Overcomer - The Battle - Judy Colella (best love novels of all time .TXT) 📗

was irrelevant to her, she gave it no thought. They read aloud to each other, sometimes testing one another on a section, and after a very, very long while, they stood up and asked where Michael had gone.

Celesta summoned him with her music; he returned, the Keeper in tow, both emerging from the shower of Michael’s luminescence.

“We would like to you listen,” Katie said without waiting for them to greet them.

“Very well,” said Michael, sitting down.

They began – at the beginning – and speaking simultaneously, recited the entire contents of the Scroll perfectly, missing nothing, stumbling over not a single syllable, and ended in total sync at the last “So be it.”

The Keeper got slowly to his feet, and one by one grasped their hands, awe-struck by their accomplishment.

“You did it,” said Michael, his voice hushed with wonder and gratitude. “You are all three most impressive human beings. I thank you for your commitment and integrity.”

Katie nearly whooped with joy, but remembered where she was, and instead hissed a quiet, “Yessss!”

Celeste smiled at her, feeling pretty much the same way.

As for Cian, he had been given a lot to think about from the things he’d read.

“That reminds me,” said Katie, “how long did it take us?” Despite the frequent short breaks they’d taken during their study, this was the first time she’d asked that question.

A look passed between Celesta and Michael. “Had you been on Earth,” the Archangel said, then paused for a second, knowing he was about to shock them, “about twenty-three years would have passed.”

They gaped.

“Oh my God!” Katie exclaimed without thinking. “Oops – sorry…I mean, holy cow! I’d be, like, almost forty!” She’d said “forty” as if it was an age that put her right up there with Methuselah, the oldest human in history.

“Well, it was a lot to memorize,” Celesta pointed out. “Few of your kind have ever been able to do what you’ve done, even over an entire lifetime.”

Celeste, her tone reflecting her own sense of shock, said, “Of course, it’s not like we had any distractions.”

“And that’s exactly why we brought you here,” said the Keeper. “That, and the fact that you haven’t aged a second, and you’ll be home by five o’clock, which means no one’s mother will threaten to damage me.” He was making light of the whole thing, but could see that these youngsters had, in other ways, aged indeed. Their eyes were no longer as innocent, for the words of the Scroll had made them ponder and see things they’d never even considered before, things about life, people, evil, good, about sacrifice and love.

He knew that while physically they were the same, spiritually they were not, nor would they ever be. Their work of learning had made them all a little more mature, more serious and aware of deeper things. Even though he regretted that they were now people who had seen beyond their years and innocence, he knew that they would be of no help to each other in the upcoming battle had they not.

“Cian.”

The boy turned to face Michael.

“I will not see you again until after the battle. This is yours until then. Remember everything you’ve read, and the Laws you were given.” He removed the scabbard, which once again contained the Sword of Light, but not the other one nor its sheath, and handed it to the boy, telling him that the Keeper would show him how to strap it on. “Go with the Master’s love.” With that, the Archangel nodded at the others, veiled himself in droplets of brilliance, and disappeared.

“Wow,” said Katie, and with a hint of irony added, “That was sudden.”

“He has come to love you all, as have I,” said Celesta. “But Michael is a warrior, not one given to great sentiment, so when such feelings overtake him, he handles it by departing gracefully, but quickly.”

“And now,” said the Keeper, “I think we, too, must depart.”

They all hugged Celesta, thanking her for all she’d done for them, then followed the Keeper down the side of the hill and back to the museum in Mystic.

During the ride home, the Keeper warned them to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. He would take care of things with Celeste’s parents and Mr. Geller, but he stressed how important it was that the three of them should be constantly prepared. “We don’t have much time. The knowledge you have received is not only exclusive, but also hard to keep, if for no other reason than because of the quantity of it.”

The girls were in the back seat, Cian in the front with Croghan, but they all looked simultaneously into the rear-view mirror at each other with knowing glances. A bond had grown among them, one that never could have existed had they not shared the equivalent of so many years working together to learn the Scroll. The contents of the Scroll itself was unlike anything they’d ever read, heard or been told before, and the words and phrases echoed through their thoughts like eerie whispers sweeping across a vast plane.

“How long would you estimate it took us to recite all of it?” Cian asked.

“Oh, I’d say about four hours or so, maybe five,” Croghan responded. “Why?”

“Because I think we should do it a few more times before we go wherever it is we’re going to meet . . . Moloch.”

The girls agreed, but Katie said, “Actually, it felt more like five or six hours to me.”

Croghan considered Katie’s assertion, pursing his lips. “Mmm. You very well may be right, Katie. So, if the three of you can find a few six-hour blocks of time to be together and away from everyone else before we have to go, that’d be fine.”

“And when do you think that will be?” Celeste asked.

“Today is what? Tuesday? I’d say by the end of the week at the latest.” He slowed the car to turn into Celeste’s driveway. “You girls both getting out here?”

“Katie’s Mom will be here to pick her up any minute.”

“Well, good evening, then.” Croghan offered them a pleasant smile. “What you did was very, very impressive. Congratulations.”

The girls looked at each other and shrugged. “Don’t congratulate us until the battle is over and Moloch has lost,” said Katie, her eyes more serious than they ever could have been only an Earth hour before.

The man nodded, giving a last wave as they closed the door and walked up the pathway. Then he turned to Cian. “What about you?”

“What about me?” said the boy distractedly.

“Nothing. Are you working tonight?”

“Huh? Oh. Yes. In fact, I have to talk to Mr. Halloran about this new job at the karate school. Did the Sifu talk to you or Mr. Geller since last night?”

“No, not to me. Maybe he spoke to Joe.”

Cian nodded. “Okay. I’ll ask when I get in.”

A few minutes later they were pulling up in front of the large timber and stucco Tudor house. Croghan offered to come in, but Cian smiled, shaking his head. “I think I’ll be all right. I mean, I didn’t do anything wrong this time, did I.”

Croghan chuckled, gave the boy a very adult handshake, and as Cian got out, pushed the button to release the trunk lock so the boy could retrieve the Sword. He’d wrapped this carefully in some towels that he always kept in the trunk for unusual situations – although none before like this one.

Cian waved once and headed up the walk to the front steps. Inside, he went right to the back of the house, where – as expected – he found Mr. Geller at his desk. After leaning the Sword against the wall where it couldn’t be seen from inside the office, he knocked politely on the open glass door.

Mr. Geller looked up and smiled. “Cian! Come in. How did everything go with Gerald?”

Uh-oh. I forgot to ask about what he told Geller we were doing! “Fine, sir. I, uh, have a quick question for you, if it’s all right.”

“Sure.” He waved at the chair in front of the desk. “Have a seat.”

“Thanks.” He sat down, putting his backpack on the floor next to the chair, relieved the man hadn’t pursued his first question. “As you know, I have work tonight at the Mall. And as you also know, Sifu Chao offered me an instructor’s job at his school. How am I going to do this?”

“Actually, I spoke to both of them on a three-way call, and they agree that the best thing would be for you to alternate evenings. So tonight you go to the Mall, and tomorrow – right after you do your homework – you can go to the school. The Sifu said he’d give you supper, by the way.” Geller sat back with a shrug. “Made sense to me; that okay with you?”

Surprised at how easy it had been, Cian nodded, smiling. “It certainly is. Thank you, sir.” He got up, grabbing his backpack and slinging it onto one shoulder. “Guess I’d better get my homework done so I’m not late.”

Mr. Geller looked at his watch. “You have to be there by six and it’s already five-fifteen. Think you’ll have time?”

“For some of it. I can bring my books and do the rest during my break.”

Mr. Geller stared at him for a moment. “Are you . . .this is going to sound weird, but did you get. . .taller? I – okay, that made no sense, but…something about you is different—” He trailed off, shaking his head.

“Not that I’m aware, Mr. Geller.” Cian suspected that some of what he’d experienced over the past hour/twenty-three years was showing either on his face or in his eyes. Or maybe he was standing a little straighter.

“Well, never mind. Off you go.”

“Yes, sir.” The boy left the office and picked up the Sword, not allowing himself to smile until he was halfway up the stairs.

EIGHT

 

 

As Celeste entered the kitchen, the clock showed exactly five.

“Well!” exclaimed Mrs. Kelly, “he did it!”

“As promised,” Celeste agreed. “I’ll get the table set, okay? I know it isn’t Wednesday, but since I’m down here, I may as well take care of it.”

“Fine with me – and Tara, too, I’m sure.”

“Probably. Let me put my stuff away and then I’ll get this done.”

As she walked out toward the front hall to go upstairs, Eileen watched her, puzzled. Something was very different, she decided. Never mind that her daughter had actually volunteered to set the table early, and do it without Tara being made to help; there was something else, a feeling that in some inexplicable way, Celeste was much older, more mature somehow.

“Wait a minute,” the woman muttered, crossing her arms as a disturbing thought intruded. “Celeste!”

A few seconds later the girl came back down stairs – walking, for heaven’s sake! – and joined Eileen in the kitchen.

“Yeah, Mom?”

She stared at her daughter’s eyes for a second or two, then said, “How long this time?”

“How long? For what?”

“How long were you there – I mean, you know, the equivalent of um, Earth time at that Hub thing?”

Celeste didn’t want to tell her the whole truth. However, there was no getting around it, and she simply wouldn’t lie. In fact, knowing the Scroll as she now did, she would probably never lie again. She took a deep breath, released it