Angelology(173)

for a summoning ceremony.” The attendants brought a wreath of lilies to Celestine and placed it upon

her white hair. Gabriella said, “Now they are placing a crown of flowers upon Celestine’s head,

which signifies the virginal purity of the summoner. I know the ritual intimately, although I have never

seen it performed. Summoning an angel can bring powerful assistance, clearing away our enemies in

an instant. In a situation like the one at hand—the convent besieged and the population of St. Rose

outnumbered—it could be a most useful measure, perhaps the only measure to bring victory. Yet it is

unbelievably dangerous, and certainly for a woman of Celestine’s age. The dangers usually far

outweigh the benefits, especially in the case of calling forth an angel for the purpose of battle.”

Evangeline turned to her grandmother. A golden pendant, an exact replica of the one she had given

to Evangeline, shone upon Gabriella’s neck.

“And battle,” Gabriella said, “is exactly what Celestine intends.”

“But the Gibborim are suddenly so placid,” Evangeline said.

“Celestine has hypnotized them,” Gabriella said. “It is called a Gibborish charm. We learned it as

girls. Do you see her hands?”

Evangeline strained to see Celestine in her chair. Her hands were woven together over her chest,

and both pointer fingers bent toward her heart.

“It causes the Gibborim to become momentarily stunned,” Gabriella said. “It will wear off in a

moment, however, and then Celestine will need to work very quickly.”

Celestine lifted her arms into the air in a swift movement, releasing the Gibborim from the spell.

Before they could resume their attack, she began to speak. Her voice echoed through the vaulted

chapel.

“Angele Dei, qui custos es mei, me tibi commissum pietate superna, illumina, custodi, rege, et

guberna.”

The Latin was familiar to Evangeline. She recognized it as an incantation, and to her amazement the

spell began to take hold. The manifestation began as a gentle breeze, the faintest bluster of wind, and

grew in a matter of seconds to a gale that rocked through the nave. In a burst of blinding light, a

brilliantly illuminated figure appeared at the center of the twisting wind, hovering above Celestine.

Evangeline forgot the danger posed by the summoning, the danger of the creatures surrounding them

on all sides, and simply stared at the angel. It was immense, with golden wings spanning the length of

the high central dome and arms held outstretched in a gesture that seemed to invite all to come closer.

It glowed with intense light, its robes burning brighter than fire. Light gushed upon the nuns, falling

over the floors of the church, glinting and fluid as lava. The angel’s body appeared both physical and

ethereal at once—it hovered above and yet Evangeline was sure that she could see through it. Perhaps

strangest of all, the angel began to assume Celestine’s features, re-creating the physical appearance of

what she must have looked like in her youth. As the angel transformed into an exact replica of the

summoner, becoming Celestine’s golden-hued twin, Evangeline was able to see the girl Celestine had

once been.

The angel floated in midair, glittering and serene. When it spoke, its voice rang sweet and lilting

through the church, vibrating with unnatural beauty. It said, “Do you call me in goodness?”

Celestine rose from her wheelchair with astonishing ease and knelt in the middle of the circle of

candles, the white robe cascading about her. “I call you as a servant of the Lord to do the Lord’s

work.”

“In His holy name,” the angel said, “I ask if your intentions are pure.”

“As pure as His holy Word,” Celestine said, her voice becoming stronger, more vibrant, as if the

angel’s presence had strengthened her.

“Fear not, for I am a messenger of the Lord,” the angel said, its voice pure music. “I sing the Lord’s

praise.”

In a cataclysm of wind, the church filled with music. A celestial chorus had begun to play.

“Guardian,” Celestine said, “our sanctuary has been desecrated by the dragon. Our structures

burned, our sisters killed. As the Archangel Michael crushed the serpent’s head, so I ask you to crush

these foul invaders.”

“Instruct me,” the angel said, its wings beating, its lithe body twisting in the air. “Where do these

devils hide?”

“They are here upon us, ravaging His holy sanctuary.”

In an instant, so quickly that Evangeline had no time to react, the angel transformed into a sheet of

fire, splitting into hundreds of tongues of flame, each flame morphing into a fully formed angel.