However, before I could walk over to find out, a low voice hissed at me from the opposite corner of the room, and that whisp of cool air was now a blast of frigid dread slithering down my spine.As I watched a pair of red eyes materialize in the dark, I had to blink a few times.This wasn’t a dream, and Ramiel had said that they’d be coming for Elisabeth in her dreams.He’d said that we would not be battling it out on solid ground.
Luckily, I was on the side of the room closest to Elisabeth’s sleeping form, but I also wasn’t stupid enough to believe that we were both completely safe.After all, this was a fucking demon, and what in the hell did I know about demons?Though I’d re-read The Bible when Ramiel had first appeared as Bodhi, my knowledge was still very limited.I’d done no real research on demons, mostly focusing on angels since that had been Ramiel’s claim.
As the pair of red eyes stared me down, I felt completely inept as that I didn’t even know which demon this was.It could be someone significant or just a random foot soldier, and I didn’t have the education to know which, or to even believe him if he told me who he was.
Finally, he said, “You can easily save her if that is your wish.”
His words immediately made me think of Ramiel’s warning about free will.“How?”
“You for her,” he replied, his voice a dark tenor with a hint of a hiss between his words.“Of course, you’ll have to die, but that is the deal.”
As soon as he said that, it hit me why Elisabeth and Ramiel had refused to enlighten me on their discussion about there being another way to keep her safe.They’d both been aware that my sacrifice would save her, but it was apparent that she had refused to entertain that option, something that shouldn’t surprise me and really didn’t.
I was also very aware that if I went with him, I’d be ignoring Elisabeth’s wishes, and what proof did I have that the demon was even telling me the truth.The stories behind demons were that they weren’t exactly truthful, so maybe my sacrifice wouldn’t change anything.Maybe this was just some sort of ploy to leave Elisabeth unguarded.
“How convenient,” I deadpanned.
Trying another tactic, he said, “Elisheva is too good for you.You are not worthy of what she carries inside her.You are not worthy of knowing such greatness.”
I let out a humorless laugh.“Because you think that I don’t know that?Do you really believe that I don’t know how extraordinary she is?”
“Yet, you will not make the simple decision to save her,” he taunted.
This motherfucker.
I knew that he was trying to bait me, and I also knew why.It was obvious to anyone involved, both Heaven and Hell, that Elisabeth and I were at our strongest when we were together.Now, while she might be refusing to sacrifice me out of some misguided sense of protecting me, I refused to throw myself on the sword because the only way that we could win this thing was to do it together.Somehow, some way, I knew that fact down to the marrow of my bones.I knew that we both had to survive their test in order to set the stage for when Revelations really did happen, and it would be a disservice to God, Elisabeth, and her faith if I let this asshole bait me.
I glanced at Elisabeth’s sleeping form, and I was a bit surprised that she hadn’t woken up already, but I was also very aware of how exhausted she was these days.She worked all day, rarely making it home at a decent hour, then let me violate her until late into the night, so I wasn’t surprised that she was knocked out, especially since neither of us had to work tomorrow.
Looking back at the demon, I asked, “And what proof do I have that you’ll leave her alone if I go with you?”
“This is true,” he agreed condescendingly.“You only have my word, and you’d be a fool to trust my word.Is that what you’re thinking?”
Thinking about all that I’d learn these past few weeks, I said, “Even if you succeed in taking Elisabeth, you’ll never be able to harness what it is that makes her so unique.Your evilness would kill it in an instant.”
“Which would be fine,” he replied smoothly.“As long as neither side has it, then it levels the playing field between us and them.”
That didn’t make any sense to me, given what I knew.“But God would never let you have her,” I argued.“Since He can do anything, He can surely save her.”
He let out a sinister laugh.“You humans really are clueless.”
“Meaning?”I bit out.
“Meaning that you take your free will for granted like nothing that we’ve ever seen,” he explained.“While it is true that anything is possible with God, he’s given you a gift that you continue to throw back in His face.Yes, He is able to save Elisheva if He wants.However, like everything else, He waits for her to go to Him.He waits for her tochooseHim.”
“You say that like you know His wants, and we both know that you don’t,” I spat.“Do not try to play mind games with me because it won’t work.”
“And you say that as if His wants are so hard to figure out,” he replied evenly.“After all, are they all not listed in The Good Book?Are they not written in stone?”
Just then, Elisabeth’s body twitched, and she let out a low moan, and when the demon began laughing earnestly, that’s when I knew.Whoever this demon was, he had purposely woken me to leave Elisabeth on her own, unprotected.Only when I was asleep was she able to pull me in with her, and he’d been sent to distract me while they came for her.
“Lazarus, it’s been a pleasure,” he hissed before disappearing right before my eyes.
As soon as he was gone, I dropped to my knees, then tried to shake Elisabeth awake.“Baby, wake up,” I begged as I shook her sleeping frame.“Elisabeth, listen to me...wake up.Please, wake up.”
My heart dropped as she didn’t wake up, no matter how hard I shook her, and I had no idea how I was going to fall asleep when my entire being felt like it was going into a panic that I’d never recover from.Elisabeth was in there all alone because I’d been too stupid and arrogant to see the bigger picture.Elisabeth was on her own because I still couldn’t grasp that this was real.Yeah, I’d been more than willing to accept the mental logistics of the situation, but I still hadn’t accepted that this was aspiritualbattle that had no rules; I’d still been looking at this like a human.
Jumping to my feet, I raced towards the bathroom, then practically ripped the medicine cabinet off the wall as I looked for some sleeping pills, Nyquil...anything to put me under.Since I didn’t know how the human psyche worked when it came to dreams, I had no idea how long I’d left Elisabeth alone while dealing with that damn demon.
