Chapter 7
I drove to school with a dull ache threatening at my temples. I had stayed up all night trying to sum up what exactly it is I am up against right now. It was certain with Lisa's unannounced attack that Seth was not in cahoots with her. If he or his gang was, it wouldn't have been Lisa who attacked me at home yesterday. She was desperate with no one by her side. If she was alone, I could take her.
So that leaves me with Seth and his gang.
As much as I want to believe Seth, something tells me I wasn't at the wrong place at the wrong time like his gang had claimed. They may not be with Lisa but they definitely have something against me.
Then there's Patch and the Archangels. He is still meeting with Basso right now and maybe they're sorting things out with the Archangels. But for the past eight hours, I haven't had any attacks or sudden abduction so maybe this day would pass as normal. Perhaps I wasn't the Archangels' punishment.
Besides, I don't think abducting me would sit too well with the Nephilim race. Okay, I may be playing the "I gave you freedom" card too much but I did help them. The Archangels on the other hand was not particularly active in the war between the fallen angels and the Nephil, though I bet they were watching it closely. Perhaps if they did something to me, at least Black Hand's organization would react to it. As much as I know the Archangels are powerful, they are endangering humans, millions of them, unknowingly under the influence of the Nephilim power. I don't think the Archangels' boss would be too happy if humans were hurt.
But like what Patch had said, the punishment would not be a walk in the park.
With a slight panic, I realized I was a bit late. The student parking lot was already filled and the few available spots were at the back. It was just my luck that I would have to walk all the way from the edge of the parking lot to the school's main entrance with the little time I have. I slid in one of the parking spots and quickly turned off the engine. I got out and started jogging, hoping I could manage to actually be on time, avoiding a detention slip.
I stepped inside O'Connor's class just as the bell rang. He gave me a dirty look that I matched with a triumphant one as I settled down in my seat. He would have just loved to put me in detention today. I was too busy being relieved I dodged detention that I didn't notice Seth's absence right away, but when I did I knew it was no coincidence.
So when I saw Vee combing through the crowd at the end of the day, I crossed my arms and leaned against the Volkswagen. "He's not coming. He hasn't been here all day."
I told her what happened yesterday, telling her about Seth's ability to block memories from me without effort, Lisa's attack on me, and my theory about it all. I stopped for a second as I realized something.
"Perhaps Seth and his gang were really not after me," I said, my stomach feeling hollow. "I mean, if Lisa didn't send them after me, then perhaps I was just really on the wrong place at the wrong time. I chased away Seth for nothing."
"But he is a Nephil and his gang are all Nephils," Vee countered earnestly. "There is no way they wouldn't have known they were attacking Hank's daughter."
I shook my head. "No Nephil can unconsciously block their minds. I don't think they are."
"But they are not human either. They threatened you, Nora. By attacking you, they threatened you."
"Who attacked Nora?" Patch's inquiring voice floated from behind us and I whipped around to see him standing by his motorcycle, a few feet away from us.
"Uh…Nobody," Vee hurriedly said, flashing her smile but the damage was done.
"Nora?" Patch's eyes shifted to mine and I know I couldn't escape.
"A gang had cornered me one night when Vee and I went to the Devil's Handbag. We thought they were Nephil at first but now, we aren't so sure. One of them tried to befriend me and I cornered him yesterday when you were tracking down Basso. I tried to invade his mind but he was unconsciously blocking me from some of his thoughts and memories."
"Where is he now?" he asked, his eyes slightly shifting around. His voice was calm and his stance was relaxed but I could see his hands fist tightly.
"That's the thing, we don't know. He wasn't in school today," I told him. His eyes went straight back at me, piercing and cold that I flinched.
He grabbed my hand and forced me to sit at the back of his motorcycle, handing me the helmet.
"I'll need your keys," he said, holding his hand out for them. I fished them out of my pocket and handed them to him hesitantly.
He turned to Vee and pressed the keys in her palm. "Please take Nora's car back to her home. I need to talk to her privately."
He saddled on the motorcycle, turning the engine on. It purred softly beneath me before he backed out of his spot. I saw Vee mouth "I'm sorry" before I was yanked against him as he accelerated out of the school parking lot.
We slowed down in front of the Delphic Amusement Park. He turned off the engine and got off, sliding the helmet off his head. He reached out and clicked the strap off my chin. I slid my helmet off, feeling like a kid caught accidentally breaking a vase.
"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just thought I could fight my own battles and I thought this has nothing to do with you."
He shook his head. "I know you can fight your own battles and I know I haven't been there to protect you from any of it. But that doesn't mean I am not angry enough to hunt down that Seth and his gang and make him pay for what they did to you."
"But it doesn't matter now. I mean, it looks like he's gone," I told him, wrapping my hand around his.
"But I don't think it was just a random coincidence that they cornered you that night at the Devil's Handbag," he said seriously, looking straight into my eyes. "With everything we've been through, I know nothing is coincidence anymore."
"Seth and his gang are not Nephil, though."
"Yeah, but I heard Vee say they aren't human either. I want you to be careful. We don't know if he's gone but even so, I don't want you to go looking for him. Please, please don't put yourself in danger just for information. They're not going to give you any and you're just risking your life for nothing."
I bit my lip and nodded. He's right. As much as I want to know what Seth and his gang are, I don't think putting myself into danger is worth anything they would tell me. They're dangerous and that's all I need to know.
"But I'm not going to leave you alone without any protection," his words floated back to me.
"What do you mean?" I asked, now a bit puzzled and honestly a bit insulted. "I could protect myself and Vee can help me out in tough situations."
He shook his head. "Another pair of hands to fight for you won't hurt."
Was he actually doing what I think he was doing? Is he going to set someone up to protect me? He took me to the small shack that led to the underground tunnels. We walked in the darkness until we reached his place.
When I stepped inside his underground studio, I felt a bit surprised. It was like nothing had changed. Everything, from the dark furniture to the handsome landscape were the exactly the same as they were when we had left to hunt down Pepper before Scott and I found Marcie burning the fallen angel feathers.
"Pepper!" Patch called out, opening a door I recognized with unease as the room where he had kept Hank Miller prisoner. A few seconds later, Pepper's cherubim face peeked out of the doorway and looked at us with cold eyes.
"What?" he asked impatiently.
"I need to talk to you," Patch replied.
"I can't. I'm busy trying to track down Basso like you asked me," Pepper waved his hand towards the door he just came out of. "That's not an easy task anymore since, oh wait, I'm not an Archangel anymore."
Patch rolled his eyes but it was the only comment on Pepper's behavior. "Your methods are taking too long. I'm going to do it myself. But I do have another mission for you."
"Oh?"
"Keep Nora safe," he said shortly before turning towards the door again.
My mouth hung open for a few seconds before I found my voice again. "What? You're serious? He's the pair of extra hands you're talking about?" For the few short months I had known Pepper, he was completely useless in confrontations. He's afraid of anyone or anything that can overpower him and he is easily influenced as long as bribery or fear are waved in front of his face.
"He's all we have now. If Lisa is after you, he's the best I could give you for protection. He was an Archangel and some of his powers are at least still there," he told me, gently placing his hands on my arms.
"But what about you," I said, waiving towards his chest.
"I need to talk to Basso first to get my punishments in order. Until then, I could do nothing for you. I'm sorry."
"Hey, I'm not completely useless," Pepper pitched in, breaking the tense silence between us.
Patch nodded stiffly before turning towards Pepper. "Listen to me, if you even think of hurting Nora in any way, shape, or form, you're going to be sent to hell quicker than you can say 'Enoch', you got it?"
"Yeah, keep an eye on your girl and don't hurt her, got it," Pepper replied, innocently putting his hands up.
Patch sighed before turning again and giving me a peck on the lips. He walked over the door, looking back. "Behave and take care of her."
"I will," Pepper and I replied at the same time, causing us to look at each other.
Patch chuckled before closing the door behind him. I turned towards Pepper and his frown was already noticeable. Okay, well he can't hurt me but he can definitely be hostile with me. I turned around and disappeared into the kitchen just to have something to do. I wasn't exactly on the mood for Pepper's dirty looks which probably followed me in the kitchen.
"I told him about you and Seth," Pepper called out.
I stopped opening the second drawer I came in contact with and froze at my spot. I walked back inside the living room where he was, breathing heavily.
"What did you say?"
Pepper smirked at me, gloatingly. "I told him about you and Seth. That's probably why he's going to hunt down Seth and kill him or something. Anyways, he wasn't too pleased about it. I wouldn't put it past Jev to have you stalked."
"He is not going to stalk me and he's not going to kill anyone," I scoffed, trying to believe it myself. "If he wants me watched, he'll do the exact same thing right now. Of course, that doesn't mean this is a picnic for me either."
"I guess you really don't know Jev that well," he shrugged, slumping down the couch, staring at me knowingly. "He gets protective when he wants something to the point its actually quite suffocating."
"Well, he's not going to suffocate me. I love him and he loves me and he's just doing what he thinks is right." I turned to return to the kitchen before he can say anything else but he got in another word.
"Yeah, because that tracking device in your hoodie right now is giving you a lot of freedom, isn't it?"
I stopped in my tracks again. I wasn't wearing the jean jacket I knew Patch had installed a tracking device in. I was wearing my pink hoodie, the one I wore that wonderful day I had with Patch before he went away for his trial.
"It does not have any tracking device," I declared clearly.
"Well how did you think he knew where you were?"
I scoffed for real this time. "He knows I had school. Of course he's going to look at school for me first."
"Okay," he said in a singsong voice. This had poked my last nerve. I stared at him fully, trying to hide my annoyance.
"And what about you?" I asked him, my voice rising up a bit. "So serving Patch is your hell? I can't say you don't deserve it."
That did it. I saw the stung in his cherubim face and watched as it bloated a bit. "It's none of your business."
"Don't do the crime if you can't do the time," I said, adopting the same singsong voice he used on me. His nostrils flared and he looked away.
"Shut up," he warned, glaring at me.
I smirked before turning away. "Whatever."
I retired to Patch's room, locking the door behind me. I exhaled, forcing my anger to be kept at bay. I lied down on the bed, staring at the jagged ceiling of the underground studio. I didn't want to get angry like that but Pepper knew the right buttons to push me. I wouldn't be surprised if he brings up the fact I don't know Patch that well, that I don't know much about his past. It was probable that Pepper knew more than I did. It was turning out to be like that with Patch, that other people knew more about him than I did.
I pushed the thoughts away from my head. There was no use in thinking of them now. If I can't trust Patch, who would I be able to trust? Lisa is lurking somewhere in the shadows and if I don't keep those who are willing to help me around, then I would have to face her by myself. I think I could handle Lisa herself but I wouldn't put it past her to get some kind of help from the Nephil race.
The sudden noise woke me up, making me sit straight on the bed. My senses were on high alert and my eyes adjusted in the darkness. Something was moving in the shadows near the door. I looked at it apprehensively, my heart hammering against my chest.
"Are you awake?" Pepper's voice asked, floating from the darkness.
"Geez, you scared me Pepper!" I told him, turning away and reaching for the bedside lamp's switch. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Look, I came here to say I'm sorry," Pepper's face appeared as the light flooded Patch's room. "From my comments earlier, I'm sorry."
"What?"
"Patch said I should say sorry to you or he would punish me. Here I am apologizing."
"Fine, it's all right. Now can you go?"
He shook his head, his curls bouncing around his cheeks. "In a way, I wanted to thank you."
"What?" This was definitely something I wasn't expecting, especially not from the way we were at each other's throats a few hours ago. "Are you sick?"
"No, no. It's just that, now that I think about it, you guys saved me from hell."
"Pepper, we asked you to steal all the fallen angel feathers from the Archangels. I don't think that's something to be thankful of," I pointed out, scratching my eyes.
"Yeah, I know, I know. But I suppose I should be thankful that I was caught on that instead of what I was doing here on earth."
"What, stealing and lying?"
"No, not concentrating on my mission. I betrayed them not only because I didn't do what I was assigned to do but because I had the audacity to go back to heaven to live the life on as an Archangel."
"Well I guess you're welcome then," I told him, not knowing what else to say.
He settled at the edge of the bed. "You know we have another mission, right?"
"'We'?" I asked. "What do you mean 'we'?"
"Jev and I, we have another mission here on earth, besides the punishments we're serving right now."
"What is it?"
"We have to keep any future fallen angels from trying to take over a Nephil's body during Cheshvan until the end of time. There will come a time that other angels would fall and they would try to take over a Nephil's body when Cheshvan comes around. The war between them won't end unless we proactively do something about it. Of course, that only stands as long as you're alive."
"Me?"
He nodded. "You're the only connection between the fallen angels and the Nephilim race. If you die, then all hell will break loose. There will be chaos. So I guess I would have to ask you not to die."
"Then I would have to tell you you have to do a stellar job at protecting me."
He chuckled softly. "Want to make a bet I would?"
I leaned my head against the wall, looking straight at him. "You have a gambling problem."
Pepper left me alone after a few minutes only to be back with dinner for me. When I was finished, he showed me a closet filled with clothes Patch had bought for me. He explained that there were toiletries in the bathroom and I could use anything in the house that I wanted.
"But, can't I go home?" I asked him.
"Jev would be returning any moment. He and Basso would want to talk to you once they get here. Just wait some more."
I sighed, thinking of the pile of assignments on my desk right now. There goes my good standing at school. "Fine."
I had changed my clothes and decided to sink back into bed where I succumbed to a strange dream. I was on a forest similar to the one surrounding my house. Yet the trees were darker and the ground looked a lot damper. There was barely any forest sound and the trees were so closed together that no sunlight could penetrate the leaves. In the deafening silence, I heard a muffled rustle to my left. I turned and saw a figure watching me at least twenty feet away. I couldn't make the figure out clearly enough to know what it is and before I could even try, it started moving away from me.
I didn't know why but I knew I had to chase after it. I want something from it so badly that I was willing to run across the forest just to get it. It didn't stop however. I found myself panting and running, trying to get near to it but as it moved faster and faster, I was starting to lose sight of it. Soon, it was hidden in the trees until it was out of my view.
I stopped running, giving up. I turned to head back but I found myself face to face with a wolf. It was the size of a bear on its fours. I froze, quickly scanning my peripheral vision for an escape route. I looked away for a millisecond before realizing too late that I shouldn't have taken my eyes away from the huge brown wolf. My eyes snapped back to the wolf who was on the air, in the middle of a pounce.
I bolted up again, my skin drenched in sweat. My heart was hammering against my chest and I felt like the world is spinning uncontrollably. I placed a hand on my forehead to help me calm down but the rustle of the sheets beside me made me shriek.
"Hey, it's okay," Patch's voice soothed me in the darkness and suddenly I felt his arms around me. "It was just a bad dream. I'm sorry I startled you."
I couldn't talk. My heart was on my throat. I could only whimper and Patch continued to sooth me gently.
"It's okay. You'll be okay. I'll meet you in your dreams. Go back to sleep."
I nodded and slumped back again, feeling his weight lower as well beside me. Soon, I had drifted back to sleep and had succumbed to dreaming again. But this time, I wasn't in the forest. I was lying on Patch's bed. He was staring at me intently, studying every inch of my face. I suddenly felt calm as if the previous dream hadn't happened. I pushed myself up with my elbows, closing the distance between us until my lips brushed his.
"I missed you," I whispered to him.
He smiled. "I did too. I'm sorry to be leaving you suddenly with Pepper. I know he's not your favorite person but he is useful for now."
I nodded. "But you owe me big time. I don't like being babysat."
He chuckled lowly, the sound sending shivers to my spine. "I'll pay up, don't worry."
I gently placed my hand on his shoulder. "How did the meeting with Basso go? Did you find him?"
"Yes," he said, nodding. I sat up this time, interested in what he had to say. "But we haven't talked about the punishment wholly. He wants you to be in it as well."
"Me?"
He nodded again. When he spoke, his voice was hard. "Basso told me that the only way I could serve my sentence with sincerity is if you're involved in it too."
He looked away from me but I gently pried his face back to me. "It's okay. If we're together, we can do anything the Archangels had sent for us."
He shook his head. "But this means you're going to be in trouble one way or another. I'd rather not have you in it at all."
"Well, it's either I'm in it or you're going to be sent to hell and I'm telling you, I'm not going to stick around in this world if you're not here. I've experienced that once and I'm not going to be willing to go through it again, do you understand? Besides, if you're sent to hell and I follow you, then there will be no treaty between the fallen angel and the Nephilim race. There will be no peace. Pepper certainly wouldn't be able to do anything about it either."
He stared at me fully. "So Pepper told you about our other mission."
I nodded. "And as long as you're going to be strong enough to be by my side, then I'm not going anywhere which means there will be no war between the Nephil and the fallen angels."
He smiled and cupped my cheeks on his palm. "Fine but I'll do my very best to keep you safe. I'll make sure you're not in the direct line of fire."
"All right," I agreed. I knew I could handle the dangers. I'm not completely useless but if this mission is as worse as hell, then I knew I would definitely have a hard time with it. But I knew I wasn't going to let Patch go through it alone even if I wasn't involved.
"But Basso told me something interesting," he added a few minutes later. "He wasn't clear about it but he told me that the mission does have something with you, that you have some kind of involvement that doesn't revolve around me."
"Me?"
"Yeah and I have a feeling he's right." Patch leaned against the headboard and ran his fingers through his hair. "Things aren't coincidence anymore Nora. There's something lurking in the shadows and I don't like it."
Suddenly I was thrust back into the memory of my dream. The forest and the shadow I was running to. Often times in the past, my dream was more than a dream. It somehow coincided with everything that was going on in my life.
"What do you mean?" I asked, temporarily pushing the dream away. I would have to deal with whatever it is later.
"I looked for any clues about Seth and his gang. I looked at school records and anything that would tell me about his past and what he's doing here in Coldwater."
"And?" I asked. I had a feeling I knew what the answer was going to be.
"There were no records of a Seth Clearwater anywhere in your school. It was like he was there one day and gone the next."
"So do you think someone is behind it?"
"Possibly. But forging records isn't that hard to do. It would make sense if Seth was there for the kick of it but why go through such a process to get in and then get out the last minute?"
"So you're suspicious of Seth?"
He nodded. "Like I said, there are things lurking in shadows around you I don't like."
"But he's not there anymore. I don't think we should worry about him."
He shook his head. "No. I don't think he's completely gone. He may be just bidding his time. You might have seen something he didn't want to see but he's not finished with whatever it is he wanted. He wouldn't go through all that trouble."
It was my turn to shake my head. I reached for his hands and tried to untie the knot forming in his shoulders. "He's gone, Patch. He can't hurt me anymore. And if he is something else other than human, Nephil, or angel, I don't think I want to know and it looks like he's not going to try anything else on me. Don't worry about it. Besides, I could protect myself. You have no reason to worry anymore."
"Nora," he reasoned with me, his voice hardening again. "That night after the battle, I saw something keeping a close eye on your house after I had dropped you off inside. I didn't see what these things were but I could tell you they're powerful. I chased after them. The air temperature dropped where I was running. I felt cold and I smelled something strange. Whatever they are, they are interested in you now and I know they have the capability to hurt you. I'm not going to let that happen."
I opened my mouth, vividly remembering that night. Besides my mom, I thought we were alone. I tried to remember anything on my radar back then but I only felt my mom sleeping at the second floor of the farm house. Patch was about to say something else but frowned.
"Well Pepper's here; you're about to wake up," he said, gently brushing a strand of hair off my face. I could feel my consciousness beginning to stir as well. I felt the silk above my chest and could faintly hear Pepper's knocks. "It's better if you don't mention any of this to Pepper. I'm not even allowed to talk to you about it but I figured the sooner you know, the better. See you in a few seconds."
I opened my eyes to see Pepper standing cautiously in the doorway. I slid up, brushing away loose strands off my face. I peered sleepily at him and then at the clock by the doorway. It was six in the morning.
"You needed something, Pepper?" Patch asked, straightening up himself. When Pepper saw Patch, he looked extremely uncomfortable. I did not notice it first but when I looked at Patch, his bare torso was showing. Okay, so I had a clue what this looked like.
"Basso wants to see you and Nora immediately. He's upstairs right now," Pepper replied, his eyes carefully avoiding us.
"All right, we'll be right up," I said, jumping to my feet to show him I was fully dressed except I forgot I changed into a loose tank top and underwear last night before I fell asleep. I immediately grabbed the bed sheets in an effort of modesty.
"Okay, Pepper, you can stop staring now," Patch said, getting up himself and picking up his shirt that he left on the sofa by the corner where my own clothes were. Unlike me, he was wearing jeans so he was almost ready to go. Pepper nodded and hurriedly closed the door behind him but not before we heard him squeal.
I reached for my jeans and tugged them on. I was beginning to feel a little nervous and turned around to see how Patch was doing. But instead he was leaning by the door, watching me intently.
"Aren't you nervous?" I asked him as I pulled on my hoodie. "You are hearing about your punishment."
"How can I be when I just woke up beside you this morning?" he shrugged. "I don't know. It feels like it's going to be a good day today."
"Let's just get this over with," I told him with a sigh, facing the door flatly. He opened it and headed out.
Basso was leaning against his car at the parking lot. He looked comfortable enough but his eyes were carefully inspecting every inch of the amusement park. When he saw us approaching, he gave me an easy smile which I returned.
"Nora Grey, it's nice to see you again," he said, nodding towards me.
"Same goes to you too. I want to thank you for keeping Patch out of trouble," I replied, looking straightly in his eyes to converse my utmost respect.
He shrugged. "I just needed to find that loophole and luckily I did." He straightened up and crossed his hands together. "So, shall we move on to the official proceedings?"
"Official proceedings?" I repeated wearily and confused. "I didn't know this is an official proceeding."
"Technically, it is. Basso will state my punishment with you as a witness then after that we will discuss what direction we want to head into. Basso will then return back to the Archangels and I will have to solve the punishment they set out for me," Patch explained.
Basso nodded in confirmation before taking out a piece of rolled paper out of his pocket. It was small but emitted a soft white glow in the dim light. I felt a shiver run down my spine and looked away at the pureness of that piece of paper.
"Angelcraft," Basso commented, seeing my aversion to it. "The devil's brood have Devilcraft and us angels have Angelcraft. No other creature can touch this except angels because the purity of any object infused with Angelcraft can destroy an unworthy creature. Not even man, who have sinned, can look at it properly."
He unrolled the paper and read out loud. "I, Basso, hereby sentence you to find and destroy any attempts from any creatures to bring back the abominable powers of hell. If you fail to do so, you, Jev, will be found guilty and will immediately be banished to the fiery depths for all eternity.
"In addition to this sentencing, as a part of your punishment, the Nephil known as Nora Grey, the descendent of the Nephil, Chauncey, will also participate as your assistant in this punishment. If you choose to accept this punishment, the bind accompanying this announcement will immediately begin. If you choose not to, you will be found guilty and will immediately be banished to the fiery depths for all eternity. Once found guilty, you cannot apply for any appeal. Do you agree to this?"
Patch nodded. "I, Jev, admit committing crimes against the heavens and do hereby agree to the conditions set for my punishment. If I fail any of the conditions mandated by the angels of the Most High, I will gladly surrender myself to hell where I initially belong."
Detective Basso then looked at me, holding out the piece of parcel to me. "Nora Grey, since you are partly human, the creation the Most High loves the most, you will be given a choice. You are free to choose whether you would like to participate in this punishment or leave Jev to his deserved fate. If you choose not to help this fallen angel, he would be thrown into hell. However, if you do choose to help him, you would be tied to his every commandment. Do you agree to these conditions?"
I swallowed. I knew what the implications of the conditions are. If I agree to it, Patch would have complete control of me. My instincts are telling me that control extends to possibly taking over my body like it was Cheshvan.
I didn't mean to take a long time to answer but Patch saw the hesitation. "You don't have to do this Nora," he said, grabbing my hand. "I wouldn't want to be under anyone's control either. If you don't agree, I will find a way of coming back to you."
His words were warmth sweeping in my throat. I looked directly at the scroll in front of me and the words spilled out. "I surrender myself to Patch completely. I will be under his command however long his punishment is carried out." I looked up at Patch then at Basso, hoping my words were enough.
"Very well," Basso said, nodding as he placed the scroll back in his pocket and out of sight. "So, I guess there's nothing left but to tell you more information about your punishment.
"The Avenging Angels had been alerted that creatures still unknown to us are looking for a way to bring back Devilcraft to the human world."
His words blurred after I heard the word "Devilcraft". Not this again.