Page 66 of Rekindled Prophecy

“Well, my dear,” Olivier’s tone was all business, “that’s up to you. I am interested in seeing its fulfillment. And no, I have no reason to believe it entails my demise. If it is what I imagine it to be, it could be the answer to everything I’ve ever imagined.”

“Damn. Can’t blame a girl for dreaming.”

“You, my dear, are simply the means to an end. If anyone can discover the what, why, where, and how, that would be you. From what Lucifer has said, it all lies with you. He believes that our brothers left clues to be found, but only you could find them. Believe me, I’ve looked for millennia.”

Well, that was not very reassuring. Being on Lucifer’s radar terrified her more than anything. It was bad enough being accosted by Olivier.

“The original time for the achievement of the prophecy passed, due to your untimely death. Agents of Heaven and Hell thought that was the end of it, but I knew better.” His smarmy grin grew wider. “However, with the lucky circumstance of your resurrection and the proper alignment of the stars, or something to that effect, it appears the prophecy has been rekindled. So, let’s strike up the band and start this party.”

With any luck, Greylyn hoped to crash that party.

“Just remember, with the power radiating from Kelly and the child, either would serve as a proper substitute if you fail.” Goosebumps erupted over her entire body at his menacing tone.

Her head pulsated again as Olivier leaned in close to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. White-hot pain ricocheted through her skull as if she had been shot at point blank range.

“It’s your job to make sure we don’t have to pull them back in,” every word punctuated with malice.

All this ruckus over a prophecy, and he was not even going to tell her what it was or how she supposedly played into it.

Olivier’s mouth widened into a smug, fearsome-looking smile that did not make her feel any better about the situation. “Oh, one last thing you should know. I can guarantee that you will meet lots of resistance from both Heaven and Hell. Those above have no desire for this event to ever transpire. If the angels are so adamantly against it, things must not bode well for them if this thing comes to pass.” His smile faded. “Surprisingly, there are those in Hell that wish to keep things as they are. Even Lucifer is against seeing the prophecy to fruition.”

“You mean to tell me that Satan himself is against this thing? Man, your chances are not looking so good,” she said with amusement.

“Actually, that means your chances aren’t so good for surviving. It will be your pretty little ass on the line, so I advise you to tread carefully. Lucifer, as well as every angel in Heaven, will be looking to stop you. They did so once. They can do it again. But they should know by now that it is pointless. A prophecy is inevitable.” He stared down at her. “This time we have to be smart. Last time you knew nothing. You were a hapless human with your full potential unrealized. Now, have an advantage. Becoming a guardian angel may have been foretold as well, so maybe we had to suffer that setback to get to where we are.”

All this “we” stuff made bile rise in the back of her throat.

“After your human death, I have done everything in my power to protect those involved, including Kelly and her child. It’s purely for personal, selfish reasons, but then I am a purely selfish being.”

No kidding.

He continued in a stern, guttural voice. “Let me be clear. You are the one chosen thousands of years ago to fulfill this prophecy. You will do so, or I will seek out the young newlywed, soon-to-be mother, or her child as alternatives. They will not be given such preferential treatment as I am giving you now. In addition, the other innocents you seek to save will pay a high price for your refusal or failure to deliver what it is that I want.” He raised his hand again as if to flick his wrist as he had done before when she saw the building explode and then return to normal.

With a pointed look behind him to the derelict apartment building in the center of the demonic siege, he ended with, “It is your choice, Greylyn. I urge you to choose wisely and quickly. My patience runs thin and my soldiers are thirsty for blood.”

With his last statement, a fearsome howl came from the demonic army behind them. He gestured to where Jasper and the humans lay splayed out helpless on the ground. Even passed out on the asphalt, Jasper still had a cocky grin on his face. The same grin he wore all the time, whether he was seducing a room of ladies or lopping off some demonic creature’s head with a machete.

The visual was a much-needed reality check as she fought the primal desire to slit Olivier’s thick throat with her dagger. On second thought, sawing through his spinal cord slowly appealed to her inner sense of vengeance too.

But there was no other choice. She had to buy herself time. If she could keep Kelly and her family safe, it was worth it. To keep Jasper alive, she would give anything. He was her best friend and only person in the world who understood her life. And poor, frightened Sofia and her friends trapped inside the building, Greylyn knew she could not allow Olivier to unleash a demon army on them either.

No longer able to speak, she nodded. This is what personal attachments cost, the same reason she had tried, and obviously failed, to limit them.

With a self-satisfied smile, Olivier barked something to an oversized werewolf-looking creature in a language Greylyn did not understand, and she was fluent in hundreds of dialects. The being nodded his elongated head and turned around to deliver the same message to the rest of the beings circling the building. In an instant and in complete unison, the battalion of grisly creatures retreated, with some vanishing from sight immediately.

Olivier turned back to her with a fearsome glint in his eyes. His styled eyebrows raised. “Oh, I almost forgot. We need to seal our agreement.”

Greylyn did not like the sound of that at all. Frozen in horror, she watched as Olivier stretched out his arm. The index finger of his right hand grew a long pointy fingernail in the span of a couple of seconds. With the razor-sharp nail he carved an unfamiliar symbol into his other palm. A blackish, but glowing liquid oozed out. He then caught her wrist and cut her palm in a swirling motion, like an infinity symbol.

Before she could react, Olivier clasped their bleeding palms together while saying words in another language. What was that? Enochian? Aramaic? Something else? So overcome by the moment, her blood thumping in her eardrums, Greylyn did not hear the words, just a low, guttural mumble.

The intermingling of their blood sent an explosion starting in her hand and then burning up her arm and throughout her body. The painful sensation ended in her heart where the heat flared briefly, then cooled, leaving behind something akin to a lump of coal.

Doubtful that she had made the right decision, but not seeing an alternative, Greylyn accepted her fate with abject terror coursing through her veins. She was now tied to one of the deadliest fallen angels next to Lucifer himself.

Olivier raised her hand to his lips. As they brushed against her skin, he vanished into a thunderous funnel cloud. In a matter of seconds, he was gone.

Chapter 26

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