Elina feels a tingling, warm at first, it grows and begins to feel like an electric current beneath her skin. She stands slowly wiping her eyes and looks at her arms. She is glowing and her tattoos are beaming with a white hot light. They begin to fade and Elina smiles as she feels her Father with her and stronger than ever.
“Thank you,” Elina whispers and she begins to walk back again to the house.
The next two days Elina prays and fasts. She gives her heart to God and forgives herself for the mistakes she has made, knowing shame will fester inside her and infect her soul. When she thinks now of the past, she sees the times of weakness which led to the moment that changed everything. When Nameed comes she will be ready.
On the evening of the third day, Elina is standing on the beach watching the sun set when she hears him land softly buffeting her with sand. She turns and smiles at Nameed.
“The Covenant is not broken, Elina. You are the Covenant. It was written into your cells, your genes, and your very blood. Only you can offer humanity a chance. It will be given to them, if you choose properly. Your time is up, Keeper. Tell me what have you chosen?”
Elina’s smile fades and her eyes glow with holy fire, “I will show you.” Reaching for his hand, they spin through time towards her chosen destiny.
Chapter 12
Elina opens her eyes and finds she is in Polly’s hallway outside Varena’s bedroom, and she hears Hunter singing to the baby. She chose this moment to try to keep Raphaim from getting the scroll. Tears fill her eyes at the sound of his voice.
“Alex, I need you!” She calls to her brother’s mind, as she wipes the tears away and prays for guidance. Hunter looks up and his smile fades when she steps into the room.
“What’s wrong?” He holds the baby a little tighter as if to protect her.
“Hunter, we don’t have much time. The demon Raphaim is coming for them. I think with Alex’s help we can stop him.” She rushes over to Varena and gently shakes her awake.
“Varena, wake up. Raphaim is coming,” she tells her terrified friend.
“What! I have to go now! Give me my daughter!” She says starting to swing her legs over the side of the bed.
“No! Listen closely,” she tells her and breathes a sigh of relief when Alex drops into the room behind his startled dad. “You had a scroll, where is it?”
Confusion shows on her face, “It… It is in my dress pocket. One of the fallen stole it and told me to give it to you.” Horror fills her eyes when she realizes she forgot. “Elina, I’m so sorry, I meant to give it to you earlier, but I went into labor!”
Elina is already moving to the bathroom and she hears the baby start to cry. Hunter walks over handing the baby to her mother. Varena gathers the baby close to her heart, calming her.
Elina picks up the dress and finds the pockets empty. She rushes back into the room, “It’s not there. Who helped you undress? Ruby did right? Everyone, search the room! Look for a rolled up scroll!” The sense of urgency emanating from Elina urges everyone into action.
Hunter starts searching drawers and Alex crawls under the bed, “Got it!” he calls out.
Everyone goes quiet, when Elina sighs with relief, “Thank you!” she says as she takes it from him.
“We don’t have much time, Raphaim will be here in a few minutes, I have to get this scroll to safety, and you need to stop him. Alex, I know what I’m asking…”
“We can handle this, Elina.” Hunter says with a dark smile. “It’s my job, he won’t get near them! I promise.”
She kisses Alex, on his cheek and prays it will not be the last time. “Go, sister! I will help, Dad.”
Before she pulls back, she whispers in his ear, “Varena is a keeper, she can help you protect the baby. You can channel her power.” She laughs at the shocked look on his face and she closes her eyes and calls to her Father.
Peace fills her face as she closes her eyes and his Holy light surrounds her. Her hand holds tightly to the scroll, the third part of the book. Elina understands now that she can’t control everything and her focus must be on the task God has given her.
“For I know the plans I have for you, Declares the Lord, Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” she hears whispered in her soul.
Bright heat forces her to squint against the sun and the ocean breeze blows across her skin once more. She is back in her sanctuary. The call of an owl fills the sky. His scream is so loud it drowns out the pounding of the ocean and drives Elina to her knees.
Her tattoos start to hum and burn as the Hebrew script illuminates. With tears streaming against the noise and pain she looks up to see a giant owl with tiger striped wings flying towards her. He begins to burn brighter than the sun, forcing Elina to close her eyes tightly against the light.
She holds the scroll up high and hopes he doesn’t take her arm with it. He screeches and she feels the brush of a claw when he snatches the scroll and flies away.
Sighing with relief she slowly opens her eyes, but the sand beneath her feet begins to shift. Elina scrambles backwards as the beach beneath her begins to swirl, panic fills her mind. The ground beneath her feet opens up and swallows the beach in a river of sand, sucking her into a vortex Elina screams as she falls. The last thing she sees before being pulled
