Piercing the Darkness (32 page)

Oh no! Beyond the lake, just over the tops of the trees, a large detachment of demons approached like a swarm of bats, appearing as a long, thin, charcoal smudge across the sky. The Prince of Omega was
returning, ready for more evildoing. Soon he and his horde would be right over the lake.

Cree ducked back into the attic of the cafe to check on Sally.

MR. STEELE WENT
into the Log Cabin Cafe and immediately greeted Mr. Galvin who stood behind the counter polishing a long row of drinking glasses along the back shelf with a soft white towel.

“Hey, Mr. Steele, you’re back already!”

Mr. Steele didn’t remove his sunglasses, but he did allow a smile to cross his tight lips. “Wanted to be here for the weekend, Joel.”

“What’ll you have?”

“Coffee, please.”

“Got a fresh batch.”

Mrs. Denning heard Mr. Steele’s voice and turned in her seat. “Oh, Mr. Steele! What a surprise!”

He smiled at her and came their way.

Sally looked down at the table immediately, trying to get the horrified expression off her face. Was her heart beating? For a moment she thought it had stopped.

“So how has the week gone, Sybil?” said Mr. Steele.

“Mr. Steele, I’d like you to meet a visitor we have today. This is Bethany Farrell, a traveler from Los Angeles just looking for a change, a little bit of a challenge.”

Mr. Steele removed his sunglasses. Sally looked up at him. Their eyes met.

They knew each other.

CREE DREW HIS
sword, trying to concoct a plan. With Sally cornered in the cafe he might have to call for a full assault. In any event, they only had minutes to spare now. Demonic forces were gathering on every hand. What about Si—

ROOAARRR!
Cree ducked as the blazing sword slashed right over his head! Teeth! Yellow eyes! Gaping jaws!

Cree’s wings exploded into a brilliant blur. He shot through the attic toward the gable end, the demon’s sword like a shrieking buzz
saw at his heels.

YAUGHH!
The other demon guard appeared in front of him like a bomb blast, yellow teeth bared. Cree couldn’t stop in time; he whipped his sword in a fiery arc.

The demon’s head and Cree went sailing through the end of the building; the head dissolved, and Cree shot skyward, letting out a desperate shout that echoed over the campus and across the lake.

The remaining demon guard, a hideous monster, grabbed at Cree’s feet. Cree shot upward with another burst of speed. Another demon from above swooped down like a hawk and lunged with its sword. Cree blocked it and sent the demon spinning crazily away.

The guard’s blade came at his midsection full-force. Their swords met in an explosion of fiery sparks, and Cree tumbled into the trees.

Mr. Steele’s lips were even tighter now, and his eyes were piercing. He extended his hand in greeting. “I’m pleased to meet you, uh . . . Bethany.”

Sally took his hand, and he gripped it so tightly it hurt. For the longest time he just wouldn’t let go, but held her hand and gazed at her.

“I’m pleased to meet you,” she said as soon as she could find her voice.

He hasn’t changed at all! He still looks the same!

Mrs. Denning was still her jovial self. “Mr. Steele is the director of the Omega Center. He’s a tremendous man.” Then she told Mr. Steele, “I’ve been showing her around the Center, just acquainting her with what we’re about . . .” She just kept going on and on.

Oh, Mrs. Denning, please shut up. You’re going to get me killed.

“So you’ve seen everything, have you?” asked Mr. Steele.

“Well, not
everything . . .
” He was hurting her hand.

He was the same way when he taught the summer classes here at the Center years ago. Sally was afraid of him then. She was afraid of him now. There was a sinister power, a presence, about him. He could hypnotize with those eyes of his.

SI SHOT OUT
of the trees along with about fifty warriors at that end of the campus, taking the demons by surprise. One cluster of them was just coming onto the grounds with another automobile full of weekenders.
The heavenly warriors flooded over them before they knew what was happening and removed that complication immediately.

In answer to Cree’s shout, the remaining hundred warriors swept in a fiery sheet across the lake, divided into many streams, and rushed through the campus like a flood. Demons spun about, then shot forward from the trees, buildings, and vehicles with piercing cries and vicious wails. Swords clashed, wings roared, sparks flew. The angels were engaging the demons’ full attention, fiercely battling two, three, six demons at once, but they were not prevailing. The evil spirits were standing their ground.

Cree shot and zigzagged through the trees, this way, that way, in, out, up, down, feinting, darting.

CRUNCH!
The guard came at him, and their swords met again. This demon couldn’t be shaken!

The expansive cloud of spirits beyond the lake heard the cries and saw the battle. Out front, his fangs protruding past his chin and his head bristling with spikes, Barquit, the Prince of Omega, roared a command and drew his sword. With an echoing, ringing, flourishing of red, glowing blades, the returning warriors dove for the campus.

MRS. DENNING WASN’T
about to stop until she had told Mr. Steele everything. “Oh, you know what? She has a strange ring she ought to show you.”

Mr. Steele let go of Sally’s hand. He leaned closer. She thought she felt heat from his face. “A ring?”

Sally shook her head and tried to smile, to chuckle the whole thing aside. “Oh no, it’s nothing.”

He was still leaning so very close. “Oh, yes. I’d like very much to see it.”

THE GUARD CAME
down from high in the trees like a meteor. Cree shot sideways and just barely avoided being cut in half. He gave another mighty burst of his wings and headed for the sky.

The guard had his heel! Cree pulled with his wings, but the beast jerked him down!

ZZOOOSH!
Si! God bless him!

OOF!
Cree’s heel was free.

In a long streak of light, Si dropped out of the sky and rammed the guard full-force. Both went tumbling in a grappling, snarling ball of fire. Cree flipped over and dropped earthward again, sword ready.

The guard had Si by the throat, his big sword raised.

Cree hurled his sword, and it went through the guard’s torso like a missile. Si wriggled free and cut the thing in half. It dissolved in a choking cloud of red smoke.

Cree regained his sword. He could see the Prince of Omega descending like a storm. “Let’s get her out of here!”

SALLY DROOPED HER
head.

“Is something wrong?” asked Mrs. Denning.

“I think I’m going to be sick.” She wasn’t lying.

Mr. Steele grabbed her wrist. “Let me help you to the restroom.”

He lifted her from her seat.

“No, let me go alone . . .”

Mrs. Denning was a little startled by Mr. Steele’s forward behavior. “Mr. Steele, maybe she can go alone . . .”

He didn’t seem to hear her. He was signaling through the window to the four men who had come with him in the van. They were watching. They saw the wave of his hand and started toward the cafe.

Cree and Si had made their chance.

“No guards,” shouted Cree. “He’s open!”

Barquit and his demons were diving across the lake, heading for the campus, swords ready.

Sally could see four men hurrying to the cafe. They could see her through the window, and the sight quickened their step. Mr. Steele was making no effort to get to the restroom. He wouldn’t let go of her.

This wasn’t a man. This was . . . something else.

“I’m going to throw up!” Sally threatened.

Cree banked sharply, made a tight turn, and dropped like a missile toward the end of the cafe, his wings roaring. The wall of the cafe filled his vision, slapped past him. He was inside, careening over the tables, along the counter, sword extended.