Marching into his temporary office, he remembered how the traitor had treated him like a bug to be squashed. He picked up the phone to call Regent Landry and grinned. “We’ll see who’s the bug now.”
???
Tori peeked around the corner of the open door to Thomas's bedroom, a room she’d been avoiding the past three days for obvious reasons. The main one being she and Thomas had a past—a physical past—and she could not deny that her body reacted when he was near. How easy it would be to fall right back into old habits, old pleasures, old intimacies. She saw the way he looked at her, and she had a feeling he felt the same way. But she was a new creature in Christ, and she would do nothing to harm her relationship with Jesus. Nothing would be worth that.
The room was as sterile and spotless as the rest of the house, with sharp modern furniture and very few personal items lying about to indicate the personality of the owner. Sad. On the king-sized bed lay two open leather suitcases into which Thomas placed ever-so-neatly his folded clothing, while laying out his suits inside a specialty suit holder.
Tori leaned against the door frame, watching him, his movements masculine and in command, a determined look on his handsome face. Long ago, she loved to watch him from afar, see him plunge into the surf with his board and catch a wave, admire him as he played varsity baseball at the high school they both attended, enjoy his laughter as they partied with friends, and melt at his smile when he picked her up for a date in his 1972 Camaro. Even now those memories stirred something within her—instantly squashed by the dark spirits that suddenly emerged from within him, snarling and grimacing at her. How she longed to cast them away using the one Name, the only Name, with the power to do so, but Thomas must want them gone.
He looked up at her then and grinned, and in that smile she saw the boy she’d once loved. But the demons spun harder and faster, and the light in his eyes faded. “I know. I know. I’m not going to Jerusalem.” He returned to his packing.
She smiled. “Wasn’t going to say that.”
“Come to check out my bedroom then?” His tone was playful, but the look in his eyes heated her to her toes.
She made no reply, merely began staring at her shoes.
Thomas approached, slowly, methodically, like a panther on the prowl. Placing a finger beneath her chin, he raised her gaze to his. “Since when have you ever been shy?” He ran the back of his hand gently down her cheek just like he used to do.
She searched his eyes, the heat from his body radiating through every inch of her. The demons retreated, no doubt not wanting to distract her from the seduction. If they could get her to give into it, they would win a victory, not only over her, but over any chance for Thomas to come to the truth.
???
Zarall plucked his ax from his belt and took a battle stance against the multitude of dark forces hovering around Thomas, particularly those slithering toward his ward, Tori. “They tempt her. They use her weakness.”
Arithem nodded, flinging an arm out to keep Zarall from charging. “We can do naught, my friend. We must wait.” Still, he kept his grip on his blade. One word from the Commander or one command from this daughter of Eve, and they would be freed to battle these heinous entities.
The demons laughed at them, hissing displeasure at their presence.
Arithem narrowed his eyes, returning a gaze of his own that radiated with the power he held over them.
“’Tis the worst part of our assignments,” Zarall said. “The waiting, watching our enemies lead humans astray and not being able to fight!” Aye, he knew his ward, knew her well, and he could tell she struggled against her fleshly passion. “She weakens.” He pushed against Arithem’s arm.
“Wait. She is strong, this one. She has gone through too much to fall for this temptation.”
Zarall withdrew. “You are right. The Spirit is strong in her.” Then why did she stand so close to the man and allow him to caress her cheek?
“I wish she would—”
Arithem raised a hand. “Hush, the Spirit speaks to her.”
???
Lord, a little help here?Tori silently prayed as every ounce of her longed to fold into Thomas's embrace, to relive those happy, carefree moments of love and pleasure. But no! With every speck of strength within her, she took a step back. And that’s when she heardHisvoice, a voice she’d come to recognize over the years, the voice of her Beloved.
Daughter, it is happening. Turn on the TV.
“Come, Thomas.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him out the door.
“Wait. I need to finish packing. My flight is at 5:30 tomorrow morning.”
“In a minute.”
Down the circular stairs Tori led him, surprised when he complied so easily. But then again, he might be thinking she wanted to continue the seduction downstairs. If so, he would be sorely disappointed.
Grabbing the remote, she flipped on the screen and immediately it filled with scenes from Jerusalem.
“Hey, that’s where I’ll be tomorrow!” Thomas said. “You might even see me on this very screen.”
