Hey all,
It's been a great time so far here in Buenos Aires. We traveled over to Uruguay this last week to visit Montevideo and Colonia del Sacramento. Had a great time seeing everything and enjoying the delicious food. The asado there is out of this world!!!! And speaking of out of this world...
Do you think Asmodeous has come to steal Amaris away? Or will Eran step in and save her? Or better yet, maybe she'll save herself. Let's see... Enjoy!
It's been a great time so far here in Buenos Aires. We traveled over to Uruguay this last week to visit Montevideo and Colonia del Sacramento. Had a great time seeing everything and enjoying the delicious food. The asado there is out of this world!!!! And speaking of out of this world...
Do you think Asmodeous has come to steal Amaris away? Or will Eran step in and save her? Or better yet, maybe she'll save herself. Let's see... Enjoy!
The Watcher's Guild: Sweet Nephilim
~~~~***~~~~
Eran bulled
his way out the front door, carrying the chattering elderly woman in his arms
as though she was precious spun glass. A
cry went up as the entryway crashed down behind them, and paramedics raced forward
to carefully take her from him, but she fought them with surprising
strength.
“My
petunias,” the old lady cried. “Where
are my petunias?”
“Do not
worry. Amaris has them,” he
soothed. “She’s right behind—” As soon as he turned, to his surprise he saw
his angel was nowhere in sight. Since
she’d been very careful not to get more than an arm’s reach away during the
whole time they’d rescued the humans, he knew something untoward had
happened. Terror that he’d lost her
numbed his brain, but some instinct made him look up, and his heart fell to his
toes.
It took
angelic eyes to see it, hidden as it was behind a veil of demonic
illusion. Asmodeous and Amaris stood on
the highest balcony of the building, swirling red-gold flames surrounding them. It looked like something out of the film, Dante’s Inferno. Terrifying, even for a warrior of the
Lord. “My little angel,” he whispered.
“Young man,
you can’t go back in there. It’s a death
trap.”
Eran turned
and met Mrs. Fiddler’s wise eyes. He
didn’t hesitate. “She needs me.”
“You
can’t,” one of the paramedics parroted.
“The ceiling’s come down. I’m
sorry, man. But no one can get up there
now.”
“I can,” he
said simply. Then, shielding them with
his own illusion, uncaring of what rules he may be breaking, Eran unfurled his
wings and sprang upward into the night. He
was beside his lover in an instant, his blinding white sword flashing out in
the red-licked smoky sky.
“Eran.” Amaris’ voice filled with relief. “I’m sorry.
I don’t know what happened. One
minute I was following you and then—”
“You may
not interfere, warrior,” Asmodeous sneered.
“You know what I am doing. And
what you may not do.”
Eran
gritted his teeth. Another
temptation. This one right out of
scripture. “Do your worse, demon
spawn. Amaris will see through any
inducement you try to offer her. She is
more than you know.”
“Eran?”
The fear in
her voice made him flinch, but he only nodded.
“I am here if you need me, little angel.
Never forget that.”
Asmodeous
moved so he could stroke Amaris’ sooty hair.
She jerked away, but when Eran only tensed, the hell demon grinned. “Have I clipped your wings, oh righteous
one?”
“I know the
rules better than you, demon.”
“Rules?” Amaris
whispered. “What is happening? He wouldn’t speak until you got here.”
“Just
listen to him, love, and then do what your heart tells you is right.” Eran sent her a reassuring smile.
Asmodeous
laughed. “So assured…so confident. It will be a treat to see you brought low,
Watcher.” He turned back to Amaris. “I offered you eternal life before. Do you remember?”
She
nodded. “Yes. But I didn’t want that type of life. Not for me or those I love. If anything, what you’ve done tonight made me
realize how right I was to make that decision.”
The demon’s
eyes flashed in anger. “Foolish
Nephilim. You can’t see the truth in
front of you.”
Amaris’
chin went up, and she purposely looked away from Asmodeous and met Eran’s hazel
eyes. “Oh yes. I can see the truth.” She gave the angel a slow, meaningful
smile. “I know exactly what truth looks like.”
Warmth shot
through him, and he couldn’t help the grin that flashed back at her. But her words only infuriated the hell-spawn.
“Little
bitch. You will come to me or you will
die.”
“Is this
the temptation you mentioned?” Eran drawled, not willing to let the demon
frighten Amaris any more than he had.
She was still not strong enough to deal one on one with him. “Or are you done?”
Asmodeous gave
a snarling curse and grabbed again at Amaris’ long hair. He gave it a cruel yank. “I have brought you up here for a reason,
girl. Do you know what it is?”
She blinked
back pained tears and shook her head.
“No.”
“Your God’s
scripture says if you are truly one of his chosen, throw yourself down. For it
is written: He will command his angels
concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not
strike your foot against a stone.”
The demon leered at her. “Do you
know the answer to this?”
Amaris
gazed at him in confusion. “Answer? What do you mean? I’m no bible scholar. I’ve never pretended to be.”
Eran
growled in frustration as the demon laughed uproariously. Would Amaris be able to see through his half-truths? As Watcher, he could say nothing to help
her. Not during an actual temptation.
“Come now,
Nephilim.” Asmodeous licked his sensuous
lips. “Even one such as you should be
able to answer this question?” He jerked
her closer to the side of the broken balcony ledge. “Do you jump or do you not? Do you trust God or do you fear him?”
Cursing
again at the demon’s twisting of the scripture, Eran put out a hand. “Remember what I’ve told you, little
angel. Trust your instincts.”
“Be
silent!” Asmodeous shouted, his green eyes flashing. “You must not interfere!”
“Afraid a
simple reminder will destroy all your temptations? Eran scoffed, his heart
pounding as he watched Amaris’ confused and frightened face. If she didn’t remember, all could be
lost. “I thought you less cowardly than
that, Asmodeous.”
“You will
not be so smug when I have her stretched across my bed and I’m feeding on her
lusts,” the demon rasped angrily. “She
will make a good meal for many of my followers.
Oh yes—” Asmodeous gave Amaris a sharp-toothed smile when she gasped
aloud, “—I would have saved you for myself if you hadn’t thrown my offer back
in my face. Now you will pay.”
“I-I’m not
afraid of you,” Amaris whispered bravely, her gaze fleetingly meeting Eran’s
before going back to stare at the demon.
She visibly gathered herself. “I
know what I have to do.”
“Do you
now?” Asmodeous’ eyes glittered with
malice. “Then answer the question,
Nephilim, and come to me.”
“I’m not
going anywhere you with you,” she declared, her chin going up again. “I may be no scholar, but I know what I’ve
learned in the short time I’ve known you and been with Eran.”
“And what
is that?” Eran asked quietly ignoring the outraged growls of the demon. He might not be able to interfere, but no one
said anything about him asking questions.
Amaris’
lips curved up into a smile as she looked at him. “I’ve learned I could leap off this balcony.
Because my angel will never ever let me fall.”
Eran’s
heart fell at her misinterpretation of scripture. What had he done? Had his intimacy with her caused her to fail
this temptation? He would never forgive
himself if that were so. But a moment
later, when she continued talking, his spirit soared again at her revealing
words.
She turned
and looked at Asmodeous. “But I’ve also
learned for every action there is a reaction.
For everything I do, there is a consequence. And the last thing I’m going to do is tempt
God back. So while I could jump, I don’t
need to. I just need to trust in him
instead.”
There was a
mighty shriek as the demon’s temptation was tossed back in his face. Trust was a word he could not abide. He pulled at his beautiful hair and screamed
out his anger and disappointment. The
sky roared to life as thunder crashed and lightning sang. The heavens opened up in a torrent of
fire-quenching rain pouring down on the burning building and the humans below. As Eran pulled Amaris into his arms, they
were instantly drenched to the skin.
And of
Asmodeous, there was no sign.
~~~~***~~~~
WooHoo!!! Score one for Amaris! That's one more temptation down. I'm wondering now what the demon will come up with next. Whatever it is, I don't think he'll play nice!
Anyway, you all have another great week and I'll see you on Sunday for the next installment.
Until then!!!
Hugs,
CJ England
Follow Your Dreams
http://cjengland.com/luckbealady/luckbealady.htm
1 comment:
Yay! Another good one!
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