Garden of the Gods (The Immortals Series Book 3) by S.M. Schmitz Page B
Authors: S.M. Schmitz
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shook her head. “No. I keep hoping if I can prove I’m an excellent hunter as a mortal, they’ll leave me alone.”
Colin and Anna were both startled. “There are Immortals around here who are harassing you?” Colin asked.
They weren’t exactly sure where Luca was right now, but if this young woman was being harassed by Immortals, they’d track him down and he’d come to Tel Aviv himself to put an end to it. But it seemed so uncharacteristic for Immortals. Angels never gifted immortality to humans who possessed those kinds of traits.
But Tahel looked between them and sighed. “Not Immortals. You’re the first two I’ve ever met, actually. I meant angels.”
Colin and Anna couldn’t understand because it didn’t make any sense. Their silence as they stared back at her must have warned Tahel they were either incredulous or dumbstruck. Or maybe both.
“They’ve been coming to me for as long as I can remember. As a child, they told me I could see demons walking the Earth and when I got older, I would be able to fight them. I’m Jewish. As you can imagine, the whole idea of demons coming out of a place I didn’t even believe in didn’t go over well with me until I actually saw a demon for the first time.”
“You thought the angels were lying?” Anna asked.
She hadn’t meant to interrupt her, but she’d never once questioned The Angel. But, then again, nothing The Angel had ever told her had shaken her faith.
But for the first time, Tahel actually smiled at them as she shrugged, “I just thought I was crazy. I guess I could have still been crazy after seeing a demon for the first time, but the smell and the way it terrified me just convinced me this was all real.”
Colin took a deep breath, trying to process what this young woman was telling them, but angels didn’t appear to mortals like this. Maybe she really was crazy. “So you became a hunter because these angels wanted you to.”
Tahel nodded. “Why did you do it?” she asked him.
He glanced at Anna then back at Tahel. This entire evening was turning into one of the most confusing of his long life. “Do what?”
“Agree to this! Why would you ever give up your mortality to fight a war that’s up to each person anyway? You Christians. You think it’s your job to save everyone. We were given free will for a reason. It’s not our responsibility how others use it.”
Colin didn’t even know what part of her tirade to answer first. He figured he’d start with the easiest. “We’re Immortals because Anna’s my wife. She was dying and I prayed for a miracle, and this was the bargain. Five hundred years. And you’ve clearly never been out of Israel. We’ve been doing this since 1648 and the demons we fight aren’t preying on people who are in a position to make that kind of a decision. They find people who are desperate and are willing to give up their souls because the world has become a Hell around them.”
Tahel shook her head again. “Then they’re praying to the wrong place.”
“You can say no,” Anna said. “Just stop hunting. You obviously don’t believe in what we’re doing anyway, and you are mortal, so stop wasting your life. The angels will leave you alone when you refuse.”
Tahel laughed and turned her back to them to walk away. “Good luck, Immortals.”
“ What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Colin wondered.
Anna watched the woman’s figure as it faded into the shadows of the nearby buildings and she grabbed Colin’s hand. “ I’m still leaning toward crazy. But if she’s out here patrolling the streets, let’s go back to our room. Tel Aviv’s souls are surely safe in her capable hands.”
Colin smirked but was jetlagged and tired, so he didn’t argue about giving up hunting for the night. They were both yawning by the time they made it back to their hotel. Colin opened the door and Anna entered their room first, feeling along the wall for the light switch, but The Angel’s voice
Colin and Anna were both startled. “There are Immortals around here who are harassing you?” Colin asked.
They weren’t exactly sure where Luca was right now, but if this young woman was being harassed by Immortals, they’d track him down and he’d come to Tel Aviv himself to put an end to it. But it seemed so uncharacteristic for Immortals. Angels never gifted immortality to humans who possessed those kinds of traits.
But Tahel looked between them and sighed. “Not Immortals. You’re the first two I’ve ever met, actually. I meant angels.”
Colin and Anna couldn’t understand because it didn’t make any sense. Their silence as they stared back at her must have warned Tahel they were either incredulous or dumbstruck. Or maybe both.
“They’ve been coming to me for as long as I can remember. As a child, they told me I could see demons walking the Earth and when I got older, I would be able to fight them. I’m Jewish. As you can imagine, the whole idea of demons coming out of a place I didn’t even believe in didn’t go over well with me until I actually saw a demon for the first time.”
“You thought the angels were lying?” Anna asked.
She hadn’t meant to interrupt her, but she’d never once questioned The Angel. But, then again, nothing The Angel had ever told her had shaken her faith.
But for the first time, Tahel actually smiled at them as she shrugged, “I just thought I was crazy. I guess I could have still been crazy after seeing a demon for the first time, but the smell and the way it terrified me just convinced me this was all real.”
Colin took a deep breath, trying to process what this young woman was telling them, but angels didn’t appear to mortals like this. Maybe she really was crazy. “So you became a hunter because these angels wanted you to.”
Tahel nodded. “Why did you do it?” she asked him.
He glanced at Anna then back at Tahel. This entire evening was turning into one of the most confusing of his long life. “Do what?”
“Agree to this! Why would you ever give up your mortality to fight a war that’s up to each person anyway? You Christians. You think it’s your job to save everyone. We were given free will for a reason. It’s not our responsibility how others use it.”
Colin didn’t even know what part of her tirade to answer first. He figured he’d start with the easiest. “We’re Immortals because Anna’s my wife. She was dying and I prayed for a miracle, and this was the bargain. Five hundred years. And you’ve clearly never been out of Israel. We’ve been doing this since 1648 and the demons we fight aren’t preying on people who are in a position to make that kind of a decision. They find people who are desperate and are willing to give up their souls because the world has become a Hell around them.”
Tahel shook her head again. “Then they’re praying to the wrong place.”
“You can say no,” Anna said. “Just stop hunting. You obviously don’t believe in what we’re doing anyway, and you are mortal, so stop wasting your life. The angels will leave you alone when you refuse.”
Tahel laughed and turned her back to them to walk away. “Good luck, Immortals.”
“ What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Colin wondered.
Anna watched the woman’s figure as it faded into the shadows of the nearby buildings and she grabbed Colin’s hand. “ I’m still leaning toward crazy. But if she’s out here patrolling the streets, let’s go back to our room. Tel Aviv’s souls are surely safe in her capable hands.”
Colin smirked but was jetlagged and tired, so he didn’t argue about giving up hunting for the night. They were both yawning by the time they made it back to their hotel. Colin opened the door and Anna entered their room first, feeling along the wall for the light switch, but The Angel’s voice
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