enough to hold a small child. A large
onyx altar stood in the center. The altar held no runes or designs
of any kind. They walked slowly down the creaking wooden stairs.
The elders ignored them and continued to pray in a foul tongue that
caused a fury to build inside Mike and Gabe.

Mike broke into the circle
shoving the elders aside. He strode directly to the altar. He
raised his sword high and slammed the hilt of his blade down at the
altars center. The altar exploded in a burst of black fire and
collapsed into rubble. The elders held their ground silenced by
Mike's deed. Each slowly pulled a shotgun from the folds of their
robe and pointed it at Mike.

Gabe walked into the
circle to stand next to Mike. He whispered softly to the elders.
“There is no need to fear us, we are your destiny.” He gazed at
their hatred filled faces and added, “Fear
eternity.”
 

The archangels exploded in
a fury of white light as their swords struck down the elders before
a single shot rang out. The walls ran red with the blood of divine
justice as Gabe stepped over the disembodied corpses and moved
toward the stairs.

Mike followed trailing his
hand along the stair rail. It burst into flames at his touch. Fire
crept up the stairs in his wake. It followed them across the main
room of the gathering hall.
The flames quickly engulfed the
hall as they headed toward the smaller buildings to it’s right.

Lights flashed to life inside the nearest
building. A woman appeared at the door. Gabe stood to one side
allowing her to see the broken gates and said, “The compound is
closing, please gather the women and children together quickly and
wait by the front gates. Don’t be afraid.”

They turned and walked back through the
broken gates as sirens echoed in the distance.

********

Samantha refused to go upstairs to bed.
Alyssa leaned back on the sofa as Samantha curled up on her lap.
Cody climbed up beside her, leaned against her and yawned. Cora
turned the television to a children’s movie as Rafi built a fire.
Alyssa glanced at his back now void of wings and wondered how they
stayed hidden until needed.

Cora turned to Alyssa and said, “I’m going
to make some sandwiches for everyone. I don’t think we’ll get much
sleep tonight.”

Alyssa smiled at Cora; the woman seemed to
have a never-ending supply of energy. She was always in movement,
cleaning, cooking or cuddling. Rafi turned from the fire and
watched Cora walk into the kitchen. “She’s a gem.” He said softly
glancing at Alyssa.

Alyssa kissed the top of Samantha’s head as
she dozed off and gazed up at him, “She’s so much like my
mother.”

“You’ve got a safe place here Samantha.”
Rafi said leaning against the mantle and glancing down at his blood
soaked clothing. “You can make a good life here. The kind of life
that can help erase the past. A life Samantha can grow and thrive
within. The people here are kind and helpful. If you allow them,
they will become good friends. You don’t have to be alone
anymore.”

Alyssa locked eyes with Rafi and asked,
“What if Gabe decides to stay with me?”

Rafi answered, “It’s too dangerous, not only
for him, but for you as well.”

“Why?”

Moving to kneel before her, Rafi took her
hands in his, “You could be targeted. Manipulating an archangel to
fall would be a great victory for the enemy. It could change the
course of our path toward Satan’s destruction. Unlike us, Satan
refuses to accept his approaching fate. He’s always looking for a
way to change the future. What if your love for Gabe gave him that
opportunity, an opportunity that never should have happened? An
opportunity that could delay the end of days and allow evil to
extend it’s time on earth. Such an event would cause millions of
people to suffer needlessly and die before their time. The chance
to add another fallen archangel to Satan’s entourage would be an
overwhelming temptation for him. An archangel has not fallen since
the Great War.”

Rafi squeezed her hands and added, “Mike may
be our greatest warrior, but Gabe has the strongest will among us.
Where Mike is wild and ferocious in the face of evil, Gabe is the
voice of calm reason. Gabe is more than just a divine champion;
he’s a guide, a mentor to us all, angel and humans alike. If he
were to fall, his failure would be catastrophic. He can’t… we can’t
afford to allow him to take that risk. Alyssa, you have to let him
go. You need to concentrate on Samantha and your grandmother. Give
your life to them, to your future children. Listen to Cora’s
guidance and find mortal love. You cannot ask Gabe to stay.”

********

Mike and Gabe flew high over the forest
surrounding Cora’s farm. There was no sign of any demonic activity.
Mike touched down in the small meadow where they faced the demon
that possessed Cody. Gabe landed softly beside him.

Mike walked slowly across the meadow until
he reached the edge of the ravine at the far end. He turned toward
Gabe and waited as he followed, coming to stand beside him. Gabe
gazed into the dark hollow and listened to the sounds of crickets
calling out to the night.

Mike followed his gaze into the darkness,
“This battle is only the beginning.”

Gabe nodded, “We knew this day would
come.”

Mike turned to face him. “It’s important
that we tread slowly and carefully. We must be more vigilant than
ever before in the choices that we make.”