Redemption (Stand-Alone, Spin-Off to Reaper Series), page 17
Before he could respond any further or ask any questions, he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw a middle-aged man with a neat beard and wavy, white, hair. The man had slightly darker skin that Eve and Gabriel, who both took after their mother, and didn’t inherit the slightly darker, more naturally tanned, skin tone of the man who stood over them now. The man who had an enormous pair of bright gold wings.
“Father,” Gabriel said, almost sighing in relief. “Eve cannot regenerate.”
“I heard,” Elohim said grimly. “Allow me.”
Eve, who had been beginning to shake from the pain, suddenly felt at ease. The pain in her stomach was gone and she felt perfectly fine once more. She rolled off her side and sat up on the grass, looking down at herself. The wound had healed, and all the blood had vanished. The only sign that she had ever been shot at all was the small circular hole in the front of her paper hospital gown.
“Thanks,” Eve sighed, looking up at her father. Then she asked Gabriel, “And you, too, Gabriel. How did you find me there? I thought you couldn’t sense anything in the building?”
“I couldn’t,” Gabriel admitted. “I only sensed you when you got to the roof. I’ve been worrying about you, we all have! You’ve been missing for weeks! And then I sensed you on the roof of that monster’s building… And you say he’s made you human?”
Eve nodded. “He tricked me. He took a sample of my skin or something and used it to make a drug that would inhibit my Angel abilities. He made me mortal. And my…” Eve struggled to say the next part of what she was going to say. Taking a steadying breath, she said, “And my wings. I lost my wings.”
Gabriel looked both mortified and infuriated, but unable to decide which one he felt more. He suddenly seemed to decide on infuriated, because he rose quickly from the ground and turned away from Eve, spitting numerous curses in the Angel language.
“Gabriel, please, calm yourself,” Elohim said gently. “Eve is still alive. Let us be grateful for that.”
Elohim held out his hand to Eve and helped her up onto her feet. Then he wrapped her in a tight hug, holding her close against his chest. Eve hugged him back, smiling into his robes, happy to be back with her family. When she and her father stepped apart, Elohim kept his hand on Eve’s shoulder, looking down at her and smiling, tears brimming in his green eyes.
“I was so afraid for you,” he whispered. “When I could no longer sense you… When you disappeared… I was so afraid you were… That you… That something terrible had happened. I would never be able to go on if anything happened to you, either of you. I love you so much, Eve.”
“I love you, too, Father,” Eve smiled.
Elohim grinned through his white beard at his daughter, then said, “Now how about we get you your wings back?”
“About time!” Eve laughed.
Elohim stepped back from Eve and peered at her as though he was trying to read a book with print too small. He suddenly frowned. Eve felt no different. She looked over her shoulder, hoping to see her red and white wings sprouting, but there was nothing. Eve turned back to her father, looking confused.
“What’s wrong?” Gabriel asked.
“I cannot expel the chemicals,” Elohim said, shaking his head. “There is something… Strange about it. But if I attempt to remove the chemicals from your system, they will essentially tear you apart from within.”
“What?” Eve asked in disbelief. “How?”
“There is an element to the drug in your system that is not of this world,” Elohim began, still peering at Eve as though he was looking straight through her, studying her closely. “It is almost like a living creature. It has essentially fused itself, and the drug, to your DNA. If I remove them, it will obliterate the very fabric of your being. I… I cannot remove it without killing you. I cannot make you an Angel again.”
Eve couldn’t find the words to respond. She merely stared at her father in shock. Her entire, long, life, she had never known her father to not be able to do something. He had done the impossible more times than she could count. He had created this entire universe, something that many thought impossible. He had created all life within the universe. He saved the Angels from Abzu’s tyranny, brought millions of humans back to life after they had been killed by Abzu’s soldiers, but he couldn’t restore Eve as an Angel?
“Of course you can,” Eve blurted out. “You can do anything!”
Elohim shook his head. “Not this. You will die, without a doubt. I will not be my own daughter’s killer. I am sorry, Eve, but… it seems you will have to remain human.”
Eve felt as though she had been shot again, except this time it was through her heart. Her immediate thought was of her wings and of flying over the Garden. She remembered racing Ruhiel through the trees, soaring to the top of the Beacon. Never again.
“How is this possible?” Gabriel asked. “How could Javan create such a drug?”
“It wasn’t Javan,” Eve muttered. “It was Isaiah. It must have been him.”
“Isaiah?” Gabriel frowned. “How? He’s only human.”
Eve shook her head. “No. He’s not. He told me he was… something else.”
“A Demon,” Elohim said grimly.
Eve looked at him in surprise. “How’d you know?”
“The element in your system,” Elohim said, folding his arms and stroking his beard with his thumb. “I have seen it before.”
“Wait!” Gabriel interrupted, somewhat impatiently. “Demons are real?”
“I am afraid so,” Elohim replied.
“But you always let us believe they were fairy tales!” Eve said, feeling her temper begin to flare. “You lied to us?”
“It was to protect you,” Elohim said. “From Abzu.”
“What does he have to do with it?” Gabriel asked.
Elohim sighed deeply as he gathered his thoughts.
“A very long time ago, before either of you were born, Abzu had me locate alternate universes for him. Originally, he had me believe it was for diplomatic purposes. To find other forms of life and learn from one another. However, as Abzu’s thirst for power grew over time, he began to consume the souls of all life we discovered. Entire universes were laid to waste. Countless souls consumed by Abzu and his family, simply to maintain their hold on power. When I discovered this, I wanted to stop. I told Abzu I would not help him destroy worlds. But he threatened the life of your mother. He told me that if I did not do as he commanded, he would slaughter her. So, out of fear for my wife’s safety, I continued to help Abzu, a decision that tormented me every waking moment. That was when we discovered a new universe. One that Abzu dubbed Ha’Des Qa Navee’im. Realm of Lost Souls. That was where we found the Demons. Naturally, Abzu wanted to consume their souls. After some study, we found that they were immensely powerful, just as powerful as Angels, if not more so. Abzu attempted to consume them, but he could not. The Demons were unlike any life form we had encountered, because they did not have souls.”
“No souls?” Gabriel repeated. “How is that possible?”
“The Demons were beings of pure energy,” Elohim explained. “They had no physical vessel in which to contain the raw power of a soul. They existed as living entities of the universe they inhabited. They had no true form, simply taking whatever shape most suited their needs at the time. And with no souls, they no longer served any purpose to Abzu. However, the Demons knew that Angels had tried to destroy them, and they were furious. We were on the brink of war, a war that would result in the deaths of countless Angels. I attempted to resolve the situation peacefully with their leader, but he seemed to relish the idea of war. He actually seemed… excited by the idea. That was when I came to realize that the Demons could not be reasoned with.”
“What about the other Demons?” Eve asked. “Couldn’t you have spoken with them? Their leader was a psycho, but maybe the others didn’t want a war.”
“I had the same thought,” Elohim replied. “But that was not the case. Demons were like bees, in a way. A hive mind. Millions of drones following the commands of the queen bee. Demons essentially had the mind of a single entity spread across millions of individuals. Their leader controlled them all. Whatever he thought, they thought. Whatever he believed, they believed. He was their master, in every sense of the word.”
“So how did you stop the war?” Gabriel asked.
Elohim sighed, the memory of what he did clearly causing him distress and shame. “I created a method that would ensure the Demons could never strike at the Angel universe. I began designing it with the intent of merely trapping them within their own universe, but Abzu became involved. He was threatened by the Demons, threatened by the idea that beings more powerful than Angels existed. He demanded that I destroy the Demon universe. And everything in it. I am deeply sorry to say that I obliged.”
“How?” Eve asked in a whisper.
“A spark of several elements within their universe,” Elohim explained. “The spark would then explode exponentially and annihilate everything. Even the Demons, pure energy as they were, could not survive the blast. I later redesigned this weapon to be used as something for creation instead of destruction. It was how I created this universe, via the event that humans refer to as the Big Bang.”
“If you thought you had destroyed all the Demons,” Gabriel began, “then why did you let everyone believe they were just fairy tales?”
“It was Abzu, of course,” Elohim replied. “He was so threatened by the idea of Demons being stronger than Angels that he believed anyone to know about them would question his rule. His power over all Angels hinged on the belief that there were none stronger than he, and he would not let that come into question. Abzu convinced everyone who had heard about the Demons that they were fake. Made-up stories to scare children. He forced me, and many others, to keep the truth of the Demons a secret. He swore that if anyone learned that the Demons were real, they would be put to death. And that included children.”
Eve thought for a moment, taking in everything her father had said. “So,” she began. “If the Demons all share one mind, but you destroyed their leader, how is it that the one who survived can think for himself?”
“I suspect one of two reasons,” Elohim said grimly. “First, it might be that with the destruction of the hive mind, it freed this Demon to have a mind of its own.”
“And what’s the second reason?” Gabriel asked.
“The second is far more likely, as well as dreadful,” Elohim replied. “And I sincerely hope that I am wrong. I suspect that, somehow, the Demon leader survived. And that he is the one who is here, now.”
“He told me his name,” Eve said quietly.
Elohim’s eyes widened in surprise as he regarded his daughter. “His name?” he repeated. “His true name?”
Eve nodded. “At least, he said it was.”
“What was it?” Elohim asked urgently.
Looking her father directly in the eyes, Eve said flatly, “Belial.”
Elohim sighed deeply, closing his eyes. “It is as I feared. The Demon leader. Belial. That is why we cannot see inside Javan’s tower. That is why we cannot see Javan himself. Belial is using his power to shield them both from us.”
“How can he do that?” Eve asked. “He can’t be more powerful than you are!”
“No, he is not,” Elohim agreed. “But I know the powers he is using, and even my Sight cannot penetrate them. He employed a similar tactic when Angels and Demons were on the brink of war.”
“Then we have to strike him down,” Gabriel said forcefully, assuming his role of Commander of Heaven’s Armies. “His existence on Earth cannot be permitted to continue. He is interfering with human lives and must be stopped.”
“We cannot,” Elohim said. “To destroy Belial, we would be destroying an enormously powerful source of pure energy. His death, if it occurred on Earth, would literally destroy the planet. His energy would sweep across the planet as though a meteor struck the Earth and all of humanity would perish in a wave of unstoppable destruction that would split the entire planet in two.”
Eve and Gabriel could only stare at Elohim in shock.
“He’s that powerful?” Eve asked.
“I am afraid so,” Elohim nodded. “To attack him directly would be to destroy everything we have created. He knows this.”
“My question is,” Gabriel began, folding his arms over his chest and speaking with a soft, yet angry, tone. “If Belial is so powerful, why does he pretend to be Javan’s human assistant? Why hasn’t he struck at us before?”
“That remains to be seen,” Elohim said. “But if he has chosen to reveal himself to Eve, it must be for a reason. Belial was always as remarkably intelligent as he was merciless and cold. I suspect that he has a greater plot underway.”
“He’s helping Javan make the immortality drug,” Eve pointed out. “Maybe it’s something to do with that?”
Elohim stroked his chin as he considered it. “Perhaps. Though I cannot say why Belial would care about making humans immortal. Based on my past experiences with him, he would rather they all die painful deaths. He would find it… amusing.” Elohim said the word as though it left a bitter taste on his tongue.
“Belial duplicated himself, somehow,” Eve said, remembering Jack Rice, Lilith, and Ian, all of which being extensions of Belial himself, moving independently of him. “He, like, was different people at the same time. If he can copy himself like that, why not just do it until he has an army? He could have struck at us and had his war centuries ago.”
“I know of this ability,” Elohim nodded. “A kind of mitosis, but each new entity is still Belial, just under a different guise. It is true he could build an army out of only copying himself, but every time he divides himself, his power is spread among the single entities. Each part is weaker than if he were whole. He could create the numbers, but he would not have the strength of a true army of Demons. We can be certain, however, that he plans on striking at Heaven.”
“There must be something we can do to stop him,” Eve insisted. She chose to leave out her personal feelings towards Belial, and how he had played her so easily. She didn’t need Gabriel raging at how Belial had toyed with her emotions. She would hold on to that anger herself and use the thought of destroying Belial to fan the flames.
“We will need to discuss this with your Captains,” Elohim said to Gabriel. “A direct attack is out, but perhaps we can at least determine what Belial is up to. Only with knowledge can we decide the first step.”
“We should go at once, then,” Gabriel said, puffing out his chest. “Eve, come with us. You’ll be safe in Heaven while we figure out how to get that Demon drug out of you.”
Eve took a step towards her brother, but something suddenly made her stop. She frowned, looking at the ground by Gabriel’s feet as she thought.
“What’s wrong?” Gabriel asked.
“I…” Eve hesitated. “I can’t go with you.”
Gabriel blanched. “What? Of course you can.”
Eve shook her head insistently. “No. I really can’t. You said it yourself. Ever since Abzu’s invasion, Father has been saying more than ever how important it is that Angels don’t interfere with humans. Well… I’m human now. Like it or not. Taking me to Heaven while I’m still alive would send a bad message. That Father can say one thing, but then turn around and do whatever he wants. Like the rules don’t also apply to him. Or his children.”
Gabriel scowled. “Don’t be stupid. Come on, you’re coming home with us.”
“No,” Eve said firmly. “You know I can’t. I’ve done enough damage as it is. I won’t undermine our father’s laws. And Heaven is no place for mortals. I have to stay here. As a human.”
Gabriel looked like he was torn between laughing and fuming. He turned to Elohim and said, “Father, please. Talk some sense into her.”
“Eve,” Elohim began solemnly. “If you choose to do this, you cannot expect any assistance from us. If you wish to have Heaven see you as human, we will not be able to interfere in any way. We will not be able to help you if you get into trouble. If you are injured, captured, left for dead, we cannot come to your aid. You will be alone. Are you certain you want to do this?”
Eve looked directly into her father’s eyes and nodded firmly. “Yes. I am. I need to fix my mistakes.”
Elohim sighed. “Very well.”
Gabriel wasn’t so willing to accept Eve’s decision, though. “No!” he roared. “No! You’ve already been imprisoned, experimented on, and shot as a human! What will it take for you to see the danger of this? I refuse to watch my sister die!”
“Death is part of life, Gabriel,” Eve said, smiling sadly. “Please. Let me do this.”
“It is Eve’s choice to make, Gabriel,” Elohim said gently.
Gabriel seemed lost as he looked around for an argument, a way to convince Eve that she was being reckless and foolish, but he knew she was right. As long as she was human, there was nothing he could do for her.
“Fine,” he sighed at last. “Fine! But please… Please, stay out of trouble?”
“You know me, brother,” Eve smirked.
“Yeah,” Gabriel nodded. “Exactly.”
17
AN UNWANTED VISITOR
“H
ow did this happen!?”
Javan was raging in his suite, pacing back and forth and pulling on his hair as he circled the living room. Belial, however, seemed utterly unconcerned. He was relaxing on Javan’s large sofa, his arms stretched out on the sofa back, one leg folded over the other, as he silently watched Javan pace himself into a frenzy.
“She’s gone!” Javan continued. “Gone! All of our research depends on her! My whole plan for the world! None of it can happen without her! Eve’s DNA was the only thing we needed to create the drug, and she’s gone! Along with every hope we had of reshaping the world!”
“Relax,” Belial drawled, grinning at Javan as he straightened his tie. “We got all the samples we needed. The drug is already being produced. We synthesized her DNA and we no longer have a need for her.”
