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  The anger inside Celeste grew like the flames of a fire being slowly stoked. It dulled her judgment. Her senses. There was no uneasiness at the demons’ unseen stares drilling into her; instead, the hate intensified, fueled by the overwhelming surge of power. Her words had struck a nerve, the look on her mom’s face had said as much. “Honesty, huh? Important? Right.” The sting of betrayal was a hurtful one. Why had her mom kept so much from her? Her whole childhood felt like a lie. All the open lines of communication seemed to only flow in one direction. Or did it?

  She knew she should tell her mom about the book, about the note she’d found inside. But would she? Could she? What would her mom think? What would she do? Celeste no longer trusted herself to do the right thing, how would her mom be able to?

  “Humph, honesty is for the weak,” she whispered in anger.

  A part of her recoiled at the unfamiliar words that slipped through her lips. This wasn't how she was raised. Wasn’t how she spoke, believed. Was it? Maybe it was now. A lot had changed since meeting Daren. It wasn't long before the hatred and distrust buried the guilt deep within.

  Trevor looked at his wife sitting on the couch. He could only imagine what happened between her and their daughter. From the look on her face, it couldn’t have been anything good. She seemed lost in her thoughts. He didn’t want to scare her, so he whispered her name as he came up behind and placed his hands on her shoulders. He gave them a slight squeeze and asked, “Everything alright?” though he already knew the answer.

  “No, not really.”

  “What happened?”

  Katelyn blinked several times before noticing Trevor was now in front of her. She tilted her head up in his direction, and said, “She knows.”

  Confusion played with the lines on Trevor’s face. “She knows? Knows what?”

  “I think she knows everything.”

  “What did she say?”

  “The same exact words I said to my parents before my mom left us that night. How did she know what I said, Trevor? How?”

  Trevor shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe she overheard us talking about it?”

  “We’ve never talked about that around her.”

  “I know. I don’t have an answer.”

  “Maybe mom slipped and said something to her?”

  “You could ask her, Katelyn, but honestly, I don’t think she would do that.”

  “I don’t either. But I’m at a loss here, Trevor.”

  Trevor wrapped Katelyn's hands in his own and knelt down in front her. “Everything will be okay. We’ll get through this.”

  “I know. It’s just the last thing I expected to hear from Celeste, you know?”

  He raised her hand to his lips and gently kissed the tops of her fingers. “I know. But none of this has taken God by surprise, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Let’s pray,” Trevor said, and they both closed their eyes.

  Celeste's room was quiet. Darkness had extinguished the pale slivers of moonlight that had covered the far bedroom wall. Melti’s gruesome voice flowed through the pitch black space and entered into the innermost part of Celeste's mind. The places of things unseen and unknown to anyone except the repulsive figures that stood next to her. They whispered plans of danger, hatred, and backlash. They whispered of lies and deceit. Minute after minute, hour after hour, these deep voices entangled themselves around the truth, choking it out completely. Growing in intensity and in strength, they knocked out what very little faith Celeste had left.

  Melti glanced up and noticed the night had started to give way to the light. “The sun will rise soon. Our part is done for tonight,” he said. “We will return in due time.”

  Melti and Ackmen disappeared through the roof and blended in with the shadowy darkness of the pre-dawn sky above the house. The evil look of pleasure on their faces matched the disdain inside their hideous forms. A sudden movement on the reasonably concealed ground below caused them to stop and look more closely. A small form sat on a whitewashed bench, encircled by yellow, pink, and purple flowers. A Bible laid open on its lap.

  “Who does she think she is?” Ackmen questioned as they landed in front of her, watching as her light pink lips silently moved.

  “Apparently she has too much faith in her God and His angels. They will not win again.” Melti snickered and rose to his full height, sticking out his chest while his thin, tattered, leathery wings unfolded behind him. He was a mortifying sight to see. One that would easily cause a faint heart to stop beating.

  Katelyn finished her prayers just before the sun began to rise. She slowly opened her eyes, picked up the Bible from her lap, and stood. Her green eyes met the glowing red ones that were feet above her. Boldness started to flow from deep within until it reached every last area of her body. Then she spoke, unafraid of the evilness in front of her, and answered Ackmen’s question. “I’ll tell you who I know I am. I am a child of the King. Who do you think you are?”

  Melti and Ackmen were knocked back several steps from the authority in Katelyn’s words. A sudden sense of dread from a previous defeat crept around them. Their arrogant smugness had been taken down a few notches, but they wouldn’t let that stop them. The plan for Celeste was in place, and this time they wouldn't allow anything to stand in their way.

  Katelyn waved her finger back and forth between the two charcoal-colored giants in front of her. She ended their brief encounter with three little words. “This. Means. War.”

  Chapter 9

  Necklim had told the Commander of everything he'd heard and felt on his visit to the Holcomb’s. After receiving the mission, he quickly left the Throne Room and headed for the golden horn that hung from a long silver rope off the front of the main palace. He blew it a total of ten times – once for each Warrior he'd need with him. Though he had a feeling that wouldn't be the final count.

  He listened as the low baritone sound vibrated the airwaves throughout the heavenly realm, reaching to every last corner, alerting all Warriors of the coming battle.

  One by one, the Warriors landed before him. His faithful friends and comrades were the first to appear. Denab, Nolan, Sarta, Ezera touched down in front of him at almost the same time. Soon followed by Nisha, Kanu, Layden, Reneese, Malkia, and Nalof.

  “Some of you have fought bravely by my side against these particular demons before,” Necklim began, he looked from Sarta to Ezera then from Denab to Nolan, “and some of you have not. Those of you who haven't will be working alongside those of us who have. No demon should be taken lightly, but these are some of the highest-ranking demons under the father of lies himself. We must work together. We must be alert.” Necklim looked over his fellow fighters as they nodded their understanding. “Good, if everyone is ready I'll place you in teams and give you your charges and posts.” The fighters nodded in agreement.

  “Denab, you and Nisha will watch over those who were part of the previous battle with Katelyn several years ago, Miranda and her husband, Jeremy. Go with them wherever they go. Sarta, you and Kanu, will stand guard over Katelyn and Trevor’s parents. Ezera, you and Layden, will be over the Holcomb's church family. You're not required to stand guard over any particular person but the local church. You are to go back and forth between them all. If there comes a time when this task becomes too much for you, let me know, and I'll call for more Warriors. I don't foresee Melti coming against the church body, at least not at first. In my past experience, he goes after those closest to the person he is seeking out. Does that mean he won't? No. But this is plan A. Any questions, so far?”

  Necklim took a breather and waited a few moments before he continued. “Nolan, Reneese, Malkia, and Nalof, you four will be with me at the Holcomb's residence. We will guard Katelyn, Trevor, and Celeste. I don't know yet how close we will be able to get to Celeste, but our presence in the house will be recognized before nightfall. This is bound to stir up some things. Melti is sly, so be watchful and ever ready.”

  Necklim pulled his sword
from his sheath, and the others followed suit. The swords gave off a bright light that sparkled like the night stars as their tips were touched. “For the Worthy!” They called out in unison.

  Kanone stood behind Katelyn. His unfolded wings slightly wrapped around her. He had witnessed the exchange of words between his charge and the demons. Things were getting worse. Melti's and Ackmen's presence confirmed that. “What right do they have to come against my daughter? Didn't they learn from the first go around that they won't win?” he heard Katelyn whisper.

  “Of course not. Maybe the demons are not afraid. Well, guess what,” Katelyn said looking towards the sky, “This time, I'm not afraid.”

  Kanone had come to appreciate Katelyn's tenacity. He smiled at the confident woman she'd become. If anyone in that home was ready for the fight soon to take place, she was, and Kanone was not the only one who knew that. Nove, Trevor’s Guardian, had spoken of Katelyn's growth in the Lord over the years as well.

  “If only more would choose to be like you, Katelyn. The world just might be a better place.” Kanone’s words were unheard and carried away with the wind. This he knew, but he couldn’t help but speak the truth.

  Katelyn started towards the house, and Kanone followed, walking through the door that had been closed in front of him. The woman knelt at the couch. Hushed tones, barely audible to the human ear, were loud and clear in his own. He took a breath, soaked in the moment and then let his worship mingle with the that of the beautiful soul in front of him. Their praises intertwined and filled the small room before seeping up through the roof and towards Heaven.

  The calm before the storm had finally broke, and the smell of war filled the air. If history proved itself right, yet again, then that's definitely what was on the horizon. Kanone expected to see Warrior Angels and soon.

  Tensions ran high in the confines of a damp, dark cave. Angry voices bellowed and echoed throughout the maze that was the demons’ home base for the small town of Green Hill, Kentucky. Melti shook his fist and brought it down with such force on the table in front of him that it broke apart and sent tiny shards of splintered wood flying through the air. His encounter with Katelyn had gotten the best of him. Struck a sense of fear in the demon’s core that hadn’t been dealt with in quite some time.

  Ackmen’s eyes met with Melti’s. “We are no longer after Katelyn. We are after her daughter.”

  “Who said we were finished with Katelyn?” Melti growled.

  “I just assumed.”

  Melti cut him off, “You assumed wrong.”

  “After all these years you are going to try and win her over?”

  “I don’t see why not.”

  “Melti, surely you, the head demon, can see that fight would be a lost cause. Katelyn Holcomb, turning her back on her beliefs? I don’t see it happening.”

  Melti positioned his sharply tipped appendage on the edge of Ackmen’s pointy nose. “Then it's a good thing you are not in charge, isn’t it?”

  Ackmen refused to answer. Once Melti set his twisted mind on doing something, it would be done. His hatred towards Katelyn had grown so intense over the years, Ackmen knew there was no stopping him. He did wonder how this would affect their stance with Celeste. Wasting precious time on Katelyn could possibly weaken their hold on the daughter. From past experiences, Ackmen knew a little window was all those pesky Warriors needed to slip in and turn a winning battle into a mighty defeat.

  All Ackmen could do, if he wanted to keep his head attached to his muscled-covered shoulders, was shake it off and let Melti have his way. Despite how wrong that way may be. “Fine, Melti,” Ackmen’s words slithered through the air like that of a hissing snake. “You win. We will go after them both.”

  Melti grinned. “I know we will.”

  Chapter 10

  Necklim’s white, feathery wings folded up behind him as he came to a soft landing on the Holcomb's front lawn. Rays of the morning sun filtered through the leaves of the tall oak trees and danced across the front of the house with the light breeze. Memories filled his thoughts. The secret hope of the demon’s obsession with Katelyn and her family ending with Latar was now nonexistent. The twisted schemes were not sent to the pit along with him.

  Necklim stepped onto the drive. The gravel rearranged under his feet. “Are you ready?” he asked of those with him. Not turning to see their answers, he remained facing the structure that housed his charges and waited to hear confident voices of acceptance.

  “Yes!” The Warriors shouted in unison.

  “Go then, guard your charges,” Necklim said.

  “Shall we enter with you?” Nolan asked, coming to stand at Necklim’s side.

  “Yes.” Necklim turned towards the angels left with him. “We will enter together, united, through the front door, then make our way throughout each room in the home. We need to find out where our boundaries are.”

  “There are Guardians here. Will they be staying as well, Necklim?” Reneese asked.

  Necklim gave Reneese his attention. “They will. Though they will not be taking part in the battle.” Reneese nodded.

  “Let’s go, then.” Necklim stepped through the closed door, his fellow Warriors close behind. Celeste's room was the last door on the right. All the house, but this room, would be entirely their territory.

  The Warriors stopped in front of the door where they held little ground. The enemy was more than likely on the other side, but that hindered not their entrance. The sensation of betrayal met them like a slap in the face. It was strong. Powerful. Fresh.

  Necklim scanned Celeste’s room, his gaze finally stopping on a crinkled piece of paper on the floor. He picked it up. “This is how Celeste found out everything.” He turned and handed it to Nolan. “I have no doubt where it came from, but my suspicions must be confirmed.”

  “Agreed.”

  “Nolan, I want you to follow Celeste. Though our presence is now known to the enemy, I want you to keep concealed for the time being.”

  “Of course.”

  The slender, brown hairs along the pale arms of the girl on the bed stood on end as the paper she’d wadded up and thrown on the floor the night before began to move on its own. Celeste didn’t believe in ghosts. Angels and demons, however, now that was a different story. Which of these beings had moved the paper was unknown at the moment, and she wasn’t sure she really wanted to know. There were no, what one might call, creepy feelings, but no pleasant ones either. Forgetting the scene in front of her and going back to texting Daren like nothing had ever happened was highly unlikely. Once something was seen it can’t be unseen, or at least that’s what they say. Figuring out if that statement was true was next on the agenda.

  The vibration of her phone distracted her from the unexplained and brought her focus back to the small screen now held tightly in her hand. After responding to Daren’s text, she placed the phone on the nightstand and decided it was time to get away from whatever was occupying the same space as herself and end the constant growling and groaning noises coming from her stomach.

  A warmth met her hand as she reached for the doorknob. Such a contrast to the cold isolation she felt moments before. She pulled back. The heat was gone, only to be felt once again just mere inches from the door. She looked around. Nothing could be seen that would explain the difference in temperature. No window was open, or fan going. Okay, strange. All the more reason to get out of here.

  She pushed through the warmth and opened the door. Seconds later and Celeste was looking over her shoulder, shaking her head in denial. This was too much. Good or evil, Celeste didn’t want anything to do with it.

  “Weird feeling, isn’t it?”

  Katelyn’s voice startled Celeste. She stumbled, catching herself on the wall. “What?” she asked in disgust.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “You didn’t scare me, and I don’t know what you’re talking about. I thought I heard my phone so I turned around.”

  “Oh, okay then.” H
er mom had not even tried to hide the fact she didn’t believe her. Celeste walked by pretending like it didn’t bother her one way or another. Though they both knew otherwise. For the most part, Celeste was a lot like her mom. Headstrong at times, maybe, but usually full of grace and forgiveness. A heart of empathy beat within her chest. At least it used to. Anymore she wasn’t so sure.

  “I’m sure you’re hungry,” Katelyn continued, “it’s well past noon. Would you like me to make you something to eat?”

  “No. I got it.”

  “We need to talk, Celeste. Maybe after you’ve got some food in you, we could go out and sit in the garden?”

  “You know, I’m not sure. I think I’m pretty busy all day.”

  “Celeste?”

  “Why aren’t you at church, anyway? I thought there was a picnic or something after service today?”

  “We stayed home today, so we could sort all this out, or attempt to at least.”

  “Wow, missing church...because of me? Careful, Mom, people might start to talk.”

  “So be it, if they must, but I don’t think talking is what they’ll be doing. Praying is more like it.”

  The opened jug of milk in Celeste's hand slammed onto the counter spraying small droplets of its contents on her fingers. How could she? “I can’t believe this! You told them, didn’t you?”

  “Watch your tone with me, young lady. And no, I didn’t tell anyone anything. I did, however, ask Miranda and Jeremy for their prayers.”

  “Great, mom. Everyone will know it was because of me.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “You’ve never missed a service as far as I can remember. What do you think everyone is going to think when you don’t show up after finding out your precious daughter lied the night before?”

  “If anyone knows of what happened last night it's not because of me or your dad. People can think and say what they will. My concern is not with them. It is however with you.”