Francesca got a strange look on her face. “Surely they aren’t planning to challenge the governor? Henry won’t go down without a fight.”
“Rest a ssured when the time comes, we will be more than ready to take on Henry. They will all suffer for taking my beloved son from me.”
“We will do whatever you ask of us, Baroness.” “You have always been loyal to me. Your faithfulness will not be forgotten,when we are in control of this colony,” Meredith assured her friend. “I must take my leave now, but if anyone asks, my name is Athena. Most appropriate, don’t you agree?”
“When will you be returning Baroness?” “I’m not sure, but it will be soon. Any information you can gather will be valued. I should go before anyone sees me. I’m sure my story will buy me some time, but I also have to remember one of
the daughter’s of the Guild is a powerful seer. This whole disguise will be for naught if she has already envisioned the change in my identity. I’ll be in contact with you, either way. Stay safe Francesca. You are a true friend.” Meredith hugged her, before she disappeared.
Francesca would remain loyal to her employer, but she couldn’t help being concerned about Natalie’s plan to overthrow the government. “She doesn’t have that kind of power. She may have sealed all of our fates,” she muttered to herself.
She left the room to tell the other members of the household, of Meredith’s visit. Francesca knew they would have doubts too. Richard was bad enough to deal with, but Natalie was worse. At least Richard would listen to reason. Natalie had her own agenda. Nothing would distract her from seeking revenge. Francesca felt like their lives were about to change, for the worse.
Meredith returned, to find Natalie already gone. Jeziel had not yet returned. She pondered what she should do with her free time, and then decided she would do some more shopping. She decided to go to New York, hoping Phillipe and his family were still there. If not, she would spend the rest of the day going though some of the upscale boutiques.
Meredith was certain Oliver made enough food for her and Natalie to last a couple of days. Still, she decided to grab a bite whileshe was out. Meredith hadn’t done any serious shopping in months. She was always afraid to leave Henry alone, never knowing what to expect, when she returned.
She almost wished she had allowed Natalie to join her, when she went to Utopia. Then, they could have shopped together. She went to her dresser, and looked at the tiara her father had given her. She couldn’t wear it now, but one day she would be the first lady of Utopia again. Then, they would all bow to her, especially Henry.
Natalie and Meredith both returned to Jeziels house before midnight to find she had not yet returned.
Natalie became worried. “Do you think anything happened to her?”
“I’m sure we would have heard if something was wrong. She’s probably just enjoying the day with herfriend.”
“Aura will love that,” Natalie snickered. “Have you tried to contact Phillipe or Charisse?” Meredith asked.
“No, Phillipe said he would contact us. I’m sure we’ll hear from him soon.”
“Are you certain we can still trust him?” “Father trusted him and he was always there when I needed him. Stop worrying. We agreed it was better to stay separated. Why don’t I fix you a glass of wine or some tea, and we’ll wait for Jeziel to return. She shouldn’t be much longer.”
“You’re right, but I can’t help worrying. You don’t realize how powerful those girls are.” “Samhael won’t let any harm come to us. Jeziel may have news when she returns. In the meantime, let’s relax. Would you like tea or a glass of wine?”
“Wine would be better. It will help me sleep tonight.” After drinking a glass of wine, Meredith and Natalie turned in for the night. Jeziel hadn’t returned, but they didn’t worry about her. She could take care of herself.
Chapter 17
After their meeting with Phillipe, the Guild left to update the High Council.
Phillipe asked nervously, “Should I come with you?” “There’s no need. No harm came to you, when you held the feather. They will accept that as proof of your loyalty to Heaven,” Paul said.
“Why don’t you just stay here and relax?” Adam said. “If Meredith has altered her appearance, she may try to return to Utopia. We’ll warn Arthur to be wary of any new strangers who arrive there. Don’t concern yourself with any of those matters, the Guild will handle it.” Joseph tried to alleviate any fears Phillipe was feeling.
At ten o’clock, Aura got the girls ready for bed. Aidan was not home, but they all knew not to expect him, until the morning. “Why don’t you just tell him the truth?” Bren asked Aura. “I don’t know what his reaction will be. For now, we’ll keep this secret to ourselves. In a few days, the rest of the family will know of Aidan’s deceit and by then, our plans will be ready to bring the family home. We can’t trust him not to tell Jeziel. We’ll go to New York in the morning and pick out the dresses for the weddings.”
“Is Aidan going with us?” Alannah asked.
“No – he’ll be spending the day with Jeziel again. Are you disappointed?” Aura asked.
“No – I don’t want to be around him. He’s going to ruin everything.” “Alannah, I’m not going to let that happen. I agree we can’t trust him, but there’s no reason for him to know what we’ve seen. Nothing is going to interfere with bringing your sister home,” Aura said.
“I know, Mommy. She’ll be home soon.” “Of course she will. Let’s just get a good night sleep and we can go to see Anastasia after breakfast inthe morning.”
Aura kissed them all goodnight and they all snuggled up to one another, until they fell asleep.
Aidan dropped Jeziel at the cottage just after midnight. “What time is it?” he asked. Jeziel couldn’t help snickering when she looked at the cl ock, which read 12:31 am. “We certainly did make a day of it, didn’t we?”
Aidan wasn’t laughing. He knew Aura would be upset with him. He was certain Alannah was already in bed for the night, and his absence would not go unnoticed by the rest of the family.
“I need to go,” he said abruptly.
Jeziel smirked. “Are you afraid of getting in trouble with Aura?”
“Aura is the least of my worries. I haven’t seen my daughter all day, and she is probably wondering where I am.” “Why don’t you tell her you were sp ending the day with me? She won’t have a problem with that. We did have a good time today. Don’t you agree?” Jeziel asked.
“Yes, it was a pleasant day,” Aidan had to admit.
“Well, since it’s already so late, why don’t you stay and have a cup of tea withme?”
“I’m sorry Jeziel, but I really do need to go home.” “They’re probably already in bed. Why don’t we go to Paris and have a cup of tea. You’ll be back before they wake up. Please Aidan. I doubt that Aura has even missed you.”
Aidan thought about it and realized that Jeziel was right. It wouldn’t matter if he went home now or later. Aura would be just as angry, and he had never been to Paris before.
“I’ll agree to go with you, but I have to return before the sun rises. I want to be there, before Alannah wakes up,” Aidan said. “We’ll just have a light breakfast and then we can come home.” Before he could change his mind, Jeziel grabbed his hand and a few seconds later, they were standing in front of a cafe in Paris. Despite the early hour, the eaterywas already open, and thankfully it wasn’t crowded.
Jeziel directed Aidan to a cozy table for two, in the corner, before stepping up to the counter, and ordering tea and croissants for both of them. The sun was just beginning to rise, and there was a certain calmness in the air. Jeziel had never felt so at peace.
As Jeziel took her seat in the booth beside Aidan, a waitress delivered the food and collected the money, before walking away. “Thank you Aidan. We haven’t had much time together in the last fewweeks. It’s nice not to have any interruptions,” Jeziel said. “I’m sorry that you’ve been ignored. I’ll speak to Paul and
the others. There’s no reason that you can’t be welcomed back to the family. There was no evidence to indicate that you were involved with Elijah’s death.”
So Aura doesn’t know, Jeziel thought to herself. That will make it easier to convince Aidan that Aura is just trying to spite me. “Do you think Aura will be taking Dareus and Aureus to her sister’s wedding?” she asked.
“We haven’t discussed it. Rita has mentioned that they are planning a small affair, for immediate family only.”
“In other words, I’m not on the guest list?” “I see no reason why you shouldn’t be allowed to come to the wedding. I’ll speak to Paul about that too. I’m sure if the Guild has determined that Elijah’s death was through no fault of yours, they will convince the others to stop treating you as an outsider. I have no doubt the rest of the family will accept you.”
“Aura will never forgive me. She hates me. I’m sure she wishes that I had died in that fire too.”
“Aura doesn’t hate anyone. She’s just been distracted lately.” “It seems to me, that she’s been distracted with Dareus. What does Alannah say about that? You are her father.”
“Alannah and I have grown distant, these last few weeks. I’m afraid she is closer to Aura, than she is to me.” “How can you allow Aura to turn your own daughter against you? You should just take Alannah and leave. That would teach Aura a lesson.”
“I could never take Alannah away from her. My father would never allow it.” Aidan knew that Michael would support Aura when it came to Alannah. Perhaps Alannah didn’t know the truth, but Michael did. No– Aidan would have to stay where he was, until Aura agreed to marry him. He saw no reason to bring that subject up at the time. He was enjoying his time with Jeziel, and any mention of marrying Aura would only upset her.
Michael could still call him back to Heaven, if he saw fit. He wasn’t about to return, because he had failed in his mission. For now, he would weather this storm. Soon, everything he ever wanted would be his.
When they finished their tea and pastry, Aidan and Jeziel returned to her cottage. Before he walked out, Jeziel threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him. “Thank you for today. I had a wonderful time.”
Aidan returned her smile. “We’ll be in touch. I promise I’ll speak to Paul tomorrow and let you know about the wedding.” “Maybe I’ll see you later this morning.” Aidan waived, and opened the door to his jeep, before climbing inside. When he looked up, a full moon still illuminated the sky.
“Good, they’ll still be asleep when I get home,” he said quietly to himself. As he was driving home, he was considering what he would say to Aura. He would remind her that it was her idea for him to spend time with Jeziel.
Aidan enjoyed Jeziels companionship and for the most part, she had kept her promise and acted only as a good friend. He wished she hadn’t kissed him again. If Aura saw that in one of her visions, she would be less than understanding about his intentions.
Aidan hadn’t defended Bren when Jeziel called her a brat. His lack of a response more than anything else, would be the source of Aura’s anger.
Jeziel made certain Aidan was out of sight, before she returned to her other home. Meredith and Natalie were just waking up when she walked through the front door.
Natalie yawned, as she put the kettle on for tea. “So I trust you had a good time with Aidan?”
Jeziel couldn’t contain her excitement. “Oh - I had a very good time.” “Are you just now getting back?”
“Yes we spent the entire day together; no Aura and no brats.” “How did you manage to keep him away so long?”
“We had lunch together and then he agreed to have dinner with me. I took him to the western hemisphere, and he wasn’t aware of the time change there. It was perfect. Then we went to Paris, and had a light breakfast at one of the bistros. I couldn’t have asked for a better date.”
“Are you planning to see him later today?”Natalie asked. “Yes – but first we need to visit Claudia and Colin Cavanaugh. I’m curious to see if they’ve had any luck retrieving their daughter.” “What are you going to do, if they were unsuccessful?” Meredith asked.
“I’m not sure. I may ask Samhael to help me deliver a message to them. How was your day by the way?”
Natalie and Meredith both told Jeziel of their visit to Purgatory with Samhael. “He said he wants to show me around,” Natalie said. “I told you he was interested. I see a wedding in your future. When are yougoing to see him again?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. He might stop by later today.” “Having Samhael close can only benefit us. I doubt even the Guild will dare challenge him right now. So it seems we all had a good day. Let me change clothes, and then we’ll go to London and pay a visit to the Cavanaugh’s.”
Jeziel and Natalie both went into their rooms to change, leaving Meredith alone in the kitchen. Meredith hadn’t heard anything from Desiree or Charisse, and thought she might try to locate them today.She didn’t want Desiree to feel abandoned in her fragile state.
As Natalie changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater, she was thinking about Samhael and all the doors he could open for her. With him by her side, it would only be a matter of time before they ruled Utopia together. She was certain that Lucifer would give them his blessing.
Henry would pay for his betrayal, with his life. Natalie would feel no remorse, and would look forward to her grandfather’s death. He could have asked that Rita be punished for the death of her father, but he buckled and chose sides with the Guild. That mistake would cost him dearly.
Soon, Henry would regret turning his back on her and her grandmother. The others would pay as well. Joshua, Caspian and Analie would all suffer and Natalie would be there to see it. Suddenly, she felt positive about her future. It could only get better from this point forward.
When Aidan arrived home, the house was almost entirely dark. It was after four in the morning, but Aura was awake and in the kitchen having a cup of tea. “So I trust you enjoyed your day with your girlfriend?” she asked.
“Aura we’ve been through this before. Jeziel is not my girlfriend. She’s only a friend, and yes I enjoyed her company today.” “Good - you can spend today with her too. I have plans with the girls.” She placed her teacup in the sink and walked out of the room, towards the stairs.
Aidan followed her. “I don’t want to argue with you, Aura. Have you forgotten it was your idea to invite Jeziel to spend the day with us?”
“I asked you to invite her to go riding with us. I don’t recall asking you to stay out with her until the wee hours of the morning. I trust you had a good time. Don’t worry – Alannah didn’t miss you.” She couldn’t contain the bitterness in her voice.
“I lost track of the time. I’m sorry,” Aidan said. Though it was meant as an apology, his tone was almost venomous. Aura glared at him. “There’s no need to apologize to me, but I would have hoped you might consider Alannah’s feelings. Since you’ve become so friendly with Jeziel, your daughter is no longer a priority for you.”
“That’s not fair, Aura.” Aidan’s voice was beginning to escalate. “It’s not what you think. Jeziel is my friend, nothing more. Alannah will always be my priority,” he insisted.
“That excuse is getting a bit old, don’t you think? Spend as much time with Jeziel as you like, but I don’t want her around Alannah or the girls. I tried explaining to Alannah that you didn’t want Jeziel to be alone. Do you know what she said to me?”
“I have no idea.” “She said she doesn’t like Jeziel. She asked me how I could let you spend so much time with her. She reminded me that her blood was black. I’m sure you didn’t notice, but everyone else saw it.”
Aidan felt the angerbuilding. “You are turning everyone against Jeziel.” Aura laughed. “My family forms their own opinions. Why didn’t anyone else have a problem feeding the ponies? Her blood was black Aidan! You can make any excuse you like about the color of her eyes, but her blood tells a different story,” she said, through gri
tted teeth.
“I said I was sorry. What do you want from me?” he demanded. “I want nothing from you! I am capable of taking care of myself and my family. I’ve told you that repeatedly. I haven’t changed my mind about keeping her away from my daughter. If you’re not comfortable telling her, then I’ll tell her myself.”
“The Guild has no reason to distrust her. Why can’t you see, that she is just trying to fit in with your family?” “Keep your voice down. Some of my family is still sleeping. Jeziel will be back in a few hours. I suggest you get some sleep, so you will have plenty of energy to spend another day with her. We don’t want you to be tired,” she said sarcastically. “Just know that you will not be alone with my daughter as long as you are keeping company with Lucifer’s daughter.”
“What has that got to do with anything?” Aidan’s voice was almost a scream by now. “I’m tired of both of you playing me for a fool. You are entitled to a relationship with Jeziel if that’s what you choose, but Alannah is mine!”
“Alannah is my daughter, Aura. You seem to forget that!” “I forget nothing! Keep your friend away from her, or someone is going to get hurt.”
“Why do you hate her so much?” “Jeziel would kill me if the opportunity presented itself. But she doesn’t have the skills. Eventually, I’ll expose her and anyone else who turns their back on Heaven. I’ll play this little game for now, but if Jeziel dares to hurt one of my little ones, all bets are off. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to check on my “brats.”
Aura raced up the stairs to her bedroom, leaving Aidan standing there alone. “She couldn’t know,” he said to himself. “I am going to have to be more careful or all of this will be just a waste of time. She’ll calm down and I will be able to talk to her calmly, in the morning.”
Convinced that all wasn’t lost, Aidan walked quietly up the stairs. Coming to his bedroom, he opened the door and jumped into bed. He would speak to Eve in the morning. She knew her daughter better than anyone.
Aidan was concerned that he would have little chance of reconciling with Aura now. If he continued his relationship with Jeziel, it would push Aura further away from him. He punched the pillow, and rolled onto his side before falling into a restless sleep.
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