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Shay
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My Friday morning started like any other. I lay in bed, thinking about last night’s events and wondering what they might mean for me.
Zoe.
I knew she was the Redeemer. I felt the solid truth of that in my bones and in my heart. And I loved her. There wasn’t anything anyone could tell me that would change my mind about her. We’d somehow overcome the fact that she could never be with me. She was an Eternal. I was a Natural. We would always be fighting against the powers that be that said we couldn’t be together. We’d find a way. Over the years I grew to admire her. But when we finally met, I realized I loved Zoe. And I would stand by her until the day I died.
What I’d watched her become last night had been awe-inspiring. When the purple Angel Light had poured from her into me, something inside me broke. From that moment I knew that I’d follow her anywhere.
A quiet knock pulled me out of my daydream.
“Son? Are you awake?” Gabriel asked through the closed door.
I groaned in response.
“The Archangels need you to come with them today,” he told me.
“Does Kieran know?”
Gabriel opened the door. “Yes, he’s aware of the situation. He’ll take care of Zoe.”
I sat up. I needed to be the one to protect Zoe, not Kieran. “But—”
“You are one of the warriors of Heaven, Shay. You must do your duty. Kieran and the others will protect her.”
“I understand.” Rolling out of bed, I grabbed black jeans and a T-shirt from the floor, sniffed them just to be sure it didn’t smell too disgusting, and then dressed. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”
I was always startled by the appearance of my father, of his glorious gray wings, and the unearthly feel that washed over me whenever he was nearby. I got my blond hair from him, and I suspected my silver-colored wings were from him, too. But to this day, I hadn’t figured out where my aqua eyes had come from. My mother’s dark brown eyes and his blue ones could never produce the color of the ocean. Then again, I couldn’t say never. Maybe that was just what God wanted for me.
Sighing, I laced up my combat boots and left the room. Down in the kitchen, Gabriel stood with his back to me, talking with Michael.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“We have a lead on a Seraph Sword,” Michael said. “So grab some food and weapons, then we’ll go.”
On the table lay a map of Florida, specifically the Orlando area. I didn’t want to go to Florida seeking out a sword. I wanted to be with Zoe, looking after her. But being a Nephilim was my duty; her being soul mate came second. I headed to the fridge and flung it open, letting my emotions get the better of me. Michael and Gabriel glanced at me with eyebrows raised, but I shrugged off their stares. Both of them knew what I was feeling anyway.
“Do I have time to make breakfast, or are we in a hurry?” I grumbled.
“Here, let me.” Gabriel waved his hand over the table, producing scrambled eggs, bacon, and a stack of buttered toast. “There you go.”
“Thanks.”
I shoveled food into my mouth, all the while listening to Michael and Gabriel. They said to take my time, but I knew that was code for “hurry up.” I grabbed some jerky off the counter and stuffed it into my jean pockets before I left the kitchen. I walked down the hallway and pressed my palm against the code reader. An invisible Triquetra symbol become visible and glowed on the wall, and a door appeared.
The walls of the room were lined with racks of weapons. Guns, ammo cartridges, and swords of varying lengths were stacked high on the shelves. I selected two holsters, crisscrossed them on my chest, and took two .45s from the display. I placed a couple dozen clips into my pants and jacket pockets, tucked them into the waistband of my jeans, and slid some into the custom-designed side pockets of my boots. Before leaving the room, I grabbed a dagger and strapped it onto my boot. When I thought of my blessed Nephilim Sword, it appeared in my hand, along with its scabbard. I sheathed it across my back.
“Are you stocked with supplies?” Gabriel asked when I emerged. “If you need anything else, one of the Archangels will get it for you. I’m not sure how long we’ll be gone. I’ve already taken care of notifying the school of your absence.”
“Okay. Let’s go. You can tell me the plan on the way.”
Gabriel laid a hand on my shoulder, white Angel Light glowed, and we disappeared from Kieran’s house. I was vaguely surprised when we landed outside the gates of Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Michael appeared by my side, and all three of us opted to remain unseen.
“So the word is one of the Seraphs hid their sword here, in plain view,” Gabriel said, “but we don’t know if that’s true or not.” He frowned, obviously disapproving. “I’m not sure why an angel would leave their sword lying around. I would’ve kept it with me, like the Nephilim do.”
“This is a good cover, though.” I meandered through the crowd, careful not to bump into anyone. When I was invisible, I couldn’t touch people. They’d feel me—unlike the angels, who could pass right through people. “Tons of people, lots of Disney stories, which often have a sword as a character’s accessory, and it’s the happiest place on earth. Demons would never think to come here.”
“Where should we start to look?” Michael asked.
“Let’s split up so we can cover more ground,” Gabriel suggested. He pointed to the carousel. “We’ll meet back there in an hour. Shay, don’t go off to the different parks. We need to stay together.”
“Fine. Do either of you sense any demons around?”
Both closed their eyes, then opened them and shook their heads.
“And if we run into any Marqs?”
“Point taken. You and I will look over there,” Gabriel said. One of them had to stay with me since I couldn’t produce an entryway into the Void. He pointed to the right. “Michael, you search the other way.”
Michael’s blue wings sprang from his back, and he glided into the sky. When the coast was relatively clear, Gabriel took his hand off my shoulder and became visible. My jaw dropped, and I had to fight back laughter.
“What? Is this not appropriate attire?”
He wore jeans and a red Mickey Mouse sweatshirt, with a camera strapped around his neck. I looked around and realized everyone was decked out in mouse-themed clothes. Since I was dressed in all black, I stuck out. But I was not about to wear mouse ears.
“Come on. We have a lot of ground to cover if you’re going to look like that.” I waved him forward, chuckling.
We glanced in every souvenir store, bathroom, and food cart, but didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. We definitely didn’t find any swords, play or real that could’ve been a Seraph’s Sword. Gabriel and I even rode every ride in the section, so we could honestly say we’d cleared it. Michael met us at the designated time and place, and he hadn’t found anything on the left side of the park either. Together, we searched the middle area and found a few swords outside of Gaston’s Tavern, inside Peter Pan’s ride, and in the pirate section of Peter Pan’s merchandise store, but none were angelic in the least.
Zoe would’ve loved it here since she was a huge Disney fan; Tangled was her all-time favorite movie. I was tempted to text her, to ask where other swords might be in this make-believe world. Then my eye caught a flash of light and someone grunted. When I focused on the source, I realized people were taking pictures in front of an anvil ... with a sword protruding from the center. The Sword and the Stone. I should’ve known!
We ran to the line and waited, but it didn’t take long. Gabriel must’ve used his Persuasion because people started leaving. Michael ran his hand over the sword, but nothing happened. He bent down and inspected it while Gabriel shot picture after picture, playing the part of an avid tourist. Every once in a while, he’d show me a photo. Some were close-ups and some were farther away.
“This isn’t it.” Michael shrugged, looking disappointed. “I guess this whole trip was a bust.”
“We had to track down every lead,” Gabriel said. “And you never know. This could’ve been—”
A gut-wrenching scream filled the air. Our heads turned in the direction of the shriek, hearing shouts and chaos coming from there as well. A crowd ran from the same area, bumping into each other as they fled whatever it was.
Gabriel became invisible as his gray wings extended, and he and Michael flew to the spot while I barreled through the panicked throng of people. When I arrived, Michael had already created the Void’s passageway, and Gabriel was backing the DKs into the Void’s edge. I scouted the area, highly suspicious. Where there are knights, Marqs usually followed.
A dark shadow passed by a tree.
“The wall has to be extended!” I shouted above the pandemonium. “Over there.”
I pointed toward where I’d seen a dark trail and Michael nodded. He stretched the outer wall to encompass the Marqs, who grew out of the grassy location, but soon there were more black-robed Marqs rising from the lawn than Michael and Gabriel could fight.
I had my hands full with controlling the Ordinaries still lingering in the area and managing the DKs. Thankfully, the humans couldn’t see what was happening. As soon as the last human was outside the Void boarder, I unleashed my true power. One hand gripped my Nephilim Sword, cutting and slashing at the demons, while my other hand shot the gun. The DKs were easy targets, especially with my enhanced human reflexes. With one hand on the gun, I fired round after round while knights fell to the ground like dominos. Then using my sword, I cut off the fallen knights’ heads and sent them back to Hell. I reloaded until I was down to my last clip.
But the demons kept coming. I didn’t have time to look to see how Michael and Gabriel were holding up. Both were experienced Archangels and could easily handle three or four Marqs, but there were way more than that. We’d soon be outnumbered.
Colored rays streamed down from the sky, and relief settled over me. More Archangels were on their way to help us, which meant Michael or Gabriel had sent a distress signal. Brightly colored wings dropped from the sky, renewing my energy in the fight. I couldn’t kill a Marq, but I sure as hell could try. No way the wolves should get all the fun.
The last DK fell, and I sliced off its head. I turned toward the nearest Marq and lifted my sword when I was yanked from behind. My feet shot out but didn’t connect with anything.
A wave of sadness washed over me.
Zoe doesn’t love you.
Thoughts of hopelessness crept into my mind.
You can’t win this battle; you’re nothing.
I shook my head, trying to clear away my doubts, but they bombarded me.
How could she possibly love you when she could have a Guardian angel? You’re nothing but an Ordinary with enhanced skills. Eventually you’ll die, leaving your soul mate, who will go on and live forever. Without you.
Grief rocked me to the core. Suddenly weak, my arm lowered, and I dropped my sword to the ground. More Marqs surrounded me, touching my chest and head, while others grabbed my arms, legs, and clothes. Blackness enveloped me, and ribbons of darkness surrounded my mind and heart. One last surge of power flashed briefly in my mind. They won’t take me without a fight!
But they did.