The Celestial Rose BoxSet

by Annalee Adams

  The journey across the farmland was exuberant. I held on tight as Lucian ran at full steam, jumping into the air as we reached the cityscape before us.

  “Lucian, that café’s alright. I stopped there with Gabriel.”

  “Gabriel, hmm?”

  I laughed. “I was hungry, Lucian, he fed me.”

  “I’m sure he did.” He smirked. “As long as he keeps those wings of his to himself.”

  “You know I’m all yours,” I said, kissing his neck.

  “Oh, Taylor, you’ll be mine again very soon. Let's get you some food first, though. You’ll need the energy.”

  I laughed. “Really? Well, okay then.” We entered the little café and sat at a table beside the corner. It looked like the girl from before wasn’t working, thankfully.

  A snotty teenage boy headed over. “Yeah, what will it be?”

  “How did you know we spoke English?”

  “I guessed.” He said, rolling his eyes as Lucian laughed.

  “What would you like?” Lucian asked while browsing the menu.

  “The full breakfast for me, please. How about you Lucian?”

  “Coffee, black please.”

  “Okay,” he said and then wandered off.

  “He’s cheerful.” I said, smiling as Lucian placed his hand on mine across the table.

  “Damn, I’ve missed you, Taylor! How is it even possible that you’re here? I have so many questions!”

  “Honestly, Lucian, I don’t know.”

  “But, what happened after you died?” he said as his brow dropped and tears welled in his eyes.

  I clutched his hand tighter. “It’s okay, I’m here now. We’re together again. But why on Earth did you want to venture into Hell for me?”

  “I couldn’t leave you there, we’re in this together. If you go, I go.”

  “No, you have to keep on living, even if I’m not there with you.” I smiled “What did you do before I came along?”

  “Killed a lot of people.”

  “I don’t believe that for a second.”

  “I wish it wasn’t true, but I’ve done some pretty nasty stuff.”

  “It doesn’t matter now. We’re together, we’re both safe, and that’s all that matters.”

  I know he wanted to hear the tale of how I survived, what the place up there really was, but I couldn't, not just yet. I wanted to sit there, in my body, and feel like Taylor again. Just Taylor with her Lucian. That’s what mattered in that moment. If I talked about the Eve side of me, I would possibly just implode. Being plain boring Taylor was perfectly okay with me for the moment.

  Breakfast was good, tasty in-fact. The mere thought surprised me due to the state of the young lad that had brought it over. But still, I’d been famished so anything that resembled food would have been exceptionally edible. My stomach would regret eating it all, though, as it moaned in protest.

  Riding on the back of my lover was something I’d never thought possible, but he swept through the cityscape with ease, passing over the hills, across more farmland, and eventually into Chile. Day turned to night once again and we rested beside a vineyard. It was a journey that should have taken thirty hours or more but was achieved in a mere day with only a few pit-stops along the way. We were there, we were together, and even if his legs didn’t ache, my body groaned as I stretched free from his cocoon.

  “It looks like our boats about here,” Lucian said. I smiled in response.

  It wasn’t just a boat, it was a full cruise liner, a luxury ship with immaculate details. Standing beside a grape-bearing vine, we looked out towards Hanga Roa, the port we would disembark from. Around us lay an entourage of impressive mountains, shadowing over spectacular geysers and stunning sandy beaches. Humanity had created such a wondrous site! I wandered toward the mysterious Moai statues. I wished we could stay, even for a short while. Life could wait, couldn't it?

  “When do we leave?”

  “Not until tomorrow morning.”

  “Perfect,” I said as I sat watching the last of the sunrise disappear beyond the mountains. “Can we just sit for a moment?”

  “Of course, what’s on your mind?”

  “Nothing much.” I said as we sat beside one of the statues overlooking the South Pacific Ocean.

  “We can stay here a while longer, if you would like?”

  “Really? But I thought you’d want to get back?”

  “No, I just want to be with you, Taylor. I’m fine wherever we are.” He said. I smiled.

  Resting back into his arms, my body relaxed, every muscle eased as I took in a deep breath and let go of my fears. It wasn’t long before my sodden cheeks felt raw in the ocean breeze. Lucian could hear my whimpers as he held me tighter. It had all become too much. I’d been on a rollercoaster of a ride since I turned sixteen, and now, well now I knew what I was. I wasn’t just a frail blip in the efforts of humanity, I wasn’t only the girl next door striving to get through the turmoil of teenage life. I was Eve, the creator of this world, humanity’s mother, and sole survivor of God's tormented, tragic mind. The whole world was on my literal shoulders and there was no easy way out of it.

  “I’m always here for you, Taylor. When you’re ready, I’m here.”

  I turned to face him, gripped him tight, and pulled him close for a deep forceful kiss. It wasn’t words I needed that night, it was sex. I needed to let go, feel the touch of another as my mind exploded in hysterical euphoria. He was mine and I was his. And this time, I grew, kissing him hard as he pulled off my top, ripped away my jeans, and unhooked my bra. Down to only panties, he yanked them away as I ripped off his shirt and straddled him whole, drawing blood as I scrapped my nails down his back. Dizziness screamed through me, the intensity of our love exuberated me as he gripped my thighs, slamming me up and down. It was cold, hard sex. Raw pleasure, as we both entangled ourselves into each other, getting wild, down, and dirty. He flipped me under him, flat on my back, as he gripped my neck. Fangs bared as he pushed deeper, stronger, and faster. There was no turning back, no holding off. My body tightened, tingled throughout, exhilarated I screamed as the sweat dripped from my brow. It wasn’t finished, it didn’t stop as every part of me tensed up, pulling him deeper as he contorted and arched above me. Gasping for breath, he slammed himself in deep one last time as I gripped his buttocks, screaming with elation. He was mine and I was his. Kissing me, his hot breath wrapped over my face, blanketing me from the cool winds that caressed my body. My vision faltered as I focussed on the stars above us, stretching out as he pulled himself back, up, and off me. Redressing, I smiled. This was the life I’d missed, nothing but the raw, deep pleasure of love.

  Standing up, he offered his hand. “I’ve missed you,” he said as I smiled and held him close.

  “I’ve missed you, too.”

  CHAPTER 48: TAYLOR

  The next morning, we boarded the Princess Empressa cruise liner. We walked up the gangway hand in hand like a normal human couple on vacation. A crewmember with a brightly coloured shirt and khakis came over.

  “Hello, do you have your cruise card?” he asked. Lucian passed him a piece of blank paper.

  “Here it is, it should say Darkwater on there,” he said as the man’s eyes changed into a zombified expression.

  “Thank you,” he said smiling and giving us a welcome pack. “You’re in room 462.”

  “Is that a suite?” Lucian asked.

  “No, would you prefer a suite?”

  “Oh yes, with a sea view, preferably.”

  “Of course, Mr. Darkwater,” he said, giving us the card key and directing us to the main atrium.

  Walking along, a bald-headed man asked, “Would you like a photograph?”

  “Err, yes, thanks.” I said as he ushered us both in-front of a backdrop.

  “Say cheese!” He grinned. Lucian's face dropped as I burst out laughing. “Here’s your number. Collect it at the desk in the atrium.”

  “Gee, thanks.” Lucian said as I laughed, pushing hi
m sideways.

  “Ouch, you’re getting stronger.”

  “Or you’re getting weaker, Mr. Darkwater.” I said, winking as we headed on through to the atrium.

  Whoever designed the ship had spared no expense. Looking up, I could see the walkways for each of the levels circling around us. My jaw dropped as my eyes fell upon the chandelier in the centre. It was like something out of a royal palace. Its crystallised beading was extravagant.

  “Would you like a drink?” A young girl asked as she offered a glass of bubbly from her tray.

  “Why, thank you, Mariana.” Lucian said, reading the girl's name badge. He took two glasses of champagne. Mariana walked off to serve other customers as he offered me one. We interlocked arms and sipped from the crystal glasses. A subtle taste of apple wavered over my taste buds as it slipped down my throat.

  “This is beautiful” I said.

  “Yes, Lawrence taught me that if you smell the scent of apple or pear then it’s worth drinking. If not, then throw it in the fire.” He smiled.

  “Okay, good to know.” I smirked. “Now, where is our room?”

  “Good question. How about we head over to one of the restaurants for breakfast? I expect you’re famished. Then we can pick up some new clothes and head over to the room to freshen up.”

  “Perfect.” I said. But I really wasn’t sure if I’d be able to afford the prices. Then again, Lucian had a way with words. Should I feel bad about that? Part of me did, but the other part, not so much. Maybe I was succumbing to the darkness after all.

  Entering the restaurant, a waiter seated us beside the window as the ship set sail. He took our orders and then walked off. We both looked a little drab as we held hands across the table. The sea was beautiful, calm and relaxing. It didn’t take long for South America to become a mirage in my visionary mind. There was nothing out there, just pure tranquillity as the waves whipped up beside us. I gripped Lucian's hand tightly.

  “I’m so lucky to have you.” I smiled.

  “Yes, you are.” He grinned, yelping as I kicked him under the table. “Now, now, Ms. Lane, there’ll be none of that here!” He smirked.

  I was lucky to have him. My mysterious lover had travelled the world willing to enter Hell for me. I couldn’t want any more commitment than that.

  “If only we’d met sooner.”

  “We did, well, the you before, you know, you.”

  “When?”

  “You were sat beside Adam when the great war took place. I only saw a glimpse of you since Victoria was the Angel that fought alongside me. She was a good friend.” He said, looking sorrowful.

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” I said.

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” He smiled. “She worked for you, after all.”

  “I can’t remember any of this, Lucian. I’m not Eve, not really. I’m just Taylor.” I said. “When I died, I went up to Elysium, what you call Heaven.”

  He nodded.

  “I waited for what felt like an eternity. Sat in a corpse filled room waiting for my number to be called.”

  “Your number?”

  “Yes, Elysium's entrance is a joke, apparently my humour got the best of me.” I smiled as Lucian laughed. “Eventually, I began to gain control of my spiritual body, managed to crawl over to the front desk, to the axe lady.”

  “Axe lady?”

  “Long story, stop interrupting.” I smiled as he raised his eyebrows, holding his hands up. “Anyway, Gabriel and Michael came out and threw me down a trapdoor to Hell.”

  “That was nice of them.” He smirked.

  “Indeed. When they realised who I was, they pulled me back up and took me to meet Charmeine, who pieced me back together, literally.”

  “Okay, that sounds scary.”

  “Actually, it was quite beautiful. I was in a plain room, staring out at the universe, mesmerised by the galaxies around me. You can’t ever realise how small we actually are until you see the cosmos outside our own world.”

  Lucian let go of my hand and proceeded to gently stroke it, listening attentively. The waiter bought our food over, and we ate as we talked.

  “After that, I met my older brother, Adam, and found a place in my mind full of old memories. But the darkness had corrupted a lot of them, so I can’t trust everything I see.”

  “What did you see, though?”

  “I was a toddler, running through a dazzling garden. It really was beautiful, Lucian.” I said as he smiled. “Adam was pulling me along. We ran quickly, trying to escape our father.”

  “What, God was chasing you?”

  “Yes.”

  “I mean, I heard stories from Lilith, and whisperings amongst her guards. But never anything more than that. Did he really succumb to the darkness?”

  “Yes, Adam said he did. I don’t fully remember. But what I do recall is that he found us and beat my mother to a pulp, banishing her soul to another realm. She had only tried to protect us. After Lilith was cast out, Adam protected me, sending me to live the life of a mortal with a loving family time and time again. He said I’ve been reborn countless times, each with a new family hand-picked to give me the best chance. The problem was father kept hunting me. He saw my light as a threat now that the darkness consumed him. Gabriel thinks it's because I can control emotions, being female.”

  “He hasn’t spent a lot of time around females, has he?” He smirked.

  “Shush, Lucian.” I laughed.

  “So, where’s the father of the year now?”

  “Adam thinks he’s in Hell after he killed Lucifer.”

  “Okay, well, that’s good. At least he’s far away, for now.” He smiled “So really, you’re still my Taylor, just my Taylor with a history. Babe, we all have pasts. I’m certainly not proud of mine!”

  “I just wish I could remember more.”

  “By the sounds of it, perhaps it’s a good thing you can’t.”

  “True, but I still wonder, you know?”

  “I do. But we can make our own memories now, just like we did before. By the sounds of it, you’re just as immortal as I am.”

  I laughed. “Apparently, I created this place. Jeez, look at them. If only they knew.”

  “Do you think they’d be grateful?”

  “Probably not. Humans are such a greedy race, it’s a shame they can’t work together.”

  “They’re going to have to if Lilith rises on Earth. And she will. Your sister's just as stubborn as you are.”

  “Tell me about her, Lucian, I don’t remember much.”

  “I know she’s known as the Queen of everything evil, but she has a heart in there somewhere. I’ve seen her grant mercy to a guard once.”

  “Why?”

  “No-one knows. The problem is Cain, the two of them together are darker than any darkness could produce on its own.” He paused. “Err, isn’t Cain your child with Adam?”

  “What? That’s disgusting!”

  “Hey, I’m not judging.”

  “Apparently I created them using the Celestial Rose.”

  “The what?”

  “My father created the rose for me before he turned to the darkness, our power is focused within it. I wielded the light to create Cain, Abel, and Seth. These were the first immortals, besides my siblings and I. Father banished them down to Earth's wasteland, too. Cain killed Abel to appease God, but by doing that, the darkness found him and when he found Lilith, she became infected by it too.”

  “So, what happened to Seth?”

  “Err, I don’t actually know. He’s rumoured to have made a home on another planet. But that’s a question Adam should answer.”

  “So, do I get to meet your big brother?”

  “Hopefully, one day.”

  “Is it bad that I’m already nervous of the guy?”

  I laughed. “No, not at all.” I paused thinking. “So why do you think Lilith wants to bring down Elysium?”

  “I don’t know. I thought it was to kill your father, but apparently Daddy’s not
home right now,” he said.

  “I believe it’s so she can take the Celestial Rose and use its power to bring her son, Lucifer, back.”

  “That makes sense. She was alone when I saw her. It has got to be getting to her.”

  “Where was Cain?”

  “I have no idea. He’s the missing piece to this puzzle.”

  “That’s worrying. He’s got to be in on her plan. He is the Devil's father, after all.”

  “Yes, it is quite disconcerting.” He said, looking grim.

  We sat in silence for a moment, finishing our meals. It was concerning that Cain was AWOL. Where could he have gone? Would he dare reside on Earth? Perhaps he was searching for me, doing Lilith’s bidding. Then again, Lucian said Cain was the one that infected Lilith. Perhaps if I ended him, she would lose her darkness. Or it’d destroy her, like losing my mortal family did to me. I couldn't risk that. She’d annihilate the world, just like she hoped to. But what did she want with me in all this? I didn't have enough light to piece Lucifer back together, she would need the rose for that. And there was no chance I would know the way to the celestial temple. I purposely asked not to know, just in case I was captured. Gabriel was the only one that knew.

  “Damn, where’s Gabriel?” I asked aloud.

  “Why?”

  “What if she captures him? He knows where the celestial temple is.”

  “Okay, but do you think he would tell to save his own skin?”

  “Jeez, no, he’s an Angel. It’s not in his nature.”

  “Well, there you go then, crisis averted.”

  “Your sarcasm is becoming tiring, Mr. Darkwater.” I smiled.

  “As is yours, Ms. Lane.” He grinned. “Come on, let’s find our room.”

  Heading along the corridor, hand in hand, we were like a pair of newlyweds enjoying their honeymoon. Smiling and laughing as we journeyed across the ship. It was spectacular, nothing like I’d ever experienced on Earth before. I needed to stop with the worry, the anxious paranoia. Not everyone was out to get me. I should enjoy life while I could. I was so fortunate. I was with the guy of my dreams on a luxurious ship in the midst of the ocean. Life couldn't get more perfect.

  “Taylor, are you okay?”