Prelude: Piazza di San Pietro

(Page 3 of 20)

“You shall destroy the beast whom the lord God delivers to you; your eye shall have no pity on him.” Manon spoke in a near silent whisper as Samantha forced herself closer to better hear the prophecy, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not sleep, but we shall be changed—in a moment, the beast shall bring the sting of death. And the dead will be raised, and we shall be changed. For this incorruptible must put on corruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me will not be in vain.

“And this son of Ishtar, whom was Queen in Babylon, is not a son of Lilith, like unto his father, Heuschrecke. Nevertheless he walked the way of his father and his father gave him great gifts and precious things because he was the firstborn. Therefore he did evil in the sight of the Lord. and a wise son makes a glad father but to do evil is like sport to a fool.

“Hear this, o’ hunter! Take heed, o’ house of the guard! For yours is the judgment, because you shall pour out his wrath on you like water. Woe to the worthless shepherd, who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm and against his right eye; his arm shall completely wither, and his right eye shall be totally blinded.

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” Manon fell silent. Then, as she often seemed to do after such an event, she began to weep.

“Did you hear the words?" she asked Samantha, tears streaming down her face. Unsurprising to Samantha, there was no injury from the strike to the girl’s head. When in Ecstasy, Manon seemed almost impervious to harm.

“Yes, but I lost the target in the process.” The pain of piety that surrounded her still left Samantha on edge.

“What did the angel speak of?” Manon smiled.

“Killing beasts and withering arms. I’ll explain it all as soon as we find the target again.” Samantha’s eyes, sharper at night than they were during the day, scanned across the radius of their location. Demetrius lost them somehow, or so she thought.

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