Chapter 26
The elderly and children are huddled into the newly built community center on the edge of town. It is strategically placed, close enough to the town’s rear border to allow an easy escape into the woods, but behind taller buildings, so the enemy combatants can’t see it when they enter the town. If the battle goes badly for us, those inside can wind their way through the maze of new construction, into hiding, while we lure the fight away from them.
I supervise the exodus with my grandmother, wanting to make sure both my grandparents actually go inside; I know they want to stay and fight with us, my grandfather especially. If only they were three or four decades younger, they would make excellent soldiers. Even now, they would put up a valiant show of force. But I can’t concentrate on my own job if I’m worrying about them, and I will not lose them if I can offer them protection. This community center, and its associated escape plan, is the best protection this town has to offer.
“Lucy, you must be careful,” Grandma says, catching my hand as she walks toward the wide, steel-enforced double doors. “The people need you, but your family needs you, too. Don’t let anything happen to you out there.”
“I’d feel better if I was there by your side,” Grandpa says solemnly, his hands balling and un-balling into fists, aching to fight with us.
“I know,” I say, “but I can’t be watching out for you guys the whole time. We stand a much better chance of winning if I know you’re safe. I’ll be concerned enough about Matthew and James. They’re good fighters, and powerful seers in their own rights, but I don’t know if they’re ready to do this. James, especially, needs more training to really reach his full potential. And I have Sam and Ella to watch for, too. You two need to go inside and promise me you’ll be safe, no matter what happens out here. If I feel like I’m fighting to protect you and the children, it will motivate me to try harder.”
“It’s difficult for us, sweetheart,” Grandma says gently. “We’re used to being the ones to protect you. We’ve been doing it for so long.”
“And you’ve done a beautiful job,” I say, sincerely. “But now it’s time to let me stand on my own. I’m an adult. I’m trained. I’m ready. I have to be.”
“I could at least go help the boys,” Grandpa says, looking out over the crowd, trying to spot his grandsons. They’re already on the front lines and well out of his line of vision.
“Grandpa, no,” I say, firmly. “You and Grandma have to protect your great-grandchildren and their mothers. They’re already inside. Now go be with them and make sure they get through this safely. I’ll take care of the boys as best I can.”
“Our little Lucy,” Grandma says, patting my hand affectionately, and with a noticeable amount of pride. “Taking care of her big brothers. Who would have imagined it?”
“Or leading an army?” Grandpa points out. “I always imagined you staging sit-ins to protest wars, not command them.”
I laugh out loud, because it’s true.
“You’re absolutely right, Grandpa. But this is a little different than your average war.”
“Agreed. Just remember this, Lucy. There are no guarantees any of you will make it through the battle.”
There’s barely concealed distress creeping out of Grandpa’s voice now. I need to wrap this up and get them both inside the community center before they grab weapons and insist on following me into battle. They’ll do it if I don’t quickly reunite them with their great-grandchildren, I know they will.
“There are never any guarantees in war,” I say, smiling gently. “You taught me that, Grandpa. But you’ve seen what we can do, and in particular, what I can do. I think we stand a chance.”
“I think you do, too,” he agrees.
We hug and kiss quickly, then I stand and watch as they are hustled inside with the rest of the non-fighters, Grandma entering the building last of all, her exodus supervising job done. There are two guards, one angel and one human, posted at each entrance to the building. It’s all we could spare. If anything goes wrong and Jonathan’s army looks like it’s winning, it is their job to evacuate the people inside. They are also in charge of leading those people to safety and re-forming the resistance in another location, if necessary. I hope it never comes to that, but it’s good to know there will still be a resistance out there, just in case we lose.
Once everyone is inside and the doors are closed, I give an appreciative nod to the guards at the front door, then make my way back to the front lines to join Sam. I find him at the very front of the army, Ella, John, Linda, and my brothers flanking him on both sides.
The spell that surrounds the town creates kind of a shimmering energy dome around it, and up close, it has a gently reflective quality. Even though I approach from behind, I can see Sam’s reflection on the dome, and it’s clear he’s deep in thought, no doubt considering the enormity of the responsibility he bears for the lives of all the seers and angels in this town. He doesn’t look worried, angry, or overwhelmed. He looks….haunted. Haunted and determined. He is going to go down fighting to save every single life here if he has to.
I also catch Ella’s gaze in the reflection. She’s thinking the same thing as me, and an unspoken agreement passes between us as her eyes meet mine on top of the dome. We can’t let him do it. Sam will sacrifice himself to protect anyone here, no question. We have to prevent him from doing it, even if it means giving ourselves up instead. She and I talked about this privately weeks ago, and as far as we’re concerned, we are Sam’s personal bodyguards. We’ll help fight back the enemy with the others, but protecting Sam is our primary objective. Without Sam, there is no army.
Yes, there’s the fact that I’m the co-leader here; our army could conceivably go on with just me at the head. The archangels were quite clear that the war could only be won with both Sam and me working together. But, we don’t know if their declaration means we only have to work together to a point to win; for all we know, forming this army together was the extent of our task.
Then, there’s the big metaphorical target on Sam’s back in Jonathan’s eyes. Whatever happens here today, there’s no question among any of us that Sam is more Jonathan’s target than me. He’ll kill Sam without hesitation if he’s able. Though he knows I’m Sam’s ally and is after me, too, I suspect Jonathan will want to harness my powers for himself rather than kill me if I become his prisoner. The painfully real danger Jonathan presents to Sam, more than anyone else here, is why protecting Sam has to be the first concern of all of us, including me. Of course, I have my own, personal reasons for wanting to protect him, too, which just gives me more incentive to keep Jonathan as far from my angel as possible.
I turn around and look at the swell of seers and angels behind us, all neatly arranged into their assigned regiments. The strongest ones are in the front, except for the archers, who need to be in the back with our last line of fighters, the ones who are new, not as well trained, or not as skilled as the others. Ella should be among them, and is only in the front because of her special dedication to Sam. We all know our parts, what weapons we can use, when we should use them, when to engage in hand to hand combat, how to protect our comrades, and sadly, when to leave them. Though our numbers are smaller, I think the combined powers of the seers, and especially my own unique abilities, will make it an evenly pitched battle.
There’s only one variable, and it could make a big difference in how this goes. We don’t know what special skills or strengths Jonathan’s individual soldiers possess. I assume they are all expertly trained, but special powers in the individual soldiers could give Jonathan the edge. He has soldiers from places in the universe none of our angels have seen, and what those soldiers can do is a complete mystery.
We’ll have to give this all we’ve got. As I’ve reminded everyone more times than I can count, it’s the fate of the planet we’re fighting for, and for the galaxy, the universe, and even the multiverse, because for Jonathan, Earth is just the beginning. We’re on the front l
ines of what could be a battle for everything in creation. We have to win.
I sidle my way between Ella and Sam. Both have their swords drawn and poised by their sides. I do the same, assuming the battle-ready stance of the rest of my regiment.
We all carry magically charged weapons, which are the only things that can kill angels outside of starstones. Putting the power into every weapon in the armory was one of the first tasks the elders completed when we began turning this town into a military base. Not knowing when the enemy would show up, we had to be prepared from the beginning.
“How much longer until they bring down the barrier?” I ask Sam.
“Soon,” he says, softly. “Is everyone safely inside the community center?”
“Yes. I oversaw it myself. They know the drill if they have to evacuate, and the guards will make sure they follow it.”
“Did your grandparents put up an argument?”
“Of course.”
“Lucy, did I do the right thing?” There is the barest hint of uncertainty in his voice.
“The right thing?” I reach out with my free hand and place it reassuringly on his own.
“Fighting with Jonathan in the first place. If I’d given in and just let him kill me or take me prisoner, he wouldn’t have this vendetta against me, and he wouldn’t be taking it out on all of us now. He might have taken over the Earth, but so many lives would be saved, and he might have gone easier on the planet than he will now. If he wins, he’ll make this world suffer all the more because I put up such a crusade to protect it. I inconvenienced him. He won’t let it slide if he becomes master here.”
I can’t quite believe what I’m hearing.
“Sam!” I exclaim, incredulous, my inadvertently high pitched tone breaking the silence around us and bringing the eyes of our entire regiment and other nearby ones squarely onto us. Feeling their gaze, I quickly lower my voice again.
“Sam,” I say, more quietly, but with force, “you did what you had to do. You did what no other angel in this area would do. You stood up for your planet, your family, your principles, and yourself. Angels like him can’t be allowed to just take what they want at the expense of others. He’s a megalomaniac. Do you really think he would be a benevolent ruler in any case? He wants to enslave us. We’re expendable to him, since he knows we’ll breed and make more slaves. What incentive does he have to treat us well? He’ll do the same thing to other planets if he gets past Earth. He’s already enslaved the other Planet Angels in this solar system, the ones who aren’t protecting sentient races. Someone had to do something. Only you had the courage to do it. I’m so proud of you for it. Because of you, the universe may actually stand a chance at maintaining its freedom. And it’s all because of one very special angel who said no when he was bullied by a tyrant. You started a movement, Sam. You’re a hero, no matter what happens.”
“She’s right,” Ella agrees. “I’m proud of you, too, big brother. You are the noblest angel I’ve ever known. You are more than just a hero. You’re my hero.”
“I’m glad you both have such faith in me,” Sam still sounds uncertain, not in our faith, but in his worthiness of it.
“They’re not the only ones,” says John, who is close enough to hear us clearly. “We all have faith in you, Sam. You’ve proven yourself to be a natural leader, and an excellent one. And you, too, Lucy. If it weren’t for you, Sam wouldn’t be here and we wouldn’t have a resistance movement, or this incredible community at all. You both are to be commended for what you’ve done. We wouldn’t follow anyone else but the two of you, together, into a battle like this.”
“Agreed,” says Linda.
“I agree, too,” Matthew chimes in.
“Me, too,” James agrees. “You’re both heroes, as far as I’m concerned. And you, little sister, are an amazing force of nature. I’m in awe of you, and so glad I get the honor of being your brother.”
I reach across Ella and give James’s hand a brief squeeze, doing my best to keep back the tears of deep emotion I feel welling behind my eyes. That’s high praise, indeed, coming from an older brother who used to seem to live to tease me.
Releasing James and saying a silent prayer for his safety, I turn back to Sam.
“See?” I say, smiling at him, hoping he sees the love and faith shining in my eyes. “Everyone agrees. You’re awesome.”
He actually laughs a little. “Awesome. There’s that human slang again. I like it. Thank you all for believing in me. I don’t always believe in myself, so I need a little help every now and then.”
“Any time,” I assure him.
“And you, Lucy, are awesome, too. You heard what the others said about you. You are amazing. Don’t forget you’re just as much a part of this as me. We wouldn’t stand a chance without you.”
There’s another general enthusiastic cheering of agreement around us, and I blush. Grandpa was right. No one could have ever seen this in a crystal ball reading of my future. I feel as unworthy of the praise as Sam does, but I’m grateful to have it, and happy at everyone’s belief in me.
As the cheering dies down, a sickening sound washes over us. It sounds like a cross between fingernails on a chalkboard and an injured whale crying out in pain, and as it reaches its excruciating crescendo, the shimmery reflection on the dome wobbles and warps.
Sam looks at me, eyes wide, mouth grim. “The border is coming down,” he says urgently. “They’ve done it. They’re coming.”
Quickly, he grabs me around the waist with his free hand and kisses me deeply, and with unrestrained passion. All the love and devotion in the universe seems like it’s been smashed together to fit in that one kiss. In fact, it’s suspiciously like a good-bye kiss, and in an instant, I know that’s what he intends it to be, something to remember him by until we meet again in another life if this doesn’t go our way. Well, if he thinks he’s getting away from me that easily, he’s got another thing coming. I just found him!
The determination in me to win grows even stronger than I thought it could. I grab him and return his kiss with an equally passionate one of my own.
Then, like the shattering of glass, only without any sound at all, the border crumbles and disappears. Nothing stands between us and Jonathan’s army now. They can see us, all of us, for the first time. Even Sam and I are visible. Whatever magic they used to uncloak the town uncloaked us, too. Jonathan looks us both right in the eyes, glinting red streaks of pure evil flashing in his own. There’s no question anymore. He means to kill us all.
Jonathan and his army stand there for a moment, taking stock of us, their enemy.
Then, they charge.