Interlogue 6

Michael sat in the Holy of Holies with the other members of the Council of Archangels: the Chief Observer of Earth, Peter; the Chief Influencer, Rebecca; and the Chief of Espionage, Mary.

The Archangels had incredible demands on their time and energy. It was exceptionally rare to call a meeting with all four of them.

However, it was necessary to do so. Michael had exhausted himself digging into the recent problems facing the servants of the light. Who was recruiting angels and demons away from their respective sides, and how did this new person have so much power?

How had Kitt Walker become a third Nexus?

How were the demons planning on using their reconciliatory compensations from the Intermedius Vindicatum? Had they already used them?

Michael had spent so much time following Marcy and Jade around that he barely had time to look into other matters. Yet despite all of his efforts, he could not help feeling like he was drowning in his own heavenly glory. None of his methods were working. Marcy was still far in the negative on the Fausti score, and Jade was trending closer and closer to zero all the time. Now that she was without her witness, she was more vulnerable than ever to the clutches of the demons.

Peter was the first to speak. He was a handsome man, though shorter than even Michael. His curly black hair was often unruly, yet it suited him and his bold manner. He addressed Michael when he spoke.

“I believe I can tell you accurately how Kitt Walker received the Nexus gift. As you are already aware, Jade Seymour received a device capable of copying the Nexus gift of Marcia Dawson. We believe this worked only because the two were so closely entangled when the Nexus event occurred. But what may have been overlooked by both sides is that Kitt Walker was also entangled with Jade during the Nexus event. All three were engaged in coitus, and if the Nexus event happened at just the right moment, Kitt may have also been a potential Nexus.”

“This makes sense,” Mary added.

Michael turned his attention to the Chief of Espionage, known for her firm dedication to the color white. Her skin was forever the shade of ivory, her hair as void of pigment as dried bone, and her clothes almost made it difficult to look at her because of their sheer whiteness. Her irises of pale silver were nearly white, too. When she spoke, Michael had to stare at her lips, which were the hue of rich blood.

“The other side has been convinced for years that the Nexus was a female, so they may have never even considered Kitt Walker a potential candidate. As we were always playing catch up with their intelligence on this Nexus cycle, we never considered it either. However, we are fairly certain they still do not realize what he is. They are fully focused on Marcia Dawson and Jade Seymour.”

“But Kitt already has a witness,” Michael suggested. “How are they not aware of that?”

“Because he has a Fausti score of 0.”

Michael’s head whipped around at Peter, who announced this disturbing news. “What?”

“He has had a score of 0 for months,” Rebecca said.

Rebecca was known for her great beauty and wisdom. She was one of the oldest angels on Earth, nearly as old as Michael. Her olive skin, raven hair, and eyes the color of the sky made her a wonder to behold. For a time, she and Michael had been in love, but that had ended thousands of years ago. Now, they worked professionally together to improve the world, and nothing more.

“This didn’t raise alarms?” Michael asked her.

“I have information I believe that will clear up that and another one of our mysteries,” Mary said.

“First, explain to me how Kitt became a Nexus,” Michael said.

Peter spoke again. “Jade Seymour gave Kitt Walker the power of the Nexus during a sexual encounter they shared on Saturday, August 19 of this year. Since then, Kitt Walker has turned Uma Granger into his first witness. Most recently, he has been sought out by Gina Panagos, who we believe will likely be converted into his second witness via simple coitus. Kitt Walker’s Nexus power is almost recharged to the point where he should be able to create a third witness, likely in London Lu.”

“Three witnesses?” Michael repeated. “While Marcy has none, and Jade has just shunned hers.”

“Both Marcia Dawson and Jade Seymour’s powers will recharge soon,” Peter said. “We suspect Robin Feldman Wheeler will quickly become Marcia Dawson’s new first witness. As for Jade Seymour, we are uncertain.”

“Hannah Cole?” Michael asked.

“Or perhaps Velma Hawthorne,” Peter concluded.

Michael had his doubts about Velma. She was an interesting case. “Well ... at least we have one mystery solved. Kitt needs to be on our radar.”

“Perhaps we should wait,” Mary said. “As long as we are avoiding contact with him, the other side will likely continue to overlook him.”

“But he’s been in contact with somebody. His other gift—the ability to grow his penis at will—”

“Yes,” Mary said. “About that. I believe I have an answer for you. My top angels and I spent exhaustive hours performing massive research through the archives to find the testimonies I will give you today. The first comes from none other than the original Ancient of Days.”

Michael sat up straighter in his chair. This was why he had summoned them to the Holy of Holies in the Temple of Eternal Light, which lay deep in the Arctic pole. It was the one place on Earth demons could not enter, not even Lucifer. Any being who stepped foot inside with a Fausti score of less than 100 would instantly die.

But there was a catch.

The power for the room came from its occupants by draining them all of their heavenly glory, leaving each archangel mortal and vulnerable for a full day afterward. Thus, several angels waited outside to escort them to safety the minute the meeting ended. The only thing like it in all the world was its demonic counterpart: the Inner Sanctum of the Temple of Everlasting Night in the Antarctic.

“The original Ancient of Days? The first angel?” Peter asked.

“Samuel himself,” Mary said.

Michael was often called the Ancient of Days, but that didn’t mean he was the first angel. Michael had been among the first. But the first angel created by God was Samuel, later called by most angels and even many demons to be the Ancient of Days as a sign of respect. He had fallen at the hand of Beelzebub wielding Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar, the fabled sword which had belonged to Solomon before passing to many other noted kings and princes.