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Children of Light - Book 4 - Hidden People

By Jana M. A. Smith

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Chapter 1: What Now?


Jeremiah 17:7-8
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.


“I can’t keep up,” Emma said, as she ‘pushed’ another transport and a hoard of Shadow Forces Warriors away from them. They both watched as the Shadow-Lands transport and warriors went flying through the air, smashing against distant rocks. Her gift of ‘push’, as she called it, was miraculous, but then so was she. As a White-Light, she was precious. A gift from God for a people fighting for survival from the encroaching darkness. Grayson vowed to protect her, and he would do so until the end but prayed it would not come soon. However, he knew that unless there was a miracle from God, they would not make it.
Grayson looked at her and saw the desperation he felt mirrored in her posture. He could not see her eyes, for the protective cloaks they both wore which shielded their Light, also obscured her eyes. Without these cloaks, which were gifts from the Eleos, they would glow in the eyes of Shadow-Landers, their Light a dead give-away of their location in a land shrouded in Shadow and Darkness. He and Emma hadn’t wanted to use Light as a defensive measure, as they feared it would trigger a greater awareness of their position, but there seemed to be no other alternative.
He hung his head in desperation, trying to think of another option. Rubbing his palms against his thighs, he felt his Light imploring to break out. Resigned, he looked up at the oncoming enemy Shadow Warriors. The ever-present dust swirled in the air, stirred up even more by Emma’s pushes. The dust combined with the constant darkness of the Shadow-Lands made the air thick and difficult to breathe. He was grateful the masks they wore helped reduce the dust from getting into their lungs. Despite that, he heard Emma cough a few times already. She was bent at the waist, resting her arms on her knees. He could see her strength was waning, her breathing labored.
“We have no choice. Help me and use your Light, or we won’t be able to get away.” Emma insisted as she pushed yet another transport away. It did not reach the rocks, just crashed and rolled into them. Both of them were at the edge of exhaustion, the last few weeks having drained them of strength even before the battle they fought now.
Grayson nodded and began throwing his Light at the oncoming forces. The impact lit the sky, even to his eyes. He well knew such a display would be evident for miles for any Shadows. Emma focused on the transports and tried to push them, but he could see that each push was weaker, with less impact. His own Light was not as effective as it would have been a few weeks ago. He turned to face Emma. Her shoulders were hunched, head hung low as she leaned over to rest her arms on her knees once more. Then, shaking her head as if she decided something, she stood, generated a brilliant white globe, and threw it at Grayson.
“No, Emma, don’t!” He screamed. “That’s what he wants! We cannot!” He let the globe fly past him, only for it to dissipate into thin air. Without his intervention, without him accepting the globe and throwing it at the enemy, it could not be a weapon. Her Light needed a Light-Warrior to weaponize it.
“We have no choice! If you don’t use my Light, we are done for.” She folded her arms across her chest. Her posture was defiant. “Your choice,” she said with a steady defiance.
Grayson was sure she was glaring at him, but turned away and threw a few more of his globes. They were weak, and no longer incinerated the Shadows they hit, merely burning them, which angered them further. He turned to Emma, despair, and loss of hope pouring off him. He rubbed his head. Lord, grant us wisdom! His mind screamed.
“Well, what do you want to do?” Emma was pressing him. Without his cooperation, her light was useless. But, with his cooperation, his father would win. If Grayson accepted Emma’s Light, would it forever bind them to each other as it did unpaired warriors? Could they become a Paired Warrior Team for his father to use as the weapon he so desired? The threat was real, but so was their capture and possible death if they didn’t act soon. Lord, I can’t do this to Kaiden. He and Emma are meant to be together, and she said they were already paired. If I use her Light, will it negate their pairing? Will we be eternally bound to each other? Can I even through her light? Will it work and not just expose her gift? These thoughts and arrow prayers flashed through his mind.
“Grrrrr!” He growled in frustration. He felt as if time slowed. The dust particles formed a screen obscuring his vision. He looked from Emma to the advancing Shadows. They were once more moving toward them, but at a reduced speed, hesitant. Even at that speed, they would be upon them in a minute if he and Emma didn’t do something. Grayson hung his head, extended his arm toward Emma, who straightened and threw a brilliant white globe to him.
Forgive me, Lord! Grayson sent one last prayer, but determined to fight to the end.
The globe positioned itself above his palm but didn’t burn, as it had before. Grayson didn’t hesitate and launched it at the oncoming Shadow Warriors. The resulting explosion obliterated the entire group, not even ash remained. Both looked on, stunned.
“I’ve never seen so much power,” Grayson breathed as Emma sent another globe his way, which he launched at the next group of Shadows advancing upon them. They, too, were obliterated. Where are all these Shadows coming from? This second volley appeared to slow down the advance, and Grayson breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Emma, who swayed where she stood.
Then his heart fell.
“I hear more transports!” Grayson called. Emma looked up and saw a massive transport approaching them from the north, but holding back, keeping its distance and not landing.
“I’ve never seen anything that size!” He yelled to Emma. “I don’t think I can throw that far,” Grayson breathed. Just then they heard another transport but at their backs. Neither could see it, for the rocks behind them obstructed their view. What they thought was a defensive position proved to be a hindrance. Grayson knew the use of their Light had signaled their position. We were damned either way. Lord, we are in your hands.
*****
Grayson sat in the shuttle and felt the pressure of acceleration push him against the cushioned seat. He let it press him back, for he had no strength left to fight it. Uncaring how it looked if he appeared weak or anything else, he rested his head against the backrest. It was over and he was happy about it. She was safe. That is all that counted at this moment. His father, or rather Nestor, had not gotten his hands on her, nor did the man Nestor called the Master. Through God’s mercy, help arrived just in time.
Grayson sat opposite Kaiden, staring at his blistered hands. It still amazed him he could handle Emma’s globes at all. During the last interaction he had with handling her Light-globes, when Nestor was forcing them to become paired, his hands were severely burned. Now, they only had blisters. God allowed it so we could protect ourselves. Grayson wondered at God’s goodness and grace, yet was troubled by what it could mean. He looked up from his hands and saw Kaiden examining him. His heart lurched into his throat. Not from fear, but guilt. He swallowed hard, tasting dust and dirt.
“It’s OK,” Kaiden said. “You did all you could, and it was enough. She’s safe. Thank you.”
It took a while before Grayson responded, his eyes shadowed with grief and guilt. “I told her not to. I told her it was what he wanted.” His voice hitched as he fought for control through his exhaustion. “We had no choice.”
The two men locked eyes, nodded, then broke contact. They understood. Their responsibility was to protect Emma. To protect the White-Light, no matter who is her partner. She is a White-Light. She is a treasure. A gift to their people.
Kaiden asked, “Can you hear her mind?” The question snapped Grayson out of his reverie.
“No, never have,” Grayson spoke through a dry, constricted throat.
Kaiden raised a brow.
“I only threw her globes. One never came to me, or anything…” Grayson struggled to find the right words. “Nestor, he tried to force her, to force us to… but we never did. I only threw her globes. I don’t know how, but it was God’s mercy I could, or we would have been done for.” His gaze returned to his hands once again. “At least I only have blisters this time.” A brief smile broke his somber expression.
“You did all you could. It was enough and now she’s safe,” Kaiden said and looked Grayson in the eyes, for he’d pulled off the protective poncho. A lump formed in this throat, having realized just how close they came.
“Yes, for now. But you have to know, Nestor,…” Grayson choked on the word, for he could not bring himself to call him father. The name alone stuck in his throat, leaving a bitter taste on his tongue. “He’s not himself - he’s changed, he’s determined to have Emma, to use her as a weapon. Believe me, he won’t stop because he’s insane. He serves one he calls the Master!” Grayson spoke in halting terms through a tight throat and a heaving chest. His heart was breaking, for a part of him felt as if he was betraying his father. This man, who he no longer knew or recognized, was still his father. Grayson shook off his thoughts. No, no more. His father was dead, and another being inhabited his body. It was the only way Grayson could come to terms with what his father had become. Yet his heart ached.
His father’s face flashed before his eyes. He recalled the sense of horror he experienced when Nestor revealed his true nature. His eyes were fully black. Fully engulfed in Dark Matter. That alone proved he was a follower and, possibly, a worshiper of the Master. In that case, he was eternally lost. He’d rejected the gift of God and turned away from Him. Grayson’s heart clenched. It was as if his father had died before his eyes.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Connor said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Grayson turned to look at who spoke and noted all the men looking at him. He nodded in response, unable to speak. He’d lost his father, but not just to the transient death all believers experience, but he was eternally lost, eternally dammed. Grayson wondered if his father was on that big transport that Emma destroyed just before Kaiden and the team showed up. He hoped he was, for then he’d be out of their lives and Emma would know greater safety. But in the same instant, he knew that even if his father was dead, the Master would never leave her alone. Emma would not know true safety until both the Master and Nestor were gone. Until then, safety was a transient, fleeting notion.
Leaning forward, he rested his head in his hands and drifted off, exhaustion overtaking him.

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