“I agree. Drake will not harm her or allow her to be harmed, which means the war will be held on our day at our location. You selected wisely.”
Lucas smiled and stood. “Thank you, friend. Now, let us go and begin the necessary preparations. We have but a few days before our fates are determined.”
He said his goodbyes and then stepped outside to look for Valerie. He knew she would be waiting for him. He found her sitting on a bench, looking out over the water. She seemed lost in thought, and he didn’t want to disturb her, so he leaned against a tree and observed her for a few moments.
He remembered the first time he had seen her. Her long, brown hair had been pulled back into a tight braid, just like she had it now. Her light green eyes looked almost clear when the sun shone on them, which made the dark, green specks vibrantly stand out. She had been walking with another classmate when a group of boys had started harassing her. He had watched her turn around and pull her weapon to call, a bow and arrow, and aim it at the chest of the ring leader.
Nolan smiled at the memory. The boys had quickly dispersed, and she called her weapon back before continuing with her conversation as if nothing had happened. He didn’t know it then, but she had already captured a piece of his heart, though the journey to accept her into his life had been a long one. Thinking back to all they had been through over their life years, he thanked the Goddess that he had come to his senses and had given his heart to her.
She turned his way and smiled, and his heart melted all over again. When she stood, he walked over to her, took her in his arms, and tenderly placed a long kiss upon her lips. “What was that for?” she said with a sigh.
“For loving me and never giving up on us,” he replied.
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, “How about you take me home and give me a longer version of that appreciation?”
“It would be my pleasure,” he said and kissed her again. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Alexandra stood before her mirror, studying her features and reflecting upon her life. She couldn’t believe she had already lived 59 life years. Where had the time gone? The past two life years had sucked the energy right out of her. She combed her long, gray hair, recalling how it had turned its silvery color prematurely and how devastated she had been, thinking that it made her look old. She had since learned to love its color and how silky it always felt. She tied it tightly at the crown of her head and then wrapped it until it made a bun. Then, she weaved the remaining hair through the center of the bun so that it cascaded down to her mid-back.
She smiled at its elegance and noticed the fine lines around her lips. She was not the young woman she had once been, but her beauty had not faded. She looked at her dark green eyes with their light green specks and recalled many a man swooning over her back in the day, back before she gave her complete heart to one man. She looked away from the mirror. Drake had accepted her love and affection but had never been free to give all of himself to her, and she had accepted that. She had told herself that part of him was better than none of him, but now, with the realities of war looming in front of her, she wasn’t so sure that that was true.
She had so much anger and hatred for her sister. Since the moment she was born, her parents had doted on Valerie. Alexandra had had so much freedom until her birth. She was a full Diasodz by then and had been living an independent life, but with Valerie’s birth, her parents had asked her to move back home. She begrudgingly did so. Then, the responsibility of babysitting Valerie and caring for her when her parents were away on missions became hers. Valerie had stolen her freedom, and she had hated it.
Once Valerie transitioned, Alexandra found her liberty again and returned to the training center to become a trainer. She had finally found her place in the world when her parents decided that Valerie needed to train at the same camp where she worked. If only she had insisted that Valerie be sent to a different camp, then she and Drake may have had a chance to fall in love. He had been completely into her until her little sister seduced him away from her. She had resented Valerie as a child, but taking Drake’s affection away from her caused Alexandra to hate her sister. She knew that she would never forgive her.
Retreating from her thoughts of the past, Alexandra raised her head and straightened her shoulders. She made sure that her royal purple pant suit looked sharp and took a deep breath. She mentally rehearsed what she needed to say to Drake to complete her task. She still seethed that Lucas had called her out in front of the entire council. How dare he insinuate that she was a traitor!
She had never turned against the Goddess. Ever. She was not a Raizyn. She truly loved Drake, but she could never denounce the Goddess the way a Raizyn must do. It was both a badge of pride and a burdened curse for her because it kept her from truly being Drake’s. Sure, she wanted him to have his revenge on her sister and Nolan because of all the pain that they had brought into his life and indirectly to hers. She had wanted them to suffer, but she never thought that Damiana would become so powerful that she might have the ability to destroy the Diasodz completely.
How many times had Alexandra wished that Drake would leave Damiana? How many rejections did it take for her to accept that he would never be hers? Even with him knowing that Damiana had lost her mind, he still refused to leave her side. And now Lucas was forcing her to give Drake the final declaration of war. He was giving her the opportunity to change sides if she wanted to. All she had to do was stay with Drake.
Alexandra swallowed back her tears. Every fiber of her being loved Drake, every inch of her heart craved his touch, but her soul only knew one commitment, and it was that of her Goddess. She could not betray that. She took a deep breath, and with solemn resolve, she went to meet the love of her life for the last time.
Drake embraced her the moment she appeared in front of him. “I wasn’t expecting to see you again before the war. Has something happened? Are you all right?”
She breathed in his smell, knowing that she would never be this close to him again. She pushed those thoughts away; she did not want to fall apart in front of him. She pulled away from his hug and attempted to smile. “I am here on official business.”
His expression saddened, but he nodded his understanding. “I had hoped they would send you so that I may see you again.”
She clenched her teeth and swallowed. “They have accepted your summons to war.”
He smiled tightly. “I figured as much. And they have sent you as their messenger to shove it in my face that you are against me.”
She could not keep the sadness from her eyes. “Drake, I could never be against you. I love you.”
He nodded. “I know, but you could never stand by my side, either.”
“I hate my sister and want to see her suffer, but I cannot abandon my Goddess, Drake.”
“Alex -” he began to say and then stopped. Whatever he had planned to say was left unsaid. He stood taller and replied, “I do not want to see you suffering. Say what needs to be said so that you can release the burden placed upon you.”
She nodded. “On the authority of the High Council of Caelagios, I hereby inform you that we have accepted your summons to war. The war between the Raizyns and Diasodz will take place on the fourth of August on the Elemental Fields. Do you accept our terms?”
“I accept those terms. The war will begin an hour after the sun has fully risen as is our custom,” he replied.
“I will inform the High Council of your acceptance,” she said and turned to leave.
Drake grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. Before Alexandra could say anything, he kissed her. The kiss told her that she meant the world to him and that she was still not enough. It melted her and broke her heart. It was a kiss of finality, and they both knew it.
Alexandra pulled away from the kiss and said, “Blessed be, Drake. I love you.”
He cupped her face and caressed her cheek. “Goodbye, Alex.”
Alexandra turned away, and this time he did not stop her. She placed her hand on the portal and held her breath until she stood within the confinements of her home. Only then did she allow herself to collapse to her perfectly polished floor and cry for all that she had lost and all that never was.
-o-
Drake entered his home, relieved. The war was set. He could not turn back now. Soon it would all be over, and he planned to be on the winning side. He felt the adrenaline pulsing through his veins. He could not wait to have his children back by his side. He knew he would need to repair his relationship with the two of them, but he would worry about that after the war.
It had killed him to see the pain in Alexandra’s eyes when she had delivered the news, but he had always been honest with her. He had always known that they would never be together, just as he had known in the deepest recesses of his soul that Valerie could never be his. They both loved the Goddess too much to ever abandon Her power over them. Still, he hoped that, after the war, Alexandra could find it in her heart to continue to be his friend.
He found Damiana in the conference room with Khameel and Martin. They all looked up when he entered the room. “Gather our troops, boys. The High Council has agreed to our war, not that they had much choice,” he said with a hearty laugh.
“Yes!” Damiana shouted. “When and where?”
Drake ignored her. “Khameel and Martin, have all of the demons and deminions meet us in the throne room so that we can share the news with them.”
They stood and bowed. “Yes, my king,” they said in unison and then left to fulfill his orders.
Before Damiana could say anything, he turned around and left the room. He went directly to the throne room and sat upon his throne. He noticed that the floor had been fixed to cover the damage that had been done when Ar’ch and Rafe had saved Sofia from that awful cell. He hated that they had taken her from him, but he was also grateful that they had released her from that prison.
Damiana sauntered in slowly and sat regally on her throne. He knew that she had too much pride to beg him for the information. She would give him the satisfaction of announcing the particulars of this war to everyone.
Once all the demons and deminions arrived, he said, “The time has come for us to take our rightful place in our world. By the old laws, the High Council has agreed to our summons to war and has set the date and location. We will defeat the Diasodz on August fourth at the Elemental Fields.”
Raucous cheers filled the room as the demons and deminions celebrated the news. He smiled at his army. They had been training for life years for this very moment. Their desire for true freedom and respect was stronger than the Diasodz’s desire to defeat them. He knew that his army would not stop until they won, and he had full faith in them.
He worried most for his children. Drake raised his hand and the crowd immediately fell silent. “We will fight the Diasodz to their deaths. Any who try to harm us will perish. The only two that you cannot and will not harm are my children. As my children, they are Raizyns, and they will not be touched.”
“Now, wait a minute,” Damiana said. “Rafe is not a Raizyn. He is part Diasodz and he has chosen to be a Diasodz. He betrayed us and stole our savior from us. If he attacks our people, then they have every right to kill him.”
“Absolutely not,” Drake said and looked out to his army. “You may defend yourself, but no harm will come to either of my children.” Many of the deminions looked hesitantly at Damiana. She smirked at their loyalty to her over him. How dare she think she was going to command his army. Knowing his rights as king, he said, “Demons and deminions, I order you not to harm Rafe or Sofia. That is a direct order. Do you understand?”
Every demon and deminion stood at attention and said, “Yes, my king.”
Damiana rolled her eyes, but he didn’t care. No demon or deminion could disobey a direct order from their king or queen. Since Drake had just given his direct order, she could not make an order that conflicted his. Satisfied that his children would be unharmed, he relaxed and said, “Now, this calls for a celebration! Jade, tonight we will have the biggest party we have ever had. Tonight, we celebrate our future success.”
His Raizyns cheered while he sat on his throne and absorbed the excitement in the room. Just a few more days and he would be reunited with his children. Just a few more days and the world would be his.
-o-
Martin cheered with the rest of the crowd at Drake’s announcement. He turned to watch his fellow demons and deminions celebrating and caught Harmony standing toward the back with a frown upon her face. He waited until Drake dismissed them and then slowly made his way to her. When he reached her, he kissed her and pulled her into an embrace.
“Smile, my love. You are supposed to be happy,” he whispered in her ear.
“How can anyone celebrate war?” she whispered back. “People will die on both sides, Martin. I don’t want to be a part of death.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and casually followed the crowds toward the patio area. Once they were alone, he said, “Harmony, you must fight. You cannot refuse to partake in this war. Damiana will kill you.”
She pulled away from her husband. “I don’t care about Damiana, but don’t you worry. I have every intention of fighting. I will be fighting against anyone who even dares to come anywhere near our daughter.”
Martin sighed. He knew Damiana would punish them both if she harmed another Raizyn in the war, but he would accept whatever punishment came their way. He pulled Harmony back into his arms. “And I will be at your side, making sure that no one harms you.”
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “Do you mean that?”
“I left you once and betrayed you once more after that, and still, you chose to love me. I will not abandon you again,” he said and kissed her. He meant every word of it. Damiana was a great queen and had allowed him to lead her army, but he would give it all up to lead a peaceful life with his wife once the war ended. He held Harmony in his arms and hoped to spend the rest of his days making her happy.
-o-
Khameel entered his room in the early hours of the morning. The party continued up above, but he was ready to call it a night. He had enjoyed the celebration for a bit, but he felt too subdued to partake in it any longer. He thought back to his life before joining the Raizyns and how that decision had changed him.
He thought of his mother, Katarina, and how she had indirectly been the reason he had left his Diasodz life. His parents had had a love-hate relationship for his first ten years of life. His father had always felt that they weren’t doing right by the Goddess by living in Caelagios, and his mother refused to give up her position on the High Council to live on Earth, so they had many arguments. Khameel could almost still hear the harsh insults they threw at each other in their heated moments.
Eventually, his father decided to move to Earth by himself. He hoped to prove to her that they could live a happy life on Earth. His father had promised to come back for him once he was settled, but Khameel never heard from him again. From that point forward, his mother became even more immersed in the politics of the High Council. She spent less time with Khameel, leaving his care to the Curatus of the house.
Khameel resented the High Council and all that they stood for because they had torn apart his family. He hated his father for caring more about the Goddess than his own son, and he resented his mother for abandoning him to care about other people’s problems.
Once he transitioned into a full Diasodz, he went to warrior training. There, he immersed himself in learning everything he could about fighting. When his instructors spoke to him about the Goddess and Her love for him, their words fell on deaf ears. After he graduated from his training, he began to seek out anyone who spoke even slightly against the Goddess.
Eventually, he found his way to the Raizyns. When he met Drake, he knew Drake would ask him to take a soul oath, but he had no intention of being ruled by the Goddess or Lucifer. In
stead, he pledged himself to become Drake and Damiana’s spy. With time, he proved his loyalty to them and kept his freedom from being owned by any spiritual entity.
Now, the war that he had been waiting for was finally upon them, and he would be fighting against his mother’s precious Diasodz. He had lost touch with her so many years ago that he doubted that she would even recognize him. Did he want his mother dead? No, he didn’t, but a part of him really wanted to see her powerless and alone. He wouldn’t seek her out on the battlefield, and he wouldn’t try to protect her, either. She had made her choice long ago, and so had he.
If he regretted anything about going to war, it was that he was fighting against Z. The girl got under his skin like no one else had ever been able to do before. He felt that some cosmic energy wanted to link the two of them together, but he refused to let himself be ruled by anyone or anything, even his emotions. Z had asked him to give up fighting for Damiana; she had pointed out Damiana’s insanity.
If he were honest with himself, he could admit that his queen appeared to have lost her sanity a bit, but he wasn’t going to let that prevent him from standing by the demons and deminions who had trusted in him throughout their training. He was a leader to them, and he would see them through this war. After it ended, once he saw the list of survivors, he would determine the next step for his life. Until then, he looked forward to wreaking havoc on those who chose to justify hurting others in the name of their love for a Goddess.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Sofia sat on the bench in front of the fountain of the Goddess in their front yard. The Goddess looked serene and graceful as she stared to the heavens. Three marble angels sat on the edge of the fountain, looking up at her with admiration. The three angels were male and most likely represented the three archangels, but they reminded Sofia of Ar’ch, Angel, and Rafael. The three of them looked at her the way those three statues looked at the Goddess. They believed that she would save them.
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