Aura decided on pizza for dinner because it wouldn ’t require too much fuss, and she needed to spend some time with the little ones going over the final plans for tomorrow. Bren knew that Mia and Joey would be needed, so she asked them to spend the night. At first Joseph declined, until Bren stared him down.
“You’re right. I’ve heard what you can do with Gabriel’s gift. They’ll probably be safer here,” Joseph said. Aura hadn’t seen Dahnael trying to search for Jeziel. He would visit with Malakiel later in the evening when he thought she was asleep. Perhapshe was doing some soul searching now. It wouldn’t matter; he had passed the point of no return.
While he was gone, Aura decided to take down all of the pictures of Dahnael with the girls, including the picture that Angie had painted as his Christmas gift. She would put them in his room. He wasn’t Aidan, and Dahnael would never be sitting on a cloud with her, and the little ones. That place was reserved for her husband.
Aura would marry Aidan soon after he returned. The girls would be the flower girls, andit would be a beautiful wedding. She couldn’t help crying. Even though she only spent three hours with Aidan, she felt how much he loved her. She would bring her family home tomorrow, and then she would make Lucifer a prisoner.
The girls helped her carry the pictures up to Dahnael’s room. They never questioned Aura’s reasons. When she went back to her room, she was surprised to find another picture there. This must have been painted by Angie too. Instead of sitting on a cloud, Aura and Aidan were dancing, and all five of the girls were floating in the sky above them.
She removed an older portrait over the fireplace, and hung this one in its place. She sat on the bed and looked at her family. Soon, they would all be together again.
When Dahnael returned, he found Aura on the telephone in the kitchen ordering pizza. A.J. and P.J. were trying to teach Dareus and Aureus how to play video games in the family room. The first thing he noticed when he walked through the door was the picture over the fireplace. The picture of him and Aura with the girls was taken down and replaced with the old picture that hung there a few weeks ago.
“What have you done with the other picture?” he asked Aura. “I put it in your bedroom.” “Why would you take it down?”
“It’s time for a change. I’m thinking about redecorating with some new furniture.”
“Is that what I am to you furniture?”
“That’s not what I meant. I thought you would prefer to have the picture in your room.”
As he looked around, he saw all the pictures of him were gone; including the picture of him and Aura with Santa Clause. It was final. Aura would never forgive him. Rather than have another confrontation with her, he walked away. He decided then; he would have the ring back, even if he had to take it.”
She listened as the front door opened and closed. Aura didn’t feel any remorse for him. It was unforgiveable to treat Alannah so cruelly. He would think long and hard before yelling at her daughter again.
Iris came into the kitchen. She was followed by Dareus and Aureus. “We’ve lost him,” she said. “He cares only for the sacred gifts. He will try to take them from you.”
“One of the rings is a fake. I’ve had Mahlyssa put a spell on it. No matter who wears it, the ring will light up, as it did when it first touched my hand. Michael has given Avriel’s ring to me. I suppose he never truly trusted Dahnael, either.”
“What will happen to him?” Alannah asked. “That will depend on him. He’s already met with Caeus and Malakiel once. He’ll meet with them again this evening. They’ll be paying us a visit tomorrow, but don’t worry; we’ll handle them. Tomorrow will be a busy day. I suggest we get some sleep tonight because we are going to need all of our strength in the morning.”
Alorrah’s voice trickled into Aura’s head. “I’m coming home tomorrow, Mommy.”
“Yes, you are,” Aura said. Richard returned to Purgatory with Mortriel. “Wait here until Samhael returns. We need to find the child, and I don’t want your resurrection known yet,” Mortriel warned.
Richard understood. He wouldn’t dare argue with Mortriel even though he was now considered one of Lucifer’s sons. If anything happened to his own son, he would kill them all.
He took a few minutes to think about Desiree. What could have happened? He witnessed countless births and there were no problems. Births were supposed to be painless. He couldn’t deny the black blood on the carpet. Maybe she bled to death. She was always more fragile than the others. He should have been with her, but the Guild kept him away. Soon, he would have his revenge.
Samhael arrived in Purgatory within the hour. Natalie was by his side. “I’m so sorry, Father. I know how much Desiree meant to you. Samhael will find your son, I swear it.”
Richard looked kindly at his daughter. “I still have you.” “Mortriel said Jeziel is waiting for me in Aeden. Do you want me to stay here with you?”Natalie asked.
“I’ll be fine. Samhael and I need to talk, but I’m sure we’ll recover the child soon.”
“Remind Jeziel that Isla is coming. She’ll be staying with the two of you tonight,” Mortriel said. “I’ll give her the message.” Natalie kissed her husband and father goodbye. She hadn’t been to Aeden in a while. It was crucial that she stay hidden. There was no need to allow the Guild to cause her any stress, especially since Samhael wouldn’t be with her.
She arrived at the cottage before midnight. Isla was already there, and she looked exactly like Iris. “I’m Isla – it’s nice to finally meet you. You’ll have to forgive me for being absent from your wedding. Lucifer had me completing a task for him.”
“Samhael said you were coming. Is this about the bow?” “Yes I’ve been talking to Jeziel about our plans to recover it.” “How can I help?” Natalie asked.
“Sit - Jeziel wants to speakto you about something else first.” Isla smiled before taking a seat beside Jeziel.
“Did something happen after you left the beach house?” Natalie asked. “I went to see Aidan, but Aura came into the yard instead. She threatened to kill me if I came back. She threw me to the ground; not once, but twice. I went to reach for the dagger, but she hit me first. I know Mortriel doesn’t want her touched, but I have a right to defend myself.”
“Why didn’t Aidan come to your defense?” “He was standing on the por ch with those brats. Maybe he was afraid of Aura? I will make her pay for what she did. Soon, the Dagger of Dionese will be restored to full power.”
“Jeziel, the dagger won’t wield angel -fire until it has been transformed. We can’t do that without the hair of Dareus and Aureus.”
“That brings me into the equation. Tomorrow I will pay Aura a visit. While I keep her occupied, you will take the hair from the twin brothers. After you have the hair, a courier will deliver it to Lucifer. I’ll take possession of the bow, and then we’ll return the sacred gifts to power,” Isla said.
“How do you know Aura won’t recognize you?”
“My sister and I look exactly alike. Even Esra, the most powerful seer in Heaven, couldn’t tell us apart.” A menacing smile formed at t he corner of Jeziel’s mouth. “I’ll help Natalie get the hair. I doubt my father will mind if I take a few strands for myself. After you have the bow, Aura and I will have a little chat.”
“Mortriel has plans for Aura. You’ve been warned not to harm her,” Isla reminded her.
“I will defend myself, nothing more. Surely my father will understand that?”
“Don’t get on Mortriel’s bad side. He is not as tolerant as your father,” Isla warned.
“If I return the sacred gifts to power, my father will forgive one little mistake.”
“What time is this supposed to happen?” Natalie asked. “Aura cooks breakfast for the twins most mornings. When you see them leave the house, follow them and take the hair,” Isla said. “What if they won’t give it freely?”
“Then you will take it by force!” Isla bellowed.
“Let’s hope they resist u
s. I want an excuse to kill them,” Natalie said. “I suggest we get a goodnight’s sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day. Don’t leave the house tonight,” she warned Jeziel. “If you screw this up, your father will not be forgiving.” Isla walked into one of the spare bedrooms and closed the door.
At ten o’clock, Aura joined the girls in the bedroom. Tomorrow would be a turning point in their lives. She said goodnight to Dahnael, but hurried up the stairs.
Dahnael went to his room and stretched out on the bed. He had a lot to consider. He didn’t know how he was going to get the ring back from Aura. Perhaps if she was angry again, she would take it off and give it to him. That would save him a lot of trouble.
He didn’t like having the priests in the same house. He still didn’t know why they were here. Maybe he should just ask them. They couldn’t lie.
He stared at the picture. They all seemed so happy. Perhaps because they thought he was Aidan. Damn his brother. Why did his father care more for him? Once he had possession of the gifts, he would force Aura to marry him or Aidan would die. Nothing was going to stop him, nothing.
When he was sure Aura was asleep, he left the house to meet with Malakiel.
“Did you get the ring?” the Guardian asked. “The ring will be mine, tomorrow. Do you have everything arranged for in the morning?” “Yes – we’ll be there early. I look forward to challenging the halfbreed. Heaven will support our decision to take her life if she refuses us, which we know she’ll do.”
“I should get back. I’ll see you in the morning, Brother.” Dahnael sneaked back into the house and was grateful that everyone was still asleep. He climbed the stairs and slipped quietly into his bedroom. The plan was in motion. There was no turning back now. He turned away from the picture and sleep came easily. Tomorrow, he would have a new beginning.
Aura smiled. Yes, Dahnael, you will have a new beginning tomorrow, but not the beginning that you want. She snuggled with the little ones and fell into a peaceful sleep. She would have sweet dreams on this night.
Chapter 36
Aura awoke early and ran downstairs to fix breakfast. Dahnael was already in the kitchen. “Did you sleep well?” she asked. “My thoughts kept me awake, most of the night, but I was able to get some sleep.”
“I’ll fix some tea. Dareus and Aureus will be down soon. I hope you won’t have a problem with them joining us for breakfast?” “I didn’t know they were priests, Aura,” he said apologetically. “I’m sure that you didn’t. I’m sure that’s why Bael thought they were defective. They have pure minds, bodies and souls. They can never have children.”
“I should never have doubted their intentions. Do you think they will forgive me?”
“They’re priests, Aidan. Forgiveness is what they do.” “I wanted to speak to you about Jeziel. You should have let me handle her last night.” “Don’t worry she’ll be back. Jeziel is irrational, impulsive and determined. I warn you, if she attacks me again, it will not go well for her.”
“Jeziel suffered too. She would never hurt the little ones. She just gets angry sometimes.”
“She would do well to control that temper of hers. It isn’t healthy for her.”
Iris came into the kitchen. “I’ll finish cooking. Why don’t you get the girls dressed?” Aura hugged Iris before going upstairs. She knew she would have to say goodbye to her sons soon. She dressed the girls and Joey, and then hurried downstairs. Dareus and Aureus were waiting at the dining room table.
Alannah ran and hugged Dareus, while Mia followed Bren and Tracy into the kitchen to get the chocolate syrup and for the milk. Iris decided to make chocolate chip pancakes as a special treat for the little ones. When she put them on the table, Mia’s eyes lit up. This would be the last breakfast they would share with the priests.
Aura poured the milk in the glasses and Mia poured the chocolate. When the bottle was empty, she decided that was just enough, and she stirred vigorously until the liquid darkened. She took her seat next to Joey and avoided Dahnael like the plague.
“Can we ride the horses today?” Alannah asked.
Dareus looked at Aura. “I’m afraid we have other plans. I would like to ask something of you.”
“Ok, what do you need?”
“If we leave Aureus and I would like you to take care of the horses. Can you do that?”
“How do we take care of them?”
“We’ve arranged for a caretaker to do most of the work, but they need to be exercised at least twice a week.”
“Can we take care of the horses, Mommy?” “We’ll see. I’m sure there are enough of us to ride them twice a week. If we aren’t here, we can ask Mia and Joey. Myra and Mahlyssa can help too.”
“Are we going somewhere too, Mommy?” “It’s possible. You never know when I might get the whim to take off.” She didn’t have any intention of telling them what she meant. She wasn’t sure herself. The next few hours would change all of their lives, but none more than hers.
Aidan looked suspiciously at the priests. Was Aura planning to leave with them? After breakfast Aura and Iris walked the twins to the door. Iris hugged her sons and said goodbye. Aura kissed them both on the cheek. “I owe you more than my life.”
They both smiled and hurried out the door. Dahnael witnessed the kiss, but didn’t re spond. They were priests. Why did it bother him so much that she was friendly with them? It was unnatural to be jealous of priests.
Jeziel and Natalie watched the house for an hour. They stayed out of sight. When the twins left, they followed them to the farm. They would approach them, take their hair, and deliver it to the courier. Natalie hoped they would fight back. Then, she would have an excuse to kill them.
Jayden was walking with Acadia. He finally opened up about his feelings for her. Since Natalie was married, he saw no reason why he couldn’t pursue his own future.
Acadia couldn’t have been happier. She loved Jayden. No one was more pleased than Jane, who was establishing a closer relationship with Henry. Aura saw a wedding in their future.
They saw the girls, but Acadia stopped Jayden from approaching them. “Let’s just follow them and tell Aura what’s going on. Remember that Natalie is married Samhael and they’ve exchanged blood.”
Jayden looked on his side to make sure his dagger was still there. Rita had given it to him when she returned yesterday. Jayden didn’t know it, but she got the dagger from her grandfather Uriel. He told her it was special, and Jayden might find it invaluable in the near future.
Aura knew Natalie and Jeziel were on their way to kill the priests. She would have less than an hour to be ready. She walked back to the kitchen. When Rita, Jessica, Will and Joshua came in, Aura went to the kitchen with Iris to make fresh eggs. Rita, not wanting to be at the table with Dahnael, followed her.
“Isla will be here soon,” she whispered to Iris. “Who is Isla, and why is she coming here?” Rita asked.
“You’ll know soon enough. For now, when you see her, I want you to pretend she’s Iris.
“Why do we have to do that?”
Aura leaned over and whispered something to her sister. Within minutes the girls were shaking their heads and smiling. Dahnael had been watching from the other room and decided to ask what all the secrecy was about. “Does someone want to include me in the conversation? I am still Aura’s guardian.”
“Aura doesn’t need a guardian to take care of this,” Rita insisted. She smiled at her sister, and took another platter of eggs into the dining room.
Bren sent a silent message to her older sister advising her of the plan. Logan and Tiffany came in a few minutes later with the other members of the Guild.
Jeziel and Natalie were surprised that the brothers didn’t fight back. They made a joint decision before they got there to kill them, regardless. Natalie enjoyed taking the life of the halfbreed during her wedding ceremony, and had acquired a taste for blood.
“I may not be able to touch Aura, but killing them will still cause her pain,” Jeziel said
. The confrontation only lasted a few minutes. Natalie used a blade that Samhael had given to her to cut their throats, while Jeziel used the dagger of Dionese. Afterwards, Jeziel cut their hair, pulling a few strands and putting them in her jacket pocket. As she held the blade to the hair, she was disappointed when nothing happened.
“Maybe it’s because of their blood. Why don’t you clean the dagger and then apply the hair?” Natalie suggested. They gave the long braids to the courier, and Jeziel decided to return to her house to wash the blade. “Aren’t you coming?” she asked Natalie.
“No I’m going to wait here for a few minutes. Someone else might come, and I don’t want them to tell Aura about this.” “You really are brilliant. I wish I had thought of that. I’ll see you soon. I’m going to do as you suggested and clean the blade.” After Jeziel was out of sight, Jayden approached Natalie. He thought of Jasper and Ella’s deaths and how she had no remorse. It was time for retribution.
“Stay hidden Acadia. She’ll hurt you to get back at me. That’s the way Natalie thinks,” he whispered. He walked up to the yard and yelled, “Natalie! How are you going to explain their deaths to the Guild?”
She started laughing. “What makes you think I’m goi ng to explain anything? I’m not afraid of your little Guild. I’m Samhael’s wife.”
“You’re right - you have to be alive to answer questions. Jayden pulled his knife and threw it into her heart with as much force as he could muster.
“That was for Ella and Jasper,” he said. The blade started to glow. Jayden was familiar with the light; Gabriel’s sword emitted the same bright illumination. Rita had given him angelfire. He walked over to Natalie and kicked her to make sure she was dead.
Acadia looked arou nd nervously to make sure none of Natalie’s friends were there. “What should we do with the body, Jayden?” she whispered.
“The same thing she did to my brother’s body.” He pulled the blade out of her chest. Seeing an oak tree nearby, he picked her up and threw her as hard as he could. When she landed against the bark, she looked like she was sitting there with her eyes closed. The angle of her body hid the open wound and blood on her chest.
Esra's Prohpecy (Book 3 An Angel-blood Novel) Page 27
