Refracted (The Celadon Circle Book 2) (16 page)

He stood and smiled. “I try, but some of them are pigheaded.”

“I prefer the word
tenacious
.”

He held out his arms and she slowly walked into his embrace. Her father kissed the top of her head. “I won’t ask you to stay because I know it would be a waste of breath, but I will ask that you and your sister be careful. I can’t lose my favorite girls.”

Jordan laughed into his sweatshirt. “Are we really your favorites?”

Aamon hugged her tighter. “Well, you’re two of them. How’s that?”

Jordan pulled away and looked up at him. God, what was she doing? He was a
demon
, one that had caused tremendous pain to her family. Aamon was the reason she was a freak of nature. But he was also her father, and needed something from her. Acceptance? Forgiveness? Jordan wasn’t sure if she could ever bring herself to
love
him, but she did understand his pain.

“If it’s the best you can do, I guess I’ll take it.”

Tears welled up in his eyes. “Thank you.” He hugged her once again. “Come back safe and don’t worry; I’ll watch over Mazie. I promise.”

Jordan nodded, unable to talk past the lump in her throat. She didn’t have the heart to tell him she wouldn’t be coming back.

Chapter Eighteen

Gabriel

The Book of Shadow and Light
.

Gabriel still could not conceive how such a powerful tome had ended up in the hands of humans. He turned the pages, searching for any reference to
Paladins.
Every once in a while, a passage he was reading would change. It was aggravating to say the least. He had no idea what sorcery had been used to create the book, so he had no starting point on how to wield it.

What he did know was that there were angels and demons who would kill for it. Hidden within its ever-changing pages was the knowledge of all creation. Anyone who possessed it – and could manipulate it – would be the equivalent of a god. Gabriel couldn’t help but wonder why his Father deemed such a powerful book necessary. 

He got up for another cup of coffee. Strangely enough, he thought he was becoming addicted to it. Gabriel stared at the dark colored brew and thought about how vices were immoral. He shrugged and added lots of sugar and cream. If addiction to coffee was a sin, Hell wouldn’t be able to hold all the people who were on their way down.

Quinn went for supplies and Gabriel stayed behind to study
The Oraculum
. He wasn’t getting very far. He wished Yasen was there to take a look. If anyone would know how its magic worked, he would. Frustrated, he picked the book up again.

He decided to start at the beginning. On the first page there was a prophecy.

There will come a day when grace shall be returned to the Watchers of the world. They will rise from their prisons and walk the Earth. They will gain followers of great importance and take their fight to the Heavens. A holy war unlike any before will commence between Good and Evil. The beginning and end will depend upon the decision of a
Paladin
. Her fall shall mark them both.

The passage began to swirl on the page and Gabriel slapped his hand on top of the words as if he could physically stop them from changing. It didn’t work. When he raised his palm from the page, the prophecy was gone and a Healing spell had taken its place.

“No!”

He frantically flipped the pages, hoping to run across the paragraph again but
The Oraculum
had decided to bury it for now. He slammed the cover shut and thought about hurling the frustrating thing out the window. They needed help.

Quinn came in shortly after, took in Gabriel’s pacing and the pile of empty sugar and creamer packets – evidence of his Guardian’s coffee-guzzling – and asked, “You okay?”

Gabriel continued to pace. “I’m fine.” He turned the corner and headed around the couch. “Of course, I would be better if I could solve that enigma full of changing pages. I’m an archangel, for crying out loud! You’d think I could figure out a holy relic but no, all I am capable of is hiding from Michael, drinking coffee, and praying for miracles!”

He turned the corner again and headed for the coffee pot. Quinn put his hand out and stopped him.

“Gabe, how many cups have you drank today?”

The angel looked at the empty carafe, which had been full the last time he noticed it. “It would be easier to count how many pots instead.”

Quinn sighed. “I think you’ve had enough.” He led Gabriel to a chair. “Did something happen while I was out?”

“Yes! That loathsome textbook of babble revealed a prophecy that mentioned
Paladins
, but changed before I could finish it.” He tossed the book to Quinn. “You take it. I’m sick of the sight of it.” Gabriel sat on the edge of the bed, wishing he could hide under the covers. “I hate feeling so helpless. I hate that Jordan is missing and not even I –
an angel
– can find her.”

Quinn sat beside him, placing his hand on his shoulder. “Maybe that’s your problem, Gabe.”

He rubbed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve never been in a situation where there wasn’t a quick fix. Now, you’ve had several of them thrown at you all at once. You’ve got to stop blaming yourself for not being able to make things better with a snap of a finger. It won’t always be that simple. Instead, focus on what you – what we –
can do
.”

Gabriel traced the pattern on the bedspread with his finger. He couldn’t remember the last time his divine powers had failed him. Unconsciously, he shook his head.

“Gabe,” Quinn said. “There’s more to you than a pair of wings and a halo.”

Gabriel smiled, surprised but feeling better. Praise from Quinn meant more to him than it ever did coming from Michael’s lips.

“But we still need help with the book. I can’t get into Heaven to ask anyone. Michael will have guards stationed at every point of entry. What can we do?”

“We could call Nathan. Maybe he can make sense of it now that we know what it is. He may not be an angel but he’s pretty darn close – only smarter.”

Gabriel chuckled and stood. “It’s worth a shot but if he can’t, I’ll have to try and get back into Heaven. We won’t have a choice.” He rummaged through the bags of groceries Quinn bought. “Oh, and ask him to bring more coffee.”

<><><>

Three knocks at the door, a pause, followed by two more signaled Nathan’s arrival. Quinn kept the safety chain on the door and checked to make sure before letting his brother in.

Nathan had to duck to clear the doorway but once inside, he pulled Quinn into a hug. Gabriel felt this was something he should give them privacy for. He turned away but was grabbed from behind and his feet left the floor.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Nathan laughed and set the angel down in order to give him a proper hug. Gabriel returned it, happy that Nathan was no longer upset with him, happy to have another member of his family back.

Nathan reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a bag of coffee. “Here ya go, Gabe. Quinn told me you’re hooked and you guys were out. Trust me. You don’t want to be around him in the morning if there’s no coffee. I once went to the store at the ungodly hour of 2 a.m. just so I wouldn’t have to experience it again. Once was enough. I had nightmares for a week.”

Quinn snatched the bag from Nathan’s hand. “I’ll hold onto this. If I don’t, Gabe will have it all brewed and gone before sunrise.”

They gathered in the small living area of the hotel room. Nathan looked around and whistled. “Dang! Why couldn’t we have stayed high on the hog like this when we were on hunts?”

“Because we didn’t have Gabe’s money to pay for it.” Quinn passed
The Oraculum
to his twin.

Nathan inspected the cover. “Gabe, tell me again what that prophecy said.”

Gabriel paraphrased what he’d read. “The problem is that I don’t know how to control the book.”

Nathan turned to a random page and scanned it. “I couldn’t find any information on
The Oraculum
  or
The Book of Shadow and Light
.”

“No,” Gabriel replied. “You wouldn’t have. Not many know about this relic.”

“But,” Nathan continued. “I was able to research a similar magic used to create it. It originated in Sumer.”

“What’s Sumer?” Quinn asked.

“A civilization in Mesopotamia. This particular magic originated from Enmeduranki – a Sumerian king who supposedly ruled for 21,000 years.”

Gabriel leaned forward in his seat. “Of course! It all makes sense.”

“It does?” Quinn asked. “I can’t even pronounce some of the words Nathan said much less make sense of them.”

“No shocker there,” his brother muttered under his breath.

Quinn flipped him off.

Gabriel listened to the twins banter back and forth. Their relationship was like an onion with many layers, each supporting the other. And at the very center was unshakable love and trust. He thought about Michael and felt a sharp pang of regret. The archangel had called him
brother
for eons but had forgotten the meaning of the word.

“So, I’m not a historian,” Quinn admitted. “I have better things to do with my time. Are ya’ll gonna explain this to me or keep singing the praises of virginity? I’m fairly sure it’s hard to see any action when your nose is stuck in the spine of a book.”

Nathan rolled his eyes. Gabriel, not quite sure what virgins had to do with anything, explained, “Enmeduranki is better known as Enoch – a Virtue and Scribe to my Father. It is more than probable that he made contributions to the book. Father sent him on several journeys.”

“From my research, I learned that Enoch was “blessed with magical powers.” In another book regarding the spiritual workings of Mesopotamia, one of the first rituals includes a prayer to Enmeduranki.” Nathan shrugged. “I believe they’re connected.” 

“Nathan, this conversation is about as boring as an insurance seminar. I’m not considering hara-kiri yet but I might, just for some amusement, if you don’t get to the friggin’ point.” Quinn fidgeted in his chair like a five-year-old. “What did you learn?”

Opening
The Oraculum
, Nathan said, “I learned the simplest way to get what you want is to
ask for it
.” He placed his palm on the first page of text and whispered, “Allow me to see.”

The words disappeared from the paper.

Gabriel and Quinn squeezed in on either side of Nathan on the small couch. Together, they leaned over the book and waited.

When nothing happened, Quinn said, “I think you screwed it up–”

“Wait!” Gabriel interrupted. Words swirled into focus.

Idem Opus
.

Quinn frowned. “What’s that mean?”

“It’s asking for identification.” Nathan looked at Gabriel. “What do you think?”

The angel nodded. “I need something sharp.”

“For what?” Quinn unsnapped a sheath on his belt and pulled out a wicked silver knife engraved with a pentagram. He handed it over.

Gabriel made a slice across his palm. He let a few drops of blood splatter onto the page and then healed the cut. It faded from view as quickly as his offering.

Quinn took the blade back, wiping it clean with a tissue from a box on the table. “Does anyone else feel like we just crossed over to Hogwarts?”

“It was the only way for the book to recognize him as an angel.” Nathan explained.

“Yeah,” Quinn shook his head. “Sometimes, a passport just won’t do. And I thought security at the airport was tight.”

“Try it now, Nathan.” Gabriel said. The page was no longer blank.

Lorem Gabriel angelus Domini. Quomodo tibi serviat?

Welcome, Gabriel, angel of the Lord. How may I be of service to you?

Nathan cleared his throat. “Show me information on
Paladins
.”

The words on the page disappeared and were replaced with others. The letters had changed, though, and Quinn groaned when he saw them.

“Enochian? Really?”

“I
am
an angel,” Gabriel replied. “This is our language.” He pulled
The Oraculum
into his lap. “Don’t worry; I’ll translate it.”

He read the passage aloud.

Paladins
are humans with the acquired genes of a demon and the grace of an angel. This amalgamation is rare and precarious. With regard to power, Paladins are second only to the Lord Almighty. As they harbor both Good and Evil, it can be especially difficult for Paladins to give allegiance to any single group of supernatural beings. Conflicting emotions can bring changes in personality and habits.   

“Son of a whore.”

For once, Gabriel couldn’t argue with Quinn’s expletive. At the moment, he was at a lack for words to describe the unease that settled in his bones.

“It sounds like
Paladins
are nuclear bombs that could blow at any time.” Nathan struggled up from the couch. “Other than God, she could be the most powerful being there is? What does it mean by
precarious
?” He looked from Quinn to Gabriel. “I don’t like this.”

“I need a beer.” Quinn made a bee-line for the mini fridge.

“Ask it about the prophecy you read,” Nathan requested, shaking his head at the beer his brother offered and grabbing two bottles of water instead. He handed one to Gabriel.

He would have preferred coffee, but took a sip of the cold water before turning back to the book.

“Show me the prophecy regarding the holy war to come.”

Words appeared, swirled, and then Gabriel was staring at an expanded version of what he’d read before.

There will come a day when grace shall be returned to the Watchers of the world. They will rise from their prisons and walk the Earth. They will gain followers of great importance and take their fight to the Heavens. A holy war unlike any before will commence between Good and Evil. The beginning and end will depend upon the decision of a
Paladin
. Her fall shall mark them both.

A
Paladin’s
blood, given freely, is the key to Lucifer’s cell.
The Book of Shadow and Light
is the guide. Good and Evil must work together to safeguard Earth and her people. The
Paladin’s
soul must be lifted from darkness by her equal in order for her to descend. Only then can the war be ended.