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Chapter Thirty Nine

Author: Brindell Bailey
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

Aurora shot a second arrow into the air, a signal the Reapers were coming. Using the arrows to communicate was effective but more important, it was silent. The arrow sailed high into the darkened sky and hung against the storm clouds like a black-winged bird.

To Aurora, it felt as though her entire life had been leading to this moment. Only seconds remained until the Reapers would breach the cave. She pictured her mother and father as they had been when she was a child. They were the reason she was here, not because they were her parents but because they represented all that could be. Her mother had lived her life every day not as someone put on the earth, but as a part of it. Her father had watched over them as every season they grew taller and stronger. Together they had sewn their love and tendered to it with warm smiles and splashes of laughter. People deserved a chance to learn how to love like that - and it was up to her to give it to them.

The first calls of the Reapers caugh
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    The world fell silent as Lucifer stared into the water. Time stopped and nothing moved.“This cannot be...” He reached up and gently touched his face. “I don't understand?”Aurora glanced across the pool at Lucifer’s reflection and her blood ran cold. His golden hair was nothing more than a tangled grey web and his once radiant skin hung like melting wax. No longer a sight to behold, his wings were torn, soiled with mud and ash. He stared in horror at his reflection while around him the Reapers fell on bended knee, their heads bowed.“But I was perfect,” he whispered. “The most beautiful being in all of creation. How?”Slowly and carefully Gabriel inched his fingers, one by one, toward the dagger. He had to strike Lucifer down before the pool receded. It was their only chance.Lucifer peered into the water as a loose strand of silver hair slipped through his twisted fingers.“My hair..." he whispered. “My face…”Suddenly he tore his eyes away from the pool and roared up at the sky. “W

  • The Descendants - Rise of the Reaper Army   Chapter Forty

    The sky broke open and driving rain lashed the field. The army of Reapers thrashed their heads and shook their arms desperately trying to rid the freezing water from their bodies. Many had never experienced rain or bitter cold and Aurora had counted on the extreme weather hindering their attack. It was working. Soaked to the core, she ran through the forest and found Gabriel crouched down where she left him.“We're holding our own for the moment but we can't push them back much longer. Lucifer and the others will be coming. Gabriel, are you ready?”He tightened his grip on the dagger. “Ready as I'll ever be.”She forced a smile and kissed his cheek. “I'm so proud of you Gabriel.”He was about to respond when a brilliant white light exploded from the cave dwarfing the entire field in its glow. The rain stopped. The birds retreated to the safety of the trees and the world fell silent.“It's Lucifer. He's here,” Aurora whispered. “Let's move.”They hurried through the forest until they r

  • The Descendants - Rise of the Reaper Army   Chapter Thirty Nine

    Aurora shot a second arrow into the air, a signal the Reapers were coming. Using the arrows to communicate was effective but more important, it was silent. The arrow sailed high into the darkened sky and hung against the storm clouds like a black-winged bird.To Aurora, it felt as though her entire life had been leading to this moment. Only seconds remained until the Reapers would breach the cave. She pictured her mother and father as they had been when she was a child. They were the reason she was here, not because they were her parents but because they represented all that could be. Her mother had lived her life every day not as someone put on the earth, but as a part of it. Her father had watched over them as every season they grew taller and stronger. Together they had sewn their love and tendered to it with warm smiles and splashes of laughter. People deserved a chance to learn how to love like that - and it was up to her to give it to them.The first calls of the Reapers caugh

  • The Descendants - Rise of the Reaper Army   Chapter Thirty Eight

    The tunnels were dark. It had been a long time since Melloch travelled along these earthen halls and the twists and turns were taking too long. He knew what he had to do and he was becoming impatient. The sooner Lucifer's blood was spilt the better.As he led the first legion toward the surface, Melloch let the heat of his hatred burn stronger and hotter. Behind him the footfall of his legions echoed through the tunnel, the rhythm growing louder as they moved toward the chamber of the cave. His best soldiers were up front, the rest would breach the surface once the site had been secured. The human saviour was dead. Melloch had seen to that himself but just to be certain, he wanted his strongest soldiers up front and ready to fight.His plan was to blame Lucifer's untimely death on the soldiers of the second legion. When a battle with the humans inevitably began, the second legion would falter. The humans couldn't kill his soldiers, but their weapons would cause confusion. Maybe some o

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    Aurora was striding across the field and from the look on her face, Gabriel knew she meant business.“We have His blessing,” she said firmly. “Now let's kill these bastards.”“Wait, we what?”She held up her wrist and Gabriel saw the symbol burned into her skin.“Aurora, how?”“He sanctioned the battle Gabriel. We have God on our side. There's no way we can lose now.”“What's all the fuss about?” Harrison asked as he walked up, an M24 sniper rifle slung over his shoulder. “What did I miss?”“God sanctioned the fight,” Gabriel told him. “Look at her arm.”Aurora held out her wrist and proudly showed Harrison the symbol.“Aurora, this is incredible news.”“I know, I was just telling Gabriel the same thing. I really feel like we can win now.”Their enthusiasm was building but Gabriel failed to share the jubilation. Not only was God allowing them to fight His battle - now He had carved His approval into Aurora's arm. He couldn’t help wondering where God was in all of this. Why He wasn’t d

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