A Taste of Mercy (A Recipe for Disaster Novel 2)

are the only mercy left.

It was far too close to the babies now. Some part of me knew that the Chaos wanted to consume all life, and it would eagerly start with the newborns. As the gate swelled again Cassie sobbed, stumbling towards her children even if it meant being killed in the process. So I beat her to it; I always was the faster runner. As the Chaos reached out a tendril to wrap around the newly born Jasmine and Brandon, I threw myself in front of them and felt it almost gently caress my face instead; and then I felt my body drop to the floor as my soul ripped away.

I was on the couch in the twisting void once again. This time no specter of my failed future faced me, instead I sat with Death, both of us watching as the fabric of my soul unraveled. I wondered if I had finally gone mad when the words I had spoken to myself came back to me only this time I understood their meaning. “You’re not crazy yet but you will be; bad things are about to happen to you. You won’t have earned it, you certainly don’t deserve it, and unfortunately you will survive it. There are too many people watching you to let you go on the dead list permanently just yet. Focus; you’ve got very little time to figure things out and it’s already running out. You gift isn’t elements, its adapting and using energies. Your twin can tap into energy like you can but hers uses her as a channel, you can actually use yours as a tool.You need to fight this. It’s tough but you can push it back.Fight back!Just let the moment pass. You’re alive, keep fighting.Something major is happening and you are a part of it, without ever being given the choice on the matter. It’s unfortunate but necessary, and sadly nowhere near done yet. You have the ability to endure all of this and more without shattering; all of this has changed you and that change can never be undone, you need to adapt. The choice is yours; when you chose to stay alive it means that you chose to stay here as well. This is the something major, the reason you have had to endure and be here. The angels you’ve encountered, the demons you’ve fought, and the alliances you’ve forged, all of that has been leading you here. With the barriers properly joined and sealed, no more energy leaks through to the Place Between. The Time is coming.” Death watched me patiently, smiling at me in encouragement as I realized my task and the things that were still to come.

“Do you chose to accept?” Death asked me, holding out a hand for me to clasp.

“I will be a Tribute of Death. I will contain the Chaos. I will try and help reestablish the balance. I accept.” I finally chose, the Power word that Michael had given me so long ago finally coming to me.  

I was lying on the cold stone floor and heard screaming. It was never a good sign when you start with a face full of blood and screams in the air. The last time I’d thought that, I’d been a much simpler person living a much easier life. I stuffed my scattered thoughts away as I pushed to my hands and knees, trying to look up. Everything looked slightly different to me, but I couldn’t put my finger on how it had changed. My arms shook with shock and weakness as I watched Demon fire try to consume the Breach. My allies were on the far side of the fire, unaware yet as to my resurrection. My face felt oddly stiff, my back screamed in agony from where I had been burned and I had the urge to go to sleep, which was patently ridiculous. I ignored all of that to focus on something that had escaped my notice at first; my friends were no longer alone. The Higher Powers I had met in Nikka’s Realm stood in support of my family, but even with their strength combined in they had no hope of holding the Breach back. The dark tendrils oozed and lashed, testing and tasting the Demon Fire as if it enjoyed the challenge of consuming that energy source first.

Cassie held her babies tight to her, both of them wailing their delight to be alive still. Nikka stood in front of my twin, shielding her with wings I had only ever seen twice before. Once when the Arc Angel had given me a sliver of her power to help keep me sane, and again when I had asked her to reveal them to try and free her. Zeke stood beside Cassie, arm curled over her shoulder protectively and despite his actions, the vampire had Barry at his side. Alex stood next to Nikka, the front line of defense for my family and I could clearly see tears had streaked his face.