Chapter 4

I looked over at Uri unfolding myself from his arms. I had spent the night with him and in the morning it seemed as though it was all just a dream. I felt I had awoken from some fantasy but as my eyes opened I saw him there. My angel. The angel Uriel.

“You going to just stare at me or you going to give me a good morning kiss?” he asked.

“Not with morning breath.”

“I don't mind your breath.”

“I'm talking about yours,” I replied before putting on a smirk.

Uri looked over at me. A smile spread from across his face. I knew it was coming even before it did. I knew he was going to pull me in but he didn't just do that. He grabbed my arms and pinned them over my head. He separated my legs with his strong muscular thighs. He faced me with his beautiful dark intense features. His eyebrows were so distinct and full. They bent over and glared at me...gazing past me in the morning.

Then he kissed me. Full mouth. Full breath. It wasn't bad at all. I loved every moment of it and when he was done taking me at that moment he stared back down.

Satisfied.

“I'm going to have to learn to tame you,” Uri replied staring back at me, “Dick isn't enough to tame someone like Michael. I'm going to have to capture something else. Something right there...”

He touched my heart. His hand pressed up against it. I wondered how he would respond if he knew this whole time it was his. From the very first moment I met him it was his. I had admitted to the love but did he remember. Did he think it was just a ploy to keep him? Did he know it was real?

“You can do that if you'd like,” I told him, “We can stay in this room and you can tame me. You know that?”

“I wish we could...”

“Why can't we?” I asked.

Uri moved away from me. His features were so dark and so tender. The look on his face seemed to say it all. Beauty. Beauty in the best form of it. He was amazing. As he sat on the other end of the bed the sunlight trickled onto his slim chest.

“There is a war out there. We're warriors. That's just how it is.”

“And what if I lose you?”

Uri looked over at me, “Is that what you are scared of? You scared that I may get killed?”

“Is that so hard to believe?” I asked.

Uri shook his head, “I won't die. You see what I just came back from.”

“There are other ways to lose someone.”

My eyes looked away as I said it. It was the only way that I could say what I was thinking. I wondered if he had it on his mind too. I'd lost him. I'd lost him to Gabriel before. Now she was back in my life and the distinct shadow of what she meant loomed over me.

Uri looked over at me. He seemed to have the same silence.

“She held me down when you were away,” Uri replied.

I could feel my heart getting heavy. This was exactly what I didn't want to hear.

“I know.”

“Still. I always was honest with her about how I felt about you,” Uri responded, “I got a connection with you. A real connection. And I plan on letting her know. She'll have to know everything.”

He nodded and looked outside of the window taken again by his own thoughts. I didn't mind that he seemed to be stuck in his thoughts. It gave me time to gaze at him. The power and magnificence that he represented seemed so real. It was almost as though someone had found him from some place far away and brought him here just for me.

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Ariel could feel it coming before the others could. She locked herself up in her room at that moment. There were so many personal issues going on in the household.

She could feel it in her. The darkness. The demon. It was growing daily.

“Ariel. Ariel are you ok?” a voice said at the door knocking.

It was Raphael. The others had been taking time to come visit her. They were checking on her. This thing in her stomach it was unnatural.

Antichrist.

“I'm fine,” she replied.

The angels had come out of heaven to tell her what she was giving birth to. The Antichrist. The vessel that Lucifer himself would enter the world in. Ariel knew this and she had run away from the others. She had all intentions in killing this child.

Every time she got close to doing it though something about it though it seemed that she couldn't. But she knew this was different. The angels of heaven didn't come to Earth unless they had to. The fact that she was visited by an Archangel meant a lot to her. It was the archangel Michael that had come to her in her dreams. He warned her that this baby would be the vessel of potent evil. He warned her that she needed to get rid of this child before anyone else could.

She couldn't let this evil in this world.

But now it was too late. It was much too late.

Or was it?

“Ariel. Why don't you come down?” Raphael asked, “Cham wanted everyone to meet up.”

Ariel went to the window of her mansion at that moment. She looked outside at the window. She could jump. She could jump and kill both herself and the baby. That was the best way to do it. She had a duty. She was an angel. She had a duty to this world.

She looked back over to the door where Raphael was addressing her, “I'm really not feeling well right now...”

She opened up the window.

And just as she opened it up the window came CLASHING back down.

Something had moved it. Something seemed to know her will. Something seemed to know her intention. Something seemed to be aware of it. She knew it was the baby in her stomach. The baby was doing this. The baby was preventing any harm.

Her heart raced as she fell to the floor defeated. She'd been so alone. The animals that had kept her company wouldn't come near her any longer. The other angels seemed so concerned with their own issues that she couldn't bother them with this task.

She knew it was coming.

He was coming and there was nothing she could do to stop him.

The only issue was a matter of when.

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“Do we all really have to be here?” I asked confused.

We were called down to the dining room. Uri and I were the first to arrive to see Cham sitting at the head of the table. Cham didn't look like himself. Usually he greeted us with a smile or something warm. This time it was different. This time Cham didn't smile.

“This is important,” Cham replied.

“It's cool. We'll stay,” Uri stated and at that moment pulled out a chair. He wasn't pulling it out for himself. He was pulling it out for me.

As I sat down I realized Uri took the seat right next to me. What happened next surprised even me. In the next moment Uri grabbed my hand. He held it...above the table. Cham must have noticed it as well. His surprise trumped mine. His eyebrow raised at that moment as he glared at us.

I couldn't help but to get warm butterflies in my stomach. He wasn't hiding me. No. It wasn't even close to that. The fact that Uri was holding my hand above the table seemed to mean the world to me.

“Guys can we not do this right now?” Cham asked.

“Not do what?” Uri asked.

“You know what I'm talking about,” Cham replied, “Look. You know I'm usually down for whatever you guys got going on but I can't do the personal drama right now. This is a war meeting.”

Uri removed his hand from mine, “Just out of respect for you.”

Uri was saying out of respect for Cham but a part of me was holding back out of respect for Uri. If Uri wanted to hold my hand then he had the right to do so. I bit my tongue though. I was learning to do that. I knew I wasn't the most well liked in the group. Maybe it was because I was never really happy with myself. Now was the first time I had a true opportunity to be happy. I wasn't going to lose that conversation over my pride.

So I bared it and braced myself...even when the others started to walk in the room. Raphael came in first. He sat a little away from the rest of us as though feeling out of place with Uri and I at the table. He didn't necessarily give us any eye contact.

Gabby was the opposite. When she walked into the room she seemed to look directly on Uri and I. Her eyes glared at the fact that we were sitting at this dining room table next to each other. Even though Uri wasn't holding my hand right now it didn't matter to her.

“What do we have here?” she asked.

Her voice was cold, blunt and very Gabby-like. She seemed to almost immediately want to start an argument about this situation. I struggled to bear it.

“Gabby not now...” Cham stated.

Gabby crossed her arms. She had this evil little smirk on her face that made me want to reach over and smack the shit out of her. She was glaring at Uri. She was fucking glaring at him and I hated it. She was wtrying to intimidate him. That was what she was good at though. That was her style. Intimidation was her best method.

Uri seemed to be trying her best to ignore her. He shouldn't of had to though.

“What the fuck are we doing here?” Gabby asked, “This room is making me sick right about now...”

“You aren't the only one,” I replied.

I was trying not to go at Gabby but if she wanted to act like a bitch I had to let her know that I was a bigger bitch. Uri probably wouldn't want to lower himself to her petty ass level but I was going to do it if she came at him in a disrespectful manner. It was clear that was what she was attempting to do as well. I could see it from the crazy look on her face.

Our eyes were connecting.

Raphael was the one who seemed to ease the tension at that moment, “Cham can we get this over with.”

The tension in the room was so thick that you could cut a knife in it. Uri was quiet ticking his hand steadily on the table. Raphael wasn't making eye contact with anyone except Cham. Gabby and I were sending death stares at one another. I was sure Raphael and Gabby weren't dumb. They had to at least suspect something was going on with Uri and I. Uri and I had spent the night together last night. We had walked down together today. Uri and I damn sure weren't friends. It wasn't like Raphael and Cham all of a sudden started hanging out. Uri and I had history. They had to at least suspect what was going on.

And things were real...to say the least.

Poor Cham was in the middle of this.

Cham managed to break the silence though, “We're danger guys. I know...there are personal things going on right now but I think right now it's best we put those things aside. The danger is real.”

Gabby gave Cham the side eye, “Only the weak tremble Cham. Some of us actually can protect ourselves.”

I didn't know where Gabby was going with this. Her tone seemed to be full of an undertone. I wasn't sure if it was meant to slight Cham or maybe go at the fact that Uri failed to protect himself efficiently in the last attack. Knowing Gabby she was probably just making a general statement to make herself feel like she was above everyone else. Untouchable. That's how she liked to feel anyway.

“Hmph....” Uri stated.

Gabby stared over at him. Her mad eyes looked him dead in his eyes with this look that I could only imagine.

“You going to say something sweetie?” Gabby stated.

It was almost as though she was trying to get under our skin. Everyone else was able to bite their tongue and bear being in the same room for a common cause except for Gabby. She had to be the center of attention.

Uri rolled his eyes and turned to Cham, “Cham please continue.”

“As I stated. We are in danger. I've done research on who our enemy is. She has a presence in the bible. I was looking through my notes. She's the whore of Babylon.”

Silence broke out. I wondered if that was supposed to mean something to anyone. Uri was silent. Gabby seemed not to be phased by it. Only Raphael had raised a curious eye.

“Is that supposed to mean something?” I had to ask.

It was Raphael who answered, “The whore of Babylon is a figure in the bible. Babylon the great. Rag and I had several conversations about her in the past. I remembered her telling me her full title. He was so afraid when he said it. He called her Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and Abominations of the Earth.”

The look on Raphael's face seemed to be shared with Cham. I wondered if they had a discussion about this before they had come into the room. They both seemed uneasy. They both seemed like they weren't exactly sure how to deal with this.

Uri looked over at Cham, “What else do you guys know about her?”

“She's strong. She is in direct association with the Antichrist and the book of revelation,” Cham replied, “That's it though. I mean. When Rag died...a lot of that information died with him.”

“I wish we paid more attention,” Raphael added in.

Uri looked shook. Uri and I were the newer ones in the group. We hadn't gotten to spend much time with Rag before he died. We didn't get to know what kind of person he was. The others definitely seemed more aware.

Uri shook his head, “She's capable. And dangerous. She didn't just attack us...she had innocent people attacking us for her. It was like she controlled them. Babylon, if that's what we will call her is something dangerous.”

“A real man like yourself scared of a little woman?” Gabby asked.

“There is nothing little about this thing,” Uri replied, “From now on I think it's best that none of us leave this estate. We are protected here. Out there...she'll be on us.”

“Who put you in charge?”

“Are you planning on fighting me on every last thing?”

The tension between Uri and Gabby was thick. I could feel it. Her anger was becoming madness. The weird thing though was that I kind of agreed with Gabby even though I didn't say it out loud. Why should we have to live in fear on Ariel's estate because of fear.

I fully agree with what you are saying,” Cham replied and then shook his head, “Which brings me to my next point. Rag had connections with the church. I think it's about time we brought in a little help.”

Raphael seemed to nod almost immediately, “I think that's a great idea. This is getting way out of our hands...”

The church.

I didn't know what to think of that.

Luckily I wasn't the only one who doubted it. Gabby again seemed to be saying something that made a little bit of sense to me even though I was reluctant to admit it.

“You guys are asking for help? From humans?” Gabby asked shaking her head, “Regardless if this is the church. Regardless if this is the pope himself. We are angels. We don't need the church's assistance in this.”

I didn't know the relationship that Rag had with the church and how involved they were with all of this. He had spoken before of getting them involved but they'd never really been involved before. The idea of someone from the church coming into this scared me but at the same time seemed to excite me as well. Maybe they could take this off of our hands. Maybe they could take over this war for us and we can go back to living normal regular lives.

That is what I wanted. I wanted this to end. I wanted to escape somewhere far away where I wasn't being framed for murders or attacked by possessed corpses. I wanted happiness...white sands and beaches. I wanted to be free of this.

Uri looked over at me, “What do you think?”

The others stared as well. They waited watching my intention. I wondered if they still believed that bullshit Rag used to kick about me being some sort of leader in this. Hopefully by now they knew that there wasn't any bone in me that had leadership capabilities. Whoever my father was, was a completely different being than I was.

“No church,” I stated.

Uri looked at me for a minute as though wanting more of a reason. I didn't know what the reason myself was. It should have been so easy. It should have been so easy to beg for help.

“They know more about our enemy probably,” Raphael argued, “This isn't a pissing contest to impress your boyfriend. This is serious shit...”

“Boyfriend?” Gabby asked.

I had to admit I was surprised Raphael would use that term as well. Is that what he thought about me? Did he think that I was acting like this in order to impress Uri? Did he think Uri and I were already in a relationship?

“Guys stop. Stop talking. Do you feel that?” Cham asked.

Just at that moment the lights started to flicker. They were very sensitive. It was followed by a slight rattling but that was all. That was all that there was. However Cham seemed to be very shaken by it. I tried to focus my own third eye and understand what he might be feeling but I got nothing.

“Don't change the subject,” Gabby argued.

“We have other things to worry about then your petty arguments. Seriously. You guys haven't been feeling this energy in the house like I have. There seems to be a tear like somehow evil has found its way in even with the protection we have up around this holy ground. Don't you feel that? It's coming from...Ariel's room.”

We all got quiet. I wondered if they were trying to feel what Cham was talking about. Maybe they were trying to connect the dots or form opinions about the matter.

Maybe they were scared.

Raphael was the first one to speak shaking his head, “God help us.”

He had clasped his hands together. He was praying quietly in the next few minutes to himself. I just crossed my own arms and watched him. He was making me nervous acting like that. I had to admit he was making me nervous but I wouldn't show it. I wouldn't give him that kind of power to show just how nervous he was making me. He already thought I was doing this just to impress Uri.

Uri was nervous as well though but he wasn't praying like Raphael. He acknowledged what we were all thinking however, “It's the baby.”

“We should have killed that thing a long time ago,” I stated.

I didn't want to be blunt but I had to. Some things were necessary especially in this group. This wasn't a preschool game. This was something serious. As soon as I found out about Ariel having a baby with Leviathan I knew that something just wasn't right. Leviathan was a demon from hell after all.

Something had spooked Ariel. Something had made Ariel run away.

“No one had the right to decide for a woman whether or not she keeps her baby,” Gabby responded.

“That baby is danger...”

The lights flickered again. I could feel it this time. I could feel the negative energy coming from Ariel's room. It was very vague and very soft. However I could recognize that energy. I remembered it from being around Leviathan. I remembered that coldness he brought. This was just a flicker of that but it was there. It was there even though this mansion was on holy ground. That was the part that scared me.

I may have not been comfortable in this place but at least I knew I could sleep well at night without the fear of demons.

“Listen. It's not our call. We aren't judges in matters like this,” Cham stated, “Honestly I spoke to Raphael about this. We think the best choice would be to get the church involved. Gabby and Michael clearly believe the church shouldn't be involved for whatever reason. So it's up to you Uri. Should we get the church involved or no...”

Uri sat there and thought for a minute.

“I'm sticking with Michael. No church.”

That was when Uri did it again. He put his hand on mine. This time he didn't remove it even when Gabby's eyes darted across the room. The funny thing is even with the weird stares we were getting from everyone in the room it felt like the most comfortable thing in the world.

“What's going on?” Gabby asked.

She left it open but we all knew what was happening. All of a sudden it was clear that the personal was coming back in. I wondered if Uri had done it on purpose or if it came second nature for him to grab my hand in the way that he did. I wasn't upset that he did it though. It felt so right. His warm fingers wrapped through mine. I felt safe. I felt like we could face everything. Even bitch-faced Gabby giving us the most intense energy.

Raphael was the one who got up off the table as though annoyed, “Well I guess this meeting is over...”

Raphael seemed to get it. I mean he clearly didn't seem to like it but the fact that he was walking away at least proved that he wasn't going to be too difficult about whatever was happening in front of his face.

He was stopped though. He was stopped by Gabby whose dominant voice filled the room.

“Wait. Hold on everyone. I have some more news myself...” Gabby replied.

Raphael refused to look back, “I think we have enough...public sharing for the day. Don't you think?”

“This is good. I promise,” Gabby stated.

I didn't trust her. I looked over at her and I just didn't trust her. The look in her eyes just seemed to betray her intention. I wouldn't trust someone like Gabby as far as I could throw her. Gabby was the one with the super strength. Not me.

“Please...share,” I offered.

Gabby got up at that moment. Before I knew it she was rubbing her stomach.

It felt like a hit of bricks at that moment when I realized what she was trying to signify. This wasn't happening. This definitely wasn't happening. My hands began to sweat.

That was when I noticed Uri's hands getting less and less tight. The passionate clutch that was there just a minute ago didn't seem like it was there anymore. He must have known what was coming too. I could hear his breathing.

He was breathing slow...heavy.

Gabriel was smiling across the room. Her eyes lit up with this happiness that I hadn't noticed before.

“Ariel isn't the only one pregnant,” Gabriel stated, “I'm pregnant too.”

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