Angelic Sight (10 page)

A thought, a “feeling” tickled the edges of his consciousness. “I’ll be a guardian one day,” Erik said.

Axis nodded. “Yes, I believe you’re right, Erik. You’re definitely displaying the right drive to be one. You will guard over our Levi just as we do.”

Pride swelled Erik’s chest at the thought. He would be one of the  Keepers that Scepta talked about. Marius’s hand squeezed his shoulder in support.

“We need to get inside and see what Levi saw exactly,” Marius murmured. “These visions of his tormentors make me nervous.”

Erik nodded. Yeah. They really shouldn’t stand out in the open

gabbing when there was potential danger on the way.

* * * *

The visions made it impossible to think about even the simplest of things, and Levi found himself lying on the couch and watching the

world spin through different scenes and bits of future.
 
It’s all in the  open now. They probably think I’m a colossal freak
. He groaned as an  image of Judah ghosted up inside him. He was ordering a coffee from  one of the little coffee shops that Levi loved. It was just outside their  housing district. His heart started to pound. Was this happening now?  Was it going to happen?
 
Useless. What is the point of “seeing” things  when I don’t know how to interpret them
?

Keer’s voice cut into his melancholy. “Levi, angel, you want to  come take a bath with me? You look like you’re uncomfortable.”

That’s because I am
. He was sweaty, hot, and miserable. The  never-ending rollercoaster needed to derail so he could think about  something other than the images in his head. It was only after Keer  continued to stare at him did Levi realize he hadn’t spoken aloud.

“Thirsty,” he croaked, struggling to stay in the moment as the  claws of his powers sought to drag him back into the realm of  possibilities and visions.

Keer nodded, his beautiful face filled with concern.
 
He worries so

much. I worry them
. Levi wanted to scream his frustrations to the  heavens. He didn’t want to be a burden anymore! “Sweet angel,  you’re going to stop thinking whatever you’re thinking right now and  just accept that we are going to take care of you forever. You have to  stop being so critical of yourself. This is a power, like any other.  Oracle or not, you’ll learn to cope with it.”

“It’s never going to stop,” Levi said, his voice choked with  emotion. “I’m going to be useless forever.”

“No, Levi,” Keer said. There was a finality to his tone that had  Levi struggling to open his eyes and pay attention. “We are going to  find a way to make everything right.” By the time Levi managed to  open his eyes, Keer had disappeared.

Suddenly he wasn’t in the living room anymore. He wasn’t in any  room anymore. He was floating, falling through the air until he landed  on his ass with a soft thump on a sandy beach.
 
This is different
. The  world wasn’t spinning anymore, but what the hell was going on? Levi

pushed himself to his feet and walked toward the darkening steps that  led up to the pier and the boardwalk beyond. He looked up and saw  the sun as it dipped below the horizon as the waves crashed against  the beach.

Someone can tell me what is going on
. He climbed up the first steps. He made his way onto the empty pier and toward the streetlights that lined the pavement beyond. The air didn’t feel like he was home. He was just in his T-shirt, and it should’ve chilled him, but it didn’t. It was humid and had to be in the midseventies. He looked at

the décor. It looked tropical or something.
 
Where am I
?

A war cry that shook the windows of the closed shops rent the air  and made Levi jump. The world exploded in a fiery display as  buildings lit up with angel fire. Screams filled the night, and Levi  watched in horror as the green pulse of the city, a barrier of some  kind, slowly withered away before disappearing. Dread filled him,  and auras filled with menace flickered into existence in the skies

above the streets. They were here.

Levi took off in the direction of more lights. He had to get  someone, tell someone what was going on. “Help!” he shouted as he  came to a crowded section of street.

The people weren’t paying him any attention. Their eyes were glued to the skies, and a mutual cry of horror circulated among them.  They needed to run. The figures were already descending…

“Levi!” a voice shouted, demanding his attention.
 
No. I have to help them
. Levi pulled against the voice that tugged him backward.  He had to tell them. The screams intensified, and black smoke

blocked out the last rays of light and the awakening stars.

“Levi, come back to me!”
 
Erik
. It was Erik’s voice. He demanded

Levi’s attention, dragging him away from the horror scene in front of him.

He blinked and was back in their living room again. Someone had pressed a wet washcloth to his forehead, and Keer towered above them, the glass of water in his fist shaking. Erik was on his knees

beside the couch, gripping Levi’s arms painfully. He opened his  mouth to tell him to ease the grip, but the space was so dry he felt like  his tongue had become a raisin.

“He’s back,” Erik said, relief sharp in his tone. Keer immediately  handed the other nephilim the water glass, and it was pressed to  Levi’s eager lips. He slurped it down as he tried to make sense of  what he’d seen. The auras of destruction had definitely been hunters.  Another knowing hit him like an unstoppable train.

“Someone is at the door,” Levi whispered. Fear starting rolling in  his gut. It didn’t feel good. The doorbell sounded a split second later,  confirming what he knew.

“Jesus. That is eerie,” Jade murmured, pacing like he usually did  when he was nervous. Levi made a noise of protest as Axis turned and  walked to the front door as the doorbell rang again.

“What is it, angel?” Axis asked, fear etched into his face.
 
I’m  scaring them
. He wanted everything to stop for five minutes. He  couldn’t breathe.

“Don’t open the door,” Levi begged, his eyes closing of their own  accord. Of course, Axis ignored him. Though he did approach the  door cautiously. It didn’t matter what Levi said, this part was  unavoidable. If it didn’t happen now, it would happen worse later. He  struggled to sit up. He wouldn’t face this on his back.

“Easy, lover,” Brax said. He must’ve come when he heard Erik  shouting. All his men were here just like he knew they would be.

Axis opened the door with a flaming dagger clenched in his fist.  The others formed a barrier between the couch and the door, but Levi

could “see” exactly what was on the front steps.

“Judah,” he whispered. The name of his torturer, his nightmare,  played over his lips and burned like acid. Fanatical hate had been  twisted into madness so calm and warped at the same time.

“Hello, gents,” the hunter greeted. He was just as handsome as  Levi remembered. His wickedness was only further emphasized by  the contrast. The hunter peeked his head around Axis’s broad

shoulders. “Ah, there is my sweet treasure.” A demented smile  formed on his face. “I missed you.”

Levi was going to vomit.
 
If he touches me, I’ll rip this whole  house down
. He let his aura sink into the foundation of the house and

out into the surrounding city. He could bury all of it if he wanted. The  ground bucked under his control, eager to do as he asked.
 
Unmake the  city. I can unmake it
. He could reach back and rip the town from  existence.

“No, Levi,” Erik whispered, kissing the shell of his ear. “Don’t.  You’re not bad. You don’t make people suffer. You have to be our  angel, remember?”

There was just so much to deal with. First his visions getting  worse, then finding out he was an Oracle, and now this. He didn’t  know how much more he could handle mentally.
 
I’m going to break
.  It would be easy to let himself descend into the world of visions and  be nothing but a vision-producing automaton.

“Levi, stay,” Erik said. Was he reading his mind? “You’re talking  out loud.”

“Oh.” It should’ve frightened him that he couldn’t tell what was in  his head and what was outside of it anymore.

“I have come for my property,” Judah said from the doorway,  completely unconcerned about the dagger clenched tightly in Axis’s  fist. He pointed to Levi and nearly lost his hand for his trouble.

“Don’t you even look at him. It’s you, isn’t it? The one that  scarred him?” Axis asked, his voice a low rumble of menace. Levi

would’ve been afraid if he hadn’t known that Axis would never hurt

him. His guardians, his Elites, would never hurt him.

Judah actually looked flattered. “He’s spoken of me?” It made

Levi sick that he sounded so thrilled about the fact. “Some old friends

told me that the city wouldn’t be here much longer. I came to collect

Levi and take him somewhere safe.”

“No!” Levi yelped, the image burning itself into his mind. He

couldn’t let that happen.

“Azrael will not leave anyone alive, pet. I can’t let you stand here  and burn. I was going to be good and let you live with your  protectors, but they won’t be able to stop this. Come away with me,  now, pet,” Judah said, his voice a low whine.

“He’s not fallen,” Keer said, a confused look on his face. “But

he’s not an angel, either.”

“Damned. I was damned.” Judah giggled. “I’m unforgivable. It’s  the madness, you see? There is no rehab for insanity from torturing a  little nephilim in the heavenly realm.” He pointed his finger at Levi.  “That’s mine. If I protect it, they might forgive me one day.” Their  eyes met, and Levi shrank back. He’d seen that adoring look a few  times right before the angel burned his skin, slicing away the flesh to  create patterns of his own imaginings.

“G–get out!” Levi shouted at him. The hunter took a step forward  only to be shoved violently backward and out of sight by Axis. A low  growl of warning rumbled out of Axis’s chest. Levi caught an  impression of intention. “Don’t,” he whispered. “You can’t. They’ll  take you away.” He saw it. If Axis did what he wanted to do, he’d be  taken from them.

“
The desire to murder doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to do  it, Levi. It’s just a possibility
,” a voice said.

“Who are you?” he asked, looking around the room. He was so  confused about what was and wasn’t reality.

“
A friend. You know Azrael has come to deliver an ultimatum
?”

Levi nodded. He saw that. He also saw war coming. It was funny.  He shouldn’t have been able to stand the presence of this creature  who was speaking to him. It was too pure, too powerful.

“
It is because you are an Oracle and exist in all realms. You can  stand the highest and lowest creatures in the universe from heaven to  hell and back again
.
 
You know that the heavens will soon be at war

once more
?”

Again, Levi nodded. He hadn’t seen it, but he felt the truth in the

question.

“
In two days’ time, you will deliver a prophecy that will alter the  fate of the war and the tragedy that would ensue if it is allowed to  complete its course. For this you will be given the ability to summon  the Powers
.”

“Your name, angel?” Levi asked. He felt like he should do what  he was asked. It was important, a mission handed down from a higher  authority.

There was a brief pause. “
My name is Seraphiel. Don’t tell your  lovers my name nor the task you are given. When the time is right,  you will know whom to deliver your message to
.” Levi felt warmth as  if he was being given an invisible hug. “
And don’t be afraid of the  madness of the one who seeks you. Pity him. Unlike others who may  be redeemed in this conflict, he will never find redemption. Your  Keepers are stronger than his will
.”

“Okay,” Levi said. A calm settled over his nerves. He knew what  the being said was absolutely true. Finally he pinpointed the aura of  the person he was talking to. He gasped. It was blinding in its  intensity and stood just past Axis on the other side of the room. He  wondered why none of his lovers could see it.