Page 14 of Unshakable

Chapter Five

Henri wasted no timeallowing the Fallen to see him, as if by accident. His pulse raced as he strode past the motel office, plastic ice bucket in hand, and visited a barren vending area.

Not looking, not seeing this being and his nasty, churning aura rated among the hardest things he’d ever done. His angelic side felt every chaotic vibration, and every thread of energy coursing through him screamed to look at the Fallen Angel.

He considered this inborn response an early-warning system.

Skin prickling, he filled his bucket with cubes of ice he didn’t intend to use, then hurried back to his room, looking too preoccupied with the ice he’d collected to notice anything else around him.

The energy shifted, a bolt of attention zipping up his spine. He’d been spotted, known, and that’s all he needed to get the fish on the hook.

In all his days on earth, he’d seen many things. War, poverty, abuse of power, and extermination, both on a small and grand scale. Much of this destruction perpetrated and cheered on by beings like the one he reeled in, carried out by both knowing and unsuspecting humans in search of something elusive.

In search of anything meaningful, like Sam.

As he pulled the blinds on his room, he took a deep breath. He might not live through the night, a risk he willingly took in hopes of keeping a near-stranger and her family safe. Nothing he could physically do would stop the Fallen if he deemed death an appropriate response to his appearance.

What did he think he was doing, playing cat and mouse? Was he softening in his old age? Falling for a set of big, sad eyes, and a quirky genealogy? An unlucky girl with a torrid tale of love and loss?

He didn’t think so. Something more, something larger and intangible, prompted him to make these moves. Knowing the danger and accepting the risk gave him a thrill he missed, but with more to consider than himself, he took smaller, safer steps.

Sitting down at the little desk, Henri pulled out his laptop and tapped out a document for his son to find, if the horrific happened here.

Dear Samshiel,

If you are reading this letter, the unthinkable has happened and I am no longer a part of this physical world. I know you care little for the mechanizations of the half-life we live, but you need to know the following things.

First, I came to Louisiana because I overheard a conversation not meant for my ears and wanted to help the person or persons targeted. My intentions were genuine, nothing more. I did not know any of the actors in this play beforehand.

Second, you are my sole heir and as such will gain access to things you did not know existed, well beyond the limits you currently assume. Do not be wasteful with these gifts. Material blessings can do much good in a cruel world or create hell on earth. Strive for the former. If I have made things secret, keep them so.

Third, we reincarnate, which you know. What you may not know is we do not reincarnate if the heart is removed from the body. You know to cremate my remains, as stated in my will. If my heart has been removed, take this as a sign of animosity. Someone who knew my deepest secret took my life and ended my cycle.

And finally, I love you. You are my only child, and I loved your mother deeply. I’ve recently been reminded of how much. My biggest regret is you not knowing her. I pray you discover yourself and your purpose, and I hope I will be there to witness all you can do and become.

With love,

Your Father

Henri stopped short of printing the letter, addressing an envelope and buying a stamp. Trusting his instincts brought him through many hardships and this might be no different. Why alarm Sam if nothing happened? No harm, no foul.

Or this encounter might change everything, in which case Sam would be smart enough to know to look for something, anything, he’d left behind.

Or so Henri hoped.

Henri turned on the television for noise while he packed his suitcase. He didn’t know why this devil held an interest in a genteel family. He couldn’t hope to overcome any Fallen Angel with force. Instead of brute force, he would have to out-think and out-maneuver his enemy.

And those things, he did well.

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