Child of Mercy Read online

  “So, how do we go about doing this?” I asked, dragging my mind away from thinking of him going back to his debauching ways.

  “We can’t hide,” Adam replied. “I say we split up. If anyone spots anything, then you sing out and we’ll come find you. But no one acts on their own.” He narrowed his eyes at me.

  “Okay, okay, I promise.” I crossed my heart with a single finger. “Same goes for you then too. No more taking off on your own to play the hero.”

  We went our separate ways, staying low so as not to be easily spotted. I stuck to the trees, figuring they wouldn’t keep her out in the open just in case someone discovered their hiding place. Apart from some interesting wildlife, I didn’t spot anyone, angelic or otherwise. It struck me that Adam was right, it was a very peaceful place. Perfect for quiet reflecting should the occasion call for it. Not that I expected to pop over whenever I wanted peace and quiet. I wasn’t even sure I could find the place again on my own.

  Forced to go on foot when the trees became impossibly dense, I started to worry we’d been given some bad intel. Consider the source… I knew Lucifer had an unhealthy interest in the baby. What if it was all a ploy to keep us on a never ending goose chase while he did… whatever he planned to do with her?

  The sound of my name being whispered through the trees drew my full attention, and my head whipped around, trying to pinpoint the origin. I could tell it was Sam, and I could tell there was an undercurrent of excitement to his tone, but the way it reverberated through the trees made it difficult to track.

  “Merceline…” It came again, and I decided to stop listening and trust my instincts. Closing my eyes, I let my feet carry me where I needed to go, rising into the air when the trees thinned out. I spotted him crouched by an outcropping of rocks overlooking a meadow down below, but there was no sign of the baby anywhere.

  “What is it?” I asked when I landed by his side and Sam immediately shushed me.

  “They are near.”

  “Near where?” I peered below across the empty meadow.

  Adam stepped out of a copse of trees, running towards us in a half crouch. “You’re right, they’re in there alright. Come on, this way.” He turned and loped back in the direction he’d come. I followed without question, mirroring his actions as best I could until we reached the edge of the meadow and a cave opening became visible on the edge of the trees.

  “Is that where she is? In that cave?” My heart slammed against my chest as a shot of adrenaline hit me. Were we really that close?

  “Yep, that’s it. Now we have to be quiet…” Adam started to say, but I didn’t want to hear it.

  “You actually saw her?”

  “Actually, I heard her. She’s got a set of lungs on her you wouldn’t believe,” he smirked, and I felt a pang at missing her first cries.

  “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go get her!” I started up out of my crouch, but they each grabbed a hold of my arms, pulling me back down. One or the other I could have taken but with both of them holding onto me, I had trouble breaking free. “Let go of me,” I hissed, eyes narrowing in anger.

  “Be at peace,” Sam said, and I could feel him sending me calming Grace. I didn’t want it though, I wanted that adrenaline to give me the surge of energy I needed to run in there and take my baby back. “Now is not the time for folly.”

  “I only saw one angel with her, but there could easily be more of them,” Adam whispered at my ear. “We want this to go as smooth as possible, right? That means stealth is our friend.”

  I heard the logic in his words, but part of me wanted to charge off anyway. Instead, I forced a slow, calming breath, giving them a short nod. “Alright, what’s the plan?”

  “First we get closer to the mouth of the cave and see what we can see.”

  You know that scene in the Wizard of Oz where they’re stalking the castle, trying to figure out how to get in there to steal the witch’s broom? That’s exactly what I felt like. Completely out of my depth, but pretending to move forward like I had a clue because I had to get in there. I guess that made Sam the scarecrow, Adam the tin man and me Dorothy by default. In a way all I wanted to do was go home, but with Bunny in my arms.

  At one point I heard a tiny cry on the breeze and I froze, emotion welling so thick I nearly choked on it. She really was in there! The three of us crouched near the entrance to the cave, and I could see a blonde angel sitting cross legged on a woven blanket, rocking a bundle wrapped in a pink fuzzy blanket. He crooned softly to the baby, his face full of joy, and I spared a moment of thankful prayer she’d at least been taken care of by someone who didn’t treat her like an abomination the way Nathanael thought of me.

  There were baby supplies scattered around the cave. Diapers, bottles - synthetic materials looking horribly out of place in the primitive setting. I recognized the collapsible playpen and the fat stuffed penguin right away. “They stole our stuff!” I gasped in outrage.

  “They stole our baby, and you’re mad about the stuff?” Adam snorted.

  “Shhh!” Sam chided us and we fell silent. “I’ll approach him first. There may be more of them deeper in the caves.” I wanted to protest that I should be the one to go get her, but he was right, best to let him approach. The angel might not freak out as much.

  “Samael?” The angel’s eyes stretched wide with surprise, but not suspicion when Sam stepped into the cave. “How came you here?”

  “I had to see it with my own eyes. Is that the prophesized child?”

  “She is,” he smiled beatifically. “Can you not see her light?”

  I couldn’t see much, but I did see a shock of dark hair atop a round pink face, a warm golden nimbus marking her as more than human.

  “I see it,” Sam smiled, moving closer. “May I hold her?”

  The angel held the baby protectively in his arms, rising to his feet. “I’m not to let any touch her until Nathanael returns. There are those that seek to corrupt her.”

  “Surely you don’t think I am among those who would corrupt an innocent child.” Sam’s voice was pitched low and soothing, but the other angel took a step backwards.

  “You are among the Fallen, you are not to be trusted.”

  “And you think you follow a better path? Ripping a child from the arms of its mother?”

  “Nathanael never said…”

  “No, he never does,” Adam called out, rising and entering the cave. Not to be left behind, I followed, wondering when the unseen signal was given that it was time to leave our hiding place. “How could you let this come to pass, brother?” Adam said sternly.

  “Adamiel, and…” His eyes widened when he recognized me. “It’s you.”

  “Yeah, it’s me.” I stepped into the cave, my eyes on the bundle at first until I realized I recognized the guy. “Hey, I know him. I know you. You were at that angelic jamboree, the meeting out near Seattle, right?” He’d been among the circle of angels I’d met that day.

  “Yes, I am Davael,” he smiled sunnily.

  “It’s real great to see you again, Davy, but I think you have something that belongs to me.” I took a step closer, moving slowly.

  “I can’t allow you to take her.” His face clouded with what looked like genuine regret. “Nathanael was most specific.”

  “Be reasonable, Davael. There are three of us, and only two of you and I think the baby’s actually on our side.” Adam circled around to his other side, advancing slowly. “There’s no way this doesn’t end with my daughter returned to her mother. So how about you hand her over nice and peaceful like so she can continue her nap and maybe I’ll forget about your involvement in this?”

  “I… I…” Davael’s head toggled back and forth as all three of us advanced on him, but I’m the one who lost my patience and broke ranks first. Rushing forward, I delivered a swift boot to his crotch. I was willing to bet he’d never been kicked in the jumblies before, and Davael predictably doubled over, allowing me to pluck Bunny from his arms without a fi
ght. Hey, war is hell. And we were definitely at war. Between God sending the Angel of Death to kill me and then kidnapping my child, we were definitely on opposing sides.

  I heard Adam make a commiserating sound as Davael crumpled to the ground, but mostly I was absorbed in seeing my daughter for the first time. As much as I wanted to pull open the blanket and inspect her all over, I contented myself with gazing into her sweet face, laying a kiss to her soft forehead while her shock of dark hair tickled my nose. So beautiful…

  I became aware of Adam standing by my side, and I shifted my hold on her so he could see her better. “Adam, I would like you to meet your daughter, Eve. Evie, say hello to your daddy.”

  There were no cracks about the name I’d picked, nothing but wonder in Adam’s face as he laid a hand to the top of her head. “We did this. We made her,” he said in amazement.

  “Yep. Whatever you can say about our trainwreck of a relationship, we at least did one thing right,” I sighed, my heart melting when she snuffled in her sleep.

  “As much as I hate to interrupt the family reunion, we should continue it elsewhere. It’s not safe here,” Sam insisted, herding us to the mouth of the cave. Right on cue, Davael wheezed, fighting his way to his knees, giving a curious whistle.

  “He’s right, we’d better get out of here.” Adam’s eyes lost their dreamy cast, hardening as he looked to the mouth of the cave. “Before it’s…”

  “Too late…” Sam echoed as Nathanael descended into the center of the meadow outside, flanked by half a dozen other angels.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “I can’t let you take the child,” Nathanael declared, his brothers fanning out to fill the empty space in the clearing.

  “You’re nuts if you think I’m letting you steal her away from me again.” I shifted my hold on the baby, intent on keeping her close. “Do all your lackeys know that, by the way? That you stole her from me without letting me so much as see her?” I could see from the looks traded among his companions that some of them were a little light on details, and I tried to use that to my advantage. If I could get even one or two of them to switch sides, we stood a much better chance.

  “They know she needs to be protected from corruption, which clearly you three know nothing about.”

  “Look at me and tell me what you see,” I challenged them. “I know you can see I’m not evil or corrupt.” At least I hoped my aura didn’t show signs of any character defects.

  “I see an abomination,” Nathanael spat out. “But your child may yet be saved. Surely you want the best upbringing for her. The babe is not of your world, she belongs with us.”

  “The hell she does,” I growled, rocking her gently as she made a whimpering sound. “She belongs with me.”

  “Enough, we will take the child now.” Nathanael waved his hand forward, but his followers were hesitant to carry through the order until he turned, brows drawn together in a single dark line. “Now,” he ordered.

  “Give it up, boys.” Adam stepped forward, inserting himself between me and the others, his sword materializing with a flick of the wrist. “You know you’re not up to doing what it takes to get her back. We’ll fight to the death to keep her and you guys don’t seriously think you can get past me, do you?”

  “What’s he doing? There are seven of them,” I murmured to Sam who stayed by my side.

  “No, he’s right. None of the angels assembled have met on the field of battle before. They are of a different caste. Powerful, but not skilled in combat.”

  Despite Sam’s assurances, the angels drew their swords, looking no less determined to see things through. Sam summoned his sword as well, and I shifted my hold on Bunny to awkwardly call my sword forth too. I had no idea how I’d go about it, but I’d go down fighting to protect my child.

  “Give me the child and you may yet live,” Nathanael offered. “Should you press your ridiculous fight, I can not make the same guarantee.”

  “I’ll give you ridiculous…” Adam stepped forward to engage the angel closest to him, dispatching him with surprising skill. I realized I’d never seen him fight before, the threat of combat was usually enough for him to get what he wanted. He moved with deadly purpose, easily meeting the clumsier attempts to defend by the inexperienced angels. Sam was no less skilled, and I hung back, holding tight to Eve, hoping no one got past their line of defense.

  A rush of air was my only warning and I whirled to find myself face to face with Nathanael, his sneer chasing away any fear I felt. How dare he look down on me like something he’d stepped in? I hadn’t asked for any of the Grace given to me, and if he or God didn’t like the way things had turned out, then too bad.

  All at once I let the sword go, knowing I couldn’t easily manage it and hold onto Bunny as carefully as a newborn ought to be. Besides, I wasn’t exactly defenseless without it. “Go ahead, come for her. I dare you,” I challenged him boldly.

  Nathanael didn’t draw his sword either, probably finding me too easy of a challenge to need it. Instead he advanced and I let him have it with a blast of Grace right in the solar plexus. He went down to his knees with a groan, face crumpling with dismay and possibly surprise. Instead of waiting for him to get up and try again, I closed the distance between us, laying my hand on his shoulder.

  “No, don’t get up, I think I like you down there,” I insisted, hitting him with another burst of energy point blank. This time he went flat on his back and I followed up with a boot to the throat. “Don’t even think about moving,” I growled, darting a look behind me. Just when I thought we stood a chance, I realized another handful of angels had joined the melee.

  Adam’s arm was cut and bleeding, and Sam moved as if he’d hurt something in his side. I couldn’t let Nathanael go to help them, and besides, could I really bring a baby into a sword fight? Looking down, bright blue eyes caught my attention and the rest of the battle fell away as I exchanged glances with my daughter. “It’s not a good time to be awake, Bunny,” I said softly, stroking her cheek. Her mouth instantly turned towards the touch, and I realized she was probably hungry. Not that I could do anything about it.

  Somehow, Sam and Adam managed to hold their own despite being wounded and the new opponents, and I thought maybe it would be a good time to fly away and hide somewhere to regroup and heal. I opened my mouth to suggest it, only to stifle a cry of dismay when a score of angels filled the sky, descending onto the makeshift battlefield.

  The fighting drew to a halt, my boys falling back to my side protectively. I saw there were few actual casualties as the sides drew apart. Most of the angels were merely wounded or knocked out, but there were a couple of piles of glowing embers, all that remained of the heavenly bodies.

  “Stay behind us,” Adam panted, still retaining enough of his usual good spirits to toss me a playful wink. “We’ll use him for leverage.” He pressed his sword to Nathanael’s neck.

  I could do more than stand behind them. I laid a hand on Adam’s shoulder, sending healing Grace to restore him to full strength. “Thanks, babydoll, I needed that,” he grinned, stealing a kiss when I was done. I offered the same to Sam and all at once his breathing became less hitched and he stood straighter. There wasn’t time to formulate a plan when Gabriel himself stepped forward, placing himself between the two factions.

  I heard Nathanael’s sharp intake of breath and I thought maybe Adam’s sword nicked him, but I realized his attention was wholly focused on the archangel in the clearing, his eyes bulging with fear. And that’s when I understood… the newest batch of angels weren’t there to reinforce Nathanael’s goons, they were there to reinforce us.

  “Let him go.” I pushed Adam’s sword away from Nathanael’s throat, waiting to see what happened next.

  “Let him go, are you nuts?” Adam snorted, but I laid a hand over his, forcing him to let go of his sword.

  “It’ll be alright, I promise.”

  Nathanael bound to his feet, skirting us with a wide berth to approach his superio
r, hands spread wide. “I only sought to keep the child holy.” If Gabriel replied, none of us heard it save Nathanael. Instead the archangel stared him down with the power of his terrible gaze, and Nathanael fell to his knees in abject terror. “No… I beg of you, have mercy. That punishment is too great.” The rest of us watched in fascination as Gabriel meted out his justice.

  Lifting the horn to his lips, Gabriel blew out a long, plaintive note. I knew the sound could carry great distances and would be impossible to ignore for any of the heavenly host. Heck, it made me want to move closer to him and I was only a few feet away. The sound had a profound effect on Bunny though. She wrinkled her face up and screamed bloody murder.

  As I tucked her up against my neck and patted her back soothingly, Gabriel blew his horn again. Angels began to descend, alone and in pairs until the clearing was full of every angel in that part of the world. Gabriel remained still until satisfied there were enough of us to bear witness to the sentence.

  “Please, Gabriel.” Nathanael licked his lips, and I felt a measure of satisfaction in seeing him squirm on the ground like that. “I shall repent, you need not cast me from Heaven.”

  “Talk about the punishment fitting the crime,” Adam smirked, and I saw Sam nod in approval.

  “Can he do that? Kick him out of Heaven?” I whispered and Sam nodded.

  “Oh yes, if he’s been given dispensation by God to cast Nathanael among the Fallen, any archangel may deliver His judgment.”

  “Nice,” I nodded, hiding my smile behind the baby’s blanket as I held her close. Luckily, she settled down as soon as Gabriel quit blowing on his horn.

  Nathanael’s head bowed as he was forced to deliver his own sentence to the crowd assembled. “Let all who gather here bear witness to my shame. I am cast out of His favor, cast out of Heaven, never again to dwell among my brethren. Hereafter I shall seek my shelter among men, joining the Fallen for all eternity.”

  His head lifted and Nathanael met Gabriel’s gaze squarely. “I take full responsibility for my actions and humbly accept His justice. Pray do not judge my brothers as I have been judged. I led them to believe I acted upon His orders, but it was my own selfish desires I sought to fulfill. It was I who sent the Angel of Death to kill the Bringer of Life, and it was I who sought to absent the child from the world. I ask no mercy for myself, and stand ready to accept my fate.”