Guardian of the Sacred Fire

Dreaming

After another week in the hospital I went home and back to work.  They were told I was in a car accident and Adrian signed off on it.  Mustn’t tell the normal people what’s really going on.  Azrael left me alone; I didn’t feel him anywhere in my small town.  I did search too.  The snow had melted and things went back to like they always were.  Mundane.  I went back to hating my life and everything in it.  My brother went to Vegas and eloped with his girlfriend.  She was six weeks pregnant.  Months went by without word from anyone.  I did see the doctor Adrian but he just smiled and waved, nothing more.  I thought maybe that what I went through was a dream, but I had scars to prove what had happened.  People shied away from me because them.  It literally looked like someone ate my throat out.

            I woke one night in a cold sweat; I could feel Uriel’s power. I knew that feeling from anywhere. It’s the one that scare the s**t out of me.

            “So you’re still alive.” He said sitting next to my bed.

            I jumped clean off my bed across the room.

            “Don’t worry; I’m not here to kill you this time.” He said. “But I would love a taste of your sweet blood again.” He smiled in the dark.  He was suddenly in front of me and my body betrayed me and started shaking.  He chuckled and laid his lips on the scars he made.  I tried pushing him away but he didn’t budge.

            He grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head, he looked into my eyes and I sank into the drowning black pools of his eyes.  Anger washed over me and I fought back against the pull of his power.

            “Ow.” He said and gripped harder.  My wrists popped painfully and his teeth sank into the scar tissue.  It’s probably the scar tissue but it hurt a lot more than last time.

            Suddenly he was no longer holding me but against another wall slumped to the ground.  The sheetrock was cracked and I saw who had done it.

            Azrael stood there breathing heavily. His hands were in fists and Uriel had blood streaming from his mouth.  I didn’t know if it was his or mine.

            “Run.” He told me.

            “No.” I said and let my anger build up.  I could see flames coming from my body.  Suddenly I knew what to do like I knew it all along.  I concentrated that anger on Uriel and the flames licked off of me and towards the vampire on the floor.  His eyes widened as he screamed and suddenly burst into flames.  He got up and a scream no human throat could do came from the burning creature.  I watched as he caught various things of my bedroom on fire.  I was shocked and the flames suddenly stopped coming from me.  The vampire was still on fire.

            Azrael grabbed me and went through the window.  I was shivering as I watched my house burn.  All the years it took for me to buy it. Sure it wasn’t the best thing in the world but it was mine.  It was home. Silent tears fell down my face as everything I owned burned to ash.  Sirens were down the street and Azrael grabbed me once again and we were running.  I looked up into his eyes and he just continued to watch the horizon.  We ran passed cars and I wondered what they saw. I knew a few did a double take but we were out of their vision before they could get a second glance.

            We were at the town motel in mere minutes. He left me outside for a brief minute.  How could you explain a bleeding girl just in night clothes without the cops being called?  That I understood. I shivered silently as he came out with the key and I walked behind him barefoot on the cold concrete sidewalk.  He unlocked the room and I walked in.  He took off the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around us.  He was warm.  I soon stopped shivering and noticed he was looking at me.  Our eyes locked and he kissed me gently, just a small peck.

            “Go take a shower, get the blood and soot off of you.” He said. “I will have clothes for you before you get out.”

            I nodded and left the warmth of him and headed to the bathroom.  I closed the door and looked in the mirror.  I gasped when I saw my eyes.  They were black, my entire eyes, including the white parts.  I watched them as they slowly turned back to my hazel blue.  My skin was paler than usual, translucent. I could see my veins under my skin.

            “What is happening to me?” I muttered to myself.  I went to the shower and turned on the water.  I stripped off my shorts and spaghetti strap that I had worn to bed.  I got in and let the water cascade over me.  The water that ran off was a mixture of pink and grey.  A sob escaped my lips and I let the tears fall.  I knew that Azrael wasn’t there to hear me.  I cleaned and rinsed off myself and turned off the water.  My shoulders were shaking with the now silent sobs.  A knock came to the bathroom door as I got out and wrapped a white towel around me.  I opened the door and Azrael stood there with a handful of clothes.

            “Where did you get them?” I asked.

            “You aren’t the only one with friends.” He answered and handed them to me.  “They found Uriel’s charred remains.  They think it was you.  You can’t go back now; you can’t be around humans until you can control the fire.”

            “So let them believe I’m dead?” I asked.

            “Yes.” He simply said.

            “Easy for you to say, you’re already dead.” I said and slammed the door shut.

            I leaned against the door and sighed.  I looked down at the clothes and picked out something that covered me the most.  It was a t-shirt with jeans.  Sadly there was no underwear with them.  I put the clothes on and opened the bathroom door.  Azrael was flipping through the basic cable on the television. He stopped and looked at me.  His eyes watched me move.

            “I missed you.” He said.

            “Then why did you leave?” I asked.

            “To protect you.”

            “Bullshit.” I told him.

            He sighed and looked at the ground.  “Years before your great grandparents were even a twinkle in his father’s eye there was a woman.  Her name was Ariella. It was a time when demons roamed the earth freely, it was known as the time of Chaos.  I was appointed as her Sentinel and was sworn to protect the Lioness of God.  Each one has a different name.  Your technical name is Vesta, Guardian of the Sacred Fire. But anyways, back to Ariella.  We were in a battle against Asmodeus and he was winning.  She had claimed a revolt against God and he had turned his back against us.  She was dying from a fatal curse and there was nothing I could do.  Uriel found us and offered me my servitude for the power to save her.  I took it in a heartbeat not even asking what it was.  He changed me into what he was.  I, not knowing that my servitude meant my soul. He himself was part demon and part human.  The way to take the curse was to drink her blood and take the curse as my own, but she was my first. The hunger is very unforgiving in the beginning.  I drank until she wasn’t breathing. I heard her heart stop beating while I drained her to death.  Uriel owned me since then.  Until you sacrificed yourself to free me.  That’s how the curse worked.  Someone had to make the ultimate sacrifice for me.” Pink tears streamed down his face.  They were tears stained with blood.

            “I wanted to protect you, because you tasted like Her. You are Ariella reborn, I believe.  Usually the Guardians have different abilities and fire isn’t used very often.  When it is, they are always female with auburn hair and blue eyes. Just like Her.”

            I was taken aback. “You truly love her.” I said and went to his side.  I knelt down and looked into his eyes.  “And my eyes aren’t true blue.”

            “Loved.” He said.

            “No, love. After all these years you are still in love with Ariella.” I said quietly.

            He gave me a weak smile and looked into my eyes.  “How many have there been that looked like her?” I asked.

            “You make the fourth.” He answered.

            “So my real given name is Vesta?” I changed the subject quickly.

            “Yes.” He said simply.

I went and lied down on the bed, so many thoughts running through my head.  He was still in love with a woman that was long dead and he believed I was her.  I sighed and closed my eyes. The bed moved and I opened them again and he was above me.  His brilliant blue eyes bore into mine.

            “You feel more powerful.” I said.

            “Because I’m free.  I no longer have to give my energy to Uriel.”

            “Did I free the entire coven when I killed him?” I asked.

            “Yes.” He answered.  “Sleep now.” He said.

            I felt the lull of sleep where there wasn’t one a second before.  My eyes fluttered shut. “Cheater.” I muttered.  He softly kissed my lips and moved away from me. “Will you still be here in the morning?” I asked.

            “Yes.”

            “Promise?”

            I heard him hesitate. “Yes.” He said and I was off to sleep.

I slept better than I had in months.  The dreams bothered me though.  I was facing a woman that looked like me.  Her auburn hair swayed in the wind and her blue eyes were like blue fire.  She spoke in a long dead language but I could understand her.

            “You have been chosen to fight for the side of angels against an evil that has never been faced before.  Lucifel the Angel of Light is trying to rise up and rule the Cosmos once again. You must stop him.” She said.

            “Why me?” I asked.  “Why do I have to be the one to save the world?”

            “It has to be someone doesn’t it?”  She said and smiled.  Even though she wasn’t old her eyes showed wisdom beyond her years.

            “Are you Ariella?”

            “I am the Lioness of God.” She said as though that were the answer.

            “You were Azrael’s lover.” I said.

            “Do not speak that name to me!” she snapped. Her face contorted to something not human for a brief second.  Her face went back to normal without her even blinking.

            I took a step back, now afraid of her.  She was no longer human.  Even though this was a dream (I hoped) I felt her power radiate of her. I saw the fire in her aura.  I brought my own fire and she tested me.  Just a trickle of her energy sent me to my knees.

            “You are weak.” She said and started to disappear.

            “Wait!” I yelled and stood up. “He’s sorry, he still loves you Ariella.” I called out to her.

            I woke breathing heavy.  Azrael stared at me, his eyes wide and his skin was paler than usual.

            “You talk in your sleep.  You saw Her?” he asked.

I sat up and nodded.  “Azrael, how old are you and Beast?” I asked.

            “I don’t know exactly. They didn’t keep records back then but it was in ancient Rome.”  He answered.

I knew he was old, but that old? He had to be kidding right?  I didn’t say that out loud.

            “What did she tell you?”

            “That Lucifel is coming to rule the cosmos once again.”

            “I have to go; I will be back by dawn.” He said and the door was behind him before I could blink.

            I sighed and flipped on the television.  Infomercial after infomercial.  I finally settled for I Love Lucy reruns. The show always put me in a better mood.