“There is nothing normal about this situation,” Gabriel snapped. “The Covenant is clearly not concerned about another human knowing our identity. If they were, Michael would have timed his arrival more carefully. You may be right in thinking something much bigger is going on here.”
Ivy remained skeptical. “If I’m right, think of what we’ll be facing. She’s a liability.”
“She’s very insistent. I can’t reason with her.”
“She is an adolescent girl and you are an arch,” Ivy said bitterly. “You’ve had to deal with much worse in your time.”
My brother simply shrugged his shoulders. “We need all the allies we can get.” Ivy scowled and pointed a finger at him.
“Fine, but I assume no responsibility for her. She is yours.”
“Why are you wasting time arguing about Molly?” Xavier burst out. “Don’t we have bigger things to worry about? Like getting on the road and finding this nun?”
“Xavier’s right,” Gabriel said. “We must put our differences aside and deal with the present. I only hope we get there before it’s too late.”
As soon as he’d spoken the words, Gabriel seemed to regret them. A pained expression crossed his face while Xavier’s flushed with emotion.
“You sound like you’ve given up already.”
“I didn’t say that,” Gabriel replied. “This is a unique situation. We don’t know what we’re dealing with. The only angels that ever see the inside of Hell are those that go there of their own volition, the foolish ones that are blinded by pride and turn against Our Father, choosing to follow Lucifer.”
“What are you saying?” Xavier said. There was indignation in his tone. “You think Beth did this on purpose? She didn’t choose this, Gabriel! Have you forgotten that I was there?”
I could have kicked my brother at that moment. Did he really believe I had chosen a path of darkness?
Ivy crossed the room in a flash and placed a hand on Gabriel’s back. “What we’re trying to say is that Jake shouldn’t have been able to drag an angel into Hell. Either Bethany went willingly or we are on the verge of Armageddon.”
16
One Heart
IT was getting harder to hold on. My spirit form seemed to be blurring around the edges, anxious to return to my body. But Ivy’s words had me reeling. Could my capture really be a sign that something terrible was brewing?
Unlike Xavier, I didn’t blame Gabriel for saying what he did. He was merely calling it as he saw it. It was true, I had accepted Jake’s offer. I had done so unwittingly, but that didn’t seem to matter. I knew Gabriel hoped for the best, but it was his job to consider all possibilities. I just wished he would soften things a little for Xavier’s sake. But my brother could never shy away from the truth. His very creation was intended to embody and protect the truth. Xavier didn’t understand that and I could see he was frustrated. He was used to Ivy and Gabriel always having an answer for everything. But this time things were different and their indecision scared him.
Xavier was growing restless. He sat down and then immediately stood up again. His entire body was as taut as a bow and his pent-up energy was almost tangible.
“I saw her,” he said after a long pause. He spoke with a quiet intensity. “You weren’t there, you didn’t see the expression on her face when she realized who she was with. She was terrified once she realized what was happening. I wanted to help her, but I was too late. I tried to save her …,” he trailed off, staring uselessly at his hands.
“Of course, you did,” Ivy said. She was always more attuned to Xavier than Gabriel was. “We know Bethany; we trust in her. We know that Jake employed the dirtiest tactic of all to win her trust. But it doesn’t matter now. Jake won — she’s on his turf now. The situation is delicate and the truth is there is no easy way to get her back now.”
Gabriel was less inclined to sugarcoat the facts. “If there is a way for us to access the dimension known as Hell, I’ve never heard of it. No angel has returned to that place since we sealed Lucifer beneath the ground.”
“I thought you said we needed to find a portal.” Xavier’s mouth was a tight line and he was fighting hard to control his emotions. Seeing him like this made my own eyes sting. I wanted so badly to wrap my arms around him, stroke his face and comfort him, whisper that I was alive and even below the earth I’d never stopped thinking about him.
“I did say that,” Gabriel conceded. “But that task is easier said than done.” He wore his faraway look now and I knew he was no longer present. He was locked in his own private world of contemplation. Despite the doubts I’d just heard him express, I trusted Gabriel. If there was any way to rescue me, I knew he was the one who would find it.
“I don’t understand. If Jake broke the rules, why can’t we?” Xavier persisted.
“If Jake tricked Bethany into trusting him, then no rules were broken,” Ivy said. “Demons have been manipulating souls and damning them to Hell for centuries.”
“So we need to play dirty,” Xavier said.
“Exactly.” Ivy put a hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t you stop worrying for a while? Let us figure it out. Maybe this trip to Tennessee will shed some light. What happened to Bethany, an angel of the Lord being taken into Hell, is totally unprecedented. There is no rulebook to consult. Do you see what I’m saying?”
“I think it might be a sign.” Gabriel had drifted back to the present.
“What kind of sign?” Xavier asked.
“That Lucifer’s powers are growing. This could be an indication of his rising strength, even if it manifested through Jake. We have to think carefully. Rushing in could make things worse. That’s why Michael is sending us to this source.”
“Look, sitting around drinking herbal tea isn’t going to help Beth. You two can think about the big picture all you want, but for me this is about her and I’m going to do whatever it takes to bring her home. If you’re not with me, then I’ll handle it alone.”
Xavier rose to leave and I panicked momentarily thinking he might do something reckless. But Gabriel moved like a flash of lightning to block his path.
“You won’t
“And sitting on your butt acting like there’s nothing we can do isn’t going to help either. Beth once told me your name means ‘Warrior of God.’ Some warrior you turned out to be.”
“Watch what you say,” Gabriel warned, his eyes flashing.
“Or what?” Xavier was seething now. At any minute he might lash out and do something he’d regret. I wished I could just reach out to tell him that Gabe was right. Much as I loved him for his loyalty and determination, I knew this wasn’t something that could be solved through valor alone. Deep down, I knew Gabriel was hatching a plan, at least I hoped he was. Xavier just needed to give him time to think. Gabriel was still blocking Xavier’s path, their eyes locked in mounting tension. To his credit, it was Xavier who backed down first.
“I need to get out of here and clear my head,” he said, pushing past Gabriel.
“Okay,” Ivy called out after his retreating back. “We’ll wait for you.”
I trailed behind him as Xavier tripped lightly down the sandy steps leading to the beach. I tried to send out rays of calming energy and hoped he could at least sense them. Xavier seemed to relax a little once he hit the beach. He took deep breaths and exhaled in relief. He walked right down to the dark sand of the shoreline where he stood with his hands deep in his pockets looking out to sea. I watched him shift uneasily from foot to foot, struggling to overcome his restlessness. If only he could stop focusing on his own sense of failure for one minute I might have a chance of making him aware of my presence. He needed to stop mourning my disappearance and just free his thoughts.
