Esra's Prohpecy (Book 3 An Angel-blood Novel)

by Linda L. Creel

  He took the package from the delivery man and handed him a wad of cash. The man thanked him, and left without a word. “Feel free to call me if you have any trouble. We can plan to meet the day after tomorrow for thewedding.”

  “Where are you planning the wedding?” “What better place than Purgatory. I can have everything arranged in a matter of hours. I’ve taken the liberty of having dresses made for you and Jeziel. They’ll be delivered late tomorrow night or early the next morning. I trust you have no objections to the union?”

  Before she could answer him, Samhael left her standing alone in the kitchen. After the wedding he would send Verah to keep an eye on Meredith. “She may be Richard’s mother, but I don’t trust her,” he mumbled to himself. “It won’t hurt to keep a second set of eyes on her and that child at all times.”

  Meredith walked around the house and realized it was quite impressive. As long as Samhael’s instructions were followed, she would be safe. She wondered what would happen if she failed to deliver the child. She would think about that later.

  It was a beautiful morning, so she decided to eat on the porch, listening to the sound of the waves. There was no one on the beach or near the house. Meredith would meet Charisse and Desiree in an hour, but for now, she would try to put any dreadful thoughts out of her mind.

  As she looked through her window, Aura remembered that she could change the weather. It was the fifth day of January, but she decided a little warmth wouldn’t hurt.

  Aura laughed as she imagined the local news broadcasting the unexpected heat wave. Little did they know, Mother Nature, was actually an angel.

  The whole family was walking on eggshells, not wanting to bring up the subject of Aidan and Jeziel. Michael had already warned them not to interfere. “My son needs to find his own way. If he refuses to see the truth, there is nothing we can do for him.”

  Paul and Adam thought it was unfair not to protect Aidan. “There are lessons to be learned. My son is being tempted by darkness, but he needs to make his own choices,” Michael insisted. “Aidan doesn’t understand how free will works. He is at a disadvantage,” Paul argued.

  “He is at no more of a disadvantage, then Alannah or your own children,” Michael said.

  “Our children know the truth,” Adam said.

  “I appreciate your concern, but he needs to do this on his own,” Michael insisted.

  Aura knew her father wasn’t happy about the High Council’s decision, but he would never disobey Michael. “We’re all having a difficult time Aura, but none more than Aidan. I have no doubt he loves you, but he’s confused. He feels obligated to protect Jeziel because he thinks she was mistreated after her father was exiled. He has a good heart. I hope you’ll remember that,” her father said.

  “Sometimes it’s not enough to have a good heart. Alannah has suffered more than the rest of us and I have to protect her feelings. Aidan has no right to hurt her, regardless of how he feels about his friend. Alannah thinks he is turning his back on Heaven to satisfy Jeziel. How do you think she feels knowing that Mortriel has kept Alorrah and Alexis imprisoned all these years?”

  “These deaths have not been easy for you have they?” Paul asked.

  “I understand death. I don’t understand murder. There’s a difference, and I know Jeziel is a murderer,” Aura said. “Have you seen something you haven’t told us about?” Adam asked. “I know who killed Elijah, Ericah and her unborn child,” Aura said. “I don’t want to talk about it now. Let’s have a nice wedding, and then I may take the girls on a day trip to relax.”

  “Do you think it’s wise to leave, with Mortriel threatening you?” her father asked. “I do not fear Mortriel! I refuse to live in fear. If he is foolish enough to threaten me or my little ones again; I will bury him with angelfire. War is coming. I’ve seen it. I have seen many things, but right now I see a beautiful table waiting for us.” Aura refused to allow Jeziel to spoil her sister’s rehearsal dinner.

  Paul walked over and hugged his middle daughter. “This too shall pass.”

  “A lot sooner than you think,” she said quietly.

  Aura walked to the other room. “Who’s hungry? We should hurry, before the boys take the best seats.”

  “You should probably plan to take your own car Aidan. I doubt that Jeziel will won’t to share a ride with my brats.” He looked at her and his smile faded. Why did she always have to bring up Jeziel? Couldn’t they have one evening without the attitude?

  “We can drive with the top down,” Bren said.

  “Yeah we’re having a heat wave,” Tracy said.

  “What’s a heat wave Mommy?”Alannah asked.

  “It means the temperature is going to be warmer than usual for this time of year.”

  “Did you give us the heat wave Mommy?” Aura smiled, “Maybe.”

  “Are we gonna have a heat wave tomorrow?” Bren asked. “It’s possible one never knows.”

  “I need to know, so I don’t forget my deodorant.” The whole room cracked up with laughter.

  “What? What I say? I can’t be stinking. I’m in the wedding,” Bren said. Tracy shook her head in agreement.

  “What’s deodorant Mommy?”

  Aura chuckled. “I hope you never have to find out.” Caspian kept company with Matthew and his grandfather, while Andromeda finished getting dressed. August moved to New York to assist his daughter with the Godwin Academy.

  “Now that you’re here, I can spend time with my other daughter,” August joked.

  “It may not be the right time for an extended visit to Utopia,” Caspian replied.

  “They’ll be safe, now that Richard is dead. Do you think Natalie will be foolish enough to return?” “Richard had a plan and as much as I hate to admit this, Natalie is more dangerous. She has aligned herself with Jeziel. No one knows the extent of her involvement with the deaths in Aeden, but the Guild is suspicious.”

  “Are they concerned she will follow through with her father’s plan? We heard rumors he was going to overthrow the government and eventually declare war on the other colonies.”

  “Natalie doesn’t have the means to take on the Guild by herself. Richard was involved with Samhael. He can brandish hellfire, but Paul has promised to give Utopia additional protection. Arian is putting a training group together for the younger residents.”

  “Do you think it will come to war Caspian?”

  “We need to be prepared for everything, including battle. Bren and Tracy will spend some time there. Some may question their abilities because of their age, but they are more than capable of defending the children of Utopia.”

  Matthew listened as they talked. He thought they would ask him to leave, but they allowed him to stay. Willow told him the children were always included in the Guild’s discussions, regardless of how distressing the truth was. They believed the children had as much right to the information, as the rest of the family. Soon, the Utopians would follow this same practice. Not to be prepared would put them at a terrible disadvantage.

  They stood as Andromeda entered the room. Wearing a stunning white and gold gown, Caspian couldn’t imagine that Andromeda had ever looked more beautiful. He walked over and kissed her on the cheek.

  Matthew laughed. He couldn’t remember his mother being so happy. His father never treated her with such love. He remembered Gregory Godwin all too well. He was a tyrant. Though he was never cruel to him, Andromeda often suffered his father’s ridicule. Gregory wasn’t physically abusive, but his words cut like a blade, often reducing his mother to tears.

  Matthew didn’t cry at his father’s funeral. He resented how his mother was treated. Caspian would never allow anyone to hurt her. He hoped they would marry, soon. He asked Aura if she saw his mothers’ future. Though she never confirmed his hopes, she didn’t discount them either.

  “Are we ready to go?” Andromeda asked.

  “We’ll use the portal,” Caspian said. “We don’t want to miss dinner.” They held hands and were immediate
ly transported to the valley. Rita told him the location earlier. She tried to keep it a secret, hoping Jeziel wouldn’t make an appearance, but when did Jeziel ever stay away?

  They arrived just before six. Aidan followed Aura. He had not heard from Jeziel, but was disappointed to know that Aureus and Dareus were invited to the rehearsal dinner. “They aren’t family. Why would Rita and Jessica invite them?” he mumbled under his breath.

  Aura ignored his comment and walked into the hall with the twin brothers. The scowl on Aidan’s face didn’t escape any of them. Aura laughed. “You’ll have a reason to frown soon,” she mumbled. The dining hall was gorgeous. The tables were covered with white linen tablecloths, accented with white candles and centerpieces adorned with gold silk flowers. Aura and the girls took their seats across from Aidan, leaving an empty chair for Jeziel. Dareus and Aureus sat next to her. Aidan was less than thrilled, but refused to let his displeasure be known to the rest of the guests.

  Papa arranged for an ice cream bar next to the buffet. It was more for Mia and Alannah’s benefit than the others. When she saw it, Mia asked if they were having ice cream for dinner. Bren reminded her it was for dessert.

  Rita and Jessica decided on a buffet to allow more time with the family. That was fine with Mia and Alannah. They wouldn’t have to wait for the others to finish dinner, before hitting the ice cream bar.

  They were barely seated, when Jeziel strutted through the door. “I thought she wasn’t coming?” Joshua whispered to Jessica, who shrugged her shoulders.

  Aidan met her at the door and walked her to his table. Aura sent her sister and Jessica a silent message, telling them to take it in stride. Jeziel did what she wanted. They were curious how she found them. Neither of them told Aidan the location of the restaurant. Perhaps Jeziel had her own way of tracking them. She was a pureblood angel too and no one really knew what powers she had.

  As always Jeziel was in true fashion. She wore a tasteless red dress, leaving little to the imagination. As she took the seat next to Aidan, Mia wasn’t happy to be sitting next to her. “Why you here, Jeziel?” she huffed.

  “Last time I checked, I was still part of this family,” she answered flippantly. Unfortunately, the Archangels were not yet in attendance; their absence being duly noted by Jeziel. Aura did her best to ignore Jeziel’s presence, but something was about to happen that she couldn’t ignore.

  Mia, in a hurry to move away from Jeziel, accidently knocked over the large glass of chocolate milk in front of her. The brown liquid splashed the front of Jeziel’s red dress.

  “What have you done you little brat? I know you did that on purpose!” Mia was mortified, and Aura knew it was only a matter of time before she would start wailing. Before she could apologize, Jeziel was out of her chair with her hand raised, ready to strike Mia.

  As soon as Aura saw her hand, she called for her shield. It came down so hard; Jeziel was thrown across the room. Her body slammed to the floor with a deafening thud. “You will never touch one of my little ones again!” She screamed.

  “Have you lost your mind?” Aidan said, as he hurried to help his friend.

  “I warned you not to bring her here, Aidan. Did you think I would allow her to hurt Mia?” Aura shouted.

  “Jeziel wasn’t going to hit her,” Aidan said, in defense of his friend. “Are you blind? Didn’t you see her hand raised?” By now, Aura was livid. “I think you’re done here. Pick up your trash, and get her out of here, before shegets hurt!”

  Jeziel started to move closer to Aura, her face distorted by rage. “Who are you calling trash?” She asked. Aura didn’t back down. It was all she could do to keep the angel - fire from spreading through her fingers. Aidan stood in front of Jeziel, blocking her from Aura. “Get that bitch out of here now, Aidan, before I lose my temper! There was no malice here. Mia accidently spilled her drink. Get over it. If Jeziel wasn’t here, it wouldn’t have happened. If you want to know the truth, it isn’t even her dress. Why don’t you tell everyone where the dress came from?” Aura asked.

  Aura moved around Aidan, so she could stand directly in front of Jeziel. “Nobody wants you here Jeziel - nobody! You stay away from my little ones, or I swear by Heaven the next time we meet, you’ll be doing more than picking yourself off the floor,” she warned.

  Jeziel suspected that Aura knew about the Devereaux’s deaths. Why wasn’t she saying anything? Maybe she didn’t know. The only thing that was hurt was her pride, but Jeziel saw this as a golden opportunity to drive the wedge even further between Aura and Aidan. She started to sob. “You see how she treats me? I’ve done nothing wrong and she calls me trash.”

  Aidan glared at Aura before taking Jeziel’s hand. “Come on I’ll take you home.”

  “Know this Aidan - if you bring that demon around my little ones again, as God is my witness, you will both regret it!” Aura knew about the Devereaux’s deaths, but she wasn’t ready to expose Jeziel, yet. There was still the matter of the forgery. Aura wanted to hurt Lucifer for keeping her family imprisoned for all those years. Her plan was working just the way she imagined it. She started to laugh hysterically, but Aidan wasn’t laughing. He was angry.

  “Stay close to your frien d, Aidan. I really think you should consider giving her that ring now. She’s going to need all the protection she can get,” Aura spat.

  Jeziel couldn’t believe her ears. Was Aura telling Aidan to give her Avriel’s ring? This was too easy. She only needed a little while longer before Aidan and the ring would be hers.

  As they were leaving, Willow started cheering and clapping. Even Aura’s brother started to whistle and hoot. They were followed by the rest of the little ones, except Mia, who was still crying.

  “It accident , Daddy. I not do it purpose it accident.” “Of course it was an accident. Let’s get you some ice cream and you’ll feel better,” Logan said, as he used one of the napkins to dry her tears.

  Adam was almost as upset as Aura. Mia was his granddaughter, and he knew that there had been no malevolence on her part. “The next time she appears, it will be in front of the Council,” he said heatedly.

  “I agree,” Joseph said. “It’s time that we held her accountable for her actions.”

  “It is decided then. If Jeziel returns, we take her before the Council; either willingly or by force,” Paul said. The others nodded in agreement. “I doubt we’ll hear from her again. The good news is, she won’t be at the wedding tomorrow,” Adam said.

  “She may not be the only one who will be missing,” Rita whispered to Jessica. “Do you think Aidan will stay away too?”

  “He was angry. Jeziel will try to turn him against Aura.”

  “If he’s walking the dark path, Aura’s better off without him,” Jayden said. They remembered when Jayden was tempted by darkness. He lost his twin brother and his sister because of Natalie. He would never forgive her. Jeziel reminded Jayden of Natalie, in every way. He hoped Aidan wouldn’t lose everyone he cared about, before he saw the truth.

  After they were gone, three of the Archangels appeared in the hall. Thankfully, Bodhi wasn’t with them. No one would understand yet, but Aura had sent a message to Esra asking her to keep him away. Uriel took a seat next to Rita. Gabriel sat next to Bren and Tracy. Michael stood in the front of the room, next to Aura. It was time to tell the others the truth.

  “I’ll tell them,” Aura said. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this tonight, but I think you have a right to know the truth. Aidan isn’t Aidan.”

  “We can see that. Jeziel is pulling him down the path to darkness,” Adam said. “No – what I mean is that Aidan really isn’t Aidan. The angel, who has been acting as my guardian, is really Aidan’s twin brother, Dahnael.”

  “Holy crap, you mean there are two of them?” Willow asked. “Perhaps you should allow me to explain,” Michael said to Aura.

  “On the day Aidan was born, my wife delivered twin sons. Aidan remained with me and his mother, his twin brother, was taken and raised with the gu
ardians. I didn’t understand why they needed to be separated, but this command came from my Father and I couldn’t disobey. When it was decided to send Jeziel here to act as Elijah’s guardian, it was also decided that Dahnael would come. They were both being tested, and as you can see they have both failed, miserably. I hoped that my son would remember who he was, but as you know, the temptation of darkness holds no boundaries.”

  “We have no doubt that Jeziel has fallen. Earlier today, she and Natalie killed Phillipe Devereaux and his family at his New York estate,” Aura said. “I suppose they thought we wouldn’t find out about the murders.”

  “We need to bring her before the Council now,” Adam said. “We can’t not yet. I need Jeziel here if I’m going to bring our family out of Hell. I know that you’re angry, but if we remove her now, I’ll never see my daughter again,” Aura said. “I need you to trust me. No one can know about Dahnael. He may still do the right thing, but I can’t take any chances.”

  “Dear God, Aura, how many more lives are they going to take before we bring them to justice?” Adam asked. “I have a plan in place that will take out Lucifer’s top advisors, but I need two more days. The wedding is tomorrow. Dahnael will stay away until tomorrow night, and he’ll have no idea about our plan. After the wedding, I’m taking the girls away for a day. When I return, we will be more than prepared. Samhael is planning to marry Natalie the day after tomorrow, so none of them will be a factor. We can’t let Dahnael know any of this. You have been patient for this long. I’m asking for two more days.”

  “I agree with Aura. You have no idea what she has planned, but I can promise you once she sets the trap, Lucifer himself will feel the wrath of Heaven,” Michael said.

  “Aura gave us hope when she returned the bow and awakened Bodhi. There is a chance that the other Angels of the Tier will be awakened, and Alorrah, Alexis and Fionn will be free. We cannot interfere. This comes from the highest authority in Heaven,” Uriel said.