Preface

Heaven 20 Years ago

      Laughter filled the sky as the younglings played tag. Their feathered white wings swooshed against the air as they flew and chased each other. Alex lay on his back and watched from the cloud below them, wings outstretched with his arms behind his head. His long white hair partially covered his blue eyes as a slight breeze flitted through the small group. He stood up and removed his long sleeve white shirt, revealing a hard muscled chest and abs. He was lean and fast. The children stopped and watched as he stepped to the edge of the cloud and looked out over world below them. One of the children landed beside him and took his hand.

      “It’s ok, brother. I’m sure she is ok,” the girl said in a high girly voice. Alex looked down at his sister and smiled.

      “I know she is, but I can’t help but worry. Sometimes her courage can get her in over her head. You know how she gets, don’t you Amber?” he replied in his deep mystical tone.

      Amber smiled and squeezed her brothers hand. Her long brown hair swayed in the wind that had started to pick up.   She only came to her brother's waist. Her beautiful brown eyes looked intently into his. They both took a deep breath and sighed.

      “Come brother, join our game,” she suggested hopefully. The other children had begun playing again. She tugged at his white jeans, trying to get him to play.

      He smiled and pulled her into a hug. “Not this time,” he whispered into her ear. “I have other things I have to do. I’ll meet you back at the house. Tell Mother we will be home for dinner.”

      Amber smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Bring her back safely,” she whispered back. She jumped out of his arms and flew back to the game.

      Alex smiled to himself and picked up his shirt. He stepped to the edge and spread his wings.

      Air rushed past as he fell forward into a dive. Wings extended, he glided towards an alley in the city of Eilat. He landed safely, retracted his wings, and slid his shirt back on. With a quick glance at the cloud he had just left, he stepped out onto the busy street and headed south, towards the Red Sea. With any luck, he wouldn’t run into his brother.

 

Meanwhile in Hell

      Razul sat at the top end of the small congregation of four generals and only half listened to the hooded men talk. They were seated at a small, round crimson table. Each sat at a point of the five pointed star etched into the table. All but he wore dark black robes with their faces hidden behind their hoods. Razul leaned forward and rested his chin on his palm. Long black hair framed his face. His scarlet and black cloak rustled noisily with the movement. The other men stopped and looked at him.

      “Are we finished here?” he ask with a bored yawn. “I have better things to do than sit here and listen to you squabble over who should get what land.”

      “Yes, my liege. There is only one more matter to attend to. We have received word that two archangels have decided to visit the ground. They are currently in Eilat. Somewhere near the Red Sea,” the general to his right answered gruffly. This peeked Razul’s interest.

      “What are they looking for?” he inquired, his voice as smooth and sensual as velvet.

      “We don’t know yet,” the left general answered. “One, a female, has been on the ground for a day or two. We’ve been monitoring her movements. The other is a male that landed a few minutes ago. The two are mates.”

      “The female has been going to orphanages. It appears that she is helping decorate rooms for the children,” the right general sneered.

      Razul thought for a second, then ask, “Do you know their names?” The generals exchanged a nervous glance. “Come on, I don’t have all day,” he said, losing patience.

The right general answered. “We don’t yet know the girls name, but the male is easily identified.” He paused for a second then spoke gravely, “Its Alex sir.”

      Razul laughed slightly. “So Alex wants to come and play then. Well I think I can make time for my little brother,” he said with malevolent grin. “I will take care of this myself. Meeting adjourned.”

      One by one the figures disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Razul extended his scarlet feathered wings. “Well brother, ready or not, here I come.” He laughed as he summoned a vortex of smoke around him. His destination, the Red Sea.

 

A few minutes later

      Alex followed the trail to where he knew Alice would be waiting. The small building was very old and very poor. A sign out front was written in Arabic. Faded gray paint on the outside walls cracked and peeled. The wooden door was chipped and old. Alex gently knocked and stepped back. An old Israeli lady in her late sixty’s or early seventy’s opened the door with a loud creak. Her face was heavily wrinkled with liver spots that dotted her cheeks. Her small frame had a slight hunch in her back. She was heavily clothed in garments of white and silver. Around her neck hung a silver cross, which she grasp and kissed when she saw Alex. She inclined her head and greeted him in Arabic. She turned and invited him in with a sweep of her hand.

      Alex stepped beside the lady and looked around. The orphanage had only three bedrooms; one for the girls, one for the guys, and one for the old lady. Alice stood in the doorway of the guy’s room. Her auburn hair flowed to her shoulders. She wore a white dress that sheathed her voluptuous body down to her ankles. Like Alex, she wore no shoes.

      She smiled, exposing a perfect set of white teeth. “Hello there stranger,” she said playfully. Her voice sounded like a symphony of tinkling bells. “Finally get curious about where I was?”

      Alex laughed. “Well I thought you would have come home by now. I was starting to get worried. May I ask what you are looking for, or should I say who?” He glanced over her shoulder and saw a newborn child asleep in his crib.

      Alice took his hand and led him to the crib. “This child was found in an alley not far from here. No one knows where he came from or who his parents are. I’ve been looking through orphanages trying to find the one he was placed in. The man that found him said that he had heard the baby crying. He took him to the police station and found that the child was only a day old. The Almighty sent me to find the child. He is almost four weeks old now.”

      “Why did He send you to find this child?” Alex looked at the boy with wonder. “What is your purpose here little guy?”

Suddenly a violent wend blew the door off its hinges. The loud crash woke the baby, who began to wail at the top of its lungs. Alice snatched up the child and turned towards the door.

      A dark figure stood in the entrance. His scarlet and black cloak swished with the wind that still remained. He lowered his hood.

      “Razul. I should have guessed,” Alex said while he positioned himself in front of Alice and the child.

      “Hello, brother. Long time, no see. You’ve gotten married? Now why wasn’t I invited? Oh, and a child. Is he yours?” Before Alex could answer he sniffed and replied, “No. There is a dark taint to his aura. Perhaps a little vampiric. Odd. I’ve never heard of a vampire child.” He sniffed again. “There also seems to be human mixed in. Interesting. Your wife is holding a half breed. Now what would you want with a little vampire hybrid?” Razul’s voice was calm and inviting.

      “Leave here, Alice. Take the child and go,” Alex spoke softly. Alice obeyed. She tucked the child protectively into her arms and ran for the back door. Razul drew a crimson sword from thin air and started after Alice, but Alex cut him off and pulled his pearly white sword out the same way Razul had.

      Razul laughed. “Do you think you can beat me? Now, now little brother, don’t you remember our little sparring sessions?” He shifted into his stance; sword lifted at an angle with the tip pointed at the ground. Alex shifted at the same moment; sword at the same angle but with the tip pointed up.

      The two lunged at each other with swords raised. Sparks scattered and danced as the two battled. Echoes of the clashes rattled the windows. The building rocked and swayed with the force of each hit. The old lady had already gotten the other children out. The walls started to crumble around them. Alex jumped through the roof, and flew up into the sky just as the building came down. Razul was hot on his tail, his scarlet wings outstretched.

      Dark clouds started to roll in. Alex flew higher, but Razul caught up with him. Their swords collided, and the battle continued. Each clash rumbled like thunder. The sparks danced like lightning. With a final clash, the two separated.

      “What do you want with the child?” Razul shouted, breathless.

      Alex panted heavily. “That’s of no concern to you,” he shouted back.

      Suddenly a horn sounded from above the two. More white winged angels flew towards the brothers. The newcomers were dressed in white battle armor with swords raised.

      Razul glared at the wave that approached. “You may escape for now, but I will find out what you want with the child. And I will have him,” he said as he was enveloped into a vortex of clouds and smoke.