Shire Bottom Chronicles

Chapter Twenty-Three

James followed Geoffrey to a steel door at the end of the hallway. When Geoffrey pulled it open, the squealing of metal echoed through the basement. Inside, James was a little taken aback to see Bo's son, Kaine, sitting at a large oak desk. Beside him stood a woman in a white robe that appeared to glow under the fluorescent lights.

"James." Kaine grinned, reaching his hand over and giving James a firm handshake. The woman in the robe nodded but did not speak. "This is Beverly Koil, voice of our guardian angel."

"Wait, Beverly—Matt's mom?" James exclaimed, unable to contain the obvious shock in his voice. Bane and Cat had never said anything...he had to wonder if they already knew. Perhaps that was why they so eagerly turned the blonde over. It was no secret Bane hated that Komazzi took pity on the boy. Maybe he was hoping for a family reunion.

"I don't have a son," Beverly growled, before her voice changed to what sounded like a man's voice. "We don't have time for this. I want to make you an offer, and should you choose to accept it, you will be a very powerful man in the new government."

"What is going on?" James asked, staring at the woman in confusion. He had been asked to find out what was going on, but he hadn't expected what looked to be an angel possession.

"I am Michael, bringer of light. We understand this is a lot to digest, however, we cannot allow the Nephilims Catherine and Banier to take over. There is a reason we extinguish all Nephilims as soon as they are born. They are too dangerous and unpredictable to allow to walk the earth once they grow up. They are also near impossible to destroy after they get their full powers," the male voice continued. Beverly had frozen, as though she had no control of her body.

"My sister Gabriel made a serious mistake covering up Catherine's birth, and she has paid for her sins. Catherine's father, Asmodeus, kept her hidden from us for thousands of years before we were able to lure her here through Giovanni Kaliwse," Michael went on. "Little did we know, the Devil had produced his own Nephilim and bound it to Catherine. Making Banier her eternal protector."

"So you're trying to finish the job you started, and want my help?" James questioned skeptically, his head swimming with this new information. He had known how powerful they were, but this was far crazier than he'd imagined. Also, what did Michael mean they were bonded? Did Cat and Bane expect Michael to reveal all of this, and just wanted James' reaction to be genuine, or had they planned to keep their true identity secret?

"We want you to help us bring their horrific reign to an end by being a pretender in their ranks, and reporting back to us anything that might help us catch them," Michael said, putting Beverly's hand on James' shoulder. "We can make your wildest dreams come true. Just tell me what it would take for you to become a godly crusader."

"Do all angels talk like this? Can't you just say, 'hey, would you spy on Cat for us, because she scares us?' Seriously, you use way too many words." James laughed, sitting in a plush rolling chair and putting his feet on Kaine's desk. For a moment, he thought he saw Beverly's eyes flash red.

"She does not scare us. Catherine is an insolent child, but would be able to sense our presence and stop us before we completed our task," Michael continued. "Do not be fooled. Catherine only cares about herself and power. Your lust for her is just another spell she's using to control your actions and emotions."

"Cool, is this where I take the red pill and see how deep the rabbit hole goes?" James grinned, ignoring the stink eye he was getting from Kaine.

"This is not the Matrix, this is your reality. If you were smart, you wouldn't be making jokes," Kaine growled, pushing James' feet off the desk.

"No, Kaine, he is right to be skeptical. To earn his trust, we need to show him what we can offer," Michael insisted, waving Beverly's hand; a tray appeared with an assortment of snacks and drinks on it. James had worked for Bane long enough to know never to take any food or drinks he was offered. "Please take something, I insist."