Broken (Book 1, The Watcher Chronicles, Paranormal Romance), page 15
Mason doesn’t have to tell me when we reach the Tree of Life. It’s hard to miss. Not only is it the largest, most beautiful tree in the garden, it has a fiery sword, blazing brightly with orange flames, embedded in its trunk.
“I don’t understand why it’s there,” Mason says, his eyebrows lowered in confusion. “Why would Jophiel leave it stuck inside the tree?”
I seriously hope Mason doesn’t think I have an answer to his question because I feel sure I am far more clueless than he.
We walk up to the tree and Mason grabs the hilt of the sword. He gives one swift tug but the sword remains steadfastly embedded in the trunk, not giving an inch. He steps back and motions me forward.
“Why don’t you give it a try?”
I don’t know what to do with the crown so I stick it on my head. I grab the swords hilt with both my hands intent on yanking with all my might, but soon find that I don’t need to strain so hard. The sword, in all its fiery magnificence, comes out like the trunk is made of butter and not wood.
I feel the crown on my head begin to grow warm against my scalp. When I looked up at Mason, his eyes are large and he’s breathing so hard I fear for his health.
“What’s happening?” I ask him.
“The crown is glowing,” he says. “It’s glowing like it normally would on the head of an archangel.”
“But I’m human,” I remind him.
“Jessica…”
“Did you hear that?” I ask looking around me, trying to find the owner of the voice.
“Hear what?” Mason asks.
“Jessica, its time we had a talk…”
I look at Mason, completely frightened now because I suddenly realize the voice is coming from inside my head.
Before I can stop it from happening, the world around me grows dark. I faintly hear Mason scream my name but that’s the last thing I remember before falling into oblivion.
Chapter 13I don’t remember ever opening my eyes. I just suddenly find myself standing in the middle of my mother’s flower garden on the back side of my childhood home. It’s spring time and a warm breeze caresses my skin, bringing with it the scent of freshly cut grass and morning dew. My mother’s rose bushes are just beginning to bud and the tulips, daffodils and azaleas are in full bloom surrounding me with pinks, yellows and warm whites. I sense movement from the direction of the white painted Victorian style gazebo in the middle of the garden and notice an angel standing there. I know he’s an angel because he has white wings attached to his back which are flaring slightly as he watches me.
“Who are you?” I ask, refusing to move an inch until I get an answer.
“Come speak with me, Jessica. We have a lot to talk about.”
Before I know it, I’m standing inside the gazebo staring into the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. The man is handsome with wavy jet black hair that just touches his shoulders and a face I find both kind and stern at the same time. He’s dressed in something that looks similar to a black roman soldier’s uniform complete with shredded leather skirt and hard leather breast plate.
“Who are you?” I ask again, feeling my heart rate increase.
The man flexes the wings on his back as if they annoy him.
“You know, I’ve never quite understood why you humans always think of us with bird wings on our backs,” he sounds almost amused. “They’re quite uncomfortable.”
“I don’t understand,” I admit. “You are an angel right?”
He looks at me and smiles. For some reason, his expression puts me at ease.
“I look the way you think I should look,” he tells me. “Don’t suppose you could think of angels without the wings,” he looks down at what he’s wearing, “and without the gladiator costume?”
“How can I change how you look?”
“We’re in your conscience right now, Jessica. You can change anything and everything you see. I believe you chose this place because it’s where you were the happiest as a child.”
I decide to test his theory and imagine him without the wings.
To my surprise the wings disappear.
“Ahh, thank you,” he says rolling his shoulders.
Then I imagine him without a stitch of clothing on.
He looks down at himself completely exposed but doesn’t try to cover up.
“Well,” he says, placing his hands on his hips “it’s an improvement, but I’m not sure how well you’ll be able to concentrate on what I need to tell you if I remain naked, Jessica.”
I imagine him in a bunny costume. I admit. I laugh.
He smirks at me. “Not really an improvement.”
I dress him in a faded pair of jeans and a white T-shirt with black angel wings embossed on the front.
“Thanks,” he says, sitting down on one of the two benches on either side of the gazebo.
I sit on the opposite bench watching him warily.
“Are you going to tell me who you are and why we’re here?” I ask.
The man smiles at me and leans forward by putting his elbows on his thighs. He clasps his hands together and begins to tell me about my destiny.
“My name is Michael.”
“Archangel Michael?” I ask. He nods once. “So why are you inside my head, Michael?”
“I’ve always been a part of you,” he tells me. “I’ve remained hidden within you until now.”
“What do you mean you’ve always been a part of me?”
“When you were conceived, my essence or you could say my soul, attached itself to yours. We were drawn to one another Jessica, for whatever reason.”
“How did that happen?”
“It happened the night the Tear appeared.”
“But I was seven years old when that happened. How could you have become a part of me when I was conceived? You’re not making any sense.”
“I know Mason has already told you what happened on Earth when Lucifer made the Tear, but let me tell you what happened in Heaven when it happened.”
I feel myself involuntarily lean forward, intrigued by the oration of such a tale.
“When it happened, God came to us, the seven archangels, and told us what the results of Lucifer’s actions would be. He said that although Lucifer wouldn’t accomplish destroying the universe, he would break it, tear it into a thousand different pieces that might never match up again. He said we were the only ones who could stop Lucifer’s next plan. And before you ask, because I know you will, He didn’t tell us what that next plan was exactly, just that we were the only ones who would be able to stop him when the time came.”
“That’s interesting,” I say, not being facetious in the slightest. “But that doesn’t answer my original question. I was seven when the Tear appeared. How are you a part of me?”
“Time moves differently in Heaven,” Michael says. “Here time moves linearly. You have your past, present, and future and they happen in that order. In Heaven it’s not linear because we need to be able to step into all three time lines to cause changes when needed. So when we were asked to come here, we all chose a particular point in time to jump into. Most of us came in the past and I believe one of us chose that exact night or what was the present.”
“How did you choose me?”
“I didn’t choose you. You chose me.”
“I chose you? Baby me chose to attach itself to the soul of an archangel?” I ask dubiously.
“All of the archangels went to the Guf to find suitable souls to meld with.”
“The Guf?”
“It’s the Treasury of Souls. We went there and explained to the souls present what our mission was. The only way the melding could work is if the human souls chose us, not the other way around. Seven of you volunteered to become our vessels. You knew what you were getting into and chose to fight the good fight, I guess you could say. You’re a lot stronger than you’ve given yourself credit for. Even then you understood the risk you were taking but you still chose to take me with you and fight for what was right. It’s the rarest of souls who chooses that type of path, Jessica.”
“What? One that’s a glutton for punishment?” I say, trying to make light of his praise.
“One that knows what’s worth fighting for.”
I sit there trying to absorb what he’s just told me and decide I should try to find out as much information while I can.
“So all seven of you are here? On this Earth?”
“Yes.”
“Where are the others?”
“That I can’t tell you because I don’t know. You’re the one who will have to find them.”
“And how exactly am I supposed to do that?”
“We are all connected to one another, at least our souls are. When you finally find the first vessel, you’ll understand what I’m talking about more clearly. The first one will be the hardest though. You’ll have to find the place within yourself that connects you to them. If you can concentrate on that small part of them, you will be able to visualize who and where they are. But the first one may be hard for you to find.”
“Thanks for the words of encouragement.”
Michael smiles. “You can do it, Jessica. I know you can. Let Mason help you. I believe he holds the key to your success.”
“Why would you think that?”
“He makes you want to bring down the walls you’ve built around yourself since the disappearance of your parents. If you don’t let yourself connect with someone you actually care about, I’m afraid there might not be any hope of you finding the others.”
“Well, can’t you help me? Isn’t that why you hitched a ride with my soul? You’re an archangel right? Shouldn’t you have some sort of super powers? Aren’t you the reason I see people who don’t belong on Earth glow different colors?”
“Yes, I’m the reason you see certain people’s auras. It is a power that was given to me so I could know where certain legions of angels were during the fight with Lucifer in Heaven. You see the tearers having red auras because they simply don’t belong on this Earth and their natural auras are corrupted. But you only have access to some of my powers at the moment. I can only help you so much until all seven of us are brought back together. Until then, you and the other vessels will each need to find the crown that was placed here on Earth for you plus your corresponding talisman.”
“Talisman?”
“The flaming sword is your talisman, Jessica. The others will have their own holy relics that they will need to find.”
“Why do we need these talismans?”
“The objects are meant to help you focus the powers you will develop as you grow in number. It’s easier for humans to have a physical object they can project upon. Having something you can hold tends to help you concentrate. Once the others have found their crowns and talismans, they will be able to communicate with their archangel just like you and I.”
“Why do I have Jophiel’s crown and not yours?”
“Not all of you will get the crown that corresponds to your archangel. Things don’t have to be that literal all the time. You were given Jophiel’s crown because it was the clue you needed, or in your case Mason needed, to lead you to the sword. Like I’ve said, you’re a fighter and the sword complimented that quality in you the best.”
“If we are all meant to fight against Lucifer, does that mean Lilly will be helping us to stop him? She did it once before, surely she can do it again.”
“Lilly is my child,” Michael reveals to me. “I would rather not involve her in this matter,” Michael says, taking on a protective tone. “She’s found her happy ending and I want it to stay that way. Besides, she can’t take on all the princes of hell by herself. Only the combined power of the seven of us will be enough to stop them.”
“Princes of Hell? Where are they?”
“They were scattered across the universe when the Tear opened. It was something Lucifer hadn’t counted on happening. Usually it would be simple enough for him to call the other six to his side by summoning them through the rings he made them from his own crown but they don’t have the rings anymore.”
“Where are the rings?”
“I don’t know.”
“So is that what Lucifer meant when he told Mason each new year brings it’s own small miracle? He’s waiting for the others to come through the Tear?”
“Lucifer saves up his power every year in order to open the Tear,” Michael says. “He’s found at least one of the other princes. All he needs now are the five others.”
I sit there in silence absorbing what Michael has just said.
“He’s responsible for it opening every year?”
“Yes. He’s not powerful enough to cause any real damage, just open it to search for the others.”
“Not cause any real damage?” I say, my voice on the verge of hysteria. “You’ve seen what that thing does to other people’s lives! How can you sit there and say it doesn’t cause any real damage?”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it, Jessica. Yes, I know it rips people’s lives apart but the universe remains intact. Lives continue, just differently.”
“Spoken like someone who’s never truly lost someone they love.” I hear the harshness of my voice but don’t care. It’s what I believe.
“I’ve suffered loss,” Michael says, and I see the evidence of pain in his eyes. “I lost my best friend to his own greed. I had to abandon the woman I loved because I was ordered to. I never had a chance to know my one and only child because my involvement in her life would have diverted her from her true path. The path she was born to take. I’ve known loss just as painful as yours, Jessica. Don’t think you’re the only one who holds a monopoly on heartache because you’re not.”
I suddenly feel like I’ve just been put in my place and look away, unable to look Michael in the eyes anymore.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel bad,” he says gently. “But you must remember we’ve all had to make sacrifices, some of them harder than others but just as painful.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think about what you’ve been through. I was just being selfish.”
I’m silent for a moment before I ask him another question.
“So after I find the other six and get them their crowns and talismans,” I say, “what do we do?”
“Let’s concentrate on the most important thing first: finding the first vessel. When you’re finally together, your powers will combine and you’ll be able to find the next archangel vessel a little easier. Each time you add another member, finding the next will become far simpler. But it’s the first one that will be the toughest if you don’t allow yourself to connect with people. And I hate to add to your burden but that responsibility rest solely on your shoulders.”
“No pressure there,” I say, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.
“You can do it,” Michael says, so sure of his statement it makes me look back up at him.
The look of confidence on his face instills me with the courage I need to face the task he has laid out before me.
“Will this be the last time I see you?” I ask.
Michael smiles. “No, you’ve awoken me now. If you need to speak with me, just call out to me in your dreams and I will come to you.”
“Ok,” I say, standing up. “How do I get out of here so I can start looking for the other vessels?”
“Wake up.”
I open my eyes and find myself in a strange bedroom. A painting of a woman in a red dress is mounted on the wall across from the bed I’m in. Her hand is propped against her cheek as she leans to the side staring down at me. A lacquered wood dresser rests beneath her. On its surface is a bouquet of white roses in a crystal vase. The sword is still grasped firmly in my right hand the crown is lying in the crevice between my pillow and the other pillow on the bed.
Streams of sunlight enter the room through a pair of paned glass doors on the wall facing towards the outside of the building I am in. Gauzy white drapes hang from hooks above the doors scattering the light across the red tiles on the floor. I push the thin white quilt covering me off my body and swing my legs over the side of the bed.
I’m still wearing my Watcher uniform but find that my shoes, socks and thigh holster are missing. I stand up and walk over to the lacquered dresser to place the sword and the crown on his surface. Then I walk over to the glass doors to discover where I am.
Outside is a grey stone terrace that looks out over an immaculately kept formal garden with its shrubbery trimmed into various complementary geometrical designs. Past the garden are acres of rolling hills covered in what appear to be grapevines.
I hear the door to the room open behind me and turn to see who it is.
I watch as Mason’s eyes travel from the bed where he obviously thinks I should be to where I’m standing.
He smiles and I feel my heart sing as the look of concern on his face turns to relief, relaxing his features and making him more handsome than any man, or angel, has a right to look.
“How are you feeling?” He asks, coming to stand at my side.
“I’m fine. How long have I been asleep?”
“Two days.”
I’m silent, sure I’ve heard him wrong. “Did you just say two days?”
He nods. “Two days.”
I feel my tummy grumble as if confirming for a fact that what he’s saying is true.
“Do you have something I can eat?” I ask, now feeling the full emptiness of my stomach gnawing at my backbone.
Mason holds his hand out to me and I assume we’re about to phase somewhere to find me food, but he simply laces his fingers between mine and tugs on my hand, urging me to follow him. We walk out of the room holding hands like it’s the most natural thing in the world for us to be doing. I smile, finding the intimate contact unexpected.
As Mason leads me down the hallway outside my room, I instantly know we have to be in a mansion. The hallway is as long as my street back home with various rooms branching off of it.
