Chapter 30

The new room unsettled her, robbing her of a good night’s sleep. Empty and unlit, it lacked the darkness that enveloped Judas’ room when she was absent. Unlike the cell room where demons were kept, this room appeared ordinary. Its sudden existence puzzled Suzi. Was it another warrior persona? The room didn’t evoke the same feelings as Judas’ empty room—only peace and tranquility.

Her mind also raced with worry about Phineas and Kyle. No word from them, and dawn approached. Waiting was no longer an option.

She rose from bed, t-shirt discarded, and faced the bathroom mirror. Her left arm bore the twelve stitches that once held her side together. Removing them, she marveled at the tiny holes left by the silk sutures closing before her eyes.

“Hey, Judas?” she called inwardly. “Did you know Miraleth was in the orb?”

“I did not,” the warrioress replied.

“Miraleth?” Suzi searched her consciousness, but silence greeted her.

She extended her hand, concentrated, and invoked the orb: “Miraleth’s Pellet.” The golden decorative sphere materialized.

“Miraleth?” she addressed the orb, but no response came. Repeating its name, she tried to absorb it as before, but nothing changed. Frustration crept in.

In the mirror, she asked Judas for answers, but received none. Guillermo had vanished. Panic clenched her throat—she was back in the orb.

Exiting the bathroom, she expected her bedroom, but instead found an old, grey-bearded man sitting on her bed. The window revealed a view from above the orb after she’d reached the top ledge.

“Miraleth?” she ventured.

“Judith,” he nodded. “Or Suzi? Or Judas? You have many monikers,” the old man’s voice belied his age.

“Suzi, please,” she requested.

He smiled and nodded his acknowledgement.

“Are you an angel?”

“Yes,” he hesitated. “Well, no. Not anymore, but I used to be.”

“So, you’re… human or a celestial?” Suzi probed.

“Not quite. I’m a spirit, I guess would be the best description.”

“Like a ghost?”

“Not quite. I’m really just consciousness, energy, and some will. Unlike ghosts, who are just energy. Angels can assume spiritual form in the Prime Plane. My orb holds my spirit, ensuring continuity after my physical body’s demise.”

“Is Judas a spirit within me?”

Miraleth chuckled, devoid of the bells and orchestra typical of angels. “No. Judas is you. You are Judas.”

“But Judas knows things I don’t.”

“Judas embodies primal instincts. You know them but don’t always believe. Humans learn to suppress their instincts.”

“What does the orb do? What’s my purpose with it?”

“At its core, you can throw it to hit any target. Force varies by intent—devastating or merely annoying. But there’s more, as you’ve discovered. It tests your worth as a celestial.”

“And if I hadn’t passed?”

“Then I imagine you would have given up and we would not be having this conversation,” Miraleth replied cryptically.

Suzi was unsure what he meant by ‘giving up’ but would not ask him to elaborate.

“Judas’ wings. Does that mean she can fly?”

“Do you think you can fly?”

“No.”

“Then you’d be correct,” he said.

“So, is the orb only for celestials? What if a human finds it?”

“Only celestials, demons, and angels can be drawn in,” the old man explained. “Angels would easily pass the tests of self-doubt, and most demons could as well.“

“So, throwing it and giving it to a celestial to mesmerize them for a moment is all it does?” she asked, confused.

The old man smiled. The gold in his hazel eyes intensified. She felt herself being drawn into him.

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“With the pellet absorbed or in your hand, your will is amplified. You could overpower adversaries you’d otherwise struggle against.”

The trance broke, and Suzi shook off the mental fog. She’d felt this way before.

“So, I can tap into your will from the orb?” she asked.

“To some extent, yes.”

“Can I perform miracles?”

“Your existence itself is miraculous. By expending the will contained in the pellet, you can achieve remarkable feats.”

Suzi raised the orb that wouldn’t absorb. “But if your angelic will resides here, shouldn’t it be more potent than the knife?”

“I wish that were true,” the old man sighed. “My angelic will is weakened, bound to this orb. Objects lack will of their own, so using their powers depletes the embedded will—especially when it holds a bound spirit.”

Suzi looked at the old man, contemplating what she just heard. After a few seconds she stated, “You and the orb are dying.”

“Indeed,” he acknowledged. “Once my will is depleted, I’ll cease to exist—and you will possess a unique, designer paperweight.”

“How much time do you have?”

“Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” Suzi offered sympathetically. As a Funeral Director, she knew better than to say the ‘S’-word to console someone.

The old man smiled, eyes sparkling. “Don’t be. I knew this fate awaited me. The end is inevitable for us all.”

“Angels know their fate?” Suzi inquired.

He chuckled. “Not at all. I decided my own. Going down this path, I knew it would be my end.”

Acknowledging his wisdom, Suzi nodded. “Thank you for testing me. I’ve battled self-worth for a while.”

Miraleth contemplated, fingers perched. “We all do, child. Made in His image, we’re far from perfection. But we must have faith in becoming our best selves.”

“Do you see my other personalities?”

“I see you. Your fractured soul could be perceived as other personalities. Why?”

“After passing the pellet’s test, I have a new room where my personalities reside. What does it mean?”

“I’m not sure. Personality rooms are unique to you. Perhaps a piece of you regressed due to self-doubt or self-pity and now that you have begun to conquer those feelings, it resurfaces,” he surmised.

“Begun to? I didn’t defeat those feelings?”

“No. But you should have confidence to push back when negativity arises.”

“I hoped those thoughts came from demons or something and that I was impervious now.”

“There are some demons that mimic or manipulate self-doubt—you carry one even now. But not all negative thoughts stem from them.”

“Any suggestions for finding that piece of me?”

“I am unable to help there. Encouragement, reassurance, and faith in yourself may draw her out,” Miraleth advised.

Suzi nodded and smiled, holding out the orb and said its name. It dissolved into her hand. The man on her bed faded into nothingness, as did the view outside of the window, replaced with the orange, pink, and blue hues of the early morning sun.

Suzi’s morning had already begun, and she decided to visit Aiden first. Then, she planned to call Tom’s crew to catch up on their recent activities and find out what Kyle had been up to the previous night.

As she arrived at the hospital, Suzi noticed a missed call from an unknown number. The caller had left a voicemail. Clearly, it wasn’t someone who knew her well. Curiosity piqued, she listened to the voicemail while riding the elevator up to the ICU.

“Hi, Ms. Burch,” the voicemail offered. “This is Francis Bowers. You worked on my son, Devin. His service is this afternoon, and I was curious if my husband and I could meet you in person and thank you for the great work you did, giving him some final dignity. We hope to see you there.”

“That’s something, I suppose,” Suzi muttered to herself. She texted Nick, letting him know she would be at the Bowers’ service.

His reply came promptly: “It’ll be good to have you back.”

Reality hit Suzi—her week off was almost over. So much had happened during that time that she’d lost track of days. Now, she needed to refocus on her career, the very reason she’d upended her life.

Standing by the window in Aiden’s room, Suzi stared at the plastic barrier. His vitals remained steady on the monitor, but she couldn’t make out the details. Time stretched, feeling like an eternity.

A nurse interrupted her thoughts, “Can I help you with anything, ma’am?”

“No,” Suzi replied. “He’s my husband. I came here to spend time with him. Is there any chance I can see him?”

“I’m sorry,” the nurse said. “We have to keep him quarantined for at least another week, until we’re sure the infection risk has passed.” With that, the nurse walked away.

“That’s what I thought. Thanks, though,” Suzi murmured, her gaze still fixed on Aiden.

With a heavy, soul-cleansing sigh, she turned to leave. Suzi pressed the elevator button and reached for her phone to call Tom. But when the doors opened, she froze. Dr. Beelart stood there, an evil grin etched on his face.

Something snapped within Suzi. She lunged, grabbing the doctor’s throat with her left hand. Her right hand slapped random buttons, pinning him against the elevator wall. A battle of wills ensued as she stared into the eyes of the man—peering upon the demon within.

Rage surged through her, and the demon fed off her power, growing stronger. Heat radiated from her body as he drew energy from her fury.

Suzi’s hand opened, “Rogziel’s Blade,” she growled, and the knife materialized. She squeezed the handle, feeling power build within her chest.

Miraleth’s Pellet combined with the terror-infused blade shifted the tides. The doctor’s grin turned from ecstasy to surprise, then fear. Terror was the key. The more fear the demon felt, the stronger Suzi became. And she craved more power.

The battle ended. The rage demon cowered deep within the doctor’s mind.

“What’s your name, demon?” Suzi snarled, not bothering with the demonic language.

“Ma…Mal…Malphas,” the cowering demon spoke through the doctor’s mouth.

“I bind you, Malphas, to Rogziel’s Blade,” Suzi declared. “You’ll live in terror for the remainder of my will.”

With those words, she thrust the blade into the doctor’s side. Reddish-gold chains wrapped around the demon, ripping it from his mind. The blade withdrew, leaving only a brief reddish-gold light at the entry wound where the blade met flesh. His coat and shirt were cut from the blade, but there was no physical damage to the doctor.

She released the doctor’s throat and recalled the blade. The doctor collapsed, holding his face, bawling from whatever he just witnessed from his perspective while trapped within his own mind.

She turned to face the elevator doors and pressed the lobby button. Her hands were trembling.

“What… the fuck… was that?” Judith asked.

Suzi looked at her hands.

“That was not Judas,” she stated.

“No. That was all you,” Spike said.

Judas offered, “Very well done. A little unorthodox, but it got the job done.” A sense of pride came through with Judas’ voice.

“How did you know the knife wouldn’t hurt the doctor?” Suzanne inquired.

“I don’t think I did. At least not consciously,” Suzi told the collective. “I knew it wasn’t the doctor, but he still pissed me off the other day.”

“The blade corrupts. Power is very dangerous. Now, with a bound rage demon, it’s even more dangerous,” Judas said.

“Holy shit!” Annie added, “Can we become a fucking superhero now?”