Elina rips away the shoulder of Elsbeth’s shirt and sees the puncture wounds, finding deep lacerations as well.
“Give her something for the pain,” Jake demands.
“NO! I want to see him, Jake. I need to know he is okay.” Elsbeth tells him. She arches off the table when Elina sponges off the blood.
“I’m sorry, Beth. It will be over soon,” Elina tells her and steps back to take her friend’s hand in hers. Malach moves forward and lifts his hands to heal her.
He calls upon his heavenly father as he rains down angel dust on Elsbeth. She relaxes as the healing begins. Hunter moves closer and watches in awe. They all smile when Elsbeth says, “I sure don’t feel like a Child of the Light right now.”
Raphaim sits on the side of the bed and touches Varena’s face. “You are safe now? It is finished.” Shaking, trying not to show her fear, Rena does not know what his coming means. She lays the baby on the bed and removes the blanket. The baby draws her legs up against the cold.
“She is perfection,” he says in awe. Looking at the pink infant with solid black hair, he understands why his father tries so hard to achieve this. Tears fill Varena’s eyes as she watches him touch his daughter’s hand.
“It is a shame it’s a female child, though,” he says. Varena reacts as though slapped,
“What” she asks softly? The baby begins to cry, and she bundles her back up and holds her tight against her heart.
“The males usually live longer than the females. She seems rather small. That must be the human attributes. I am happy you are both well,” he says standing and turning away from her, hating himself for hurting her, but he is Shadow.
Raphaim tells her, “Varena, I made a promise to myself to free you and you are free. It is all I have to offer you. I can be nothing more.”
Holding her child, she nods in understanding; afraid to hope. “I am glad she is your child Raphaim. There is a part of your soul that is beautiful and she is from that part of you. I will cherish and protect her with everything I am. Do you want to hold her?”
“What is the point?” With a shake of his head, he tells her “I will stay while you rest. Sleep, Rena and dream peaceful dreams.”
He sits on the side of the bed and watches the baby snuggle on her chest. He strokes the chubby cheek and watches her little mouth moves as though sucking in her sleep. So fragile, he thinks as he looks at her.
When he rises up from the bed, his foot kicks something. Reaching down he picks up the small scroll and begins to smile. Varena’s eyes go large and she sits up slowly and holds out her hand.
“Raphaim?” she pleads with him.
He looks back at Varena and the baby, tempted for a moment to take them both and run, until Hunter steps into the room. Raphaim’s smile grows larger as their eyes meet. Hunter’s eyes narrow when he sees what the demon is holding, and he lunges at him only to find empty air!
“It can’t be? Varena you, had the scroll the whole time?” Hunter turns to find Varena staring at him in horror.
“Nooo!” she moans leaning over the baby. Elina rushes into the room and finds Hunter trying to comfort Rena. He tells her about Raphaim, and Elina sits hard on the edge of the bed, trying to think what this means.
“I didn’t know what it was, and when I did finally piece it together, I went into labor! Please believe me, Elina; I did not know what it was!”
“You could not have known, Varena,” she tells her friend. “I have to tell the others now” she hurries out of the room.
“Betrayer!” Varena screams in her mind.
“I am Shadow” comes his dark reply.
“NOOOO,” she wails knowing they doubt her now. Varena looks at her tiny newborn daughter, and is afraid. Afraid of what the future will hold for her and her daughter.
Hunter moves closer, “Varena, everything will be okay. Your daughter needs you to be strong right now. This is not your fault. You are not blame here. Nothing that happens is out of the Maker’s hands. He is the great orchestrator and we must trust in that. Look at me!”
Raising her tear stained face, she nods her head, “You are right,” she says calming down. She lifts the baby to her breast to nurses her, knowing it will calm them both.
Elina returns to find Elsbeth has gone to shower and clean off the dried blood before Simeon returns. Malach is talking to Jake about what occurred with his friend.
“You think it was a trap?” the archangel asks Jake.
“Yes. He knew we were coming. They used Lucas to lure me there. Elsbeth was a bonus.”
Malach looks at Elina. “Things are escalating,” he says to her.
“I have more bad news; Raphaim has a part of the book now.” Elina relates what happened and they all know this is bad.
Malach’s head snaps up and he says, “Simeon comes.” He meets his brother outside on the lawn and Nameed lands just behind him holding a wrapped body. Jake rushes outside and Elina watches as he drops to the ground beside his friend and weeps.
“I’m sorry I failed you, brother,” Jake says as his tears fall. After a moment, he looks up at Nameed, “Thank you for not leaving him.” One by one, the angels drop to bended knees and say a prayer over the body.
Nameed looks at Malach, shifting to owl form he returns to the trees. In his weakness, he feels Polly close and knows he is not strong enough to face her.
The sound of an approaching vehicle has them all turning as Ronnie, Ruby, Polly and
