Angel of Light

Chapter 6

Anastasia was making coffee and watching television deciding on what to do today. Her shoulder didn’t pain her anymore, so she got rid of her sling. She was more mobile without the damn thing anyway. Now, she was feeling restless with nothing to occupy her time. Anastasia loved the gardens and parks that were all over Tokyo and decided she will go and walk in one today. Being around nature always helped her to think more clearly. She needed to think on her growing attraction to Gabe and what that meant.

She knew it was impossible for them to be together. He was an Archangel and forbidden to be with humans. Yet, Anastasia was sure; she saw lust and heat in his eyes last night. It thrilled her that he desired her. It also made her sad, because they could not act on that passion. She didn't know when she will see him again. It’s not like he had a cell phone or an e mail where she could contact him. He kept a low profile and stayed out of the public eye unless he had to fight demons and protect humans.

Besides, if Anastasia saw him again, what would she say to him? What would they do? Go on a date to the movies? Enjoy a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant? Anastasia sighed. She should let Gabriel go and move on. Go on a nice date with one of those boring, normal guys that Liz was forever hooking her up with.

Anastasia strolled through the park and went off on a beaten trail. She couldn’t stop thinking about Gabriel. That also frustrated her. She continued to walk along a path and stopped to study some beautiful red flowers which grew along the path. She bent to pick a few for her apartment when a voice spoke to her from behind her.

“Where I come from in Paradise, there are millions of flowers everywhere. I would gladly show them to you and pick you any that you wish,” Aaron told her.

Anastasia whirled around and dropped her flowers. She gasped as the demon who murdered her parents stood in the path just where she was moments ago. He was staring at her. She realized he hadn’t aged a day and looked just as calm and deadly as that fateful day. Anastasia got ready to attack and kill him.

“I wouldn’t do that my dear. You are powerful, but not as powerful as me. I would prefer not to hurt you. At least hear me out first,” he smiled and Anastasia froze against her will.

“I killed your parents, because they destroyed something precious that belonged to me. For that act, I am truly, deeply sorry especially since it caused you pain. I would like a chance to make it up to you. I have come to offer you my name, my protection, and my home. Whatever your heart desires, I will grant it. Anastasia, I want to help you, protect you, and care for you for the rest of your mortal life if you’ll let me,” Aaron proposed solemnly.

“Go to Hell!” Anastasia hissed out.

Aaron’s smile got a little wider and she felt pain shoot through her whole body. His voice spoke inside her head, “I am informing you of my intentions out of respect for you. Your refusal or acceptance makes no difference. Things have already been set in motion which you cannot undo.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Anastasia ground out.

“My dear, I am going to make you my wife, my Marchioness and together we shall rule Hell together alongside our Prince of Darkness. You are going to give me strong, powerful children to defend my race with,” Aaron explained.

“Are you insane? Why in heaven’s name would I ever want to marry you?” Anastasia asked in shock.

Aaron sighed and spoke to her as if he were speaking to a small child, “My dear, you will never get a better offer. Gabriel is an archangel and forbidden to be with you. Mere humans will just bore you. You’re strong, fierce, and a warrior. You need another warrior who can understand you, and I am that warrior. I will protect you from now on. You need not fear anyone with me by your side.”

“Ever since you and your demon friends burned my home and killed my parents, I have hunted and killed as many of you as I can. Who exactly would you be protecting me from?” Anastasia spat out angrily.

“I protected you from the very demons who you hunted! I could’ve let them kill you, but I didn’t. I watched you kill them and wept as they perished. You are not the only one who has lost people you loved, Anastasia. We are at war, and in this war, there are always casualties,” Aaron responded just as angrily.

Anastasia was shocked at this revelation, “You protected me from your own kind, and prevented them from murdering me, why?”

Aaron declared passionately, “You were too beautiful to die! I needed you to live and fight by my side in this war. There will be many wars, my dear. We are dying by the thousands every day when we used to multiply by the thousands! All this mindless killing of my race must stop!”

“You killed thousands of humans too! If you didn’t kill them, you entranced them into doing your evil deeds, you coward!” Anastasia cried.

Aaron flinched, “I have never been a coward my dear. Everything I have done, I have done for my Prince or for my race.”

“Well, your prince is really warped then,” Anastasia responded angrily

Aaron’s eyes narrowed and Anastasia doubled over in pain gasping for air. He raised his hand, and she flew up into the air. Her entire body stretched to the point of breaking.

Aaron held her in the air and spoke, “Before, I entrance you; I must break you, my dear. The strong ones always need to be broken first, otherwise they resist too much. The trance might not completely work, and we can’t have that.”

He brought his hand down and she crashed back to the ground. The breath was knocked out of her and she laid there in the path trying to collect herself.

“I must say I am taking quite a lot of pleasure in breaking you. I can’t wait for our wedding night,” Aaron said his eyes glowing red with lust.

He brought his hand back up and she flew back in the air. She grunted in pain as he racked her body in the air stretching her limbs to their breaking point.

Aaron taunted her, “I thought you were stronger than this Anastasia. Surely, all your years of training taught you to endure pain?” He brought his hand down watching her crash back to the ground knowing she will break a couple of bones.

As she fell back to Earth, she saw him, her angel of light flying straight for her from the heavens. She smiled knowing she was safe, and he was coming.

Gabriel blasted Aaron and got him to break his hold over Anastasia. Then, he caught her before she hit the ground. He set her gently down, and whipped out his sword ready to dispatch the demon lord.

“Gabriel, long time, no see. How are you, old friend?” Aaron greeted his arch nemesis calmly.

“Demon, go back to Hell where you came from!” Gabriel yelled as he charged at him.

Aaron blasted him and it knocked him back a few feet. “Not without the girl,” Aaron responded chillingly.

“Over my dead body,” Gabriel replied and charged again.

Aaron drew out his own sword and parried Gabriel’s attack. “That can be arranged. How would you like to die, Archangel?” Aaron answered as he thrust his sword towards Gabriel’s heart.

Gabriel blocked it with his sword and made his own thrust towards Aaron. Aaron blocked it successfully. The fight continued this way with the archangel and demon stabbing and parrying hoping the other will make a mistake which will lead to a fatal stab.

Anastasia stood up shakily on both feet and concentrated. She gathered her energy and aimed it at Aaron. Her blast struck him in the arm, and he dropped his sword and grunted in pain. Gabriel swung his sword but it sliced only thin air.

“He teleported! The coward!” Gabriel cried out angrily.

Anastasia screamed as Aaron materialized behind Gabriel and shot him with a powerful psychic blast. Gabe flew into a tree down the path. Then, Aaron teleported next to Anastasia. He knocked her out and teleported with her into his palace down in Hell.

When Gabriel flew back, both Anastasia and Aaron were gone. He used his Sight to track them but couldn’t find them anywhere on Earth. He flew back to Heaven in frustration.

“Uriel, she’s gone! Aaron took her with him! Where are they?” Gabriel shouted the moment he landed.

Uriel came out of his room at Gabriel’s shouts and responded calmly, “If you can’t track them on Earth, then he’s brought her down to Hell with him.”

“No, I have to save her! She will not be his!” Gabriel exploded.

“We are forbidden entrance to that place. You will have to wait for him to release her back to Earth,” Uriel replied.

“Then, I will be too late. He will have turned her!” Gabriel protested.

“Humans get turned all the time. They are easily susceptible which means we can also turn her back,” Uriel informed him.

“What if he never releases her? What if he keeps her prisoner down there?” Gabe argued.

“Then, she is lost; one of the many casualties of this war,” Uriel pointed out.

Gabriel flew at him and punched him. Uriel went flying from the hit, then came back and returned the punch which caused Gabe to double over in pain. The commotion brought Raphael running out of his room to stop them.

“Stop! We are supposed to be fighting demons, not each other!” Raphael shouted as he put himself in between his two brothers.

“Uriel, I cannot condemn her to Hell; I will not!” Gabriel shouted.

“Who? Who’s in Hell?” Raphael asked in confusion.

“Gabriel lost himself to a female human,” Uriel said in disgust to Raphael.

“Oh, but why is she in hell?” Ralph inquired.

“Aaron took her there against her will!” Gabriel exploded.

“Oh, that is quite a pickle,” Raph murmured looking at Uriel. Of all the archangels, Uriel was the chosen one to communicate with their Heavenly Father about the archangels and any dealings with the humans.

“We are forbidden entrance to that place! Do not make me ask for permission to grant you access. If you go down there, you will never come home and be one of us again. I will not trade an archangel for a human. I will not sacrifice you for her!” Uriel replied hotly.

“Humans are not allowed entrance either, unless they have committed sins which they cannot repent from. She was brought down there against her will!” Gabriel protested.

“The law is the law,” Uriel stated and turned on his heels to leave putting an end to the conversation.

“Wait! You both are right. You should at least bring this up to our Father and get His advice. He will not be happy that a demon lord has brought one of His children into Hell against her will,” Raph called out to Uriel.

“I will give the matter some more thought before bringing it up to our Father. In the meantime, Gabriel, you are to go nowhere!” ordered Uriel.

Later that day, Gabriel knocked on Uriel’s chamber doors. “Come in,” a voice from inside answered.

When Gabriel walked in, Uriel was bent over maps and books. He was always the intellectual who loved to learn. Therefore, he was charged with the upkeep and safety all worldly knowledge. He glanced up at Gabriel and waited impatiently for him to speak.

“I fear, Aaron had kidnapped Anastasia to marry and breed with her. Apparently he has been kidnapping human women all over the world and bringing them down to Hell to create half human and half demon children with them,” Gabriel informed his brother.

Uriel frowned and said, “His perversity knows no bounds. I am sure our Father will be most displeased with this news about his human children.”

Gabriel sighed, “Tell me brother, what should I do? As you are charged with certain duties, I too am charged with my own duties such as protecting His children. In this, I have failed Him.”

“You cannot protect His children if they willingly put themselves in harm’s way. Gabriel, Anastasia has been hunting and killing demons all her life. She knew that sooner or later, she would come across Aaron. In fact, she prayed to come across him, so she could kill him,” Uriel consoled Gabriel, “Besides, you did the best you could. I will await our Father’s commands first before I make any moves in this war.”

Gabriel knew the conversation was over and left. He went back to his chambers passing by his brother Raphael’s room on the way. He knocked and went inside. He knew if anyone was sympathetic to his cause, it would be Raphael.