Her Accidental Angel (17 page)

 
 
  “You are a friend of my daughter’s? A new friend? Because I’m certain I would remember your name. Or your description.” Mom did not sound pleased to meet him.

 
 
  “Mom, let’s head over to baggage.” Kari tried not to sound desperate. “We’ll tell you everything in the car. All right? Not here.”

 
 
  Mom nodded, lips tight, her tan face now a little pale.

 
 
  Once in the vehicle, Kari tried to explain everything—the ritual, the demon, the Angels, the binding to Rahmiel, which she went over quickly minus any details about the sex, and the Angels that would come to help fight the demon.

 
 
  “Oh, Kari, honey! I had no idea you were so ill. As soon as we’re home I’m calling Doctor Greyson. He’ll know just who to call for this type of health problem. They have wonderful medications now, and of course we’ll get you into the best facility.”

 
 
  “Mom, I’m not mentally ill. You have to believe me. Besides, we can’t go home. The living room is a mess. Remember I told you there was a big battle? Things got broken and there is…Well, never mind. Tonight we are going to try to get the demon.”

 
 
  “Kari,” Rahmiel interrupted her this time. “She isn’t going to understand. We’ll just take her to the Overland.”

 
 
  “Is it a cult?” Mom screeched. “Have you seduced my baby into some evil cult?

 
 
  Can’t you see she’s ill, she needs treatment?”

 
 
  Kari pulled into the driveway. Rahmiel hooked Mom’s luggage over one arm, then grabbed them both around the waist as Mom went to unlock the door, Kari trying to talk her out of it.

 
 
  In an instant they were in Kaliel’s large living room, which was full of Angels.

 
 
  “Oh, Kari,” Mom swayed and Rahmiel caught her as she fell.

 
 
Chapter Twelve

 
  “I can put her into the room next to Amber,” Kaliel said. They flew off, and Kari ran after them until Rahmiel scooped her up around her waist and followed Kaliel through the enormous house.

 
 
  “That went well,” Rahmiel said in a worried tone. “She doesn’t like me at all, does she? She thinks I’ve somehow corrupted you.”

 
 
  They watched Kaliel get Mary Ellen on a bed and elevate her legs.

 
 
  “Well, now she’ll understand, once she sees all the Angels here,” Kari reassured him.

 
 
  Rahmiel wagged his head. “You know, back in my day, mothers were eager to get me to notice their daughters. Fathers even offered me their daughters. Virgins, too.”

 
 
  “You know things have changed. You even watched the Earth change from your prison,” Kari reminded him.

 
 
  Rahmiel looked at Kari’s mother on the soft bed.

 
 
  “Yes, well. Watching isn’t quite the same as experiencing. First, you thought I was just interested in you to keep myself out of prison.”

 
 
  Kari gave him a look out of the corner of her eyes.

 
 
  “Well, I admit, staying out of the ice was important to me, at first. I guess I was being pretty selfish, rushing you. But I knew it would help keep you safe. And the sooner it was done, the better for both of us.“ Rahmiel ran his hands through his hair and just looked at her.

 
 
  She remembered him telling her of the girl who didn’t get the safety of a binding.

 
 
  “Everything happened fast,“ she admitted. “Considering the circumstances there wasn’t really time to talk a lot.”

 
 
  “After we defeat the demon, we can get to know each other better.” He moved to the bed and looked down at her mother. “Hopefully she’ll quit thinking I’m some kind of evil cult leader.”

 
 
  “I’m sure she’ll come around. We don’t have to figure everything out right now.”

 
 
  Rahmiel nodded. ”I think I’ll go see what Tehmuel is doing. That way you can be alone with your mother.”

 
 
  He left and soon her mom’s eyelids fluttered. Kari sat next to her on the bed and patted her hand. “Hey, Mom. How are you feeling?”

 
 
  “Like I owe you an apology. I believe you now. I wish I’d believed you earlier.”

 
 
  “Oh, Mom, who could believe a story like this—Angels and demons? No wonder you thought I was crazy.”

 
 
  Kari’s mother burst into tears. “I’m so glad it isn’t what I thought it was drugs, or mental illness, or something awful.”

 
 
* * * *

 
 
Rahmiel fled the room, glad to leave Kari to take care of her mother. Now, there was a difficult woman.

 
 
  Tehmuel was in a small sitting room with a bottle of wine open in front of him.

 
 
  Rahmiel poured himself a glass and gulped it down.

 
 
  “Pah,” he spat as the drink registered. “Hate this crap.”

 
 
  Tehmuel grinned and raised his glass. “My friend, this is Assembly Approved nectar. If you drink about fifteen glasses of it really fast, you’ll start to feel it.”

 
 
  “Pitiful. Just pitiful.”

 
 
  “Earth has some great beer. Tressa treated us to several varieties when we went fishing. Now, that was a pleasant experience. Mud, stinging insects. And the fishing equipment was astounding.”

 
 
  “Overland is pretty and all, but it seems…lifeless,” Rahmiel observed after he calmed down a bit.

 
 
  “Yes. We have primped and trimmed it into dullness. Everything is perfect.”

 
 
  Auriel phased into the room. “Samuel’s coming. He wants Kaliel and some of the other Assembly members to meet him here. Tell Kaliel, would you? I’ll be back soon.”

 
 
  Tehmuel raised an eyebrow as Rahmiel remained in his chair. “I don’t know what room they took Kari’s mom to. Looks like this is your errand.”

 
 
  Rahmiel flew to the room and delivered the message. Kari’s mother was sitting up on the bed, holding Kari and both had cheeks wet from tears. He looked at them warily.

 
 
  “Um, Kaliel, I’m here to get you. Samuel has been studying Kari’s book, the one with the summoning ritual. He wants to meet with you and the other Assembly members. Auriel’s gone to fetch the others.”

 
 
  Kaliel grew serious. “Follow me. We will meet in the Grand Assembly Chamber.

 
 
  Kari. Mary Ellen. Please feel at home here. We all have to leave for awhile.”

 
 
  “May I come?” Kari asked. “I’d like to know about the ritual.”

 
 
  Kaliel frowned in thought and then nodded. “Yes. The humans can be present.

 
 
  Rahmiel, take care of that.”

 
 
  “Mom, do you mind?”

 
 
  “Your mother may come, also,“ Kaliel said.

 
 
  Rahmiel, of course, didn’t know where the Grand Assembly Chamber was located, so he had to get Tehmuel. Between the two of them they phased Kari and her mother to the Chamber.

 
 
  The Chamber shimmered of milky white glass inlaid with gold filigree. Intricate gold filigree hung from carved columns spaced throughout the huge chamber. A large stage stood at one end. Couches, covered in rich fabrics, covered tiers going up the walls, facing the stage. Angels came in on foot or wing, and some just appeared.

 
 
  Rahmiel seated Kari and Mary Ellen front and center with a silent chuckle. The Assembly probably sat in rank. Now he would throw them all off. He sat down next to Kari.

 
 
  “This is all overwhelming,” Mary Ellen whispered. “But I’m sorry for the things I said earlier, Rahmiel. Kari tells me you saved her life.”

 
 
  “I understand what you were thinking, and it isn’t a problem,” Rahmiel said. “This is my first visit to the Overland, so it is quite new to me, also.”

 
 
  “Really? I thought this was the Angel’s home. Where have you lived?”

 
 
  He heard Kari take a quick breath, and her eyes were huge.

 
 
  “I was in a distant dimension, doing observations of Earth.

 
 
  “Oh, like a news reporter.”

 
 
  He grinned. “Something like that.”

 
 
* * * *

 
 
Kari relaxed against the plush couch when she heard Rahmiel’s explanation. Mom really didn’t need to know about his years in prison.

 
 
  The Grand Chamber filled quickly as Angel after Angel phased in.

 
 
  Angels stared at them, the ones who sat down near them nodded politely, but none came forward to speak with Rahmiel or ask why there were humans in their chamber.

 
 
  Rahmiel had been away for a long time, perhaps there were few people now who knew him. Or perhaps they already knew everything, some Angel communication thing she didn’t know about. She wondered if these Angels would send Rahmiel back to ice.

 
 
  An Angel with long white hair brushed straight back off his forehead appeared before them. “Rahmiel, I’ve thought of you often through the years. I was opposed to the ice, but I didn’t expect it would be the last I’d hear of you.” The older man slapped Rahmiel on the shoulder, and then they embraced.

 
 
  “Introduce me to your lovely Earth companions,” the older man continued. “It has been too long since we of the Overland have been graced by such a lovely presence.”

 
 
  The man’s eyes glittered and Kari noticed that other than his white hair and a few lines on his face, he didn’t look very old. Rahmiel took Kari’s hand. “This is Kari, to whom I’m bound.”

 
 
  “What does that mean?“ Mom whispered into Kari’s ear. “Is it like an engagement?”

 
 
  Kari squirmed. This was not a conversation she wanted to have with her mother.

 
 
  “Um, it’s a protection thing, to keep me safe from the demon.”

 
 
  Rahmiel turned toward the women. “Kari, Mary Ellen, this is my former tutor, and Head of the High Assembly, Samuel.”

 
 
  “Did you find out about the ritual in the book?” Kari asked.

 
 
  The smile left Samuel’s face and he suddenly looked older and serious. “Yes, child, I found out something very troubling. I will be explaining my findings to the Assembly.”

 
 
  The chamber filled and Samuel moved to the lighted stage.

 
 
  Without preamble, Samuel spoke to the Assembly. “Many long years ago, the Angeli decided to sever our ties with Earth and move here, to a dimension we could form to our own liking. We felt, at that time, that leaving Earth would protect our people from the violence and hardships that are so prevalent there. Some of us did protest. What of the demons our Angeli Guardians kept contained? What would happen to Humans if we left them vulnerable?

 
 
  “But still, the majority persisted in their desire to create this world, and the Angeli eventually severed all ties to Earth. But our little world is not perfect, is it?”

 
 
  Out of the corner of her eye Kari saw movement, and she turned her head to see several Angels get up and walk toward an alcove, whispering and gesturing. They did not look happy.

 
 
  “While the Overland provides a good home for our artists, our craftsmen and healers, what has it provided for the Guardians? Now, Guardians police other Guardians, and those once engaged in a most honored and necessary profession spend their days checking the alcoholic content of wines and chasing bored children out of the decorative fountains. It is a waste of their lives,” Samuel paused. He bent down and spoke to Kari and her friends. “Ladies, please stand up.”

 
 
  Kari glanced at her mother. What was happening? But she trusted Samuel. She nodded slightly and they stood.

 
 
  Kari wished she was wearing something other than shorts and a tank top.

 
 
  Samuel continued speaking, “Some of you may have noticed there are human women here in our front row. They are here for their own safety. Kaphawn, the famine demon that killed the entire Forlingian tribe, is once again loose on the Earth.”