“Blood,” he said. “I need more blood.”
“Right, yeah, we can fix that. Let’s go find another girl, shall we?”
“Her blood, I need it all.” Shit. He was like a rabid dog the way he was hampering after her.
“Mate, you don’t want her. Remember, you want that girl. Shit. What’s her name?”
“Taylor?” Lucian said bringing his eyes from the bloody female and staring directly into my own. “Where’s my Taylor?”
“That’s what I want to know,” Gabriel said, sending the girl on her way.
“The mirror,” he said, tears falling from his face.
“Lilith pushed her into the mirror.”
“The what now?” I asked. Why couldn't things ever be simple like she put her in a cage, or perhaps locked her in a nasty dark room, or some shit like that. No, it had to be some fucked up mirror to another realm. That has buggered it then, there wasn't no finding her now. “Shit.” It was all I could think of saying.
“Indeed,” the angel said. “I must go and tell Adam.”
Lucian looked angry. “Not without me you aren’t.”
“I didn’t think you liked flying?” He smirked.
“I don’t.” Lucian frowned “But that’s easy compared to the vale of acid I lived in for...” He paused. “How long was I in there for?”
“Well, mate, it's December now. Them pissing carollers have been out demanding money again. Remember when we used to pick ‘em off one by one?” I laughed “Those were the days.”
Lucian grinned, then his brow drooped, and jaw dropped “Damn. I’ve been in there since bloody summer. She’s been missing for months already and no-one thought to look for her until now?” he asked. “We’ve missed her birthday, too.” He said, looking down.
“Mate, you’ve been missing for four months here, but it would have been a lot longer in there.”
“No,” he cried. “She’s been alone for so long. Could she still be alive?” He asked the angel.
“She hasn’t returned to Elysium, so we hope so. But if her soul was lost to the mirror, she might not ever return to Elysium as her light wouldn’t be able to find its way home to the rose,” Gabriel said with watery eyes.
“Then we need to find her now. Take me to Adam.” He demanded.
“Oi mate, you ain’t leaving me here. Where ol’ stinky here goes, I’m coming too.”
“He’s got a point,” Gabriel said. “You could do with a shower and a change of clothes. I don’t think you would be welcomed in Elysium right now... looking like that.”
“Sod that. Taylor’s my priority. I need to speak to her brother now. We have to find her.”
“Okay, it’s your funeral,” the angel said as he picked us both up and rose high to the sky, through the clouds, and into a land of somewhere, nowhere, and anywhere.
CHAPTER 71: Eve
Landing on the yellow brick road, I found myself within a myriad of trees, and from each of them hung a spectacularly unique mirror. I knew that each mirror was a passageway to another world, but which one was our own? Which mirror led to the safety of my lover’s arms, my Lucian? Could he have survived?
My heart broke every time I thought of him. A heaviness resided in my soul, a caged happy ending with no keyhole nor key. Without him, none of that was possible. Not without the love of his caress, the tinge of blue in his smoky-hued eyes, or the softness of his supple lips as they placed butterfly kisses over my neck, threatening an ending but bringing only salvation, safety, and sensual security. I loved him more than my heart could bare. I ached, felt utter crushing pain under the weight of the betrayal my sister had spoken. She had done this; killed my love, destroyed my heart, and decimated my reason for living. The only reason I kept going was to know, to know for certain. I needed to see his decaying body and know that he was completely and utterly gone. Then I’d find where he had gone and I’d jump in, no questions asked, and save his soul, just like he did for me. Because that was love; utter sacrifice in times of despair and need.
Lying down, I started up, watching the sky above shade over with the allure of a forgotten past. Where was this place? This in-between in nature? The middle between fury and fate. The purgatory of what was, what is, and what could be. I had access to hundreds of planets, realms within realms, times gone by and times to come. It was a God’s dream, but how would I know which mirror the right mirror was. It wasn't like I could conjure a map... or could I? Then again, I couldn’t conjure much at the moment, let alone a map to get us the hell out of there.
Thinking about us, where was my mother? I knew we had stepped through together. “Mother?” I yelled. My voice carried through the tree’s, fluttering over the leaves as dew drops fell and splashed over the murky soil below. I pulled myself upright, sitting, gripping my stomach. Blood soaked through the white Grecian dress. It didn’t look good. I pulled my dress up and inspected the wounds. Three claw marks had ripped through the first four layers of skin, ruptured a few veins on the way, and had sent a shitload of blood streaming out of me. Bugger. “Mother!” I yelled. I needed help right now.
Then it came. The utter pain of hot, hefty liquid rushing out of my oesophagus, into my throat, and out onto the ground beside me. I couldn’t stop vomiting. If it wasn’t blood I lost it was the last meal I’d ate, whenever that was.
Footsteps clambered over the ground as my mother ran to my aid, holding back my hair and rubbing my back. Finally, I stopped, wiped my mouth on my bloody dress, and fell backwards, down to lie on my mother’s outstretched knee.
“It’ll be okay, Eve,” she said, placing her hand over my wounded stomach. Light pulsated out from her hand, heating my insides, healing my outsides. When she was finished, I was whole again, but just as I sat up, my lower abdomen began to move. Butterfly flutters caressed me from the inside and my mother yelped as something pushed my skin out against her hand.
“What!” she said, placing her head on my bloody stomach.
“What is it?” I asked with an unease.
“Shush,” she demanded, listening in. “I can’t believe it!”
“What?” I asked, “What is it?”
“Eve, you’re...”
“I’m what?”
“Pregnant!”
“Say again?”
“You’re with child, Eve.”
“No, that’s not possible!”
“I can only presume you and your lover have mated.”
“Pardon?”
“What do you call it in your world?”
“Sex, mother, we had sex.”
“Yes. Well, that makes girls of your stature pregnant.”
“Shit.”
“Pardon?”
“Sorry, mother. But really, shit.”
“Shit.” She said, laughing, hugging me.
Could it be? Was I really pregnant with Lucian's child? All that time he was with me, all through the darkness, my light had shone from inside. We’d created the future, he and I. We were going to be a happy little family, our forever family. I had to find him! I had to tell him! He would be so excited! Shit. I was excited. Scared as hell, but ecstatic.
Christ. I wondered what our child will be. A boy, a girl? Dark or light? It didn't matter, he or she would be perfect, loved, and no matter which path they followed, I’d always standby my baby’s side. My little baby! I was having a baby!
“You’re having a baby, Eve!” she smiled.
“I’m having a baby, Mother!” I smiled.
CHAPTER 72: Adam
Screams resonated through the temple. Charmeine soared into the air, ordering a group of angels to gear up. Could this be it? Was Lilith here? We weren’t ready.
I might have been their leader, but I’d be damned sure I’d fight beside them on the battlefield, should it come to that. Running forth, I stood beside the guards at the entrance. “What is happening?”
“Wait!” a familiar voice yelled. “I need to speak to Adam.”
“You shouldn’t have bought
them here, Gabriel” Michael yelled.
“I had no choice.”
“You always have a choice. What if they take down the rose? What then?”
“Is that blood all over that one?” Charmeine asked, landing beside Gabriel. “You shouldn’t have bought them here.”
“Err, if I may interject?” Lucian asked.
“No!” The three shouted. Joey pulled Lucian back.
“Move out of the way.” Gabriel yelled, pushing Michael aside. “I have to speak to Adam, it’s about Eve.”
“Eve?” I asked, landing beside Gabriel. “Where is she?”
“Adam, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”
“Stand down!” I bellowed. The angels lowered their weapons and faltered back to their daily existences.
“This is Lucian and Joey,” Gabriel introduced.
“Ah, so this is the one who stole my baby sister's heart?” I asked. “What is he wearing?”
“Yes, that would be me.” Lucian said, stepping forward. “I didn’t have time to change.” He smirked. “But it’s good to finally meet you. If only it were under better circumstances.”
“Yes... so, where is she?”
“That’s the problem.” Gabriel said.
“Yes.” Lucian said.
“Your twin only went and threw her into a pot of acid, mate.” Joey said.
“She did what?” My eyes widened, jaw dropped.
“No. No she didn’t, Joey.” Lucian hushed. “Taylor tried to save me. She manifested her light and held me until she could no more. Lilith banished her into the obsidian mirror. She had no choice but to let go.” I said. “She nearly jumped in after me, before she was banished, but Lilith stopped her.”
“She tried to save you?” Gabriel said, his face twisted in disgust.
“Yes, of course she would.” Adam said. “She’s in love with the boy, can’t you see that, Gabriel?”
Gabriel nodded and walked off.
“Now Lucian, let’s get you cleaned up and then we will hunt for Eve together.” I said, placing my hand on Lucian's shoulder.
“Pissy angels aren’t so bad after all, mate.” Joey chimed.
“Indeed, they aren’t.” I laughed.
CHAPTER 73: Elisha
Darkness turned to light as night became day. Eli slept soundly beside me on the old sofa next to the roaring log fire. Lifting his head from my lap, I covered him over and walked across to the frosted window. Dew lifted from the mossy growth below, birds tweeted their early morning tune, and the shadows crept in the forest before my eyes. My back bone stiffened, muscles taught. There was something out there, watching, waiting. Eliza had shrouded our family home to hide from us from the darkened army that Lilith had created, but something knew, something saw through.
Bristling through the trees ahead, I spotted a darkened figure we all had once known and loved; Rowena. Granted, she wasn’t my favourite schoolgirl friend, but she was still one of the humans Taylor adored. So with her absence, I’d vowed to protect what was left of them. Sadly though, I hadn’t quite reached Rowena in time.
Lawrence walked in rubbing his eyes. “What’s happening?” he asked. “I heard you calling out.”
“I didn’t say anything, Lawrence.” Then again, I didn’t need to. He always foresaw problems.
“Oh, okay.” He paused in thought. “Is she out there?”
“Rowena is. I can’t see Lilith though. But then, I doubt, even with Eliza’s magic, she would be powerful enough to ward off Lilith’s darkness.”
He nodded.
“What are we going to do, Lawrence?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know,” he said, his eyes filling with sadness. “I’m waiting to hear back from Eliza, and I have yet to see a way out of this particular predicament.”
“I’d call it more than a predicament.” I said. “It’s the end of everything."
“Yes, I’m afraid it is,” he said. “But where there is an end, there is always a beginning.” He smiled.
My lips pursed, I had to think. There was always a way out. Lucian would know what to do if he was here. We couldn't even ask the angels for help now that Gabriel was gone. Not that they would have lifted a finger to help, anyway. They’d rather sit back on their comfy thrones and play God than actually manage their people. Couldn't they see the bloodshed that I could only imagine was going on out there?
I’d watch the television for an up-to-date report, but Lawrence didn't like them, so we had never ended up getting one. He didn’t really feel the need to engage in humanity’s thankless lives. Better to keep on going with our own eternal reign than play puppet to their masters. Besides, there was the fact that I could control every single one of them with a click of my fingers, if I wanted to. The thought was always there, the desire too. I needed their love, their attention, sometimes. Hell, I needed their lifeforce just to sustain my tremendous figure. But what had my figure ever gotten me? Except the wrong kind of guy and a crap load of bullshit. I was fed up of that life. I welcomed the change. It had to be better than this stifled existence. I yawned. I wasn’t tired, but the thought of the mundane wore me down.
Lawrence walked away, patting his hand on my shoulder as he left. “They’ll be here soon,” he said as he left the room.
Great. And we had what? A zero chance at anything. Even the fluffy wolves weren't there to play anymore. They had headed off to fight their own song and dance. I looked over at the child who slept on the sofa beside the fire, Eli. He appeared so innocent, so young and lost. He had been alone when Lucian found him, had no-one in the world. But just like Lucian did with me, he had brought Eli in, gave him a home and a chance to grow and live as one of us. Granted, he only had a mortal path ahead of him at the moment, but he still had a path, a chance to hope and desire, to have faith in his own role when it came to the end of the world. Which, I was afraid, would be quite soon.
The trees bustled as Eli raised his weary head, stretched his little toes, and hobbled over to the window to stand beside me.
“That mean lady is outside, Elisha.”
“I know, Eli, it’ll be okay.”
“But it won’t, not if we stay here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard them talking. They're coming in in ten minutes.”
“What? How?”
“I don’t know, it’s just what she said.”
“Crap. Stay there.” I ordered as I ran from the room, through the house.
“Lawrence, Nic!” I yelled “Everyone, we need to leave now!” And by everyone, I meant our army that consisted of a Shifter, one and a half Seers, a couple of Dark Ones, and five humans from the academy. We were toast, condemn us now as I couldn’t see a way out of this one.
Eli walked into the hallway. “Eli, we need to go.” I yelled.
“Yes, I know.” He said with a smile on his face. The boy was strangely at ease with the whole situation. “But we can’t go that way.” He said.
“What, out of the back door? We have to.”
“No, we really don’t, Elisha.” He said, still smiling.
“Okay, what gives?” Nic asked. “What’s he on about?”
“I’ve no idea.” I said.
“No,” Eli spoke. “But Lawrence does.” He looked up at Lawrence.
Lawrence looked puzzled at first, then the sign of faint recollection washed over his face. “The tunnels!” he exclaimed. “Why didn’t I think of that?” He asked with a huge grin over his face.
“Since when did we have tunnels?” I asked, confused.
“Since we bought the house... they were there for smugglers back in the day. They lead out into the forest, near Lake Mead.”
Eli smiled as I picked him up and gave him a big cuddle. “Thank you, Eli!” I said, placing him down and kissing him on the head. He smiled as he tugged on my sleeve, pulling me towards the basement door. We hadn’t been down there since Taylor had died. It was kind of creepy going back, and considering everything I’d seen,
I was surprised that kind of darkness creeped me out. Then again, it could be because I knew what would happen if we didn’t get out, the pain and torture we’d end of going through, even Eli. She’d have a special kind of punishment for him, a rekindling of DNA to improve his ability to see the future, creating a whole new race of seer-like creatures. I shuddered.
“I’m okay, Elisha,” Eli said. How did he know I was thinking about him? He’d grown up so much since he came to live with us, especially since he saw the battle we had fought in. Something happened there, something inside him had changed. He still had his fearless attitude, his strange acceptance of the abnormal as being perfectly normal. But sometimes it was like he was an adult trapped in a kid’s body. Then other times, well, he seemed to be plain little Eli again. He smiled, squeezing my hand.
Entering the basement, Eli led the way, walking past the old wards and rickety hospital beds and over to a clunky looking bookshelf with old jam jars filled with human organs. The thing was covered in spider webs and dust from centuries ago. I’d forgot that the place was once a shelter to the poor and weak when they succumbed to illness and injury. They had provided the perfect food source back in the day, blood for Lucian and lifeforce for me. Lawrence had even managed to save a few of them.
Nic, Jayden, and I shifted the bookcase to its side and a glass jar fell off, smashing onto the floor beside Meghan. She screamed as a rotting brain slumped out and onto her exposed toes. Really? It was her own fault for wearing sandals on a day like this. Who goes hiking in sandals? Remind me again why we’re saving the human population? Nic ran over and kicked the brain to the side as Jayden covered the screaming girls mouth. “Shush,” he whispered, “they’ll find us!”
Pearce walked up, hand in hand with his stumbling half-dead girlfriend. “Quiet, Meghan.” He demanded, flashing his teeth. Meghan winced. Jodie leapt backwards, cowering against the wall. It wasn’t Pearce she was scared of, it was Jessie’s blood lust. We’d already had a few problems with her rebirth since it happened. If we could get to a blood bank, there wouldn’t be a problem, but considering the girl had been reborn and we didn’t have an ounce to feed her, she was rather attracted to the humans in the group. Understandably so.
The Celestial Rose BoxSet Page 51
