When he looks back, he sees Malach standing over the dead demon with his sword still glowing and dripping fresh blood. He looks at Jake leaning down and plucks Elina from her impalement. Before he even hears her scream of pain, there is another flash of light and they are gone.
Elina screams until she is hoarse and passes out, welcoming the blackness. Malach knows they won’t make it far, he has to stop the bleeding. He ports to a small wooden chapel, down the road from the fish market. He lays her on the dusty earth and heats his hands, calling upon his heavenly father to heal her. Nothing happens.
Again, he lifts his hand to the heavens and prays for the healing touch. Nothing.
“No, NO!” he snarls, and rips the material away from her leg to get a look at it.
Simeon is the first to find them calling for Jake to join them.
Elina is laying amidst a growing pool of blood, and Malach’s hands are shaking as he works to stop the blood flow. The tourniquet tied around her upper thigh has slipped loose and Elina’s blood runs freely onto the dirt floor. Jakes drops to his knees to help but Malach roars and pushes him back.
“Don’t touch her!”
“I can help her, you damn fool!” Jake yells back. His training in the medical field takes over and he knows he can save her. Going to work, he starts looking for something he can use to put pressure on the wound.
“Why can’t any of you heal her?” He asks as Uriel arrives at the chapel.
Uriel steps to Malach and pulls him away so Jake can help. Malach’s emerald eyes flash from green to black as he fights the rage inside.
“Not like this, Elina. Not like this.” He chants unaware of the others watching him.
“Brother, we need to get her to the Ketuwah.” Simeon says to Malach. “It may be her only hope.”
Elina’s eyes flutter open and she groans in pain. “Malach?” A strange numbness overtakes her as she looks at the angels around her. Her hand is trembling as she feels inside her pocket, “It’s going to be okay, take this!” she demands and shoves the pen towards him.
Before he can move the roof of the ramshackle church rains down on the group, as demons explode inside.
The Mocker floats through the falling debris to crash down on top of Elina, kicking Jake in the chest. He flies across the church and slams viciously into a wall. The Mocker laughs through his torn, burnt face and sinks his teeth deeply into Elina’s shoulder as he rips the pen from her hand.
In her mind, he sees the village, she was born in, and the sacred Ketuwah! Her power thunders through his system, flooding him with sensations he hasn’t had in centuries. Tasting the flavor of her sweet nectar has him doubling his efforts to drain her of every drop!
Her screams are drowned out by the sound of Malach’s roar of rage. He shifts to dragon form leaping straight at the Mocker, blowing out the remaining walls and the roof of the church with his massive size.
A fire burns in his eyes and he sinks his claws into the Mocker’s side. The sudden pain forces him to release Elina from his death grip and she drops to the floor pale, and barely breathing.
The angels port out with Elina safely in their arms, taking Jake with them. Malach is left to seek out retribution. He leaps into the sky with the Mocker held tightly in place by razor sharp claws. Demons leap at him to free their master, but they are no match for the pissed off Arch. He burns their souls all the way back to hell using great gouts of flame from his fanged mouth.
“Too late, Angel.” The Mocker whispers as the blood of the keeper now pumps through his system. He screams in agony as he forces the clawed hand holding him open, ripping the bloody talons from his body.
A hard twist and he is free falling away from the dragon. The stumps on his back burn. He can feel his wings begin to reform! He savors the pain and spreads his powerful white wings catching the air to fly away from his pursuer.
As he looks back to the chapel he sees no one left except his sons and followers.
“I know where you are going Keeper.”
He laughs at the look on the dragon’s face as he disappears and heads to his dominion.
“With the power of the pen, I will release the rest of my army and then the keeper will be mine. Retreat sons!” He orders, laughing a psychotic laugh of madness.
Chapter 31
Elina feels herself moving through time. Her past is replaying in her mind, a delirious pain induced mix of images. All she feels is the pain. She has lost so much blood that she can feel each heartbeat as it struggles to keep her alive. The images in her head pass by faster in a blur. She must get to the Ketuwah! She hopes Alex will be there. Her power is weakening, “Malach!” she screams for her soul mate.
She feels him push through her fear and pain soothing her scream for help. Strong arms embrace her broken body.
“Malach? How are you here? I don’t understand.”
“Yes, Elina. I have you.”
Elina passes through time confused.
“Is this real? I need to get home.”
Following the image she pushes into his mind Malach takes her home, back to the village she was born in.
The village is like many others of this time. A river is nearby for fishing, farming, and washing. It is protected by a wall made of lodge poles.
In her fevered weakened mind, she moves through the village like a summer breeze. She hears it as
