“I am well, Drake. How are you?” she asked, looking at him with scrutiny. “You look troubled.”
“I’ve had many long days lately. Has there been any change on your end?”
She shook her head. “My sister and her family have been suspiciously quiet. I would have thought that they would have requested another meeting, demanding that we do more to find Sofia, but they haven’t even contacted the council.”
He shook his head. “I was afraid of that.”
“Afraid of what, Drake?”
“I believe that Damiana carried through with phase one of her plan.”
“Which was what?”
“She wanted to send Rafe to Valerie so that he could infiltrate their home and attack from within. I have searched for him all over our homestead and cannot find him anywhere. He had promised me that he would wait until I returned before making a decision, but it appears to have been a lie.”
“Why would you be upset with that plan? It sounds brilliant.”
He furrowed his brows. “Did you just compliment Damiana’s plan?”
She laughed. “I can’t stand the woman, but the plan has merit. Rafe is Valerie’s son, so Valerie would completely trust him. From the inside, he could monitor their plans and report them back to you. Why would that be a problem?”
“What if they figure out what he’s doing? They could kill him!”
She laughed again. “Valerie would never let them kill her son, Drake.”
“He’s my son as well, Alex. When they realize that he is not the savior, then he will serve no purpose for them. They will see him as my offspring and possibly torture him to try to get to me.”
Alexandra walked over to the stump and sat down. “First of all, Rafe would never betray you, and they have to know that.”
“Ar’ch could break through his shield and get whatever information he wanted from his mind,” he argued.
“Second, my sister would never allow her child to be tortured, even if you are the father. You should know that.”
He took a deep breath. “She might not have a choice if the High Council orders it.”
She nodded. “And that is probably why they have not come to the High Council with news that he is now with them. Valerie will protect him with her life if she must. Goddess forbid she appear to be a bad mother,” she said and rolled her eyes. “Your son is safe with them. And if the High Council finds out about him, both Nolan and I will vote against any harm coming to him, and I’m sure I can convince one of the other three to vote with me.”
Drake dropped down next to her on the stump and placed his hand on her knee. “Thank you.”
Alexandra put her hand over his. “You seem different. What has happened?”
He looked into her eyes and saw acceptance…and love. She was the only true friend he had. His demons and deminions were loyal to him because he was their king, but they were not his friends. Damiana had never been his friend; she only valued him if she could control him. But Alexandra…she had stuck by his side when no one else had.
He told her everything. He told her about Rafe and Sofia finding out the truth. He told her about Damiana building the throne room with the crystal cage and imprisoning Sofia. He even told her about Damiana’s growing strength. “I do not think I can control her,” he admitted.
Alexandra sat dumbfounded. She opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again, unsure of what to say. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, she said, “What happens if she overpowers you? What then?”
Her eyes held real fear, and he understood her fear because last night proved to him that Damiana could overpower them all. “Let’s hope that Lucifer does not let that happen.”
Chapter Eleven
“That’s a horrible plan,” Ar’ch said and began pacing about Rafe’s room. “Angel, I can’t believe that you agreed to this. What’s to keep Damiana from killing you immediately?”
“Me,” Rafe said, standing tall and proud.
Ar’ch laughed. “Right. Of course! And if he just accidentally dies, that’s just one fewer of us to fight later, right?” He glared at Angel. How could he even think that this plan would work?
“Brother,” Angel said. “Damiana believes that Rafe is on her side. She wants him to infiltrate us to betray us. She won’t believe that he is actually betraying her.”
“And what if he really isn’t betraying her? What if this was his intention all along? What if he wanted to gain our trust and then trick us into going along with this stupid plan to divide and kill us?”
Rafe shook his head in frustration. “You’ve read my mind. You know the truth, Ar’ch. I mean, I’m flattered that you think I could be that manipulative, but it isn’t true. If it were, you would have seen that for yourself when you read my memories and thoughts.”
Ar’ch glared at him. “Maybe Damiana did some crazy stuff to your head to block the truth from me.”
“Are you kidding me? My moth – Damiana is starting to lose it. How much time are we going to waste arguing, and what will that time cost Sofia?”
“Your mother, huh?” he said sarcastically, catching his blunder, and looked at Angel. “Did you catch that slip, brother?”
Angel sighed. “Rafe has called Damiana his mother for the past eighteen years, Ar’ch. Cut him some slack. He is not our enemy. Didn’t Cybil and Patrysha already make that clear to you? Didn’t they explain to you that he is on our side and that we must work together to save Sofia?” When he didn’t answer, Angel continued, “Plus, this is the plan. I’m sorry that you don’t agree, but Rafe and I have gone through it repeatedly, and it’s going to work.”
Realizing that he had already lost the argument, Ar’ch said, “Then, I’m going with Rafe instead of you.”
“Absolutely not!” Rafe and Angel said simultaneously.
He held out his hand to stop their refusal. “This is not up for negotiation. Like you said, Cybil said that the Goddess proclaimed that we must work together, and you need me to read Damiana’s mind to find out the best way to break Sofia and Liana out of their cells.”
“So, you plan on saving Liana, too?” Angel asked in shock.
Ar’ch lost his attitude for a moment. “Of course, I’m going to save Liana. She’s your seed mother.”
“Yes, but you said that you didn’t trust her since she had become friends with Damiana.”
He took a deep breath. “I did say that, but I also saw what Damiana has done to her through Rafe’s memories, and it’s clear that Liana never betrayed our family.”
Angel hugged him. “Thank you, but I still don’t think you should be the one to go.”
“I am not letting you go,” he said and then turned to Rafe. “You need to report back to Damiana, but she will never believe that we let you go without us, so what does it matter which one of us you take back unconscious?”
Rafe looked at Angel before replying to him. “She will never believe that I could overpower you.”
Ar’ch saw the look of hurt on Angel’s face, but he also agreed with Rafe. Still, he refused to let Rafe take Angel. “You will tell her that you used your skill to knock me out while I slept.”
Rafe looked at Angel for help. Angel just shrugged. Rafe looked back at Ar’ch to try to argue again, but Ar’ch spoke before he even had the chance to think of something to say.
“You both know I’m right. Like I said, this is non-negotiable, so let’s stop wasting time arguing and figure out the best way to do this.”
Angel smiled. “Fine, have it your way.”
Rafe looked over to him in panic; Ar’ch knew that he did not want to bring him along. Ar’ch looked over at Angel to figure out his new angle; he did not expect Angel to give in so quickly.
“Rafe has the ability to paralyze the body which will make it seem like you are knocked out. In order for you to still use your skills, your mind will have to be free of paralysis, so you will simply need to control your facial expressions,” Angel explained.
&
nbsp; Ar’ch chuckled as he realized his predicament. “So, you are saying that I will not be able to move whatsoever, and that I’ll be at Rafe’s mercy?”
Rafe smirked. “You can always suffocate me to death. Then again, you may not ever get out of my paralysis if you do that.”
Ar’ch wanted to choke Rafe just for a little bit of fun, but Angel touched his arm and said, “Trust, brother. You need to trust.”
He rolled his eyes. “Fine, I’m paralyzed. Then what?”
Rafe dropped the teasing. “When I meet with Damiana, you can search her mind for the best way to open the cell to get Sofia and Liana free.”
Ar’ch shook his head. “Damiana will feel me trying to get through her shield.”
“Damiana doesn’t keep her shield up at home. She believes she is invincible,” Rafe replied.
“Great! That’s perfect!” he replied.
“Meanwhile, I will help Father perfect the teleporting device that he is working on,” Angel said.
“Why can’t we just transport back here using Damiana’s portal?” Ar’ch asked.
“Once Damiana knows that I’ve betrayed her, she will close all of the portals. That place is very well-protected,” Rafe said.
“Okay, but if we see an opportunity to save them both now, we take it. Agreed?” he asked.
“This is only supposed to be to gather information. Sofia and Liana are guarded by deminions, and to get down there, you need access to the dungeons. I only know two people who have access, and neither one of them is going to be willing to help us.”
“I can force them to help us,” he said.
Rafe shook his head. “Reading Damiana’s thoughts is one thing; trying to manipulate her thoughts won’t work. She’s too strong, Ar’ch. She’s much stronger than you. If you try to do that, she will kill us both.”
“What about the other person who has access?”
“Khameel. He might keep his shields in place. I don’t know. I also don’t know if you can manipulate his thoughts long enough to free Sofia and Liana. Plus, I think he only has access down to the stairs. I don’t think he can unlock them.”
“What about the guards?”
“Have you ever been able to manipulate a demon or deminion’s mind before?”
Ar’ch pressed his lips together. “I am stronger than I used to be, so maybe I could.”
“But if you fail, then we will both die,” Rafe said.
“Look, I’m all for being cautious, but if the opportunity is there, we have to try to free them.”
Rafe looked at Angel who nodded. He exhaled in defeat. “If I think we can successfully escape, then we will save them, but you have to let me be the one to make that call.”
Ar’ch took a deep breath and then nodded. “Agreed…brother.”
Angel looked at Rafe, who stood completely still with his last word. Angel embraced Ar’ch and whispered, “Thank you. I know you are not happy with this, but I am grateful that you are trying.”
Ar’ch nodded and then said, “Let’s bring Sofia and Liana home.”
Chapter Twelve
Angel walked into Nolan’s lab and found him hunched over his desk. Memories of his dad tinkering with objects rushed back to him, making him smile. When he was a youngling, he would sometimes come down and watch his father work on various devices for his comrades. His father had always seemed to know how to make objects more functional. This lab was his father’s equivalent to a human’s man cave, except his father rarely spent time in it anymore, at least until recently.
“Good morning, Father,” he said as he approached. “How is your experiment going?”
Nolan looked up and lifted his magnifying glasses, placing them on top of his head. “It’s coming along. I just can’t seem to work out a few kinks.”
“Are those kinks serious?”
His father chuckled. “Well, those kinks prevent the device from working, so yes, they are serious.”
“Is there anything that I can do to help?”
“Actually, there is. I need a test subject who cannot transport himself. Since I have that ability, I’m finding it hard to see whether the device is working or if I am using my skill.”
“I’d love to help you,” he said. “What do I do?”
Nolan laughed. “Son, wouldn’t you prefer to spend time with Rafe and Ar’ch?”
He took a deep breath. “Actually, they aren’t available.”
Nolan’s eyebrows furrowed. “And why not?”
He swallowed, anticipating his father’s response. “They left to check in on Sofia and Liana.”
“They did what!” Nolan yelled, slamming his hands onto his work table. “Why was I not informed about this?”
Angel took a step back and debated whether to lessen his father’s anger. He wisely decided against it, knowing that the manipulation would not be welcomed in that moment. “We came up with the plan late last night and they left early this morning. I promised them that I would share the plan with you when I saw you.”
His father stood and began pacing. “Why was I not told before they left?”
He grimaced and sheepishly said, “Did you not teach us that sometimes it is better to ask for forgiveness than for permission?” Angel prayed his father remembered that it was his idea to not keep Sofia a secret from the High Council but then to keep Rafe a secret.
Nolan stopped pacing and glared at his son. “I never -” he stopped mid-sentence. He groaned and exhaled in frustration. “Your brother created this plan, didn’t he?”
“Which one?” he replied with a smile, although he knew full well that Nolan meant Ar’ch, especially since Rafe was technically not his brother at all. Nolan gave him that you-know-very-well-which-one look, which made Angel laugh. “You are wrong. It was my idea. Originally, Rafe wanted to take me, but you know Ar’ch. He has to have all of the fun.”
His father frowned. “This is no joking matter, son. Damiana could kill them both. What are they thinking!”
“Father, our plan will work. Trust us.”
“Your plan? What exactly is this plan of yours?”
He gave his father the details of the plan and how safe it should really be. Nolan sat back down and wiped his face with his hand, accidentally getting grease on his forehead. Angel stayed quiet; he knew that a bit of grease was the least of his father’s worries at that given moment.
“What if something goes wrong?”
He smiled reassuringly. “It won’t, Father. Trust in Ar’ch. He still has full use of his skills. He will be fine.”
“I pray to the Goddess you are right, son. And when he comes back safe and sound, I will have a few choice words for him. Until then, let’s see if we can get this thing working.”
“I think that is a great plan. How do I help?” Angel then set about keeping his father immersed on his new device and hoped that it kept both him and his father distracted enough that they didn’t worry about Ar’ch and Rafe.
-o-
“Ready?” Rafe asked.
Ar’ch took a calming breath. “Just remember that I can still suffocate you if you betray us.”
He rolled his eyes. “I would recommend that you lie down. Once I use my powers, you won’t be able to move, which means you will fall flat on your face. As much as a part of me would enjoy watching that, I do not want you to retaliate.”
Ar’ch smiled. “Smart guy. You must get that from our mother,” he said and lay down. “Can you freeze my face and still allow me control over my mind? I would rather not have to focus on keeping my facial expressions blank.”
He laughed. “I will try.”
Ar’ch nodded. “Do it.”
Rafe called his affinity to earth forward and brought a gradual heaviness to Ar’ch. He would have knocked him out cold, but he needed his ability to read minds to be fully functional. He started at Ar’ch’s feet and worked his way up. When he finished, he said, “Alright, you are perfectly paralyzed. Can you still communicate with me?”
&nbs
p; Do you hear me right now? Ar’ch projected into his mind.
He nodded and then realized that Ar’ch couldn’t see him with his eyes sealed shut. “Yes, I hear you.”
Great! Let’s do this then.
“And now, for the final touch,” he said, almost to himself. He created vines and had them wrap themselves around Ar’ch’s body. He then picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. “You are heavy, much heavier than Sofia.”
Get over it.
Rafe rolled his eyes and then used his erport to enter Damiana’s home. His heart raced. His plan had seemed perfect until he landed in the portal room at Damiana’s house.
I can feel your heart beating out of your chest. Relax. Damiana will suspect something if you are not your usual self around her.
Rafe took a deep breath. “I can’t carry you the whole time.” He placed Ar’ch gently on the floor and then said, “Wait here.” He laughed when he realized that Ar’ch didn’t have a choice. He went to the closet hidden in the wall and extracted a hover board that they used to transport items. He placed Ar’ch onto the board and then linked the board to him so that it would follow him. “Much better.”
Just as he stepped out of the portal, Khameel exited Damiana’s office. Startled, he looked quizzically at Rafe and then embraced him. “It’s so good to see you, but what are you doing here?”
Rafe laughed. “I needed to speak with my mother, but my comm device stopped working.”
“How did you get away?” Khameel asked and then noticed Ar’ch lying on the hover board. “Rafe, what is he doing here?”
He looked at Ar’ch and then back at Khameel. “I had to knock him out to come here.”
Khameel pressed his lips together and shook his head. “Your mother is not going to be happy about this.”
“Where is she?”
He pointed behind him. “She’s in her office. Let me get her for you.”
Khameel disappeared back into Damiana’s office, giving him time to take a deep breath. Relax. You’re doing fine. Rafe heard Ar’ch say in his mind. He took another deep breath when Damiana came out of her office and embraced him in a hug.
The One Awakened Page 8
