Mark of the Fallen: A Fallen Novel

by Jones, Tanisha

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  "I'm going and that's that,” Celeste said, tossing a pair of jeans she hoped were clean into a duffel bag. Lisette stood with her arms folded, watching her, her own face a mask of grim determination. Gaston and Karim sat watching the two with detached interest. This argument had been going on for a day and a half now and Celeste was not to be deterred.

  She and Karim had returned to her apartment the night before because Celeste was determined to find her brother. The last contact anyone had with Remy was when he'd called Briar, and since he was AWOL too, Nicky was the only one who might know something. It was only logical that Celeste go to see him, since he was being a child and ignoring phone calls from the family, the only family he'd ever known.

  Lisette, the rational Kent daughter, thought that perhaps she or Gaston should fly to Japan to talk to Nicky. Gaston had agreed that Celeste had just had a near death experience and she needed rest.

  "I've died before," Celeste reminded him, "that didn't stop me. What makes you think you can?" She stood looking him in the eye. Gaston turned to look at Karim who held his hands up in surrender. He was sitting on the sofa, the curtains keeping out the afternoon sun. He wore a pair of paint stained jeans, v neck t-shirt, his feet bare and in the brilliant color of Celeste's living room, he looked as if he belonged. He also, Gaston noted, looked extremely happy. He'd never seen a happy vampire in his life.

  "I gave up this argument hours ago," he said with a smile and winked at Celeste. Gaston looked at her, shrugged and joined Karim on the sofa. Lisette would not be so easily swayed.

  She stood in a sheer flowy floral top and shorts, a very un-Lisette like fashion choice. But they were in the middle of one of the hottest August's in Louisiana history. The heat was unrelenting, even in the air-conditioned penthouse, the thermostat struggled to keep the temperature at a comfortable seventy two degrees.

  "If you won't listen to reason, then at least let me come with you. I will have Frederick pack a bag and meet me at the airport. Shit, I have a charity event I'm speaking at tomorrow. I can cancel." Celeste held up a hand.

  "Lisette, I will be fine. I don't need a baby sitter. Besides, you need to look after Arbor with the wicked witch lurking around. She’s done enough damage already and you’re the only person she’s actually afraid of. Besides, Jonas has been working with the Council to get her out and Gaston is taking over command of the Grey until I come back. I will go, talk to Nicky and fly right back. I promise. Two days, 32 hours and I will be back,” she said and hoped that would be enough time to help. Since she'd seen Arbor the afternoon before, she had gotten worse, her illness overtaking her in a matter of hours.

  Celeste ran a hand over her tired eyes and tried to remove the image of a disheveled and dazed Arbor passing out in the dining room the night before. She'd risen from her seat at the head of the table to say good bye to Celeste and Karim as they headed for New Orleans, just after sunset. Arbor looked drawn, her face gaunt and her eyes a sallow hue.

  She stumbled, her hand going to the table in an effort to regain her balance, and she had gone down, pulling the lace table cloth and all of the dishes, silverware and that night's dinner onto the floor with her. They had all moved quickly, Jonas gathering her into his arms before she hit the floor, his face that of a helpless man. In all of their years together, he had never seen Arbor ill, not so much as a sniffle, and now she was bed ridden. And she had insisted that Lilith not be blamed. She had even gone so far as to allow the manipulative little rat to move into the room across the hall. They’d known, after Celeste’s near death experience, that the tea had been laced. With what, they had no idea and Lilith wasn’t going to implicate herself; even if they knew she was guilty, she wasn’t stupid enough to admit it.

  "I can keep an eye on her," Lilith had just about purred as Frederick carried her bags into the room. Celeste wanted to punch her in her smug little face, but she hadn't. She had noticed that there was something different about Lilith Prince, a change that she couldn't quite put her finger on. But she didn't have time for that right now. She needed to find her ass of a brother and bring him home and when she found Remy she would ring his neck.

  "Look, I can't just sit here and wait while you try to figure out what's wrong. Maybe if I can get Remy to bring his skinny ass back here..." She shrugged, not knowing how to finish that sentence. "I know you don't understand, but this is something I have to do,” she said, tossing a pair of sneakers and a clean t-shirt into her bag. She stopped and looked down at the pile of clothing staring back at her.

  What she wouldn't tell them, what she couldn't bear to tell them was what she knew to be true.

  ***

  Celeste had stormed into the master suite after her encounter with Lilith, her rage bubbling over at, not only Arbor who was in some sort of haze, but at Jonas for allowing such idiocy. She slammed the door closed behind her, knowing Lilith had been hot on her heels and was pleased by the sound of the door crashing into her smug face.

  "What the fuck is wrong with you?" She yelled at Jonas who was sitting on the bed beside Arbor. The light outside was a rainbow of purples and oranges as the sun set and the room smelled of roses and whiskey. They both turned to look at her, but it was Jonas who spoke first.

  "Celeste, now is not the time. Lower your voice." He crossed the room, placing his hands on her shoulders. She saw the worry and anger rising in his serene features and she tried her best to keep her tone low.

  "Now is exactly the time. Why would you think it was a good idea to move that demonic Chihuahua into the room directly across the hall from yours? What kind of fucked up logic are you using, Jonas when it's obvious that she poisoned Arbor? Are you that dense or am I losing my fucking mind here? Is that it? Have I lost my motherfucking mind, Jonas or have you?"

  Jonas pursed his lips, his face tight with anger at her blatant disrespect. "Watch your language with me, young lady." She narrowed her eyes.

  "Now is not the time for daddy dearest, Jonas. Stop acting like a squirrelly twat and tell me what the hell you think you're doing?" He looked back at Arbor, who'd rolled onto her side, her back to them, then pushed Celeste further away until they were standing near the door. She held up a finger to halt his speech before pressing her ear to the wood of the door.

  She could hear breathing, slow and steady just below her shoulder and smiled, before jabbing the wood with a closed fist. The door splintered and there was a yelp from the hallway followed by curses and the slam of the door across the hall. Feeling satisfied, Celeste turned her attention back to Jonas.

  "I know you think I'm sitting by while that psychotic troll does whatever it is she's doing, but I assure you I don't trust her. Every eye in this house is on her at all times, because I need to know what she did. I need to fix it before it's too late."

  She stared at Jonas, watching as his eyes filled with tears and her heart stopped.

  "Haven't you felt the change? The weather? The heat? Celeste, Arbor is dying and we need to stop it. The Council and I have been working non-stop to find something to help but it only makes it worse. So, if that means I have to be nice to that scheming putain to find out what she gave her, I will. I will be her best fucking friend if she will tell me what she did to my wife. Right now, we need her but as soon as I can, I will tear her apart." Jonas' calm demeanor had changed, his eyes darkened and his fangs extended but he refused to shed a tear.

  "We may not find an antidote in time, that’s why I need you to help me. Maybe seeing Remy will help her fight until we can find a cure. He will help her fight, he will make her, he’s just - if she dies before he sees her -" Celeste held her father, holding back her own tears, as she stared at Arbor's back. It was then when she saw it, the skeletal frame silhouetted by the dying light, the frizzy damaged hair that had patches of shiny scalp showing through, the way her breathing was harsh and strained.

  "No, we can't let that happen," she said, kissing Jonas' cheek. She wiped the tears from her cheek. "I'll get
Remy back, I promise. He will help her beat this, right?" She didn't believe her own words, but she hoped they at least sounded true to Jonas.

  "Right." He sniffed and managed to give her a smile. "We will beat this. Now wipe away those tears and come say good night to your mother." He put an arm around her shoulders and walked her back to Arbor who opened her eyes and managed a smile when they approached.

  ***

  She had to find Remy, if only to say goodbye; she'd made a promise and she intended to keep it. Then she would deal with Lilith, that little demon had no idea what it was like to be on the bad side of the daughter of war and vengeance, but she was going to find out very soon.

  "Are you listening to me at all?" Lisette snapped her fingers in front of Celeste's face, Celeste grasped her wrist with reflexes so swift that no one saw her move. She looked at a startled Lisette, her expression stony.

  "No," she said. "So stop talking." The tone of her voice made everyone take notice. Karim leaned forward, his lips parting to speak when Gaston placed a staying hand on his chest and shook his head. Lisette nodded and her wrist was released. She backed away, swallowing hard and visibly shaken by what she'd read in Celeste's face.

  "We'll be waiting in the car,” she said, backing away, rubbing her wrist which had already begun to bruise. Gaston nodded to Karim, before following Lisette to the elevator. Celeste never turned to look at them, she continued staring into her bag, her mind a million miles away.

  "Are you okay?" he asked and she managed a nod. "Are you sure, you seemed kind of rough on Lisette."

  "I made a promise to Jonas to find Remy. If I can do that I won’t feel so freakin helpless. I’m in medical school for Christ’s sake, and I can’t do anything to help," she said.

  "Because Arbor is dying." He finished her thought and she nodded.

  "How did you know that?” She asked, leaning back against him. He sniffed her hair, kissing the top of her head wrapping her in his arms.

  "Because I was there when she collapsed, azizam. I saw her and I could smell death coming for her." She didn't say anything, only held onto his arms around her.

  “Can you smell an antidote?” She was half joking but wished for a magic cure.

  “Whatever Lilith gave her is strong, but I can’t tell what it is. The problem is, Arbor is a nature elemental and what she gave her may not even be poison to us. It’s so easy to tamper with their delicate systems.”

  She knew he was right. Nature elementals were pure entities, never polluting themselves with anything that could throw their delicate systems off balance. Once, Arbor had gotten a contact high from Remy’s Mist smoke and it made her ill. They’d suffered three days of torrential rain after that. No, they had no idea what they were looking for and Lilith wasn’t going to tell. Sighing, Celeste gave his arm a pat.

  "I have to go, they're waiting for me." She sighed.

  "You know, if you just popped in instead of flying, we could send them away and use that time for something else." He teased, cupping her breasts through the thread bare t-shirt she wore, his mouth on her neck. She cupped the back of his head, loving the feel of his touch, her man, her mate.

  "You are a bad influence." She turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck. His hair had grown since they'd been together and even though she knew he shaved every night, he seemed to live with a perpetual case of five o'clock shadow. She raked her finger through his hair, smiling at the joy she saw on his face. She'd never seen him so happy and relaxed.

  "I would pop in, but then I would sleep for two days after. That's a long trip, Karim,” she said knowing that she would not only need rest, but she would need to feed on an immortal to regain her strength, meaning she would have to call on Nyx or Anhur and even though she wasn't angry any longer, she was still a long way from forgiveness.

  "Anyway, it won't take that long. I'll fly to Japan, fly back and then you'll have me forever."

  He tensed then relaxed, forcing himself to smile even though he knew his time was limited with her. He didn't know when it would end, but it would. He assumed this was how humans felt, knowing that they didn't have forever but lived within the moment. It made their time together that much more special. He kissed her, cupping her denim clad ass. She kissed him, her tongue slipping into his mouth, her teeth nipping his lip and drawing blood.

  "Okay," he said catching his breath. "You need to go before I’m unable to let you leave." He carried her to the elevator, trying to catch his breath between blistering kisses, her hands in his hair, her mouth on his.

  "I'm going to miss you, azizam." He settled her in the waiting elevator car.

  "32 hours," she said, giving him one last kiss. "I love you," she said as the door began to slide closed. He patted his chest, his palm over his heart, and said good bye.

  32 hours, he told himself, and she would be back in his arms.

  ***

  Something was terribly wrong, Lilith thought as she rushed down the grand staircase, a tray of half eaten soup and tea in her hands. This was not supposed to happen, Arbor was not supposed to get sick. Her heart was hammering in her chest by the time she made her way to the kitchen to drop off the tray and bring up a bottle of water and something to help her sleep.

  Jonas had been called away on a business matter, leaving Frederick to care for his ailing wife. Lilith, insisting on helping, had in essence become Frederick's handmaid, running up and down the stairs, changing bed linens and seeing to anything Arbor might need. Now she was going down to the kitchen for the eighth time in less than two hours with more food Arbor had been unable to eat.

  When she entered the restaurant grade kitchen, Frederick, the cook and housekeeper all looked at her. She expected them to ignore her as they always did, but Frederick came to take the tray from her without a word or nasty look. The cook shook his head and mumbled something about Arbor not eating, worry on his face. He made no effort to hide his disgust, nor did the housekeeper who mumbled under her breath as she left the room.

  "She needs water and something to help her sleep." Lilith ran the back of her hand across her sweat-drench brow. The heat outside had crept into the house, making it feel like a sauna. Her t-shirt stuck to her sweat soaked back and her shorts were sticking to her thighs. She'd pulled her hair up into a bun to avoid the frizz that accompanied this type of heat, but she still had sweat dripping down her back.

  "Here." Frederick handed her an ice cold bottle of water and a glass full of a cloudy yellow liquid.

  "This will help," he said indicating the yellow liquid. "I hope you're proud of yourself. I hope when this is over, you get exactly what you deserve."

  Lilith felt as if he'd kicked her in the gut. She lowered her gaze, unable to look at the people who watched her for news of their beloved madam.

  "I'll get this up to her." She was unable to meet his gaze. She rushed back upstairs to Arbor's bedroom. Lilith hurried into the cool dark room where Arbor rested uneasily. She quietly pushed the door open with her elbow.

  Arbor sat in a chair near a window that faced her garden. The sun was high and cast a golden glow across the room, which had been decorated in black and white, more to accommodate Jonas than anything, Lilith had assumed. She would have guessed Arbor would have preferred something with a floral motif or at least more greenery. Arbor turned when she entered, a tired smile on her skeletal face.

  She wore a Kelly green robe, her thinning hair covered with an elegant turban that matched her robe. Even in her declining state, her beauty was still evident. Lilith felt her stomach turn at the welcoming smile that greeted her approach.

  "Frederick said that this would help you sleep." She handed the glass to Arbor who reached for it with a shaky hand. Fearing she would drop it, Lilith assisted, holding the weight of the glass in her hand and bringing it to Arbor's lips. She watched Arbor struggle to drink, forcing herself to finish every drop, then sat back with a heavy sigh.

  Arbor turned her attention back to the garden and Lilith busied herse
lf with turning down the bed. She stared at a picture of Arbor and Jonas from a wedding ceremony sometime in the 1940’s. Arbor looked radiant in a white satin gown, her smile bright, and her eyes on her husband. Jonas smiled brightly, looking down at her with pure adoration. They looked blissful and even though they had been married for centuries, the picture looked as if they were getting married for the first time.

  "That was our fifteenth wedding. Every few decades, we renew our vows. Jonas claims he hates it, but I know he loves it. Just look at that smile," Arbor said when she spotted Lilith looking at the photo.

  "You two look so young and happy." Lilith ran her fingers along the polished silver frame. "So much in love."

  "I have loved Jonas Kent from the first time I laid eyes upon that man," she said wistfully. "He was just a boy when I met him, his first wife buried two years and he was trying to care for two little ones alone. I came to his home to be a nurse for Gaston and Lisette. They were such sweet children, I fell in love with them instantly as well, such warm hearts. But when I looked at Jonas,” she sighed, closing her eyes in memory of that first meeting, “he took my breath away. I have never wanted another man before or since and I never will."

  Lilith watched Arbor's eyes get heavy and went to help her into bed. She lifted her out of the chair and Arbor, feeling as if she weighed no more than a small child, got to her feet. They moved slowly, painfully across the room until she settled in bed, her lids drifting closed.

  "I wish I could find a love like that," Lilith said as they moved. “Not many find a love like that."

  "You will,” Arbor assured her. "I believe we all have great loves, sometimes more than one. When we find them we should hold on to that for as long as we can. I just happened to find the right one my first time out. I believe Celeste has reclaimed hers. Karim loves her like no other and I believe he always will. After all they went through, they ended up together so there is always hope," she said closing her eyes. Lilith felt another pang of both guilt and jealousy, guilt for what she'd done to Arbor and jealous because she'd mentioned Celeste.