PART EIGHT
Gabriel had Dianna sitting on the floor looking at a book when the client arrived. At first the man looked at Gabriel suspiciously then at Dianna. Something in the child's eye's put the man at each and touched his heart. He smiled at her and laughed lightly when she smiled back.
"She is such a well mannered child." He looked at Gabriel. "I didn't know you had a daughter."
"I don't, I'm watching her till her family can pick her up." He motioned for Dianna to join them. "Dianna honey, this is Mr. Suez. He is here to pick up a few things."
"Hello Mr. Suez." She politely shook his hand then sat on the sofa allowing the men to move freely in the shop.
"She is special, no?" Mr. Suez kept gazing at Dianna who had picked up a pen and paper and was now drawing.
"I think she is very special." Gabriel again felt pride and smiled. "So, how can I help you today." He looked down as Dianna pulled at his shirtsleeve. "Just a minute Mr. Suez. What is it Dianna?" The little girl whispered something in his ear. "Are you sure?" Standing back up, he looked at the man uncomfortably. "Ah, Mr. Suez, Dianna has just told me that she thinks you should be looking at something to put in your home and in your office." Both men looked down at Dianna who was grinning, her eyes slightly unfocused.
"Mr. Bowman, where I come from, sometimes the wisest words come out of the mouth of our old people and our children. We are taught to listen to them." Bending down to Dianna he smiled and spoke softly. "Well Miss Dianna, why is it you think that I need something for my home and my office. I was shopping for an amulet to wear on my persons. Do you know what an amulet is?"
"Yes sir." She spoke politely. "An amulet is something like a pendant or a ring that you wear for personal protection or power." She repeated the words as though she had memorized them. "But Mr. Suez, you don't need something with you all the time. You just need to protect your house and your office. Somebody bad is trying to make trouble for you in those places."
"Really, and do you know who that someone is?" He waited as she thought.
"No sir, but you know who it is and just don't want to believe they would try to hurt you." She sighed deeply and looked up at Gabriel. "I'm tired now, can I go take a nap Gabriel?"
"Of course you can Princess." Gabriel watched, full of amazement as the little girl move to the bedroom. She stopped just inside the door and turned to the two men. "Do you need something Dianna?"
"It's okay to be sad Mr. Suez. I know you don't want to believe that person wants to hurt you." Then she turned and disappeared into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
"Well." Gabriel looked at the shocked man. "That was interesting."
"She's right you know. I have a feeling I know exactly who is trying to destroy me." Taking a deep, shuddering breath, the man shook his head. "So, what do you suggest that I put in my office and my home to protect me from this person."
"Right this way Mr. Suez." Gabriel glanced once more at the closed bedroom door, then led the way to the back of the store.
He had read the book slowly looking for the pattern that he needed. What was it the woman was so afraid that he would find out? He knew that with the book and with the child he could control armies or live in luxury. The only thing he could find in the written words, were tales of their plight while living on the streets. He slammed the cover shut and threw the journal across the room in anger. Something was missing. There were more than just these words, he was sure of it, but didn't know where to find them. Standing, he began to pace the musty warehouse, trying to clear his mind of the rage he felt so that he could make plans. The voice in his head continued to echo over and over. "Control the girl and you control your fate." Suddenly he stopped and grinned, his gray eyes shinning like silver nickels.
"Yes, control the girl and control my fate." He laughed to himself. "Once I have the child, I will know what to do in order to gain the power." He grabbed his coat and headed out of the building, formulating a plan to get the girl before the next nightfall.
Once the client had left, Gabriel moved to the bedroom and carefully opened the door. Dianna was sleeping soundly. Making sure she wouldn't be disturbed, he closed the door again and moved to his computer. With care, he pulled out the Godsmack jewel case and removed the disk he had copied earlier. Taking a deep breath he placed it in the drive and opened the information.
"Okay Lilith, what is it that is so important that you gave your life to keep safe." He started reading the entries slowly.
At first, Dianna's mother had simply talked about trying to stay away from a certain man that wanted her and Dianna to move in with him. It talked about how Lilith felt very uneasy when he came around and how his eyes sent chills through out her entire being. Then the dreams had started. She had spoken of Dianna waking many nights from dreams the little girl couldn't understand, how Dianna would always say she was a grown up in those dreams.
Gabriel's skin prickled as Lilith wrote about Dianna's description on what she wore and specifically the bracelet that turned into a sword when she had to fight. Lilith had written her concerns about what these dreams might mean and if they were true in any sense, how it would not only effect her daughter but the world in general. How if these dreams were things to come, she would have to raise her daughter to be a just and very conscientious woman. She also wrote of her fears of not living long enough to do this.
As he continued to read the words, he felt drawn into the very dilemma that Lilith had been drawn into. He thought of the conversation that he and Sara had just had; what if the child was indeed the next Wielder? He knew that something was extremely special about the child. There was no way someone that young could know the things she did, without some kind of…he couldn't think of the word he wanted to use.
Returning the CD to it's hiding place, Gabriel looked around the room, then made sure the door was locked and bolted before turning off the main lights. Carefully he made his way through the shelves and objects to the bedroom where he carefully opened the door and made sure that Dianna was still sleeping. Slowly he moved to the bed and squatted next to it so that he could look into the little girls face. He studied the soft lashes that brushed against her full cheeks and found himself smiling. Whether she was the next Wielder or not, he knew right then and there that he would give his life to make sure she was safe.
Careful not to wake her, he laid on the bed next to her sleeping form and turned on his side so that he could watch her. He counted each breath she took until finally sleep came and collected him for the night.
Gabriel had Dianna sitting on the floor looking at a book when the client arrived. At first the man looked at Gabriel suspiciously then at Dianna. Something in the child's eye's put the man at each and touched his heart. He smiled at her and laughed lightly when she smiled back.
"She is such a well mannered child." He looked at Gabriel. "I didn't know you had a daughter."
"I don't, I'm watching her till her family can pick her up." He motioned for Dianna to join them. "Dianna honey, this is Mr. Suez. He is here to pick up a few things."
"Hello Mr. Suez." She politely shook his hand then sat on the sofa allowing the men to move freely in the shop.
"She is special, no?" Mr. Suez kept gazing at Dianna who had picked up a pen and paper and was now drawing.
"I think she is very special." Gabriel again felt pride and smiled. "So, how can I help you today." He looked down as Dianna pulled at his shirtsleeve. "Just a minute Mr. Suez. What is it Dianna?" The little girl whispered something in his ear. "Are you sure?" Standing back up, he looked at the man uncomfortably. "Ah, Mr. Suez, Dianna has just told me that she thinks you should be looking at something to put in your home and in your office." Both men looked down at Dianna who was grinning, her eyes slightly unfocused.
"Mr. Bowman, where I come from, sometimes the wisest words come out of the mouth of our old people and our children. We are taught to listen to them." Bending down to Dianna he smiled and spoke softly. "Well Miss Dianna, why is it you think that I need something for my home and my office. I was shopping for an amulet to wear on my persons. Do you know what an amulet is?"
"Yes sir." She spoke politely. "An amulet is something like a pendant or a ring that you wear for personal protection or power." She repeated the words as though she had memorized them. "But Mr. Suez, you don't need something with you all the time. You just need to protect your house and your office. Somebody bad is trying to make trouble for you in those places."
"Really, and do you know who that someone is?" He waited as she thought.
"No sir, but you know who it is and just don't want to believe they would try to hurt you." She sighed deeply and looked up at Gabriel. "I'm tired now, can I go take a nap Gabriel?"
"Of course you can Princess." Gabriel watched, full of amazement as the little girl move to the bedroom. She stopped just inside the door and turned to the two men. "Do you need something Dianna?"
"It's okay to be sad Mr. Suez. I know you don't want to believe that person wants to hurt you." Then she turned and disappeared into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
"Well." Gabriel looked at the shocked man. "That was interesting."
"She's right you know. I have a feeling I know exactly who is trying to destroy me." Taking a deep, shuddering breath, the man shook his head. "So, what do you suggest that I put in my office and my home to protect me from this person."
"Right this way Mr. Suez." Gabriel glanced once more at the closed bedroom door, then led the way to the back of the store.
He had read the book slowly looking for the pattern that he needed. What was it the woman was so afraid that he would find out? He knew that with the book and with the child he could control armies or live in luxury. The only thing he could find in the written words, were tales of their plight while living on the streets. He slammed the cover shut and threw the journal across the room in anger. Something was missing. There were more than just these words, he was sure of it, but didn't know where to find them. Standing, he began to pace the musty warehouse, trying to clear his mind of the rage he felt so that he could make plans. The voice in his head continued to echo over and over. "Control the girl and you control your fate." Suddenly he stopped and grinned, his gray eyes shinning like silver nickels.
"Yes, control the girl and control my fate." He laughed to himself. "Once I have the child, I will know what to do in order to gain the power." He grabbed his coat and headed out of the building, formulating a plan to get the girl before the next nightfall.
Once the client had left, Gabriel moved to the bedroom and carefully opened the door. Dianna was sleeping soundly. Making sure she wouldn't be disturbed, he closed the door again and moved to his computer. With care, he pulled out the Godsmack jewel case and removed the disk he had copied earlier. Taking a deep breath he placed it in the drive and opened the information.
"Okay Lilith, what is it that is so important that you gave your life to keep safe." He started reading the entries slowly.
At first, Dianna's mother had simply talked about trying to stay away from a certain man that wanted her and Dianna to move in with him. It talked about how Lilith felt very uneasy when he came around and how his eyes sent chills through out her entire being. Then the dreams had started. She had spoken of Dianna waking many nights from dreams the little girl couldn't understand, how Dianna would always say she was a grown up in those dreams.
Gabriel's skin prickled as Lilith wrote about Dianna's description on what she wore and specifically the bracelet that turned into a sword when she had to fight. Lilith had written her concerns about what these dreams might mean and if they were true in any sense, how it would not only effect her daughter but the world in general. How if these dreams were things to come, she would have to raise her daughter to be a just and very conscientious woman. She also wrote of her fears of not living long enough to do this.
As he continued to read the words, he felt drawn into the very dilemma that Lilith had been drawn into. He thought of the conversation that he and Sara had just had; what if the child was indeed the next Wielder? He knew that something was extremely special about the child. There was no way someone that young could know the things she did, without some kind of…he couldn't think of the word he wanted to use.
Returning the CD to it's hiding place, Gabriel looked around the room, then made sure the door was locked and bolted before turning off the main lights. Carefully he made his way through the shelves and objects to the bedroom where he carefully opened the door and made sure that Dianna was still sleeping. Slowly he moved to the bed and squatted next to it so that he could look into the little girls face. He studied the soft lashes that brushed against her full cheeks and found himself smiling. Whether she was the next Wielder or not, he knew right then and there that he would give his life to make sure she was safe.
Careful not to wake her, he laid on the bed next to her sleeping form and turned on his side so that he could watch her. He counted each breath she took until finally sleep came and collected him for the night.