Guardian of the Sacred Fire Ch. 09-Final

"What the hell?" I heard my mother yell. She came running into my old bedroom with a shot gun. I lifted myself up and watched as she dropped the gun and her jaw drop.

"Is it really you?" She asked quietly and came up to me.

"Yes mama." I said and hugged her. She had never hugged me so tight I think. She was a petite woman. Always had been my entire life. I took after my father on the weight but I was exactly my mom's height. I saw my step dad come into the room with his rifle pointed and he lowered it. My step dad had been there for me since I was 17. He took me in after I moved out of my father's. I had called him dad ever since. You know that saying: "anyone can be a father but it takes a real man to be a dad"-yeah that was my step dad. We went out into the living room and I saw a baby in a bassinet.

"Is this my niece?" I asked.

"Sure is. Her name is Elizabeth Rose. I'm babysitting for Kaleb and his wife."

I picked up the baby and she smiled up at me. She had my brother's green eyes. I put her back down and looked at my mother.

"Where have you been? We all thought-." She couldn't finish the sentence.

"I want you to keep this a secret okay?" I asked and looked up at Oriel. He nodded. "The rest of the family can't know that I'm alive."

"Why?" She asked.

"You're going to think I'm completely insane." I muttered and took her hand. We went out into her back yard that was surrounded by a security fence. I brought my fire to engulf me and my mother's jaw dropped.

"I am the Guardian of the Sacred Fire, a warrior for God. I was called forth to protect humanity from an evil that is awakening." I said. I didn't want to scare her completely by saying it was the devil. My mother wasn't very religious but she did believe in God.

"And him?" She asked and motioned toward Oriel. My dad was eyeing him like he shouldn't be trusted with Elizabeth cooing in his arms.

"He protects me until it is time that I'm needed." I said. I suddenly noticed that Oriel's skin was a human shade as was his hair. He didn't look like he was dripped in gold. I drew back the fire into wherever it went.

My mother gasped and dropped to her knees. I went to her and got to my knees as well. "Before you were born I had a dream. I dreamt of a great angel. I can still remember what he looks like. He had long black hair and eyes like the silver moon." She said quietly. I glanced up at Oriel. "He said that I would have a daughter that was going to save mankind. I thought it was just a dream, I didn't think much about it. I remember there was fire, lots of fire. It was more of a nightmare. So much death and decay. I saw a woman shrouded in a blue fire fighting a man. Is that woman you?" she said and looked into my eyes.

I nodded. "Yes mama, that woman is me." I said and held out my hand. I called the blue fire into my palm. It wouldn't last long. It always used so much energy to call the Sacred Fire.

"We have to go Anna." Oriel said quietly.

I helped my mother to her feet and she hugged me again. "Will I get to see you again?" She asked.

"I don't know." I answered truthfully.

She nodded and started to cry. I hated it when my mother cried. It always made me cry. "I knew you weren't dead." She whispered. "My baby girl is too strong for that."

I laughed through the tears. "Remember you can't tell anyone." I said as we went back inside.

"I won't." She said. I went to my dad and hugged him as well.

"Be safe." He told me. That was his way of saying "I love you." We had the kind of relationship we didn't have to say it. We both knew we loved each other. He looked at Oriel.

"You her boyfriend?" He asked.

"No sir." He answered. "Like she said, I protect her."

"How far are you willing to go for her?" my dad asked.

"It is my duty to protect her, and that means my life is forfeit if need be."

"What does that mean?" My mom asked.

"It means he's willing to die for me." I answered and looked at Oriel's now brown eyes. He looked back at me. There was some feelings there.

"We have to go now." He said quietly and we headed back to my old bedroom. The surface was rippling still as I hugged my mom one last time.

"I love you Anna. Until you have children you can't comprehend that love." She said.

"I love you too mama." I said.

Oriel took my hand and stepped through the mirror. The same feeling of floating and then falling and we were back in Oriel's room on the island.

Midael was sitting in a chair waiting for us. His hands were in fists and he stood up once we landed on the floor. Oriel caught me from falling this time.

"You both have endangered us all!" He yelled.

"It wasn't fair keeping Anna from her mother like that." Oriel said.

"It was the safest thing!" Midael said and went to the now golden man.

"I'm glad he did it." I said.

"At what cost Anna?" Midael said and stared down at me. I had never seen such anger in his eyes. I had grown to love the man and my feeling didn't change now that he was beyond pissed.

"Training at dawn." He said and walked out of the room.

I didn't argue with him. I couldn't. But I didn't understand how a short trip to see my mom had endangered us. In my own way I was mad. I looked up at Oriel who still held on to me like I would fall.

"I don't have the words to tell you how thankful I am." I said.

"You're welcome." He said and slowly released me.

I went back to my room and I was alone. I usually had someone come into my room, be it Asherah, Adrian, Beast, or Midael. Tonight I had no one. I suddenly wanted someone there.

I left my room and went to the kitchen. A bottle of whiskey was sitting on the table with a note in front of it.

"You'll want it." Was all it said. I opened the bottle and took a swig and sputtered at the burn. I took another swig and the burn wasn't as bad.

I had drank over half the bottle and was completely numb to the burn when I left the kitchen. I held on to the wall for support as the world around me wanted to move. You know you're drunk when the walls move by themselves. My whole body was numb. My uncle had once told me, "You know you're drunk when you can't feel your nose." Well what is it when you can't feel your entire body? Slammed. I walked into the parlor and went to the always burning fire. Bernael had sat in a chair and didn't move. He was watching me I know but he didn't make a move towards me. I tried to sit down but more fell on my ass than anything. I took another swig and stared at the fire. It wasn't hot to me. I reached my hand out to it and felt nothing.

"Berneel, why don' it hurr?" my speech was slurred.

"Because you are fire, the fire reacts to how you want it to."

"What if I want it to hurt?" I asked and suddenly the fire got hot. "Ow." I said and backed up a little.

"There you go." He answered.

I lied down and stared up at the ceiling. I glanced over at the clock and I think it read past midnight. I wasn't too sure.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." Bernael said and got up. He walked over to me and helped me to my feet. "My goodness Anna, how much did you drink?" He asked as I stumbled.

"It was full." I said and showed him the almost empty bottle.

"Damn woman. Most human women can't handle that much straight without puking."

"I'm an American from the south. Most of us can hold our liquor." I said. At least that what I hope I said because he sighed and lifted me up in his arms.

We were met at the stairs by Midael.

"Hi honey." I said. I was usually a happy-funny drunk. I was attempting to be funny now. He just grimaced at me. He took me from Bernael and thanked him. We went up the stairs I just held on to Midael and the bottle of whiskey.

He put me in my bed and I went to open the bottle for another drink. Midael took it from me. "I think you've had enough." He said and put the bottle on my night stand.

"I've only had enough when I pass out." I said and went for the bottle again and that was the last thing I remembered.

Sunlight and my pounding head woke me the next morning. I had cotton mouth like a son of a bitch and got up and went to the bathroom. I grabbed a glass that I usually kept in there and grabbed a bottle of Tylenol. I took two and drank down a whole glass of water and then brushed my teeth. I went back out and collapsed on my bed. I turned my head and saw Midael sleeping in a chair with his feet propped up on the bed. I watched his breathing to make sure he was truly asleep. It was deep and even. What the hell did I do last night? I saw the now empty bottle of whiskey on my night stand. Did I finish it off? I got up and sat in Midael's lap. He wrapped his arms around me and sighed.

"Please tell me I wasn't completely stupid last night."

"Do you want me to lie or tell the truth?" he asked.

"Truth." I answered.

"You were a complete idiot. But I got to learn some things about you that I never knew."

"Oh god no." I said and hid my face against his neck. "Like what?"

"That you long to be a mother, you wished to finish school, and that you can't cook worth a damn but you can bake. A few more things but I'd like to keep those to myself."

"Please tell me." I said.

"What do I get in return?"

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Well since you're too hung-over sex is a no." He said with a smile. "How about you promise me not to go anywhere without me."

"I can't promise you that." I answered.

"And why not?"

"Well I don't exactly want you seeing me go to the bathroom."

"You know what I mean Anna." He said suddenly serious.

"Fine. I promise." I said.

"You want Oriel to become one of your Sentinels. Even though you can only have one. I am not technically bound to you as a Sentinel Anna. I protect you out of my will alone." He said. "You also think you are going to have to give up your life during the battle against Lucifel. Why is that?"

"How can you win against the devil?" I answered and moved off him.

"So you've already given up? He said to me.

"No, I will fight until the end, but I don't see me living through it." I answered.

"And that is why you will be killed. You can't go into war thinking like that Anna. What were you thinking when we shared the dream? You slaughtered those demons. Don't tell me you were thinking you were going to be killed."

"I don't know what I was thinking, it just happened." I answered. "I was thrown into the situation and I didn't know how to react. So I reacted how I was taught by my father. Don't let them take you down, take down as many as you can."

"Smart man."

"In war he was smart, as a father he was not." I answered.

"Why is that?"

"I didn't have the greatest childhoods." I answered.

"You want to talk about it?" He asked.

"Not really." I answered. "But I know you will pester me until I tell you." I watched him look at me. His eyes studied my face. "I didn't go hungry or live under a bridge or things like that. He never beat me. It was the words that hurt. Sometimes I wish I was beaten instead of some of the things he and my step mother told me.

"Words are a powerful thing." He said.

"Telling it to you makes me feel stupid. You've been through so many millennia that my life span is just a blink for you."

"No, it's not stupid. At such a young age you shouldn't be so jaded."

"I'm not jaded, not yet at least." I said and got up. "I made a promise to myself that when I become a mother none of those words will ever leave my mouth." I went to my dresser and pulled out clothes. I put them on quietly and went to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth again; I could still taste the whiskey on my breath. When I walked out Midael was gone.

Chapter Fourteen: The Land of Faerie

I walked out to the arena. Rhea and Anemoi were sparring with swords. Asherah was practicing her manipulation over water. It was something that I couldn't do. I could only control the fire that came from me, but any other fire I couldn't. It was a weakness to me. Cedar told me Anemoi couldn't control wind, only the wind that came from her body. Good to know I wasn't the only one.

Cedar was leaving to go back to his home. Midael had convinced him that his sister was safe with Beast. I thought it was a good idea as well. One less person to have to protect if things go bad here. He was a human with no powers, just a brother protecting his sister.

I went up to Asherah and was doused with water when I accidentally startled her.

"Sorry." She said.

"It's fine." I said and watched as she was making separate spheres of water float in the air. Her task was to try and turn them to ice.

"Ice is a different element." She said as she gritted her teeth.

"No, ice is just frozen water. Try to control the temperature of the water." I said.

"Easier said." She said quietly. I did notice when she was concentrating too hard she cussed like a sailor under her breath. I never said a word to her about it. I knew a ten year old shouldn't cuss, but when I was ten, I cussed like a sailor when I was alone. What ten year old didn't? I had toned it down as I grew up but I still had my faults.

Adrian came up to me, he laid a kiss on my temple and handed me a sword.

"Teach me oh wise one." He said to me. I had surpassed him in swordsmanship along with many of the others except Midael. He could still knock me off my feet.

"I want to try something else. Why use swords when there are guns, why not take them out at a distance and take out the risk of being wounded early?" I asked.

"Midael wouldn't go for it."

"Wouldn't go for what?" Midael asked and came up to us.

"Guns." I said and told him what I just told Adrian.

"Bullets don't take down demons, I have seen it." He said.

"What about blessed bullets?" I asked.

"Blessed?"

"Melt down crosses; soak them in holy water-whatever to make them blessed."

"I never thought of that." He said.

"Ever watch modern movies?" I asked.

"I don't like television." He answered.

"Don't like TV?" Rhea asked in surprise.

"Well for an invention that's only been around for less than a hundred years, I never really watched it." He answered.

"But how do you keep up with the world?" Anemoi asked.

"If it doesn't involve me or mine it doesn't matter." Midael answered.

"So what do you do in your free time?" I asked.

"I read. There are so many books that can take you to other worlds that I would never have dreamed of."

"I hear ya on that." I said.

"I will get to work on the bullets. But how do we test the theory?" He asked.

"Well it looks like we're going to have to capture us a demon." I answered.

"I can do that." Oriel said. "I can summon a lesser demon, but I will need someone to be bait so he or she will answer the call."

"What kind of bait?" I asked.

"The promise of sex, blood, and power. They prefer someone powerful." He said and his eyes glanced to Asherah.

"Oh hell no!" I said.

"Why can't I do it Anna?" she asked.

"Because you're too young." I answered

"But I'm not too young to fight the devil?" She retorted.

That shut me up. She did have a point. "Fine." I said, but as long as Midael and Bernael are there for protection, Permaz as well." I said.

"Aye." Permaz said.

"What about me?" Adrian asked.

"You're not immortal." I answered. "If something happens, they can heal it. We don't know your limits and I don't want to lose someone I love over a theory that might not even work."

"What if it doesn't work?" Anemoi asked. "What will we do with the demon? We can't just set it free."

"We'll kill it." Bernael said walking up. His skin glinted in the sunlight. He was more than just obsidian black; he had shades of blue and purple in his skin.

"I'll get started then." Midael said.

"Do we even have a gun here?" I asked.

"I have one." Rhea said. "Don't judge me. I'm not always touching natural earth." She said as we all gave her a look of surprise.

"I will need it so I know what millimeter of bullets to make."

"It's a Smith and Wesson .9mm." She answered.

"How many rounds?"

"17 plus one in the chamber."

"Anyone else know how to shoot?" Midael asked.

I watched the others shake their heads. They looked at me. "Don't look at me, my father taught me how to protect myself, not how to shoot." I said.

"So you can't actually do something?" Rhea said. "I was given Americans from the south can do pretty much anything."

"I can't knit or crochet. I also can't cook chicken."

"Chicken?" Adrian said and cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm too impatient and you have to cook chicken thoroughly."

"I see." He said with a smile.

"I will need your gun Rhea." Midael said and I watched the two walk off together. I had a sudden pang of anger when I saw that she put her hand on the small of his back.

Adrian came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

"I heard you got pretty slammed last night." He said.

"You heard correctly." I answered.

"Anna, may I talk to you privately?" Oriel asked.

I nodded and followed Oriel to the mansion leaving the others behind. I will be honest; I watched the golden man's ass along the way. I had to say he had the nicest one here. I followed him to the kitchen where it was absolutely quiet. I didn't know if any of the faeries were there or not. I sat on the table and grabbed an apple. I tossed it in the air a couple of times and watched Oriel cross the room. He opened a cabinet door and I saw something that amazed me. It wasn't a cabinet like I thought it was. It was another part of the mansion not ever seen. I set the apple down and hopped off the table and went to the cabinet. The difference with this was there were flowers and grass growing from the floor. The walls had been overrun with vines and a large tree grew at the end of the hall.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's where my people that work here sleep during the day." He answered. He took my hand and we went inside the cabinet. He closed and locked the door behind us.

"Only Bernael knows about this place." Oriel said.

"Why are you showing me this?"

"You didn't shy away from Drop. You treated her with kindness and respect. Most others treat them like children and play things. Drop wanted to welcome you here." He answered.

"Where is she?"

"They're sleeping for now in the Tree of Peace." He answered and motioned towards the tree at the end of the hall.

He led me a little ways down the hall. It was fairly long for a hall. It was larger than it appeared. "If you are not welcomed personally by a faerie, this hallway can become a nightmare. You would die of thirst before you ever reached the tree."

"But you said-."

"She hasn't welcomed you yet." He answered and led me into a bedroom. My heart was hammering for some reason. I was starting to become scared and I didn't know why.

"Why are we here then?" I asked. He closed the door behind us as I moved across the room to the other side of the room. The room was exactly the same as the ones upstairs but this had no windows and the lights seemed to be glowing blue orbs in the vine covered ceiling. "Is this another realm?" I asked.

"You're very smart Anna." He said and came towards me. I backed completely against the wall and I squealed as the vines moved behind me. I moved away quickly and looked back at the wall. The vines were reaching out towards me and I squealed again. Oriel grabbed my arms and I moved my head up to see his face.

He lowered his face towards mine and jerked away from him. I stumbled back into the wall and the vines didn't hesitate this time. They wrapped around my waist and arms. I fought at them and they strained tighter.

"Don't fight it Anastasia." Oriel said. "They will break you if you do." The vines moved on the other side and I saw skeletons of small faeries and animals as well as one human sized one. I screamed.

Oriel clasped his hand over my mouth with a motion I couldn't follow. Tears started to burn my eyes as Oriel went to his knees in front of me. He lifted my shirt and kissed my stomach.