“Cocky Bastard,” Elina snaps and takes off at a run heading for Raphaim, leaving Malach to fight the other archangel.
“Yes, come and play, Keeper!” Raphaim screams baring his fangs and jumps to his feet. Rising up into the air, he lifts his arms, and the sky above their private Eden fills with fallen angels.
“No!! What have you done?” Elina asks horrified, looking towards the demon.
Malach looks at Elina and smiles. The Fallen and Raphaim have no clue who or what they are facing.
She is stunned into silence, replaced quickly by rage. Her eyes begin to glow with holy light and she pools all her power. Lashing out with her whip, she circles Rephaim’s ankle intending to drag him to the earth below. He leaps up and drags her into the air with the power of his black wings.
“Have you learned to fly while I was away, Keeper?” Raphaim asks, taking her high into the air. Then pulling his sword, he severs the electrical whip and watches her tumble to the earth below. Following her body at break neck speed, he reaches out to grab her before she hits the ground, only to watch her body evaporate to mist upon impact.
Malach turns on his fallen brother, “Enough,” he says shifting to dragon form. Furious he snaps out with his powerful jaws, grabs the angel in his mouth, and shoots into the sky above. With a ferocious shake of his head, he forces the angel to drop his weapon and his helmet falls off. The fallen angel fights to break free, he calls on lightening to strike at Malach attempting to free himself. The lightening does not pierce the armor of the dragons blue black scales. They simply deflect it.
He tosses the fallen angel into the air, and then Malach uses the strength of his spiked tail and pierces the arch through his chest. With a flick of his large tail, he throws the wounded angel to the earth below. Landing beside his prize, he slams an enormous claw on top of the angel and roars into the sky, blowing flame.
“Are you Shadow or Are you Light?” Raphaim hears behind him. He faces the Keeper with his weapon drawn. She walks towards him with her blue eyes glowing. Above on the ledge surrounding the field, each fallen angel glides down wearing the face of the Keeper. With glowing eyes, in unison they ask loudly, “Are you Shadow or Are you Light!”
“Peace Keeper, I had to know if you were strong enough.” Slowly Raphaim lifts the scroll up and offers it to her. With a wave of her hand, all the angels fade to shadow and the one beneath Malach’s claw disappears. Never taking his eyes off Elina, he waits for the glow in her eyes to disappear. To his dismay that does not happen. His words only enrage her further. Levitating off the ground, she roars again, “Are you Shadow or Are you Light?” Raphaim looks to Malach for help, but sees he has shifted back to angel form and offers no assistance.
“I am Shadow Keeper, I have never said otherwise!” he yells at her. “You are Varena’s only hope. I need your help to free her!” he says. An unseen wind buffets him as Raphaim steps close. He grabs her wrist sharing his memories with her. Elina drops to the ground screaming and Malach strikes Raphaim with a mighty fist, sending him smashing into the rocky wall.
Malach reaches for Elina, but stops when she snaps, “Don’t touch me! Her pain is too much!” clutching her head she waits, hoping it will pass. Malach hisses at Raphaim when he tries to move closer, forcing him to stop. The tears run unchecked down her face as she looks at him.
“She carries your child?” A light fills Raphaim’s eyes and he gives a quick nod.
“They cannot stay with my father,” dropping to his knees he looks at her pleading, “Do what you want with me but I beg of you, help me free them.” He holds up the scroll, hoping the Keeper will accept this gift. Slowly, Elina takes the scroll.
“The child will be an abomination, just as they all are,” Malach tells her. “Why should we save it?” Raphaim jumps to his feet in a fury only to find Elina’s palm on his chest.
“I am a servant of the One True God,” Elina says, “I do not pass judgment on the innocent.” Looking from the eyes of the demon that killed her family she continues looking at Malach, “You told me that I should never try to out think my Father, so I will place my faith in him. I will help free Varena.” With a glance at Raphaim she demands, “I want your word, Raphaim, that you will help me get the other part of the book. Your father has it.”
Raphaim smiles at the Malach and says, “You have my word Keeper, free Varena and I will help you.”
“What good is the word of a covenant breaker?” Malach asks, glaring at the demon. Elina wonders the same thing but feels that this is the only option to get to the third part of the book.
“Malach, can I trust you two alone? I have to take care of this,” she says holding up the scroll.
“Of course,” he says smiling wickedly.
As she closes her eyes, she holds the scroll and pictures the blue flame. It flickers and grows in size twisting, curling, and moving towards her. Raphaim jumps when Elina disappears from sight. “Where did she go?” he wonders.
Malach takes the stance of a warrior pointing his sword at the Raphaim. “So, demon how is it that you found and followed Elina to the pyramid?”
As he looks at the large angel, Raphaim smiles at him, “Jealous? I can’t blame you for that, she is a beautiful woman, and her breasts are perfe….”
In a flash Malach’s mighty fist is around his throat and his sword flashes
