Hadassah's Watchman Trilogy: An Awakening, Evangheline C Farcas [ebook reader screen txt] 📗

PROLOGUE


Luke 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

It was dark, that’s all he knew. There was excruciating pain as something hit his chest with the force of a battering ram. It was dark and then there was jolt and an exploding light, then tender hands that carried him somewhere… But where? Somehow he knew it wasn’t him being carried, that he was dreaming or feeling perhaps the emotions of one he had been set to watch. He almost laughed to himself, a laugh filled with pain and bitterness. Yes he had been set to watch, to be a Watchman, but he had fallen, he had fallen asleep in his watching, he remembered this vaguely in this dream. His brother had never faltered and he wished now he had never faltered either, he wished that faith would have come as easily to him as it had for Raphael. But he was a Thomas at heart, and he had been a Judas. Yet still, he was slowly returning, being reborn. Though she was gone, he began to feel again what he hadn’t felt in hundreds of years. Love. Though she was gone, he loved her as if she was not. Hope still remained for him as he remembered that the Savior promised a new heaven and a new earth, yes, he would see her there.
The light became brighter and began to take shape but the image fled as quickly as it had come, in the blink of an eye, as Damian awakened.


-CHAPTER 1-


Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

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“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
--Lewis B. Smedes quotes


Damian cringed at the raw pain on Philip’s face. For the past hour he had ranted and raved, completely enraged with the Romanian government. The Queen and King even dared not utter a word, in fear their son would be pushed over the edge. For days now the Swedish diplomats had petitioned, begged and even attempted to bribe the Romanian officials. It was all useless, they refused to produce Hadassah’s body. This queen of the hearts that the Swedes wanted to give a proper burial would not be returned to the country that loved her so much. At this point Philip’s eerily calm demeanor had faltered and snapped.
Damian also felt as though he would at any given moment explode. His guilt demanded action, something, anything! He stormed out of the room not caring which of the Royal family he would offend. Like a child he rushed out to the cold dark gardens. Filling his fists with snow he formed the cold substance into a firm snow ball and threw it as hard as he could, which flew through the air at the speed of light. A scream erupted from him. He sounded like a crazed animal, he was an animal, he told himself. Damian sank to his knees, the cold snow seeped through his dark jeans. He bowed with his face touching the snow, refusing to let the tears come. The vivid images refused to leave his mind. Over and over he saw the scarlet blood, the dark night and the sweet face of an angel. That’s what she was to him. Was. Then he would look at his own hands and see them stained with her blood, he could not be cleansed of it.
A hand carefully touched his shoulder and he lifted his head, turning only slightly. When he saw Raphael’s worried face he let out a crazed giggle, startling his ever faithful brother.
“Damian, stop, be still.” Raphael begged in a chocked whisper.
“Stop? Stop!? Stop what brother? I killed her.” He shouted enunciating each word to be sure Raphael understood.
“No, you didn’t. Don’t do this to yourself!” begged Raphael.
Damian just laughed.
“Seriously? You’re so naïve brother, you trust too much.”
That silenced him momentarily, “I trust my own brother.” he responded quietly.
“You shouldn’t! You shouldn’t have!” he retorted.
Confused Raphael didn’t answer, he just stared into the cold night.
“I killed her. I was you Judas and you never even thought it possible.” Damian explained his voice taking a sub-arctic temperature.
Raphael shook his head in denial, “No, it was Lucas. Damian you can’t make people choose what is right, you can only pray and guide them. But it’s up to them to listen.”
Damian smiled sarcastically, just as a predator would smile at it’s prey. “How right you are brother, and I have guided Lucas well. But you still don’t see do you?” he demanded.
Raphael just shook his head, confused.
“All those years, did you think I was serving Him? Did you think I was watching for Him? You’re a fool Raphael.”
Raphael took a step back, “What have you done?”
“Now you understand. I was a Watchman alright, but not for your side, not for His side. I fell Raphael. I influenced Lucas, in so doing I killed Hadassah.”
Shaking his head as if to dispel the words Raphael attempted to reason with his brother, “But you came to warn us, I don’t understand.”
“Yes, brother, I came to warn you. But my change of heart came too late.” he stated in a cold matter-of-fact tone.
Silence wrapped around them. Raw, painful emotions attacked them. Damian knew his brother’s love for Hadassah’s was like that of a father. He knew his word’s were shredding the very core of his brother. Love and hate raged head to head in his eyes.
Their eyes stayed locked on each other, each assessing the other.
“I’m going back.” said Damian.
“What?” Raphael asked incredulously.
“I’m going back to Romania, and I won’t come back without her body.”
Raphael didn’t object, tears made a slow trek down his face at the very thought of Hadassah’s dead body. He just kept looking at Damian, still unbelieving.
“Do you understand brother that like me there are many? Tell me your eyes are opened now. There are Watchmen who watch, but for the wrong side.” Damian said, as if by stating this fact he could redeem himself, by letting him know of the danger, as if it could change time itself.
“Wolfs in sheep’s clothing.”
“Yes brother, ravenous wolfs.” confirmed Damian. “Look, this will change nothing, but I will say it; I’m sorry I betrayed every good thing. Unlike you, I fell and I am sorry.” he chocked on the last words trying to keep back the bile. Longing filled him. Since they had come back to Sweden he had just gone through the motions, mimicking, pretending he was one of the redeemed. Even though he no longer served the Dark Ones, even though he would fight alongside his brother now, it fixed nothing in his soul. He was in-between and with God there was no in-betweens.
After an eternity of silence Raphael spoke, “I can’t condemn you, I can only forgive you.”
“Of course you would, you always forgive. You never falter.” Damian said with resentment.
“That’s where you’re wrong, and you’re also wrong if you think His sacrifice can’t cover your transgression. In fact, brother, if you think that, you are even now spitting in His face.” Raphael spoke with firm conviction that began to soothe Damian’s blistered heart.
Sobs ripped through him as he felt his brother’s arms surround him. “Just as Damian, you never ask for anything, but ask Him now.”
As Raphael knelt there in the snow beside him, Damian cried out, unable to hold it inside any longer, “Help me! Forgive me!”
As the wail echoed through the garden, he felt what seemed like rushing waters pouring with force over him. These waters began to filter into every pore, healing and restoring instantly. It felt as if he would drown in the peace it left behind. It felt risky, even painful trusting this peace, but at least he was beginning to feel again, numbness was not enough anymore. He knew he couldn’t go one more day without the passion, the zeal, and the love he had once known so well. It was all or nothing now, and he decided to give all.
So it was that as determination and perseverance were being reborn in him, so was faith, so was the consuming passion that couldn’t compare to anything on this earth. His entire being was being awakened, healed completely. As his heart experienced this awakening, he heard a still small voice. It was unmistakable.
“Welcome back my son, you were lost but now you’re found. You were so blind, but now you will see as you have never seen before. My grace and peace I give to you.”
Then there was silence, and the brother’s embraced, for their hearts were united once more. They were as before, each other’s keepers.


-Chapter 2-


Air. There was no air, only excruciating pain and a fading heartbeat. Hands lifted her up as if she was light as a feather. The hands felt like needles that sent searing pain through her body. Warm liquid seemed to pour from her, though she couldn’t tell where the flow originated. Pain seemed to cover every inch of her, as if hundreds if not thousands of knives penetrated her body.
Everything was fading around her, her vision blurred. Though she heard gruff voices, they seemed to come from miles away, or an entirely different world. Through it all a warmth began to conquer the horrible coldness. The rough, careless hands that carried her were far away now, replaced by more gentle hands. Oddly, the pain also disappeared with which the memory of it also began to fade.
With a jolt, she realized there was no darkness. At first she didn’t realize it, but she was still being carried. She had a wonderful sensation, it was as if she was flying. She blinked a few times and looked up. As she did, her eyes locked with a fearsome being that seemed to be carrying her. A scream began to form at the back of her throat, but he spoke before it escaped.
“Fear not, child.” His voice boomed, but somehow it was full of harmony. It reminded her of Raphael, yes of his music.
He landed gently in front of the gates of a grand city. The city went as far as they eyes could see and her eyes saw with perfect clarity that it was simply indescribable. Clear gold, the purest ever seen, surrounded them. Precious stones that had never been discovered, adorned every building. There was laughter and music all around.