Her vision went spotty from lack of oxygen as she fought to regain her feet, refusing to let go of the now silent and limp calf. An iron grasp surrounded her, squeezing hard. She halfway sensed movement all around before everything slowly went black. An irresistible something pulled, forcing her to follow into the darkness, compelling her to sleep.
Ice cold air poured into her lungs and she fought to open her eyes.
"Samantha! Stay with me!"
Gentle fingers touched and stroked her face and she managed to pry her eyes open. Twin points of silver light hovered above her, drawing her back from the inky abyss that pulled at her. The hope and caring within that swirling illumination held her and the oddest sense of déjà vu came over her, as if she'd done it all before.
CHAPTER FIVE
The right side of Lucian’s face throbbed again. He stood and paced the cramped common room of their latest hideout, wanting more answers. “So you’re telling us that the devil is-is tweaking these monsters until they achieve a version that can hide next door to infiltrate mankind and be like these pimps of evil? And no one has a clue.”
Dorn poured himself a cup of coffee. “That’s correct. His mission is the same as it’s always been; lead mankind into a binding contract with sin. Only he’s using these creatures to accelerate the evil and cut into the time humans are given with the plan of salvation.”
Lucian stared at the angel that now looked nearly human in his black jeans and aquamarine colored button up shirt. No, he looked completely human. Except for those insane eyes that ranged from the lightest color of aquamarine to the darkest. Lucian tied the change down to Dorn’s emotions; when the angel was pissed, his eyes were the brightest blue, when he was around Sally, they were an intense blue.
“Like that girl at the gas station?” Devyn’s feet wagged at a nervous speed on the coffee table.
“Yes, precisely,” Kassern said from the little kitchen table. “That one was their most advanced, I’m told. The problem is the shift. They can’t control it well enough. And since the enemy must remain out of the public eye for his plan to be effective, he can’t use these beings until their cloaking ability is guaranteed.”
Troy helped himself to coffee as well. “Why out of the public eye?”
Kassern welcomed Karly into his lap. “Because if humanity knows there is a Satan out there scheming and planning and trying to make them do bad things, then they’ll quit fighting each other and realize they need to start fighting him. And when that happens, it sends people running to God for help. The Enemy can’t have that, now can he?”
“Huh.” Karly tilted her head as if the information were new, instead of just the perspective. “So his plan is to just make bad people badder?”
“Yes.” Kassern kissed her cheek and she smiled, leaning into it.
Jessie called Lucian with her finger and he sat next to her on the green leather couch. “What about the good people?” The whole thing left a sick lump in the pit of his stomach. Just a few weeks back, he would never have imagined humans being positioned for a global chess match between good and evil.
Dorn sat next to Sally on the opposite side of the couch. “We do just what he’s doing.”
“But by the time you form the twelve warriors,” Troy said, “it’ll be anarchy. At the pace they're going, they'll be so far ahead we'll never catch up.”
“We have other warriors waiting on standby to be used,” Kassern said.
All eyes turned to him at that news. Even Dorn seemed unsure what he meant.
“People of faith." Kassern shrugged, as if it should be their first thought. “They’re willing soldiers, ready for action. We may have fewer, but because of their faith, we don’t have to hide from them or seduce them into battle. We flash our heavenly credentials, tell them what’s going on, and mobilize them.”
The thought of sending ordinary people against things like the monkey men, or whatever Leo had become, sent a chill down Lucian's spine. Oh wait. They had angels to fight their battles. “What about this Pope business? How are we supposed to get Jessie an audience while we’re in Montana?”
“We’re going to arrange for him to need to visit America, that’s how.” Kassern took Karly's left hand in his, toying with the broad ruby band on her third finger. "I'm sure there are any number of social issues he might find relevant to believers if he thinks about it. We just put a bug in his ear."
“Then what do I do?” Jessie sounded like the fate of the world had been dropped squarely on her shoulders and Lucian didn’t like that.