by S. J. West
“I’m going to go up and change my clothes,” Chandler tells me, choosing to ignore Malcolm. “It’s getting close to time, right?”
I nod. “Yes. We’ll try taking Lilly with us within the hour.”
“Ok, cool. I’ll go ahead and get ready then,” Chandler says, walking into the house and up to his room.
We had given each of the vessels a room in the beach house. They stayed in them when they came to visit, and kept a few of their belongings permanently stored here to bring along with them during these attempts to reach alternate Earth. I waited a few minutes more before reluctantly telling everyone that it was time to bring the party to an end for the evening.
After most everyone is gone, I help change Brynlee and Max out of their wet swimsuits in the bedroom they share. I hold back tears at the thought of leaving my children behind. I don’t want to, but I also don’t want them to keep hearing me scream out every time I wake up from one of my dreams. About a year ago, they stopped asking me what made me cry out in the night. I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one. The last thing I wanted was for them to think that what I did was normal, and I didn’t want to be a source of their own nightmares.
Mama Lynn walks into the room.
“All set for the sleepover?” Mama Lynn asks Brynlee and Max, doing her best to sound cheery.
“Yes, Grandma,” they both say, as I button the last button on Brynlee’s Cinderella pajama top.
Max grabs his overnight bag from his Darth Vader-themed bed, and Brynlee grabs her Tinkerbell case and favorite teddy bear from her Disney Princess one. Mason comes into the room, and we both bend down on our knees to give the kids a hug.
“Now, you do whatever your grandmother asks you to while you’re with her and Grandpa George,” I tell them.
“We will,” Max promises me, taking on the role of leader since he’s the big brother. “Are you taking your big trip tonight or coming to get us in the morning?”
“I don’t know yet,” I tell him. “But if it doesn’t work this time, your daddy and I will be there bright and early tomorrow to have breakfast with you.”
Max nods his head in understanding. Brynlee lets her bag and bear fall to the floor as she throws her arms around my neck for a tight hug.
“Good luck, Mommy,” she says, knowing even at her young age that my need to go on my ‘trip’ is important to me.
We didn’t give the children any specifics about where it was we were trying to go, but we did tell them that some people were in trouble and that they needed our help. More than that wasn’t necessary at their age. They wouldn’t be able to fully grasp the situation we were walking into, and they didn’t need to. One member of the family having nightmares about it was bad enough.
“Thank you, baby,” I tell her, hugging her fiercely. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Mommy,” she says, pulling back to give me a kiss on the lips to punctuate her words.
I give Max a hug and a kiss, too. “Take care of your sister.”
“I will,” he promises.
Mason and I stand back up.
Mama Lynn holds her arms out to me.
“I need a hug, too, just in case,” she says, holding back her own tears.
“It probably won’t even work,” I tell her, trying to ease her worry as I give her a hug. “It hasn’t so far.”
“I know,” she says as I pull away. “But…this time seems different for some reason. I can’t shake the feeling that I won’t be seeing you for a while.”
“Well, I guess we’ll know soon enough.”
“Call me if it doesn’t work so I can get some sleep tonight.”
“I will,” I promise.
While Mason takes Mama Lynn and our children to her house, I pull out my white leather outfit and change into it for the trip. After I strap my baldric on and have my sword securely settled in its sheath, I strap on my thigh holster with my plasma pistol. I walk over to the closet and grab my black leather messenger bag from the top shelf. The bag has been packed since the first time we tried to reach alternate Earth. Though, I did make sure to change out the granola and chocolate bars I had stashed in it for emergencies every few months. Each of us had a bag of some sort so we would at least have a change of clothing, toiletries, and food to last a couple of days. I wasn’t sure what we would find once we actually got to our destination, but I knew we needed to travel there as prepared as possible.
“Got everything?” Mason asks after he phases back into our bedroom.
“I think so,” I reply, wracking my brain to make sure I’m not forgetting anything. I absently toy with the locket my father gave me as I think.
“No hurry,” Mason tells me, walking over to a window in the room and moving the sheer curtain aside to peer outside. “People are still saying their goodbyes. We should probably give them a few more minutes. We still need to take a few people back home.”
I walk over to the window and see Faison hugging Zack out by the pool area. He’s saying something to her, and she’s nodding at whatever it is. I’m sure he’s just reassuring her that everything will be all right. I don’t see Leah and Joshua or Brand and Lilly, but I’m sure they’re doing much the same thing.
“I thought Brand might want to stay and watch to see what happens,” I say.
“He does, but Lilly doesn’t want him to,” Mason replies, letting the curtain fall back into place as he gives me his full attention. “I think it’s easier for her if he leaves first.”
“She really thinks she’s going,” I say, resigned to the fact that it could be true.
“Yes, I think she does.”
“Has Jered brought Tristan over yet?”
“They’re down in the living room, waiting for us,” Mason informs me.
Since Tristan left Lilly’s home to strike out on his own, he and Jered have developed an almost father/son type of relationship. Jered’s son had been killed the night he and the other Watchers under Lucifer’s control attacked us at Mama Lynn’s house, right before my wedding to Mason. Jered didn’t blame Mason for killing his son. He only blamed himself for letting his anger control him for so long, which ultimately led to his son’s unfortunate death.
We kept Tristan away from Lilly’s family because of the connection he and Mae seemed to share. None of us really understood it, not even Tristan, but we all agreed it wasn’t a safe friendship to continue. Tristan was the only known Watcher child who ever broke his bond with his father. We feared Tristan’s father might retaliate against anyone close to his son, finding a way to punish him for what he viewed as a betrayal. None of us, especially Tristan, wanted to place Mae in harm’s way. Tristan rarely asked about her. I think it was easier for him not to think about Mae or anyone else he cared about. He kept to himself, for the most part, only allowing Jered to be his tie to the outside world.
I felt fortunate that he’d offered to go to alternate Earth with us. His inclusion into our party had been a big surprise to everyone. Tristan seemed to view it as God’s way of giving him a purpose. He needed something tangible to hold on to and give his new life meaning. Let’s face it, if a mission from God doesn’t keep you motivated and hopeful, nothing will.
Since Tristan was still cursed with the transformation every night, he chose to live by himself in a secluded part of the Siberian Taiga Forest in northern Russia. Since the uninhabited area stretched for well over 62,000 square miles, it was the perfect place for a werewolf to live safely away from civilization. From what I was told, Jered found a secluded valley surrounded by mountainous terrain that was about 160 miles away from the nearest city. Humans could only reach it by helicopter or a seven-day canoe trip down the river, beside which Tristan’s cabin had been built. Tristan was able to transform freely at night and roam the forested area in the safe knowledge that he wouldn’t run into a human. His life wasn’t one I would want for myself, but after so many years of being exploited by his father, Tristan seemed to welcome the solitude and time to think
. Only Jered and Malcolm knew the exact location of Tristan’s sanctuary for security purposes. None of us wanted his father to accidentally find him.
While I sit on the side of the bed and recheck the contents of my messenger bag, Mason changes into an outfit similar to mine, except his pants aren’t leather. They’re made out of a cotton material Mason preferred wearing.
As Mason looks through the backpack he’s taking, I secure my own over my left shoulder.
“Are you ready?” I ask him.
“I’ve been ready to get this over with,” he replies, putting his pack on his back before holding out one of his hands for me to take. “I would like it if my wife could get a good night’s sleep for once.”
I slip one of my hands into Mason’s hand.
“Then let’s go see if this is the night,” I tell him.
We walk down the stairs and into the living room, to find Jered and Tristan waiting for us. They’re both dressed in outfits identical to the one Mason is wearing. JoJo made them for all the boys, including Malcolm. Since we weren’t sure what the exact conditions would be on alternate Earth, we decided clothes that kept our bodies at a constant temperature and allowed us to become invisible at will would be prudent.
“Hey, Tristan,” I say, as we walk up to him and Jered. “How have you been?”
“I’m well, Jess. Thanks for asking,” Tristan answers. “Happy birthday, by the way.”
“Thanks,” I reply.
“It’s about time for us to meet the others on the patio,” Mason says. “Let’s get this over with, and find out where we’ll be spending the rest of our evening.”
Jered and Tristan follow us out of the house. We find my fellow vessels standing in an unfinished circle on the brick patio between the pool area and beach. Jered and Tristan join Brand, Lilly, Malcolm, Faison, and Joshua in the center.
The other vessels and I still found it easier to combine our powers to transport us to our inner realm if we concentrated on some sort of external rhythmic sound. Sometimes we still used the crackling of a fire to focus on, and sometimes we used the sound of the ocean.
“If this doesn’t work,” Lilly tells Brand, “I’ll let you know right away.”
Brand holds both of Lilly’s hands with his, and I notice him squeeze them a little tighter, as though he doesn’t want to let her go just yet.
“Just promise me that you’ll stay close to Jess, Mason, or Malcolm. Don’t go off on your own. As long as I know you’re with one of them, I won’t worry as much about you.”
“For the hundredth time,” Lilly says in a patient, yet exasperated, voice, “I promise I won’t try to play the hero there. Coming home to you and the kids is my first priority.”
“Don’t worry, Brand,” Malcolm says. “I promise nothing will happen to Lilly. She’ll stay somewhere safe, whether she wants to or not.”
“I’m a grown woman,” Lilly says. I can tell by the inflection of her voice that she’s trying to control her temper with the overprotective men in her life. “But I don’t think the two of you will ever come to terms with that fact.”
“You could be a hundred years old and we would still worry about you, dearest,” Malcolm says. “That’s just who we are and who we will always be. You know that.”
Lilly sighs in resignation. “Yes, I know.”
Brand leans in and kisses Lilly lightly on the lips. I’m sure a more passionate goodbye happened earlier between the two of them, but in public, they keep it chaste.
“I love you,” Brand whispers to her.
“I love you, too,” Lilly whispers back, doing her best to smile at Brand reassuringly, and almost pulling off the illusion.
Brand turns to Malcolm.
“Take me back home,” he requests.
Malcolm steps from his place beside Lilly in the middle of the circle of vessels and places a hand on Brand’s shoulder to phase him home.
Faison gives Zack one last hug, whispering something meant only for him. Whatever her words were, they make Zack smile. When Faison pulls away, she kisses him on the lips before walking over to Mason.
“I’m ready to go home, too,” she tells my husband.
Mason rests a hand on one of her arms and phases her back to Mama Lynn’s house.
“Ready to go, Joshua?” Jered asks our technologically-gifted young friend.
“Yeah,” he replies, giving Leah one more hug. “Don’t let that other Joshua give you any grief.”
Leah smiles at Joshua’s hint of jealousy.
“I probably won’t even notice he’s there,” she tells him, trying to take away his worry that the feelings she had for Joshua’s counterpart in the alternate reality will return when she sees him again.
It strikes me as odd that everyone seems so sure our attempt will work this time. Yet something still doesn’t quite seem right to me.
Joshua lets Leah go, and walks over to Jered in the middle of our circle. Once Jered and Joshua are gone, the other vessels and I tighten our ranks around Lilly and Tristan. All we have to do now is wait for Mason, Malcolm, and Jered to return.
Only… they don’t make it back before an unexpected visitor arrives.
Lucifer phases into our circle, right beside Lilly.
“Happy birthday, Jessica,” he says, staring at me with a half-smile lifting the corners of his mouth. Unfortunately, I don’t see any warmth for me in his eyes; not like I used to.
Without having to be asked, Lilly backs away from Lucifer to stand closer to me. Tristan stays exactly where he is, looking ready to attack our unwanted guest at a moment’s notice.
“What are you doing here, Lucifer?” I ask him, prepared to pull my sword from its sheath if he’s come for a fight.
Lucifer shrugs his shoulders. “I thought it was a human custom to wish your friends a happy birthday.”
“So are we magically friends again?” I ask, not fooled by his flimsy excuse. “I don’t think friends try to kill you every chance they get.”
“And here I thought you preferred challenging fights.”
“I’m not a fool, Lucifer. Why are you really here?” I ask more stridently, knowing him well enough to understand that he wouldn’t have come without having a specific purpose.
“I want to see if you actually make it back to the alternate Earth you keep trying to return to.”
I stand in silence for a moment, stunned that Lucifer knows so much about my plans.
“How did you know that’s what we’ve been doing?”
“I have eyes and ears everywhere, Jessica. You haven’t exactly been keeping this a very good secret. I’ve known about your plans for a few years now.”
“Why do you care if we make it back there or not?” I ask, trying to control the rapid beating of my heart. I begin to wonder if it’s trying to warn me about something.
Lucifer looks uncomfortable by my question, as though he doesn’t want to answer it.
Mason, Malcolm, and Jered phase back inside the circle at almost the same instant.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Malcolm asks Lucifer tersely.
All three of our Watchers and Tristan surround Lucifer within their own protective circle, preparing to pounce on him at the first sign of trouble.
Lucifer puts his hands up in the air at shoulder level, as if to show the other men he has nothing in his hands and means us no harm.
“I’m not here to fight, gentlemen,” Lucifer says. “I’m only here to observe what happens.”
“Why?” Mason asks curtly.
Mason has always hated Lucifer. The war in Heaven was something Mason could never forgive him for, but I also knew my husband resented him for hurting me so much when he ended our friendship.
“Let’s call it morbid curiosity,” Lucifer replies, not in the least bit concerned about the four men surrounding him.
“It doesn’t matter what his reason is,” I tell the others, holding out my hands to JoJo and Chandler, who are on either side of me. “He can’t bother us
after we leave.” I look at Lilly. “If it isn’t you, phase home to Brand immediately. Andre and Brutus are there looking after your family while Malcolm is away. They can handle anything Lucifer might have planned if he follows you.”
Lilly nods in understanding. If she isn’t meant to travel with us, I want to make sure she isn’t left alone with Lucifer any longer than necessary. Though, my heart tells me Lucifer wouldn’t intentionally set out to kill Lilly. She was Michael’s daughter, after all, and no matter how much Lucifer protested to hate his best friend, I felt sure he wouldn’t personally try to kill her again because of that connection. It may have just been my imagination but, while Lucifer and I were friends, he seemed to view humans differently than he once did.
“Let’s go,” I tell the others, closing my eyes to concentrate on forming our inner realm.
“Safe travels, Jessica,” Lucifer says, even though it doesn’t come out sounding genuine.
I always know exactly when our private realm has been created. There is a slight shift in the atmosphere around us that allows me to discern between our reality and the one found within our realm. After I sense that it’s been constructed, I open my eyes to find out whether or not Lilly has been allowed inside.
I feel a sense of relief when I see that she isn’t with us.
And a sense of dread when I see that Lucifer is.
I stare at him for a moment before shaking my head and whispering, “Crap.”
Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes – who are they, and where did they come from?"
Revelation 7:13
CHAPTER FOUR
Everyone seems to be in a state of shock as we all stare dumbfounded at Lucifer.
Earlier in the day, I made a wish that Lilly wouldn’t be the missing member of our group. Now, I realize I should have also made that wish a little more specific by excluding certain people from the pool of possible candidates as her replacement.
