Descended (17 page)

“We have a visitor.” He paused for a moment looking back at Reese then made a correction. “We have a new recruit.  He comes from the Gates and he will lead us on the hunt for the chosen one,” he exclaimed as the minions began to cheer.

“The Guardians have arrived and we are ready to show them who will rule in this world!”  The cheers got louder as he charged up his army with his words.

“It is our time to rule and rest assured, Evil will triumph!   Together we will take back what is ours!” He grabbed Reese’s hand and held it up with his, showing unity and alliance between them.

Meanwhile, Raphael and the other guardians set up camp outside the place they were lead to by one of the captured warriors of the underworld.  He claimed it was the place where he was recruited by tempters, as they were called, but that he had never been to their underworld.  All the work he did was up here and they paid him generously for his services.  He said that was all he knew and Raphael could see he was telling the truth.  They released him with a warning never to speak of their meeting or he would deal with the wrath from all of them.  Raphael gave him a visual of what would happen if he betrayed them and the boy literally wet himself in the fear of what he saw.  Raphael had a gift to show in their minds of others, pictures of their past, present, or future.

“Raphael, what did you show him?” Eli asked, laughing at the vision of the boy wetting his pants.

“Just a bird’s eye view of Newcastle,” he said grinning.  What he had actually shown the boy was a picture of him flying high in the sky, being carried by a large eagle and then dropped toward the ground, landing on a church steeple.  Not a pretty sight.

“They began to think they were nowhere close to the dwelling of the hidden underworld.  Then suddenly out of the darkness, Raphael saw a group of minions appear, heading toward the town of Newcastle.  But there was something else disturbing about their march, something that Raphael would not believe if he didn’t see it with his own two eyes.  Reese was leading the pack. The others stood in silence at what they saw far off in the distance.  Their friend had betrayed them and that was news that Gabriel would not tolerate well.  Reese had bitten the forbidden fruit and there was going to be hell to pay.  You cannot cross Gabriel and live to tell about it.  Raphael was the one that had to communicate the message to Gabriel.  He felt telepathy would not be the best way to do this given how close Gabriel and Reese were, so he decided it would be best to meet with Gabriel in person to deliver the devastating blow about their lost guardian.  It was a part of the mission that was unexpected and one that changes everything.

Chapter 11

Unraveled

Vie went inside the house, checking to see if Henry was around. “Dad,” she called out as she went from room to room investigating.

“Hmmm, Henry must still be at work,” she said thinking out loud. Since the coast was clear she went up to her room and placed Vivian's portfolio on the easel in the corner.

“Now let’s take a look and see what was going on in your head Vivian,” Vie said, hoping to unravel the mystery of Vivian’s life before she arrived. 

She lifted the leather cover over the easel and the first painting appeared. Vie found herself looking at a visual masterpiece. It was like she opened a treasure chest full of the precious jewels. Vivian’s paintings were breathtaking. With each page she turned, Vie felt more and more captivated by the strokes on the canvas. The attention to detail was so astoundingly accurate that the artwork seemed to take on a life of its own. Vie kept turning the pages of her clearly gifted counterpart, looking for clues.  Then she saw something….a painting of Vivian’s mother.

At first, it looked as if her mother had posed for the painting. The details could not be something posted to memory, unless of course you had her photographic one. Then Vie noticed the date on the bottom of the page beneath her signature.  It said February 21, 2011 which was weeks after her mother was killed in the car crash. “It is so life like,” Vie thought staring at the painting. She was particularly drawn to the eyes in the portrait. They looked hauntingly familiar to Vie and she felt a connection, almost a pull from her soul, but she didn’t understand why.

“You are so beautiful,” Vie said to the painting. She was so intrigued by the
painting,
she just stood there staring at the woman’s eyes. Vie reached her hand up and touched the canvas.  She felt a warm comforting energy flow through her body. She wondered if it were Vivian’s soul she could feel or if the painting were somehow speaking to her.

Vie moved on to the next painting, thinking how each piece was as equally amazing  as the one before it and she continued flipping. “These are all magnificently incredible pieces of art,” she said completely mesmerized. Then she turned another page and suddenly something inside Vie went instantly cold. She could not believe her eyes. The painting she was looking at was nothing like the others. In fact it was the complete opposite. It was a very dark and very disturbing piece. Vivian had painted some kind of a half human, half beast creature with deep set red, beady eyes. The image was haunting and no doubt a vision of Vivian’s darkest moments. The dark figure in the painting had several red heavy brushstrokes slashed across its body and it was clear that the use of color and heavy texture symbolized the emotional and physical impact that Vivian was feeling while conveying the image of the beast on her canvas.

Vie put her hand to the canvas again and stood there like a statue, like a monument frozen for eternity. The fear she felt was a being in itself.  It wasn’t just in
her,
she felt it all around her in the room. She connected to his eyes.  Her heart was pumping fast in her chest. Then she began to feel a thumping beneath her hand that rested on the painting of the beast. She wanted to run, to move, but she felt paralyzed.

All at once, the painting began to move and come to life. The beast took hold of her hand, pulling her into the canvas. She didn’t know what was
happening,
she just knew it could not be real. She closed her eyes and felt the entire room spinning around and around.  Then he grabbed her hard, shaking her and calling her name.

“Vie…Vie… it’s me Gabriel!” he said shaking her. Vie opened her eyes and jumped into his arms, holding on for dear life. “Vie,” he said in a panic wondering what
was the matter
.

“What happened? Are you ok? Did someone hurt you?” He fired off his questions and looked around the room for some sign of danger. She just held him tightly with her head buried in his chest. He looked down at her top of her head and kissed it gently.

“Vie, tell me what’s wrong,” he said protectively.

Sure that it was all just her imagination that had taken a hold of her, she told Gabriel she was just happy to see him and that she missed him terribly. Vie couldn’t let Gabriel know that she feared a mere painting, but the image remained etched in her memory and the red piercing eyes of the beast haunted her to her very core.

“Vie, something’s going on here,” Gabriel said.

“I know. At first I thought it was just me, but you see it too?” Vie responded in relief.

“See what?” Gabriel said confused.

“The paintings?
  Isn’t that the something you were referring to?” she asked.

“The paintings?
  Vie what
are you
talking about?” he said not following along.

“Vivian’s paintings!
  Look!” She raced over to the easel to flip through the artwork so Gabriel could see what she did in the hauntingly strange paintings.

“Vie, I don’t care about any paintings your vessel created. We are not here to interfere in the life of Vivian Thorne,” Gabriel said, angry that his friend was so distracted from the mission.

“But Gabe, if you just look at them.” She pointed at the easel and Gabriel shouted.

“Vie, it’s over.  Your mission here is done. You are to leave this world immediately,” he ordered.

“What? Why?” she said panicked about the thought of leaving.

“There’s no time to explain. I just need you to do as I say and return back home…where you belong,” he said unable to look her in the eye.  Gabriel knew all too well she would not leave without a fight. He prepared himself for the throw down with Vie and she did not disappoint.

“No! I am not leaving and you can’t make me!” she said daring him to try.

“Oh, but I can Vie, and I am!”
He gave the order using his commander and chief voice. She folded her arms across her chest and gave him an evil stare.

Gabriel did not want to hurt her or upset her in any way but he did want her safe. He was concerned that this mission was going in a direction that would prove to be more dangerous than they had initially thought. Although Gabriel knew Vie was one of the best Guardians he had ever seen, he was unwilling to put her on the front line of what was clearly becoming the unknown enemy. With the new information about Reese joining the Dark One, Gabriel’s trust in his remaining warriors was shattered. If Reese could betray him, then he believed anyone of the Guardians could follow. Gabriel was left feeling vulnerable and he would not risk
Vie’s
safety. It was not an option.

“Prepare to return Vie, we leave at sunset,” he said walking away.

“I said I’m not leaving!” she stood firm in her place.

“Vie I really don’t have time to argue with you,” he pleaded. “You do remember your promise?” he asked.

She knew Gabriel didn’t really need to ask her that. Of course she remembered her promise; after all, she had a photographic memory. She hated that there was no way to pretend that she didn’t remember as much as she wanted to. She promised that she would follow orders and not go
renegade
on him. But she also remembered that he promised her that he would let her be a part of the mission and treat her like the rest of the Guardians. She took a moment and then responded.

“I’d really like to pretend that I don’t remember, but unfortunately it would be impossible to do so. However, I would also like to remind you that I earned the right to be a part of this mission and you promised to treat me as one of the Guardians,” she said.

“
Ok,
and your point Vie?” he questioned.

“I’m getting to it Gabe,” she said annoyed by his casual attitude.

“Is Raphael still here?
And Eli?
And the rest of our team or have they too been ordered to leave?” she said bravely to her commander and chief.

“I don’t see where this is going Vie,” he responded.

“Oh, you don’t. Well let me shed some light on it for you Gabe! I am a Guardian that was sent out on an assignment with a team. I have done a great job so far and am getting close, very close to the subject as instructed. I have performed my duties flawlessly, as you stated as my superior. I have managed to get it done ahead of the time schedule given to me. So the way I see it, if the mission is still going on and my team is still here, then there is no reason why I would be asked to return home? You promised to treat me with the respect of a Guardian and you my friend are breaking your promise to me. Now, you can either tell me what is going on or be prepared for me take it up with the council,” she threatened.

Gabriel just stood there staring in awe at how she had changed right before his eyes. Suddenly, the girl that stood before him was not the young undeveloped warrior in training but an amazing beautiful, fully matured, stoic Guardian. Somewhere between when they departed for the mission and this moment, Violet had reached her full maturation as a Guardian. All of her abilities would be accessible to her now and they would show themselves to her in the most unexpected
moments. The special powers that each Guardian possesses are unique to them, not only in the presented ability, but also in the strength and dexterity of them. Gabriel is the most omnipotent of all. He is known as the “Invincible Guardian” and is said to have unimaginable powers that only one other soul has witnessed wholly…The Dark One.

Gabriel couldn’t argue with Vie any longer. What he realized was that she was right and his only excuse for ordering her to return home was that he feared for her safety. Vie looked at her friend and saw the worry in his eyes. Suddenly she changed course and asked him to sit with her.

“Please Gabriel, tell me what happened that has you so troubled?” she begged. Gabriel looked into her eyes and told her of Reese’s betrayal. He explained that he was seen with Lucian’s army and he was no doubt looking for Carter. Gabriel told her how dangerous Reese could be with the information he has about the mission and the knowledge of the Guardians sent here to protect Carter. Vie just listened, waiting for the part in the story that justified him sending her back, but she heard no reason that made sense.