Ever This Day (To Light and Guard Prequel)

EVER THIS DAY

  To Light and Guard Prequel

  (A Short Story)

  By Piper Hannah

  Copyright © October 2013 Piper Hannah

  All rights reserved.  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, actual events, or locales is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter 1 - The Past

  Chapter 2 - The Present

  Chapter - The Future

  To Light and Guard (Book 1) Excerpt

  PROLOGUE

  For every one thousand years, a Radiant will be born on this planet. The Radiant will be the light for which an angel can follow to experience the beauty of humanity, the fragileness of life, and the strength of the human spirit.

  -The Book of the Archangels

  CHAPTER 1 - THE PAST

  MICHAEL

  England in the year 1080

  Daybreak...

  The rising sun was changing the color of the sky slowly. We circled the village, flying just beneath the clouds; our wings were outstretched as we drifted through the wind. There were three of us, three archangels, sent here to find and protect the Radiant. As always, Raphael was flying to my right and Gabriel was to my left. Looking down, we circled the pit of fire in the center of the small town.

  “We’re too late,” Gabriel said. “It looks like they already killed the Radiant.”

  I gritted my teeth in frustration. “I know,” I said. I could sense her death. Although we flew here as fast as we could, we didn’t make it here on time. We failed.

  The Radiant only came to Earth every one thousand years, always being born into the human race. She was a gift to all angels. She was the medium that we needed, so that we can walk among the humans - to learn from them, to live as one of them.

  Because the humans... they were strange creatures to us, and we wanted to understand them. They were unpredictable and different, and yet, they were like angels, in a way, because each of them carried an immortal soul.

  I realized a long time ago that there were a few angels who would like to experience the Radiant’s light for the simple purpose of understanding these humans. They would have to wait a little bit longer because the three of us have failed today.

  As I flew, I looked at the fire below. Even in the distance, I could see the bodies within the orange flames. There were two of them, both women, and they were still standing, strapped to a pole as they burned. They were unmoving. Dead. Unfortunately, one of them was the Radiant.

  I flew closer to the ground. There were many humans who still lingered here, and they watched the flames intently. Unlike lower angels, archangels had the power to choose the humans who could see them, and I made certain that no one could see me on this day. None of them deserved to see my light.

  I flew right in front of the pit where the dead girls still burned. My feet landed on the dirt gently, and my wings immediately retracted behind me. On each side of me, Gabriel and Raphael both landed as well. The three of us watched the flames, saddened and angered, but also a little bit in awe. The Radiant’s aura still burned within the fire, turning the flames into a bright white light. There wasn’t any doubt left within me. The Radiant was burning right in front of me, and she was dead.

  I heard the murmurs of the humans that surrounded the three of us; they were unaware of our existence. I listened to their conversations intently. I gathered that they thought that the girls were witches.

  “It’s doubtful if these stupid humans could even tell which among them is truly a witch,” I muttered. I glared at the human who held a torch.  I was certain that he was the one who started this all; he was the one responsible for killing the Radiant. I felt the need for vengeance; it twisted my heart until all I felt was anger... but I have never killed a human before. They were defenseless and stupid, and most of all, they were mortals. Given time, they would eventually die - each and every one of them. Thus, there was no real sense in ending their miserable lives. It would only be a waste of my time.

  I looked at the man holding the torch again, and I sensed his pleasure at knowing that he was responsible for these murders. I wanted to kill him... so badly. My hands clenched into tight fists as the thought pondered inside of my head. Murder a human? Could I do it?

  Immediately, I felt  Gabriel’s hand on my shoulder, restraining me.

  “Michael.”

  That was all he said.  It was a warning.  It was as if he already knew my dark thoughts.  Gabriel probably felt the same way - this burning need to avenge the Radiant.

  Why did I care so much?

  I took a deep breath, and slowly, I felt my anger subside slightly.  I am an archangel.  I am above all of this.  I was above vengeance, above hate, and especially above murder.  I took another deep breath.  I am a protector of the Earth.  My duty is to protect the humans who live here... and if I kill one of them, I will certainly turn into a demon.  I did not want that to happen.

  I couldn't deny my disappointment, however.  It wasn’t until this very moment that I realized how much I wanted to have what the Radiant’s light promised the angels. To live a human life. To live a life without caring about your purpose, unburdened by thoughts of achieving your destiny.  To live free... even for just a little while.

  Many angels never cared about the Radiant’s promise because they believed that the human lifespan was miniscule compared to ours. Angels are immortals. We never die, and yet, having lived for more than eight hundred thousand years, I often wondered if there was something more to these humans.  They carried immortal souls, but they were trapped in their mortal bodies. It was the ultimate contradiction.  How does this work exactly?  Where do their souls go when they die?  I believed that the Radiant may provide the angels with the answers - to satisfy our curiosity. That was it.  That was her purpose. Her destiny.

  I listened to the voices of the humans once again, trying to glean some meaningful information regarding the Radiant.  The dead girls were young; Gwendolyn was sixteen and Elizabeth was fourteen, and they were sisters.  Their only crime?  They could see angels.  I shook my head in disgust, and I forced myself not to rip out the throats of the humans who supported this travesty.

  I stared at the fire and the two charred remains within. Gwendolyn and Elizabeth...  I couldn’t determine which one of them was the Radiant.  The death of the human was of no consequence, but the death of the Radiant was a great loss to all angels.

  “There is nothing we can do,” Raphael said as he turned away from the fire.  “Even if we made it here in time, what would we have done?  Show ourselves to these humans?  We cannot do that.  Look at them.  They are not ready for something like that."

  If I could have prevented the Radiant's death, maybe I would have shown myself.  Maybe I would have wanted to scare them and to show them the error of their ways.  I was certain that I wouldn't have let them harm the Radiant in this manner if I got here in time.
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  Raphael leaped in the air.  His wings flared, scattering some dust in the air, and he flew towards the sky.  Gabriel did the same.  Both of them flew a tight circle above the fire as they waited for me to join them.

  Sighing deeply, I rubbed my face with my hands.  I was so close.  I almost had her.  I could almost taste humanity.  I almost had the answers, and it slipped away like wasted sand through my fingers.

  “Gwendolyn and Elizabeth… may you both find peace, and may you find yourselves back to this planet very soon,” I said.

  I will have to wait another thousand years or so before the Radiant can make it back to this planet.  I am immortal.  I can wait, and when she returns, I will be ready to help her carry out her destiny.

  CHAPTER 2 - THE PRESENT

  MICHAEL