by SJ West
“Is it still a lie when it’s really just an omission of the truth?” I ask, hoping she’ll take my side on the issue.
“It’s still lying,” both Jackie and Silas say at the same time.
I sigh in defeat and hand Jackie her present. “I couldn’t in good conscious not give you this to wear tomorrow. When I saw it in the store window yesterday, I knew it was meant for you to wear on your wedding dress.”
“You really shouldn’t have,” she says, practically snatching the box from my hands in her excitement, “but I’m glad you did!”
She quickly opens it and finds the brooch laying inside the box on a cushion of white velvet.
“Oh, Liana,” she says in awe of the piece of jewelry. “I shouldn’t accept this because of how much it must have cost you, but I just can’t make my heart let go of it now that I’ve seen it.”
“Good,” I say, satisfied that she won’t refuse my gift to her. “Like I said, it was made for you to wear. Plus, I can’t take it back. It was on sale, and you can’t take back something that was on sale.”
Jackie giggles giddily and hugs me one more time.
“Thank you so much,” she says before pulling back. “I swear the day you saved me from that rubble was the worst and best day of my life. Sometimes I still can’t believe you’re my friend.”
“I hope we can still get together every once in a while, even though you’ll be an old married woman soon,” I joke.
Jackie laughs. “I’m counting on you to save my sanity when I need it.”
“I don’t think Donovan will drive you that crazy,” Silas says from behind me, defending his friend. “He’s a good guy.”
“Oh, it’s not him I’m worried about.” Jackie leans in closer toward us and whispers, “It’s his mother who scares me to death. That woman seems to be waiting for me to screw something up, I swear it.”
“I think you’re just having wedding jitters.” I hope my words soothe her concerns about her future mother-in-law, but from the doubtful look on her face, I can tell she’s still worried. “Everything will be fine, Jackie. Like I’ve told you before, you lead a charmed life.”
“From your mouth to God’s ears, literally,” Jackie says with a small laugh. “I don’t suppose you could put in a good word for me with the big guy?” she asks hopefully.
“All I can do is pray to Him just like you,” I tell her, wishing I could give her better news. “I haven’t seen Him since I was ten. I barely remember Him, to be honest.”
“At least you can say He’s real.” Jackie sighs. “Even though we have angels living among us now, there are still people who argue that God isn’t real. Idiots.”
“You can’t force people to believe,” I reply. “That’s why it’s called faith.”
“Are the three of you just going to stand here in the doorway, or are you going to come inside and celebrate with us?” Jackie’s future husband, Donovan, says as he walks up to join the conversation.
“I actually need to leave,” I tell them, finding myself wishing I could stay longer.
“Do you really have to go so soon?” I hear Silas ask me.
I turn slightly to look at him. The earnest expression on his face tells me that he truly does wish I would stay just a little while longer, and for the first time in a long while, I find myself wondering what it would be like to just be a normal girl who could choose the person she marries one day. Honestly, I’m not sure what my parents expect of me as far as marriage goes. Will they let me decide who I spend my life with, or will I be asked to marry someone with a similar upbringing to my own? I’ve always assumed it will be the first option, since my mother’s first marriage was to someone she didn’t love romantically. Surely my parents will give me a choice, but I don’t know that for sure.
Even though Silas is looking at me like a lost puppy dog, I know what my reply will have to be.
“I do have to leave,” I say, regretting the words as soon as they escape my mouth.
“I see,” he says, looking like I just told him that I never want to see him again.
My heart begins to ache because I actually do want to see and talk to him again. There’s something in his eyes that tells me he’s been damaged by life, and I want to know what’s happened to leave such a lasting impression.
“I can try to come back tomorrow for a little while,” I say as my mind begins to race through different scenarios that will allow me to do just what I said.
Silas grins, causing me to smile in return.
“Can you come to the wedding?” Jackie asks excitedly. “I would love that!”
“I’ll try,” I say, not committing to anything yet. “It all depends on if I can find some time to slip away from what my family has planned for tomorrow.”
“Try to make it,” Silas urges me. His tone isn’t exactly a plea, but at the same time, it’s more than a casual statement.
“I’ll do my best,” I promise him as our eyes lock with unspoken promises being exchanged.
Unexpectedly, Silas holds out his hand like he wants me to shake it as a final goodbye. When I place my hand into his, he turns our hands until the back of mine is facing upward. I watch as he bends down and kisses the top of my hand lightly before reluctantly letting it go and standing back to his full height.
“I hope I see you tomorrow, Princess,” he tells me with a hint of an expectant smile.
“You will,” I promise him, suddenly feeling light-headed. “I’ll figure out a way to come back.”
My reward for such a promise is a toothy grin and eyes twinkling with happiness.
I phase before my own expression gives my feelings away.
As I stand inside my bedroom, I quickly run through my encounter with Silas and soon find myself giggling with happiness. I quickly take off my coat and toss it onto my bed before I phase back to Stratus. I’m sure Brutus is beginning to wonder where I am by now. I decide to phase directly into the workshop. When I do, I find Brutus shaping my bracelet while Ethan holds out his flaming blue sword to heat the metal as needed.
Ethan notices me first and looks up from the work Brutus is doing.
“We were wondering where you got off to,” he says to me. I see him look back at my phase trail. “Did you have to go back home for something?”
Drat. I should have been smarter and just phased outside the workshop. If I try to lie to Ethan, he’ll instantly know because he has an angelic ability to tell the truth from a lie.
“Yes,” I say. “I had to go back for a few minutes to take care of something. How’s my bracelet coming?” I hope my quick change of subject puts an end to Ethan’s inquiries.
“Almost done with it, lass,” Brutus tells me as he continues to bang the bracelet down a black cone of obsidian to slowly increase its circumference.
We all watch in silence as Brutus finishes his work. I appreciate the quiet because it lets me think about what just transpired on the surface. Unfortunately, I can’t tell Cara what happened until we’re alone again. I’m sure she’ll try to talk me out of going back to Stanton tomorrow for the wedding, but my mind is already made up. There’s no way I’m not going. I have to see Silas again so I can figure out if what happened between us was a one-time flirtation or if there’s something deeper there that can only be revealed by time.
My mother told me that she and my father are soul mates. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience and not all people are lucky enough to find the perfect matches to their souls. When I entered puberty, she warned me that I probably wouldn’t ever meet my soul mate. It isn’t just due to the rarity of the event either. In my case, it’s because of how my soul was made. Since the Guardian of the Guf inside me, Arel, forged my soul out of one of the seals, my soul and that of my brother’s are unique. At the time, I told my mom that it didn’t matter because I was naïvely sure I would find someone who loved me just the way I am. Thinking back on that moment, I begin to wonder if I’ve unleashed that little girl’s confidence again and found someone
worthy of her dream. I have no idea what will happen between me and Silas, but I definitely want to find out more about him. He may or may not be the man for me, but he’s captured my interest and that alone is a hard thing to do.
By the time Brutus is finished with my bracelet, Ethan informs us that he needs to get back to Laed-i to help Jules with preparations for the party.
When I ask him what they bought Cal for his gift, Ethan says, “A hover car, of course. It’s what all his school friends have been getting for their sixteenth birthdays. We didn’t want him to feel left out. Plus, I think he’s interested in a girl at school, so maybe this will help him find a way to actually work up the nerve to talk to her.”
“And how is a hover car supposed to do that?” I ask.
“She’ll be at the party tomorrow,” he replies. “Jules and I are hoping he’ll ask her to ride in it with him and it’ll give them an opportunity to talk without all of their friends being around.”
“Ah.” I guess what I said earlier about Cal and any potential girlfriends is going to happen sooner than I thought. It seems like our family vacation is taking place at a most fortuitous time. I kind of feel like I might be sticking my nose into something that isn’t any of my business, but I quickly push that notion to the farthest reaches of my mind. Cal is like a brother to me and not just any girl will do for him. You need family to watch your back when your brain and body is being flooded with erratic hormones. The irony of such a thought isn’t lost on me, considering my own situation at the moment.
Ethan leaves shortly after to return home to Laed-i, and we all go back to the castle to have lunch with the rest of our families. As I watch Cara interact with everyone, I can’t help but wonder if Liam’s feelings for her will be reciprocated or if she will end up breaking his heart. I sincerely hope it’s the first option, but it could very well be the second. She’s never mentioned to me that she has feelings for my brother. Although, that could be because she doesn’t know how I’ll react. Surely she knows by now how much I love her. If my brother does end up marrying her one day, I will be over the moon with joy for the both of them. I consider pulling her aside to see whether or not I should steer my brother’s affections away from Cara or encourage them, but then I remember my promise to him that I wouldn’t interfere. I keep that thought in the forefront of my mind and decide to let nature take its course between the two of them. If it works out, it was always meant to, and if it doesn’t, then that’s the way it should be. Plus, I would feel like a troll if I denied him everything that comes with telling your first love how you actually feel about them.
When my family returns to Cirrus, we find an unexpected visitor waiting for us in our home and speaking with Jered.
“Slade?” my mother asks, as if she doesn’t quite trust what her eyes are seeing.
Jered and Slade are standing out on the veranda right outside the living room. When the men hear my mother’s question, they both turn their heads toward us. Slade smiles at my mom, and a look of instant happiness is the only way I can describe his expression.
It’s been years since I last saw Slade. All my parents would tell me is that he and my dad had a falling out a long time ago. From what I gathered, Slade did something that was unforgiveable in my father’s eyes, and he wasn’t welcome in our house because of it. Finding him casually standing here now is unexpected, to say the least.
“What on earth are you doing here?” my mom asks while she and Lyra walk over to Slade. I’m a little surprised that my mother is treating him like he’s an old and dear friend, considering my father’s attitude toward him.
As the two of them embrace in a brief hug of greeting, Slade says, “Jered brought me. Apparently Malcolm has something important that he wants to discuss with me.”
“Really?” my mom replies, sounding confused that my father would be the one to request Slade’s presence, especially in our home. “What does he need to talk to you about?”
“I’m not sure,” Slade tells her, looking as baffled as my mother. “Jered says Malcolm will explain everything to me when he gets here.”
My mom looks between the two men, but she doesn’t ask Jered why my father wants to speak with Slade. Honestly, it’s the first thing I would have done, but I suppose my mother is shrewder than I am.
“Would you like something to drink?” my mother offers, acting the perfect hostess. “Or something to eat?”
“I would love some fresh water,” Slade tells her. “The mining colony on Saturn isn’t able to get water as clear as what you have here.”
“Water it is then,” my mom says. She looks troubled and a bit saddened by Slade’s simple request. I suppose she feels bad that he asked for so little, even though the prospect of having a glass of our water seems to make him happy.
Unfortunately, Slade isn’t afforded the small luxury because my father and Liam phase in from the surface.
“Ah, good,” my dad says as he and Liam join us. “I was hoping you would already be here, Slade.”
“Did something go wrong today?” my mom asks him, assuming Slade’s presence has something to do with the meeting he had in the down-world.
“I wouldn’t say wrong, exactly,” my dad replies, looking somewhat troubled by the day’s events. “The person we met was unexpected though, and I’m hoping Slade can tell me a little bit more about him.”
“Jered did tell me you were meeting with someone who’s a part of the resistance movement on the surface,” Slade says. “And from what you just said, I assume it’s someone you believe I know well enough to give you advice on.”
“Yes.” My father looks between my mother and me. “Don’t take what I’m about to do the wrong way,” he says to us both. “I don’t want Helena to know exactly who it was I talked to today. All I can tell you is that he was one of the Watchers who escaped Hell with Slade.” My mother and I watch as my father leans over and whispers something into Slade’s ear. Slade’s eyes widen in shock as my dad presumably tells him the name of the Watcher he spoke with today.
“For simplicity’s sake,” my dad says to Slade as he leans away from him, “let’s just call this person Rhett for now.”
“I haven’t seen Rhett in quite a while,” Slade tells my father. “What’s he been up to all these years?”
“From what he told us, he’s been living a normal, peaceful life in our down-world territory. At least it was peaceful until the resistance blew up the food warehouse his wife worked at last year,” my dad says. “Since then, he’s been keeping a low profile among the rebels and collecting as much information as he can about their movements. So what do you think, Slade, can we trust him?”
“As much as you can trust anyone, I suppose,” Slade replies, looking uncertain about this Rhett’s reliability. “However, I would caution you not to place all of your faith in him. He’s been known to double-cross people when it suits his needs. Did he tell you what his goal is? What is his endgame in all of this?”
“He wants to kill Abaddon himself,” my dad answers. “That’s the one thing he requested.”
“If that’s what he wants, then he’ll do whatever it takes to accomplish it. My advice is to take what information he gives you, but don’t share any of yours in return. If he sees an opening to take Abaddon out himself, he’ll take it whether you want him to or not.”
“Why wouldn’t we want him to do that for us?” Liam questions. “If Abaddon is the leader of the resistance, isn’t it better to just take him completely out of the picture?”
“If the people in the down-world suspect us of being the perpetrators of such a crime,” my mom begins to explain, “killing Abaddon might just make him a martyr in their eyes. Besides, this person you spoke to today doesn’t have the power to truly extinguish the life of an angel. All he can do is kill the body that Abaddon is hiding in. There’s nothing to prevent him from simply taking another form to inhabit and continue where he left off.”
“Then Rhett hasn’t thought his revenge throu
gh very well,” I state. “If he can’t kill Abaddon, his goal isn’t reasonable.”
“I don’t believe Rhett was thinking about ending Abaddon’s life permanently,” Slade says. “He probably believes that if he kills the body Abaddon is inside of right now, it will cause a disruption in the power hierarchy of the resistance and make it more fragile. A destabilization in power has been known to bring down nations, so a small rebel force will probably disintegrate fairly quickly.”
“Small or not,” Jered says, “they’ve been very effective.”
“What was Rhett’s proposal?” my mother asks. “What type of information can he provide us with?”
“He seems to believe he can give us a few hours’ worth of warning whenever the rebels decide to blow up a new piece of technology that we implement.”
“I don’t think that strategy is going to work for very long,” my mother says. “Eventually, they’ll figure out it’s him who’s feeding us the information.”
“True, but maybe it’ll also sow the seeds of doubt in the others,” my father points out. “If one person begins to think for themselves, it’s possible others will follow, and we can finally put an end to this ridiculousness. As long as Slade believes we can trust Rhett to do his job, I really don’t see a downside to this arrangement for us.” My father turns to look at Slade with a questioning gaze. “Well? What’s your final verdict?”
“Like I said before, Rhett will always do what’s in his own best interests. Right now, that seems to be siding with you to get what he wants. I don’t see how you have anything to lose at this point.”
“Not that anyone has asked for my opinion, but I agree,” Jered says. “We don’t have anything to lose and everything to gain from this deal.”
“Good,” my father says, looking somewhat relieved. “Then it’s settled. I’ll have Evelyn and Enis set up the terms as far as how information will be exchanged. They’ve been bugging me for something to do and this will definitely keep them busy.”
