How Deep The Roots Go ( Book One)

Chapter 14

Harrison charged as the demon bolted to the pirogue, so swiftly that it caught both angels off guard. He reached her, nearly touching her, but still, did not awaken Temperance. Harrison quickly caught the demon by the arm, twisting it with one hand, then casting him away from Temperance with such a force that the demon flew and hit the tree he had hidden behind before.

Augustus rushed into the pirogue, laying his form over Temperance to protect her while the battle waged on. There were no screams as would be expected, but instead it was a silent duel of strength, good and evil at its best. Augustus peeked from under his robe, seeing a dark curtain surrounding the demon, like a cloud of black mist combating an irrefutable holy one, with nothing but the shield of light safeguarding him.

In an instant, Harrison's wings retreated, and he pushed his hands to the center of the demons chest, and with that very action, the demon dematerialized. It was so softly accomplished, that Augustus found it hard to believe that he was witnessing it.

"Dawn has arrived, Augustus. Let us see that our charge returns home," Harrison was dusting the dirt off of his sleeves, walking away from the demon. Augustus swallowed and quickly moved with angelic grace to Harrison. He wanted to ask so many questions, but Harrisons' tone implied that now was not the time. He looked over his shoulder and saw no record that the demon was ever there.

"That was rather frightening," Augustus breathed out softly. "I'll never do this again."

He looked to the pirogue again, and he saw that Temperance was awakening. The flutter of her eyelashes could be seen.

"Now it is time for us to rest. She will awake in her own home. A lesson learned, Augustus. Never send her on an immortal dream again, no matter how well the intention."

Harrison nodded his head forward, signaling him to proceed. "Augustus, you may now send her back."

Augustus moved hastily over to her, and touched the center of his palm to her temple. He watched Temperance's body evanesce back to her mortal world safely. They both sighed in relief, and observed as all the light from the Virtue dissipated. The mortal world was back to as it was. The sky took on the night again, and joining it were the various stars in their muted light.

"What now?" Augustus asked, staring at the empty pirogue.

Harrison closed his eyes, allowing the sun to beam at his face. "Now we wait for the cards to fall into order."

"How long will it take?"

"As long as it must," Harrison breathed the crisp morning air through his nostrils. "It is not up to us, nor the Nine Choirs to decide. It will be up to her. She must revive her second sight. Once that is done we can move onto the next hurdle."

"Do you think she will find what has been taken? It's like finding a needle in a haystack," Augustus professed with a tone that indicated no hope.

"This is precisely why she needs to listen to Hazel."

Augustus nodded. "Temperance is a stubborn one. I'm not sure she will heed the angel Hazel. She found her to be.... rather quirky."

Harrison smiled. "Don't we all." He thought the angel Hazel was not only quirky, but the most unruly angel he had ever met.

"Nonetheless, Augustus, Temperance will have to be persuaded to do as suggested. Once she sees she is linked to the Saint, it will only help her with her quest in finding what we seek."

"I hope you're right, Harrison. The demons grow in strength every day that passes. If it weren't for this Mardi Gras celebration, I think they would have bested us."

Harrison turned to Augustus, placing his hand on his shoulder. "It was supposed to be this way, Augustus. The Mardi Gras celebrates the resurrection — the beginning of something. This is why the story is unraveling at this very time. This very place in the mortal world."

"But why now? Why not centuries ago when it happened when the coal was stolen?"

"Because we had to wait for the mortal to be born. The Saint's bloodline continues from his sister. He was a guardian of truth, just as our charge is today. She will join forces with those that wear the badge of truth and light."

"I wish we could just tell her everything. Humans take a long time to figure things out," Augustus said dejectedly.

"Have some faith. There will be a lot to observe in the coming weeks. Let us rest ourselves. I am exhausted. The demon has tired me."

They walked away from the pirogue and onto the path, gradually dropping out of sight and back into their kingdom.

The light blazed into Temperance's bedroom window. Morning had arrived. Temperance realized she forgot to draw the curtains last evening before going to bed. She sighed heavily, peeking out from under the covers at the rippling waves of the sun bouncing off her shiny hardwood floors. She stretched her legs out and wiggled her toes, feeling absolutely satisfied with where she was. She felt positively rested. More rested than she had been in quite a while.

She picked up her old-fashioned alarm clock on her nightstand and noticed the time was nine o' clock on the dot.

"How is that for routine," she said aloud to herself. Temperance was a creature of habit. She awoke every morning at the same time, no matter how hard she tried to sleep in. She donned her sheepskin slippers and headed for the coffee machine. Coffee was an important factor in functioning for her. Once that was in her system, she could then follow through with the remainder of the day.

Her kitchen was simple, really. With all updated stainless steel appliances, and a rustic farmhouse table centered in the large kitchen, that her mother had purchased before she passed. There were wheat linen chairs at the head of the table, lined with aged brass nail head's accenting the arms of each. The barn wood benches at each side created a look of a picnic table, but more upscale and refined. Too bad she hardly every entertained, she thought.

She added some vanilla creamer to her coffee and went in search for some cereal. She needed to hit the store today or she'd be mooching off of Lilly and Violet. After eating breakfast she quickly washed her face and dressed in a pair of jeans and a navy cashmere top. Simple and comfortable. She decided to write a few chapters before venturing out to the store, as her mind was in that mode.

She felt so fortunate that her mother had left her with her inheritance. It had allowed her to concentrate on writing, versus finding a job editing somewhere she hated. Her degree was in English, with a minor in creative writing, affording her an opportunity to work anywhere in the writing field. But before her mother died, Temperance had confided in her that she wanted to write a book about having the Second Sight. Surprisingly, Genevieve found her a literary agent interested in the idea. Temperance never dreamed it would blossom into what it has.

Because of that gift, she didn't have to work and write; she could just focus on her book. Her agent had pitched the first few chapters to a reputable publishing company, and now she had a deadline to meet, and a nice contract that she was satisfied with. She put her readers on and began another chapter; one step closer to her finished project, she thought. Once in her zone, there was no stopping for anything, not even her cell that she could hear vibrating on her nightstand. Focusing was an imperative element to have as a writer, and also one that held the sight.

"Need to find that talent again," she said aloud when that entered her mind. She breathed through her nose heavily, trying not to become angered with her situation. Maybe Violet was right, she thought. It could be a blessing that the gift left her. After all, the images were just diabolical events anyway.

The house was quiet, with only sounds of her fingers tapping on the keyboard. A nice sound, she thought. Each stroke of the key was hers. She was beginning chapter twenty, discussing the elements of the Second Sight, when she was struck.

Authors Note:

Thank you so much for reading this chapter of How Deep the Roots Go. If you enjoyed it, it would be wonderful if you could vote. Feel free to leave comments as well. I answer every one. And last of all, if you follow me, you will find out right away when there are updates or new stories.

xoxo,

M