The Creation: Chaos Rising (23 page)

Nina cocked her left eyebrow. "And the Truth shall set them free?"

"Exactly; free to choose which spiritual path is best suited for them. Free to acknowledge their Creator's true masterpiece instead frolicking about within this distorted aberration you Mortal's call reality."

"And free to serve
your
interests if they so choose."

Iblis chuckled. "Again you misinterpret my intentions,
Harbinger. Whether or not I gain prominence during this Reclamation is irrelevant."

"Then why are you so determined for me to succeed in doing whatever it is I'm supposed to be doing?"

"Because first and foremost I believe in the power of
choice,"
Iblis stated firmly. "My Father bestowed Mortals with Divine Intellect yet hampers you in its use by demanding adherence to His Tenets. In my opinion, that has to change."

Nina considered this for a moment. "And what would
you
have us do?"

Once again Iblis took hold of her hands. "I would have you be free. As you said; Truth is the pathway to freedom." He released her hands, and a nimbus of light engulfed his body. "You, Child of Heaven, now posses the Truth of your existence and I, as well as those who serve under me, will help you use that Truth to free the minds of your brethren."

The light intensified for a moment then faded as the Lord of Hell vanished from sight.

An exhausted Nina collapsed onto the sofa. "Now there's a guy who really knows how to make an exit."

"Most Celestials do," Gabriel remarked dryly as he sat down beside her. "I think it's some kind of holy requisite."

Nina chuckled then gave his shoulders a gentle nudge, indicating that he should change his position. Gabriel obliged, shifting his torso so that his back was now to her. Nina ran her fingers through his hair, marveling as always at its soft, silky texture while her deft fingers began braiding the mass into one thick strand. It was an exercise she had come to find enjoyable and therapeutic.

"I feel like I'm at a cross road," she said, her hands moving at a slow but steady pace. "People are after me because they think I'm some kind of heretic. I can see the future and mend broken bones with a touch. Now the Devil has just pledged his support of a cause that I'm not even aware of; not to mention his spiel about knowing my father!" She regarded the back of the Celemor's head through troubled eyes. "What do
you
think I should do?"

"I'm afraid this is new territory for me also. Although I think I know someone who may be able to offer you some insight."

Nina's left eyebrow arched upward. "Who?"

"Tyree; he's been a part of this since the beginning."

"Yeah but only on the periphery," Nina pointed out. "He knows about my visions, but I've never explained to him the full extent of my abilities or the truth about the Creation; not to mention the
real
reason you've become such an integral part of my life," she added, giving the top of his head a playful pat.

"Then perhaps its time you did; even if it's just to ease the poor lad's mind over your well-being."

Nina's hands faltered for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"Tyree loves you very much Nina, and still feels guilty over the pain you suffered after the dissolution of your previous relationship. Perhaps if he knew that you've indeed found someone who truly cares about you, and who has no intentions of abandoning you for some higher purpose," the Celemor added in a pious tone. "He will be able to lay that burden to rest."

A slight smile creased Nina's lips. "Is that your round about way of telling me how
you
really feel?"

"I would've thought my affections for you would've been obvious by now, you incorrigible psychic vamp."

Gabriel hissed as she tugged painfully on his hair.

"Sometimes a girl just wants to hear the words," Nina whispered sweetly in his ear.

"Point taken," the Celemor replied, altering his body's density just enough for his hair to pass through her fingers so he could turn and face her. His body solidified, and he gently cradled her face with his hands. "I still have no idea what God's plan is or what your purpose is in it. But I'm very grateful that the Archangels deemed me worthy enough for the Task of protecting you.

Tears of joy sprang to Nina's eyes as he leaned forward, and pressed her lips firmly against his. There were still a thousand questions that needed answering, and even more decisions that needed to be made in regards to her dubious role in this heavenly madness. But for the moment, all was right in the universe.

Chapter 28

In the region of Sublimia known as the Heights, a tall muscular woman sat cross-legged in the solitary patch of black grass sprouting from the top of a stony ridge. Her position gave her an unimpeded view of the Infinity Basin, one of the Realm's more turbulent bodies of water

Celestial society was divided into two primary categories; those that subscribed to the Almighty's Tenets and those that, for whatever reason, did not. Celestial's that chose to live apart from
The Almighty, while not living in accordance to His doctrines, still acknowledged His authority and accepted the limitations in regards to Celestial interaction with Mortalia.

The woman on the ridge was not in that category.

Piercing green eyes set in an attractive angular face gazed out over Tranquility's raging waters while long, slender fingers gracefully braided a heavy plait of platinum waist-length hair. Had she been raised in the Realm of her birth, her peculiar beauty and natural charisma would have easily propelled her to a life of stardom and admiration. But such notions were anathema to the woman. For her, the shadows were a source of comfort, and Sublimia's dismal planes suited her just fine.

Lillian was the name given to her by her Mother, but to the majority of The Creation's inhabitants aware of her existence she was known as Lie; a self-proclaimed label chosen for its fitting description of her reality.

The Members of the Hierarchy had ascribed another name to her. One that was also aptly suited to her: The Child of Chaos.

Mistress?

"Yes, Kaela," Lie answered the disembodied voice of her Morphling hand-maiden echoing softly in her mind.

Your Seers have just become aware of another female Halfling living on Earth in Mortalia.

Lie's hands faltered for a moment. "Which of my uncles is she the progeny of?"

The Halfling's origins are unknown, but her abilities and potential appear to rival yours; they may even surpass them.

A thoughtful frowned appeared on Lie's face as she considered the information. "Has my father reacted to her presence?"

No, but that is not unexpected. He rarely concerns himself with matters outside of Sublimia
.

Lie's lips twisted in disgust. "Indeed he doesn't." Her hands resumed the braiding of her hair. "Keep me apprised of the woman's actions, and have one of the Seers initiate a discreet Watch over my father. Any signs of involvement from him could indicate the importance of my new Celestial cousin..."

And allow you to determine whether or nor you should involve yourself in her endeavors;
Kaela finished her Mistress's thought.

Lie's sensual lips curved into a devious smile. "You know me so well."

Mine
was
the hand the cleaned and clothed your Mortal backside.

Lie chuckled. "Those days are millennia past, Kaela. Now attend to your duties and leave me in peace."

As you wish, Mistress.

The Morphling severed the mental connection, leaving Lie alone to ponder the ramifications of this woman's arrival.

Chapter 29

Father Tyree Griffin stared at the television screen mounted on the rear wall of his office at St. Christopher's Catholic Church, a knot of apprehension forming in his stomach.

The news broadcast he was watching was a recap and update of the attack perpetrated by the True Christians Society against philanthropist Nina Delcielo; the latest in a series of disturbing incidents sparked by the outspoken woman's liberal religious views.

For Tyree the matter was of particular concern. Nina was a dear and treasured friend.
And now she's the center of an ever-widening religious controversy
, he mused as he flicked off the television, and relaxed into his chair.

A soft chime, announcing a visitor, echoed through the church halls.

"I'll get it Misses Pearson!" Tyree called to the elderly woman that manned the receptionist station during the weekday morning hours. The Minister knew that the recent spat of cold weather was having an adverse effect on the woman's arthritic joints.

He rose nimbly from his chair, gave his tall athletic frame a brief stretch then made his way to the church's main entrance. He gave the metal handle a sharp yank to free the aging lock then pulled the heavy wooden door open.

"May I help you," he asked the burly, haggard woman waiting anxiously on the other side.

"Are you Father Griffin?" she asked in a hushed voice, shooting furtive glances around the church's manicured lawn.

Tyree took note of the woman's anxiety, and opened the door a little wider. "I am."

The woman's shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank God. I never saw the surveillance photos so I wasn't sure it was you. Please, Father, you've got to help me!"

"Alright, ma'am just try to calm down," Tyree soothed as he took gentle hold of the woman's trembling arm and led her into the foyer. "Now what kind of trouble are you in, and what's all this about surveillance?"

The woman exhaled loudly. "I'm sorry, Father. I know I'm not making much sense…" she halted mid-sentence when she noticed Miss Pearson eyeing them from her perch at the reception desk. "Uh…can we talk someplace private?"

"Of course." Tyree gave Miss Pearson a polite nod then led the woman down the hall to his office. Once inside, he quietly closed the door and motioned for her to have a seat in one of the chairs arranged in a loose semicircle in front of his desk, after which he settled into his own chair.

"Now what seems to be the problem?"

"My name is Cara Simmons," the woman introduced her self then proceeded to tell the Minister of the Elders' decision in regards to the Delcielo Manifestation, her own position within the
Presbyterii's
Neutralizer divisions, and her miraculous encounter with Nina following the Fox attack where the woman had mended Cara's broken leg with nothing but the touch of her glowing hand. "And I figured that since you were the one that initially reported Miss Delcielo to the Elders I could come to you."

"Well I'm certainly glad you did," Tyree managed to respond, his mind working furiously trying to digest the woman's startling revelations: Nina healing by touch, and the Elders actively seeking her demise?

Tyree was stunned. This couldn't be right. The Elders couldn't be that ruthless. Or could they?

His mind drifted back to the news broadcast of the Fox incident. Many were the stories about the unsavory practices both condoned and perpetuated by other sects of the
Vatican. The majority of the rumors the Minister chalked up to paranoia and conjecture on the part of the less informed but now, sitting across from one of the very agents of said groups, he wasn't so sure.

He focused troubled grey eyes on Cara. "So what is it exactly that you want from me?"

A look of uncertainty flickered across Cara's face. "I guess advice. As I said earlier, I know you're the one who initially identified Miss Delcielo, and the original Seekers have consistently spoken very highly of you throughout their reports on this Manifestation.

Tyree's eyebrows arched upward. "Quinlan and Sanders?"

"Yes. In fact they were the ones that suggested I come here after I met with them and told them what happened."

"I appreciate the confidence you've all placed in me, but I still don't see how I can help."

Cara stared at him for a moment then leaned forward and placed folded hands atop his desk. "You can start by telling me what to do," she bluntly informed him. "I've always done what was asked of me by the Elders and I've never questioned it but now…" Her voice trailed off and she swallowed hard several times. "They said Nina Delcielo was a heretic; that her…abilities were evil and posed a grave threat to our Lord's way. Since what happened at the Fox I've been doing my own research, and I can't find a single thing she's done to warrant such censure. Not only that, she actually healed
me
; the woman who had just attacked her! If she was evil why would she do that?"

Tyree placed a comforting hand on top of hers. "I've known Nina since we were kids, and I can assure you she is definitely not evil," he stoutly declared. "Nor is she some heretic out to lead us down some wicked path," he added with snort. "I'm not sure why the Elders have decided upon this course of action, but I intend to find out. And as for what
you
should do." He gave her hands a reassuring squeeze. "Weigh what you've been told against the evidence you've gathered then trust in what your heart tells you."

Cara cocked a skeptical eyebrow. "Are you telling me to step out on Faith?"

Tyree smiled. "Faith in our beliefs is what led both of us to our current stations in life. In the face of all that's happened I see no reason to change that now."

"Nor do I," Cara agreed after a reflective pause.

The two chatted for another few minutes then Tyree escorted her back to the door. He bid her a cheery goodbye after telling her to feel free to contact him whenever she wanted to.

Cara thanked the Minister then left the church feeling markedly better than when she had first arrived, but her mood changed when her eyes fell on the two men sitting in the black Dodge
Durango that was parked directly behind her beige Stratus.

"'Morning Car," the man on the
Durango's passenger side greeted her as he slid smoothly out of the vehicle. He was tall and muscular with auburn hair slightly graying at the temples, and dark piercing eyes that where fastened intently on hers.

"Hello Malakai," Cara responded coolly.

Malakai's eyes flicked briefly to the church. "Been confessing your sins to the good Father?"

"Spending some time in prayer seemed like the thing to do considering what I've been through," Cara replied. "You guys here from some spiritual guidance too?"

Malakai frowned. "Not exactly. Cardinal Dresden is a bit…concerned about your well-being, and asked Joey and me to check on you."

Cara's gaze shifted to the burly bald-headed man sitting behind the steering wheel, his eyes hidden behind a pair of black utilitarian shades then back to Malakai who was now standing in front of her, his arms folded lazily across his broad chest. "The Cardinal is most kind."

"Indeed he is." The Neutralizer gave the front of the church another speculative look then turned his attention back to Cara. "So what advice did the intrepid Father Griffin have to offer?"

Cara shrugged. "He basically told me that all things happen for a reason and that I should have faith in God's way."

Malakai smiled. "Sage advice," he drawled. "What about your faith in our way?"

A feeling of unease slithered down Cara's back. She didn't like the direction the conversation was starting to take. She pinned the Neutralizer with a hard stare, making sure to keep the uncertainty from her voice as she answered. "I'll admit it has been tested. But my obedience to the Elders is still absolute."

Malakai studied Cara's face for a moment then flashed an amiable smile. "Very good." His smile then vanished. "Hopefully it'll remain that way."

Cara's pulse quickened when she noticed his right hand drifting casually toward his jacket pocket, and the 9mm Beretta she knew was nestled there. Her tension doubled when she belatedly remembered that hers was tucked in the glove compartment of her Stratus. "Only time will tell," she replied evenly, determined not to let him intimidate her.

Malakai regarded her through narrowed eyes for a moment then relaxed, the smile returning to his face. "Enjoy your vacation, Cara." He accorded her a slight nod then headed back to the Durango and nimbly climbed in.

Joey cranked the engine and pulled away from the curb. He drove to the end of the block, whipped a u-turn, and accelerated slowly toward Cara.

"Be seeing you, Car," he spoke as they drove by, his raspy voice sending additional chills down Cara's spine.

She watched the
Durango turn onto the busy through-street that bisected the church's quiet block then jumped in her car, quickly closing and locking the door. Next she retrieved her Beretta from the glove compartment, the familiar feel of the gun's custom poly-carbonate grip providing an instant tonic for her frazzled nerves.

Malakai's and Joey's presence meant that she was under surveillance. Such an occurrence wasn't surprising considering her leave request, but the fact that
Dresden had dispatched those two was an issue of no small concern. The loathsome duo had a penchant for brutality. She would have to watch her step while continuing her investigation of Miss Delcielo.

Father Griffen had suggested she step out on faith. Well that faith told her that something momentous was underway, and she was determined to find what it was.

*

Tyree replayed the conversation with Cara over again in his mind as he stared out his office window at the neatly manicured shrubs ringing Saint Christopher's back lot.

Nina healing with a touch, and the Elders pursuing a course of hostility against her?

Was this why all of his inquiries to Cardinal Tullis on the matter were consistently met with vague answers? True, his friend's current stand against organized religion could be seen as blasphemous, but that was no reason for the Elders to have taken such a hostile stance.

Considering her amazing abilities, Nina's rhetoric could be the precursor for the revelation of a greater truth. Was that not the church's main purpose; to provide society the most accurate interpretation of God's plan?

Tyree's eyes shifted to the phone resting on his desk, and a tired sigh escaped his lips. Stilling his resolve, he picked up the receiver and began punching in Nina's number.

Out of respect for her privacy, and the desire not to receive another tongue lashing, he hadn't pressed Nina for information on her situation. Nor had he inquired as to the true nature of her and Gabriel's intense relationship, but it looked as if the time had come for him to do so. If what Cara said was true then the aggression against Nina would only escalate. She needed to be prepared.

*

Sitting in her high-back leather chair, her faithful canine companion Angel curled in her lap, Willimena Watson's normally sanguine features took on a worried look as she watched the news on the television. The topic of discussion: the growing controversy concerning the religious views of Nina Delcielo.

"I fear Nina's life is about to become hectic, dear one," she whispered to Angel as she gently patted the
Chihuahua's furry head.

As always your insight serves you well, Willimena
, a deep voice echoed softly through the old woman's mind.

A slight smile tugged at her thin lips. "Hello father. It's been a while."

Yes it has been, and for that I apologize. I trust your time away from the Hierarchy has been…constructive.

Willimena chuckled. "You know perfectly well how I've been spending the past several years."

Yes, and I must admit that your quiet support of Nina during that time has been most admirable.

"Well you told me to be discreet, though maintaining my distance hasn't always been easy; particularly in the wake of her mother's death."

I, too, was troubled by that incident,
the voice responded.

"Apparently not enough to protest it," Willimena snapped.

It was the will of The Almighty that said Task be carried out.
You of all beings should know that I am honor bound to obey.

Willimena's ire dissolved at the regret she sensed in her father through their mental rapport. "Unfortunately I do, which is why I've tried to support Nina and her endeavors as best I could from the outer periphery; so as not to draw attention to my, as the Bringer of Death put it, ‘blatant disobedience of The Almighty's will.'"

And I laud your efforts; however I fear such…blatancy may soon be needed.

A look of surprise appeared on Willimena's face. "And why would my direct involvement in Nina's life be necessary now? Is she not under the protection of the very capable Gabriel?"

She is but she will need guidance in the ways of her heritage if she is to achieve her true potential. There are few beings, besides your self, who are qualified for such a Task.