Chapter 7 - Finest Moment
Valentina:
Okay, so it’s not my finest moment when I get caught mumbling to myself. I look at Michael’s beautiful face and resist the urge to fan my burning cheeks. The angel is definitely a work of art.
Even grumpy Gabriel is freaking hot with his tousled golden curls, sinfully dark eyes and athletic frame.
Of course, Michael is hotter. There’s just this intensity about him that I can feel drawing me in. He looks like a GQ model with his stylishly cut russet hair, alluring emerald eyes, and chiseled jaw. It also doesn’t help that he changed his armor for snug dark jeans and a black sweater that molds to every curve of his sculpted chest.
I bite my lip as I consider everything that has occurred tonight. Holy cow, Angels exist!
My thoughts take another turn to Everly’s persistence that the supernatural world exists. Well, I’ve definitely been proven wrong now that we have been attacked by Nagas and saved by a famous biblical archangel.
As soon as that thought rushes through my mind, I slump down in my seat and dejectedly mutter, “How do we find the Naga queen?”
“We need to check all of the surveillance cameras near where she was attacked. Perhaps we’ll see where they ran or came from” Michael looks at me, “Let’s go to my office,”
I straighten my stained, pleated skirt and rise from my seat, “Lead the way.”
The house we’re in is beautiful with a tasteful Parisian interior. Michael leads me past the beautiful marble alcove with a gleaming parquet floor. Once we reach his office, Michael gestures for me to take a seat on a comfortable cream - colored sofa. “S'il vous plait, asseyez vous.” Please, take a seat.
I do as he says and has to bite my lip when he sits beside me. “Your office is nice,” I mutter as I appraise the room. The office is spacious with large white bookcases bulging with books, ornate gray walls, an antique gold mirror, a stylish brick fireplace and a vintage wooden desk.
Michael smiles as he opens his laptop and presses a couple of keys on the keyboard. “Merci,”
I look at the laptop’s whirling screen, “How are you going to get the surveillance for the club?”
Michael crooks a brow, “I’ve been alive for thousands of years and have amassed a great deal of knowledge. Hacking into a public database is facile.”
I watch intently as he works quietly. The way his brow furrows and his shoulders tense every time he presses a key is seriously sexy.
Without a thought, I inch close to him and place a kiss on his cheek. Michael stiffens beside me before he angles his head and faces me. His emerald eyes are hooded, and his jaw ticks as he gazes intently into my eyes.
“Merci pour cela, Michael.” Thank you, Michael, I whisper in impeccable French. “Mes amis représentent tout pour moi et je ne saurais pas comment les aider sans vous.” My friend means everything to me, and I wouldn’t know how I’d save her if it wasn’t for you.
Michael’s eyes caress my lips before they return to mine, “Tu es le bienvenu, mon petit,” You’re welcome, little one.
Pushing tendrils of my hair away, I rest my head on his shoulder. I know that I barely know him, but something about him brings me comfort.
Lip quirked, Michael turns back to the computer and continues to work.
After a couple of minutes, he stiffens and gestures toward the screen, “How is this possible?”
I look at the grainy feed and watch as Samira and Kimber try to run out of the alley when a dark SUV pulls up in front of them. Kimber drops Sami and runs. Before Sammy can escape, a group of men in kevlar around the corner and aim their weapons at my friend. Tears gather in my eyes as Samira yells something to the men. One moves to attack, but Sami manages to disarm him. Unfortunately, a Naga sneaks behind one of the men and plunges its claws into his neck. I flinch when Sami falls to her knees and weakly crawls away from the mele. Another man moves toward Samira but stops when the other man holds up a glowing stone, shakes his head, and points to the Naga. To my dismay, the men turn around and run away. It’s the same men who attacked me in the alley.
Thankfully, Samira manages to hide from the Nagas, who are now chasing the men.
“Hey, those guys were in the alley when the Nagas were attacking. They tried to take me, but I managed to run away from them.”
Michael’s brow furrows, “Did they say anything to you?”
I shrug, “Everything happened so fast.”
Michael rewinds the video and zooms on the screen until we can see the tattoo on the man who’s holding up the stone’s forearm. “Is that a hand wrapped in white light?” I ask.
“Oui, it is,” Michael answers evenly. I can tell that something is bothering him at that moment, but I’m not sure what it is.
“What do you think it means?”
“This tattoo is the mark of the Hand of God.”
My brow furrows with trepidation. I can tell by Michael’s expression that whatever the Hand of God is─it’s not good.
“What’s the Hand of God?”
Michael’s chest expands as he considers his next words, “The Hand of God is a group of religious fanatics who kidnap angel females and drain them of blood in a ritual to open Le Créateur’s seal at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. But it doesn’t make sense because you’re both humans. Aren’t you? ”
My heart stutters with shock, “What? As far as I know, we’re all human. What’s the Creator’s seal, and why would they want to open it?”
Michael gazes intently into my eyes as if fighting an internal battle, “A months ago, Lucifer realized that, before his fall, Le Créateur had created a mate for him. Unfortunately, Lucifer had no knowledge of her existence. Apolliana/Lana lived with my brothers and me until her madness overcame her, and I had to…” he clears his throat and swallows hard, “I had to end her. Or so I thought until we discovered that without our knowledge, Le Créateur turned Lana human and sent her to be born on Earth to be reawakened once he was ready to set his world - ending plan in motion. After Apolliana’s reawakening, we also discovered that Le Créateur had also created three other female archangels. As he did to Lana, he imprisoned them in human shells until they could all rise and become the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Lana was to be Famine, and her sisters were to be War, Death and Pestilence. Soon after meeting Lucifer, Lana set forth the world’s end and awakened her sisters. Fortunately, before she could end the world, Lana grew a conscience, sacrificed herself and trapped Le Créateur inside the Four Horsemen’s seal. The same seal that The Hand of God wishes to reopen to free Le Créateur.”
My throat constricts, and my heart thunders as his tale. I know enough biblical history to know that I have a similar ability as one of the horsemen. Is it possible? It can’t be, considering I hold no angel traits. I mean, I have no wings or glowing eyes like Michael. As soon as the thought hits, I realize that it’s stupid. I would know if I was an angel or not. Wouldn’t I?
I open and close my lips for several seconds, but something stops me from asking any more questions.
What if he laughs at me?
I trust Michael, but I’m not sure if I trust him enough to risk my friend’s life.
“So, I’m guessing that these Hand of God disciples don’t know that the Creator is not actually the sweet benevolent god that they think he is?”
Michael nods, “Non, they only know what they have read from the bible and the scrolls they found in the church at Holy Sepulchre. I knew we should have sealed that passageway as soon as the seal was shut.”
“I can’t believe you’re the ones who found the passageway.”
He shrugs, “It was where Lana and her sisters were performing the ritual to open the seal.”
“And these disciples were going to do something to me for some reason. Jesus, it just keeps getting worse.” I sigh as hopelessness threatens to overwhelm me.
Michael nudges my arm, “All hope is not lost, chérie.”
My eyes blur with tears as he revitalizes my hope. I wipe a stray tear away and give him a grateful smile, “You’re right. Once we find the Naga queen. Sami is going to be alright.”
Michael’s lip tilts up as he reaches for his cell phone and sends the message. A breath I didn’t know I was holding slowly escapes my lips when he receives a corresponding text. “It’s still disconcerting that they tried to take you. I’m going to call my brother, Rafael and see if he might know why the disciples were there.”
I nod, “Yeah, cause I have to say, that was freaking weird.”
He nods as he looks at his screen, “Rafael is on his way.”
As soon as the words leave his lips, a man appears in the middle of the room. Eyes wide, I take in the handsome man standing in front of us. Rafael looks like a movie star with his almond - colored skin, deep brown eyes, a square jaw and dimples. And like his brothers, he’s tall and muscular. But, unlike Michael, Rafael is wearing loose blue jeans and a white t - shirt.
“Merci d'être venu, mon frère,” Thank you for coming, brother. Michael greets him.
Rafael gives Michael a manly hug and smiles. “You know I’m always here for you, brother.”
Their easy camaraderie makes something wistful grow inside of me. This is how Samira, Everly and I treat each other. It’s the feeling of knowing someone is there for you no matter what. This is why I’m going to do everything that I can to save Sami’s life.
Rafael’s dark eyes meet mine, “Hello,”
I extend my hand in greeting, “Hi, I’m Valentina.”
Rafael gazes at Michael before he takes my hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Michael places his palm on Rafael’s shoulder and ushers him to a chair.
Rafael sits comfortably into the seat, “The reason I asked you to come is that we just discovered that Valentina was nearly taken by disciples from the Hand of God.”
Rafael sits up straight in his seat and settles his elbows on top of his knees, “Did they say anything?”
I strain my mind, trying to recall if they spoke, “I think one said, you are ours,” I answer, unsure if I should say more.
Rafael’s brow furrows, “The only reason they would have taken her is so they might use her in their breeding program.”
Eyes wide, I lean close and choke out, “What breeding program?”
Rafael looks at Michael before he glances back at me, “I don’t know how much you know about our world, but one issue that our kind has faced is that there aren’t many female angels. Since a female archangel’s blood is required to perform the ritual to open the seal, the disciples have decided to breed females with a male archangel’s genetic material and create more female archangels.”
Michael’s expression darkens as he faces his brother down, “But that’s impossible. We’re the only archangels who live on Earth, and archangel males know better than to shed their seed. ”
Rafael nods, “That is true, brother. However, during my investigation, I discovered that the Hand of God does not need an archangel’s seed to create another archangel. All they need to do is mix our genetic material with a strong male’s sperm and fertilize a viable female. Unfortunately, they were able to find some of our genetic materials in the things the Creator hid at Holy Sepulchre.”
“What kind of genetic material did they find?” Michael asks.
Rafael shrugs, “From what I gathered, they have feathers from our wings and vials of our grace. But that’s not all. We have also discovered that they found genetic materials belonging to powerful beings of other pantheons. I don’t know what they’re planning to do with that, but whatever it is, it’s more than likely going to be cataclysmic. That is why we have to stop them before they succeed.”
“Merde! I’m surprised that no divinity guards were dispatched to handle this situation,” Michael muses, “Isn’t that something that would catch the divinity pantheon’s attention?”
Rafael nods, “I would think so, but I have not seen a divinity guard in centuries. Perhaps they were slain once the Creator began to kill off the Pantheon’s rulers.”
“What are divinity guards?” I ask, curious to know more about this world that I have stumbled into.
Rafael and Michael look at each other before they look back at me.
“The Divinity guards are formidable celestial enforcers sent to collect powerful beings that cause cosmic catastrophes. Most of them are ancient beings who have committed horrific crimes and can’t redeem themselves until they have accomplished a task set forth by the pantheon’s rulers.”
My lip quirks, “So, they’re like the Suicide Force.”
Both men frown with confusion.
“Really? You don’t know what the Suicide Force is? Don’t you guys watch TV?”
I laugh incredulously when they shake their heads, “Okay, so neither of you are comic book fans─noted.”
Michael rolls his eyes and looks back at Rafael, “Is there a way for you to see if the divinity guards are still active? We might need one if something so heinous is occurring.”
“Wait, isn’t that what archangels do?” I interject.
Michael shakes his head, “Non, archangels were created to only protect heaven. The divinity guards exist to defend all pantheons. Because the divinity guards were imbued with power from every pantheon, they are also stronger than angels and far more ruthless in achieving their tasks.”
Rafael shrugs, “If one had been dispatched, we’d know. They’re surprisingly relentless creatures.”
“Like the Exterminator!” I sputter out excitedly.
Regrettably, their baffled expressions reappear. Talk about awkward.
Brow furrowed, I throw my hands up with exasperation, “Are you seriously telling me that you have never seen Exterminator? Damn!” I point an accusing finger at both men, “You two really need to get a television.”
Michael rises from his seat, ignoring my witty outburst, “Regardless of our entertainment preferences, it looks like it will be up to us to handle this situation. I can’t believe they’re going to try to breed females. Are you sure about this?”
Rafael nods his head, “From what I gathered─yes. However, it’s usually supernatural females they seek.”
He points to the laptop’s screen, “That stone the man is holding up is a hunter’s stone. Similar to a supernatural LoJack. The disciples use it to find supernatural beings.”
Michael’s brow furrows, “They must have honed in on the Naga’s energy and assumed that Valentina and her friend were supernatural.”
Rafael shrugs, “It’s possible. However, I don’t know much. That is why I am investigating their group. Is there anything else that you need?”
Michael shakes his head, “Non. However, if there is any further information that you hear, please let me know.”
Rafael nods, “I will. I should go.”
Both men give each other a respectful bow.
Once Rafael flashes out, Michael rises from his seat and mutters, “We should get some rest,” he looks toward the window where the soft rays of dawn are sneaking through the Parisian shutters. I blink, shocked to find that I’ve been up all night and that everything happened mere hours ago. However, I don’t think I can sleep knowing that my friends are counting on me.
“What?” I exclaim, “But what about the Naga Queen?”
He arches a dark brow, “Nagas are nocturnal creatures, chérie. Right now, they are all safely ensconced in their hive. And since I do not know where the queen’s nest is, we cannot do anything yet.”
“So, how do you plan to find her then?” I ask.
Michael takes my hand and leads me out of the room, “To find the nest, we will need to find one of her drones.”
“What are drones?” I ask as I follow him down the hallway.
“Drones are the queen’s guards. They are like her confidants. Their duties are to keep the soldiers in line and protect her.”
“How will we be able to find her if they are protecting her?”
He opens a door and ushers me inside, “While the soldiers eat and collect prey for the queen, a drone is assigned to watch over them. We just need to find where the soldiers plan on going next and capture their drone. We will speak more about it after we’ve both gotten some sleep.”
“Okay,” A loud yawn escapes my lips. Michael hands me a t - shirt and gestures toward the soft, downy bed. The room, like his office, is tastefully decorated. The walls are pale yellow, and there’s a handcrafted mahogany Louis XI bed, the color of a robin’s egg in the center of the room. I look down at the natural wooden floors with their fluffy white area rug and smile. “It’s a beautiful room. Thank you.”
He bows his head gracefully, “Vous êtes les bienvenus,” You’re welcome. “Le toilette is beyond the double doors,” he gestures to a pair of white doors on the other side of the room. “We can gather your belongings and begin our search for the Naga drones tonight.”
Once Michael has left the room, I slump down on the bed and let loose of all the emotions I’ve been holding in all night. It will be the first and last time I do it because I have to be strong for my friend. I know that if I call Everly and tell her about Samira, she’ll freak, so I opt to not tell her. She’ll only worry if I do, and I plan on killing that Naga bitch, so everything will be alright. It has to be because I can’t fail Sami.