Ethan struck several of the creatures-his movements impossible to view with the natural eye. The wounded creatures howled their fury, backing away, while others contemplated an attempt. Then, just as suddenly as Ethan had appeared before them in the spiritual realm, he disappeared.
Ethan appeared before Gideon in the physical realm ten yards from where he had been sleeping. “Ethan?”
He looked at Gideon. The young priest of Shaddai was looking at him now. Ethan turned back to his demon opponents. He still saw the demons, but they appeared to be searching for him. Ethan whipped his sword hand up, but the weapon was gone along with his luminous silver armor. He had returned to his former state, dressed in a stained, tan shirt and breeches. Gideon hopped over to him, feeling Ethan’s arm to be sure the boy had substance.
Ethan saw the demons go after Gideon, though the priest remained unaware. The horses whinnied wildly, backing away from the camp-their animal senses sending them into panic.
Ethan had no time.
“What’s wrong?” Gideon asked, still confused.
“We’re under attack!”
The first demon lunged-teeth and claws ready for the kill. Ethan used all of his strength to heave Gideon out of the way. The demon flew at them, slashing with its preternatural blade. Gideon tumbled to the ground, bewildered by the boy’s violent warning when no danger seemed apparent.
The demon blade missed Ethan easily, clanging into the wood of their fire. Ethan had seen enough proof on the Howinger road of the demons’ ability to surge violently into the physical world and kill. However, as far as he knew, the demons still did not see him in his physical form.
The demons lunged again for Gideon, intent on destroying the one human they could see. Ethan got to him first. He seized Gideon by the shoulders, preparing to throw him out of the way again, but the demons had halted.
“Wait!” Gideon said-his eyes wide with unexpected horror. “I can see them!”
Ethan stood still, astonished by his friend’s statement. Ethan started to let go, but Gideon stopped him. “No, wait. Ethan, don’t let go of me. Look at them.”
Ethan watched the demons. They appeared confused and angry, searching the camp blindly.
“They don’t seem to see or hear either of us,” Gideon said. “And when you grabbed me, I could see them. Has this ever happened before?”
Ethan remembered when he and Elspeth had fled from Salem the night of the massacre. The demons, coming from the trees, had passed through them seemingly unaware of their presence. He had been holding tightly to his sister that night, and she to him, as they ran for their lives. Ethan had no time to think about it now. He and Gideon still stood in the midst of six vicious apparitions ready to kill them, if they figured out how to find them.
The devils picked up rocks, sticks, burning embers, and anything else they could lay hold of in the physical world, hurling it all around the camp. Gideon pulled Ethan out of the way, as one of the blankets flew at them.
“They’re trying to find us,” Gideon said. “If they hit us with something then it may show them where we are.”
The demons picked up everything they could find, throwing it in all directions. The burning logs, blankets, limbs, rocks, and dust of the ground all swirled around furiously like a small tornado. Whistler and Gideon’s patchwork mare, Abigail, fled as fast as they could into the night.
The demons gave up their tantrum when it failed to produce results, retreating into the trees beyond the firelight. Ethan kept a hold on Gideon. “Let’s be sure, before I let go of you, all right?”
Gideon happily obliged him. Had it not been for Ethan, the demons would have torn him apart without his ever catching a glimpse of his attackers. They held their breath, waiting, hearts racing with excitement. Then Gideon heard something. “Hold on-”
From the trees, beyond their camp, a large brown object charged at them, slinging slobber as it ran. “It’s a bear!” they shouted in unison.
For a brief moment, Ethan saw within the ferocious beast charging at them from the darkness. He saw the six demons inside the animal, urging its fury. The bear ran straight towards them. “I think it can see us!” Ethan said.
Gideon broke free from Ethan’s grip, lunging for his sword. It had been tossed about the camp and now lay on the ground ten yards away from where they were standing. Ethan didn’t realize what the priest was doing. The charging bear was already on top of him. The animal pulled itself up to a full of height of nearly nine feet, preparing to hammer Ethan into the ground with one of its massive paws.
Ethan heard the song of steel whistling through the air, catching a glimpse of Gideon’s sword spin past his head. It sank perfectly into the bear’s chest just to the left of its sternum. The great animal seized and fell over.
Ethan ran and grabbed Gideon again. He would be visible to the demons if they came out of the bear. However, as the boys looked on, the spirits seemed to be working to get out of the creature, as though its death had temporarily trapped them inside. The demons leaped out of the bear carcass, searching briefly before fleeing into the darkness.
“Let’s get out of here before something else happens,” Gideon said. They left what they had at the camp and ran into the night. Gideon led the way and soon they were back to the road. It was going to be a long walk through the darkness in order to get to another town without the horses. But it was far better than what might be waiting for them at the camp. Ethan and Gideon had been tired before. Now, they had enough adrenaline surging through their veins to keep them going until dawn.
FEAR
Ethan and Gideon followed the moonlit road as the wind blew gently upon them. It was comfortable, just right for walking. Foreboding crept along with them like an assassin present beyond the trees on either side of the road. They had left the sound of angry demons behind them, but they still might be following.
The demons had evidently figured out how to see Ethan. With the bear’s physical eyes, the demons had found him. Only Gideon’s quick thinking and expert skill had saved the boy. “Do you see anything yet?” Gideon asked. This question had become his favorite phrase over the past two hours as they walked on the road.
“Maybe we should hold hands,” Gideon said. Once he made the statement, he felt like a complete fool. “I mean, so we can both remain invisible to the demons.”
Ethan gave the priest a sidelong glance. “Awkward.”
“Okay, forget it. I’m an idiot.”
Ethan laughed. “It’s not that, Gideon. I think it only works when I have both hands on someone.”
“Oh.”
“How long have you been a priest of Shaddai, Gideon?”
He thought about it for a moment. It seemed like he had always been at the Temple with Master Isaiah. “About fifteen years now,” he said. “My parents surrendered me to The Order when I was four years old.”
“Why would they do that?” Ethan asked.
“Well, my parents had been unable to have any children. I had a brother who was stillborn before me. My parents told me they prayed for three years to have a child. They made a vow to dedicate their firstborn son to Shaddai and his service. I was born the next harvest time. True to their vow, they surrendered me to the priesthood of Shaddai when the time came. I’m glad to have grown up in The Order. I have my place in the world serving the Lord of Heaven and Earth.”
“Do you have any brothers or sisters now?” Ethan asked.
“I have three sisters and two brothers, but I’m rarely able to see them.” Had it been daylight, Ethan might have noticed Gideon’s expression grow sad at that point. “They’re all together as a family while I serve The Order.”
“Does everyone in The Order fight the way you do?” Ethan asked.