The Redeemer

By Kimberly Lewis

In The Redeemer, Elizabeth Jordan relies on her gift of prophecy to negotiate the tensions between forces seeking to thwart the Redemption of fallen angels. Grace, the child of prophecy, comes into her own, growing up under the watchful eyes of angels determined to protect her and her twin brother. However, Grace must experience the real trials of a human life in order to understand the complexity related to agency, forgiveness and redemption. Lucifer’s ongoing struggle with his pride forces him to entertain new notions of his role in his own Plan.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kimberly Lewis
• Release date: Apr 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310519482

Kimberly Lewis

Kimberly Lewis is a nurse with a background in Critical Care, Case Management, Rehab, and Acquired/Traumatic Brain Injury. An avid cyclist and hiker, she lives in CT with three of her four children.

Book preview

The Redeemer

Book Three of the Celestial Series

by

Kimberly Lewis

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2015 Kimberly Lewis,

Enfield, CT 06082

All Rights Reserved

No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, photocopying and recording, or by any information storage, transmission or retrieval system without the prior written permission of Kimberly Lewis.

All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Cover design by Jerilyn Hassell Pool.

Formatting by Michael Lewis.

Submit inquiries via the author’s site at http://angelpinion.com

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Author’s Note

As the series grows, faithful readers Caeleen Miller, Megan Leahan, and Patricia McKenna slogged it out with me once again. Editor Tanjua Merrow’s endurance seems to rise in proportion to the series. Michael Lewis is probably doing digital formatting and publishing in his dreams at this point. I have to thank my dad, John Fitzpatrick, for always believing I could write a book.

This book is dedicated to my mother, Renee Mack.

Prologue

The roiling sky of third heaven lent an eerie overcast on the barren landscape. The holding cells were under the earth, several stories down, a descent the visitor wasn’t looking forward to since it brought back painful memories. She’d lain in one of those dank cells for one hundred and twenty years for a relatively minor offense, and had no intention of repeating the experience.

Arioch approached the stone edifice directly ahead of her, a shiver coursing through her body. Two massive Enforcer angels flagged either side of the arched entrance, their wings spanning forty feet, intimidating in their razor sharp angles. Their cold, merciless faces were waxen in the yellow-gray light and she knew if she didn’t have her papers out before one of them recognized her, they’d pounce and ask questions later. Reaching inside the bag on her shoulder, she pulled out the packet the advocate had given her at the administrative center, a necessary stop since she was tattooed as a former inmate.

Holding the packet out like a treat offered to a strange dog, Arioch willed her hand to remain steady and forced her gaze to meet the empty eyes of the Enforcer on the left. His hand shot out to snatch them before she could even speak. Of course she wouldn’t be accorded the respect of an ordinary visitor or an advocate; papers were only required if you were some kind of exception. The Enforcer’s blank gaze sharpened, his wings lifting to a readiness to attack mode, an ominous V. The wings of the other angel moved to the same position in response, his head snapping in her direction. Her mouth went dry.

State your business, the first Enforcer’s harsh voice intruded on her telepathically, another insult they’d never inflict on a regular visitor, she thought resentfully as she felt the tentacles of his mind crawling through hers- not just speaking, but searching.

She refused to respond in a like manner. Lifting her chin a notch, Arioch tossed her hair defiantly and stated aloud, The papers are self-explanatory. I’m here to visit an inmate. She willed her mind to close, squeezing the Enforcer’s invasive presence out. She had plenty of practice doing that. His sharp teeth came together in a menacing grin, knowing exactly how offensive she found his probing; it was the ultimate in rudeness to do so without permission. He thrust her papers back to her and waved her through the opening they guarded.

The vaulted high ceiling danced with shadows and her steps echoed off the stone floor. She still had to get through processing, another indignity she’d have to endure because she carried papers. The wide entrance chamber narrowed into an alcove and the fiery cherubim guards lit the darkness from their posts, their swords crossed over the opening to processing. Arioch watched an advocate chat pleasantly with the two cherubim at the regular entrance, snatches of their conversation reverberating in the alcove. No swords barring his way.

Papers, the guard ordered, the typical polite greeting dropped for the likes of her. She handed them over, wondering why he bothered since no one got through the first set of guards without papers in the first place. Probably just another humiliation to impose. Like the first guard, he waved her through, the swords slicing the air as they parted, the threat of their blades manifest.

Processing was a gray area with cubicles for her to leave her clothing. She undressed quickly, stuffing her serviceable trousers and t-shirt into the open space, her undergarments rolled in the middle. The perverts would probably go through them too, she thought ruefully, knowing the kind of things that went on here in the name of torture. In fact, her ears were finely tuned to the intermittent screams she imagined wafting up to the surface from the cells below. Had anyone heard her cries when she’d voiced them? Had anyone cared?

She let herself into the anteroom with the sigil of the warden on the door. The oppressive air was cold and damp on her naked skin. Placing her papers through the slot indicated, she waited for the keepers to appear, taking a seat on the cold stone bench against the wall. They would make her wait.

A little more than a half an hour later, two keepers entered the room through a small side door. Squat and burly, they were thick-necked and equally thick skulled. It wasn’t their job to use force with keen intellect like Enforcers. Keepers were muscle, pure and simple. Arioch didn’t hate them as much as she did the Enforcers because they only followed orders, they didn’t devise tortures or enjoy inflicting them.

Turn to the wall, one of them instructed and she did as he told her. She endured the calloused hands running over her naked body, thankful they conveyed no other interest than a simple search. Still, she couldn’t help but shudder at the cavity search, which was demeaning under any circumstances.

She’s clean, he confirmed, and gave her a jumpsuit to wear to the lower levels. Another distinction that would allow everyone to understand she was other. At least on earth, she could blend in and no one was any the wiser. Even the tattoo was nothing, just an interesting piece of strange artwork that could mean anything she chose to say it represented to the few humans who asked.

Following the keepers, she entered a platform that lowered to the underground cells. She counted the floors, knowing that the lower they went, the more serious the offense. Arioch deliberately closed her ears to the wails and screeches that wafted in through the shafts as they descended levels. She had heard that Michael himself had escorted this demon to his cell and questioned him. She checked the ring on her thumb, which spun just below the knuckle. This was the only reason she was here; it was the calling in of a favor.

The platform came to an abrupt halt nine floors down. She had been on the third level, which she thought was terrible enough. What must it be like six floors lower? There were no screams here, just the weight of oppressive silence, a misery so palpable in its hopelessness she wanted to request to return upstairs immediately. There was something worse about a soul that had no screams left to offer. Instead, the keeper next to her exerted firm pressure on her lower back, pushing her to step off the platform and enter the dark corridor that was lit intermittently with oil burning torches, throwing shadowy forms that loomed while they passed. The keeper stopped in front of the fifth cell, passing a hand over the latch, which opened to his command. Again, his thick hand pushed her forward into the cell, which was pitch black and seemed empty to all appearances.

Her eyes scanned the space, looking for signs of life, feeling the crawl of another presence through her mind before she actually set eyes on the huddled form in the corner of the cell.

Who is it? the suspicious voice asked.

Arioch identified herself aloud, making it clear she didn’t appreciate speaking telepathically without giving her consent. Speak aloud, she demanded. I’m here because you sent your ring. I’m here to repay the favor I owe. She removed his ring, glad to be able to throw it to him and be done with it. She didn’t like being beholden to him in any way.

The form moved, heavy chains slowing his movements, the insufficient light causing the bones of his face to glisten palely in its glow, the hollows shadowy black. Aghast, she realized why it was necessary for him to speak through their minds. Shax’s formerly handsome countenance was horrifically disfigured- his golden eyes had been plucked out and he held his mouth open to demonstrate the absence of his tongue. She stared, transfixed and mute with horror at this aberration who had been her lover. He couldn’t even heal down here; his eyes wept a constant trickle of blood, reminding her of the macabre clown makeup she’d seen at the entertainment the humans called a circus. How long had he been here? Twenty earth years at least, by her rapid calculation.

What did you do? she managed to gasp, the back of her hand against her mouth to fight the rising bile at the back of her throat. It was disconcerting to hear his expressive voice without his lion’s eyes upon her, just this hideous and empty visage.

I didn’t do anything, technically, I failed in my attempt. But I pissed off those in high places. I thought they’d obliterate me, but Michael got ahold of me instead.

What did you fail to do, then, since nobody does this except the archangels- you say Michael did this? She couldn’t hide the disbelief in her voice. This was more along the lines of Uriel, who was merciless when angered, especially if he needed to leave the realm to find the offender.

No, Lucifer. Michael imposed the sentence and threw me in here.

Arioch recoiled, unwilling to believe him. Our Prince? He never leaves our discipline to the archangels. What did you do to offend him? Why would you dare? In her worst imagination, she couldn’t come up with a crime great enough to cause Lucifer to hand over one of their own and in this condition.

I failed to kill the savior, the redeemer of fallen angels… an oversight I expect you to rectify.

Chapter 1

The irony didn’t escape her. Beth was in a household of rabid photographers when it came to the children and somehow, now that it was time to dust the picture frames, it always fell to her, the one who always forgot the camera. She’d accused Paul and Yuri of creating the addition on the Victorian just to create more wall space for the endless snapshots.

She had one of the twins’ old diaper cloths, glass cleaner, and a microfiber cloth for the job and started at the far end of what she only half-jokingly called the gallery. She set up the footstool, since another problem was the pictures were hung by very tall beings, which certainly didn’t apply to her stature. She was not even going to think about the fact that she’d have to do this all over again at the big house, which of course, had to be equally covered in family pictures to dote on when they were there.

She unhooked a collage of Grace when she was about four years old. Paul ambled in and took it from her.

I love this one, he said fondly, pointing to the pose where Grace was in a bright yellow sundress, her hazel eyes, so like Beth’s, sparkling with happiness, a chain of wildflowers in her hair.

Me too, she agreed, recalling that he was the one who caught the shot, while Grace was smiling up at Lu, the nickname she’d saddled Lucifer with when she first started speaking. She couldn’t handle his entire name. To Uriel’s eternal annoyance, and Lucifer’s great amusement, it was her first word. It was probably why he allowed her to continue using it.

He still makes her flower wreaths for her hair, she remarked, recalling his blank stare when he realized he’d fashioned the first wildflower garland without even thinking about it and laid it in her wild black curls. In those early days, he sustained many surprises as his natural ability to adore resurfaced without conscious thought. It had been very difficult for him and had given her some measure of understanding how ruthlessly he must have suppressed it for thousands of years.

Yes, they had all had some major adjustments as the twins tore through their childhood, dragging them all through the learning experience that was parenthood. As she made her way down the wall with the glass cleaner, Paul followed her and dusted the frames, pausing as often as she did to remember.

Here was her favorite, a candid that Doni had captured after a romp in the woods over at the big house. He had taken the picture from behind them, Beth in the middle, the twins holding her hands on either side, Yuri and Sam on the ends. They were suspending the children by their arms, swinging them in the air, their faces turned in delirious joy towards their fathers, who were also grinning from ear to ear. Just looking at the picture, she could hear the sound of their mingled laughter on that summer day, so characteristic of the happiness they found together as a family.

Is it just me, or when you look at these pictures, does it bring back the moment? I feel like I can smell this hot summer day and hear the buzzing of the bees while we were walking back from the woods. Her finger traced Yuri’s smiling face, his ditch of a dimple only evident when he let the full force of that incredible smile loose. She could feel herself smile goofily; it still had that effect on her even now. And Sam. Sam could just look at her from across the room and she would melt like ice cream in a heat wave.

Why do you think I’m in here? Paul smiled. It’s not because I’m a fan of dusting. He paused in his chore, looking at her seriously. It’s gone by so fast, Beth, his eyes reflected the nostalgia in which she was already immersed. Maybe it’s because she graduates this weekend. I think everybody’s a wreck.

That was the truth. No one was prouder of Grace than her fathers but there was no doubt they were having difficulty adjusting to their children reaching adulthood. Then again, beings who were several millennia old didn’t take human adulthood all that seriously in comparison.

Grace had earned a graduate degree in holistic medicine in only four years. A combination of natural talent, intelligence, and a solid work ethic made it possible for her to begin her professional career at the ripe old age of twenty-one. She had begun taking college courses when she was still in high school. Quiet and shy, she absorbed herself deeply in her interests and was passionately committed to healing of all kinds.

In fact, there was an ongoing battle Uriel was destined to lose over Lucifer’s graduation present to Grace. Her godfather was taking Grace and her roommate Aggie to China to immerse them in the craft and techniques of Chinese medicine. The argument was over the open ended ticket, which didn’t pin any of them down to a return date. They all knew that this could turn into Grace disappearing for a good long while and it might be fair to say that it was Uriel who missed her most dearly if she was gone for too extended a time. Sam was much more practical. He suggested they just catch up with them and join them if she was having too good a time to come home. Yuri didn’t like to admit that he wanted her home where he could physically see her and protect her, an instinct he continually had to fight.

Beth understood that Grace’s mission as savior to the fallen angels undermined their collective contentment in the happiness they enjoyed. While it could restore so many souls to heaven, none of them knew exactly what it would entail throughout her lifespan. That depended on so many factors. She had already begun her ministry and her reputation as a healer of almost miraculous talent was becoming known in the circles that mattered. It was only a matter of time before that became more widespread.

Her much more laid-back brother was taking it at a normal pace, enrolled in a Physical Therapy program at another college only twenty minutes from his sister. He had been crazy about sports from the moment he discovered he could move of his own volition. Given all the injuries he’d sustained from every athletic activity he could engage in, his interest in Physical Therapy came as no great surprise. From what Beth understood, Josh and Grace spent a lot of time together, which was hardly novel- they’d been inseparable all their lives. She doubted one would ever be far from the other.

It always brought tender feelings to see them together. Characteristic of the pattern when they were babies, Joshua was enormous with an appetite to match. He stood eye to eye with Uriel, and had filled out into a man of gladiator like proportions as well. He was gentle as a lamb, though, and looked so heartbreakingly like Sam that sometimes she just stared at her handsome son and marveled at the resemblance.

Grace remained as petite as her brother was large. Obviously, she’d taken after Beth in this respect. Her fathers never hesitated to point out that she’d also inherited her mother’s tenacity and iron will when she set her mind to something. Maybe there was some truth to that, Beth had to admit.

She noticed she was holding a picture of Grace when she was seven in a Snow White costume for Halloween, beaming at the person who held her hand, cut off at the arm in the shot. Lucifer’s long-fingered, beautifully molded hand, dwarfing Grace’s tiny one. He absolutely never missed taking her out trick-or-treating and rigorously used the outing as instruction on the real significance of the holiday as the festival of Samhain. She soaked it all up like a sponge. But this picture evoked the conversation she remembered so vividly, where Lucifer had complimented Grace on her resemblance to Snow White with her black curly hair and skin white as snow. She’d promptly corrected him, telling him Snow White’s eyes were blue, not hazel. He’d crouched down to her, eye level and very seriously stated, Then Snow White is very jealous, for she is no longer the fairest in the land- your eyes are by far the more beautiful. Grace had gurgled with delight and thrown her dimpled arms around his neck, telling him, And Prince Charming is ugly, ugly next to you, Lu! He had thrown his head back in laughter and twirled her around. It had stuck, her childlike phrase; from then on, compared to her Lu, everyone else was ugly-ugly. They were a mutual admiration society.

Which had brought about a terrible conflict for the children when they were presented lessons at school, the trouble appearing at this very age Grace was pictured. It had been the established habit of the adults to approach decisions regarding the children in the form of a council, with all opinions considered; even the Enforcers attended when major issues arose. Beth stood adamant against the general consensus that the twins should be home schooled.

Beth wanted them to experience life in as normal a capacity as possible; she wanted them enrolled in school, going through normal developmental phases with other children their own age. The majority of them wished to protect the twins against false indoctrination of the larger world. Beth had vigorously argued that it would not help Grace in her ministry because she’d fail to have a true understanding of half of her nature if she were isolated from everyday interactions with her human peers. Joshua would suffer as well and they would both have difficulty moving among humans, not to mention assuming the condescension angels tended to have towards human beings. She castigated them for their prejudices and accused them of withholding half the children’s heritage from them.

To her astonishment, Lucifer sided with her and argued so fiercely in favor of normal schooling that he and Uriel nearly came to blows. Over the years, Beth had grown more accustomed to the angels’ vigorous debates, and they had also learned to tone it down when it upset her too much, but this confrontation had been one of Uriel and Lucifer’s epic arguments. Sam was unfazed, he said they always nearly killed each other at council meetings.

The ace in the hole turned out to be Helion, the leader of the Enforcers. That he spoke up at all was remarkable and an indicator of the thought he must have put into the matter. It would be hypocritical of us to give the children the impression we aren’t experiencing the same problems among our kind. When they find out the truth, we will lose their trust. They should learn and speak openly, ask questions, and then decide for themselves. We need to answer them as honestly as we are able.

Beth had thanked the taciturn Enforcer warmly, to which he merely nodded gravely, but Lucifer pronounced, Helion, I had no idea you had two brain cells to rub together. That is a piece of solid good sense.

This was high praise indeed because Lucifer maintained the leader should have been dismissed when Beth had eluded the protective Enforcer team and wound up in the demon Shax’s custody; he generally refused to acknowledge the Enforcer’s existence ever since. Helion didn’t hold it against him; he actually agreed and had tried to resign his post. Beth would have none of it, absolving him of any blame, hence, the Enforcer was slavishly devoted to both her and the children. Sam joked that if Beth jumped off a cliff, the Enforcer team would follow her like lemmings.

So, the children were off to the same small Catholic school in town that Beth and Travis had attended, since Sam adamantly refused to send them to the exclusive school he had gone to when he was living in the area, claiming that it was a throwback to feudalism.

Of course, the first task was to teach them as early as possible, the fact that despite being twins, they had different natural fathers. Uriel had been the angelic messenger who fathered Grace, who was set apart as redeemer of fallen angels if she succeeded in her task. Joshua was Samyaza’s child, and also half angel despite Sam’s human status, for heaven granted the favor of Sam’s angelic heritage being passed to his son.

Neither father paid much attention to the detail of formal parentage, each of them adoring and parenting them both. To the twins, it was as normal as breathing to have two fathers, but they knew from their earliest years that they only called Uriel Abba, the Hebrew form of daddy, when they were among loved ones, absolutely never in public.

It didn’t take them long to understand that women did not typically have two husbands, never mind the fact that Sam, Beth and Uriel were soul sealed for eternity, which made them more than married, actually- something the humans around them wouldn’t understand. As they explained to the young children, it literally made the three of them into one soul for eternity. As the children learned while they grew, it was difficult for their parents to be separated from each other for even small amounts of time. It wasn’t an ordinary arrangement for humans or for angels, but Sam had performed the exceptional ritual in order to protect Beth from being bound to Lucifer.

Beth shook her head in wonder at the complexities her children had to absorb from such a young age. Naturally, the twins, who adored their godfather Lucifer, wondered why she wouldn’t wish to be bound to him, which amused him heartily, but then, he was always up for amusement at someone else’s expense. Yes, Elizabeth, he had quipped, his perfectly delighted smile in place, please tell these lovely young children how you could possibly prefer those two ugly-ugly angels over a paragon like myself.

It was Beth’s turn to be amused at his expense when six year old Grace had immediately sat on his knee, wound her skinny arms around his neck and told him in a stage whisper, Don’t be sad, Lu, I’m going to marry you, which will be much better because Abba and Daddy keep her too busy to love you as much as I do.

How she wished she’d had a camera in that moment, for it was very rare to rob Lucifer of words, but Grace certainly had done it. He needed those moments desperately, she thought fondly, especially since he was so jaded and world-weary. Love and joy felt like something new; he’d been without it for so long.

One of the most troubling moments by far came when Paul received the call to pick up the children at school because Grace and Josh had been expelled for fighting in the classroom. They had gathered as a council and brought the children in to inquire into the problem. Apparently, they had a lesson in religion class that unsurprisingly characterized Lucifer as the Father of all Lies, evil, and basically responsible for everything that was wrong in the world. Grace, enraged at the teacher, had bolted to her feet and declared that it was the teacher who was lying. Josh, equally outraged at hearing his godfather slandered, stood beside her in agreement.

The teacher cited the Bible, which she held up as unassailable proof of what she assured them, was an accurate representation, as it was God’s book and God never lied. The twins were deeply shocked at the response of the other children, who called them devil-worshippers at recess, and that was when the fighting broke out.

Beth and Sam met with the principal over the issue, explaining to Sister Theresa that they did not teach their children that Satan was inherently evil and would never support that position in their home. They would continue to instruct the twins that evil was something every individual faced and chose of their own accord; that was what agency was all about. Satan only reflected the soul’s turmoil back at the decider; he did not present anything that wasn’t already in the heart and mind of the individual. The test was facing the evil inside oneself, not Lucifer. The principal was intrigued by the way they viewed the matter and sympathetic, as many parents wound up in her office at some point over doctrinal matters, but, held her ground on the twins being expelled for three days for fighting. Every child who had been involved in the breaking of the zero-tolerance policy against fighting was in the same boat.

The chastened children stood before the council of adults, shame-faced at being expelled for breaking the rule against fighting. Josh mumbled that Eric Dunn had thrown the first punch, but Grace admitted with a militant eye that she had smacked Dana Jarvey for saying the Devil steals souls. Sam was forced to choke back a laugh at her ferocity. Grace had corrected her and informed her he could only take what people gave away.

Throughout the questioning in Sam’s study at the big house, and the children’s alternately angry and sad responses, Lucifer said absolutely nothing, but stared fixedly out the windows at the lawn, his stiff back to their assembly.

Uriel rose, quietly throwing at Lucifer’s back, Now you see why I wanted them home schooled. He made his way around the massive desk and went on bended knee before his children, one of his hands on each of their shoulders.

You will hear many views on many topics, and the ideas, especially in religious context, will be represented as truth and inarguable because supposedly it comes from God. His blue eyes were piercing as they always became when he spoke or felt something truly to the core. But understand, children, the Bible is a book written and edited by human men, taken from oral histories that have been altered to suit cultural practices and beliefs of the times. You must never be lazy and take any information presented to you without deep prayer, study and reflection. Simple study will reveal that there are alternate opinions that other people hold of which they are equally sure are right. You hold on to what you know- there are some simple truths that no one can take from you. You have known Lucifer since your birth and you know he has never lied to you. You know his function in both the realm and on earth. You know it is his job to test the integrity of every soul; it is why he knows each of us so well. And you know that is a painful process no one appreciates and many find it easy to blame him for revealing their true natures to the light. I have a hard time with it myself, but I do know he is not to blame for it. You are old enough to decide for yourselves.

He gathered them in his embrace, his eyes closed against the pain of the necessary loss of their innocence. After a long moment, he released them, the entire room respectfully silent at Uriel’s unprecedented defense in favor of Lucifer, for whom he had no affection. Beth had never been so intensely proud of him as a parent, and went to him immediately to tell him so.

As for the children, they exchanged a significant look between them and walked over to Lucifer, who by every indication had removed himself from the conversation at hand. Each child gently pulled at the hands he had clasped behind his back, taking one each in their own. Beth watched the rigidity leave his shoulders as he took one deep breath, went to his knees and clasped both children to his heart. It had been the first test he had to give them and had cost him dearly; Beth saw in a glance the sacrifice his purpose entailed and thought it a terrible burden. He reached up to Josh’s blackened eye and healed it, but left Grace’s scratches intact.

Can’t you fix mine, Lu? she asked.

No, brat. You know I cannot. You must feel and experience everything that is human including injury and disease or you will not understand the nature of healing. That is the savior’s ultimate purpose- the healing of everything broken. But he brushed her curls away from her forehead and kissed the newly crusting scab over her brow.

He rose to leave them, probably to recover from his own emotional ordeal in private, which was his preference, Beth knew. On his way out, he paused briefly to clasp forearms with Uriel and an irrepressible grin lifted his lips. Thank-you. I’ll see what I can do when we get to the topic of Sodom and Gomorrah. A light-hearted gibe, delivered with humor, but indicative of the complexity they had ahead of them when it came to explaining the actions of either side. None of them had fully figured it out themselves, that was the real truth and they all knew it. They could only be as honest in representing their own choices as they knew how.

Paul brought her back to the present. She was more than halfway around the room, her reverie was so intent.

Josh looks so much like Sam, but I took this one, because this is your expression to a tee, he was laughing. She looked at the picture he was referring to, which was of Josh throwing a javelin at a high school track meet, his face pulled into an expression of fierce concentration and intent. Paul was her beloved guardian angel, who had protected and loved her through a very challenging childhood. He would know her expressions. She snaked her arm around his waist and put her head against the side of his shoulder while they both studied the photo.

That had been a very difficult time, the twins’ junior year. She shuddered, remembering the emotional upheaval for everyone concerned.

What? Paul asked, noting her tremor and picking up on her mood as usual.

Memories. That year was terrible. I had my doubts we’d get through it as well as we did.

Paul nodded solemnly, respecting her emotions on that head, since he had more than a few of his own.

He had been there, that fateful night. It had begun so lightheartedly, the culmination of a two year crush Grace had on a member of the football team, a boy named Brandon who’d been to the house often enough with the rest of the team for informal scrimmages with the Enforcers. No one understood the boy’s appeal to Grace, especially her brother, who told her often enough all he had to recommend him was his looks.

She lamented her lack of womanly curves, agonizing over developing late and being the last to get her period. She had a few harmless dates with some nice boys, but her crush on the handsome running back on the school team persisted. She doodled his name all over the scrap paper in the house, going so far as to draw his image in her sketch book.

Her figure ripened the summer of her sophomore year and her period announced itself as well. She was ecstatic, joyfully celebrating the arrival of her menses in the ritual her family all participated in, one of the Goddess’ many celebrations Lucifer had taught her so carefully.

Of course her cheerleading uniform fit differently now and coupled with her natural beauty, the phone calls for dates increased, which kicked her fathers’ anxiety up several notches.

As her guardian angel, Lucifer made a point of keeping watch on her dates, relieved to find that Grace generally wasn’t all that interested in the young men and sent them on their way soon enough. She wanted a boyfriend, but wasn’t a fan of being mauled by clumsy young men she was just barely getting to know. She was thinking in terms of her first real kiss, but Lucifer generally rolled his eyes at the inexpert attempts that more often than not disgusted her rather than tempting her to do more.

Then Grace was assigned to Brandon as a partner for the pep rally before the Homecoming game. The varsity football members would be introduced with the varsity cheerleaders and they would walk across the gymnasium together. She came home that afternoon aglow from his attentions and informed them that he finally asked her out to a movie on Saturday, dancing around the kitchen while her brother made fun of her good-naturedly.

Brandon sat with her at lunch two days in a row as well, which sent her over the moon. Endless hours were spent on the phone with friends while she agonized over which outfit to wear on Saturday night. He would pick her up at 5:30 so they had time to have pizza at the theater before the show.

His first mistake was in pulling up to the big house and beeping the horn for Grace to come out. Uriel exited the mansion and walked up to the young man and gave him a quick lesson on how to collect a young lady for a date, which involved coming to the door, ringing the doorbell and socializing briefly with her parents. To his credit, he corrected himself immediately, following Yuri into the house to do exactly as he’d been instructed. He even complimented Beth on the lemonade she’d handed to him while Grace gathered her coat and bag.

Lucifer was uncharacteristically antsy, refusing to make an appearance as Lucian Tate, Grace’s investment banker godfather. He said he’d watch from a distance; the boy was tiresome and hopefully, she’d be over this crush before the night was done. He hadn’t been the least bit amused over her two year infatuation with this boy he would only refer to as the ape.

His prediction was well on the way when Brandon wouldn’t discuss movie choices. Grace didn’t expect him to watch one of her favorite indie movies with deep insights, but she really didn’t want to see the bawdy comedy he had in mind. He overrode her, saying he was paying for the tickets, so, he should get to choose the movie. Rather than make a scene, she acquiesced and by the end of the terrible movie, had already decided that Josh was right, looks were not enough. Brandon made fun of her a couple of times for not having a sense of humor and Lucifer figured this would be an early night.

In the parking lot, Brandon unexpectedly pressed Grace against the passenger side door and tried to slide his tongue sloppily into her mouth. She struggled against his hot wet mouth, pushing ineffectually against him. He outweighed her by nearly eighty pounds. Instead, she wriggled sideways and slipped away from him, crossing her arms over her chest and demanded to be taken straight home. He laughed at her, not taking her seriously in the least, his appetite whetted by a taste of her sweetness. Lucifer began to know this boy’s mind and heart and didn’t like what he saw.

Brandon went into the trunk of his car and brought out an insulated container and offered it to Grace. Here, drink this, he said. It’ll loosen you up. She shook her head and said she wanted to go home. I’ll take you home, he told her.

He took a deep slug of whatever was in the container and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He kept it with him as he got into the driver’s seat and opened the passenger side door for Grace from the inside, patting the seat indicating that she should get in. She looked around the lot to see if there was anyone she knew and there wasn’t. Reluctantly, she got in.

Brandon took the back way with two motives in mind. He was hoping to elude any cops who might be looking to stop anyone under the influence, which was rapidly proving to be the case with him as he had already nearly drained the container. Also, he took the dirt road that led to an old bridge that was a favorite parking spot.

Where are we going? Grace asked nervously, not familiar with this road.

Brandon took the last swig of what turned out to be high proof liquor with a splash of soda. He tossed the bottle on the floor in back. This is the fun part of the date, he told her as he swung the car into a secluded area that was overgrown with vegetation.

I want you to take me home, Grace said in a confident voice, absolutely certain that she didn’t want anything more to do with Brandon for the rest of her life, never mind the rest of the school year.

He turned the car off and grabbed her arm, pulling her in to him for a kiss, but she smacked at him hard, taking him by surprise. He released her and she flew out the door, dashing towards the road. Far from discouraging him, this seemed to inflame his hunting instincts and his training as a running back kicked in. He easily caught and subdued her, dragging her to the car and pushing her into the back seat, already undoing his jeans.

Lucifer stood by the water, feeling Grace’s mounting terror. He waved his hand to block the sigil, the mark Uriel had placed on her in infancy, because Uriel could not assist her in this matter, nor could he. Instead, he summoned, using Paul’s true angelic name, Poiel, to me.

Instantly, Paul appeared beside him, confused to have been summarily pulled from his workshop and looking disoriented until he saw Lucifer’s severe expression and followed his gaze to the parked car, hearing the sounds of Grace’s increasingly panicked voice, now entreating Brandon to stop because he was going to get into a lot of trouble if he did this. Brandon laughed and slurred, Everyone in school knows you’ve been chasing me for two years. This is what you want.

An inexpressible look of pain crossed Paul’s face and he looked to Lucifer, understanding his dilemma. Grace had to experience every risk inherent in a human incarnation, just as Yeshua had when he’d been tested as Messiah. He watched as Lucifer lifted a finger and twirled it, raising a storm in a matter of seconds, the lightning appearing in jagged bolts which dramatically lit the blackened sky.

In an attempt to divert the boy from his objective, he pointed at a nearby tree, bringing a bolt to crack it in half, the astounding noise of it tearing through the clearing. The only thing it did was alarm Grace more but did not deter the single-minded Brandon.

The sigil. Uriel will come. Paul said.

No. Lucifer answered grimly. "I blocked it so