The shock stunned Roni straight through to the ends of her limbs. She stood by the kissing trees with her head in full view should anyone look over. But even if her mind had thought to take cover, she could not. The sight before her brooked no argument towards looking away.
At Sister Claudia’s call, the three purple-black creatures, the rifters, floated into the circle. The dark smoke around each one dripped off like melting wax. When the smoke hit the forest floor, it puffed and dissipated — only acting like actual smoke at that final moment. The rifters spread out, one behind each kneeling nun, and simply hovered. No sounds. No sense of sentience. Nothing to suggest thought or intention. Yet Roni’s stomach turned for those ladies.
Sister Claudia stood and joined Sister Mary. “Look behind you. These are angels.”
Sister Susan whipped her head around while Sister Rachel took a more hesitant approach. Both yelped.
“Do not be afraid,” Sister Claudia went on. “These are angels in their true form. Not the fanciful and majestic images painted by human artists over the centuries, but their real, angelic appearance. Revel in their mysterious beauty and know that it is our divine purpose to host these immaculate beings. We will give them human form so that they may perform Heaven’s duties here on Earth.”
Dashing tears from her eyes, Sister Claudia returned to kneel with the others. She bowed her head. “Sister Mary, I beg your forgiveness. There were some moments — after Sister Ashley and I had reopened the conduit — moments where I lost my way. Worse still, after Sister Ashley succumbed to the conduit, I faltered. My faith abandoned me. But only for a moment. I gave voice to my fear and doubt, yet when I saw you on the stairs, I remembered why I had come all this way in my life. It will never happen again. Please, please, forgive me.”
Sister Mary cocked her head to the side and smiled with such benevolence that those kneeling before her leaned back as if under the heavy rays of the sun. But Roni could see that smile, too — a hideous, macabre mask.
“We all seek the day that Heaven can spread across the Earth,” Sister Mary said. “And it is only understandable and human that you would want to hasten the day. But as Sister Ashley demonstrated, the mighty purity of Heaven will destroy us all if allowed to break free. I have known this for decades. So, we must wait.” Spreading her arms to include all the nuns, she went on, “This has always been our divine duty. For centuries, the nuns of the Abbey have kept the conduit stable to ensure our communication with the Angels and to make certain that the great strength of Heaven does not destroy all which we cherish but rather makes it beautiful. We all knew that someday this moment would arrive, when the Angels could leave the conduit and join us. It happened once before — centuries ago, and it led to the schism between Sisters Margaret and Agnes. It happened a second time — more recently, in fact. When it happened to me.”
With gasps that came close to equaling their surprise at seeing the Angels, the nuns murmured to each other as they kept their eyes upon Sister Mary.
“I was quite young. I had only been a nun for a few years. I joined the Abbey, and after only a week, I was brought downstairs to see the conduit, to learn my duties in helping maintain it. Like many of you, I spent my early years with night duty, and it was on the fourth night that an angel came to me. Just like those floating behind you now, this angel slipped out of the conduit and floated before me. Turned out that one of the books the Parallel Society had provided did not do its job properly. And for that, I am so grateful.
“I offered myself to this angel, instinctually understanding that it needed my body as its host, but then it slipped back into the conduit — apparently the faulty book worked a little bit, after all.
“But when the Parallel Society sent Lillian Donaugh and her daughter, everything changed. The angel pulled part of little Maria into the conduit and in doing so, it created an exchange. The angel left Maria behind and it was able to join our world permanently. It came to me right away and has been with me ever since.”
The kneeling nuns gazed up at Sister Mary with pale-faced awe.
“That’s right. I am an angel. And in all the years since I joined with Sister Mary, I have tried to find a safe way to release more of my angelic compatriots. It is why I encouraged Sister Ashley to research our past with the Abbey. I knew she was smart, and she would be able to find the mythic book Sister Agnes stole. Oh, indeed, I knew she would sneak down into the tombs and spend time in the study. I relished the moment when she would figure out how to find and utilize the book down there. Sister Claudia, you’ve asked for forgiveness, but you will not get it. You have no need for it. You have done such marvelous work. You deserve praise.”
“Thank you,” Sister Claudia stuttered.
“The time has arrived. Pray and accept this gift from the Lord. Allow these angels entry, become one with them, so that we may take the next steps into bringing about a more heavenly world.”
Sister Rachel leaned her head back and spread her lips wide. “I am ready.”
“Wonderful. Give yourself to the angel, willingly allow the union. Once we are all angels, we shall return to the conduit what was taken so that it can be stabilized once again.”
“I thought the books stabilized the conduit,” Sister Claudia said.
“It was the child’s essence, not the foolish Parallel Society books. Before Maria gave herself to the conduit, the books were all we had — unreliable at best.”
Sister Susan cleared her throat. “Excuse me, but did not Sister Claudia prove the wait is over? There are three angels here — more than ever before. More than have ever even been seen. Perhaps the time to release the conduit completely has come.”
“Possibly,” Sister Mary said. “If so, all the more reason to stabilize the conduit. We want it to hold together as long as possible so that we can pull in the greatest number of angels. Yes. Good thinking. We must prepare.”
Sister Susan lifted her head back, closed her eyes, and awaited the arrival of her angel. Sister Claudia did the same, and Roni could see the scowl on her face. That nun did not like being shown up — especially by another nun.
Without any signal or word, the three smoky masses floated over the faces of the nuns. As they lowered, appearing to be inhaled, each one of the Sisters gave out a pleasurable moan. Out of context, Roni supposed the joining of Angel and human made a rather sexual sound — even pornographic. But watching it happen filled her with dread.
A four-note sequence chimed from Roni’s phone. The darn thing wanted to be helpful by notifying her that one of her friends had posted a cat picture or perhaps one of the games she played needed an update. The four nuns — now part-Angel — turned in unison to face the tree Roni stood near. They saw her face. They knew she had been watching.
Roni whirled around and darted off into the woods.