MR: Chapter 1
Sneak Peek
Day 1
January 16th, The Order’s Estate
3:00am
What happened was
unforeseen. The Order had never been attacked on its own land. They’d gotten
arrogant. Gotten used to minor demons kept at bay for years. Now, a demon king
had risen. Baal was flesh and the king was moving an army of demons through his
city.
Smoke
rose like curling dark towers around the estate. The smell of gunfire and fuel
hung heavy in the woods. Jarron, High Guardian of The Order, had been up all
night. Who was he kidding? No one had slept. Everyone was running on adrenaline
and shock. Even the dissipating energies from the battle remained on the
property, like mournful ghosts clinging to the land. Jaw muscle twitching, he
let out a sharp breath and turned for the cave. He looked around the large
expanse of The Order’s holding cell--Ellie’s prison. His lip curled, menace
radiating from every pore. “Baal,” he growled. This was all the demon king’s
doing. Ellie, the attack, all the lives that have been lost.
The
ache in his heart threatened to overcome his resolve. He squeezed his eyes shut
trying to center himself. He took a deep breath, the flowery air inside the
cave making him long for Ellie. Making him remember the night she came into her
powers. He had taken her to the creek on the estate. The night jasmine was
blooming, the air smelled sweet and deeply fragrant, just like within the cave.
The
cell was old. Part of it was natural, but most of it had been dug out and
reinforced by prior generations of The Order. The cave was perfectly hollowed out,
the natural ceiling reaching over forty feet at its highest point with clear
crystal stalagmites hanging down like chandeliers. Most of the cave walls were
of a dark, hard, stone; some showing fissures from past earthquakes. But this
cave had remained standing, stable, and secure. At least it had been. Until the
demons that broke out Ellie tried to crush it from its very foundation. It was
only thanks to Marcus and Phoebe, the cave did not crumble. He could see the
energies of their magick holding the cave together. Infusing it with life and
strength so the interior resembled a garden and no longer a prison. The walls
were covered in leafy vines, flowers, and jasmine. It was deceptively peaceful,
making it hard to believe a few hours ago a battle had ensued here.
Ellie
was here.
She
was safe.
Memories
of their training flooded him. He had been pushing her hard. Truth be told, he
was trying to break her. Hoping she would quit, and return to her life as a
scientist.
But
she wouldn’t quit. She pushed back and refused to be broken. She worked until
she couldn’t move.
He
knew he drove her to tears. He’d watch from afar when she thought she was
alone. He would see her break down, sobbing, and punishing herself for mistakes
he’d harshly pointed out. He’d watch her pick herself back up, and her energy
would grow in strength. He would come back, ready to deliver harder exercises,
and see fire burning behind beautiful, exotic eyes.
It
intrigued him.
What
did the pretty professor think she could do? She knew nothing about their
world. She was untrained, impulsive and would have been an easy target for any
demon. He’d asked her, ‘Why be a Guardian?’ She’d only thought about the
answer for a second and she looked at him; held his gaze in hers, and with all
the conviction in her soul told him, “The Order is now my family and that’s
reason enough”. He had thought she was foolish until he understood that
when she loved, she loved completely. It wasn’t foolishness that drove her, it
was love. Always love.
What
started out as a duty to train the newbie recruit quickly became something
more. Physical attraction turned to deep admiration, respect, and yes, love. It
was impossible not to fall in love with Ellie.
He
trained her hard to make sure she was the one who walked away from a battle. He
trained her hard because he knew he couldn’t always be there to protect her. He
had to make sure she could survive a fight because losing her was not an
option. And yet, that’s exactly what happened. He’d lost her over and over
again.
Ellie’s
rods had been left for him to safekeep. He stared at one of the hammered metal silver
shafts, and tapped a finger on one of the golden tips. The points were
impossibly sharp, quickly drawing blood.
How
did things get so bad?
Jarron’s
head fell heavy toward his chest as he strained against the cave’s control
panel. Ash stained fingers curled slowly around the unique weapon. He lifted
the metal sticks from the table, inspecting every inch, appreciating the
balance, and feel in his hand. God, how he wished he was holding Ellie instead.
For just a moment, he smiled remembering Ellie’s laugh, her little snorts, when
she couldn’t stop laughing. The happy feeling quickly dissolved when flashes of
Ellie’s face as a spawn marred his memory.
He
lowered his forehead to the rods, feeling energy coursing through the metal. It
was Ellie’s. Pained. Forced. Suffering. He gasped, taking in Ellie’s pain as
his own. Impossible. How could that be? She had been turned to a spawn. A spawn
had no spark. No essence.
Was
Ellie truly an empty vessel?
Moments
from the battle came back to him in a hurry. Ellie had him locked in her sight.
Her stare was ice-cold. Deadly. Then a flicker of her old self surfaced, and
the ice melted instantly from her gaze, revealing beautiful hazel eyes with
gold flecks. She had reached out to him. It was only for a mere second, but in
that moment, he felt their connection. She was holding on to love.
There
was still hope.
He
set the rods down carefully, staring at them. Ellie’s essence was present. She
was fighting, refusing to be broken. Ellie could be saved. He vowed her return.
“No matter the cost. I’ll get you back,” he promised.
A
flood of energetic waves crashed into him, diverting his attention. Making him
acknowledge the coming of a strong presence. He turned. Ellie’s father was
approaching. His steps soundless.
“Jarron,”
Will called before stepping into the cave, his silvery-blue gaze immediately
roaming the space. “I made those for her.” Will jutted his chin to the wrapped
rods sitting on the control desk. He took a heavy breath, his energy going
somber. “She didn't know who I was. She only knew me as a shopkeeper in
Greece.” Will walked towards what had been Ellie’s cell and ran a hand over the
clear, shattered plexiglass wall. “She’s gotten so much stronger than I ever
expected.”
Jarron
leaned back against the table, arms crossed casually across his chest, trying
to remain grounded, despite Will’s energy overwhelming him. “You were the
stranger.” That had been a good memory for Ellie. “You were teaching her? You
knew?”
Will
nodded, pausing from his inspection, a large hand still pressed against the
broken cell wall. “We knew that eventually her destiny would lead her to the
Anakim... even with mine and Sarah’s interference. We knew she needed to learn
to defend herself.” His voice had softened, a small smile showing off a dimple.
“I showed her what I could in our short time together. She was a
natural.”
Jarron
watched Will, his own inquisitiveness distracting him from his discomfort
around the man. He swallowed, remembering their first meeting. They had been in
the Nether looking for Ellie. The dark energies of the realm had been too much
for Jarron. It overtook him, keeping him from listening to reason. He attacked
Will. He’d been ready to do serious harm. Brooks had to disable him, to give
Will time to get them out. He could feel his energy constrict with the memory;
he hesitated, guilt keeping him quiet.
Will
caught his eyes. The angel’s silvery-blues intense yet warm. “Go ahead I can
tell something is on your mind.”
He
swallowed unsure of how Will would react. If the man took offense, it would be
understandable. “Why did you leave Sarah and Ellie? Ellie never knew about you.”
Will
looked away momentarily, a hard swallow bobbing the large Adam’s apple on the
man’s muscular neck. “Because I had to. I had to draw the demons to my energy.
Away from Ellie.” Will faced him, sadness dulling his eyes. “Staying would have
put my family’s life in great danger. I was never too far.”
“You
could have trained her.” Jarron straightened; he was crossing the line, but he
needed to understand.
Will
scoffed, “I could have done a lot of things. I question my decisions every
single day. And…” Will turned to the broken cell, a twitch stressing the corner
of the man’s strong profile. He blew out as he shook his head and looked to the
heavens. “And every single day I realize how much I fucked up with Ellie. We
did not want this life for her.” He backed away from the cell. “I left to
protect her future. To give her a normal life.”
Jarron
examined Ellie’s father. The plain black t-shirt tucked into plain black jeans
belied the power coursing within the man burdened with regrets. Will presented
himself as a man, and as a father grieving his daughter’s disappearance.
William Koraki may have been an angel, but it was his human side that ruled
him. This was the most they’d spoken and he was surprised with the man’s
candor. “The night I met Ellie, was the first night a major demon had been in
San Francisco. Ellie was going straight to it. She was walking towards death,
and didn’t even know it.” Jarron hesitated, remembering both the confusion and
curiosity he felt as he watched Ellie that night. “I forced her out of the
club.”
“And
you almost died that night.” Will held his gaze, eyes glinting with compassion.
“Isabel told me.”
Jarron
wondered how much Isabel had confided in Will.
“My
blood makes her part Carrion, a Dark One. The pull to dark energies is strong.
It’s our nature.” Will shifted. “If you had not carried her out, the demon
would have gone after her. That pull also attracts demons to us. Enemies by design.
You saved her.” Will straightened, the energy of gratitude coming off of him in
waves.
Jarron
warmed, the angel’s energy affecting him. “How do we get her back?”
“I
don’t know. But we cannot leave her in Baal’s hands.”
He
felt a connection growing with Ellie’s father. They had the same goals,
motivations, regrets. He could trust this man. “The demon queen was here.”
Will
stepped closer, his energy heating with tension. “Ashtaroth.” The name came out
like a lowly growl.
“She
told me to get Ellie back before it was too late.” Jarron confided.
Will
gripped his shoulder as his gaze pierced through consciousness. Focused beams
of warmth seeped into his head, entwining his mind with Will’s. Jarron’s
memories flipped rapidly like playing cards being shuffled. Will held the deck,
perusing each card until he came upon the specific vision he wanted. He stopped
at a memory card from a few hours earlier. Jarron and Naisa stood together,
both sensing the demon queen. Bone chilling wind circled them as Ashtaroth’s
words pierced the night air like an icepick. “She is his weapon.”
Will
broke off the mind-meld, and cursed under his breath. Tension pulled the
corners of his dark brows together. “Jarron, this goes beyond my selfish needs
as a father wanting to save his child.” He twisted to look at the broken cell.
“Her powers are growing inside a vessel without an essence. Without Ellie’s
soul and spirit, the powers are raw, uncontrolled, and violent. There is
nothing to temper those growing powers.” Will took a deep breath, his troubled
gaze going up to the heavens again.
Jarron
was shaking his head. “No. She’s not all gone. There’s a small spark of her
essence left.”
Will
looked confused, trying to make sense of what he’d just heard. “Are you sure?”
he asked.
“I
felt her.”
Will
was contemplative, his dark brows pinching. “I had a vision. It was right after
Sarah and I met. The vision foretold of a child who would command all four
elements.”
“Ellie.
Ellie can already control three of the elements. Anya had foreseen her control
all four.”
Will
bristled. “The vision ended abruptly, but not before a voice ordered me to
protect them all.” Angel energy spiked in anxiety ridden frequencies. “It
didn’t occur to me then, that the child would be my own.”
“Protect
them from Ellie?” Dread filled him. “Ellie would never hurt anyone or anything
willingly.”
“Ellie
wouldn’t. But a spawn of Baal would.”
Jarron
felt his heart thud painfully against his sternum.
“There
was a war in the vision. Storms were raging. People were dying. Demons marched
in the streets, and rose from the oceans.” Will paused as if trying to recall
the vision. “I can’t see Ellie. That must mean something.” Will took a step
closer, and reached for his shoulder, clasping it. “If I fail. I need your
word; you will get her back. The connection you felt. I believe it. She must be
saved, Jarron.”
Will
linked with him again. He could feel Will’s energy, the formidable strength of
its radiance and pure light mixing with his own. This was more than a mind-meld.
Gasping, he straightened as angel energy sped through his veins, and a knowing
that came with divinity slammed his heart. Will’s trepidations became his
own.
“We
have work to do, Jarron.” Will bowed to him before large black wings exploded
from his back, and he disappeared. You must learn and learn fast. The
she-demon is right. Ellie must be saved before it is too late.
Unexpectedly,
despair, guilt, anger, fear, and sadness collided within Jarron all at once.
His stomach fell to his feet, and his heart pounded furiously against his rib
cage. The emotions were not all his. Will. Will’s fears were mixing with his
own. Angel energy was running through his system, setting off coils of power
within him, activating hot spots of new abilities. Control. Control. He
directed his mind.
No
Jarron. Feel it. Feel everything. Get out of your head! Will’s voice echoed in his
mind like a canon.
Jarron
twisted on the balls of his feet looking for Will. He was here, he could still
feel him, but his vision was blurring from pressure building inside of his
head. His powers morphed, snaked, and intensified as he allowed his and Will’s
emotions to crush him. He had thought the transmutation he went through was
hell. He remembered Anya telling him the changes would not be instantaneous.
That he would continue to evolve. Was Will part of his evolution? He hissed as
the pain intensified within him.
Feel
it all Jarron. Let all those feelings and memories you’ve suppressed all these
years come alive. It’s time to let it all go. Your mind will not set you free.
Only your heart.
Jarron
hunched over as scalding heat bloomed inside his gut. “What are you doing to
me?” he growled, and fisted his hands into the hollows of his eyes.
Isabel
tells me you’re a leader. A teacher. Do you remember how to be a student?
Jarron
forced himself to straighten, and clear his sight. There was more than one way
to see. Intuitively switching his field of vision from physical sight to
energetic, he saw the cave in a much deeper spectrum. Will’s energy was
everywhere, but there was no concentration of it to signal a formed being.
“Show
yourself, Will.”
No,
Jarron. You must honor your powers. All of it. The light and the dark.
Jarron
curled as if hit in the gut, his vision turned to grey and flashes of white
light came to him. Phoebe’s voice was in his mind, the dark is not the
enemy, son. It is simply the other half that makes us whole. He twisted,
trying to isolate Phoebe’s energy. Where did she come from? Was she back?
“Phoebe!” he called out. What kind of game was Will playing? There was no time
for this. He blinked his eyes, trying to regain his vision. Instead, flashes of
memories, bad memories snapped inside his mind. Giving him no choice, but to
relive each damaged moment.
You’ve
been taught to stay away from your darkness, lest you awaken your Nephilim
ancestors’ curse. Will
scoffed in his mind. Curses don’t make a person good or bad. Curses only
bring out what is already there. If we’re going to save Ellie. You must be
comfortable in the dark because that’s where we will have to go to find her.
He
bit through every single memory Will forced on him. Fighting it, justifying it,
then finally accepting it and forgiving himself. How long he was forced to
endure the intervention, he had no idea. He was depleted and no longer had the
fight. Will’s form of therapy was brutal and he was brought down to his knees.
“I’m done, Will. You win.” Tears came down and he allowed himself to feel.
EVERYTHING. He grieved, mourned and celebrated in a matter of minutes, feeling
like he’d lost his mind. When the last bit of feeling flittered away, his
vision came back. His elemental fire ignited within. It felt new, stronger,
more powerful. Ready. In the distance he could hear footsteps running toward
his location.
The
energy in the cave shifted as if Will was moving, searching. You have
mastered energies. Use mine. Trust it.
Jarron
breathed deeply, accepting the Dark One’s energy to grow inside of him.
Good
work. He
could almost see the smile in the Dark One’s tone. A friend comes.
“Jarron.”
Naisa called out. “Jarron, are you still here?” Her steps had slowed as she
neared the cave entrance.
He
exited the cavern, meeting Naisa.
“I
was worried.” She was studying him. “Are you okay?”
He
nodded, unsure of how to respond. He felt different.
She
angled to look around him. “We all were. You’ve been out here for a long time.”
She tried to look around him again. “What are you doing in there? I heard a
noise.”
He
scoffed and twisted to look behind him. Will had reappeared and was standing at
the control desk, Ellie’s rods held reverently in his hands. “Being schooled.”
Jarron
stepped aside, letting Naisa inside the cave. She walked to Will, the two
having only met hours before. They took up a polite conversation, seeming to enjoy
each other’s company. He began walking away, still feeling the strength of
angel energy coursing through his body.
Chilled
morning air, blew through ashes littering the forest floor, sending small
embers to scatter on the singed ground. Out here, the destruction of the attack
was evident--unavoidable and harsh like the smell of smoke, dirt, and blood.
The land was burned and ripped open. He felt the same way.
Up
above, the same raven he’d witnessed after the demon queen had appeared, had
returned. The large bird circled against the deep orange hue of the sky as if
watching over him. The sounds coming from the bird touched his heart, the
rhythmic crying tugged his insides, and flooded him with warmth. Thank you, his
thought was directed to the bird. The spirit animal acknowledged him
before flying away. Leaving him to watch the sky until the cawing faded.
Will
was still inside the cave with Naisa. Their lesson had ended as quickly as it
had begun. But their energies remained connected. He closed his eyes, feeling
Will’s voice echoing inside his head. Baal will use Ellie to end the
world.
Turning
his hands over and under, he saw them with renewed clarity. He lifted both
arms, fisted his hands, and aimed for a fallen tree. White light and red fire
spun around each other, the whir of energy sounding like a song in his mind. He
could see his powers clearly, the red angry flame was no longer punitive and
obtrusive, but an integral part of him--like his light, White Purity. Light and
dark. Rage and peace. He saw light and fire become one, saw their trajectory
and force even before they exited his limbs. The fallen tree burst into
nothing. His power splintered wood grains and turned them to ash
instantly.
Lesson
One. Complete. Will
communicated telepathically.
He
twisted, looking into the cave. He could see Will and Naisa inside. They were
both watching him. Will caught his gaze and gave him a shallow bow. His eyes as
troubled as he felt. Jarron returned the gesture then turned to stare where the
tree had stood, his thoughts persisting on what lay ahead.
The
Order needed to rise above and be reborn from the ashes.
Hope
could not be lost.