Eve of Redemption: Secrets of the Fallen, #2

Copyright © 2024 Lisa Olsen, all rights reserved.

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This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.  The use of any real person, company or product names are for literary effect only and used without permission.  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.

Visit the author’s website at http://www.lisaolsen.net

Acknowledgements

Thanks to my mom, Marilyn Weaver, who’s been so supportive of my writing and for her eagle eye in spotting all the typos the rest of us missed. And thanks to James, for always helping with all the boring formatting stuff I can’t be bothered with and for not shooting me when I give him too much grief over the cover designs.  I owe you a mocha.

And finally, thanks to my readers for waiting so patiently for the rest of the story for these characters.  Better late than never, right?

Chapter One

Michael and Sam lingered in the entrance to the living room, and Michael cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the display of emotion, I guessed.  We have to talk.  We need to figure out how to keep Eve safe.

Mom brushed the hair away from my face with a tender touch before she turned to face him with steel in her eyes.  There’s nothing to talk about.  It’s not about keeping Bunny safe anymore.  He’s done, do you hear me?  Lucifer is toast.  We’re gonna go to Hell and burn it to the ground. 

We all know that’s not a good idea, Adam frowned, and Michael nodded.

You risk your immortal soul by venturing into Hell.

I don’t care, Mom shrugged.  I’m sick of his shit.  This ends now.

Adam went to her side, putting an arm around her shoulders.  Okay, but taking on the prince of darkness in his own stronghold is kind of a boneheaded move.  You want to go after Luce, fine, but on more equal territory.  Let’s draw him out.

If you could lure him here, we might subdue him, Sam said, thinking aloud, but Mom immediately cut him off. 

Whoa, hold your horses there.  I appreciate the offer of help, but you’re not luring anything.

She’s right, Adam agreed.  You’re here strictly for a strategy session, brother.  Remember you’re human now.

Yes, but... I can still help, Sam frowned.

I’ll need your help keeping an eye out for me at school, I said, not wanting him to feel left out. 

Wait, what?  Mom’s head swiveled in my direction.  No, you’re done with school.  That was clearly a bust.

No, I’m not, I scowled right back at her.

We need to move on, regroup.  Set a new plan of attack from a position of strength.

No.  I held my ground.

What do you mean no?  Mom looked baffled that I’d even argued the point with her.

"I mean no.  Do I want to fight Lucifer?  No.  But I’m tired of being on the run.  I want to stay and finish school in one place.  I want to have friends.  I want to be in the school play.  I want to have a life.  Otherwise... what am I fighting for?"

The silence stretched through the room for long moments before Michael spoke, his words slow and thoughtful.  She is right.  There is nowhere on Earth she can hide from his minions now that her Grace has awakened.  Better we create a position of strength here.

Easy for you to say, she’s not your daughter, Mom snorted.

I have watched over her for many years, I think I have a vested interest in seeing to her safety, Michael countered, arms crossing over his impressive chest.

Keeping Evie safe is about more than you earning brownie points with the big guy, Adam snarked.

Mom cut them off before it looked like Michael might argue.  Let’s just go somewhere to figure this all out, get some breathing room.

That sounded reasonable unless you considered she meant somewhere like in another state.  Mom... I can’t go back to what it’s been like before.  I can’t keep living in a dictatorship. 

Stop being melodramaculous.  She rolled her eyes, but I was serious.

I’m tired of doing everything you want to do and none of the things I want to do.

I let you make some decisions...

I don’t mean where we’re going for dinner!  I mean real decisions about my life.

It looked like she was going to snap back at me, but Mom took a breath.  Okay, I’m listening.  What kind of decisions do you want to make?

I’d like to stay in school, for one thing.  I’d like to visit with my friend like a regular teen.  I’d like to have some normal things in my life.

See, you’re not normal though, and...

And I have to live with that and figure out a way to make it work. 

Sam raised his hands, trying to be diplomatic.  We are all in agreement that our priority is to keep Bunny safe, yes?  There were nods all around.  Then we need to form a plan.

I was surprised at how calm and collected he was about it and the note of authority in his voice, since he turned into such a goober with his kids every time Spongebob Squarepants came on. 

I think we can agree she’s safe while she’s at school with Michael and I looking out for her, he continued.

As much as I wanted to agree with him to help make my point, I couldn’t keep quiet.  I hate to break it to you, but that’s not necessarily true.  I told them all about Pike and how he’d come to the school on multiple times to see me.  How he’d attacked me and how Dev... Lucifer had saved me.

Everyone seemed suitably shocked over the unknown attack, except for Adam who gave a short bark of laugher.  That’s brilliant.

What is? Mom frowned, and Adam explained.

That’s how he got on your good side.  Staged an attack with one of his flunkies and then he swoops in to play the hero.  You gotta hand it to him, that was pretty masterful.

You mean Pike was working for him the whole time? I gasped. 

He was a demon, wasn’t he?

That was a whole other level of deception I hadn’t contemplated yet.  How many more unpleasant surprises had Lucifer left for me?  And then something else occurred to me.  What I did to him with the light, is that what demons want from me?  He seemed to like it.

Oh yeah, demons feed on innocence and Grace to them is like a super sugar high, Mom nodded. 

How do I keep from giving it to them then?

Well, it’s sort of a defense mechanism, you can’t really control it if you’re really scared, she admitted.  But if you blast them hard enough, you might be able to stun them enough for you to get away.

Might be, I frowned.

When you were a little kid you were able to freeze a demon, Adam recalled.  If you can learn how to do that again, you’re golden.

Okay, how do I do it?

I... don’t know.  Nobody’s been able to do that before, he admitted.  I’m guessing it’s like freezing regular people.

Guessing, super.  What else can I do?  He said something about healing and the allure.  And Mom mentioned walking on water.

You can walk on water? Adam looked to her in surprise.

Sure, can’t you? she said with a smug shrug of the shoulders.

There are many things the Grace gifts you with, Sam began like he was giving a history lesson.  With it you may hide yourself from mortal eyes and ears.  You will be faster and stronger, and you will offer the miracle of healing.  You may judge the quality of man’s souls and abjure the demons who would seek to torment the innocent.

Okay, I’ve seen the quality of men’s souls, if that’s what we’re calling it.  And I’ve been doing the hiding thing for a while now, but just from eyes, not from ears.

It just takes a little practice, Adam shrugged.  You should be able to do it no sweat.

I’m definitely not faster or stronger, and I have no idea how to heal people.

We can work on the healing, Mom offered.  And the speed and strength will come with time.  I guess the of age thing isn’t a switch that flips, your abilities seem to be a little off and on, otherwise I would’ve noticed your aura way before now.

What about the immortality thing? I asked.  Am I going to keep aging for a while and then be stuck that age forever?  How does that work?

They all traded looks.  We don’t know for certain, Sam said.  Angels were made in the forms you see, there has been no changing since they were created. Your mother has not aged since she was gifted with the Grace.  But you, you’re something new.

So I could stop aging when I’m fifty or I could be a perpetual teenager now that my Grace has kicked in, nobody knows?

Sam gave a little helpless shrug, and everyone else seemed just as stumped.

Do you guys really believe what Lucifer said about me being able to create a new race of man by abjuring people?

Who knows? Mom shrugged.  It could be possible or just something in his obsession to getting back into Heaven.  I still say we should chase him back to Hell and have things out with him once and for all.

Why would you want to give him the home court advantage? Adam asked, his face twisted with confusion. 

"I’m not convinced it is an advantage, she replied.  He’s just as strong here as he is there.  I still think we should go on the offensive.  I’m not afraid of him."

You might not be, but I am at the thought of losing you, he said, drawing her close.  You don’t know what he’ll risk to get what he wants.  He was willing to bide his time before, but you’ve never seen him at his worst. 

You won’t lose me, Adam, she said, touching his face with tenderness.  It was still weird to see them being all romantic and touchy-feely together.  Sweet, but weird.

Michael’s face was grim.  Adamiel is right.  Lucifer will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

And what he wants is me, I frowned. 

Mom looked back and forth between all of us and the fight went out of her shoulders.  Okay fine, I won’t go storming into hell to kick his ass, she sighed.  And we can stay put for now.

Really? I perked up, giving a little hop of excitement. 

Yes, really.  Sam and Michael can stick close to you during the day and Adam and I will take the night shift watching over you.

That started to sound less appealing.  Ah, I don’t need someone shadowing me twenty-four/seven.

Sorry kiddo, thems the breaks, Adam shrugged.  At least until we have a plan.

Speaking of plans... While you guys brainstorm, I think Eve and I are long overdue for a talk. 

Chapter Two

Mom took me by the shoulders and turned me around, marching me to the back door.  I wasn’t sure whether she was going to start yelling now that we had a bit of privacy, but all she did was sit on the steps of the back porch and wait for me to join her.  There was enough moonlight for me to see a small, well-kept yard with more rose bushes like there were out front.  The white picket fence gave way to a higher fence in the back, and it felt fairly private, the nearest houses dark for the night.

So... she began, and I plopped next to her. 

So...

I guess it’s time I tell you the whole story.  And she did, telling me about how Sam had accidentally given her too much Grace when she’d been stabbed in an alley while helping him, and how that’d started her journey as something new.  About how she’d been chased after by angels and demons alike, how Adam had been afraid to love her and me after his first wife, pregnant with his unborn child, had been killed by the Angel of Death.  How she’d tangled with Raum, Demon Lord of Midian, and how her cop boyfriend Ben had been corrupted by a fallen angel, Azazael. 

How Heaven had been in such a tizzy that she was pregnant with me that Nathanael, the Clarion among the angels (whatever that was, I didn’t want to interrupt and ask) had gone crazy insane, convinced I was an abomination, stolen me as a baby, and altered the fabric of reality so that nobody even remembered she’d been pregnant at all.  How Lucifer had tried the same thing, kidnapping me and taking me to one of his levels of Hell so that I’d age faster than time moved on Earth.  I’d aged about two years by the time they got to me.  That part I remembered a bit, though it was all still sort of hazy. 

How we’d gone to Ma’on, where Michael lived, to keep me safe from Lucifer and how five long years had passed on Earth while I’d only been up there for a month.  How everyone else had moved on except for Adam who’d waited for us, and then we’d gone on the run. 

There was more to it, so much more, and a couple of hours had passed by the time she got to the end of it.  By then all I could do was sit there, trying to process it all.

Wow.

I know, it’s a lot.

On an epic scale, I nodded.  I really wish you’d told me some of this before.  So it wasn’t all so much of a shock now.

I know, but how am I supposed to say angel without mentioning the demons?  How could I tell you what you are without going into who’s after you?  You can’t tell only part of it.  Do you really think you could’ve handled this all ten years ago?  Five?  Even two?

I don’t know, I allowed, trying to see it from her point of view.  Michael was right though, she had sacrificed a lot for me, and I marveled at how much of it all she’d taken on her own shoulders, leaving her friends and family behind to keep me safe. 

I guess I should tell you a few things too.  So far I’d skimmed over my encounters with Dev and demons and all of it, but now I went into it from the start, how I’d first seen Pike and then Dev, and the crazy things he’d told me.  Pretending to be my guardian angel, what he’d told me about myself and how he’d offered to train me.  How he’d deliberately lied about the whole forbidden love thing, and how we’d ended up in bed together when Adam found us and he turned out not to be Dev at all. 

I told you people aren’t often what they seem, she said with a shake of the head, and my eyes started to tear up. 

"Really don’t need the I told you so speech right now, Mom," I said, blinking fast to keep from bawling.

Oh honey.  She wrapped an arm around me and held me close.  We sat that way for a long time until I got myself under control again.  There’s one more thing I need to know.  Did you tell me absolutely everything?  Or should we be on the way to the pharmacy to pick up the morning after pill?

I pulled back to look at her.  What?  No.

Because I won’t be mad if you did it, but we have to deal with the consequences now rather than later.

No, I told you everything, I swear.  Besides, would that even work?

Of course.  You’re still partly human, your bodily functions work the same.  You still need to eat and sleep, though less than normal people.  It’ll be okay.  Like I said, we’ve all slept with guys we regret.  There was this guy named Steve...

Eewh, Mom, I don’t want to hear about your hookups, I laughed.  But no, it’s safe to say I’m not carrying the spawn of Satan.  Thank God for Adam’s timing.

He does move in mysterious ways.  She knocked her shoulder against mine.  But I’m glad that’s one less thing to worry about.

She really didn’t seem all that freaked out about it, but it was harder for me to let go of some of the shame.  Then you don’t think I’m tainted now?

No, I don’t, she said earnestly.  Even if you had gone all the way with him, I think that whole line of sex equals sin is bullshit.  God built us this way, He must’ve wanted us to make booty calls.

I laughed again at first, but then sobered.  Yeah, but I almost slept with...

"You didn’t know it was him, that has to count for something.  Are you okay?  This is a lot for you to deal with, even beyond the my boyfriend is the devil thing." 

I sucked in a deep breath.  I’ll deal.  Eventually.  Something he said made a lot of sense though.  I have to learn how to use whatever power I have.  That’s the only way I’ll ever be strong enough to defend myself from him or whatever comes my way.

Yeah, you’re right.  It’s time for you to start learning what you can do.  How about we go see what the guys have gotten up to?

My butt was stiff from sitting on the steps for so long, but Mom rose with a smooth, fluid movement.  Would I ever be as graceful as her?  It was hard to believe as I clomped along behind her in my boots. 

Inside, Sam and Michael had their noses in a book at the dining room table.  Adam was nowhere to be seen.

Where did Adam go? she asked, and Sam answered without looking up.

He said he had to make a supply run.

Typical, Mom muttered. 

Michael straightened, meeting my eyes.  You are well? he asked softly. 

I shrugged and gave him a small smile, still way too embarrassed about everything to talk to him about it.  So, did you guys come up with anything?  I changed the subject.

Not as of yet, Sam replied with a sheepish duck of his head.  But I’m hoping we’ll find something in the new prophecies that can help.

That nutbar, Archbishop Steve and the Church of the New Faith? Mom scoffed.  What does he know?

He has a conduit to something, a lot of his teachings have been spot on, Sam replied.

What does he say about me? I wanted to know.

Sam flipped the pages on the book he had open and read in a ringing voice:  And in this time the Blessed One will find her light. And it will be a beacon in the darkness to Heaven and Hell.  Then will the Child of Light remain fixed on the dagger’s edge between light and dark.  And the Bringer of Light will work in dark magics to bend her will to his, even as the Sword of God fold her into his protective embrace.  Woe be to the fate of man if she be drawn into sin and vice, for her surrender will ever eradicate their redemption.  Let the Heavens tremble.

Oh good, no pressure or anything, I sniffed.  What does that mean?  The Sword of God.

That’s him, Sam pointed to Michael, who simply nodded and looked away.

Huh.  Did that mean I was supposed to choose between Lucifer and Michael?  I was sorely tempted to put my hand up and say, I volunteer as tribute! if that let me pick a future with Michael, but he looked really uncomfortable with being named in my prophecy, and I wasn’t sure if I should be offended or not. 

That’s fine then.  I’m not about to choose the dark.  So that’s it, yay for our side!  Now we can go get ice cream!

Mom shook her head.  It’s not going to be that simple.

How do you know?

It never is, Adam smirked.

Michael cleared his throat, brushing aside the questions the prophecy posed for the moment.  I will train Eve to use her Grace in the Ether.  It will be safer and none will be able to see her progress.

I couldn’t believe I was about to say this, but, I want to learn how to fight too.

You don’t have to do that, honey, that’s what we’re here for, Mom said with a smile, but I shook my head. 

No, I need to be able to learn how to defend myself.  Not that I liked even verbal confrontations, but when faced with actual demons, what else was I supposed to do?

There is truth in what she says, Michael agreed.  None of us was there when she was attacked by a demon in broad daylight.  She should be taught to use her strength and speed to her advantage.

Right, but we’re going to stick to her like glue now. 

I’m not spending the rest of my life with an angelic entourage.  The idea of my mom always being in my back pocket sounded suffocating.  I don’t see what the harm is in learning to fight.  Plenty of kids younger than me learn karate at the local Y.

Mom let out a breath and nodded.  Okay, you guys are right.  We can ask Adam to show you a few things too.

I would be happy to instruct as well, Sam offered.  I am not as spry as I used to be, but I do have millennia of experience.

Oh, thanks, Sam, that’s a really nice offer.  But I think I’d be too afraid of hurting you for that to work.  I don’t mind smacking Adam around though, I teased right as he came in the front door, his arms full of snacks from 7-Eleven.

What’d I do now? he frowned. 

Shh, the grownups are talking, Mom teased him, and he gave her a sour look.  Okay, so we’re agreed, we’ll stay put for now, Michael will teach Evie how to use her Grace in the Ether, and we’ll keep looking for a way to put Luce down for good.  But not tonight.  Tonight, I think she needs a break.

Agreed.  All I wanted to do that night was curl up in bed and try and forget half of the things I’d learned. 

~~~

We were all pretty wiped out when we got home but there was one more thing I wanted to do before I turned in for the night.  Stopping outside Nelo’s bedroom, I knocked softly and pushed the door open a little wider.  The little demon slumped on his canopy bed clutching a stuffed cat as Bitey was still nowhere in sight, and my heart went out to him.

Hey, I said softly, and he looked up, head ducking down a little when he saw it was me.  Do you mind if I come in for a minute?

No, you may come in for as many minutes as you wish.

I came in and perched on the edge of his bed.  How are you?

I am fine, he said, but his voice was still subdued. 

So... I wanted to apologize for earlier.  All the screaming and me freaking out and stuff.

I understand.  Demons are scary beasts to be feared.  His head hung even lower if possible.

No, you’re not scary, Nelo.  You caught me by surprise is all.  I had no idea you were a demon at all.

I would never hurt Bunny.  Never ever.  We are family, he said earnestly, until his expression clouded.  Unless you wish me to leave.

"No, I don’t want you to leave.  We are family.  I’m apologizing for what happened before." 

Then you are not still angry with me?  He blinked up at me, and I opened my arms to him.

No, I’m not angry.  Come here, I said, gathering him in for a hug.  I was never angry with you.  I was scared because I didn’t remember you like this.

But there was yelling.  I heard you two...

"Yeah, well, I was mad at Mom for not telling me you were a demon, that’s what all the shouting was for.  But I’m not mad at you," I said, hugging him a little tighter, relieved when the tension went out of him.  Holding him like that, I got a flash of memories.  Watching movies with him in front of a huge TV, him eating my leftover gloppy oatmeal in the morning.  Taking his hand and hiding in the shadows with him, giggling like mad as we waited for Momma to find us. 

Then I will not have to return to Midian?

No, of course not.  I mean, not unless you want to for a visit or something.  Hey, you know what I remembered?  We have free Disney movies here, don’t we?

We do, he replied, looking up at me with a surprised smile.

How about we go downstairs and make some popcorn and have a real movie-fest?  Anything you want.

Anything I want?

Anything you want, I smiled, hopping off the bed when he scrambled down excitedly. 

We settled onto the couch for our movie marathon, and I turned the volume up plenty loud when I heard Adam and my mom giggling upstairs.  While I was happy for them to have this time together, that didn’t mean I wanted to listen to it.

It was very late when I went up to bed and I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it through classes that day.  It was tempting to blow it off, but how could I when I’d just been championing so hard to be allowed to go?  Then again, I wasn’t sure how I was going to fall asleep at all with so many thoughts swirling around in my brain.  Spending quality time with Nelo had been a good idea, but I’d been avoiding really processing anything. 

One moment I was trying to remember the words of that prophecy and the next thing I knew, I was lying on a grassy hillside under a cloudless sky of pure blue.  The Ether.  Turning my head, I was surprised to see Michael sitting beside me, watching me thoughtfully. 

I sat up too, adjusting my pajamas.  I thought we weren’t training until tomorrow night?

No, you are right, there will be no training tonight.

Then why...?

I wanted to be certain you were well.  I had started to worry you would not come.

If I’d known Michael would be waiting for me, I’d have gone right to bed and watched movies with Nelo another night.  Did that make me a crappy sister?  Probably.  Oh, I said, not sure what he meant by well.  I mean, I’m still trying to sort through everything, but I’ll be okay.

He nodded, his mouth forming what I thought was about to be another question, but then it went slack again and he looked away. 

So... that prophecy stuff....

There is no guarantee that any of it will come to pass, he interrupted, his blue eyes finding mine again.  There is no use for worry.

There might not be any use for it, but it’s kind of hard not to worry about it all.

You will do the right thing, he said with quiet confidence. 

That’s the thing though, from the way it sounded, it’s like I’m supposed to choose between you or him.  I’d never once spoken to him about wanting to choose him that way.  I’d thought either one would be forbidden.  Or couldn’t I trust a thing that Dev had told me?

You will need to choose between light and dark. 

That sounds easy enough.

Not necessarily.

Um... what?

His dark brows drew closer together.  It is not as simple as it sounds.  On the one hand, he is of the Fallen and he dwells in darkness.

I nodded.  Yes, that’s what it sounded like to me.

But he is also the Bringer of Light.  The morning star.  It could be interpreted that to choose him is to choose the light.

But you’re not the darkness.

Michael hesitated as if choosing his words very carefully, the furrow on his brow growing more pronounced.  If I lead you into sin and vice... that would be a corruption of your soul and...

It was my turn to frown.  Whoa... hold on.  You think my choosing you would only lead to sin and vice?

No, not if we are ever vigilant to keep things where they should be.

And where should they be?

I have been tasked with watching over you.  I am your protector.

And that’s all I am to you?  An assignment from the OG? I pointed skyward.

No, you are...  His face twisted as he sought out the right word and came up with nothing.

It hurt that he couldn’t admit to any feelings for me.  I thought we were at least friends.  I thought maybe...

Michael took my hands in his.  "We are friends.  But you heard the prophecy.  There cannot be more than friendship between us lest man lose its chance at redemption."

I didn’t mean now.  I know you still think of me as a kid.  But... I never in a million years thought I would be brave enough, but I swallowed my pride and put my feelings out there.  Someday... isn’t that a thing that could happen?  Us? 

He wouldn’t even look at me.  He just shook his head and let go of my hands. 

I sat there, processing that for a few moments.  I’d known I didn’t have a shot with him now, but never?  Then what was the prophecy about saying I had a choice at all?  What if he