“Or to kill someone,” Kara adds.
I clench my fists when I remember the trap the Black Horseman set up for us. “Or in our case, to trap people you don’t want to kill.”
Mona nods thoughtfully. “That works too. The Nothing is a good prison. But some beings are able to move through the most dense atmospheres.”
“Beings like fairy godmothers?” Kessley asks, barely able to stand still from excitement.
Mona grins. “Exactly.”
D’Maeo rubs his hands together. “Well, show us the magic. I’m ready to go home.”
Mona exchanges a look with the other godmothers. They start to glow from head to toe and form a barrier, holding out their hands to us.
“Make sure you’re all holding hands with one of us,” Mona instructs.
We join the barrier, and soon, the sparks from the fairy godmothers also cover our hands and arms. Dots of light jump from one person to the other, the colors blending as they cover more and more of our bodies.
Kessley watches it all with her mouth open in awe.
The sparks start to stretch and form a bubble around us all. It looks like a giant rainbow folding around us. The residues behind the glass suddenly look a lot friendlier with all the colors dancing across their foggy bodies.
My gaze moves to Vicky, holding my right hand. Yellow and purple lights hit her transparent form. Her lips seem to turn from green to orange. I wish I could kiss all the colors on her face, but I can’t break the circle.
“Close your eyes,” Mona warns.
I’ve learned from my mistakes, so I obey immediately.
There’s a bright flash, and I feel weightless. But then, my feet touch the ground again. Even without looking, I know it didn’t work, and fear trickles into every corner of my body. It cuts off my breath, and I gasp for air.
“Stay still. We’re going to try again,” Mona says, her voice full of confidence.
When nothing happens for a while, I can’t resist the urge to open my eyes any longer. Carefully, I peer through my eyelashes. All the fairy godmothers have lifted their faces to the empty sky. Their mouths are open, and from them, strings of light shoot up. The strings twist together to form a drill, which rises until it can go no further. I hold my breath as the tip hits the invisible ceiling, the end of this world. Will it be strong enough?
“Everyone, try to picture a hole in the sky,” Mona says.
I close my eyes again and imagine the drill creating a hole that gets bigger and bigger until we can all float through it. I try to ignore the feeling of not being able to breathe properly.
My feet no longer touch the ground. Vicky folds her fingers tighter around mine, and for the first time they don’t feel cold. My heart skips a couple of beats when I consider the possibility of her becoming alive. But I shake that thought off quickly. I shouldn’t fantasize about impossible things. I’m happy to have her as she is.
Even through my closed eyelids, I can see flashes of bright light as we drift higher and higher.
“Now think of Darkwood Manor,” Mona instructs.
It’s not hard to picture it again, especially since my longing to get home has grown in the last minutes. This world is slowly suffocating me. It’s sucking up all of my energy. All I want right now is to get out of here, and Darkwood Manor is where I prefer to end up.
The kitchen, garden and my bedroom whirl through my head. Memories come back: my first time in the mansion, me lying on the bed, Vicky popping up next to me. I smile as she shoots me that provocative look I’ve come to know so well.
Then, something pulls at my stomach. I suck in my breath so fast I almost choke on it. I start spinning fast, as if I’m on a rollercoaster that has gone berserk. The contents of my stomach rise and fall, and I swallow countless times to keep everything inside. I feel things yanking at me from all sides. Soon, my arms, legs, shoulders, everything hurts. The light seeping through my eyelashes gets so bright I want to turn my head away from it. But I can’t; it’s everywhere.
Somewhere in the distance, I can hear Charlie moaning. Vicky squeezes my hand. And then, finally, everything stops moving. My feet touch solid ground. I try to stay upright, but my legs collapse under me. I can feel Vicky tumbling over too. The light fades, and carefully, I open my eyes.
I think I hear Quinn’s voice drifting toward me, but I can’t make out the words. I’m too worried about Vicky, who is lying on the kitchen floor motionless.
It takes all of my exhausted strength and concentration to drag myself to her. Gently, I touch her face. “Babe? Can you hear me?”
There’s no response.
I shake her shoulder. “Vick… please wake up.”
My arm is heavy, but I keep shaking her. Then I carefully turn her head and kiss her lips. “Wake up, sleeping beauty.”
Still, she doesn’t move.
From the left, I see a dark blur approaching. I blink, and Quinn comes into view.
“Give me some room,” he says softly.
I push myself away from my girl, feeling weaker by the second. What if she never wakes up? What if I never see those gorgeous blue eyes again? A heavy weight lands on my chest when I try to imagine my life without her. Unable to look at her still form any longer, I turn my head. Only then do I notice the others, lying just as still on the floor around me. Except for Maël, who watches me with a worried frown.
Flora blocks my view before I can find the words to ask Maël what’s going on. The fairy godmother with the long blonde hair bends over me and places her hand against my forehead. “Don’t worry, you will all be fine. We needed more energy, so we drew some from your power cores.”
“You… w-what?” I stutter, getting dizzy again.
“Shh, it’s alright. We’ll heal you.”
Pink sparks jump from her hand to my head and spread over my body. I lean against her, wishing I could sleep for days and wake up to a safe world. That is, until I hear Vicky’s voice saying, “Thanks, Quinn.” I’m sitting next to her, holding her hand, before I even realize I’ve moved.
The little pink lights are still crawling over my skin, healing the spots that hurt and replenishing my energy.
I kiss Vicky again, and this time, she kisses me back.
I want to say I thought I’d lost her, but the words get stuck in my throat. It doesn’t matter anyway, because she can sense it. With tears in her eyes, she wraps her arms around me. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” I whisper back.
When we let go of each other, the last of the pink sparks extinguish. Vicky rests her head against my shoulder while we watch the sparks from the other fairy godmothers heal our friends. One by one, they wake up, and the heavy feeling in my chest fades.
Mona lets out a sigh while she strokes D’Maeo’s hair. “That was close.”
I push myself up, my legs still trembling a bit, and hold out my hand to Vicky. “Can you stand?”
“Shh,” she whispers. “I’m watching the show.”
“What show?”
She points at two intertwined bodies leaning against the back door. They look magical, like a collection of body parts put together by blurs of green and red. I only recognize them by the white hair and the leopard skin dress. It’s as if halos of bright light have come down and pressed them together. They’re so close they almost look like one person. But when the godmother sparks start to fade, Taylar and Kessley break up their passionate kiss and look at each other breathlessly.
I tear my gaze away from them for a second and take in all the relieved and smiling faces around me. D’Maeo winks at me, and I grin.
The two love birds finally notice everyone staring at them. Simultaneously, a blush creeps from their necks to their cheeks.
Vicky taps my leg. “Okay, you can pull me up now. Show’s over.”
We all pretend to need all of our concentration to stand up and drag ourselves to our seats. Except for Jeep, who slowly shakes his he
ad. “There’s way too much porn going on in this house, and way too little of me involved.”
Charlie snorts in response, and soon we’re all laughing hysterically, even the decent fairy godmothers. It feels great.
CHAPTER 15
We give the godmothers their rings back, thank them a thousand times and say goodbye.
Once they’re gone, Charlie gets up and does a couple of squats and stretches. Then he walks around the kitchen table, touching the wood and then the counter behind him. “Man, am I glad to see this house again. I thought we’d be stuck there for eternity, you know.” He walks into the annex. “I don’t even mind those crows anymore. If we can get out of The Nothing, we can do anything!” He comes back and turns around immediately. “Anyway, I really need to pee.”
“Good to know,” I say, shaking my head at his retreating form.
D’Maeo follows Charlie’s example and goes to the annex. He pauses in the doorway, where I join him. We watch the crows for a while. They have spread to different trees. All heads turn to us, and they start cawing viciously.
“They look mean.”
I nod. “I’m not as convinced as Charlie is that we’ll be able to get rid of them.”
“Eventually, sure.”
“That’s good enough for me.”
“I feel the same way as him though,” D’Maeo continues. “About getting back here. For a while, when John was still here, all I wanted was for it to be over. But now, thanks to you and Mona, I am quite happy here.”
“And it’s good to have you back.” I move to slap him on the back, but instead, he embraces me.
“I was so worried about you all. It’s such a relief to find you all in one piece.”
Mona’s voice interrupts us. “The coffee is ready.”
D’Maeo lets go and wipes a tear from his eye.
I follow him into the kitchen and watch Mona’s sparks put steaming cups on the table.
I lower myself onto my chair and wait for Charlie to pass between us before I say, “You know, Mona, there’s something I don’t understand.”
The fairy godmother puts a cup of coffee in front of me. “What’s that?”
“When Maël and I were stuck in that memory and in those worlds we travelled to, why didn’t you come and get us?”
She takes her seat next to D’Maeo. “There are some paths you need to travel. That was one of them.”
“What about Mom? Did she need to go to Hell?”
Sadness falls over her face when I mention her best friend and protégée. “I don’t know. I tried to find her, but she was outside my reach.” Her finger follows the crack in her cup. “The Devil is strong, and so are some of his accomplices. They blocked my view of her.”
Her voice trembles slightly, and I feel sorry for her. “Don’t feel guilty. I know you’d do anything to keep us safe. I don’t blame you for what happened to her, and we will get her back.”
She nods sternly. “Of course we will.”
I turn to Quinn, who has stuck around and is sitting between Jeep and Gisella. “How are things in Heaven?”
I almost chuckle at the weirdness of that question, but Quinn’s expression stops me. There’s a frown on his forehead that I haven’t seen often, and his lips are stuck in a downward position.
He entwines his fingers on the table in front of him, searching for words. “Another three angels are missing.”
Mona’s hand flies to her mouth, and Kessley lets out a shriek of surprise while the rest of us shift in our seats uncomfortably.
When Quinn remains silent, I exchange a quick, worried look with Vicky. She nods, and I ask the obvious question. “Do you think they were also killed?”
The angel keeps staring at his hands. “Maybe. But we suspect something else is going on.”
My throat goes dry, and I gulp down the hot contents of my cup. “Can you tell us?”
Quinn licks his lips. “I was ordered to tell you. That is why I stayed.”
My eyebrows move up. “Ordered to tell us?”
Quinn shakes his head. “To tell you, the chosen one.”
“Ordered by who?” Jeep interrupts.
“By God himself.”
I gulp and put my cup to my lips again, but there’s nothing in it anymore.
Mona flicks her wrist, and several yellow sparks pick up the coffee pot and take it to the table. It refills my cup, giving me time to pluck up the courage to ask the next question. “Why?”
I’ve never seen Quinn like this. His confidence seems to have gone, and his words come out in a hesitant whisper. “Because you were not only chosen to save Earth, but also Heaven.”
The coffee works its way back up, and I run to the sink to spit it out. Wiping my mouth, I turn back to my friend. “Can you repeat that, please? I think I misheard you.”
He still doesn’t look at me. He fidgets with his fingers and seems to shrink a little. After a short silence, he sighs. “I’m sorry, Dante, but it’s true. You’re meant to save Heaven and Earth.”
I wipe my face over and over, then splash water over it. It doesn’t help. It still feels as if someone smashed a wall against it. My breathing is shallow, and spots drift through my vision. Just when I got used to the idea of me saving everyone on Earth… Now I need to save everyone in Heaven too? Including the angels?
Someone touches my arm, and I open my eyes. I hadn’t even realized I’d closed them. I must have slid to the ground too, because I’m sitting with my back against the kitchen cabinets. My head is pounding. Vicky caresses my cheek and whispers something while Mona sends over some sparks to heal me.
When the spots have cleared from my vision, I see Charlie throwing me a tormented look over his shoulder. “So, what message do you have for him?” he asks Quinn. “What do you know about the three missing angels?”
I hold my breath, afraid of the answer, but Quinn doesn’t say anything.
Mona’s sparks take away some of my fear, and I stand up, helped by Vicky.
“It’s okay, you can tell me,” I say.
Quinn shoots me half a smile. “We think they’ve crossed to the other side.”
I walk back to my chair, feeling a bit better. If I was chosen to do this, I should be able to succeed, right? I’ll just take it step by step.
Nausea rises again at the thought of being responsible for the destruction of Heaven, but I push the thought back and focus on Quinn. “By the other side, you mean…?”
Of course, I know what he means, but I need him to say it out loud.
“We think they’re working for Lucifer.” He looks sort of relieved now that he’s gotten it all out.
Kessley shakes her head in confusion. Her hand is still entwined with Taylar’s. “I don’t get it. Why would angels side with the Devil? Angels are good, and Lucifer is evil, right?”
“Angels have free will, just like humans,” Quinn explains. “Which means we aren’t necessarily good. Although, our benevolent side usually dominates. And we’re very loyal beings.”
“And don’t forget that Lucifer is an angel too,” Gisella adds.
“But why?” Kessley repeats. “Why would an angel want to destroy the Earth and kill every human being on it?”
Quinn shrugs. “Why does anyone want to destroy?”
“For power,” Vicky says, anger in her voice. “Everything is about power.”
“Not with me,” I object. “I don’t want to rule over anyone.”
D’Maeo smiles. “Which is exactly why you are the chosen one. Not a single molecule inside you would even consider suppressing someone else.”
“Of course not. But that doesn’t mean I can save everyone.”
“Not everyone,” Quinn says. “But most of us.”
A shiver runs from my lower back to the top of my head at his use of words. Us. The gravity of the word hits me hard again. It’s not just the human race that depends on me, but the whole of angel kind too. How lovely.
Quinn sits up straight and looks me in the eye for the first time since we started this conversation. “There’s a reason why you were chosen, Dante.”
I sigh. “Yes, yes, I know. I’m awesome.”
Vicky slams her hands onto the table. “I can’t argue with that,” she says cheerfully. “Now let’s hear the plan.”
Mona stands up again and rummages through the cabinets in search for some comfort food.
Quinn rakes his hand through his frizzy hair. “The plan is that I try to locate the traitors from Heaven and contact you again when I succeed.”
“And then what?” Taylar asks, sounding a bit grumpy. “We get back-up?”
“I’m afraid not. Heaven is still under attack. And there are a lot of souls there that need protection.” He pushes his chair back and stands up. “Which is why I should be going.” He pauses, guilt falling over his face. “I’m sorry I couldn’t bring you better news. And I wish I could do more to help, but all I can promise you, is that I’ll do whatever I can to keep you all safe and that I’ll send help if I can.”
I stand up, walk over to him and pull him into a hug. “I know. It’s not your fault. We’ll come up with a plan to catch or kill those angels. You be careful up there.”
He slaps my back hard. “I will. You too. All of you.”
I want to say more, but suddenly, my arms are grasping nothing but air.
I walk back to my chair and fall into it.
Vicky takes my hand. “He feels really bad about it.”
“Why? It’s not his fault that I’m the chosen one, is it?” I suddenly freeze. “Is it?”
She smiles. “No, I don’t think so. The prophecy has been around longer than he has. But he knew about this.”
“And he didn’t tell me because I wasn’t ready for it,” I verbalize her unspoken thought.
“And he was right,” I add when I see Mona approaching and opening her mouth to say something. “I wasn’t ready for this kind of pressure. I’m not even sure I’m ready now.”
D’Maeo leans forward. “Which is another reason why you have been chosen. You have exactly the right amount of confidence to pull it off.”
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