Confronting the Fallen (25 page)

“
Whoops,
sorry Chris,” Jacob said with a smile.

“
No
prob, Jake. I see you got the third degree before me,” Chris
said and rolled his eyes. Jacob shook his head.

“
Nothing
as bad as that, Chris. Judge Hawkes just talked me through it. Then
he prescribed more battle training. I'm glad of that. Hopefully next
time, I'll do better.”

“
You
did just fine, Jake,” Chris said. Jacob shrugged and gave a
little wave before he left. Chris walked into the office.

“
I
know she's elusive. We trained her well. But I want to know where she
is at all times. Yes, yes, that's fine. Just do your best. That is
all I ask.”

The
judge was on the phone and waved Chris to a seat as he entered.

“
Any
time. If I'm not available, the front desk will pass on any
information you have. Fine. Good-bye.”

Judge
Hawkes clicked off his phone and slipped it into a pocket. He looked
at Chris.

“
I'm
trying to keep track of Angelica. Since I'm reasonably sure that she
was responsible for last night's attack, it has become imperative for
us to pay closer attention to her movements.” He folded his
hands in front of him and smiled at Chris.

“
Now,
you've had some time to think about the events of last evening. What
are your thoughts?”

Chris
went through the fight in his head. “Well, once Sariel got
involved, it didn't last very long,” he said.

The
judge chuckled. “That's true, but hardly surprising. He is,
after all, one of the most powerful beings in Creation.”

“
Yeah,
I know, sir, but...he said that we'd need to find the pieces of his
sword for me to access all of his power. He seems tough enough right
now.”

The
judge looked thoughtful. “Yes, he does, doesn't he? But even
though that wraith was powerful compared to others we have faced, it
was a minor angel at best. Our enemy was using the attack to assess
our strengths, and to see if we did indeed have a new recruit for our
cause. How he will react when he learns his minion was destroyed is
anyone's guess.”

“
You
mean he doesn't know?” Chris was surprised. He thought that the
Devil would know everything his creatures were doing.

“
I
doubt it, Christopher. He may aspire to climb the heights, but Satan
isn't God. He's not omnipotent by any means,” The judge became
still for a moment and Chris noticed that he was looking at the ring
on Chris' finger.

“
So
you finally put it on, did you?” The man didn't sound
surprised.

“
Well,
I didn't have much choice, sir,” Chris said defensively,
although he wasn't sure why he felt that way.

“
You
didn't? Why not, young man?” The judge sounded sincerely
curious.

“
Why
not? But you saw the fight on the monitor, didn't you?” At the
judge's nod, Chris continued. “Then you saw why. Janariel was
losing. The guards and the dogs couldn't hurt that monster, so it was
up to me. And the only way to access Sariel's powers was to put on
this damned ring.” He waved his hand in the air; the ring
gleaming on his middle finger.

“
Was
it up to you?” Judge Hawkes stared soberly at Chris. “Why
was it up to you?”

Chris
wondered if the judge had suddenly become thick. Wasn't it obvious?
“Because the house was locked down. No one was coming to help
us. So it was either get Sariel to help or watch Jacob and Janariel
die.”

“
Nonsense,”
the judge said firmly. “Utter hogwash.”

Chris
stared at him. “What? I mean...what?” He was totally
confused.

“
Do
you seriously think that we would have simply let Jacob be killed by
that creature? As soon as it was apparent that he was weakening,
Tyler and several of the others headed for the front door to rush to
his aid. They only stopped when you entered the fray. Jacob was never
in any real danger.”

“
But,
that's not what Sariel said,” Chris said lamely.

“
Yes,
I'm sure. He tricked you into putting that ring on, Christopher.
Don't you see that?”

Chris
stared at the judge for a long moment and then smiled a bit
cynically. “Yes, of course I do,” he answered dryly.

The
judge looked totally caught off guard by Chris' reply. “Wait a
moment. You know that he tricked you, or rather that he tried to
trick you into using the ring?” At Chris' nod, the judge seemed
flabbergasted. “But you put it on anyway?”

“
Yeah,
I did.”

“
But
why, Christopher? He's using you. And you obviously know that.”
The judge sounded completely mystified by Chris' reaction and Chris
had to smile. He'd never seen the man caught so flat-footed before.

“
Everyone
uses everyone, your honor. You must know that by now, with everything
you've seen as a judge.”

The
judge didn't answer for the longest time. He had the strangest look
in his eyes as he watched Chris. Then he sat back in his chair.

“
What
happened to you out there, Christopher?” he asked quietly. “On
the streets? You aren't even fourteen yet. For someone of your age to
make that kind of statement is...” He didn't finished the
sentence. He simply looked baffled.

Chris
struggled for an answer. He wanted to be clear. The judge had been so
good to him that he felt he owed him an honest reply. He rested his
chin on his palm and started to speak slowly, considering each word.

“
I'm
wounded, your honor.” He glanced quickly at the scars on his
free hand. “Wounded in body, in mind and, I guess, in spirit.
When you look at me, you see a kid, a teenager. But I don't think
I've been a kid for a long time now. I've done what I had to do, to
survive. I've lied, cheated, even stolen a few things. I've done some
things that I will never talk about, ever.” He looked squarely
into Judge Hawkes' eyes. “You asked me why I put on the ring?
Because Sariel and me are the same. Except that he's been wounded for
so long, I can't even imagine it. Cast out for doing the right thing.
Maimed and broken by those he loved. Despised by Heaven and by Hell.
We're the same. So, I put on the ring. Because this is his one chance
at redemption. If we win this war, God will let him come home.”
He paused a moment. “No. God will let
us
come home. And home is where I want to be. So that's it.”

The
room was quiet. Chris had looked away from the judge and stared out
of the window, listening to some bird singing that sounded more
beautiful than music. But as the silence stretched on, he looked back
in time to see Judge Hawkes blinking back tears.

“
I
think I understand now, Christopher. Thank you for your honesty.”
He took a deep breath and seemed to settle himself down. His tone
became brisk. “The power that Sariel wielded worked well
against the wraith, but there are bigger and nastier opponents out
there; opponents that won't be deterred even by the light of Heaven.
So I think we should try to find the three pieces of the sword that
Sariel said he left broken on Earth.”

Chris
felt a rush of excitement. “Do you know where they are, sir?”
he asked eagerly.

“
No,
I don't. But I think that the shrine my ancestor discovered years
ago, the one with the picture of Sariel, might hold some clues. At
least it might point us in the right direction.”

“
Yeah,
that makes sense. So when can we leave?”

The
judge chuckled. “Patience, my young friend. I will have to make
some arrangements first. The site is some distance from civilization
and so an expedition will have to be set up. I'll get some people on
it and let you know how things are going as we progress.”

Swallowing
his disappointment, Chris simply nodded his acceptance.

“
Now,
tell me about last night, from the moment you saw the wraith.”

Chris
talked the judge through the battle, short as it had been. He
mentioned his weakness after the fight in passing and was surprised
at how much importance the judge seemed to place on it.

“
How
long did this dizziness last, Christopher?” the man asked
sharply.

Chris
shrugged. “A few seconds, I guess. Why, is it important?”

“
I
think so. Sariel has to draw his energy from somewhere when he is
fighting. Apparently he draws it directly from you, as do the other
angels. But he is so much more powerful that the energy drain is more
intense. That could be dangerous in a prolonged fight.”

Chris
hadn't thought of that, but the judge had a good point. If he had to
use that light of Heaven thing again more than once, he knew that he
would pass out. And that would be bad.

He
put that thought away for later and finished his story. The judge
didn't interrupt again and, when he was finished, Chris sat back and
waited for the man to speak.

“
Thank
you, Christopher. That was very thorough. One last question and then
you are free to go.” The judge rested his hands on the desk and
interlocked his fingers. He looked at them for a long moment. “After
your parents died...were killed; why did you run?”

The
question came totally out of left field and Chris stared blankly at
the man for a minute. “Why did I run?” he repeated.

“
Yes,
why? You didn't have to, as I'm sure you know. Your parents had no
close relatives, I believe, but they had friends who would have
gladly taken you in, cared for you. But instead of living with these
people, who you knew well, you chose to leave at eleven years of age,
for an unknown future living on the streets. I ask again, why?”

Chris
laughed uncertainly and then ran his fingers through his hair,
pushing it off of his face. “I've asked myself that question a
million times, sir. To walk away from my old life like that was
crazy. I know kids on the street that would give their blood to have
a decent home. And there I was, stealing money from my parent's
savings account, living on my own. Yeah, crazy.”

“
So
why do it then?”

Chris
stood up abruptly and walked to the window. He stared sightlessly
across the yard. Why did I leave, really? Scared? Stupid? Stubborn?
He truly didn't know and he finally turned around and looked at the
judge.

“
I
don't know,” he said honestly.

“
Yes,
I thought as much,” the judge said. He sounded confident. “But
I think that deep down, you really do know why, Christopher. At
least, now you do.”

Chris
shook his head vehemently. “No, I don't. I just...” He
caught the judge's eye and suddenly saw what the judge, from his
different perspective, had seen right off. “Sariel,” he
said flatly. “You think it was Sariel.”

“
Yes,
my young friend. But I don't think it was intentional. I just think
that you and he are the same, as you said. Independent, emotional.
And after an eternity of being trapped in Purgatory, Sariel's fear of
being locked up, trapped, became your fear of being put into a home
where you didn't belong. And I also believe that he could sense the
danger closing in on you, in the form of Talon.”

Chris
sighed loudly and rubbed his face. He pushed his hair back out of his
eyes. “So, what are you saying?” He leaned back against
the edge of the window. “That we're identical? That when he
feels this killing rage, I will too?”

Judge
Hawkes made a motion of denial. “No, you aren't identical. Your
experiences as a mortal, his as an immortal, have shaped you both.
But you said that you look like him, he sounds like you. That is
because your body was created as a human mirror of your soul.”
The judge suddenly seemed impatient with himself. “But all of
that is irrelevant. What is important is that you are now aware of
his influence. Now, you truly are in charge of your destiny. Where
you go from here, and what you do, is in your hands.”

Several
days passed after Chris' meeting with Judge Hawkes. He heard nothing
about the upcoming trip and tried to distract himself by spending as
much time as he could with Tyler and Jacob. Unfortunately, his two
friends were busy most days with schoolwork and, at least for the
moment, Chris had no interest in trying to catch up on almost three
years of missed education.

The
library became a second home. Solo video games were boring and so
Chris began to lose himself in some of the many books in the Nest's
extensive collection. Mrs. Stiles was not only helpful but Chris
discovered that she was a fount of information on almost any subject,
especially history. Their talks could last for an hour or more at a
time.