An Angel's Ascent (36 page)

Aries picked up the conversation from here.

“
I’ll stay with Angel and Nanna inside the monastery, downstairs. We’ve been working on having beds, eating-places, and other things ready when the time comes. You're jobs will be to get everyone inside and downstairs. Make sure everyone is accounted for. That’ll be Switch and now Raven’s job. This week I want all loose ends tied up. Let’s prepare for this. Next week anything not done has to be finished, and we’ll have to reinforce the huts and anything that would not make it through gale force winds and heavy rains. That way if she goes into labor we’ll be ready. By the end of the two weeks, I want the orphans downstairs as well as their supplies. If they are there a few days they’ll be fine, at least their safe. I don't want one of them left behind. Sephina will be in Lillian’s care, which I’m leaving in Thomas and Cross’s care. If those two are not below when this happens, then something's wrong. We’ll have to work together to get this done. These next two weeks will be harder than all of them combined. I don't want all our hard work wasted. Sen, your job is to make sure things run smoothly, that there’s no panic. I think you can figure out what that means.”

Aries authoritative voice provoked the men some, but they knew he was right.

“
We want to make sure that two people are not doing the same job and people get hurt. And as for the boats we need to make sure they are anchored and sealed tight and in the cove. We can’t control what happens to them, but there is a cliff south of the island through the jungle, it docks with a cave and will block a majority of the elements. Thorn your job is to find the cave and make sure that all the boats are there by the end of the week. All medical supplies and food must be downstairs before the thirty-first of December.

“
I realize Christmas is next week, and it's cold. The children are expecting something so we figured we would put off Christmas until the thirty-first and celebrate it then. We’ll tell the people that we are not ready, and plan to have everyone group in the caves. A storm is coming in, and we want the holidays safe, as well as give them something to do while we’re all down there.”

Everyone agreed to this. I could see the men working out minor details.

“
When each of your jobs are done text Switch or me and let us know,” Aries said sitting back.

Sen offered some last minute advice.

Everyone seemed to know what to do and had no more to say.

“
Alright, Angel will be resting. When she goes into labor, we believe she’ll experience the last change. When all is said and done, she’ll be completely immortal. When everyone is downstairs and ready I want two men at each exit ready for anything. We don't know where these gates will appear, so we have to be ready to defend everyone. In the event that the island is lost, we have a backup plan. It hurts me to say this, but Angel and I have spoken to some of the others.

“
Our main concern is Angel and Kali when she is born. We’ll take to ships and load them with certain individuals. The first boat will consist of Angel, Kali, Switch, Nanna, Lady Kara, Sen, Raven, and I. The second will be the rest of you and as many orphans as possible. Of course if we can save any of the others we should do so. These people must survive. We have spoken to Frank. He’ll have a third, and possibly fourth ship ready if need be, with the Lykan’s. He’ll take as many of the others as he can, but if it comes to this we feel that most will not be saved,” Aries told everyone.

“
This is unlikely to happen, and Kali has said everything will be safe. It’s just back up planning of course. We hope that things go smoothly. We suggest anything you cannot live without or will need within a week, such as weapons, you should store in the caves before the two weeks are up,” Angel informed them all.

“
You act as if you know for sure that two weeks is all we have,” Thorn said.

“
No, not really, but if I had to guess based on everything I’d say absolutely,” Angel told him.

They concluded the meeting and each returned to their huts as it was getting late. The band members would begin their jobs after feeding.

Frank had solved another problem when reaching the island. It seemed that the werewolves drank blood in their animal forms, and if triggered would need some. He had found a private medical corporation that would supply bagged blood for a price.

The band could survive on it, as well. So Frank bought the entire shipment and kept it in the fridge. There was enough to keep them alive for years if they conserved the supply. Frank would receive a last shipment in three days. He had bought out the entire east coast under different names. Some he had shipped to the doctor back home and then here.

Unfortunately, the band could only drink positive, so the negative was left for the wolves.

We’d thought of every contingency. We couldn’t allow the wolves and vamps to go into a frenzy with all the innocents down in the caves. We needed more blood, in the event of some emergency, as well. I spoke to the band, and they thought my idea was a great one.

I went in search of Frank hoping he could solve my problem before the shipment arrived.

“
I was thinking that even with all the blood we have stored, we might not have enough. I know we have medical supplies, but I think we should get in extra equipment and start having people donate. We have a limited way to check the blood to see if it's clean, but I can make it mandatory before the time comes that everyone is checked. For those who have clean blood, ask them to donate as often as it is safe. After the apocalypse, I mean. That way we can keep the stock up. The band said they could use diseased blood if they had to, it wouldn’t hurt them.”

“
My clan is still human. They have to have clean blood. I see where you are going with this, and I agree. It couldn’t hurt at least. I’ll call and have them send additional supplies as well as some kind of storage container, something that doesn’t waste much space.

I thanked him and returned to my hut. Sephina was there practicing with Nanna. I listened for some time before I went to lie down.

I wasn’t exactly tired, but more restless. I now knew the time was close. It was merely days away and I had been impatient, hating the waiting. Now that it was here, even with how close I had gotten to the child inside of me, I was in no rush.

I had felt Kali kick, move, and grow inside of me for some time now. I’d experienced most of the same symptoms as most pregnant mothers, and was beginning to feel the bond that they spoke of.

Aries felt a little held back, unsure of how to react, and feel. He’d never be as close to her as me; I felt. Kali and I had shared the same body spiritually, for twenty-one years as of the first, and eight months physically. It was hard to imagine her in a childlike way, as a baby… Yet she would be this I knew. As childlike as a reincarnated goddess could be I presumed.

My nightmare woke me violently, my breathing rapid, my heart pounding relentlessly, and sweat covering me lightly. I was crying, sobs being torn madly from my chest, burning a hole in its wake.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Aries was at my side almost before I was awake. He held me gently and smoothed my hair back away from my face. He seemed scared by my nightmare, almost as much as me, even though he had not experienced it. The dead faces of the people here on the island burning, or in heaps of mangled, twisted body parts.

Aries had fought valiantly beside the others only to fall, as well. The uber demon from some unimaginable, hellish realm had nearly won. I had lost so many because I’d allowed him to run me through with a swordlike weapon. It was some kind of metallic blade in the shape of flames, sharper than a brand new, unused razor blade. I stood there in my leather attire staring, terror stricken at what had just happened.

I glanced up at the seven-foot tall foul thing before me in burnt flesh, his red, amber glowing eyes piercing me to the core. His talons reaching for me as his wings slowly spread. A smell of rotten flesh engulfed me, knocking me to my knees, while a single tear wavered precariously on my bruised eyelid. Time slowed almost to a standstill; the tear silently making its way down my cheek as the master demon mocked my weak, insignificant attempts to slay him.

My bloody trembling hands reached for the offensive thing spearing me, of their own accord. My eyes followed to see the destruction that has become of my immortal body. Wings flapping drew my attention elsewhere. Some kind of beautiful angel had appeared. His long, black, silky hair flowed into black feathery wings upon his back. And his sky blue eyes pierced my slowing heart. I knew this man. I’d seen him many times and had not known him as I did now. I had walked with death all my life.

This creature before me was the angel of death. He had come to carry the dead, the ones I was supposed to protect, home. I would surely go to hell for this. I had not tried hard enough, because I had done something wrong and would now reap the consequences. God Almighty would never allow me into heaven; my actions had barred me. I was a killer, a slayer of not only evil, but man, as well. We had fought so hard only to lose because of me. Kali was nowhere in sight. Had I lost her, as well?

The angel walked to me while everything else stayed in some kind of slow motion. He squatted beside me, smiling at me.

“
You are not through yet tiny one,” his voice gentle and soothing, calling me to him.

“
I have lost against this thing…” I spoke, my words breaking upon each syllable as blood poured from my mouth and dripped down my chin to my chest.

“
Not yet. Do not give up just yet. You are much stronger than you think. You have so much left to fight with. You do not die this day…” He said, his hand descending to the blackish blade protruding from my chest. As he reached for it, I felt it tremble, still buried to the hilt within me. I looked up, my head falling back, into the blood red, cloudy sky. I screamed for death to take me as he pulled the weapon from me and stood beside me. I looked once more at my mangled chest, seeing my shredded ribs and flesh. How could I still fight?

“
Stand warrior. Do not let this monstrous being defeat you.”

“
I can’t… need help… please… don't take them,” I begged from the heavenly being standing before me.

“
I cannot do this. I am a being who does not take sides. My job is only to aid in the journey of the deceased ones. I am not allowed to take you. I am not allowed to defend you, nor defeat this loathsome thing. Your job is to battle and win. Your job is to defeat him and defend these people of yours. Even my Master cannot help you anymore. He gave you the tools to win, and you must do so. He will not lose another realm to these things. He has lost so much, given more than he should. Only you can do this as no other has before you.” His musical yet haunting voice echoed within my mind.

“
Even if I… do this… I can’t bring them back!” I screamed in return.

“
Not all are meant to live. Kali will shine her light on those who shall, and they will walk once more among you're land, if you can stop this. She will not allow her people to suffer or be enslaved to this race for food or entertainment. You will win this and many, many more. It is far from over. The gates have been destroyed, and there is no going back.”

I screamed in frustration, tasting my own coppery salty tears, which had turned to red. Despite the pain, I stood as he commanded. I looked into the beast’s eyes and took his own sword from the angel of death. I held it high as time restored itself; the angel now gone with more than half of the dead. Not even death could stop me it seemed.

The uber demon growled in frustration and denial that I was not groveling or dying, his fanglike teeth gnashing madly together, brownish saliva dripping from its jaws. He raised his arm to strike me down swifter than my eyes could follow. My own hand was reaching far back, as well. It seemed impossible to match or even beat his speed.

As his massive arm came down my arm with his sword came up and blocked, the sharp side towards him. It sliced cleanly through, lopping his arm off at the elbow, if it was mad before it was now furious, blinded by it, in fact.

Humans could not beat his race. Thousands of years, thousands of these battles had proven as much. How could I, such a tiny elfin creature do so?

His other arm came down, the sword I held countered it, as well. I called forth lightening to aid me. My strength nearly gone, I had one more thing I could do because even armless it was still deadly. Its wings battered at my face, proving this, ripping my cheek open.

I called forth earth begging it to obey, to open up and have lightening knock it into the crevice. My strength now depleted I dropped back to my knees as it tumbled down into the blackened abyss.

My job was not done. I had to find Kali, wherever she had gone. Without her, all of this was pointless. I had to find my child and have her heal the rest that lay beside me, their souls watching me, urging me to get up to save them. Only Aries understood how hard it was, and didn’t judge me, didn’t push me to fight more.

Raven smiled even as she saw the destruction surrounding me. She too knew I’d in time save her, the others begging silently. I had no energy left, not even enough to heal myself. I would have to take theirs, consuming their energy into myself. Who to choose among them all? I had to end their existence to save the others. Who deserved to live or die? I couldn’t choose my friends over the others, or vice versa. The Undead Ones came forth and knelt before me their heads bowed, all but Aries. I shook my head fiercely I couldn’t lose them. They had all come to mean so much to me. They were here to help me fight these things.