by Linda Creel
Joshua was dressed as a medieval knight, and despite being a pretty convincing Robin Hood, she couldn’t help noticing Will was in a foul mood.
“What’s wrong with him?” Aura whispered to her sister.
Jade started laughing. “He’s upset because Arian heard we were thinking about inviting Nathali to the party, and he went off.”
“So I take it Arian isn’t coming?”
“No, he wants to patrol the woods again. He still thinks some mortals were responsible for that fire.”
Jessica gazed at Joshua, and gave a gentle nod of her head, reminding him what they discussed with Paul and Adam wasn’t to be talked about with anyone else.
“I tried to explain to my brother that the only reason we invited Nathali was so Joshua and I could keep an eye on her,” Will said. “But Arian didn’t want to hear it. He thinks Meredith is going to try to pawn her granddaughter off on me.”
Rita had to walk away, so Will wouldn’t hear her snickering.
“I doubt you’ll fall for my mother’s tricks,” Analie said.
Meredith may have goaded Caspian into marrying Desiree because of her family’s money, but Will wasn’t someone to be bullied. His parents were one of the wealthiest couples in Utopia, but neither of their sons gave a hoot about power or wealth.
The thought of him and Nathali together was ridiculous. No one wanted to be related to Richard, including Analie, and she was his sister. No, Richard as a father-in-law would be a one-way ticket to hell.
“Don’t let it ruin your night,” Joshua said as he slapped Will on the back. “Your brother will cool off. Besides, Nathali didn’t come anyway.”
Bren and the girls ran out of the kitchen. They were adorable in their princess costumes and ballerina flats. Their hair was worn in soft ringlets and fake diamond crowns adorned their heads.
Reaghan and Ava even had sparks which looked like angel-fire shooting out of their make-believe wands, though Aura couldn’t fathom how they managed that trick. Angel-fire was the most powerful weapon in Heaven; it seemed unlikely the girls could summon it. Then again, Reaghan was her little sister, and Aura had no idea what kinds of powers she was hiding, especially if Bren told her to keep them a secret.
Watching the girls hang on every word out of Bren’s mouth as if it were gospel, Aura couldn’t help but admire her younger sibling. Even in her princess costume, there was no doubt Bren was a natural leader.
By the time Ryan arrived at 8 o’clock dressed as a thin Friar Tuck, the party was well under way. Music was spilling out of the jukebox and Bren had the kids dancing to Tracy’s favorite Beatle tunes.
As soon as they saw his costume, the little ones couldn’t stop giggling; even Will was smiling. Wearing a long, brown robe with a hooded cowl, sandals and a tonsure wig; a large wooden cross hung from the roped girdle around his waist.
Katie, Shanna and Sophia from his support group were dressed as tavern wenches. Covering their chemise-styled white peasant tops with billowy sleeves and underskirts, were open front skirts -- the same shocking pink, electric blue and vivid magenta color as their hair – each secured with black cross-laced leather cinchers.
Crowns of dried flowers adorned their heads.
Everyone else has arrived, but missing were Mehri and Stella.
A phone call to Ryan a few minutes later, explained their absence. Apparently, Stella’s car broke down on a back road not far from the park.
Aura offered to go after them, but Ryan and Shanna, who had grown close to Mehri over the last couple of weeks, told her they would just cut through the woods and walk them back.
In the back of her mind she was still worried about Lucifer and his dark wings. It had been quiet for the last two weeks. Maybe they considered Michael and Gabriel’s threat.
She hugged her best friend, and then watched him and Shanna stay in character as they headed towards the park.
Chapter 51
Arian used a lantern to light his way through the countryside. It was after midnight and he decided to take one more pass in the woods before going home. When he reached the sight of the fire, he saw a light coming from past a group of nearby trees.
I didn’t see that when we were here before. I’ll just take a quick look, and then I’ll let the governor know what I’ve found.
Making his way to the old cabin, he stopped when he heard the sound of raucous laughter coming from something he suspected was less than human. Though he couldn’t make out what they were saying, they were obviously excited about something.
This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t be here alone.
As he turned to leave, he tripped over a tree root, causing the lantern to fall to the ground. As he stumbled around in the dark, he cursed himself for being careless. He listened as the voices inside the cabin suddenly quieted.
“Did you hear that?” Fenryr whispered.
“Yeah – someone’s outside,” Faelan said.
As he moved towards the door, his brother caught his arm. “Samhael said we were to wait here for Richard.”
“I know what he said, but if the angel-bloods find us before we can carry out our assignment, not only won’t we see the rest of those gold coins, but we’ll have to deal with Richard’s wrath. Are you prepared for that? Turn off that light,” he said.
Claws replaced his fingers, and long, razor-sharp fangs protruded from his mouth as his head grew in size, morphing into the Abyvir. Gone was any semblance of humanity. Sleek black fur replaced his once pale skin. After the transformation was complete, Faelan opened the door to the cabin.
Since the brothers had taken the blood of the hellhounds, their senses were heightened. Their vision was so sharp; they no longer needed light to see at night.
Twenty five feet from the cabin, Faelan saw Arian fumbling around on the ground. “I’ll make this fast,” he muttered to himself.
He lurched towards the young man, and with claws extended, made one swift slice through Arian’s torso, opening up his chest and knocking the breath out of him.
Arian flipped over backwards, but before he could right himself, the Abyvir drove its claws deep into his back causing him to scream out in pain before passing out.
Before Faelan could finish him off, Richard came running through the woods with Grendel. “STOP!” he yelled.
The Abyvir looked at his master and backed away. Thankfully, Arian was still unconscious, so he didn’t see the governor’s son. “Get back in the house while I decide what to do with him,” Richard said.
“Why don’t you just let me kill him?” Faelan asked.
“Fool -- he is more valuable to me alive.”
Grendel came running through the woods. She leaned over to inspect Arian’s body.
“He’s in bad shape. I don’t know if he will survive. You could take him to Mahlyssa’s home in New York. Tell her there was an attack in Utopia, and you are trying to protect the boy, so he must not leave her care under any circumstances. I’ll use a glamour to hide the cabin. No one will be able to see or hear any noise coming from inside, unless they are loyal to Mortriel.”
Richard felt an adrenaline rush as he stared at the crippled woman.
“Yes, Mahlyssa will help. I can tell her I have a lead on her husband, Virgil, but I have to deal with this matter first. That will buy me some time. Are you certain no one will find the cabin?”
Grendel began to laugh. “I may have been cursed, but I still have some powers. Have you forgotten I was once an angel?”
Richard returned her smile before his eyes fixed on the Abyvir. “Do you remember what I told you about my sister’s house?”
Faelan nodded.
“Wait for me to leave, and then you and your brother can start the attack.”
Though Arian was still unconscious, he was moaning, and Richard wanted to be gone before he woke. He picked up his body and threw him over his shoulder.
Before using the portal to take him to the Enchantor’s home, he cautioned the brothers once more. “Be
swift and precise. I suspect Arian’s parents may come looking for him. You can kill them, but my sister and her daughter are your primary targets.”
A smug smile crossed Grendel’s lips. “There is a good chance Renatta will be with the Crestwells.”
“Yes – yes, I’ve had this conversation with Mortriel. If my timing is right, I will be the first to reach her.”
He turned again to Faelan. “Someone will undoubtedly hear the screams, and then notify my father. When you see me, you are to return to the cabin and stay there. If you want to be paid, you won’t disregard my orders this time.”
“You should get out of here,” he told Grendel. “I don’t want anyone to know of your involvement with my plans, not yet.”
She nodded, and then started limping slowly away. Richard repositioned Arian over his shoulder, and then vanished.
Chapter 52
The Abyvir brothers rushed to the countryside, making their way to Analie’s home. Not wanting to disturb the neighbors by bursting into the home, they opened the door slowly.
Once inside, they made their way up the stairs, until they came to the bedrooms. As they opened each of the doors, they found the rooms all empty.
They went back downstairs to search the rest of the house. When they came up empty-handed, Fenryr looked at his brother. “Are you sure this is the right place?”
“What do you take me for, an idiot? This is Analie’s house, but she’s obviously not home. We aren’t going to kill her today, so we’ll go back to the cabin and wait for Richard.”
Since he wasn’t allowed to kill Arian, Faelan had been looking forward to spilling Analie’s blood. Enraged because he didn’t get the opportunity, he ransacked the house, overturning furniture, and breaking lamps, picture frames and anything else of value, while his brother stood there laughing.
Faelan’s breath rattled his lips. “Do you think this is funny? I had plans for that money!” he grunted.
Unfazed by his brother’s tirade, Fenryr spoke with complete calm. “We’ll get another crack at her; it just won’t happen tonight. Maybe we’ll find the kid’s parents on the way home.”
Still grunting, Faelan didn’t respond. He opened the door with such force, it pulled away from the hinges. He heaved it across the yard. “Let’s go.”
The brothers had only walked a few feet when they saw the Crestwells carrying lanterns and hurrying through the meadow.
Still in their night clothes, they were probably looking for their son. Next to them was a breathtaking young woman. Her long, golden hair fell to the small of her back.
“That’s probably the girl Richard spoke of,” Fenryr said. “I’ll take care of the husband, and leave the wife to you. Just get her on the ground. You can finish her off after you take care of Renatta. Remember Richard doesn’t want her dead. One swipe of your claws down her face should do the trick.”
“No, I’ll take care of the man, and you’ll take the woman. I may not be able to control myself once I smell their blood,” Faelan admitted. “I don’t want to risk killing the girl. We’ll never see our money then. Let’s get this over with before they get close to the woods. The farther away their bodies are, the less likely anyone will find the cabin.”
“The old woman said she put a glamour on the shack to hide it.”
“Yeah, maybe I trust her, and maybe I don’t. C’mon.”
The brothers broke into a run. Before they knew what hit them, the Crestwell’s were attacked from behind.
Renatta screamed as she watched her friends being shredded by creatures she had never seen before. They looked like wolves, yet they were walking like men.
As his brother battled with Robert Crestwell, Fenryr gutted his wife, Catherine, with a clean sweep across her abdomen. She was dead before her body hit the ground.
The husband was a little harder to kill because he was carrying a small silver dagger. Faelan laughed before knocking it out of his hands. “Do you really think that’s going to stop me?” he asked in a gruff voice.
“Run,” Robert shouted to Renatta. “Find Henry and tell him we’re being attacked.”
As she started towards the village, she looked over her shoulder, praying the beast wasn’t behind her. She had only gone a few feet when Fenryr caught up to her. Grabbing her arm, he sliced through her cotton nightgown until she was barely covered. Then he raked his claws over her face and threw her to the ground.
He was about to slap her again when he heard Richard shouting as he entered the glen. The brothers took off running towards the woods.
Renatta was on her knees, rocking herself back and forth, and sobbing hysterically when Richard got to her.
“It’s alright, they’re gone now,” he said in a soothing voice.
“They – those creatures killed the Crestwells,” she whimpered. She held her trembling hands up to her face and when she pulled them away, they were covered in blood. “Please – please don’t look at me. I’m so hideous; I wish they would have killed me too.”
“You don’t mean that. You’ll heal, and everyone will remember what you endured this night.”
She kept her head bent, refusing to look at him. “These scars will never heal.”
“It doesn’t matter. I will love you and spend the rest of my life taking care of you, if you’ll have me.”
Renatta had never seen Richard act with such kindness before. Maybe people were wrong about him. She buried her face in his neck and snuggled up to him like a scared child.
“I’m going to take you home, and then I’ll find your father and tell him what happened,” he said.
She gripped his shirt so tightly, her knuckles turned white. With quivering hands and lips, she felt the muscles in her body tighten. “No -- please don’t leave me. Those creatures might come back.”
“I can’t leave the Crestwell’s lying there.”
Richard looked up to see some of the neighbors running towards them. The women gasped when they saw the damage to their friend’s bodies.
“We haven’t had any wolf attacks in years,” one of the men said.
“Can someone find my father and tell him Renatta has been attacked,” Richard said. “I don’t know where Arthur is, but he’ll want to know what’s happened to his daughter. And if some of the men could bring a wagon and some linen so we can get their bodies off the ground?”
Four of the men walked to their homes to get a buckboard, while another group headed toward the city to notify the Governor about the attack.
While, Richard waited next to the bodies, one of the women, a young widow who was friends with Renatta, covered her face with a scarf.
No one saw the smug grin on Richard’s face because his back was turned.
This couldn’t have worked out more perfectly. Hopefully, the brothers took care of Analie and Jade too, and they will just be a bad memory after tonight.
Chapter 53
When the glass slipped from Aura’s hand -- shattering to the floor --the room became eerily quiet. Her family knew the blank stare on her face meant she was having a vision.
“What’s wrong with her?” Katie asked Rita.
Before she could answer, Paul and Adam came bursting through the door, knocking over one of the witches. They quickly scanned the room for Will. Aura pointed to the far corner and ran into the kitchen to get a broom and dustpan to clean up the glass.
“There’s been a…” Paul was about to tell Will about the attack when he spotted the mortal girls. “There’s been an accident. We have to get you home now. Bring your friends.”
Bren started gathering the little ones when her father turned and screamed. “NO – you’ll stay here.”
No one had ever seen Paul lose control before. Whatever happened must have been bad.
Bren knew not to argue with her father. She had already seen the slaughter, but she wasn’t ready to divulge to anyone that she had second sight, so she kept her mouth shut.
She also knew about Richard’s involvement in Arian
’s disappearance, but for now he was safer with the Enchantor.
Bren felt terrible that she couldn’t tell Will his brother was alive, but she couldn’t risk interfering with fate.
Jade thought about her boyfriend. “Is Arian alright?” she asked Paul. When he didn’t answer, the color drained from her face, and she had to hold on to the mantel for support. Analie grabbed her daughter around the waist, trying to steady her.
Seeing the pain on her face, Bren wanted to tell Jade the truth, but if she did, it could cost Arian his life.
“Jess and I are going with you,” Rita said. This better not have anything to do with Richard.
Paul nodded, but before they walked outside, Adam leaned in to him and whispered. “Should we bring Willow?”
“Let’s see what we’re dealing with first. If we need her, I’ll send one of the girls back.”
Bren handed each of them a pumpkin flashlight. Rita looked at her sister, as if to say, “Are you kidding me?”
“Hey, it’s better than nothing,” Bren said. “You don’t want to be walking around in the dark.”
Rita knew her little sister was trying to be helpful, so she accepted the gesture.
Aura stared at the clock. It had been almost an hour since Ryan and Shanna left. Worried they may have gotten lost in the dark, she asked Katie to keep an eye on the little ones. She picked up a Frankenstein flashlight before following her father outside. Not that Aura needed the light, she knew her way around the park like the back of her hands, but she didn’t want her older sister to feel weak.
“I’m going to check on Ryan,” she told Rita. “I’ll see you when you get back. Just be careful.”
Jessica grabbed her by the arm. “What did you see in your vision?”
Aura hung her head, so she couldn’t see the fear in her eyes. “You’ll find out when you get there. Take care of Will.”
She walked towards the park, turning around in time to see her father and the others vanish in a flash of dazzling light.
Making her way past the tree of life, she stared at Esra’s name written in gold on the trunk.
