Chapter 22
For just a moment, I freak out. Have the archangels taken Sam from me the way they took Harry? After all, Harry was removed from my life because he would be in my way in the war against Jonathan. What if they did the same thing to Sam, because I fell in love with him?
But, no. They wouldn’t. Would they? Sam was clearly prophesied to be the other part of a team that consisted of the two of us alone. He’s needed in this battle as much as I am. And I just can’t bring myself to believe the ultra-perceptive archangels wouldn’t have known we are soul mates. You can’t separate soul mates once they’ve found each other; they always find each other again. The archangels had to know, and they put us together anyway, instead of keeping us separated and working on the war from different locations. They won’t take him from me. They can’t. He’s got to be here somewhere.
Okay. I’m chilled out about his absence now. And that attitude clears my head, allowing me to think rationally. I know where he’s gone. It’s our day off from training, the one day a week we get any extended rest. He’ll want to use the opportunity to talk to Ella, since they haven’t had a chance to talk in-depth and alone since she arrived yesterday.
I get dressed in some comfortable jeans and a long-sleeved green t-shirt with the Tree of Life symbol on it. The fabric is thin and light, perfect for these slightly cool summer mornings in Vermont. Grabbing a quickly toasted frozen waffle and munching on it plain, I head out into the streets and toward the most private place in town…the entrance to the woods behind the recreation center.
No one else is around, but since it’s our day off, I’m not surprised. Everyone is going to sleep in a little bit longer than usual. Even the angels, who don’t need as much sleep as the rest of us, are still in their beds.
The town seems strange when it’s so quiet and empty.
As I munch down the last bit of my crumby waffle, I see them, exactly where I expected them to be. Brother and sister are standing close to each other, engaged in a deeply private conversation. I don’t feel as if I’m intruding by approaching them; Ella said I was family, after all, plus I’m the co-leader of the army that lives in this town. Also, I instinctively know never keeping secrets from one another is part of the package of the new status between Sam and me. He won’t mind me being here, and neither will Ella. In fact, I need to know what they’re discussing. Whatever it is has to concern me in some way. Besides, I also miss the warm energy of being in Sam’s presence and want to be near him again.
As I walk up to them, I see Ella is still wearing her angel clothes, but has cleaned them, her tunic and pants being pristine and fresh. You’d never know she was in a brutal battle just a day ago. She appears beautiful and young as always, but something has changed in her eyes. They are older than her face now, wiser, and sadder. I’m sorry for her. Loss of innocence is always painful, both in the person who loses it and for the people who see it happen, especially in someone as naturally happy and bright as Ella. The battle has changed her, but I don’t know in what ways. I’m sure it will be revealed in time. I just hope it’s not too much and she’ll be able to mostly bounce back from it. She’s still young and resilient by angel standards. Maybe she’ll revert to something resembling her old self before long. I hope so.
“It’s all my fault. I should have been there.” That’s Sam talking, his voice soft and quiet, not wanting to draw attention to their conversation. He needn’t be worried. No one but me will have an inkling of where they are, and most people will probably be in their beds for a few more hours today, anyway. Those who aren’t won’t stray far from home if they can avoid it. The day off is special around here.
“Ella,” I greet her, choosing this moment to join them. Sam is taking this too hard. There’s nothing he could have done, and he was needed here. He knows it. He wants to protect everyone, and there’s only one of him. Maybe my arrival will take his mind off his guilt, and make him feel better for seeing me. I already feel amazing at the sight of him.
I take Ella in my arms, hugging her tightly. She returns my embrace with a fierceness I’ve never experienced from anyone, as if holding onto me will make everything all right with the universe again. Her faith in my ability to fix this hasn’t diminished, though I don’t know why. I haven’t done anything amazing yet, unless you count the capture of Jonathan’s blade. Yet her belief is so strong, I almost crumple under the weight of it.
“I knew you’d be up to join us soon,” she says, scrunching up her face against my shoulder. “I couldn’t sleep. I just stayed up all night thinking about the battle. All of our family and our subjects, lying dead and bloody on every side of me, the awful screams as Daniel and his army killed them, the older ones trying to protect the children and everyone getting slaughtered in the process. Oh, Lucy, I just can’t erase the images and sounds from my mind. I feel like such a coward for hiding, but I didn’t know what else to do.”
“It’s okay, kiddo,” I say, stroking her hair, using my best soothing “big sister” voice on her, which is a variation of what my older brothers used to use on me. “You did what you had to do. No one thinks any less of you. And you saved the angels you brought with you. You’re no coward, Ella. You’re a hero. Without you leading them, there would be no resistance left at all except for the few of us here. I’m sure Sam’s told you the same thing.
“I have,” Sam assures me. “She refuses to be comforted.”
“Just like you refuse to stop feeling guilty about what happened on the moon base and to your mother. You two have got to stop taking the weight of the universe on your shoulders. As far as I’m concerned, you’re both brave and heroic, and you’ve both saved people. You can only do what you can do, and you can’t be everywhere. That’s why we need a bigger army. We need more people in more places, to avoid things like this in the future.”
“When will it all end?” Ella’s plaintive question, full of pain and anguish, nearly fells Sam. I can see it. It’s not easy for me to hear, either.
“It will end eventually, sweetheart,” I assure her, looking to Sam for confirmation. He nods, frowning with the frustrations of our slow progress. I force a smile to counteract his scowl, and put my face directly in front of hers. We will be victorious,” I say, using the smooth, even tones of assured authority that I know comfort her so much. “We have to be. The fate of the universe depends on us and everyone who joins our cause. We all have a duty to protect it, and we will.”
“But how many more of us will die before it’s over?” She is crying lightly, the tears wet against my neck, and the tremble in her voice is crushing me.
“I don’t know,” I reply honestly. “War is an uncertain thing. One thing I can promise you, though, Ella, is that Sam and I will protect you, no matter what. You don’t have to worry about Jonathan hurting you. We will make sure he never lays a hand on you, you have my word on it.”
“Mine, too,” Sam says determinedly, taking her hand and gently pulling her off of me. I take her other hand, and we form a small circle of three, an unusual family unit standing firm against the forces of darkness, with only each other to look to for leadership and support.
No one else knows the position we are in, Sam and me as military leaders, and Sam and Ella as rulers of an entire kingdom of Earth Angels. We are the only ones who understand the burden of doing what needs to be done and making the hard decisions.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, you two,” she says, sniffling back the tears and giving us a half-smile that seems like the welcome appearance of the sun peeking out on a cloudy day.
“We can promise this,” Sam assures her.
“You can’t. I know how war works, too. You can try, and you may succeed, but you can’t promise me I won’t get hurt by Jonathan or any of his army. I know you’ll both do your best, and that’s all I can ask of you. Don’t ask more of yourselves.”
She’s right, as much as I hate to admit it. Sam and I both want to protect everyone, and especially our loved ones. We’ll e
ach do what we have to in that quest. But Jonathan is a powerful angel and his army is enormous. They’re probably already making plans to take us on as soon as they can find us, and we don’t have nearly enough people do defeat them yet. We may not be able to protect anyone, including each other. But we will die fighting to keep as many people safe as we can, if necessary. That much I do know.
“Ella, Lucy, I’m going to see Father,” Sam says, abruptly changing the subject.
I expected he would do this eventually, so I’m not surprised. Ella, on the other hand, is plainly horrified.
“Sam, no!” she cries, her hands flying to her mouth as if he’s spoken some kind of blasphemy. “Father said to stay away as long as Jonathan is still a threat. He’s our king, and the head of our family. We’ve never gone against his orders.”
Sam sighs and slumps his shoulders, shaking his head in consternation. I get his exasperation. Surely Ella sees these are unusual times? They call for unusual measures, and the typical rules can’t always apply.
“Sam, would it really be so terrible for you to go see your father?” I ask, wanting to make sure nothing bad will happen to him for disregarding an order from his king.
“In normal times, Father’s word would be absolute in our home and our community,” Sam says evenly, not a touch of worry in his voice. “None of the Earth Angels would dare disobey him, not even Mother, if she were here. The recriminations would be terrible. For any of his family, especially his wife and children, it would be even worse than for the other angels in our realm, since we are expected to set an example for the rest of the kingdom. Because of our status, we are held to a much higher standard. If I were to disregard a direct command from him in normal times, I could expect beatings, temporary banishment, possible imprisonment, public penance, or any number of other things as a result. But now? There is no one left to witness my disobedience, and thus no reason to punish me for it. What’s more, there is now every reason to go up there and have a discussion with him, assuming he is still alive.”
“Would you know if he wasn’t?”
“We’re too far away to feel Father’s energy signature, and with him being all alone at home and most of the Messenger Angels avoiding this area, no, I wouldn’t know. But I assume Jasper left him alive until they take control of the Earth. Someone needs to be there to look out for extraterrestrial threats to the planet and protect against them if any appear. Jonathan wants to control this planet and everyone on it, not see it destroyed. It would defeat his purpose.”
“Sam, I’d be careful with Father,” Ella insists. “He knows you’re leading the resistance, but that doesn’t mean he’ll take kindly to you showing up at home when he expressly told you to avoid it until further notice.”
“Ella,” Sam presses, wanting her to understand, “there is no reason to keep up appearances with him right now. Only the three of us know he ordered me to stay away. He can have no objection to me coming to see him. Father has been in battle before, long ago. He will understand why I must come in spite of his order. You don’t need to worry for me where he is concerned.”
Ella eyes him suspiciously, and I can tell she is trying to figure out if her adored older brother is lying to her. I’ve seen that look before, on my Kindergarteners. Really, I’m almost insulted on Sam’s behalf. I truly don’t believe he would lie to her unless there was a massively good reason. At the same time, it’s also touching that she’s so concerned for him. I’m sure, as the heir to the throne, Sam is held to the highest of standards, even more so than the rest of his family. In normal times, what he is proposing would be unthinkable. But this is different, and King Josiah has to realize it.
Sam must be thinking the same thing, because he raises a questioning, almost comical blond eyebrow at his sister. “Have you ever actually seen Father be more than just slightly angry at me for anything?” he asks, prompting her to think back.
She carefully considers the question. “No,” she admits after a moment. “You always were such a goody two-shoes.” She smiles then, a real Ella smile that warms my heart, and playfully punches Sam in the arm. “You always wanted to prove just what a good, obedient son you are. But I know you, Sam. Father never knew all the mischief you got up to. You were careful at hiding it.”
“And a good thing, too!” Sam laughs, looking far away into the distance, as if remembering some of his secret childish pranks and adventures. “I’d have been locked up until it was time for me to inherit Father’s crown.”
“You were still the good kid, though,” Ella says, smirking. “Even at your worst, you were always the best.”
“And you, my dear little sister, were the most coddled. You don’t know how easy you had it. There was never anyone looking over your shoulder all the time, demanding perfection. All you ever had to do was smile and plead and you’d get your way. Always.”
Sam amusingly emphasizes this last word to indicate how extremely irritating he finds this, when in fact, I suspect he can be just as susceptible to Ella’s charms as anyone.
“It’s a gift,” she says breezily, casually flipping her golden hair behind her shoulder in an “I don’t care” kind of way. Then, she gets serious again. “Are you going right away?”
Sam nods. “Today, I think. It’s crucial I talk to him now, before Jonathan engages us in battle. He’ll find us eventually, you know, even once the town is cloaked.”
“Won’t Jonathan be able to find you if you leave town?” Her tone is even, but her eyes give away her worry.
“No,” he reassures her. “I am personally cloaked, and so is Lucy. The seers worked their magic on us the day we arrived. As long as the magic holds, Jonathan will not be able to find us, no matter where we go.”
“Do you know how long the magic will last?”
“No. But Linda assured us it would be for a long time.”
“That’s good,” the relief in Ella’s voice is evident, and she visibly relaxes her pose.
“Will you be taking Lucy with you?” Ella asks, taking me completely aback.
Will he? I hadn’t even considered it. Meeting Sam’s father and seeing his home would be amazing. But would it be better if I stayed here and helped with the cloaking spell for the town, which I know the elders are doing today? There hasn’t been much time for me to learn seer magic with all the physical combat training I’ve had to do.
We both look at Sam expectantly.
Sam nods. “I promised Lucy I would protect her, and I am her acting guardian angel. Guardian angels aren’t supposed to leave their charges. We all know I’m not a real guardian angel and I can’t do what they do, so there’s no need to bring it up. But Lucy’s guardian left her under my protection, and I must take it seriously. I would regardless, of course.” He gives me a quick wink, and I immediately see Ella notices it. She cocks her head to the side in curiosity, knowing something is going on between us that we haven’t told her. Innocent she may be, but she’s not stupid, not by a long shot.
“What if something happens to the village while I’m gone?” I ask.
“Father will be displeased I’m coming,” Sam continues, oblivious to my question or the fact that his sister is preparing a mental Nancy Drew case to discover our “secret” as we speak. “I don’t know how he’ll feel about Lucy being there, either. No human has visited our home since I was born, and I don’t know if any ever did before that time. But I can’t leave her alone. I have a responsibility to her. She comes with me.”
He doesn’t consult me or give me a choice in the matter. It’s an imperious, high-handed kind of act which could be troublesome later on if he keeps doing it. He’s not my prince, though he treats me like a princess (and is my metaphorical knight in shining armor). I’m not bound to obey his orders, and we are equal partners in this whole thing. But I do want to go with him, not only to see his home and meet his father, but also because I want to be near him, always. So I don’t argue….for now.
There are lights starting to come on in so
me of the houses up the street, and I know people will be making their breakfasts soon. This is the one day of the week people cook and eat in their own homes, rather than the communal setup we have in the church. Others will start coming outside to enjoy a day of leisure, starting with the kids.
We need to get going.
“Will you tell my family where I went and that we’ll both be back soon?” I ask Ella as I take Sam’s hand.
“Of course. Good luck to you both. Tell Father I love him. And Sam?”
“Yes, little sister?”
“Be careful.”