The rain slices down, quick and sharp as falling sickles.
The gunmen are nowhere to be seen, cowards, whoever they were. But I’m glad they’ve done a disappearing act, too.
“Skyla!” I bolt over and she runs to meet me, our bodies colliding as we wrap our arms around one another. The rain pours over us as if it were blessing us, letting its allegiance be known right here out in the open.
“It’s starting,” she shouts.
“I know. It’s just the beginning.”
She nods as her eyes flash like lightning. “The beginning of the end for the Barricade.”
It is exactly that.
This is still a victory. Celestra not only survives and thrives—we get every Nephilim on the planet back where they belong. With us. With Celestra.
Celestra will rule again.
And tonight, we’ve proven just that.
29
Immortal Beauty
Skyla
“Happy birthday.”
Logan presses a kiss to my lips after showering my entire body with the sentiment, and I pull him close to me one last time. We’ve showered and dressed and are now standing in my bedroom—our bedroom at the Landon house, ready to head on down and get this day started.
It’s November twenty-second, my birthday and Nathan’s. A day that will inevitably be spent at Demetri’s house—to celebrate the boys’ third birthday in grand style, I’m assuming. And the only reason I agreed to have anything at all for the boys at Demetri’s monolithic haunted mansion was because I knew that after having the baby, I wouldn’t want to play hostess, let alone plan a party. We’ll give Demetri this bone. But next year we’re celebrating at Whitehorse, God willing.
Then in the evening we’re off to Ellis’ house. He’s graciously offered—demanded to throw me a birthday party. Logan wanted to do it at Whitehorse, but Ellis convinced him to have a good old-fashioned thrasher at his parents’ estate. I think he had Logan at thrasher.
With our wedding coming up in less than a month, the last thing we want to do is thrash and trash Whitehorse.
Logan pulls back, those root beer-colored eyes pressed to mine with so much love buried in each one I can hardly stand it.
“Are you ready for this?”
“I thought I would be.” I shake my head up at him. “But I can’t help but think I made a mistake allowing Demetri to play host.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve thought about it, and I think it’s for the better. Now that we have more than half the Barricade siding with us, we’re well on our way to getting Celestra restored. And tonight we show them we’re not afraid of setting foot in their territory. Gage is running scared—he’s panicking. Their little shoot ’em up scheme didn’t work as well as they wanted.”
“That’s because they didn’t kill anyone—yet. It was a warning. And there were injuries. Their terroristic threat worked with about half the Barricade.”
“Not for long. Rumor has it, the government testing centers are going wide next month—just in time for Ezrina to get the permanent serum together—the answer.” Yes, that’s what we’re calling it for now. The answer. He dots a kiss to my lips. “I think spending the day at Demetri’s will only demonstrate how secure we are in our position. Celestra owns the Barricade, Skyla. For them to think anything else is foolish.”
I take a deep breath. “And for us to think that Gage, in an all-out panic, isn’t going to find a way to retaliate is foolish.”
He hitches his head to the door. “Let’s head downstairs. The kids are waiting.”
“Go ahead without me. I’ll be right down.”
Logan lands a searing kiss to my lips and offers a lazy smile as he pulls away.
“Less than twenty days,” he whispers.
“Yes.” A burst of joy warms me right down to my bones. “I will be your bride and the Landon house will finally be in the rearview mirror of my life.” I wrap my arms around him tightly. “Two things I’ve looked forward to for as long as I can remember.”
A soft laugh bounces through him. “You’re going to miss this place.” He glances to the butterfly room. “So will I.”
He heads down and I pull open the curtains as far as they’ll go, letting in the natural light—or unnatural as it were. It stormed right up until midnight, and then it turned off like a faucet. Today is filled with the idea of sunshine behind a thin veil of clouds. For Paragon this is practically spring. It’s Demetri’s doing, I have no doubt. I pull the window open and let in the fresh breeze on this, my twenty-third birthday. So few years on this planet, so many of them tumultuous. So damn much riding on my shoulders.
A couple of birds fly up over head in a circle, one black, one white before they spiral down and land on the ledge before me.
“Holden, Serena, it’s my birthday and Nathan’s birthday, too.” Logan and I have already sung to him and snuggled with him and peppered all three boys with kisses.
Both birds squawk and Holden comes up higher so I can touch his back and hear him.
Happy Birthday, Skyla, and to your kid, too. We noticed Demetri has some serious activity at his place, bounce houses, petting zoos, and a surprise I don’t want to spoil.
“Great,” I mutter. “I can’t wait to see what fright he’s dreamed up now. The really frightening part about it is how easily my mother goes along with his schemes. Not that I’m surprised.”
Serena and I are taking the kids. I figure they can hang out and watch, shit on a couple of people for the hell of it.
“Fine. Just stay away from my boys and maybe Logan and me, too. Gage is fair game.”
Holden twitches. Speaking of which—Serena and I wanted to congratulate you. We side with Celestra. The Barricade truly is wicked. I think more people realize that than are letting on, but they’re too afraid to admit it. The world has all but been thrust into the dark ages once again. And even though we’re not thrilled with the scare tactics you’ve incited either, we understand the need to do it. But, man, messing with the government. My dad used to say that was like grabbing a tiger by the tail. Do us a favor and don’t get bit. Or it will be a shit ride for all of us.
“Will do. Have a great time at the party.”
We will. You want me to torment Bishop?
I think on it a moment. “No. I want to watch her eat crow today, not raven.” I give a little wink. “I want her to feel her husband’s humiliation as he stands in my presence knowing full well he’s chosen the losing team.”
Anything you want, boss. It’s your day. He hops down, and both Serena and he take off in flight, cawing and screaming into the pristine day.
Gage should be very distressed. We haven’t spoken or had any significant communication in the past year, not really. I don’t know why I thought today would be different. A part of me thought he might have wished me a happy birthday by now. He facetimed with Nathan. I was in the room, not one mention of me. I suppose that’s greedy of me, selfish to want it. We’re enemies now. I shouldn’t expect any perks with that.
My gaze darts to the woods just beyond the house as the evergreens cage in the darkness, protecting it from the light.
I had wondered if Gage had caged in the light of our love and protected it from the darkness of who he has become. He loved me once.
In the deepest chamber of my heart, I refuse to believe anything else. We had a perfect love—satiating and pristine, something worthy to die for, something that either one of us would have sacrificed the world to save.
I close the window and head downstairs to find the family room laden with helium balloons that stick to the ceiling, their long, cheery, curling ribbons dangling like happy-to-see-me streamers.
Mom and my sisters jump on me at once, and Brielle blows a party horn directly into my ear.
“Thanks, Bree,” I tease and I clamp my hand over the left side of my head. “I didn’t need to hear on that side anyway.”
Drake grunts out a happy birthday and Ethan does the same by way of liftin
g his bandaged arm. Ethan, Coop, and Rev all had bullet wounds from the night the Barricade burned down the Havers’ barn. Nicholas’ wife, Lucinda, is rebuilding. She’s done it before and vowed to do it again. We’re petitioning to have a protective hedge granted to it. I can’t see how they’ll deny me. Faction meetings are a necessary component of Nephilim society. To have them infiltrated the way we were is outright criminal. I’m hoping to speak with my mother at some point soon. Honestly, I’m not sure I’m up for it today. I can only take so much drama in my life, and both today and tomorrow that honor goes to Chloe and Gage. It’s outrageous that on my children’s birthdays, their sacred days, that I have to see either Chloe or Gage. It’s a cruel, cruel reality that I don’t think I will ever get used to.
Mom opens her top to display baby Jaxson nursing away on her faux nipple—my God, it had better be the fake one. Logan is right. She’s getting a little too close to home with that apparatus. But she offered to take him at about five this morning, and I had already pumped for tonight. Mom is heading back right after the boys’ celebration and watching the kids for us.
“Oh, I forgot to mention.” She leans in, excitement brewing in her eyes. “Tad and I bought something very special for the boys. It’s already waiting for them at Demetri’s. I hope you don’t mind. Of course, I have something for the two of them to open tomorrow as well.”
“Mom, you didn’t have to do that,” I say, glancing around the room at all the pricey furniture, the crystal, the gilded goblets that have slowly replaced the Mason jars we usually drink out of. “I know the two of you have had a run of good fortune. But, honestly, how do you have anything left? There were an awful lot of purchases made.”
“Tad’s got it all handled.” She’s quick to assure me. “And just between you and me, he’s feeling another big win coming on, and so far, his instincts haven’t been wrong.”
“That’s right.” Tad pops up just as Logan wraps his arms around me from behind. “I’ve got a hot tip on lotto numbers, and I’m going to use it.” I can’t help but notice how much weight Tad has put on this year alone. But then, he’s actually been treating himself and my mother to meals out, and the refrigerator is brimming with things like clotted cream, lobster bisque, and steaks of every shape and size. It’s a virtual feast for a king, and in this twisted scenario Tad wears the crown. “This is the big one. The payout is in the millions.”
“Geez.” I look to both him and my mother with a bit of trepidation. “What do you mean by hot tip?”
Tad taps the side of his head. “My dreams. That’s my secret. I’m in perfect tune with the universe—have been for months. I purchased tickets for today’s big draw, and I already know I’m the winner.”
“That sounds…” I shake my head as I search for words.
“Illegal,” Logan finishes the sentence for me. “If I were you, I’d keep that deal you’ve got going with the universe a secret. Maybe don’t mention the dreams either. A man of fortune doesn’t tell.”
“Well, this one does.” Tad hardens his bloated features as he glares at Logan. “When you accrue a certain amount of wealth and status, you get to decide for yourself what you can and can’t do. Sorry, Oliver, but you don’t get to dictate how I run my life. Nobody does. That’s the beauty of being Tad Landon.”
“Great,” I say. “We’ll keep that in mind.”
Tad stalks off and plants himself on his throne, his paper already laid out for him by my mother.
I wrinkle my nose at my mother. “Just a few more weeks and we’ll be out of your hair.”
Her affect changes on a dime. “Skyla, please don’t bring that up to me. You realize I’m grieving all of you already. What are we going to do in this great big house without you?”
Mia pops up from behind. “Party? I call dibs on Skyla’s room.” After her brief marriage to Gabe, she’s been back to sharing a room with Melissa.
“No way.” Mom shakes her head. “That’s forever going to be Skyla’s room. So that if for any reason she and her family need to spend the night, they’ll have a place to stay.”
Mia groans, “Are you serious? That’s it. I’m getting married again and knocked up just so I can finally break free of Melissa and her snoring.”
“You had better be kidding.” I’m quick to deal with this. “Or I’ll strangle Rev myself.”
“Funny.” She makes a face. “And you do realize he’s still hurting from that night. But we’ll be there for your party.” She pulls me in close. “I love you, Skyla. You’re the best big sister in the world. I’m going to miss you when you’re gone.”
“I’m not leaving the island.”
“I know.” She pulls back with tears in her eyes. “It just won’t be the same without you living here.”
Melissa groans from behind, “I agree. It’s going to suck for, like, all of five minutes.”
The doorbell rings, and just about everyone in the room freezes. No one has used that doorbell in years. We’re a knocking kind of people on the island, so it sets off an internal alarm of sorts in all of us.
Mom rolls her eyes. “It’s probably Emma. Always prim and proper. I bet she’s come by to kiss Nathan.”
Mom takes off, and soon she’s calling for Tad and the entire lot of us escort him to the door.
Tad scoffs. “Pull out your phones, kids. You’ll want to upload this to social media asap. I entered that sweepstakes last week—the one that’s infamous for showing up at your doorstep with balloons and an oversized check for a million dollars. I’ve got this one in the bag, too.” He taps the side of his head as he winks at Logan.
Both Drake and Ethan fight to get their phones trained on him properly.
Nathan and Barron run up. Logan scoops up Barron, and I end up holding my birthday buddy. I land a kiss to his cheek as we watch Tad head to the door. A couple of tall men with navy satin jackets stand on the other side as he approaches them with that goofy grin plastered to his face.
“Let’s have it, boys,” Tad beams with a self-confidence I’ve never seen before. “Tad Landon, here. Winner at large. Give me all you got.”
The one on the right holds a badge out toward Tad and my mother.
“We’re here from the Federal Trade Commission investigating lottery fraud, and we need you to come down to the Paragon Police Department. We have a few questions we’d like to ask you.”
A chill runs through me as the entire Landon house ceases to breathe.
Tad bucks. “Ha! Hear that?” he balks as he turns our way. “Even the FTC wants to know how I do it. I’m telling you right now, boys, I’m on the up and up.” He snags his jacket off the coat rack and steps on out. “Don’t worry, Lizbeth. I should be back in plenty of time for today’s festivities. Don’t you dare eat a bite of that cake without me.”
I glance to Logan and frown as I squeeze his hand. Let’s pray the next cake in Tad’s life isn’t baked by my mother with a knife in it.
Amen to that.
The door closes with marked finality, and my mother looks pale. Both Ethan and Drake stop their recording of the event.
Mom lifts her chin my way. “The party must go on.”
The house gets back to its chaotic level of disorder, and I can’t help but wonder if Tad’s little visit by the FTC will prove to be a bad omen of things to come.
As much as I’d like to think it isn’t, I can’t help but think it is.
If there’s one thing about Demetri that I can put a positive spin on, it’s his ability to lavish his grandchildren with both attention—in his twisted mind he would call it love—and extravagance. And by extravagance, I mean putting on the ritz. But since he left my mother in charge, there is a bit of chintz involved as well.
Demetri’s mansion is covered with baby blue crepe paper. The sprawling backyard is festooned with Mylar balloons in every shape and size. There are eight different bounce houses—outdoing Wesley by two. And a petting zoo that features everything from llamas to guinea pigs. There are insect exhib
its, a face-painting station, a balloon artist, a contortionist, a walking circus (sans the clowns), a piñata that every small set of eyeballs has been gawking at, and a trampoline, a new permanent addition from Grandpa Demetri that will remain on the premises—I suppose that’s the surprise Holden was alluding to.
Logan and I stand watching the festivities. There are throngs of people, and it looks as if every toddler under five from the island has shown up to help celebrate the boys’ special day. The only person, the only celestial being we’re missing is Marshall. He let me know he’d be there for me tonight, and again tomorrow for the boys’ next birthday bash, but he would sit out this misadventure at the devil’s house as he so indelicately, yet accurately put it.
Logan has Jaxson strapped to his body in a fur-lined baby carrier that’s keeping our tiny prince—or king as it were, nice and toasty as he naps on his daddy’s chest. He’s so stunning for an infant. I don’t quite know how to put it into words. He has an otherworldly glow about him. His hair looks as if it’s gold floss, and his eyes shine a bright shade of blue mingled with amber each and every day. The boys adore him.
Chloe marches up in a cropped sweater, her jeans so tight you’d think they were painted on, and knowing her they might be—easier access for Gage.
“Some party.” She bats her lashes up at me. “Do you think the Fems will stop by with submachine guns before setting the mansion on fire? I hear you’re the new Ellis, Skyla. Throwing ragers—emphasis on the rage.” She gives a cheeky wink to Logan. “How’s the specimen?” She peers into the carrier and grunts, “Now there’s a little snack. Toe head. I can tell this one belongs to Logan.” She looks my way. “Are you knocked up again yet? I figure you and Logan can’t keep your hands off one another, and rumor has it, you keep the kids in your love den because it’s some sort of perverted aphrodisiac. I expect another litter to pop out of you soon enough. Quite frankly, I’m a little disappointed that you only popped out one on the last go-round.”
All Hail the King (Celestra Forever After Book 6) Page 60
