LEVI

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"Welcome home!" 

Janet was not expecting that wholesome cheer. There were about thirty people in her living room with balloons and confetti, celebrating her return home from the hospital. 

"There's our little angel."

Again with those false claims! It was the two women who visited Janet at the hospital. I later learned their names; Kate and Lucy. They belonged to Janet's side of the family. Kate took Cora off Janet's hands, passing her around like an offering. I did not like that, so I got her to cry.

Then there was Leah, Janet's sister. Now that is a creature I could call an angel among men. She had an older Guardian by her side, passed on to her by her great-grandmother. Surprisingly, that exists. Madon suggested that Leah may have been reincarnated or was an answered prayer.  

Leah was our saving grace, not just on that fateful day. She insisted that Cora was tired and took her to the nursery. The way Leah put the baby to sleep melted my fears. I was grateful she chose to help Janet with the baby, even if it was for a couple of months. 

Leah returned to the party to meet a distressed Janet, managing a false smile. Again, she used the baby as an excuse to draw her sister out of the situation. Janet had gone into the nursery, thinking her child needed a quick fix but met nothing but a sleeping baby. 

"You did not seem comfortable around them." Leah rubbed her sister's arms warmly. Janet swallowed her spit, biting her tongue. And when she opened up, her words were followed by sobs and trembling hands.

"They want me to name her Annabelle after David's grandaunt. She's Cora; that's what David and I agreed." 

"Hey..."

"They are planning visits, schools and christening behind my back. Clearly, they think I'm not cut out to raise my child."

"No, do not listen to them. David is not here anymore. This is your baby. What she'll be called, how she'll grow up is your responsibility." Leah said. Standing by Cora's crib, I could tell Leah was ready to throw a fist. Her heel would not stop tapping against the ground. It was a heavy moment, but I found her temperament cute. 

Leah kept Janet upstairs, fueling her with support, till they were ready to face the crowd. 

The party ended around six in the evening. There were enough leftovers to last them a week. Cora was showered with gifts, mostly from her father's side of the family. That made Janet uneasy. 

**

There was peace in the house for the next couple of weeks. And some laughter. "I'll get it." Leah's voice would echo down the hall at 2: 00 AM. She came prepared with a bottle for the Princess of the house.

Madon smacked me a couple of times, accusing me of peeping at Leah's night shorts. For the record, I was not staring at the strawberry print pants which hugged her body for dear life. That was not it!

Janet was scarce, but I was okay because there were no fallen ones around her. 

In other affairs, Madon taught me the art of combat. He set a shield around the baby's room each time we took a lesson. I did not fret because Leah was around with her guardian. She would do anything for Cora. 

Then one day, in the middle of training, something fell out of the sky. Well, it was more like someone descended from the sky. 

"Blessed are thee, for heaven chooses to bless you with one of its holy angels. I, Elijah, have arrived!" 

"Not this clown," Madon slapped a palm across his face. "We're all angels of heaven, you fool."

"Well, you're certainly not from the 'heaven' I live in," said a man with crimson wings and silver hair. His scarecrow frame was bundled in a white tuxedo with tails, and his right index finger was ringed up. 

"Welcome," I saluted. "Are you also a Tartys?" I asked because of the ring. 

"I would have drowned in the pool of the dead if this joker of an Archangel was a Tartys!" Madon turned red in the face. 

"Don't flatter yourself. Your kind is nothing to write home about, Madon," said Elijah

"You know each other?" I had to ask. But perhaps I should have held on to my curiosity. Never had I seen two beings on the same side who had nothing nice to say about each other. They got on each other's nerves before I could upset them with my mistakes. They took that ruckus into the house, causing some shifts in the atmosphere. Objects would fall around random places, startling the humans. 

It took a lot to get Madon to back down.

Elijah was an Archangel of the second order, specialising in creating and making spells. He was to teach me how to use my heavenly core. 

As I showed my second teacher the little I had done to protect Cora, I cast my eyes to the last room down the hallway. Madan and Elijah had resumed arguing about something I didn't understand. It could be because I wasn't paying attention. I was more drawn in by the master bedroom- Janet's room. The door was partly open, and I saw her pacing around. She was hugging herself, speaking in a hushed tone. Right away, I presumed that Leah was in there, but it wasn't so. Leah was in Cora's room. She had her ears plugged with a device, humming out a song. 

"Levickamon, are you listening?" 

I turned, and two high-ranked beings were staring at me. 

"All these weeks together, yet you couldn't teach him how to concentrate!" Elijah said.

"I'll have you know that Levickamon is a special needs angel! You can't pin his shortcomings on me," Madon yapped at him. It was best to zip up and let their quarrels fizzle out. 

Stepping into the baby's room, Elijah hammered on the absence of a full-fledged protection barrier. Leah's guardian assured him he had things under control. Notwithstanding that, Elijah went to the crib. He pulled the tip of his fingers, and they slid off like a glove. 

"Don't be alarmed. This is not his true form." Madon touched my shoulder. At least I didn't jump at my superior, thinking he was a deceiver. Two thick claws hovered over Cora's face, and I was holding my breath. 

"This child has a strong soul. You've done well for a weakling." Elijah's theatrical voice became solemn.

"Souls like these often have a lot ahead of them. It beats me as to why you were chosen for her, but I am not here to understand that. At dawn, we will set barriers and traps to ward off the evil not bound to men." He was referring to things that lurk in the dark which had no direct connection to Cora or her family. It could be a lost soul seeking a way to possess and re-enter the world of the physical, spirits of affliction, misfortune, or simply wondering demons that seek an easy soul to destroy. 

I received that instruction joyfully, not knowing how much it would take a toll on me. Elijah had to summon that holy fire from within me; because I was Cora's Guardian, and my spirit should be doing the covering.

As he spoke the incantations, something changed. My ears were filled with noises all around. I could hear Leah singing at the top of her lungs, yet her lips were shut. Two other voices were ringing loudly. One talked about breastfeeding Cora, so I knew it was Janet's. The second voice I did not know. 

I saw a ring of light mesh around the room and a ray fall on Cora's cot.  

"It was a success. Your spirit is now more connected with hers. Anytime there's trouble, you will sense it sooner." Elijah fixed fleshlike gloves back on. I needed a moment to regain my sense of direction after that episode.

***

Days passed.

 

I was gaining more knowledge and experience on how to handle my human. My teachers did not stop bickering. I even grew fond of it. While Cora was fine, not everything was great. There was often weeping and despair radiating behind Janet's door.

One evening she came into the baby's room, sniffing. She blew her nose in a tissue and tucked it in her pocket. There was still no sign of her angel. She sat in a rocking chair with the baby, taking long therapeutic glances.

"I'm sorry." That was what Janet kept saying to little Cora. A while later, Leah walked in. She was done with a school assignment and wanted to check on the baby before heading to bed.

"You're here...was she crying?" Leah walked over and kissed Cora on the head. It was then she caught the heat in her sister's breath. "Were you drinking?" She asked, her face growing with concern. Leah was brave for holding back on scolding Janet.

Janet: "The Harrisons called in today. They want to discuss shared custody." 

"Ugh! What is their problem?" Leah became angrier. "Janet, you cannot let them bully you."

Janet: "They've refused to let David's will be read."

Leah: "But why?"

Janet: "They don't want to believe that he and I got married secretly. They say he would have been safe and alive if he did not follow me to Waidweg."

Leah: "..."

Janet: "I'm not financially stable to do this, Leah. David had plans, I know he made some investments, but they won't let me get anywhere near it."

Leah wiped her sister's eyes and kissed her on the forehead as she did to Cora. "You are not alone in this. We have relatives who will fight with us. I am here; I will work two jobs if I have to."

"You can't combine that with college," Janet lowered her eyes, ridden with guilt. It was her responsibility to look after her younger sister after their parents passed, yet she was always too much of a wreck to step up to that task. Leah, on the other hand, had been strong for her since the beginning. 

"I have just a year more to go. It will pass before you can even say, dingleberry!" Leah spoke comically. 

A grin lingered on my face when Janet giggled. I could not comprehend the bond they shared. It might have been stronger than what I had with Cora back then; because their love went both ways, but Cora may never get to see or believe that I exist...

The weekend came around fast. Leah was free enough to entertain her sister by gardening in the backyard. Cora was out in the open with a lovely breeze to keep her asleep. 

 "Hmmm, it's about time Levickaman trained with an actual divine weapon. I can lend him mine, but which would he prefer? A sword or a spear?" Madon said out of the blue.

"Any weapon will do," I responded. 

 "What?" Madon looked at me, confused. 

"I don't mind the weapon you choose to train me with," I said to clear the air.

Elijah got off the porch, asking what Madon's problem was. But they shared a strange expression when Madon claimed those were words hidden in his thoughts. "Turn around for a moment, Levickamon. Now I want you to answer these." I obeyed Elijah without question. "What is the name of your Chaperon?"

"Azazel."

"Why did you agree to come to earth, knowing you were not qualified?"

"Because it was the will of the Arch."

"One last question...when were you going to tell us you could hear the thoughts of other angels?"

"..." I turned. Slowly. They did not look happy that I had no explanation for that. 

"Could it be that Levickamon has no idea about this either?" At least Madon saw that it was not intentionally done. Elijah was of a different view. 

"No angel can read another angel's mind! Your pupil has been lying to us, and you're encouraging his bad behaviour."

"Oh, so now he's my pupil? If Levickamon has begun hiding things, it's because you showed up and messed with his head!" Madon did not take kindly to that. 

"You had him first, it's your fault for not noticing that sooner!" Elijah said. I watched them argue until Elijah poked Madon in the chest. That broke the camel's back. 

The wind blew rapidly as the clouds changed into darker greys. "Woo!" Leah shuddered. "It's getting cold out here. Should we go back inside?" 

"Yeah, let me cover this up real quick." Janet was not done sowing seeds. Unbeknownst to them, the change in weather was caused by two powerful angels who were not ready to get along. 

"I'm done with your nonsense!" Madon struck the ground with his fists. Out came a bolt of lightning, striking between his blows. The sword that was revealed looked more like the bone of a giant creature, shaped into one deadly historic blade with spikes. 

The women were alarmed by the thunderous sound and the smell of burnt grass. They rushed their tools into a small bucket and hurried inside without looking back. For the first time, I left Cora unguarded, trying to separate the fight. 

"Stay out of this." Elijah plucked a feather from his wing. The feather broadened in his hand, taking the form of a two-blade sword. The handle fits right into Elijah's palm. With a flexible swing of his hand, I got a lucky view of the feather-shaped edges. It was magnificent to the eye. 

But Madon was coming with equal intensity. "Step back, kid. I'm about to make archangel sushi out of this snob." Madon dragged his mountain of a sword. A weight so great he hunched his back to move it along.