A darkness grew within him and he began to embrace the title of demon. It’s what he was. He made the decision to further develop his abilities and then put them to use against any who would not accept him back into human society. He was not ready for a major battle yet, but he would be soon.
Training began immediately, as he focused on those abilities that he did not fully understand. Meditation helped him harness the power of his mind and sync it with his enhanced body. A breakthrough occurred when he was able to reduce the darkness that surrounded him to a gray shadow by intently thinking about it. It took some concentration, but with time he was able to maintain this reduction of his darkness. He could never remove the shadow completely—it had become a part of him—but he could lessen it to such a degree that he could escape detection.
Just as he was able to minimize the darkness around him, Clifford found that he could expand it. On a sunny day, he could cover the forest in a shroud of darkness and cause the wind to whip through the trees, ripping off branches along the way. Once he even caused a dark cloud to appear and lightning to strike amidst heavy rain. He was ready.
Chapter Fourteen
Now fully in control of his powers, Clifford made his way through South America and back into the United States. He used his speed to avoid all human contact until he had crossed the border into southern Texas, eventually stopping in Dallas.
His first contacts with humans were wonderful. Most people assumed he was an outlaw, his dark, mysterious look fitting in with many of the rough-edged villains that roamed the desert. Liking the way people regarded him with fear and respect, he adopted the outlaw lifestyle.
He joined a small gang of bandits and quickly took over leadership, as his abilities served him well in his new life. He gained their respect by drinking hard, winning fistfights, knocking off banks, and eventually by single-handedly winning shootouts with cowboys and lawmen.
With the territory came the adoration of women, and his good looks made him the center of attention in this respect. Clifford had a different girl every night, many of whom became pregnant and bore his many children. He witnessed the birth of his first child, a boy. The first thing he noticed about the child: his deep, dark eyes.
When he used a small knife to cut the boy, to his astonishment his skin healed within seconds. Clifford was joyous. He could pass on his powers to his offspring! From that day forward he kept the births of his children a secret and took them away to be raised in a hidden camp in the mountains.
Once his children were of age, he killed the other men in his gang and taught his children the story of the snake and their responsibilities as demons. He counseled them to keep their powers secret and expand their numbers.
Clifford’s family’s criminal activities allowed them to continue to prosper, but they remained on the move and did not flaunt their power. Most of their activities resulted in unsolved crimes and murders.
Eventually Clifford died at an average age, but his children followed his teachings and continued to build up their numbers and secretly infiltrate all aspects of human society.
Four generations and about 100 years later, two of Clifford’s great, great grandchildren from opposite branches of the family tree began a torrid love affair that resulted in the birth of a child. It was the first time that two demons had produced offspring together.
The result was a creature with a deformed face and batlike wings that sprouted from its upper back. While the creature was hideous in appearance, it was relatively intelligent in mind. Although it lacked the power of speech, its demon parents were able to teach it their history and ways. The creature grew to full-size in mere months.
Full-size was a behemoth twelve feet tall with massive hind legs, short arms, and razor sharp claws. While not as powerful as its parents, it used fire as its primary weapon, breathing flames from its mouth in explosions of force. Once the demon clan had seen what the “child” could do, they produced dozens of similar creatures, although each looked as different from each other as a cat from a dog.
Chapter Fifteen
Gabriel had been talking for a long time, with Taylor captivated by every word. She had many questions, but had held them in, assuming that they would be answered over the course of the story. Eventually she could no longer contain her biggest question.
“Why do I see the red-eyed black snakes in my dreams?” she interrupted.
Gabriel stopped his monologue, a look of surprise crossing his face. He shook his head, like he had almost forgotten that he had an audience for his story.
“What do you mean?” Gabriel said.
Taylor realized that there was no way that Gabriel could know about the snakes. She opened up to him. “Since I was a little girl, I’ve had nightmares about the snakes from your story. I used to fear them, but have learned to live with their constant presence. I no longer fear them, but I still hate them.” Taylor didn’t mention that her most recent snake dreams had included Gabriel in them, it was too embarrassing.
Gabriel said, “I’ve wanted to ask you about your tattoo.”
“It’s just my way of coping with the nightmares,” Taylor said.
Gabriel nodded. “It suits you.”
“Thanks,” Taylor said, smiling slightly.
“To be honest, I have no idea why you see the snakes in your dreams. It might have just been fate’s sadistic sense of humor preparing you for what I am telling you.”
Taylor nodded; she was unsatisfied by the response, but it was as good a guess as any.
“Shall I continue?” Gabriel asked.
“Yeah, but first I have one more question. You’ve talked a lot about demons, but you’re an angel. What does all of this have to do with you?”
“A fair question, I was actually just getting to that,” he said. He continued carefully, pausing to think before almost every word, as if he was afraid of misrepresenting some key fact or anecdote. He said, “While most of the demons were of similar mind and wanted to realize the ultimate goal of destroying humankind and inheriting the earth as the superior race, there was one who disagreed. His name was Dionysus.”
“That’s a strange name for the 1950s,” Taylor said.
“Nevertheless, that was the name he had been given when he was born into demonhood,” Gabriel replied. “You see, Dionysus thought that demons and humans could co-exist on the earth and actually help each other. He constantly argued with the leaders of the demon clan and tried to convince them to change their evil ways.
“Dionysus was appalled at the appearance of the strange demon lovechildren. He referred to the creatures as gargoyles and believed them to be an abomination.
“One day an argument erupted into violence. Dionysus fought fiercely against three other demons, but was eventually backed into a corner and subdued. He was brought before the clan leaders and banished from his home. They told him never to come back.
“Dionysus was full of rage at his family’s evil plans. As he passed from the shadow of the mountain, he emerged into the sunlight. Despite being under the sun, he saw that the area immediately around his body remained cloaked in shadow.
“He dropped to his knees, tortured by his inability to fully experience the warmth and light of the sun. He summoned all of his strength as he focused on driving the darkness from his body. To his surprise, some of the darkness receded and a single beam of light touched his chest. This small token of relief from the darkness strengthened Dionysus further and he attempted to thrust the remaining darkness away. He roared in agony as the darkness was ripped from his frame. His bones splintered and tore through his skin, leaving countless gashes on his arms and legs.
“Black blood poured from each wound and evaporated into the air. A mere human would have surely perished from the injuries, but Dionysus’s body quickly repaired itself.
“Dionysus looked at his arms, his legs. He saw that the shadow had been lifted. Bathed in its life-giving rays, Dionysus closed his eyes and absorbed the power of the sun into h
is being. He lay there for hours until he was aware that the sun had set beneath the horizon.
“When he opened his eyes it was dark, but he perceived a source of light nearby. Afraid that someone might discover him, he looked around anxiously, but saw only darkness. It was then that he looked closely at his new body. It glowed softly despite the dark that had fallen on the earth.”
“He was the first angel,” Taylor whispered.
“Yes, he was. And Dionysus soon realized that he was changed in many ways. His body could still heal itself, but he now drew his power from light rather than darkness. He was inherently good rather than evil. It was the beginning of the angel evolution.”
“So his powers were stronger than the demons’ and he kicked their asses?” Taylor asked.
“Not exactly. The demons’ powers were still a major force to be reckoned with. For the last 60 years Dionysus has built an army that has protected humans against constant attacks by the demons. The fight is referred to as the Great War by both sides. Given each side’s equal and opposite powers, no advantage has really been gained at any point.”
“Come on, that would mean the demons are still out there. It sounds a little farfetched to me.”
“Unfortunately, they are. Many of the unsolved crimes you hear about on the news are the handiwork of the demons. But the angels are out there every day keeping the demons at bay and protecting the humans. We feel that the tide in the War is finally turning in our favor.”
“Do you fight too?” Taylor asked.
“We all do, Taylor. As they say, with great power comes great responsibility.”
“Are you screwin’ with me, man?” Taylor asked bluntly.
Gabriel looked amused. “I wish I was, but it’s all true.”
Taylor’s head was spinning. Her thoughts once more turned to the snake, and to Gabriel’s courageous victory over it. “I think there is something else I should tell you about my dreams,” she said.
Chapter Sixteen
“I’ve had a few snake nightmares lately…,” Taylor started, “…and I think you were in two of them.”
To her surprise, Gabriel replied, “I know.”
“What the hell—” Taylor started, but was interrupted by Gabriel.
“One of my abilities is to alter the dreams of any human I choose,” he explained. “In your case, I wanted you to know that I was a friend. I saw the snakes, but I didn’t realize that they had plagued your sleep your entire life.”
“Yeah, and your plan kind of backfired when you poured the sand down my throat!” Taylor tried to sound angry, but a hint of a smile gave her away.
Gabriel didn’t get the joke. “That wasn’t supposed to happen and it wasn’t me that choked you, I gave you the water.” He sounded a bit defensive.
“I was just joking, tough guy.” Her face became serious again as she asked, “Then who was the other Being in my dream then? The dark one. Was that a demon?”
“I’m so sorry, Taylor. As I mentioned earlier, while angels and demons have many different powers, some are the same. Demons are able to control dreams too, and in this case, a demon hijacked the dream that I had created for you and turned it into a complete nightmare.”
As Taylor pondered his last statement, she became aware that it was getting light out. She yawned. “What time is it?” she wondered aloud.
Gabriel checked his watch. “Just after six.”
They had been talking all night.
“Dammit! I have to get to class!” Taylor started to get to her feet and then swayed as she looked down from the rafters.
Gabriel grabbed her arm to steady her and said, “It’s Sunday, no school.”
“Oh.”
“Regardless, I should get you home so that you can get some rest.”
“Screw that, I still have too many questions, like who was the demon from my dream and what does he want with me? And why did you invade my dream anyway? Why have you told me all of this?” She yawned again.
“I promise, I will explain everything, but only after you have slept a bit. You have nothing to worry about; you are in no immediate danger from that demon or anything else.”
He put his arm around her. She felt relaxed and very, very tired. “I guess I could sleep for a few hours first,” she said.
A moment later she was asleep. Gabriel picked her up, spread his wings, and soared back towards the dorms.
Chapter Seventeen
As Gabriel headed back to his dorm after delivering Taylor to her room, he was smiling to himself. Damn, I’m good, he thought. Not only was she in awe of the story he had told her, she was in awe of him, too. He could tell. Having her fall for him was all part of the plan and would ensure her cooperation with the plans of the Council.
Crap, he realized he had forgotten about the Council. He was supposed to call to update them once his second contact with Taylor had been made. He flipped open his cell phone and pressed the speed dial for Dionysus. He smiled again as he thought of how many other angels would be jealous of his direct contact with the Head of the Archangel Council.
Dionysus picked up on the first ring and Gabriel’s smile faded quickly when he heard the harsh tone on the other end of the line. “Where the hell have you been?” Dionysus snapped. “You were expected to check in hours ago!”
“I…uh...” As good a liar as Gabriel was, he couldn’t think of a single one at the moment and it was better that he didn’t try; Dionysus would see right through the lie and would be even more furious. “I forgot. I am very sorry, my lord.” Gabriel hurried on before Dionysus could reprimand him again. “But I have very good news for you that I think you’ll be interested to hear.” He paused for a reaction.
“Go on,” Dionysus commanded.
“I have made second contact with the girl and I believe she may be exactly what we think she is. I told her the story that we agreed on and she took it quite well. I will be meeting her again tonight.”
“Have you experimented on her yet?” His voice sounded like a mad scientist who was attempting to create a monster from a human, like Frankenstein.
“Not yet, I thought it was too soon, but I will start with a simple test tonight to verify that she is the one.” Gabriel spoke confidently, but inside he wasn’t sure how he would convince her to do anything this early on in their relationship.
“You do that. And if she resists, do what you need to force her.” His voice was as sharp as a knife; to Gabriel it almost sounded as if he hoped she would resist.
“I will, my lord,” Gabriel said, secretly hoping it wouldn’t come to that.
Without another word, the line went dead. Gabriel shook his head, confused for the first time since he began the mission. He needed to get his priorities straight, make sure that he was prepared to do what had to be done. While he could have fun with her, he had to ensure he didn’t grow attached to the girl. In the end, she was just a tool, a means to an end. Things were only going to get harder, especially with that demon hanging around, messing with Taylor’s dreams.
Chapter Eighteen
Taylor’s eyes opened when she heard the door open. She sat up, scanning the room and trying to figure out where she was. The room was empty. It was light in the room, despite the blinds being drawn. She rubbed her eyes and a myriad of visions suddenly spiraled through her mind: Gabriel with wings, Gabriel flying her through the air, Gabriel telling her an impossible story about angels and demons and gargoyles.
Clearly, none of it had happened. More likely, she had fallen asleep and missed her meeting with Gabriel. Her mind was always creating crazy stuff, like when she was taking a test and trying to concentrate, and green leprechauns began dancing through her head, playing harmonicas or accordions. Another time it was leaping clowns strumming on banjos and harpsichords. Bottom line, she was a bit nutty.
The door opened again and Sam walked in. Upon seeing Taylor sitting up, she smiled. “Good morning, sleepy head,” she said cheerily. She had a smirk on her face, clearly amused by
something.
“What time is it?” Taylor asked groggily. She did not see the humor in the situation.
“Nearly two in the afternoon. But after your late night I would say that’s not too bad.” She was laughing now.
“What late night?” Taylor said, unable to stop a hint of alarm from creeping into her voice. She rubbed her eyes again and tried to remember. Forcefully, it all came flooding back into her mind again. It still felt like a dream. It couldn’t be true. She felt dizzy.
“You don’t look so good, Tay.” Sam’s amused look vanished and changed to one of concern for her friend.
“I’ll be fine,” Taylor said, lying back down on her soft pillow. “How exactly did I get home?”
The amused look was back. “Geez, Taylor. Even though Gabriel claims that you didn’t have anything to drink, I’m not sure I believe him.”
“You saw Gabriel?” Taylor asked, ignoring the jab. “How did he….look?” Visions of a winged and glowing Gabriel knocking on the seventh floor window and passing Taylor through to Sam popped into her head.
“Beautiful, as usual,” Sam replied. “You are a lucky girl.”
Apparently, Gabriel hadn’t been stupid enough to show up at their room with his wings extended and his built in light-bulb on its highest setting.
Taylor said, “Look, Sam, nothing happened, I swear. I definitely wasn’t drinking. We just went for a walk, found a quiet place, and then talked all night long. Then I got really tired and fell asleep, I guess. How did he get me home?”
“Oh my gosh, Tay, it was so romantic. I heard a knock on the door this morning and there he was, holding you in his gorgeous arms. He said he carried you all the way home and that he found your security pass in your pocket and used it to get into the dorm.”