“And you as well, but further greetings will have to wait.” Her eyes darted from the dragons to the stadium and back again. “Arramos wants Sapphira to open the portal to Second Eden so his forces can enter. None of us wants this to happen, so the key is to move Sapphira so he will be unable to force her to do it. I suggest that we take her to the portal at the chasm, the one that leads to the tree of life. Even if it’s closed, she can probably open it, and once inside the tree-of-life room, we’ll be just a few steps away from the birthing garden in Second Eden.”
“That’s an idea to consider. With all the children to transport, it would be difficult, but we could work it out.” Billy looked at the dragons. “Two huge problems. There’s no way we can take the dragons. If we leave them here alone, Arramos will kill them all. And what about Walter’s mom? Arramos is holding her hostage.”
“A hostage, you say?” Ruth bent her brow. “That certainly complicates the situation.”
“Right. It kind of paralyzes us.”
She raised a finger. “There is another option. While we planned our mission, we discussed the possibility of creating a Sapphira look-alike. Since Arramos covets a way to open the portal, we could offer to trade the look-alike for the hostage.”
Billy rubbed an ache at the base of his skull. “I don’t know. Arramos won’t be fooled easily. And if he has more troops, we might not be in a position to bargain.”
“I agree that the troops issue is uncertain. But regarding fooling Arramos, don’t underestimate the brainpower we have here. Elizabeth and Jennifer can send Sapphira’s voiceprint to a program Elizabeth has on her little computer. Type anything in, and it will speak the words in Sapphira’s voice. If you have a photograph, the computer can render a holographic projection.” Ruth nodded toward a plane. “The voice replicator is how we got into that cargo plane. Elizabeth called up central command and recorded the voice of a captain, then used it to get us on board as soldiers in disguise.”
“That sounds good on paper, but who could be a Sapphira clone? She still looks so young. Pardon me saying this, but you’re too old. So are Shiloh and Elizabeth. That leaves only Jennifer, and she’s what? Fifteen? We can’t send a teenager to do such a dangerous job.”
“You haven’t seen her in action. She’ll jump all over it. When we discussed the possibility, Elizabeth suggested that we go ahead and prepare for it, so many of the steps have already been taken, including gathering what we need to fake a portal-opening fire.”
“No surprise. Elizabeth is just like her father. Really forward thinking.” Billy looked toward the airplane where Elizabeth and Jennifer had gone. “But leaving Jennifer behind? Alone? Just her and Arramos?”
“And our three knights and three dragons.”
“I know. They’re good men, but they’ll be outnumbered if Arramos brings reinforcements. And the dragons are still out cold.” Billy bent his brow. “And Jennifer’s just a young girl. She doesn’t know how to fight Satan.”
“Ruth?” Shiloh touched her arm. “Allow me, please.”
“Certainly.” Ruth stepped out of the way.
“Billy …” Shiloh pushed a hand into her pants pocket. “Do you remember when Morgan activated the poisonous gas and it looked like we would all die?”
“I wasn’t there, but Walter told me about it. A plant sprouted out of nowhere, and you fed it to everyone and made them immune. You saved a lot of lives.”
“The plant didn’t sprout out of nowhere.” She withdrew her hand and opened it. An orange bead lay in her palm. “I saved some of the seeds, and I pushed one into the wet soil. The plant grew as fast as it always did in the sixth circle of Hades. That’s what saved our lives.”
“So God prepared the rescue long beforehand.”
“Exactly my point.” Shiloh slid the bead away and touched a smear of blood on Billy’s hand. “What’s this from?”
“Well …” He dabbed a stinging spot on the top of his head. “Maybe this cut when one of the soldiers whacked me with a rifle butt.” He lifted his shirt, exposing a gash in his ribcage. “Or this one. I got it when I was fighting the drone buzzards. One of them clawed me.”
“From the way you walk, I think you have other wounds as well.” Shiloh shook her head sadly. “You’ve made so many sacrifices, Billy. You gave your life for others. Wasted away in jail for years. Suffered so many injuries.”
“Well … I had to. Lives were at stake.”
“Of course you had to, but don’t you think it’s time to allow others to do the same?” Shiloh raised a hand, displaying the gap in her fingers. “Sometimes even a fifteen-year-old girl is called to make sacrifices, even if it means spending forty years in misery. God saves lives in ways we can’t even imagine.”
Billy looked at the stump of a finger for a moment, then turned away. “Touché. I surrender.”
“Let’s talk to Jennifer.” Shiloh took Billy’s hand and walked with him toward the airplane. When they arrived, they hopped into the rear compartment where Elizabeth and Jennifer sat on benches and tinkered with a radio, apparently pulled out of the plane’s dashboard. Jennifer still wore her cap, but now she also wore a dark cloak that hid the clothing underneath.
Elizabeth looked up at Shiloh. “Has William authorized our plan?”
Shiloh nodded. “It’s a go.”
“Now you’re talking!” Jennifer pulled off her cap. White hair dropped to her shoulders, and she shook her head to fan it out. She then shed her cloak, revealing a Second Eden battle uniform complete with belt and boots. “I’ll be ready as soon as I put in my blue contacts and we distress this uniform to match Sapphira’s rips and burns. I snapped her photo on my phone so I can copy it.”
Elizabeth withdrew her computer tablet and looked at the screen. “We’ll also need a recording of Sapphira’s voice. I already have one for Arramos. He is quite a blustery dragon.”
Billy allowed himself a smile. These women were amazing. “I have a question. Do you have an escape plan? I mean, suppose everything falls apart. Maybe Arramos will figure out Jennifer’s a decoy. What if he doesn’t let his hostage go until someone proves that the portal is open? What if you can’t get away with Catherine before he figures out he’s been duped?”
“Then we will probably die.” Elizabeth rose and set her hand on Billy’s shoulder. “William, when my father jumped onto a dragon’s back to save lives, he likely had no escape plan. He died, and I still miss him terribly. We …” She gestured toward Shiloh and Jennifer. “All of us here … hope to save Second Eden, and we are willing to die to do so.”
Warmth rose into Billy’s cheeks. How could anyone argue with that? “I understand. And you’re right.”
“Very well.” Elizabeth turned to Jennifer. “Let’s make you look like Sapphira.”
CHAPTER 14
A NEW TRAIN TICKET
“Ashley!” Bonnie shut off the beam, dropped the sword, and ran to her. Marilyn leaped to Carly and clamped a hand over her thigh wound.
Bonnie laid a palm on Ashley’s reddened cheek. Heat knifed into her skin. She jerked her hand away. “I’ve never felt her this hot before.”
“And Carly’s still bleeding,” Marilyn said. “Ashley might have slowed the flow a little bit, but I’m not sure.”
Mariel shuffled toward them. “Pour ice over Ashley! And make a tourniquet for Carly!”
Bonnie scooped ice from the ground and rubbed it on Ashley’s forehead. The ice began melting immediately. “What can we use for a tourniquet?”
“Ashley’s shirt, of course.” Mariel knelt and began unfastening Ashley’s buttons, revealing a saturated T-shirt underneath. Vapor rose from the wetness in thin white strings. “Help me get this off her, and then we’ll ask Grackle to spray ice directly on her torso instead of using the nasty stuff on the ground. And don’t worry about hurting her skin. Frostbite is the least of her concerns. We have to cool her down at all costs.”
While Bonnie and Mariel worked o
n getting Ashley’s shirt off, Marilyn spoke softly to Carly. “How are you feeling?”
“Kind of light-headed,” she murmured, her eyes closed. “The pain’s not as bad as before.”
“Then Ashley’s treatment helped.” Marilyn repositioned her hand on the wound. “Hang on. We just need to slow the blood flow a little more.”
Mariel pulled the shirt free, twisted it into a rope, and slid it around Carly’s thigh. “I have to make this tight. It’s going to hurt.”
Carly gritted her teeth. “I’m ready.”
As Mariel tied the shirt, Carly grimaced. She let out a soft moan, then bit her lip. Thin liquid oozed from a deep lesion on her cheek, but that problem paled in comparison to her thigh’s hemorrhaging wound.
“Grackle!” Bonnie called as she lifted Ashley’s T-shirt up to her ribcage. “Come here and spray her with ice.”
Grackle shuffled over and blew a misty spray of ice crystals over Ashley. As the crystals fell, Bonnie spread them across Ashley’s stomach and, reaching under her T-shirt, rubbed some over her chest. The ice melted on contact and raised new strings of vapor. She stayed unconscious, apparently unaffected by the treatment. “Keep it up, Grackle. This might take a while.”
Grackle heaved in a breath and continued, his spray weaker this time. After several seconds, he coughed and let his head droop. Icy spittle dribbled as he whistled a long, low note.
“All out of ice?” Bonnie asked.
Grackle’s neck sagged as he bobbed his head.
“Thank you. Let me know if you can give more later.” She released Ashley’s shirt, leaving her torso exposed from her ribs down to her hips. Cooling from evaporation would have to take over now.
When Mariel finished tying the tourniquet, she rose and brushed her hands together. “The bleeding hasn’t stopped, but I think it slowed a little more.”
Marilyn laid her hand on the wound again and applied pressure. “Thank you.”
“I wish I could do more.” Mariel walked toward Thomas. “I’d better check up on my favorite old coot. He’s looking rather antsy.”
Bonnie wrapped a wing around Carly and whispered, “How are you doing?”
“Not too good.” Carly leaned her head against Bonnie’s and shivered.
“Do you want us to move you closer to the fire?”
“I’m not cold.” A tear spilled to her cheek. “I guess I’m …”
“Scared?”
Carly nodded.
“It’s no wonder she’s scared,” Thomas said as Mariel led him closer, their arms hooked at the elbows. “Number one, Sapphira just left to face a vicious dragon and two attack helicopters. For some, such a move would be madness, but because she’s the only one who can open the portal for our allies, she had to go. She certainly wouldn’t be able to help them from here. Number two, the villains might break through the portal at any second, and we will be at their mercy. Number three, bleeding from the femoral artery can cause death in a matter of minutes, so we can’t risk moving Carly to a safer place.”
Mariel swatted his shoulder. “I told you not to mention the artery.”
Thomas lifted his chin. “I am merely stating the facts so we can plan our next move judiciously.”
“Our next move is to pray,” Bonnie said as she motioned for everyone to come closer. “Dragons included.”
Mariel picked up Jared’s plant and sat with Thomas across from Bonnie, while Marilyn knelt to Carly’s right, a hand still on the wound. Karrick sat behind Thomas and Mariel and spread his wings to protect them from the falling ice. Grackle did the same over the others. Ashley lay on her back a step away. Vapor still rose from her body. It was probably best to leave her away from the warmth of the others.
Silence descended, interrupted by intermittent crackles of fire, a sniffle or two, and the whistling wind. It seemed that the walled-in chamber had become a cathedral, complete with a fiery altar.
“Before we pray …” Bonnie rubbed her cold, tingling hands together. “Is everyone warm enough?”
Mariel nodded. “It’ll take more than a sorceress and a scientist to keep us down. Right, Thomas?”
“Well …” A grim countenance bent Thomas’s features. He stared straight ahead, though his dead eyes could see nothing. “I sense darkness … deeper than I have ever felt. I fear that we have come to the final precipice.”
“Oh, don’t be such a …” Mariel’s shoulders drooped. “Never mind. Go on.”
He grasped her hand. “Did you listen carefully to Arramos? Did you hear the tremor in his voice? He is fearful. He has lost his swagger. His brutal murders are desperate attempts to boost his own confidence in his power, and he is enraged that Second Eden is still forbidden to him. Something in this realm haunts his every step, and it has shaken him to the center of his darkened heart.”
“His doom is on the horizon,” Bonnie said. “He knows the prophecies.”
“And his fear indicates that he believes them.” Thomas sighed. “Yet, he will continue to do battle. Perhaps he believes he can thwart what is written. Perhaps he simply wants to plunge a dagger into the heart of his enemy and shed blood out of spite. In any case, he has never been more dangerous. So we must be on our guard, both to avoid his wrath and to remain steady in our faith. Remember, he can do no more than destroy our bodies. He cannot touch our souls.”
Bonnie nodded firmly. “Right, Thomas. We’ll be fine. We just have to keep trusting.”
“And praying, as you suggested. Let us be about that crucial business.” Thomas angled his head upward, his eyes closed as ice collected on his face. “Our Father in Heaven, my first request is that you heal Carly. Seal the wound in her thigh. Replenish her blood supply and restore her and Ashley to health. My second request is that you watch over Billy, Walter, Elam, Gabriel, and Adam as they fight against the forces of evil. And finally, I ask that you protect your precious Oracle of Fire. Although Sapphira is a formidable warrior, the odds against her are overwhelming. Yet, you are able to muster an army of angels against her enemies. We ask you to rain justice down on the heads of the wicked and peace upon those who call on your name. And we here call on that name, the name of our savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Bonnie echoed the Amen along with the others.
“So …” Marilyn shivered, her hand still in place over the wound. “What now? We can’t move Carly, and I need to plant Jared in the birthing garden.”
“Then we’ll have to split up.” Bonnie pointed at her. “You and the dragons can find the cave Sapphira talked about. Take Ashley, Thomas, and Mariel there and build a fire with some of the spare wood.”
“I know where the cave is,” Karrick said. “It is within easy walking distance.”
“Perfect. Then you can go back and forth between here and the cave to make sure the fires stay burning.” Bonnie shifted her focus back to Marilyn. “You can ride on Grackle to the birthing garden. I’m sure he knows how to find it.”
Grackle let out a sharp whistle and bobbed his head.
“And you’ll stay with Carly?” Marilyn asked. “Remember what Sapphira said about clearing out of here.”
“I remember.” Bonnie slid her hand into Carly’s. “She’s my friend. I’ll stay with her for as long as it takes. I’m guessing the bleeding will stop pretty soon. Then I can fly her to the cave. Karrick can show me the way.”
“Well … if you’re sure.” Marilyn lifted her hand from Carly’s wound and moved Bonnie’s in its place over the open cut. “Thank you, Carly,” Marilyn whispered. “You saved my husband and maybe all of Second Eden.”
“You’re …” Carly licked her lips. “You’re welcome.”
Warm moisture oozed over Bonnie’s fingers. Blood. Too much blood. Maybe Ashley’s healing maneuver hadn’t helped as much as they had hoped.
Marilyn retrieved the pot and stood close to Bonnie, her jaw firm. “When we get Jared transformed into Clefspeare, our omega dragon will show that preten
der a thing or two.”
“That’s the spirit.” Bonnie offered the best smile she could muster. “How’s our dragon sprout doing?”
“He seems fine. In fact, he’s grown a little bit. He has a head now, so I suppose he’s at the kappa stage.”
They gazed at each other for a moment. Bonnie read her eyes—worried yet reaching out for confidence. “Mom, when Clefspeare regenerates, would you tell him something for me?”
“Sure. What?”
“Tell him that Arramos is murdering children. Tell him that Shelly and Mark were gunned down like dogs in the street. Their blood cries out for justice. Hold nothing back. It’s true that vengeance belongs to the Lord, but I believe Clefspeare will be God’s instrument to deliver vengeance, to bring wrath against those who would harm the innocent.”
Marilyn nodded. “I will. Count on it.”
After Karrick picked up a bundle of wood with his forelegs, he latched on to Ashley’s belt with a rear claw and flew over the front wall. Marilyn, Thomas, and Mariel walked through a gap on the left side, Marilyn carrying Jared’s pot.
Again, silence descended. Although ice continued falling in swirling sheets, Bonnie and Carly sat close enough to the fire to keep the crystals from piling up on their bodies.
“Well, my friend, it’s just you and me.” As Bonnie shifted to get a better angle for applying pressure, Carly grimaced. “Oh. Sorry.”
“It’s all right.” Carly stifled a moan. “You can’t help it.”
Bonnie wrapped a wing around her again. “Are you still feeling scared?”
Carly nodded. “Pretty much.”
“I don’t think anyone will come through the portal. Sapphira would die before she’d let that happen.” Bonnie glanced at the fire. The flames had ebbed, allowing a pocket of cold air to envelop them. Yet, she couldn’t get up and rebuild the pyramid of logs. “Besides, the fire’s dying down. She might not even be able to open it.”
“That’s not what I’m scared about.”
Bonnie glanced at the blood pouring from Carly’s wound in spite of the pressure and the tourniquet. The lesions on her face had become every bit as raw and deep as Oscar’s. She wasn’t immune to the curse. Her eternal soul might really be in great danger. “Are you scared of dying?”