Hades

15 Can You Keep a Secret?

IT took a while but the blinding light finally subsided along with the roaring in our ears.

“It’s safe now,” Gabriel announced. Xavier promptly jumped to his feet, but on seeing the archangel he staggered back until he was pressed against the wall. It was as though he needed it for support. But a moment later he drew himself up, stood tall, and confronted the figure before him without flinching or turning away.

Angelic beauty usually proved too much for humans to handle, but Xavier had some experience under his belt. I saw that he seemed to be holding his breath as though his lungs couldn’t, or wouldn’t, work properly. Something as automatic as breathing had been rendered superfluous in the face of such majesty. Molly had a slightly more dramatic reaction; her eyes widened until I thought they would pop right out of their sockets and her hands fell limp by her sides. Then she let out a strange, strangled gasp and collapsed to her knees, back arched and torso pulled toward Michael as if by some invisible chain. She stared for a moment longer, before her eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped down in a dead faint. Michael tilted his head and observed her calmly.

“Humans,” he said eventually in a voice that called to mind a hundred church choirs singing in perfect unison. “They have a tendency to overreact.”

“Brother.” Gabriel stepped forward. Even in his perfect human form he seemed dwarfed by Michael’s splendor. “I am glad you have come.”

“It is a dire situation that has arisen here,” Michael replied. “One of our own has been captured. Such a transgression must be addressed.”

“We are exploring every possibility, but as you know, the gateways to Hell are heavily guarded,” Gabriel said. “Has the Covenant got any idea how to break through?”

“Even we are not privy to such information. Only the demons that slither beneath us could know the answer to that question.”

Upon hearing that Xavier’s anger seemed to override his awe and he stepped forward. “Gather an army,” he snapped. “You’re powerful enough to do it. Break in and get her out. How hard can it be?”

“What you propose is certainly within our power,” Michael answered.

“Then what are you waiting for?”

Michael’s eyes slid over to rest on Xavier’s face. It was frightening to watch, he seemed to be made up of lots of different parts that were not connected but still functioned as a whole. His eyes, for one, were fathomless and completely devoid of emotion. I didn’t like the way he looked at Xavier, like a specimen, rather than a human being.

“The human appears to think nothing of bringing about the Apocalypse,” he said.

“Do not blame him,” Gabriel answered quickly. “He does not understand the consequences of an ambush and he has strong emotional ties to Bethany.”

Michael’s slippery, disconnected gaze lingered on Xavier. “So I hear. Human emotion is an irrational force.”

Xavier scowled and I knew he resented being spoken about like a stubborn child, incapable of seeing things from a logical perspective.

“I wasn’t aware it would result in the Apocalypse,” he said drily. “That would be an unfortunate side effect.”

Michael raised one delicate, glowing eyebrow at the sarcasm in Xavier’s tone. Ivy, who had not spoken a word thus far, hurried to Xavier’s side, an outward declaration of her support.

“What are the Covenant’s instructions?” she asked.

“We have located a source which may be of assistance,” Michael replied distantly. “Her name is Sister Mary Clare. You will find her in the Abbey of Mary Immaculate in Fairhope County, Tennessee.”

“How will that help us?” Xavier demanded.

“This is all we can offer for now — we wish you luck.” Michael turned toward Xavier. “A word of advice, you would be well advised to develop temperance if you want to be a leader among men.”

“I have one more question,” Xavier said, ignoring the censuring looks directed at him by Ivy and Gabriel.

“Yes?” Michael said slowly.

“Do you think Beth is okay?”

Michael looked at Xavier with an odd expression. There weren’t many humans I could think of who would directly address a member of the Arch, let alone detain him with questions.

“The demon went to much trouble to get her there. Rest assured he would not have done so if he did not value her life.”

Michael folded his arms loosely across his chest, bowed his head, and with a flash of blinding light and a crack like thunder, he was gone. I thought he’d leave destruction in his wake, but after the light he left behind waned, I saw that the room had been restored to its original state, apart from a charred ring on the floor where the angel had landed. With Michael gone everyone looked visibly relieved and breathed more easily. Although Michael was batting for our team, his formidable presence had made it impossible to relax. Gabriel stepped around the coffee table to lift Molly into his arms and deposit her gently onto the sofa. Ivy went to get a wet cloth for her forehead. Molly’s mouth was open from the shock, but her breathing had returned to normal. Gabriel placed two fingers on the inside of her wrist to check her pulse. Once he was convinced she would revive, he moved away and ran his fingers through his hair as he pondered Michael’s counsel.

“A nun?” Xavier asked softly. “How can she help? What could she tell us that the Covenant can’t?”

“If Michael has directed us to her, there must be a reason,” Gabriel replied. “Humans are more connected to the underworld than we can ever be. Demons make it their life’s work to tempt those on earth, especially those who think their faith is unbreakable. It is sport to them. It’s possible that this Sister Mary Clare has encountered dark forces. We must find her and see what she knows.”

Ivy stood straight and resolute. “I guess that means we’re going to Tennessee.”

By this time, I was getting sleepy. Too much had happened, most of it stressful. Spending so much time outside my physical dimension was having a strange effect. I wanted to feel my body again, resume the form of flesh, and curl up under the covers; but I forced myself to stick around until Molly woke up. I wanted to see how she would cope with what she’d just witnessed. Would Ivy and Gabriel be forced to tell her the truth? Would she even remember the visit from the glorious stranger or would they get away with telling her she’d slipped and hit her head?

My siblings had disappeared to hastily gather a few belongings for the trip and Xavier was left to watch over Molly. He sat opposite her on one of the deep sofas, lost in his own thoughts, occasionally glancing across to check on her. I watched him sigh wearily and get up to drape a throw across her shoulders. His display of care and attention, even after their recent altercation, was touching and made me long for him even more. Xavier wasn’t one to hold a grudge. To protect those more vulnerable was ingrained in him. It was one of the things I loved most about him.

Molly moaned and raised a hand to her head. Now that she was waking up, Xavier was fully alert. He stood up carefully, keeping his distance, not wanting to alarm her. Molly’s eyelids fluttered open and she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

“What the hell?” she murmured softly, pushing herself up and blinking groggily. Her face drained of color when her eyes fell on the spot where Michael had been standing. I could almost see the moment when the memory replayed in her mind. Her shock reflected clearly on her face and her jaw dropped again.

“How are you feeling?” Xavier asked tentatively.

“Okay, I guess. What just happened?”

“You passed out,” he answered truthfully. “Must be from the stress. I’m sorry for losing it before, I don’t want to fight with you.”

Molly stared at him. “You have to tell me what happened,” she said. “Even with my eyes shut, I could still see the light ….”

Xavier’s eyes didn’t betray the slightest hint of his emotions. He surveyed Molly coolly. “Maybe you need to see a doctor. Sounds like you might have a concussion.”

Molly sat bolt upright then and glared at him. “Don’t play dumb with me,” she snapped. “I know what I saw.”

“Really?” Xavier said calmly. “And what might that be?”

“A man,” Molly began tentatively and then reconsidered. “At least I think that’s what he was; a really big, really bright man. He was all wet with light and his voice sounded like a hundred voices and he had wings — huge wings like an eagle!”

The look Xavier gave Molly would have made even the surest witness doubt their sanity. He pressed his lips together, raised his eyebrows slightly, and drew back a fraction as if Molly were certifiably insane. He was a better actor than I’d given him credit for. But Molly was not taken in.

“Don’t look at me like that!” she cried. “You saw him too, I know you did.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Xavier said bluntly.

“There was an angel standing right there,” Molly gestured wildly at the place where Michael had stood. “I saw him! You can’t trick me into thinking I’m going crazy.”

Xavier gave up. He’d been standing with his arms folded across his chest, wearing an expression of disbelief. Suddenly he just looked exasperated.

“Gabriel,” he called out. “You better get in here.”

A moment later, my brother was standing in the doorway.

“Molly, welcome back. How do you feel?”

“Why don’t you tell Gabriel what you saw?” Xavier cut in. Molly looked doubtful for a moment. She mightn’t care what Xavier thought of her, but she certainly cared about Gabriel’s opinion and didn’t want to risk him thinking she was unstable. But her doubt was momentary and vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

“I saw an angel,” she said with conviction. “I don’t know why he came or what he said, but I know he was here.”

Gabriel maintained a thoughtful silence. He neither challenged nor acknowledged her story. Instead, he watched Molly with a slight crinkling of his marble brow. Although it would have been hard to tell by looking at his composed face I knew Gabe was thinking about damage control. Molly’s discovery spelled disaster for my family. They had been loath to let one human in on the secret and only relented because they had no choice. I’d revealed my true self to Xavier without consulting them. Now two people knowing the truth in a town as small as Venus Cove could pose real problems. But what could they do? Molly had seen Michael with her own two eyes.

I wished I could have been there at that moment to comfort my brother who was facing his own internal struggle. I circled Gabriel in my wraithlike form and tried to transmit my support. I wanted him to know I was behind him whatever decision he made. It wasn’t his fault, although I knew he would assume responsibility. Michael had appeared without any forewarning and there had been no time to shield Molly. When the archangels were on a mission, they did not make allowances for human frailty. They served God single-mindedly, delivering His word and His will to those on earth. When Lot’s wife had disobeyed their command several thousand years ago, they’d reduced her to a pillar of salt without hesitation. They carried out their mission with fierce determination, obliterating all that stood in their path. Molly had posed no threat to Michael and he had overlooked her, leaving Gabriel to deal with the fallout. I wondered if like me, my brother was changing. Living among human beings made it difficult to maintain divine neutrality. Gabriel was loyal to the Kingdom, but he had seen proof of Xavier’s commitment to me and he knew the depth of our attachment. I knew he would never break his allegiance to the Holy Seven, to his rank of archangels, but he seemed different than when we’d first arrived in Venus Cove. Then he had been a representative of the Lord, watching the world go by with a detached, measured outlook. Now he seemed to truly want to understand its workings.

Gabriel began to pace, and before I knew it, he’d walked right through me. He stopped abruptly and I knew by the look in his eyes he’d picked up a vibration in the air. I longed for him to tell the others he could sense my presence, but I knew my brother and how his mind worked. There was no point in telling Xavier and Molly I was there. They couldn’t see or touch or speak to me in any way. It would only make things harder for them. Gabriel’s face returned to normal and he crossed to where Molly was sitting and settled on the arm of the sofa beside her. She instinctively gravitated toward him, but Gabriel made no move to touch her.

“Are you sure you can handle the truth?” he asked. “Please keep in mind that it may affect you for the rest of your life.” Molly nodded mutely and kept her eyes fixed on his. “Very well then — what you saw was indeed an angel. In fact, it was the Archangel Michael. He came to offer help so you have nothing to fear.”

“You mean he was real?” she whispered, seeming hypnotized by the idea. “Angels are real?”

“As real as you are.”

Molly frowned as she considered the astounding information Gabriel was offering her. “Why am I the only one who’s freaking out?”

Gabriel drew a deep breath and I could see vacillation in his eyes, but he’d gone too far to back out now. “Michael is my brother,” he said softly. “We are one and the same.”

“But you …,” Molly began. “You aren’t … how can that … I don’t understand.” Her own lack of comprehension was flustering her.

“Listen, Molly. Do you remember when you were young and your parents told you the story of Christmas?”

“Of course,” Molly stumbled. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“Do you remember the story of the Annunciation? Can you tell me about it?”

“I … I think so,” Molly stuttered. “An angel appeared to the Virgin Mary in Nazareth bringing news that she was going to have a child and name him Jesus and he would be the Son of God.”

“Very good,” said my brother approvingly. He leaned in closer to her. “Now, Molly, can you also remember that angel’s name?”

“His name?” Molly looked confused. “He didn’t have one. Oh, wait, yes he did. It was … he was … the angel”—she drew a sharp intake of breath and looked like she might be on the brink of passing out again—“the Angel Gabriel.”

“That would be me,” my brother said almost unassumingly.

“Don’t worry, it took me a while to get my head around it,” Xavier added. Molly barely heard him. She was still gaping wordlessly at Gabriel. “Gabriel, Ivy, and Beth are all angels,” Xavier added. “A whole other world exists around us that most of us are never aware of.”

“I need to know that you understand,” Gabriel pressed Molly. “If this is too much for you, I can ask Ivy to wipe your memory. If you are going to be a part of this you need to be clearheaded. We are not the only supernatural creatures here. There are beings out there darker than you can imagine and they’ve taken Beth. If we’re going to get her back, we need to be united.”

“It’s okay, Molly,” said Xavier, reading the fear in her face. “Gabriel and Ivy won’t let anything happen to you. Besides, it’s not us the demons are interested in.” That got Molly’s attention.

“What do you mean demons!” she shrieked, leaping off the sofa. “Nobody said anything about demons!”

Gabriel looked across at Xavier and shook his head in disapproval. “This isn’t working,” he decided. “I think we need Ivy.”

“No, wait,” Molly jumped in. “I’m sorry, I just need a minute. I want to help you. Who did you say has taken Beth?”

“She was abducted on Halloween by a demon who has been here before,” Gabriel said. “We think he was invited back by your séance. You may remember him as Jake Thorn. He attended Bryce Hamilton briefly last year.”

“The Australian guy?” Molly asked, scrunching up her face as she tried to tap into the memories that Ivy had deleted from her mind like files from a computer.

“British,” Xavier corrected.

“Believe me, he’s someone you never want to cross paths with,” Gabriel said.

“Oh my God,” Molly groaned. “Beth was right about the séance. Why didn’t I listen to her? This is all my fault.”

“There is no point in blaming yourself,” Gabriel said. “It won’t help us get her back. We need to focus now.”

“Okay, what do I need to do?” Molly asked bravely.

“We’re leaving for Tennessee in a few hours,” Gabriel said.

“You just need to stay here and not breathe a word of this to anyone.”

“Hold up.” Molly rose to her feet. “You’re not leaving without me.”

“Oh, yes, we are,” Xavier said and I could see the animosity between them flare up again.

“It would be safer for you to stay behind,” Gabriel said emphatically.

“No,” Molly insisted. “You can’t drop a bombshell like that and then leave me behind to stress over it.”

“We can’t wait,” Gabriel said. “You would need to talk to your parents, notify the school ….”

“Who gives a stuff about school?” Molly said. “Hello? I ditch all the time.” She pulled her cell phone from the back pocket of her jeans. “I’ll tell Mom I’m staying at Tara’s for a few days.”

Before anyone could stop her, Molly was punching in numbers and ducking into the kitchen. I heard her spouting a familiar story about Tara having broken up with her boyfriend, being a mess, and needing her friends around her.

“This is a really bad idea,” Xavier said. “I mean it’s Molly we’re talking about. She’s the biggest gossip in town. How is she going to keep this to herself?”

But I trusted my brother’s judgment completely. While I was worried about Molly being involved I knew that she could be levelheaded when she needed to be.

Ivy didn’t appear to share my opinion and for the first time I witnessed real dissent between her and Gabriel. A door slammed somewhere in the hall and suddenly she was in the room with us wearing an expression like thunder. She threw down the two duffel bags she’d packed. Her ice blue eyes kept flickering toward the kitchen and back to Gabriel. The stress of the situation seemed to have brought out a new side of Ivy. My gentle, patient sister was fading fast and in her place was a soldier of the Kingdom, a seraphim preparing for battle. I knew that seraphim rarely got angry, it took a lot to invoke their wrath. Ivy’s behavior told me that perhaps my capture meant more than I realized.

“This is a serious breach of the rules,” Ivy said darkly, turning to Gabriel. “We can’t afford any more setbacks.”

“What rules?” Xavier asked. “There don’t seem to be any.”

“Demons have never targeted us before,” my sister replied. “They go after humans in order to spite Heaven. But this time they’ve taken one of our own knowing we must retaliate. Unless that’s exactly what they want us to do … in which case they’re trying to start a war.” Her gaze fell on Molly. “It’s not safe for her.”

“Like I said,” Gabriel replied. “I don’t think we have a choice anymore.”

“Just because Molly and Bethany are school friends does not mean we can simply abandon normal procedure.”

“There is nothing normal about this situation,” Gabriel snapped. “The Covenant is clearly not concerned about another human knowing our identity. If they were, Michael would have timed his arrival more carefully. You may be right in thinking something much bigger is going on here.”

Ivy remained skeptical. “If I’m right, think of what we’ll be facing. She’s a liability.”

“She’s very insistent. I can’t reason with her.”

“She is an adolescent girl and you are an arch,” Ivy said bitterly. “You’ve had to deal with much worse in your time.”

My brother simply shrugged his shoulders. “We need all the allies we can get.” Ivy scowled and pointed a finger at him.

“Fine, but I assume no responsibility for her. She is yours.”

“Why are you wasting time arguing about Molly?” Xavier burst out. “Don’t we have bigger things to worry about? Like getting on the road and finding this nun?”

“Xavier’s right,” Gabriel said. “We must put our differences aside and deal with the present. I only hope we get there before it’s too late.”

As soon as he’d spoken the words, Gabriel seemed to regret them. A pained expression crossed his face while Xavier’s flushed with emotion.

“You sound like you’ve given up already.”

“I didn’t say that,” Gabriel replied. “This is a unique situation. We don’t know what we’re dealing with. The only angels that ever see the inside of Hell are those that go there of their own volition, the foolish ones that are blinded by pride and turn against Our Father, choosing to follow Lucifer.”

“What are you saying?” Xavier said. There was indignation in his tone. “You think Beth did this on purpose? She didn’t choose this, Gabriel! Have you forgotten that I was there?”

I could have kicked my brother at that moment. Did he really believe I had chosen a path of darkness?

Ivy crossed the room in a flash and placed a hand on Gabriel’s back. “What we’re trying to say is that Jake shouldn’t have been able to drag an angel into Hell. Either Bethany went willingly or we are on the verge of Armageddon.”