The Guardians Crown (The Guardians Book 5) (23 page)

“Yes, you are. You’ve made it so easy for me,” Baal said, shifting his fingers, folding them inward and cracking his knuckles.

“I’m serious when I say we should call a truce. Consider it, your side withdraws from human society, finds a little corner of Earth where you can be happy and not hide who you really are. We’ll do the same. Nobody else has to die,” Gabe offered.

“Tisk. Tisk. Tisk.” Baal shook his long slender finger in the air, “How naive Gabe. We’ve tried the truce thing before, it didn’t really work well for us.”

“Is there some other way we can end all of this blood shed?” Gabe asked, hoping for a compromise.

“Yes, of course there’s a way to end the war. Once I kill you, and all the other Guardians, God can watch me destroy his precious mankind,” Baal replied coolly.

“I had hoped I could reason with you,” Gabe sighed.

Baal tilted his head, staring at Gabe curiously, “Doesn’t it disgust you, the way he loves them?”

“What are you talking about?” Gabe shouted.

“Your supposed heavenly father, the favor he shows to them. I know it makes me sick, I was just wondering how you all stand it. The most unworthy of his affections are the ones he loves the most. We were the ones he created first, equals, capable of being a real companion. But that wasn’t good enough for him.”

Gabe shook his head, “Wait. What? All of this is because you’re jealous of humans?”

Baal clenched his fists, moving a few steps closer to Gabe, he shouted, “Jealous?!” And with the sound of his voice the glass in all of the surrounding buildings blew out, spraying up and down the street. Pulling up an arm, Gabe shielded his face from the shards.

“Humans are beneath me. They’re beneath all of us. God was afraid the angels were gaining too much power. He knew it was just a matter of time before we would grow tired of sitting next to the throne and want to actually sit on the throne. You know, that’s why he created them? He wanted to make sure he put us in our place, wanted us to know we were weak and he was all powerful,” Baal snarled, “all he managed to do was piss us off.”

“If you’re so proud of what you are then why not show your true form?” Gabe tempted Baal. Hoping if perhaps some of the humans around managed to see him in his true form, it would break the spell he had over him.

“Really boy? Do you think I’m that easy to manipulate?” Baal laughed.

“It was worth a shot.”

“Are you ready to die?” Baal asked.

Gabe’s heart began to race. The talk with Baal had obviously not gone as planned and now he was running out of time. Glancing over his shoulder, he caught a glimmer of Uri’s eyes through the slats. Gabe nodded to him, as if to secretly say goodbye.

Turning back around, Baal raised his hands, preparing to discharge a spell. Gabe took a couple steps forward, falling to his knees.

“What the hell are you doing?” Baal asked, surprised by what was happening in front of him, and a little concerned it was a trick.

“What’s it look like?” Gabe asked, lifting his arms out to his side, “I’m giving my life freely.”

“You’re giving your life freely?” Baal repeated, as if he was certain his ears must be deceiving him, “If you think you can surrender, you’re sadly mistaken. I don’t take prisoners, Guardian, or haven’t you heard?”

“I’m not surrendering,” Gabe stated plainly.

“Well that’s sure as hell what it looks like from here. Stand up! I’m going to kill you,” Baal demanded.

“I know you are, and I accept that,” Gabe replied, a calm falling over him. This was it; this was the moment Michael had told him about. It was the moment where he would know the time had come. Gabe never thought he was capable of such self-sacrifice, but there, in that moment, staring death in the face, it wasn’t scary. It felt right.”

“You accept it!” Baal thundered, “What kind of trick is this?”

“No trick,” Gabe explained. “I love my child, and if I must die to save him then so be it. I give my life freely, and forgive you for all you have done and are about to do.”

“You forgive me!” Baal screamed so loudly it felt like the earth was trembling. “Who are you to offer me forgiveness? You’re a worm, nothing more. I spit on your forgiveness. This won’t save your child, you fool! I’m going to kill you and then I will hunt him and your pretty little wife down and kill them both. And one thing I will promise you before I kill you is that their deaths will be very slow and agonizing. They’ll beg for it to end by the time I’m finished with them.”

Normally Gabe would have become enraged by Baal’s words, but instead he sat there calmly, on his knees, hands still out at his side. It no longer mattered what Baal said. Looking up to the heavens, Gabe muttered. “I have faith. Your will be done.”

Outraged at the gesture, Baal conjured a massive glowing ball of energy, flinging it at Gabe. Gabe watched as the ball rocketed towards him. It was as if it were in a slow motion blur. He wasn’t afraid, he didn’t feel the urge to move out of the way. He knew, in that moment, there was a plan for him, and he was fulfilling it. The last thing Gabe heard was Uri’s cries from behind. He wished he could stay and comfort his friend. He wished he could stay and watch his son grow up, head off to school, graduate, and eventually start a family of his own. But he knew these things were not going to be in his future, because his future was going to end in a matter of seconds. While it wasn’t what he wanted, it was his faith that led him to believe, beyond any shadow of a doubt, and by complete and pure free will, that he could give the control over to God.

Gabe took a deep breath and looking up at the sky extended his arms completely straight out, as if he were welcoming the blast. A bright blue light shot out all around his body, filling his entire field of vision. The brilliant light consumed him, and then there was nothing.

Gabe lay still for a moment, his consciousness becoming something he recognized. Through his closed eyelids he could sense a brightness. It was so intense he feared to open them, as he might go blind from the brilliance.

As he lay there, he remembered what had recently unfolded. Baal … he had actually faced him, or rather surrendered himself to him. This must be Heaven he thought. Then wondered if that meant he had succeeded. Would Micah now, in fact, be safe?

His mind then shifted to the state he now found himself in. Would he remain like this? Lying still, the light lurking just outside his sight. Is this how he should remain for eternity, or might he be brave enough to open his eyes?

Making the decision, he slowly opened them, the light consuming his vision, and in fact temporarily blinding him. Minutes passed before his sight began to return. At first he thought perhaps he was still blinded, as he could not see anything but whiteness. The walls, floors, above him, it was all a glowing white, so brilliant it made him feel as though he were floating within a nothingness.

“Hello?” Gabe called out into the abyss. Initially there was no answer. “Hello?” He called again.

He touched his face, then peered down at his arms and his body, they were all in tact, and he found himself relieved he would not have to exist through eternity with a battle scarred body. He thought of Micah again and wished he might see him and wondered if that was something you could do in heaven. Could you observe your loved ones?

With a huff he looked from side to side, and wondered if this new emptiness was something that could be travelled. Putting one foot in front of the other he began to walk, but with the empty void around him he could not tell if he was making progress or simply walking in place.

“Hello?” he cried, now desperate.

“Where are you going?”

Gabe spun around him, as if a mirage were coming into focus, he saw Raimie and Sophie approaching. “It can’t be,” he whispered.

“And why not?” Sophie asked.

“You two are dead,” Gabe answered plainly.

Sophie and Raimie looked at each other and smiled.

“Wait, does that mean I’m dead, too? I mean, I thought I was, but I wasn’t certain, not until now,” Gabe muttered.

“So now you’re certain?” Raimie laughed.

“Well yes,” Gabe stammered, “I was with Baal, and I told him that I gave myself over to save Micah and Rachel. Then there was his spell, and I was hot all over, and then … I was here. Micah, does this mean Micah will be safe now?”

“And where is here?” Sophie posed, not responding to his question about his son.

Gabe looked around, “I assume Heaven.”

Raimie shook his head, “Oh no, I’ve seen Heaven and it’s way better than this. How’s Dina?”

“She misses you,” Gabe answered sadly.

“Tell her I love her.”

Gabe furrowed his brow, considering his deceased friends words, “What? How can I do that if I’m here? And if here isn’t Heaven, where is it?”

“It’s kind of like an in-between, I guess you can say,” Sophie added.

“Well, why am I here?” Gabe asked.

“You were brought here so we could explain,” Ramie offered.

“Explain what?” Gabe pushed.

Sophie reached out and grabbed Gabe’s arm, “The moment Micah was born, something in you changed, didn’t it?”

Gabe considered her statement, then replied, “I suppose. I guess I simply made up my mind. If the prophecy required my life to keep him safe, then that’s what I would have to do.”

“And that was the most powerful weapon of all,” Raimie added.

“Wait, what was? I don’t understand; I’m dead,” Gabe argued.

“You put all your doubt and all of your fears behind you, freely giving yourself over to protect your son. The ultimate sacrifice and made completely on faith it would work. You believed. No doubt, just pure love and faith,” Sophie continued.

“And did it?” Gabe asked, longing for a response that would at last bring him a peace he had not felt since the moment he found out Rachel was pregnant.

Raimie and Sophie stood silent, peering at their friend.

“Are you just going to stand there or are one of you going to tell me if Micah’s okay?” Gabe pleaded.

Filling the white void all around them was a noise Gabe had only heard once, but he easily recognized it. It was Micah’s cry. It echoed throughout the void chamber.

“I don’t understand, what does that mean?” Gabe cried. “Is he all right? He has to be all right.”

His head began to spin, he needed an answer or he thought his heart might explode, but did he even have a heart any longer he wondered. Instantly Sophie and Ramie’s faces disappeared into total darkness and everything went silent.

“What’s happening?” Gabe called out in terror.

“God has that same faith in you,” Sophie whispered, Gabe could feel her breath on his cheek but when he reached out into the darkness, she was not there.

“Where are you? What does that mean?” he begged for answers, but there was nothing.

His chest grew heavy, unsure what was happening, worried about his son. Only a moment passed before he heard Micah’s crying once again, but this time it was different, it was as though it were in the same room with him. His heart grew even heavier. Had this meant he was unable to save his son?

“Gabe, honey, can you hear me?” Gabe’s breath caught in his throat as he heard Rachel’s voice.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

“Baby, what are you sorry for? Open your eyes Gabe,” she requested.

“What?” Gabe moaned.

“Open your eyes sweetheart, we’re all here,” Rachel said.

And with that the darkness fell away as he parted his eyelids. The world he had once known came flooding back in all around him. It was his cabin, Rachel and Micah were crouched over him, Micah fussing and whimpering as his mother leaned in close.

“He’s awake!” Rachel shouted. In an instant the single room dwelling was bursting at the seams with familiar faces. Uri, Haim, Dina, Sera were all surrounding him, rambling on about what had happened and using words like hero.

“Give him some room everyone, you’re going to smother the poor boy,” Michael said, entering the room, a crutch under one arm.

“Michael!” Gabe cried out, “You’re dead.”

Michael laughed, “Well thanks for the concern, but no, actually I’m not. I came close, but thanks to some fast-acting human friends and healing spells, they were able to fix me up. Now you, on the other hand, came a lot closer to death than I did.”

“But I did die,” Gabe replied plainly.

The entire room burst out laughing at his statement.

“Well, your heart stopped, but luckily Uri was there and got you back here quickly. It was touch and go for a while there,” Rachel explained.

“No,” Gabe insisted. “I died, I saw Raimie and Sophie. Dina,” he said searching the room, and landing on his friends face. “He wanted me to tell you he loves you.”

A tear rolled down Dina’s cheek.

“Wait! What happened to Baal?” Gabe asked, looking to Michael for an answer.

Michael rubbed his jaw, itching his three-day beard vigorously. “You know how Baal’s point of attack was using an individual’s weakness against him? Well what we think happened was when you sacrificed yourself freely, to save everyone else, it caused his own spell to backfire. His spell absorbed your sacrifice and ultimately destroyed him.”