Sapphire Flame (Sapphire Wings Book 3)

“So, he’s an Angel. I hate to say it, but this almost sounds too convenient.” Raphael commented as we sat in the large den room with Aiden.

It was only the three of us right now, as we’d requested some time to speak in private. I think everyone knew why we’d wanted to do so, although I also didn’t doubt that Sevee and the other grandchildren were talking among themselves too. After everything that had been happening recently, we were all feeling on edge.

I let out a long breath as I sat back against the wall beside my brother, “I know, but something’s felt strange about this too. I keep thinking that I’ve seen him before, but I can’t place where. It’s like it’s been blocked from my memory.” I told him.

“I’ve been feeling the same way, but the thing that bothers me more is how he’s been speaking to us. He knows a lot more than I would’ve thought just another Angel would, even if he’s been assigned to help watch over us.” Aiden agreed.

“I’m not sure I’d agree with that. After all, if it was a duty they passed to him, then he probably would know as much as our grandfather. But I’ve felt the same thing that Michael has. It’s like I know his face very well, but the memory of where has been blocked.” Raphael responded.

I looked forward, my eyes focusing on nothing in particular as I considered all of it.

“There’s something that’s been on my mind with that, even if seems preposterous.” I finally spoke.

“What is it?” Aiden asked me.

“I keep thinking that maybe he’s not who he says. Maybe he is our grandfather, the Seraphim that started our family.”

The room became very quiet, but I could tell that both of them were startled by my words.

“Michael, you do realize that could just be wishful thinking. There are many Angels who have probably been watching over our family and the others. We were told that we’re very special interests to them.” Raphael reasoned.

“I know, but I can’t shake that feeling, no matter how hard I try; and stop and think about it. We saw a picture of our grandmother, Annabelle, with our grandfather at home just a few days ago. Can you remember what he looked like in that picture with her?” I pressed.

Raphael became quiet, thinking about it long and hard. Aiden also looked puzzled.

“You know, I did manage to see that picture too,” he admitted, “but now I can’t recall his face or even anything about him. It’s strange, because I really took the time with Yuki and Hayden to look at all of those pictures in that album, and that one was the main one we kept going back to.”

“You’re both right. I can’t recall it at all now.” Raphael finally conceded, “But that still isn’t complete proof. There could be another reason for it.”

“I know that, but like you said, it all seems way too convenient,” I interjected.

Aiden took in a deep breath before coughing, “I think that you’re right, but what I’m wondering is why he wouldn’t just come out and confirm it if it’s true. What is he up to if there is a deeper reason?”

Just as he finished saying that, we felt the shift of Noel coming out in him. It appeared Aiden had become too weak to hold her. But the Noel we were seeing was also the one overcome by the curse.

“That’s bastard! He’d dare to show up now?! I refuse to believe it!” she hissed.

“You do, do you?” Raphael responded, giving her a skeptical look.

“Why would I? That hypocrite couldn’t help anyone back then, so why would he now? He’s only fooling himself!” Noel fumed.

I suddenly realized something as I listened to this. This venom she was spewing obviously wasn’t Noel. It was the darkness wrapped around her. It was the last consciousness that a demon had left to overtake us. Maybe it was reacting so strongly because it knew the truth about all of this.

“But he has been helping us,” I stated as I stood up, “He’s been helping us since the beginning, and he also probably did what he could to help our parents. I wasn’t the one who really broke your hold over Raphael back then. I felt and heard him work through me. I know that he also stayed with Mia at the airport when she was all alone after she was sent back to me, and I also believe that he helped her break Sean and me free Missy’s spirit from this demon’s curse.”

“So what?!” Noel spat as she stood to face me. Her eyes had turned red in the fury of this demon’s power, “He didn’t stop what happened to me, and he didn’t stop what I did!”

But just as quickly, the red in her eyes faded, and it was like our Noel came back. She shook her head violently as she fought for control.

“No! That’s not true! He helped me! I know he helped me! I saw him and I felt his love when he got me out of that cage and held me!” she insisted.

Raphael stood beside me, both of us staring at her.

“He was there, and you remember it?” he pressed her.

Noel held her head as she looked down, “He loves us,” she whispered breathlessly, “No matter what we’ve done, he loves us!”

“Shut up!” a deeper voice came out of her, “You know you’ll be judged, and so will your wretched family! I’ll make sure you see that he doesn’t want a goddamned one of you!”

A tremendous surge of power went through the room at that moment, and the one holding Noel’s spirit immediately back up, growling at the nearby doorway. Raphael and I looked over there to see Malakai, who was standing with Eclipse.

“That’s enough of this. It’s gone on far too long, and we need to end it now.” Malakai solemnly stated.

My eyes widened as my memory of that picture suddenly returned, and I saw Raphael do the same. Noel had been right. The Angel standing there with Eclipse was not just a guardian or watcher.

Malakai was our grandfather, the Seraph of the Renaldi family.

The possessed Noel growled at him, “You’re a liar, just like you’ve always been,” she accused. Her attention then shifted to Eclipse, “And you! I knew you’d come for her soon enough, but her soul belongs to me!”

“You Fallen can be quite the pain for us at times, aren’t you? But this one isn’t truly for me to deal with.” Eclipse responded, glancing at Malakai.

Malakai took a step closer to her, bringing out another low growl from the darkness within her. It wasn’t giving in to him, but we could also sense that it was on edge.

“What do you believe you can do? You failed before, and that is why I’ve been able to take this girl,” it warned him.

“You’ve taken no one, and I have no intentions of allowing you to take her,” Malakai informed it, “Aside from that, I know that she’s stronger than you. She’s just been fighting for so long that she doesn’t understand it yet. But now that I’m here, I’m going to help her see it.”

He held up a hand, and Noel’s head reared back as though she’d been struck. After a few long seconds, her posture loosened, and she was staring at him with the same desperate eyes that we’d seen before.

“Please, please help me!” she begged.

Malakai’s expression softened as he regarded her, “It’s alright, Noel. All you need to do is listen to me and speak honestly.” he told her.

“I don’t think I can fight it! It’s too strong!” Noel cried.

“Yes, you can. You are stronger. You have to believe that.” Malakai urged her.

The darkness welled back up and spoke to her as he did.

“No! He’s a liar! He let that man torture you and didn’t come until it was too late! The only reason he’s here now is to save that boy!” it snarled.

Malakai remained firm, “Don’t listen to it,” he instructed her, “It’s going to try to keep tricking and manipulating you, but we all know the truth. You are not an evil being like it wants you to think, and your soul does not belong to him. I’m here now, and I’ll make sure you can join your family.”

A tremor went through the house as he said this. It reminded me of that time years ago when I’d been upstairs in my room with Gabrielle and Raphael’s rage unleashed towards our parents. Only this time, it was coming from the curse holding onto Noel. Yet it also seemed weaker than before, like Noel was fighting it.

“Please, don’t come any closer.” Noel breathed as she took control again.

“Very well,” Malakai remained where he stood, “Since you’re back with us, why don’t we start with clearing the air on things?”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Noel asked.

“I know a lot of this has been very painful for you, especially emotionally. You’ve been fighting these thoughts and feelings ever since you were brought home as a little one, haven’t you? Not to mention you feel like you’ve been in this fight alone.” Malakai continued.

“How else was I supposed to fight?” Noel contended as she held her arms, “No could help me. Not Mama, not Daddy. That man stole it all and made that demon come after me!”

“Yes, I understand, but you also realize that man is paying for his sins. We’ve all made sure of that, along with making sure that the other girls’ souls could move on and be at peace.”

“But that didn’t help me! How does any of this help me?! It still hurts! He makes it hurt!” Noel declared.

Malakai nodded solemnly, “I understand, and I know how much you’ve been hurting. But you can help yourself. You need to let go of your guilt over everything.”

“But…” Noel cringed and held her head again, “I am guilty! I did all of those things, and they’ll never forgive me!”

At that, Malakai looked over at me and Raphael, “Alright then. Tell me, what do you both believe? Have you ever held true blame on your sister for the things that happened back then?” he asked us.

While I didn’t feel intimidated, I admit that it was hard for me to give my answer, “No, I can’t say I did.”

“Neither can I.” Raphael managed to agree.

“It’s okay to speak honestly. It will be much better for Noel if you do.” Malakai urged us.

I took a moment to think before speaking again. Could I really put everything hidden within me from the last thirty years into words?

But I knew I had to try. If I wanted to help my baby sister, then I needed to do what Malakai asked. There had to be a purpose behind it.

“I never really blamed Noel for anything, just like I didn’t blame our parents for what that curse also did to them. We all knew how alone she was feeling, and we felt helpless because we didn’t know how to help her. She never really caused any of those horrible things that happened either. This demon’s influence controlled her and turned her into someone we didn’t know anymore.” I explained.

“He’s right,” Raphael acknowledged, “And I was just as guilty back then. I wanted to help Noel so badly that I let it influence me too, and I’ve felt guilty for that because I let it kill her.”

Noel stared at us as she heard this, “You both… wanted to help me?”

“It’s what all of us always wanted. We’d never abandon you.” I reassured her.

“But I… I killed our mother! I almost killed your wife and daughter!” Noel protested.

“You didn’t do that. It was this demon’s influence that took over you, and we came to understand that, along with Dad.” Raphael responded.

Malakai nodded, “Your brothers are right, and I know your sister feels the same. But there are two more that want to speak to you as well.” he informed her.

My breath hitched as two figures appeared on both sides of Malakai. Beside me, Raphael stared in shock too. It couldn’t have been.

They were the spirits of our parents, Melvin and Elvira.

They looked much like they did when we were young children. Our mother was her beautiful self, wearing a long blue dress with her hair flowing down her back, and our father looked much like Malakai.

“Mama? Daddy?” Noel breathed.

Malakai looked over at Eclipse, “Go ahead and remove her now. It should be weakened enough for me to dispel.” he ordered.

“Yes, of course.”

Eclipse stepped forward and held up his hand, and Aiden’s body stiffened, rising about a foot into the air. Closing his hand into a fist, Eclipse carefully pulled Noel’s spirit from Aiden’s body.

As he did, we could hear a loud screeching. There was the same dark mist that I’d seen before around Missy’s spirit coming out with her.

But as it did, Malakai stepped forward, grabbing and holding it tightly. It pulled away from Noel as he wrenched it back, then began burning in blue flames. It writhed for a few seconds, then completely vanished as it was destroyed.

Noel and Aiden were set down side by side, and I saw Aiden open his eyes and sigh in relief.

As for Noel, she looked up at our parents with tear-filled eyes. She looked like she had on the night she had died, although now she was herself, not the girl possessed by darkness.

“Mama? Daddy?” she whispered.

Our mother’s spirit stepped forward, holding out a hand to her, “It’s okay now, Noel. Didn’t I promise you on that awful day that we’d find a way to help you?” she reminded her.

A vision flashed before my eyes as she said that. Her and our mother, sitting on our parents’ bed and talking. It was from the day that Mom had died.

“Everything will be alright,” she was telling Noel as she lovingly brushed her hair back, “we won’t let him take you away.”

“Please, Mama, please don’t do this!” Noel begged.

“I won’t let it kill your father, and I know I’ll be okay. The Angel has promised me that he’ll make sure of it and that he’ll help you too.” Mom kissed her forehead, “Have faith, Noel. You’re not alone.”

The next thing I knew, I was back in the present. I glanced at Raphael, knowing instinctually that he’d had the same vision of the past. So, that was the truth. Mom really had let that curse kill her to save our father.

But also, she had known that Malakai wouldn’t let her suffer when she died. She knew that he was going to find a way to help us one day.

Noel jumped up and hugged her tightly, crying as she continued to apologize.

Raphael was finally finding his voice as we watched this, “But why now? Why come back after all this time to do this?” he asked Malakai.

“Please, forgive me for having to wait so long. Given what happened long ago, I had no choice but to give it time.” Malakai answered, sounding remorseful.

“We promise we’ll explain everything to you soon, but right now it’s better to finish things to help Noel,” Dad added.

“You’re not… still angry at me?” Noel asked as she let Mom go and looked at him.

“No,” Dad pulled her into a firm hug, “I never had a right to be angry with you, and I let it go because I realized what had really happened. I just want you to be free from that pain now.”

Aiden slowly stood up, facing Malakai, “So, you’re the one. You really are the Seraphim that created our family.”

“I am,” Malakai confirmed, “I’ve also been watching over all of you since that time. Melvin was still young when I had to return, and I feel like what caused that did a horrible disservice to all of you. It may have taken much time, but I’m finally going to set things right.”

“Forgive me, but he had ordered for me not to tell any of you who he truly is. He was the one who wanted so desperately to end that influence in this family, and even made his way to Azrael to help destroy it, which can be quite a challenge, even for the highest-ranking Angels.” Eclipse added.

Noel slowly let our father go, now facing Malakai, “You’ve always been trying to help us, haven’t you?” she stated softly.

“I have,” Malakai nodded. He gently caressed her cheek, “There’s nothing left for you to blame yourself for, Noel. You’ve never been evil, and you’re not worthless like he would want you to believe.”

As he said this, a bright light surrounded Noel’s figure, and as it faded, we could see that her appearance had changed. Her black wings turned blue again, and the gaping wound in the side of her neck vanished as if it had never been there.

Eclipse stood back, crossing his arms and looking pleased.

“It seems that things went much smoother than I’d anticipated with this. I should ask for the ones like you to accompany me more often,” he commented.

“I cannot take all of the credit for this. When the heart longs to be free, it’s only natural that the soul purifies, even when touched by the deepest darkness.” Malakai informed him. He looked at Mom and Dad, “Are you still wishing to remain, for now, Melvin?”

“I’d like to. There are things I wanted to talk about before I went back.” Dad answered.

“Noel can come back with me for now. I’ll make sure she’s fine.” Mom added, smiling at her.

Noel moved closer to Malakai, “If I can, can I please have a minute to speak to them one more time before I go?” she requested.

“Of course.” he agreed.

With his permission, Noel stepped over to me and Raphael.

“Thank you both for wanting to help me and not hating me for everything. I know how much pain you went through back then too.” she apologized.

We both were relieved as we heard this and saw her. This was the Noel we’d known back when we were children, the sweet girl that had been snatched from us by that demon’s influence.

“It’s okay, Noel. We know it wasn’t really you, and all we’ve ever wanted was for you to be free and at peace.” Raphael reminded her.

“We’re just glad that you are now. It may have taken a long time, but you finally don’t have to suffer anymore.” I added.

Noel smiled, giving both of us quick hugs, “Thank you,” she whispered.

She then turned to Aiden, the two facing each other for the first time since he was three years old.

“I knew this was what you really wanted. You were fighting that curse all of this time and crying out for someone to help you.” he surmised.

Noel smiled, holding his cheeks, “You always knew, didn’t you? My precious son. I’m so happy that you were able to grow up and become part of our family again. You and your beautiful children.”

“I am, and I’m safe,” Aiden promised her. He gave her a kiss on her forehead, “Be at peace now, Mom.”

As he said this, I realized that someone else had come in. Gabrielle had decided to come down there on her own and had broken into tears at seeing our parents. Of course, for her, seeing Mom like this was probably overwhelming. The last time she’d been able to see her was when she’d found her dead.

“It’s okay, Gabby. I’m okay.” Mom comforted her as Gabrielle hugged her and cried.

“You’re both here! You’re really okay!” Gabrielle cried.

“I told you we would be,” Dad reminded her. He patted her shoulder as she pulled away from them, “And so is your sister.”

Gabrielle turned to face Noel as he said this, staring at her twin’s healed form. It was amazing to see how much they looked alike now. This probably was how they should’ve been in the first place.

“You’re really okay now. You’re not sick anymore.” Gabrielle said, his voice soft. We could hear the relief in it.

Noel stepped forward and hugged her tightly, “I’m alright. I’m so glad to see you again too, even if I can’t be with you anymore.”

“I know, and I wish you could. But I’m okay as long as you are. It feels better to know that you’re free.” Gabrielle reassured her.

The two pulled back, and Mom stepped over with Noel, looking at Malakai.

“I guess it’s time for us to go now, isn’t it?”

“Yes, we should move on. Our time’s short with Noah as it is.” Malakai agreed.

At that moment, we saw several bright balls of light floating down into the room. It took me a few seconds to realize that they were also Angels, just in their purest form. The best I could describe it was like looking at balls of radiant light with wings flapping outwards.

They moved around our mother and Noel, allowing them to turn into the same, and within minutes, all of them were gone.

“It would seem that this piece has gone over well, but you do realize that the rest may not.” Eclipse stated to Malakai.

“I know it won’t be easy, but we’ll do whatever we must to see things through. I refuse to give up on any of this.” Malakai told him.

“What else is there now?” I asked him, “How are you planning on helping Noah, now that you’ve gotten rid of that darkness?”

“It’s alright, Michael. There’s a lot that we all need to sit down and talk about now.” Dad responded.

“Seems like it. If you’re here, then I’m going to guess that we’re clearing the air about the past too.” Raphael noted.

Malakai nodded, a smile crossing his face, “All of you are as perceptive as we’d hoped, and there is much to speak of before we move on to help Noah. Let us finally put the past to bed, and hopefully, it will help us all move forward.”