CARA
France. Angelorum Sanctuary. Wednesday, May 29, 10:45 PM GMT +1
PANIC GRIPS CARA HARD as she lies blindfolded and immobile on the cold concrete floor, struggling to breathe. A searing pain in her upper back forces her to take shallow breaths, while the rest of her bones ache with dull pain. Lying partially on a downy blanket, soft and warm through her thin clothing, she tries to roll on top of it and away from the cold, hard floor.
A muffled moan escapes her lips through the gag covering her mouth as she comes into full consciousness. She fights against the ties binding her hands and feet, wondering how she’s gotten there. She doesn’t remember. All she remembers is that Simon is in danger.
“Shh, don’t fight. I won’t hurt you,” whispers a voice with a deep, familiar richness. Warm hands gently lift her, until she lies in what feels like the crook of a large muscular arm. Her pain lessens with her shift in position. “I’ll remove the gag, and then the blindfold. Please stay quiet. I promise no harm will come to you.”
She tastes the sweetness of truth in his words. A moment later, his energy hits her foggy brain with a burst of recognition. But how can that be? And then she knows…
He removes the gag. She runs her tongue along her teeth, trying to get rid of the overly dry sensation that fills her mouth.
“Where am I? And how did I get here?” she asks with caution, still blindfolded.
“There’s been an accident. I brought you to safety.” His hand gently tucks a strand of hair behind her ear with the touch of a lover.
She freezes.
His voice grows gruff to stifle the embarrassment she tastes. “Please accept my apology. I know you’re betrothed. You have nothing to fear from me.”
His next declaration comes through as a thought on her telepathic link, his voice shifting to a tone of reverence. “I understand why he loves you so.”
Electricity snaps over her skin, the kind that kick-starts her heart. Confusion grips her, followed by a surge of apprehension as she thinks of Simon. “Why have you been following us? Who are you?” she asks, trying to clear the cobwebs from her head.
“A friend.”
“Will you remove the blindfold?” she asks.
“Again, I apologize. Give me a moment,” he says, and slowly edges up the fabric as she lies in the crook of his arm. She squeezes her eyes shut until it slips up and over her head.
Opening her eyes in tiny slits, she lets them adjust to the dim light. Then she glances up to look into the face of the rogue…
A knock at the door interrupted Cara’s dream, reluctantly rousing her from an exhausted sleep. Her eyes fluttered open with the second soft knock.
If I’d just been able to see his face, she thought as the dream slipped away.
“Just a minute,” Cara yelled and glanced at the clock. Between the jetlag, fighting, healing, and Lucifer’s mystery injection, she was wiped. Some quick math told her they had landed less than an hour ago. So much for feeling refreshed after a quick nap. According to Kai, her body was still fighting Lucifer’s injection. In the meantime, Kai would be in the lab finding out whatever he could.
After the third soft knock, Chloe’s warm body deserted her and headed for the door.
Cara groaned and pressed the heel of her hand into her eye socket to dull the throbbing. Her head felt like it was swaddled in cotton. A wave of dizziness seized her when she stood. Steadying herself on the chair next to the bed, she waited until it passed and then padded over to open the door.
Constantina stood waiting demurely on the other side of the threshold wearing her white High Council robes. Her delicate Grace Kelly–like features were peaceful and glowing.
“Come in.” Cara stifled a yawn with the back of her hand and stepped aside to let Constantina pass.
“I’m sorry to wake you, dear one.” Concern touched Constantina’s delicate brow. “You’re not yet restored from your ordeal. Give me your hands.”
Eyes at half-mast, Cara closed the door and complied without question. Constantina pushed energy like the lapping of ocean waves through Cara’s hands, chasing away the exhaustion. The fog lifted, leaving her mind clear and refreshed.
Better than a pot of coffee, Cara thought, and gave Constantina a hug, hanging on for an extra second. “Thanks for the energy push.”
Constantina squeezed her back and released her. “Kai, Michael, and Simon have fully briefed me on what transpired with Lucifer. We have our best scientists available to help Kai with his diagnosis. Are you feeling well enough to still meet with the Council before our meeting with the others later?”
“I should be fine after a shower,” Cara said after a quick glance at her signature black yoga pants and T-shirt. She raked her hand through her bed head. “Give me fifteen minutes?”
Cara slipped a white guest robe over her clothing in the antechamber leading into the Angelorum Sanctuary. Pastel colored candles burned along a line of wall sconces, filling the room with the fragrance of summer lavender and sage.
“Are you ready?” Constantina’s gaze was warm, her hand poised on the knob of the plain wooden door.
As ready as I’ll ever be. Cara nodded. No longer able to avoid why she was here, tightness gripped her stomach.
Cara entered through the door behind Constantina, their footsteps echoing across the second floor catwalk into the cavernous, high-domed Sanctuary.
High-tech fixtures on the ceiling gave the illusion of natural light shining in from above. In front of them, five levels of bench seating circled the round room—enough to accommodate all three hundred of the Angelorum Watchers.
The seats designated for the High Council were one level down on the opposite wall. Eleven of which were currently occupied. Dressed in glowing white robes, the Council members rose in unison as she and Constantina reached the stairs.
Silently, they led the way to the ground floor.
Cara glanced down at the sand-filled elliptical enclosure, almost four hundred square meters with raised edges. The sight of the Trinity Stones filling the Trinity Pool stole her breath. She’d only seen them once before, with Constantina, after the Tribunal verdict two months ago. Flat, smooth, and triangular, the stones were held together by a gem in the center with a different rune inscribed at each point. Small in size, several of them could fit in the palm of her hand. Each one represented a single Trinity of three souls who, now, or in the future, would play a part in an event that could tip the balance between good and evil.
A kaleidoscope of colors coursed through them as their unintelligible cries rang out to her telepathically, sharing secrets in a language she didn’t understand. Something Constantina had told her came to mind: destroying the Trinity Stones destroys the souls and their destinies.
When Cara reached the ground floor, her eyes were hypnotically drawn to the center of the pool and the usual cluster with her Trinity Stone. Magnetically held together, the cluster contained the secrets of the Twelve.
Hopefully, she’d learn some of their secrets today.
The High Council filed in around the horseshoe-shaped table next to the Trinity Pool and sat with the exception of Angelis and Constantina.
“Welcome, Cara.” Angelis reached out his arms in greeting, pulling her from her thoughts. He smiled and the skin around his warm brown eyes crinkled. An attractive middle-aged man, he looked more like a businessman, with his short brown hair peppered with grey, than the leader of an angelic protectorate. When she’d first met him at the Tribunal, she had expected a wizened old man with a white beard.
Cara smiled as he grasped her shoulders. “Thank you. It’s an honor to be invited into your private Sanctuary.”
Her eyes gravitated to his rounded upper lip, the only anomaly on his face. Like Constantina, as one of the three hundred Angelorum Watchers, Angelis was missing the philtrum over the top of his lip.
Dropping his hands, he pointed to the two empty chairs facing the Council. “Please. Be seated.”
Cara’s gaze swept over the Council. Although she’d seen them during the Tribunal, she’d be in trouble if she had to pick them out of a line-up. They looked only vaguely familiar.
Rather than joining the rest of the High Council, Constantina sat in the seat next to Cara, facing them.
Constantina said a few words in the angelic language to Angelis who nodded and said to Cara, “We’ll speak only in English for your complete understanding.”
“Before we begin, I’d like to introduce to you to the members of the High Council.” He eyed Constantina. “I assume you have knowledge of basic Angelology. Is that a fair assumption?”
Cara blushed, recalling her confession to Constantina that she wasn’t very religious. She swallowed. “I know the basics, but I’d appreciate some additional detail.”
“Ah,” Angelis nodded. “I shall do that.” He paced in front of the others as they sat quietly, waiting for their introductions.
Locking his hands behind his back, he reminded her of a college professor about to teach to a class. “Each Council member belongs to one of the four Choirs of angels, and represents one of the twelve Orders of angels. For the sake of ease, I’ve asked each Council member to sit in hierarchical order.” He smiled, adding, “No pun intended.”
Cara couldn’t help but smile back at his attempt at humor.
Angelis pointed behind him to Cara’s left. “Starting with the First Choir, and the first three Orders. We call them the “invisible ones,” because they embody divine light and wisdom. To the far left sits Sara, representing the Supernels; Christos, representing the Celestials; and Isiah, representing the Illuminations.”
Each nodded a greeting to Cara as their names were called. Although they had different hair color, ranging from light to dark brown, and varied in age, they all had the same eyes: a glowing vivid blue not found in nature.
“Next, we have the Second Choir, and the three angelic Orders of pure contemplation. Seraphina represents the Seraphim. Her role is to keep divinity in order. As much as we encourage her to take another human name, she prefers this one,” Angelis said, turning and softly chiding her.
Seraphina smiled at Cara. “When you’ve lived as long as I have, there’s comfort in the familiar.” She traded a glance with Angelis which led Cara to believe they might be more than friends.
Angelis pointed to the fifth seat. “Judah is our resident Cherubim, his order represents happiness.” Judah, the youngest and most attractive of the Council members, gave Cara a friendly wave. He looked nothing like the iconic chubby child typically seen representing his Order.
Angelis pointed to his empty seat. “I represent the Thrones. We control energies and are responsible for the Flow and all the healing powers you tap into with your gift. On your right, we have the Third Choir. Ciara represents the Dominions. They are responsible for order and connectedness, balancing the spiritual and material worlds for mankind. Next to her we have Ezekiel, representing the Virtues responsible for interconnectedness. I’m sure you’ve heard Constantina mention to you once or twice, ‘there are no coincidences’?”
Cara glanced at Constantina and nodded. How could she forget? Up until now, she hadn’t really thought about how the various angelic Orders influenced their human lives. But it only made sense, didn’t it? She’d never asked Constantina which Order she belonged to, and after that explanation, she was surprised it wasn’t the Virtues.
Pointing further to his left, Angelis continued. “Virgil represents the Powers, our sponsoring Order and the fathers of our Nephilim. Their job is to stop demons from overthrowing the world. They are the angels of birth and death, and also provide our sixth sense as the angels of warning.”
Virgil bowed his head to Cara. She tipped hers back.
Without thinking, Cara’s hand shot up, waiting to be called on.
Angelis stepped aside and motioned for her to speak.
She looked at Virgil. “May I ask a question about the Transporters?”
Gray hair shorn close to his head, Virgil was one of the more elderly members of the Council. “You may,” he said evenly. His eyes were a piercing cornflower blue bordering on purple.
“Are the Transporters part of your Order?”
“Yes, they are.”
She folded her hands nervously in front of her. “Thank you.” For what it was worth, she now knew something more about Jonas. A being of birth and death he’d said…
Virgil’s gaze intensified. “That cannot be your only question, child.”
Cara stared wide-eyed. Um, yeah. Actually it was.
His face softened and he nodded slowly, understanding settling into his features. “Ah. It’s too soon, I see. Think on this: why is it the Transporters hold a special importance for you?”
Like a deer caught in headlights, her heart sank. She didn’t have a clue. To think that she was the one chosen to lead the battle… At times like this, she thought there must surely be someone more capable than she was.
Sensing her discomfort, Virgil replied, “Fret not, young Cara. Always remember: symmetry exists in all things. The answer lies within the combined halves.”
She gave him a wan smile, storing his wisdom for later.
“Thank you, Virgil. Let’s carry on, shall we?” Angelis clapped his hands and turned to Cara’s right. “The fourth and final Choir contains the three Orders considered the angels of the world. Hershel represents the Principalities who oversee global reform, religion, and politics. Next to him is Gabriel, representing the Archangels. They are the ones who govern the affairs of the Messengers and their families, and sometimes take human form to change the tide of human events. They have the ability to funnel energies bidirectionally between Heaven and Earth.”
Angelis pointed to Constantina. “Finally, the Angels, the Guardians of humankind. Their job is divine inspiration and protection.”
Taking his seat in the center of the horseshoe, Angelis said, “Now that we’ve dispensed with the formalities, let’s address the matter at hand.”
The thrum of the Trinity Stones grew louder in the background. Cara scanned their faces again, wondering about the traitor. It saddened her to think one of them had secretly fallen.
“Events have moved slowly over the last two months, but that’s about to change. The Trinity Stones have confirmed more of the Twelve. Constantina will brief you later. In the meantime, the time has come for us to share more details regarding the Prophecy.”
Cara’s heart sped up.
“Since the time of Christ, the Sanctus Angelorum has provided the ballast against the pull of Lucifer and his fallen minions, the Dark Ones. In order to live, the fallen and their demons must prey upon the souls of men. Our job has been to maintain the delicate balance on Earth to ensure their power doesn’t tip the scales too far in one direction. Are you familiar with the Book of Revelations, Cara?”
Cara shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “The Second Coming, Judgment Day… is that what you mean?”
“Yes. That’s the one.” Angelis grinned, a playful twinkle in his eye. “Our predecessors, Semyaza and the Watchers of old, were bound and cast down into the earth under the desert, where they remain, awaiting Judgment Day. I assume you recall the secret text of our existence, the Book of Human Angels? It’s no coincidence that the Dead Sea Scrolls, penned during the same time period, contain the Book of Enoch and the story of the original Watchers. Our book contains an alternate plan, a loophole, if you will, for the Dark Ones… to escape Judgment Day.”
The skin on Cara’s arms tingled and rose in gooseflesh.
Angelis continued. “But they must win the battle you will lead in order to do so.”
Cara’s mouth went bone dry. She raised her hand again and waited for Angelis to acknowledge her. “I have two questions.”
He bobbed his head. “Go on.”
“How are twelve people going to wage a war against the Dark Ones?”
He smiled broadly, clapping his hand on a thin box in front of him that she hadn’t noticed. “With spirit, ingenuity, and a well-hewn plan.”
As long as it’s not “a wing and a prayer,” thought Cara before she managed to ask her second question. “How does defeating us allow them to escape Judgment Day?”
Tapping the box again, he said, “My dear girl, that’s part of the puzzle you and the others must solve. Not only does the Book of Human Angels contain our story, it contains the blueprint of your battle plan. Part of which is in this box.”
Cara eyed the box, dreading the answer before she even asked the question. “Where’s the other part?”
“Hidden… even from us. Your next mission will be to find it.”
She was afraid he’d say that.