Angel Incarnate: Second Sight (21 page)

Chapter 32

Aura left the children
at home with Eve and Angie, while she took the leftover wedding food to
Ryan.
 

Shortly after Paul
moved his family from Savannah to Aeden, he sought out a young priest for the
angel-bloods. Father Patrick was a perfect choice to offer guidance to his
children.

Since his decision to
go to seminary school, Ryan was staying with Father Patrick. He was well
informed about the angel-blood’s heritage, but the archangels insisted that
Ryan be kept in the dark, despite numerous arguments from Aura.

When Aura drove into
the parking lot, she pulled alongside Father Patrick, who was in the garden
with three of the girls from Ryan’s support group. The winter frost was expected
soon, and they were gathering the last ripened tomatoes.

Turning off the
ignition, she opened the door and paused to look at the teenagers.

All three had
short--cropped hair; their signature colors -- Katie -- shocking pink, Shanna
-- electric blue, and Sophia -- vivid magenta. Wearing what looked like
hand-me-downs, their arms were inked with tattoos, and Aura counted no less
than five studs in each ear lobe.

Aura smiled and waved,
but the girls -- still wary of strangers – put their heads down.
 
They’re
afraid of me. I should have made more of an effort to have a relationship with
them before.

The food was packaged
in tins and transported in reusable shopping bags. Ryan came running out of the
church just as Aura opened the rear car door.

“Hey –when did you get
here?” he asked, pulling her into a tight embrace.

“Talk about drop-dead
gorgeous; did you see her eyes, they’re purple?” Katie whispered to Sophia.

“Yeah – they’re
probably contact lenses. I should ask her where she got them.”

“Her hair is so long.
Do you think it’s ever been cut?” Shanna asked.

Father Patrick started
chuckling as he listened to the girls.
 
“You’ve heard Ryan speak about his best friend, Aura. You’ll finally
have the opportunity to get to know her. Come along; Aura has been kind enough
to bring us lunch; the least we can do is help her carry it.”

Aura stepped back.
 
Ryan still wore blue jeans and a faded
Orioles jersey; his shoulder-length, chestnut locks were pulled into a loose
ponytail.

“I’m disappointed; I
thought you would be wearing vestments since your ordination.”

Ryan laughed. “Sorry to
disappoint you, but I’m only required to don the suit when I’m on official
church business.”

“So -- no white
collar?” she sighed.

“You’ll see me in the
collar when I deliver my sermon on Sunday.”

The girls walked over
to the car and Father Patrick introduced them.
 

After shaking hands,
they seemed less apprehensive of Aura. They were even smiling when she handed
each a shopping bag, leaving the last two for Ryan.

As they walked towards
the basement of the church, Father Patrick excused himself. “I have to visit
some of my friends in the country. They’re getting up in years and can’t always
make it to Sunday service.”

Aura watched as he
grabbed a basket of tomatoes and jumped into his car. Without looking, he
backed the sedan over one of the concrete curbs. Oblivious, he put the car in
gear and continued out of the parking lot.

“I hope he doesn’t kill
anyone on the way,” Katie commented.

Aura giggled. “Bren
swears she and Tracy can drive better than our priest.”

“Who is Bren? I’ve
heard Father Patrick talk about her? He says she is really outspoken, but she
has a good heart.”

“Bren is my little
sister. You’ll get to meet her at the Halloween party. I hope you’ll come.
We’re celebrating Ryan’s ordination.”

“I tried to talk her
out of the party, but nobody talks Bren out of anything she has her mind set
on,” Ryan said. “So, I’ll expect all of you to be there.”

“It sounds like fun,”
Katie said. The other girls nodded.

 
When the church building was constructed, Paul
and Adam had the insight to include a full kitchen complete with stove,
refrigerator and dishwasher in the basement. It was perfect for the kid’s clubs
which were sanctioned by the church.

As soon as they walked down
the back stairs and entered the large meeting area, Aura asked where the other
kids were.

“This is all we have
left of the team,” Ryan sighed. “Some of the girls went home, and after turning
eighteen a few weeks ago, the boys left for Florida.
 
Father Patrick and I bought them a decent
used car, gave them enough money to last a few months. They called a few days
ago to tell us they’ve settled into a new apartment near the beach, and have
decent paying jobs at one of the popular restaurants.”

“Todd said he’s going
to save his money and start college next fall,” Katie said.

“Yeah – Cory is
thinking about taking some classes too,” Sophia added. “Stella is bringing a
new girl today; she should be here soon.”

They seem to be opening up to me; I wish I could spend more
time with them
. “I
can’t stay,” Aura sighed. “I promised the kids Chinese for lunch.”

Before hugging Ryan,
she pulled some cash out of her purse. “Give this to the girls,” she whispered
in his ear. “Please, don’t say it came from me; I don’t want to embarrass them.
Say you received a donation, so they could buy new clothes and whatever
personal items they need.”

Ryan tucked a strand of
her hair behind her ear. “This means a lot; I can never thank you and your
family enough.”

“The food needs to be
warmed,” she yelled to the girls on her way out. “Enjoy, and I’ll see you at
the party, if not before.”

“Thank you,” they
yelled back.

Aura waved, and then
hurried up the stairs. Looking at her watch; it was already eleven thirty.

After using her cell
phone to call the Chinese restaurant, she started the engine and drove away.
Looking at the tire marks on the concrete curb, she couldn’t help but laugh.

Bren may be right; she and Tracy are probably better drivers
than Father Patrick. I should talk to Dad about giving him some of the angel’s
blood before he hurts himself.

“Perfect” by Pink was playing on the
radio. She turned it up and began to sing along.

Chapter 33

By the time Gregory
arrived at the Governor’s mansion in Utopia, the clean-up from Caspian’s
wedding was well underway. As he watched a pair of young men disassembling the
trellis, the vision of Meredith being knocked into the fountain by Eve came to
mind, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.

Pity the archangel showed up; I would have liked to see what
powers those little girls have. Richard must have an idea; I’ll speak to him
about it.

He barely grazed the
brass knocker, when one of the female servants opened the door.

“Good morning – I have
a wedding gift to deliver to Caspian and his bride.”

“The family is in the
dining room,” she said. “Follow me and I’ll announce you.”

Gregory stared at the
young girl and shook his head. Wearing a long-sleeved, black rayon dress which
barely showed her ankles; the stiff white pinafore apron, and matching cap,
completed the uniform.

She looks like a parlor maid – straight out of Downton Abby.
This must be another of Meredith’s brilliant ideas. The poor girl can’t be any
older than sixteen; I wonder how she came to be in the Governor’s employ.

“Excuse me, Governor;
there is a gentleman here to deliver a wedding gift.”

Meredith turned to see
Gregory Godwin standing in the doorway.

“Forgive the intrusion,
but Andromeda insisted I bring this to Caspian and Desiree,” he said.

As he looked around the
table, he couldn’t help noticing Caspian’s absence. His focus shifted to
Desiree. Judging by her reddened eyes, she must have been crying recently.

“I apologize for our
sudden departure yesterday; Matthew isn’t used to controversy,” he told Henry.

“Gregory -- it’s good
to see you,” Meredith gushed. “I’m afraid my son has been called away. The
Guild recruited him and my son-in-law to warn the angel-bloods about the danger
to their children. Please -- have a seat and share a cup of tea.”

Nathali raised her
brow, giving her grandmother a curious stare.
Since when do you care what happens to the angel-bloods?

“Yes, all that business
about those missing children; such a shame. I hope they have a successful
journey.” He handed the package, wrapped with fine gold paper and trimmed with
a satin band, to Desiree.

“Well, open it,”
Meredith instructed. “Andromeda has exquisite taste; I’m sure it will be
lovely.”

Following her
mother-in-laws command, Desiree carefully untied the white ribbon and removed
the paper, revealing a robin-egg colored blue box. She lifted the lid and set
it on the table. Beneath the tissue paper, she found a silver, Queen-Anne
tea-set. Engraved on each piece, was a detailed picture of an angel, spreading
their wings.

‘It’s beautiful,” she
gasped.

Gregory chuckled.
“Andromeda will be pleased. I noticed Richard isn’t here either; are you
expecting him sometime soon? I’d like to speak to him about a business
proposition.”

“My son left early this
morning. We have no idea what time he’ll return, but I can leave a message for
you,” Henry said.

“No – don’t trouble
yourself. It was nothing earth shattering.” He stood, excused himself, and
after kissing Meredith’s hand, the maid showed him to the door.

“What a nice young man.
I hope Andromeda appreciates him,” Meredith said.

She called for one of
the other servants. Pointing to the tea set, she said, “Take this to Desiree’s
room and be careful not to drop it.”

The girl replaced the
lid, and rushed towards the stairs, mumbling under her breath.
 
I’m
counting the days. Three more months, and then I can finally be rid of this
ridiculous costume, and that witch.

Samhael arrived at the
cabin in the woods shortly after Richard. “Is this all you could find?” he
asked, looking at the two brothers.

“You didn’t give me
much time. These men have agreed to take the blood, and if we are successful;
I’ll try to locate some of their friends.”

“Not to worry,”
Mortriel said as he approached from the road. “We’ll start with these men, and
add to the group later.”

Standing beside him
were six of the seediest characters Richard had ever seen. The hulking men
stood over six feet tall. The sleeves of their sweat-stained, blue and white
striped prison uniforms were rolled up, exposing bronze, muscular arms, painted
with multi-colored tattoos.

“I picked them up from
a chain gang in Mississippi this morning,” Mortriel said.

“They are agreeable to
the plan?”

“It didn’t take much
convincing. I think they’ll be perfect for our New Guard.”

Clarence and Chester
started grumbling when they recognized two of the men – Roland, and his
brother, Roy.
 
“What are you doing here
-- looking to screw us over again?” Chester spat.

Richard cocked his
brow. “You know each other?”

Chester spit on the
ground next to Roy’s feet. “These two low-lifes welched on a deal they made
with us a few months back.”

“I don’t know what
you’re complaining about,” Roland spat. “We’ve been in that hell--hole for
three months, while you two were living the good life.”
 

“It was just a little
misunderstanding,” Roy explained. “We agreed on an amount of money for their
services, but they never finished the job. We paid Clarence and Chester what we
thought they were worth.”

Mortriel doubled over
in laughter. “Clarence and Chester – how frightening – I doubt anyone is going
to be afraid of these two.”

“Yeah-- well it ain’t
as bad as Roland and Roy,” Chester sneered.

“Enough -- there will
be plenty of gold to go around,” Mortriel said, still chuckling. “We don’t have
time for these petty arguments. When this is done, we’ll change all of your
names.” He turned to Samhael. “Did you bring the blood?”

Reaching into his
pocket, Samhael removed several of the clear glass vials. “This should be
enough to get us started. Each of them have a small knife?”

The men pulled
switchblades and make--shift pocket--knives out of their prison trousers. Some
were bloodied; others rusted.
 

They aren’t exactly the cream of society, but beggars can’t
be choosers.

“In an effort to save
time, Richard will administer the blood to Clarence and Chester while the rest
of you watch.
 
Pay close attention --
you’ll only need a small drop of blood,” Samhael said.

When Chester offered
his knife, Richard pushed it away.
 
Who knows where that thing has been; I’ll
use my own
.

He pulled a small
serrated blade out of his jacket pocket and made a small slit in the brothers’
arms. Samhael opened one of the vials and handed it to him.

“Wait,” Mortriel said.
He leaned in and whispered in Samhael’s ear.
 
“Perhaps we should have them make a cut now.
 
If these two don’t survive, the others may
renege on their agreement.”

Samhael nodded.
 
“Before Richard mixes the blood, the rest of
you can make a small nick in your forearm,” he said. The men did as they were
instructed, though some cut deeper than was necessary.

Maybe they’re trying to prove how tough they are because they
know Mortriel will appoint one of them as the leader.

“Are you ready?”
Richard asked the brothers.

Chester and Clarence
did nothing to disguise the pretentious smirks on their faces. Since they were
chosen to go first, it moved them one step ahead of the others.

As they held out their
arms, Richard applied a single drop of blood to each of the open cuts, and then
took a step back. He had already been warned him about the transformation, and
didn’t want to be their first victim if they survived the process.
 

Mortriel and Samhael
followed suit; emptying the contents of the vial on the rest of the men. Then,
backing away to stand next to Richard; they waited for the change.

When Gregory left the
Governor’s house, he walked past the square towards the country. When his
parents died, he inherited the family estate, but he hadn’t checked on the
property in ages.

He saw a shadow out of
the corner of his eye and turned to see a cloaked figure limping hurriedly
towards the outskirts of town.
 
Though
her face was concealed, he suspected she was one of the Enchantors who lived in
the small village adjacent to the city.

I wonder where she is going in such a hurry. I’ve heard
rumors about their bizarre spell-casting; I should tag along and see what she’s
up to.
He watched
her turn towards the woods, and then he followed, keeping enough distance so he
wasn’t spotted.

The reaction to the
blood was swift.

The men lay on the
ground, twisting and writhing in pain as the transformation began. Their chests
and heads swelled to twice its size.

Sharp, elongated teeth
protruded from their gaping mouths, accompanied by a foul-smelling drool.
 
A sleek black fur began to manifest over
their faces and arms, and extended, razor sharp claws replaced the fingers on
their hands.

“So, the rumors about
werewolves are true?” Richard joked.

Mortriel couldn’t
contain his exhilaration.
 
“It seems to
be working; my father will be pleased.”

No sooner did the words
roll off his tongue, four of the men began to convulse. A thick, dark substance
poured from their mouths and noses, and within minutes the quivering stopped.
As they lay motionless, a knot formed in Mortriel’s gut -- they were dead.
 

 
Staring at the limp bodies, he cursed under
his breath.
If none of them survive, my
father will think I’m a failure.
His eyes focused on the remaining four,
who were still thrashing about.

“Someone’s coming,”
Richard whispered.

They turned to see an
old grey-haired woman with a cane hobbling towards them. As she came into view
he recognized her – it was Grendel. “What’s she doing here?” he mumbled.

They had only turned
away for a split second, but it was long enough.

Before Richard could
stop them, the brothers mounted a vicious attack on Roy and Roland, who had not
yet completed the transformation. Sinking sharp fangs into the necks of the two
men; the air was soon filled with shrill, deafening screams.

Roy and Roland, who
were not fully awake, tried to stave off the attack, but the brothers were
relentless. As Clarence and Chester used their teeth to tear at the raw flesh,
their clawed hands ripped through the chests of their victims.
 

Gregory, who had been
hiding behind a tree and watching, felt a sour pang in the pit of his stomach.
His first instinct was to run, but he found himself glued to the spot, unable
to turn away from the horrific scene.

“Stop them!” Mortriel
shouted.

“ENOUGH!” Richard
screamed.

The brothers, still panting
and covered in blood, fell to the ground. A few seconds later, their altered
bodies were once again in their human form.

Grendel approached and
threw two pairs of shackles at Richard. “Quickly – chain them before they
change back,” she said.

Richard and Samhael
each grabbed one of the iron manacles. After wrapping them tightly around the
brothers’ hands and feet; the chains were secured with a heavy padlock.

“We are not alone,”
Grendel whispered. She pointed to Gregory who stood motionless in front of the
tree.

Gregory felt the hair
lift on his arms as all of the color drained from his face. He contemplated
approaching them, until he saw the serrated blade in Richard’s hand.

He doesn’t know me well enough to vouch for me to his
friends. I need to get out of here fast before I become their next victim.
He snapped his fingers, and used the
portal to take him home.

Mortriel started
towards the spot, when Samhael grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back.
“He’s long gone.”

“Did you recognize
him?”

“His name is Gregory
Godwin,” Richard said. “He and his wife run a school for angel-bloods in New
York.”

“We need to take care
of him. If word gets out, our plans will be ruined,” Samhael said. He stared at
the mound of dead bodies. “We need to do something with them, and then find a
safe place for Clarence and Chester.”

“First, we’ll eliminate
our little problem,” Mortriel said.

“Richard can deal with
Gregory, while we keep watch over Clarence and Chester. When he returns, you
and I can take our new Abyvir to Purgatory. We’ll need the carriage house.”