“Shaw,” Adam murmured, disbelief and joy mingling in his black eyes as he stared at the brother once lost to him. After the Blight incident, he wasn’t sure if he would ever get the chance to get to know his brother once more, as equals and out from under the Queen. There were too many regrets for a short visit; but now everything had changed and there wasn’t time for more. Years of watching him at the Agency, pretending to be strangers to keep Shaw hidden and now…. Emotion clogged his throat; his brother was returned to them.
“Adamanteros,” Shaw smiled, stepping forward and clasping Adam’s forearm and Adam clasped his in greeting. They stepped forward and embraced fully. “It’s been a long time.”
“Where have the three of you been?” Adam asked, looking over his shoulder at the small child Goddess, at Beck as she stroked her daughter’s hair. “After you disappeared….”
“We had no choice,” Shaw smiled leading the conversation for the trio. There was no accusation in his voice as he continued, “The two of you sort of left us floundering, bro, and we had to disappear completely. It was all I could do to get Beck to agree to this meeting, and that’s only because I promised her she could beat the shit out of one of you.”
Guilt warred within Adam as he remembered what had to be done nearly four years prior. He glanced down at Beck as she looked up and grinned back at him, amusement and mirth in her wide smile as she teased, “You said both of them.”
“Can she do that?” Celeste asked from her position on the floor, watching the exchange with an amused, horrified expression. After years of seeing Beck on Blight Fighters, she was surprised to find the girl so young and so slight, not the muscle-bound giant of a warrior.
Celeste got the impression that Beck was a sleek but deadly predator patiently lying in wait, unconcerned about any threat that entered her lair, knowing that there was no threat she could not handle. She would strike and it would be deadly. But she wouldn’t strike until she wanted to; no matter what anyone else wanted. Beck was definitely powerful but she allowed Shaw to protect her and the child. Strange.
Beck’s head shot around, nailing Celeste with her gaze, “Who the hell are you?”
“Um, Celeste Hamilton,” she answered, holding the warrior’s stare, seeing the power whirling about her. Clumsily, she stood up and offered her hand to the infamous warrior. “It’s an honor to meet….”
“Oh, cut the crap,” Beck grumbled, flushing slightly, obviously uncomfortable with her status as a super hero, dead or otherwise. Rising to a standing position, she nodded towards Celeste but kept her eyes on Auberon. “Is she why you’ve requested our presence?”
“Yes,” Auberon said, causing Adam to turn to him, wondering what the hell he wanted to accomplish by involving the Blight Fighter and their brother. Auberon stepped forward, avoiding any accusatory glares from the peanut gallery; someone had to do something, after all. “She’s to give birth the new Queen.”
“No,” the child interrupted, her voice clear and exact. “Aunt Celeste is the new Queen; the child is just… a redundancy.”
Celeste felt the color drain from her face as she stared at the little girl with no small amount of fear and awe, and a measure of relief. Her child would be safe. But if she were the new Queen and her child was not, where were her powers? How was she ever going to go up against the very old, very, very powerful Queen if she didn’t have any power?
“That actually makes sense,” Auberon murmured and Adam slowly nodded his head in agreement even as his brow furrowed in bemusement. Celeste understood his confusion; he still thought she was a mere human. How could she possibly take on the Queen and survive, let alone win? But how did Auberon accept it so easily?
Shaw’s lips curved upwards in a smile, his eyes sparkling with laughter. “It’s about time someone brought that bitch to her knees. Well done, Auberon.”
“It wasn’t me,” Auberon admitted softly, casting a glance at his brother and the girl. Nodding his head towards Celeste, he continued, “She arranged it before she arrived; her call went out into the wild and Adam answered it.”
Celeste felt like she had taken a hallucinogenic because whatever it was that Auberon just said made no sense. She looked up at Adam, “What’s he talking about?”
“There was more to the prophecy,” Auberon continued, ignoring Celeste’s questions, not looking at Adam either. Turning to Beck, he explained, “She was born a few years after you and recently she has awakened. We thought it was the child but it wasn’t, was it? It’s her, it's always been her but Adam and I didn't want to believe a human could be our Queen. But she's not human."
“Huh?” Beck stared at him as if he were speaking gibberish; Celeste felt the same way. Shaw put his hands on Beck's shoulders, pulling her back into him. “Wilson? Do you understand what this bastard is talking about?”
He chuckled softly against her hair, “Celeste has a huge destiny and it’s almost as big as yours, my love.”
“Oh,” Beck nodded, letting the words sink in a bit before she turned to the girl, pity in her green eyes. “I am so sorry; it sucks having a destiny bigger than yourself. It’s hard to adjust, to accept.”
“Uh huh,” Celeste nodded her head, quickly agreeing with that assessment, still pondering Auberon’s words; a call out into the wild. Her eyes rested on Kim as her friend rested peacefully. What did the little girl mean by Guardian? What was Kim? She was starting to get a headache from all of this destiny crap; and at the moment she just wanted to pass on the whole blasted thing. Her only comfort was the fact that she was going to be facing whatever shit storm was coming instead of the innocent child within her.
Her world was crashing down around her and she simply didn't have the time to take a moment to simply catch her breath. She had no powers and yet she was selected to be the Queen of an alien race; she was going to die the moment she set foot in the Queen's chambers and no one around her fucking cared. The air was too thick to breath and her heart was pumping too fast in her head and she needed the ability to hit the rewind button so she could enjoy her time when she was just a normal girl with her greatest concern being a midterm that counted for thirty percent of her damn grade.
Oh, God; she wasn’t human; isn't that what Auberon said? Madly, she glanced around the room, wondering how everyone could act so normal when her life was breaking into a million little pieces and floating away. She couldn't even gather the pieces up because they were so fragmented and why the hell was Adam talking to the blue-eyed man when he should be by her side trying to help her contain her shattered world before it disappeared completely?
The little girl toddled over to where she sat, looking up at her with the most extraordinary amethyst eyes. A sense of calmness washed over Celeste and her pulse slowed to an almost normal rate as the child's eyes bore into her soul. “Do you wish to know what will happen should you fail?”
“Uh, no,” Celeste said, a slight frown pulling at her forehead, her heart kicking hard against her ribs a few times before settling back into a bearable rhythm. "I’d rather not think about that at all.”
“It will be quite bloody,” she continued cheerily, oblivious to the fear gnawing away on Celeste’s being. Her speech was too clear, too perfect, for a child and Celeste knew that the child housed an ancient, powerful soul. “It will rain blood, it will quite literally rain blood, as Adam and Auberon are devoured by the Queen. What she will do to you is far, far worse and it is not pretty….”
“I really don’t want to hear this,” Celeste interrupted the girl’s recitation of failure. Perhaps she would pass on challenging the Queen if it meant Adam would come to harm and they could all live. Looking at the little Goddess, she forced a smile that she didn’t feel and lied with little conviction, “I won’t fail.”
“Oh,” the girl said thoughtfully. After a moment, her little rosebud mouth widened into a grin, “Then do you wish to know what will happen should you succeed?”
“Uh, no,” Celeste replied again, staring into the amet
hyst eyes, seeing depths of sorrow, of wisdom, of power, that should not exist in any human, let alone such a small child. Those amethyst eyes held her gaze and she felt herself falling into the vast oceans of the child's soul. Peace weaved through the fear and doubts and for a moment Celeste felt hopeful. Softly, purposefully distracted by the child, Celeste whispered, “You have such beautiful eyes.”
“Yes,” she agreed, climbing onto the chair and settling herself in Celeste’s lap. Taking Celeste’s bigger hand in her two small hands, she traced the lines on the palm. “They are just like my father’s.”
Celeste frowned; she could have sworn Shaw’s eyes were blue. Confused, she looked up and saw blue eyes laughing at her. “You’re not…..”
“No,” he shook his head. “I am not her biological father.”
“But he is my daddy,” the little Goddess said, gifting Shaw with her brilliant three-year-old smile before returning her attention back to Celeste’s hand. Her little finger moved across the life line and heart line, giving Celeste strength to deal with the next few months, the joy and the grief, so she wouldn’t fail from lack of spirit. She might fail because the Fates have decided that she wasn’t worthy but not because she lacked spirit. Hopefully the Fates would find her worthy; she liked this new Queen.
“You’re a very lucky little girl,” Celeste murmured, brushing a strand of dark, silken hair from her brow as little fingers tickled the palm of her other hand. “It is very apparent that your daddy loves you.”
“Your father was not so kind.”
“He was distracted,” she said with a shrug, her fingers still stroking the child’s soft curls. “Because my mother died just after I was born.”
“No,” the little girl stated firmly. “She did not die, not exactly.”
Adam scowled, tilting his head to the side as Auberon raked his hands through his hair. Uneasily, Auberon spoke again, “Um, perhaps I can explain.”
“If it will prove illuminating,” Adam said, his jaw tightening.
“I heard the cry all of those ago,” Auberon hesitantly admitted, alternately glancing at Adam and looking away, wanting and not wanting to see his reaction. As a muscle began to tick in Adam’s jaw, he continued, “It wasn’t the mother that called you; it was the child.” His gaze drifted to where Celeste sat, the child still on her lap. “But there was no way for you to know about the baby until it was too late; it’s what the child wanted.”
The words were quickly worming their way into Adam’s memories, of a woman whose body was riddled with sickness and death; a child that was coming, “Gloria.”
Auberon laughed ruefully, “Yes; Gloria.”
“That’s my mom’s name,” Celeste whispered, absently absorbing the information that her mother was still alive. Rather, she was not alive, but Calix.
“How do you know this?” Adam asked, his gaze burning into Auberon.
Auberon squeezed his eyes closed, not wanting to divulge that information. Counting to ten, he opened his eyes, catching and holding Celeste’s gaze. “I drank of her.”
“What?” Adam asked softly, deadly, sure that he didn’t hear his brother correctly. It sounded awfully close to I drank of her. But Auberon wouldn’t be so foolish as to do something so… insane. "When did you taste her?"
"The night before she moved in with us," Auberon said softly, that cursed night burned in his heart, his soul. He wished the memories of the taste of her blood, the feel of her tongue on his skin would fade, that he could return to being who he had been before. "I had to know, Adam…."
Adam's hands curled into fists and rage blackened his eyes but Auberon didn't care. He needed his brother's hatred to erase the sin of craving Celeste. He shifted his weight, holding his chin high as Adam glared at him; he was prepared to feel his brother's fist against his face.
Suddenly, Celeste stood up, holding the small Goddess in her arms as she stepped between the twins. Putting her free hand on Adam’s chest, her eyes remained locked on Auberon’s. “His only sin is that of curiosity, love. It was just a nibble really; barely enough blood to fill a thimble.”
Auberon almost laughed at her boldness as she lied about the sheer volume of blood he took from her; of her withholding certain, more damning information. He caught the warning in her eyes and nodded, accepting her decision to downplay the night that changed everything for him. Clenching his jaw, he looked past Celeste to Adam, “She recreates our genetic material, Adam.”
The little girl giggled, wrapping her little arms around Celeste’s neck, “You give them life just as life grows inside of you. In one possible future you will have many children, in another you will be with Auberon. There is a future where you are alone but that one is the least likely. The future is such a tricky thing with so many variables.”
"And you see them all." It wasn't a question and Celeste's stomach clenched in sympathy.
The Goddess offered a serene smile, her amethyst eyes shining with the wisdom of the Universe. "Of course."
“You’re a terrifying little thing, aren’t you?” Celeste asked, a broken smile on her lips as she gave the toddler a gentle hug. She looked up and caught Beck and Shaw staring at her, amused expressions on their too beautiful faces. Shaw had his arms wrapped around Beck’s shoulders as her hands rested over his arm, giving the impression of great love and devotion. His blue eyes spoke volumes of how deep his adoration ran. It truly was amazing what a pair of blue eyes did to features so similar to Adam; they changed the face just enough to be completely different. “Why aren’t your eyes black?”
“I was recreated a very long time ago by a very powerful fallen angel to be Rebecca’s protector so the two of them could end the world,” Shaw said simply, as if no further explanation were needed; or if there was need, he wasn’t going to provide it.
“I see,” Celeste said, though she didn’t. End the world? Swallowing hard against the hysteria that was threatening to choke her, she asked, “Will Adam’s eyes change?”
“My brothers both bit you and drank your blood and yet you did not change,” he said drolly, a dimple caressing his cheek as he spoke. At her blank look, he added gently, “You are to be the Apocritae Queen; you cannot change what he is because you are of our blood.”
“Huh,” again with the confusion. “But I’m still human, aren’t I?”
Shaw laughed and Celeste heard the familiarity in it and a shudder worked its way through her body. Shrugging his broad shoulders, he shook his head. “You’re not human, not exactly.”
“You’re very unhelpful,” Celeste sighed, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. A bubble of pleasantness surrounded her but she knew that the moment the little girl left the bubble would pop and she would have to deal with all of this new information and she wasn't sure how she was going to be able to do that. “Has anyone ever told you that?”
“Often,” he grinned, liking this new Queen. She would make a good addition to the new order of things, if she survived. Already she was doing great things in removing the stick that had been lodged in Adam’s ass for the last however many thousands of years.
“Am I just supposed to whip up a weapon out of thin air and blindly take on the Queen?” Celeste asked, slightly panicked.
“I can do that,” the little girl piped in, closing her eyes and starting to chant.
“NO!” Beck said quickly, grabbing the little imp from Celeste's arms and preventing her from creating something out of nothing. “What has mommy said about using your powers where others might see them?”
“But, mommy, she is going to be the new Queen,” the Goddess protested, sticking out her lower lip and looking like a petulant three-year-old being denied a favorite toy. It almost hurt to see the child behaving so normally when the Universe was within her.
“Sweetheart, I only want to keep you safe,” Beck continued, soothing the child’s hurt feelings. “You can show Auntie Celeste your tricks when we’re at our home, all right poppet?”
“Really?” she asked, her
amethyst eyes sparkling with glee. Then, just as quickly, she frowned, “But first she has a lot to go through and she will not be able to play for a very long time.”
“Soon enough, precious,” Shaw added, kissing the little girl’s temple, taking the child from Beck’s protective arms into his own.
"She needs to see her mother," the Goddess said softly, her eyes sleepy as she yawned and trustingly rested her head on Shaw's shoulder. Squirming a bit to get comfortable, she murmured, "It's important."
Adam wrapped his arms around Celeste's shoulders and he pulled her into him, resting his chin on the top of her head and she felt as if she could finally take the breath she had been holding since finding out she was to be the new Queen. Turning to his identical twin, he asked through clenched teeth, “Auberon, is Gloria in the Adytum?”
“It's where you left her,” Auberon answered coolly, exchanging a significant glance with Adam. “We can arrange a visit for tomorrow.”
Adam’s eyes closed at this information: A mother’s love, a final gift from beyond the grave. Whatever the mother held would soon be in Celeste’s hands and everything would change once more; become far more complicated. “I agree.”
“I’m going to meet my mother?” Celeste asked softly, her mind swirling with thoughts warring between excitement of finally meeting the mother she never knew and dread at what that mother was going to be now. Calices were altered and she did not know how it had affected Gloria, how she would react to seeing her mother who was no longer human. On top of everything else it was almost too much and she wasn't sure she was going to be able to handle it.
Adam’s hold tightened as he kissed the top of her head, “Only if you wish it.”
Auberon sucked in an audible gasp, not believing Adam would leave such an important decision up to the girl. Before he could protest, he felt little hands on his face. He turned his head, his arms automatically wrapping around the small body as the Goddess shifted from her father to her uncle and Shaw stepped back once more.
Awakening Page 20
