Tempted (5 page)

He held her gaze silently, waiting for her to speak. She shifted uncomfortably under his perusal. He continued to stare silently at her. Sarah cleared her throat.

“
You never told me your name,” he said finally. “Let’s start there.”

She nodded. “Sarah,” she answered, fiddling with the hem of her t-shirt. Why was she so tongue-tied around this man? She was a messenger for crying out loud. Talking was one thing she knew how to do. Yet, for some reason, she was having a hard time giving voice to her thoughts while he was staring at her so intently. “My name is Sarah.”

“
Okay Sarah,” he said with a nod, “Why don’t you tell me about yourself. I’ve never met an angel before,” he said with a slow smile. That smile put Sarah instantly at ease. Starting by explaining angels and their existence to him would be easy. She followed him into the living room and sat once he had gestured toward the couch in invitation. He lowered himself into a chair across from her. He placed his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands and waited for her to start talking.

“
Well,” she began, “angels have existed well before the birth of your planet. We were there when Father created the universe.”

“
Father?” Jackson interrupted. “Is that what you call…him? The big guy?”

“
God,” she verified with a nod. “It is what we call him.”

“
All right,” he said. “So you’re sitting around in heaven and the big kahuna creates the universe. I think everyone knows it didn’t just stop there. What happened next? How did angels end up here among humans?”

“
Angels were not needed on earth until the Great Falling of Angels. One angel decided that he was more powerful than Father. He caused others to rebel against him as well. They were cast out of heaven into hell after the Great War. They are known as the Fallen, or demons. They delight in causing pain and suffering in people. They are everywhere, just like angels.”

“
So the big guy sends you to fight back?”

Sarah nodded. “Something like that. Every angel is given a choice between serving in heaven or on earth. Many jump at the chance to come here. Each one serves a purpose.”

“
This is amazing!” Jackson said with a smile. “People have been running around talking about alien sightings and Bigfoot. People who believe in angels are lumped in with those whack jobs, but it turns out you really do exist!”

“
Oh, aliens and Bigfoot exist too,” Sarah said with a snort. She could barely contain a giggle at Jackson’s shocked expression. “Let me explain. Anytime you hear about a strange or otherworldly occurrence in the world, it’s usually an angel or a demon doing something they’re not supposed to be doing. We are only supposed to be seen in our human forms, or not at all.”

“
So….Bigfoot is….?”

“
One very big, very hairy demon.”

“
Aliens?”

“
Both angels and demons have been mistaken for extraterrestrials.”

“
Ghosts and fairies? Are they angels and demons too?”

Sarah nodded. “Ever read any Greek mythology?”

Jackson shook his head in disbelief. “Unbelievable.”

“
And yet here I am.”

His eyes swiveled back to her. “So what are you here for, Sarah? What kind of angel are you?”

She hesitated, lowering her eyes to the carpet. She knew that she couldn’t lie; angels didn’t have it in them to lie. She also knew that Jackson was not the type of person who would take kindly to her invading his life. Just as she had when she’d bumped into him on the street, she could feel the resistance he had built up around his heart and mind. This was not going to be an easy assignment.

“
I’m here for you, Jackson.”

She heard his sharp intake of breath and glanced up to find his narrowed eyes on her in suspicion. “What do you mean, you’re here for me? Are you the death angel? Am I going to die?”

“
No, I’m not the angel of death. I’m here to give you a message concerning your future.”

“
My future?”

“
Yes. I have something to offer you; a great honor bestowed upon you from heaven. Should you choose to accept this commission, your life will change forever.”

Sarah watched the war of curiosity and disbelief in his eyes. He frowned. “I think you’ve got the wrong guy. I’m nobody special. I’m definitely not worthy of any great, heavenly honor.”

“
No one can really be worthy, but you’ve been chosen all the same.”

“
Would you stop talking in circles and just tell me what’s going on?”

For the first time, Sarah felt impatience gnawing at her. Most people did not argue with or question an angel. And yet, she’d known this assignment would not be an easy one. Jackson was no ordinary human.

“
Let me explain. There is a hierarchy, one that stretches from heaven into earth. It begins with Father, of course, and trickles down from there. In the realm of angels there are the Seraphim, the highest order of angels, and the Cherubim, a pretty close second.”

“
Cherubim? You mean those cute little babies with diapers and bows and arrows?”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “You humans have your own ideas about a lot of things, most of the time you are wrong. Cherubim are fearsome creatures with four faces and several pairs of wings. If you ever saw one in person you’d probably faint.”

“
And those are supposed to be the good guys?”

“
They serve a purpose like any other angel, and theirs includes guarding heaven. Have I slaked your curiosity yet? Can we move on?”

“
Okay, okay,” he huffed. “And here I thought an angel would be patient.”

Sarah glared at him, but otherwise ignored his comment. They had a lot to discuss and not a lot of time. “After the Cherubim there are the Archangels. They are the most well known; Michael the angel of war, and Gabriel the head messenger are among them. Then there are angels bound to heaven, they are charged with the care of souls that have crossed over into heaven, as well as unborn babies. A select few, like me, are chosen to serve on earth. That’s when the hierarchy crosses over from heaven into earth. The rest of the hierarchy is made up of humans.”

“
This part of the order is made up of humans chosen by Father. All possess gifts that can be used for good or evil. Like any other human, those selected are free to choose how to use their power. The ones on our side are known as Guardians, and their purposes vary from one to another. Some are charged with guarding ancient artifacts that possess powers useable by both sides and humans as well. Some are chosen to protect the Nephilim, those children born to humans who have been intimate with an angel or demon. Some are charged with guarding portals between worlds. You are one of those chosen, Jackson.”

He was silent for a long moment. Sarah didn’t speak, deciding to let her words sink in. He lowered his gaze to the floor and shook his head slowly from side to side.

“
Why me? You have to have the wrong guy. I have done nothing to deserve this.”

“
It is not for me to say why you’ve been chosen,” she said gently, closing the distance between them. Against her own will her hand came up to rest on his shoulder. The firm muscle rippled beneath her palm as he shifted beneath her touch. “I am here because Father chose you, and he has his own reasons. My job is to tell you that you’ve been chosen, to guard you until you’ve made a decision, and show you the extent of your powers should you accept.”

He snorted, then chuckled, his shoulders shaking with amusement. “That’s a good one,” he said between chuckles. “You, guard me? What are you, like five foot two?”

Sarah could not help stamping her foot in annoyance. She could hardly believe the irritation that flared in her at his ridicule. She had never been teased before and found she didn’t care for it. “You need to take this seriously,” she admonished. “Or have you already forgotten the demon that I confronted on the roof of this building?”

Jackson instantly sobered. “That demon was after me?”

“
In a manner of speaking, yes. Because you’re chosen, you’ve been marked by both heaven and hell as undecided. Until you choose a side, heaven and hell will compete, in a manner of speaking, for your allegiance. Eligos, and others like him, won’t stop until they’ve got you on their side, and Father help you if they find any darkness in you to latch on to.”

Jackson fell silent, and Sarah noticed a muscle ticking in his jaw as he avoided her gaze. His lips were no longer moving but his clouded eyes spoke volumes.

“
I sensed darkness in you Jackson,” she continued. “That day on the street when I touched you, I felt what you were feeling. Something dark is lurking there; anger, bitterness, sadness. You need to tell me what it is so that we can find a way to keep the Evil One and his minions from latching onto it. What happened to you?”

“
I don’t see why you need to concern yourself with that,” he snapped. He closed the distance between them, looming over her menacingly. If Sarah did not have the power to turn the man into a pile of ash, she might actually be intimidated.

“
It does concern me Jackson,” Sarah countered, raising herself to her full, but meager, height. “As long as you are undecided and Eligos is preying on your weaknesses, it is my concern.”

“
No,” he protested, he voice raising an octave.

“
My assignment-“

“
It seems to me that your assignment has nothing to do with you diving into my personal life,” he said, cutting her off. “There’s a demon on my ass. You’re an angel. Get rid of it.”

“
And what of your commission? Being chosen as a Guardian is a great honor.”

“
I don’t want it.”

Sarah could feel the anger growing and surrounding them both as he began to pace, his breath racing in and out of his lungs as he struggled to keep his cool.

“
The invitation stands for seven days. Until that time is over, you are still a target.”

“
I don’t care. I’ve dealt with bigger demons than that one from the roof, you can believe that.”

Still avoiding her gaze, Jackson swung open the front door. Only then did he look up at her pointedly. Deciding that she had done enough for one night, Sarah followed his unspoken instructions.

“
This isn’t over,” she said once she was on the other side of the door. “You’ll be seeing me again, Jackson Bennett.”

Chapter 7: Dark Dreams

Jackson slammed the door shut and leaned up against it. It wasn’t until he had gone completely still that he realized his heart was racing a mile a minute. He pressed his hand to his chest until he had calmed before he made his way back over to the couch.

He sat there for an hour, staring at a blank spot on the wall. He had stepped out onto the balcony to clear his head and try to chase away his crippling nightmares. He had stepped into something else entirely.

He wasn’t sure if he should be thrilled because he had discovered something phenomenal, or terrified because somehow he was involved in something he hadn’t even been sure existed. It wasn’t everyday one was told they were chosen especially by God for something special. It wasn’t everyday a guy found out he was being targeted by demons because of this special invitation.

Is that where the voices came from, he wondered? No one else knew about the voices. No one else knew about the attacks that left him breathless and lying on the floor, wishing for death. No one knew but Sarah.

Somehow she knew things about him. He had a feeling that if he spent much more time with her, she would discover more. It was in the way those eyes of hers seemed to burn their way through him. He knew that in a span of a few minutes, she would know everything there was to know about him. That was the most dangerous aspect of the whole situation. That someone could force him to face the ghosts of his past terrified Jackson to death. That he should have to face the things that haunted him in order to accept his destiny frightened him even more.

He’d done the right thing by pushing her away, he decided. Jackson was sinking like he was standing on quicksand. Even angels weren’t safe from being dragged down into the mire with him. It would be better for them both if he continued on the way he had been.

With that in mind, he rose from his position on the couch. It was only 3 a.m. He could still get a few hours of sleep before it was time for little Jack to be at school. Since he had spilled his entire vodka bottle on the balcony, he would have to try to attempt sleep sober. As he stripped out of his clothes and fell into bed, he knew that sleep would come easily. His encounter with Sarah had left him completely drained. Staying asleep wasn’t going to be a problem tonight.

Among the twinkling stars, against the midnight-blue sky, was Sarah’s destination. She slowed to a stop, hovering in mid-space, in front of what would look like a planet to any unsuspecting astronaut. Sarah knew better. As she stared at the black and white striped sphere, her wings keeping her afloat, she hoped that she would get what she’d come for. It was important to her assignment.

The hovering orb quivered and quaked for a moment before morphing from its round shape. Within seconds Sarah was face to face with Leliel, Angel of the Night. He remained vigilantly at his post, the guardian between heaven, earth, and hell, a conductor of all things spiritual. This included dreams, Jackson’s dreams to be precise, the reason Sarah had come.