by Linda Creel
At the sound of her daughter’s name, Meredith’s posture stiffened as she flashed a cold smile. “Yes, why don’t you run to your sister? You can stay there for all I care.”
“That’s enough, Meredith. My son has as much right to be here as you do,” Henry said. “Now, I suggest you calm down. I’ve heard being angry all the time can lead to wrinkles.”
Joshua grabbed the tiara and placed it on his mother’s head. “You might want to wear this; your horns are showing.”
The tea Will was drinking shot out of his mouth, spraying Meredith’s face.
Before he could offer an apology, her nostrils flared and he could see the veins pulsing in her neck. “Get out, now!” she barked.
Knocking the chair to the ground when he stood, Joshua grabbed Will by the arm, and they ran towards the front door.
“Wait,” Meredith shouted. “The business of this house stays in this house. You will not speak of Caspian’s absence to anyone, especially the townspeople. Do I make myself clear?”
“Don’t you think they’ll find out sooner, or later?”
“Richard can locate Caspian and tell him his father has summoned him back to Utopia.”
A derisive laugh escaped Joshua’s throat. “Yeah – like Richard wants Caspian to return. Everyone knows the marriage was a joke, including your daughter-in-law. Desiree has made no secret about who she loves. Don’t worry, Mother; I’m sure Richard will be more than happy to keep Desiree cozy and warm on those cold winter nights.”
Desiree’s face reddened and she dipped her head in embarrassment. He couldn’t know; he stayed at Will’s last night. Richard and I were careful. He is probably just speculating.
The servants brought in the fresh food, and Meredith quickly dismissed them with a wave of her hand. “Where is Richard?” she asked her husband.
Henry shrugged his shoulders, but Desiree, who was still sobbing quietly, responded. “He had a business meeting this morning.”
Nathali strode into the room. “Yes, I recall Father speaking about it yesterday.”
I know you spent the night with my father, but we can talk about that when we go to the village after breakfast.
After taking a seat on the other side of her grandmother, Nathali winked at Desiree, who flashed a grateful smile.
As soon as they were clear of the house, Joshua slowed his pace. “Did you notice how nervous Desiree was? I’ll bet ten to one Richard slept with her last night.”
“Do you think they would have risked being together on her wedding night?” Will asked.
“You know my brother. What do you think?”
“What will happen if she becomes pregnant? She won’t want to get rid of the child, if Richard is the father. But if everyone knows Caspian didn’t consummate the marriage; they’ll know whose baby it is.”
“At least Caspian will have a good excuse to end the union, and then maybe we can even get Richard banished. Since we don’t know where Caspian and Axel went, or when they’ll be back, we’ll just have to wait. I agree with Analie; we need to keep our eyes on my sister-in-law.”
Will nodded. The boys decided to have breakfast at one of the restaurants in the village, hoping Richard and Desiree would make another appearance together.
After seating themselves at an empty table in the center of an outdoor café, a wave of guilt washed over Joshua.
I should have talked Caspian out of the marriage. We both knew it was a mistake. I swear, if Desiree is unfaithful, I will help send her and Richard packing and to hell with what Meredith says. Why should I keep quiet? I’m not the one betraying my brother. Not everyone is as naïve as you, Mother.
They ordered breakfast, and after a few minutes they were laughing and joking as they focused on the events from the previous day. It wasn’t all bad.
They recalled the expression on Meredith’s face, when Willow hit her so hard that she landed in the fountain, feet in the air, with her tiara lying broken on the ground. That was a sight Joshua would almost pay to see again.
By the time their food arrived, the boys had forgotten all about Desiree and Richard.
Chapter 28
After a lengthy conversation about Aura and her priest friend, Samhael left the cottage. The fading moon cast a shadow over the small construct, and the only sound came from an owl nesting in one of the oak trees.
Though Lucifer had asked him to remain in Aeden, Stella insisted the fallen angel’s presence could place Mehri at risk of being discovered by the Guild.
Agreeing with her assessment, Samhael decided to return to Hell, and collect the hound’s blood. Making his way past the gatekeeper, he meandered through the cold, dark tunnels. Several shrill, ear--piercing screams were heard coming from beyond the far wall.
Shaking his head, he continued his leisurely pace to the lower level, when the screaming abruptly stopped. Fools -- they haven’t yet learned to control their temper. If they keep killing the prisoners, there won’t be anyone left to torture, and they will be forced to turn on each other.
He sighed as he watched a mortal girl being carried from one of the rooms. Eyes, fixed in a vacant stare, her half-naked, limp body was sodden with blood. Looking intently at the two fallen angels, Samhael chuckled to himself.
Patience and self-control – two traits Lucifer admires most. Mortriel isn’t much better than these two idiots. Hopefully, he can learn to manage his emotions; until then, he will never gain his father’s respect.
Turning the corner, Samhael watched Lucifer step out of another room carrying several small, glass vials of a thick, black substance – the hound’s blood.
The fallen angels were still in plain view. Scurrying along the dark corridor, they couldn’t escape the glower on his face.
Though Lucifer gave most of the fallen angels’ free reign to do as they pleased, he had warned them about the frequency of so many deaths. He could have cared less about the mortals, but he was trying to teach them to control their temper.
They had grown complacent and weak since being exiled. When the time came to declare war on Heaven, their anger had to be in check, or they would lose the next battle.
“They will never learn,” Lucifer barked.
He had changed from his smoking jacket and pajama bottoms, and was now wearing a black pin-striped suit with a red satin shirt and matching silk tie. Not one strand of his auburn hair, pulled back in a ponytail, was out of place. As usual, he portrayed a powerful presence.
Samhael had learned from his Father; in order to command respect, you had to exemplify a certain image. This was another attribute Mortriel and Richard were both lacking, unlike him, who took pride in his appearance, and wore only the finest quality designer fashions.
“Ah – you have returned. I trust Mehri is adapting?”
“My daughter has promised to take good care of her, though I must admit neither of them wanted me to stay.”
Lucifer started to chuckle. “I’m not surprised. It’s probably wise if you keep your distance. Right now, Stella has the ear of the priest; soon, we will know all of Aura’s secrets. When are you meeting with Richard?”
“By the time Mortriel and I arrive in Utopia, he should be waiting with his friends.”
“I’ve been giving this some thought. You may want to find a more remote location to perform the transfer of blood. If any of the beasts happen to get free, the Guild will be aware of our plans.”
“I think the woods are safe enough; we aren’t really expecting many of them to survive. Grendel can help us hide the dead bodies, but if there is any trouble, we can move the angel-bloods back to their dormitory and use the carriage house in Purgatory.”
“If we are successful; the Abyvir will be powerful weapons.”
They walked back to his private chambers, and Lucifer ordered a light breakfast before Samhael left for Utopia.
Richard found Clarence and Chester in a pub in London. Though it was just after daybreak, the two were well on their way to getting drunk. Their
gruff, obnoxious voices drowned out the old Beatles song playing on the jukebox.
Wading through the smoky fog, Richard stared at the brothers and wondered how he could have struck up a friendship with them. Friendship may have been too strong a word; they were acquaintances who had taken care of a few problems for him in the past -- nothing more.
Samhael often chided him about his image, but Richard’s appearance couldn’t hold a candle to the two disheveled mortals seated in front of him. Judging by their greasy hair and scruffy faces, they couldn’t have been near a bar of soap in weeks -- maybe longer.
Wearing ripped jeans that had seen better days, and flannel shirts with half of the buttons missing, the foul, rancid odor emanating from their bodies hit him as soon as he entered the tavern.
The pot-bellied, bald-headed barkeep didn’t look much better. Wearing stained tan Khaki’s and a faded red t-shirt, which showed off the ink on his arms, he reeked of stale beer and cigarettes. Most of his front teeth were missing – no doubt the result of a fight with one of his patrons.
The floor was so littered with peanut shells; Richard couldn’t avoid crunching them under his shoes. Pulling a stool from the nearest corner – he positioned it far enough away to minimize the stench, but close enough to still be heard by the brothers.
Clarence peered over his shoulder and nudged Chester in the ribs. “We have company,” he whispered.
When the bartender approached, a fifty dollar bill was thrown on the bar and Richard dismissed him with a wave of his hand. After shoving the money into his pants pocket, the man refilled the brothers’ empty glasses before walking into the back storage room and closing the door.
Chester turned around to see Richard using his handkerchief to brush the excess shells off his shoes.
The mortal couldn’t help but chuckle. “Not exactly your kind of place, is it? What brings you to our neck of the woods?”
Richard gazed around the room to make sure no one was eavesdropping. Besides the brothers there were only two other patrons seated at one of the rear tables, both appeared to be passed out drunk.
Despite the acrid smell, he leaned in closer and whispered. “I have another job for you. If all goes well, you will both become very rich men.” Samhael said I could promise them anything. Neither of them have any intelligence. There is no need to disclose the risks involved.
The mention of money got their attention. “What do you need this time?” Chester asked. “Is somebody bothering you again?”
“Before I tell you my plans, are you agreeable to accept my terms?”
Chester looked at his brother, who shrugged his shoulders. Richard had always paid them well in the past; there was no reason to doubt him now. “Let’s say we are agreeable. How much money are we talking about?”
“More money than you can spend in a lifetime,” Richard promised. “After each assignment is completed, you will be paid one thousand gold coins.
Clarence, who had allowed his brother to do the talking, slid his stool closer. “What do we have to do?”
“By giving each of you one drop of a very special blood, you’ll receive incredible powers no other human has ever had. There is a cabin waiting for you in Cumbria, outside the Utopian city limits. While I firm up my plans, you’ll remain there. When the time is right, you’ll be asked to use your powers to help me get rid of some people who are hell-bent on destroying me.”
“When is this supposed to happen?”
“I have a friend waiting, so we’ll need to leave now.”
I don’t know if I can stand the stench. I would insist they bathe first, but if the hound’s blood kills them -- it won’t matter.
After finishing their beer, the brothers followed him outside to the alley behind the pub.
They had experienced traveling via portal once before, so it came as no surprise when Richard grabbed their shirttails, and within seconds, the three of them were standing next to a log cabin in the Cumbrian woods.
Though the area wasn’t technically part of Utopia, Richard had placed wards around the perimeter to ensure privacy from the mortals. However, the angel-bloods weren’t affected by the barriers, so he would still have to remain cautious.
Chapter 29
Rita and Jessica left Utopia with Willow at five a.m., but because of the time difference, they arrived in Aeden just before midnight. Not wanting to be questioned by their parents for keeping her out so late, the girls slipped into Aura’s house, settling in one of the spare bedrooms.
Still wearing their formal gowns, it felt as if their heads had just hit the pillows, when a slow moving light winked through the sheer curtains covering the window.
Dragging the pillow from behind her head and smothering her face, Jessica moaned, “Damn – I thought Aura hung the winter drapes last week?”
Willow started giggling in the other bed. “Some of us may have had a little too much wine to drink last night. I noticed you were sitting pretty close to Joshua.”
Jessica pulled the pillow from her face and threw it at her little friend. “Smart-ass – for the record, I only had one glass of wine.”
“Yeah-- but it was a big glass.”
Rita laced her fingers, and stretched before rolling out of bed. She saw one of her shoes at the foot of the bed. Dropping to her knees, she lifted the comforter in hunt of the other sandal. A short search revealed the shoe was on the opposite side of the room. Crawling on all fours, she retrieved the lost shoe and put the pair next to the closet.
“Well, we’re up now; we might as well go down and face the day,” Rita said.
Jessica grabbed another pillow and turned over. “You’re up; I’m still sleeping. Wake me when breakfast is ready.”
Rita walked over pulled the cushion away. “C’mon; we have a lot to do. I promised Willow we’d take her to New York, so she can visit with Matthew.”
Jessica sat up in the bed, bending first to one side, and then to the other, before planting her feet on the floor.
“That was pretty rude of Gregory, making Andromeda and Matt leave the reception before they could speak to Caspian. What’s his deal, anyway?”
Willow walked over and sat on the edge of Jessica’s bed. Her eyes widened and she scanned the room half expecting the kids to come bouncing out of the closet.
“Matt says his father is still jealous of Caspian’s friendship with his mother,” she whispered. “He says sometimes, he hears Gregory yelling at Andromeda, reducing her to tears.”
“I remember the first time Dad took us to the school in New York to meet the Godwin’s. I think he considered letting us go there, but Mom wasn’t having any part of that. They weren’t bad people, but she wanted us educated here in Aeden. The Godwin’s died a couple of years ago, and afterwards, everyone said Gregory changed – for the worse,” Rita said.
“I remember going to their funeral. Matt really loved his grandparents, but sometimes, he told me he wished his father had been in the car when his parents were killed,” Willow sighed.
“Yeah-- something about the Godwin’s deaths doesn’t make sense,” Jessica chanted. “I mean, they were both pretty powerful angel-bloods. How could a simple car accident kill them?”
“Good question,” Rita said. “I’m going to take a quick shower. If you check the closet, you’ll find clean jeans and shirts from the last time we were here; there should be underwear in the dresser. Check the room across the hall. Aura always keeps extra clothes in case some of the colonists drop by. You should come across something to fit Willow.
Jessica started laughing. “We could send her to our house, and bring our own stuff over; unless you want her to avoid being questioned about what time she got home.”
Rita blew her off with a wave of her hand. “So we stayed out a little late. Mom knew where we were. Besides, we are of age.”
“We are, but Willow’s not. What kind of example are you setting for your goddaughter?”
Willow jumped up and crossed her arms over her chest. �
��I’m not a little kid,” she argued. “If Bren and Tracy can go to Purgatory by themselves; I should be able to stay in Utopia for a few extra hours.”
“She’s got a point, Jess. Her parents know she will always be safe in our company.”
“That was before Lucifer came to Aeden. If the archangels followed him, they must be worried about something. My father thinks he’s planning an attack on the angel-bloods, and was probably checking out the wards around our property.”
“He may be able to avoid the barriers, but he can’t avoid our family. Lucifer isn’t stupid enough to try to take us on by himself; we have too much power. No -- he’ll try something else first.”
Willow sat back down. With hands folded and head bent, she tried to conceal her watery eyes. “I hope Caspian and Axel find the other angel-bloods before Mortriel kills them, and then takes their kids to Purgatory,” Willow said. “Nobody should have to suffer like those little girls.”
Known for being a hard-ass, Rita usually wore an invisible suit of armor to keep her feelings hidden. There was only a handful outside of her family, who knew how fragile her heart really was.
She had even kept her distance from Will the night before; convincing herself she had only stayed because Jessica seemed interested in Joshua. With everything else going on, the last thing Rita wanted, or needed, was to get involved with a boy, especially a Utopian.
Lifting Willow’s chin, she planted a tender kiss on her forehead before quieting her tone.
“Don’t worry – Bren and Tracy are probably already thinking of a way to bring the other girls home. Why don’t you use the shower next door, and after we’re dressed, we can go downstairs together?”
Jessica could see how much Rita loved her goddaughter.
I guess none of us our very different when it comes to family. The new girls are safe now, but God help the idiot who tries to put their hands on Willow. The rest of us will have to stand in line because Rita won’t hesitate to give him, or her, a one-way ticket to Hell.
