Page 32 of Rekindled Prophecy

It took a few minutes, but he came back with the information she needed. Interstate 66 towards Washington, DC soared by as he related his theory.

“There isn’t a lot of lore regarding humans becoming guardian angels and most of what has been published is malarkey. Unless, you are hiding an amazing set of wings, can fly, and land on someone’s shoulder to whisper in their ears, then no one past or present has a clue about your kind.”

Greylyn giggled. Yes, that was a common misconception. “I also don’t carry a magic wand and turn pumpkins into carriages or anything like that. Although, I could probably make a lot of money if I did.”

Thomas ignored her. “And there is less known about dark guardians. Until you told me about Kael, I had never heard of them either. In hindsight it makes sense there would be the good angel on one shoulder and the bad devil on the other shoulder vying for a person’s attention to make the right or wrong decisions. I researched everything I could on dark guardians but found close to nothing.”

“Sparky, you’re rambling here. What’s your point?” Her earlier impatience had only sharpened.

“The one prevailing thought is that guardians are chosen long before they are born. Now, whether or not the person becomes a guardian for good or evil depends on a lot of factors both before and after the birth.” He continued, “Both sides are aware of who is chosen and seek to influence them from the beginning.” He took a long, drawn out breath. “At least that’s the theory.”

“What does this have to do with Kelly and her child?” Greylyn swerved around a particularly slow tractor trailer, almost colliding with a large silver-maned animal that sprinted off a split second before the Camaro would have struck it. “Dammit!”

He uttered an exasperated sigh. “The childmaybe destined to be a guardian. Perhaps Hell found a way to identify potential guardians in vitro and they’ve zeroed in on this one?” He paused, waiting for the words to sink in. The headlights coming towards her became starbursts as the ramifications of what Thomas said swirled in her mind.

Well, that could explain Kael’s interest in Kelly and possibly her unborn child. Getting in a little early to influence a potential guardian though. The kid was not even born yet. Regardless, there was no way Greylyn would allow him near the child. If she finally had to destroy Kael to protect the baby, she would.

“Well, Doctor Moorefield, how do we stop the bad guy?” How did one protect an unborn child from the devil? Even if she managed to defeat Kael, there would be more dark guardians in his wake eager to take up the challenge.

“I’d imagine…” Thomas paused as his brain ran through all the possible scenarios to land on the most logical. “To begin with, the child needs to be blessed while still in the womb. Later, baptized or otherwise dedicated in their faith while still an infant. It is tricky to get the blessing right, though, so it holds up against the hosts of Hell. This should work at least until the child reaches maturity as long as the parents teach the kid right from wrong, basic moral principles, and aren’t satanic worshippers … they aren’t, are they?”

“No. Absolutely not. The poor woman feels so much guilt for visiting a psychic in the first place due to her religious upbringing. I don’t think that is something we need to worry about.”

Greylyn did not want to think about what could happen once the child reached the age of maturity. No amount of angelic protection could prevent an adult from making a catastrophic bad decision. As a guardian, she could only offer advice and try to sway humans to choose the right path, but nothing was guaranteed. Free will and all.

Thomas cleared his throat. “If this psychic is legit and truly blessed the child, that’s a good start. But if the blessing was not really a blessing but an evil incantation, then it is going to be much harder to protect the child. ThinkRosemary’s Baby.” A shiver ran through Greylyn’s body. That would indeed be bad, unbelievably bad.

“Worse yet, the psychic could have intended good blessings and protection for the child, but if she didn’t know what she was doing, it could have the opposite effect or unintended consequences.”

That was exactly what Greylyn feared. It was the very reason her stomach was knotted so painfully and the nerve under her left eye throbbed.

In a worried tone, he continued, “Not just simple protection spells either. Specific ones: otherwise, the whole effort would be wasted.”

If Hell were already interested in Kelly or her child, even the smallest weakness could be exploited for their gain. They needed a little amped-up angelic protection.

“What if it’s not the baby at all, but Kelly they are after?” Despite all the horrors Kael had committed over the centuries, Greylyn found it difficult to believe he would target a child.

“Well, that’s a bit different. Obviously, the blessings cover Kelly as well, but she’s an adult. From what you’ve told me, she may not be squeaky clean. That would not explain Kael’s interest right now though, unless …”

That pause scared her because she knew what it meant. “… unless she’s about to die.”

Well, I will have to make sure that does not happen.

Hanging up the phone, she glanced down at the speedometer. 110 miles per hour! It was a good thing she had already placed a glamour on the car as she raced undetected by police scanners.

The miles passed quickly as the city lights came into view. At this time of night, even the nation’s capital seemed like a ghost town. As her Camaro passed over the Roosevelt Bridge, on the right was the famous Kennedy Center, submerged in darkness. There were still a few bars and restaurants open, but otherwise, the streets were deserted.

Pale moonlight cast an eerie glow over familiar monuments. A few blocks up, she made a sharp turn onto 14thStreet and ran more than a few red lights. Again, she was grateful for the cloaking glamour as the speed and red-light cameras were placed at every intersection of the city. Thankfully, her car would not show up on their video footage. Speeding along, she guided the car towards U Street.

A few blocks away from her intended destination she parked at the side of the street, sandwiched between a dilapidated flower delivery truck and a rusted-out coupe with the driver’s side window shattered. It was the closest she dared in case there were any surprises waiting for her. She would walk the rest of the way. The streets were vacant, at least of humans. The only sound was a vehicle’s theft alarm in the distance.

Nearing the address, she took to the shadows to veil her approach. She regretted not changing into darker clothes for camouflage. Her pale pink tank top seemed to glow in the inky black night.

In her experience, the homes of psychics – or mediums, or whatever they liked to be called – were surrounded by spirits vying for attention. Those that truly hadthe giftgave off an inviting glow in the spirit world that attracted beings from hundreds of miles away. These always included evil spirits. She needed to avoid those at all costs. If the psychic was a fraud, the coast should be completely clear.

Her game plan was simple: get in and back out quickly. As she rounded the corner, she saw the building and, as expected, shadows and spirits on all sides. To most, the scene would appear to be nothing more than an old red brick building in the heart of a rundown neighborhood. Stray newspapers blew across the street on a brisk breeze. A streetlamp buzzed with electricity. But something was missing…no sounds of organic life, not even the chirping of crickets or a lone dog barking to warn of her approach.

What Greylyn saw stopped her heart mid-beat. A nearly black, ominous grouping of clouds blocked her path. Grotesque forms were silhouetted in the dense fog. Such a crowd of evil entities was disturbing. Some she could chalk up to the normal spirits attracted to the energy the psychic emitted. But there was no denying that there were a lot of sinister spirits intermingled with the rest, along with demons in more corporeal forms. Getting past that mass was not only dangerous, but close to suicide.

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