“Yes.” She looks at me, studies me before looking back at Luc. She steps away from me, coming within inches of him. Her head tilts as she looks at him, inspects him, studies him.
In appearance, he looks younger than her, forever the image of a young man turning from boy to man. Smooth cheeks, fresh skin, a youthful glow, it is only his eyes that give away his ancientness. He who was created even before man, the favorite of his Father until he chose to speak up.
I want to pull her back to me but I’m frozen, fascinated at what she might be looking for and by what she might find. He lets her look, keeping all emotion from his face.
My muscles tense as her hand drifts up toward his face. Oh shit. I’ve never seen him touched, not by anyone. I mean, he at times grabs one of us to restrain us, but never, and I mean never, do we grab him back. Her hand stops a hair’s breadth from his skin and I relax.
Too soon.
I blink, and she has cupped his cheek. Holy hell.
31
Luc
I haven’t felt touch in thousands of years. The last was my Father’s arms around me the moment before he threw me from heaven.
His embrace was the last thing I knew before I woke up in the fires of Hell. Everyone created, human and demon alike, fears my wrath, fears me. But this tiny woman touches my face after staring into my eyes.
What is she looking for?
“So much hurt.” Her whisper is so low I can barely hear the words, and there’s sadness on her face. “So lonely.”
Shock and something else races through me when she drags me into a bone crushing hug. After a moment, I find myself circling her body with my own arms, curling my frame around her. Her soul flows around her like a cloak, and pureness and grace surrounds me like it once did in Heaven.
“I will make sure you never feel that again.” Her lips are cool against my ear. “I promise they will know the truth.”
I stiffen. “Not until you’re ready.” She squeezes me tight for a moment before letting me go.
I watch her step back to Torryn’s side while I try to process her words. It’s my turn to study. Closing my eyes, I let my powers flow out and around her, searching for any hint of power. Nothing.
How could she read me? I open my eyes to find her grinning at me.
“Nothing special here. No powers. Just me.” Her hands come up at her sides. “I’ve made my decision.”
She looks at the man at her side. “I will fight. I mean I can’t fight at all but I will do my part to fulfill the prophecy.”
She looks both excited and sickened by the declaration. I understand the feeling. It’s the exact feeling still coursing through me after her whispered words.
Torryn is staring at her, so much feeling cut into my Prince’s face. She hasn’t looked back at him, but we all understand what her words mean. She is choosing him.
Finally, he will have his chance to escape Hell. His punishment can come to an end. Maybe, just maybe, he will find Heaven again. My eyes flick up. I don’t know why; Heaven isn’t up, per say, just like Hell isn’t down exactly. I’ve spent to much time with humans.
“Not to interrupt, but Evander...” Torryn has come out of his stupor at her words and is now focused back onto his leader and friend.
“Yes, of course.” I wrap them both in my power and focus on the first to be named. Someday soon he will realize it isn’t just those he rules that have a part to play.
Lillian gasps as we materialize in City Park. I can hear the music of the carousel and the giggles of children. It is Saturday, and the park is full of families.
Happy, unsuspecting families. Horror clouds Lillian’s face as she looks around.
“They are here?” Her voice is strained, and she locks eyes with me. I can tell she has had the same thought.
“I don’t know, but Evander is and Dagen draws close.” I let my eyes and senses drift around the park. “Do you know how they hide?”
“Only that they stole the magic from those that created Avalon.” Of course. If only they hadn’t been allowed to come to Earth.
Just one more thing He allowed and then ignored. Only He knew where the travelers had come from, only He knew who they really were. And He is gone . Left His creations to suffer.
“Beautiful death.” She says the words as if in a trance. Fuck, my powers are leaking.
They often do when I think of His total disregard for us all. I take a very deep breath and release her, ignoring Torryn’s glare.
“I’m so sorry, Lillian.” Blinking slowly, she shakes her head, clearing away the remains of what she saw.
A sad smile curves her lips and her hand reaches out, grasping my wrist and squeezing. Two touches in less than an hour. My eyes drop to that hand, delicate but strong, soft but firm. She doesn’t let go.
“You don’t deserve that burden.” Her hand slips away as she turns and walks slowly away.
Torryn’s head bounces back and forth between us, but I refuse to illuminate him and I pray she does the same.
“Secret’s safe with me,” she calls back. No power indeed. “You should tell someone though.”
It seems I just did. Little witch.
She’s halfway down the small incline before Torryn begins to move, rushing to catch up. I shrug when he looks back at me, but his eyes narrow and I know there will be questions soon.
He leans in close to her, his lips moving as he talks quickly. I smile as she shakes her head. Good girl -- best not anger the Devil himself.
Dagen jogs up beside me. “You could have brought me too.”
“Could have,” I agree. “Did you see any of them as you came in?”
His head shakes. “Didn’t see him either.” He’s worried, although he’s trying to hide it.
“He’s here. I can sense him.” Lillian spins around suddenly, and I tense. She may think she has no magic but she has something. Maybe a latent talent passed through her angelic bloodline. “The girl.”
Jerking my head at her, I start forward as I scan the area. The faces of the Fallen are burned into my mind. I knew them before they were sent from His side to His favorite warriors.
Did He know this would all happen and just didn’t care?
32
Lillian
They all need to be saved. A high-pitched squeal of a tiny child pulls my attention to the left, and I stop dead in my tracks.
The child is reaching for a bright purple balloon. Behind that balloon, a short distance away, I see her. She’s standing on an old stone bridge. Her eyes widen and then narrow when she sees me.
A low demonic growl vibrates from directly behind me, and I reach my hand back, grabbing onto him.
“If Eden is here, they all are,” I say, eyes still locked on the dark haired beauty. “She rarely leaves Avalon; her work was done long ago.”
I think again of the pain I saw in Lucifer and know she caused a great deal of it. She, who was actually at the Garden. I learned her secret when I was just a girl. She bragged about it after she forced the fruit into my mouth.
I look back and over Torryn’s shoulder and see him there stopped as we are staring at her. I can’t imagine his feelings.
“She won’t be alone.” He nods, finally looking away from her.
“If she’s here with everyone that was at the house, how many would that be?” Dagen asks, oddly calm.
I try to think of how many arrived with Micheangela, subtracting Trinity, which both thrills and terrifies me.
“Twelve, without Grace and Trinity.” I turn and face them, putting my back to her, trusting all of them to protect me.
“The one called Hope might be dead. I did send her back to them like a bomb,” Torryn murmurs, never taking his eyes off her.
“I just don’t know why they would come here. Families aren’t their thing unless…” I spin around, searching. Why I don’t know, for I have zero way of telling.
“Unless what, Lillian?” Luc steps into my personal space, stopping me and forcing me t
o focus on him, calming my pounding heart.
“What if another like me is here?”
I look up into his beautiful face and watch as the rage blooms. Beneath that rage is horror because he knows, just like me. They will slaughter them all to find the one.
We both look back over my shoulder. Eden’s grin gives me chills. I’m right, I know it. I turn my face back to the three men that have formed a semi-circle around me.
“Get them out of here,” I both demand and plead.
Spinning away, I start to sprint towards the toddler, arms waving like a crazy person.
“Run.” Screaming, I scoop the baby up, thrusting it at the mother, who is staring at me in terror. She stands motionless for a moment, then her eyes widen as a scream erupts from her and she runs for their lives. I look behind me and see Torryn bearing down on me, eyes blazing red.
She thought he was the thing to fear; if she only knew. In seconds, the air is filled with the terrified shrieks of families as they run from the men trying to save them. My heart aches for them, willing to be the demons they are thought of to save those that vilify them.
“Stay close to me,” he growls as he rushes by, herding more people away from Eden.
My feet stop and I look around. They are all running for the exits to their cars. Oh God. We are doing their work for them.
“Luc!” He appears instantly. “Where are the others?” He shakes his head. “If it were you, where would you be?”
“No.” He looks toward the front of the park.
“We are driving them to their death,” I whisper, tears streaming down my face. He disappears and so do the others.
I stand alone.
“So predictable.” I let my eyes fall closed. A whimper causes them to snap open and I turn. The mother is held tight by Celine. Seraphina cradles the toddler as he reaches for his mother.
“Don’t do this,” I beg, holding my hand out.
“I didn’t do this. You did this, Lillian. You left. You killed Trinity.” Her voice is calm.
“Take me, then,” I offer as I step closer to her.
Lina moves in behind me. I wonder if Lucifer will return, if he’ll figure out my mistake.
“Helps not coming,” Lina whispers near my ear. “They are busy with Micheangela. She and those that came with her were more than happy to kill some families to keep them distracted.”
I try not to react but flinch as the screams of fear turn to those of pain. Images of tiny bodies lifeless, mothers destroyed, and fathers ripped apart fill my mind.
Celine’s sharp claws dig into the woman’s neck and blood begins to run down her pale skin and still her eyes are locked on her son. A mother’s love. I step forward again, moving within Seraphina’s reach.
Dark brown eyes turn and look into mine, tears shimmer in those eyes like they do in mine. “Let me have him, Seraphina. Let them go. You want me.” Reaching for him, I wait to see what she will do.
She lets me lift him from her arms. “They are innocent in all of this.”
“Innocent? None of them are innocent,” she murmurs, eyes locked on his dark eyes. I tighten my hold on him, holding him against my chest. I risk a glance at the mother. Her eyes plead.
That second I look away is all it takes. It’s the mother’s scream that makes me aware of the pain. Looking down, I focus on those dark brown eyes. Gone is the life that shown in them. I don’t understand for a second, as I gasp for breath.
The mother’s scream dies suddenly, and I look back just in time to see Celine let her fall to the ground, throat torn open. The last thing she saw was her child die.
Falling to my knees, I hold him to me, using my failing strength to pull the knife that has cut through his body and into mine out. Letting it fall from my hand, I whisper apologies to them both as I collapse onto my side. Blackness is filling my vision as I push him into her arms.
“We were innocent.” Her angry declaration is warm against my ear. “I will show you.”
The blackness takes me as their memories flood my mind, and they disappear, their job done.
I failed, both the world and Torryn. I didn’t save either of them.
“Morningstar, please.”
33
Lucifer
My name, my true name, whispers across the wind. A prayer.
Lillian.
The Fallen rise on blackened wings and then disappear. Laughter tinged with hysterical glee fills the air as dread fills my body. No more than a few minutes have passed, and Torryn looks at me confused. Evander and the others are jogging toward us. My heart pounds as I realize my mistake.
Reaching for Torryn, I wrap him in my power and take him to her. Fire engulfs the park as he falls to his knees beside her. Blood coats him as he pulls her into his arms.
“No. No. No.” He chants the word over and over as his body rocks back and forth. I look at the ground and see the mother and child, see the wound that matches Lillian’s.
Golden wings spring from my back, wings not seen for thousands of years. “Torryn, let me take her.” He looks up at me, rage filling his eyes.
“I should have been with her. You left her alone.” He’s right.
“You’re right, this is all my fault, but please let me take her. I will take her to Hell, keep her safe.”
“I’ll take her.” He refuses to let her go.
“You can do many things, my Prince, but this, only I can do.” I kneel and hold out my arms until he places her in them. “Come home, Torryn. She will be there safe, waiting for you.”
I wrap my wings around us and let my power carry us home. Walking through my home, I carry her to Torryn’s old room and place her on the bed there. Everything is shades of green, and I smile sadly; they were always joined. Long before her birth. The covers are the exact shade of emerald her eyes are… were.
“You shouldn’t be here, Caliel.” I smooth the hair from her forehead.
“He’s not.” I turn and face Grace.
“Do I want to know how you managed to get here?”
“I heard her as she called you ‘Morningstar.’” I growl at the name but temper my anger as the tears fall from her beautiful face.
She moves forward and around me, sitting gently on the bed at Lillian’s side.
“She tried to save a child and his mother. The mother died reaching for her baby.” I don’t know why I tell her.
“A mother’s love.” She isn’t talking to me. “Tell Evander I will be waiting on him.”
“What?” Before I can react, she sacrifices herself. Her angelic life force and powers move from her to Lillian. A gasp fills the silence as Grace’s body collapses onto the bed. The final act of a mother.
“Grace?” Her confusion is understandable.
“Lillian?” Torryn’s is also, as I look behind me. “How?”
“Grace?” She touches Grace’s cheek. “No.” It’s a wail that echoes through the halls of Hell.
Torryn runs to her, scooping her into his arms. Burying her face in his chest, she continues to keen. Much later, maybe hours even, she finally falls silent. Torryn looks at me over her head.
“What do you remember?” I make my words soft, hating to make her remember.
“The mother and child, blood so much blood, and Seraphina was so angry.” She looks at me then the man holding her. “It’s my fault. I said they were innocent.”
“Nothing is your fault,” Torryn argues.
Her hand waves over Grace’s cooling body. “This is my fault.”
“No, Lillian, it isn’t. She heard you call my name and came to save you.” I kneel at her side, brushing Grace’s pale hair from her face. “She spoke of a mother’s love. Her love for you. She gave you her very essence so you can live.”
“Grace.” Evander’s voice is broken. His love, stolen for a second time.
Pushing to my feet, I step aside for him. He hits the stone floor hard as he collapses over her body.
“I’m so sorry, Evander.” Lillian rea
ches for him but stops her hand just short of touching him.
A deep growl erupts from his throat and Torryn stiffens. I shake my head, understanding his anger isn’t truly directed at Lillian. Her face says she understands also.
“Can I give it back?” Her eyes lock with mine.
I speak over Torryn’s cry of denial. “No, I’m sorry.”
Evander stands with her body in his arms and strides away, pausing at the door. “She wouldn’t have wanted that, Lillian. She loved you.”
He continues before any of us have a chance to reply. I feel him leave Hell and wonder where he will take her.
“He has a place hidden on the highest peak on Everest. I realize now it made him closer to Heaven.” Torryn’s voice is filled with sadness.
Staring after my second in command, I realize I need to tell Caliel. Looking back at the two on the bed, I smile; a second chance for them both.
“I must leave. Stay and rest. Dying and coming back is exhausting, or so I’ve been told.” I let my power take me away and shut the door, giving them privacy.
Manifesting under the Seven Sisters Oak tree, I call out to the Prophet and wait. I’ve always loved the colossal oaks that grow in Louisiana. I’ve protected one hundred of them for years, saving them from storms and humans alike. Staring up into the drooping branches, I watch the sunlight fight to filter through the leaves and Spanish moss. Shadows and light, maybe it is the loss of Grace, but I’m filled with self awareness, suddenly understanding my attachment them.
I feel him arrive.
“What is it, Lucifer? Grace is resting and I need to be there.” Fuck.
Drawing a deep breath, I turn to face him and something he sees on my face gives him pause.
“Caliel.” He shakes his head then disappears, only to reappear seconds later.
“Where is she?”
“Gone.” His head begins to shake. “Lillian was killed by Seraphina and she called out to me with her last breath. Somehow Grace heard, maybe it was because of her love for the girl. She gave her very essence to Lillian.”
Shadows and Sorcery: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels Page 84
