by S. J. West
“Empress Annalisse,” I hear a familiar, welcoming voice call out.
I turn to see Olivia Ravensdale approach us.
“It’s so nice to see a friendly face, my dear,” Olivia says, leaning in to kiss me lightly on both cheeks. “I can’t say many of the other rulers here today have been in a very sociable mood.”
“Why?” I ask, not seeing any reason why Olivia would be shunned by the other cloud city royalty. I was confident that the distinction of being the black sheep among the royals belonged to me.
“It seems that a certain rebellious video that was shown a while back has caused an uproar among some of our neighbors.”
“Then I say it’s about time.”
Olivia smiles. “So do I, my dear. So do I.”
“Olivia,” I say in a quiet voice. “I’ve made good on my promise to you. Horatio can rest in peace now, and I hope it also gives you a small bit of comfort to know his murderer has paid for what he did.”
Olivia looks on the verge of tears at the mention of her husband’s untimely demise. But she simply nods her head and smiles sadly at the news.
“Thank you, Anna. I will rest a little easier now knowing his killer can’t harm anyone else.”
“Olivia,” Malcolm says, “have you seen Rafael Rossi since you’ve been here?”
“I did actually,” Olivia says looking troubled. “I have to say I’ve never seen him look so pale before. He’s usually the picture of health with his tanned skin, but he looked decidedly under the weather when I saw him.”
I immediately begin to scan the crowd for Baal wearing the skin of Emperor Rafael Rossi.
“Do you happen to know where he is now?” I ask her, not seeing Rafael among the crowd of people already gathered.
“No. I’m sorry. Was there something important you needed to discuss with him?” Olivia asks, sounding concerned she might be letting us down in some way.
“I’m sure he’ll find us,” I reassure her. “He has something of ours that we need back.”
“Well, if I see him, I will be sure to let you know.” Olivia’s attention is drawn by something over my left shoulder. I turn to see what she’s looking at and find Edgar Ellis, Emperor of Virga, standing by himself and looking somewhat lost.
“Would the two of you excuse me,” Olivia says. “Edgar looks like he could use an escort. I’m surprised Callum isn’t here. It’s not like his obnoxious son to miss an opportunity to show himself off.”
“Do you mind if I come with you?” I ask Olivia. “I would like to know where Callum is too.”
“Of course, my dear.”
“While you’re with Olivia and Edgar,” Malcolm says, “I’m going to see if I can find Rafael.”
“Good luck,” I say, lightly squeezing one of Malcolm’s forearms before I walk away with Olivia.
Edgar Ellis has always struck me as a distinguished looking gentleman and a leader who loves the people in his cloud city. Yet, he’s also part of the old regime and doesn’t think too much about the welfare of the down-worlders he rules over. I knew he was in his late eighties and not expected to live much longer. Most leaders would have transferred power to their children by now, but it was well known that Edgar didn’t believe his son was ready for the responsibility. Few people disagreed with his assessment. Callum was known as a hard partier and being less than discreet about his affairs with women who were both single and married. You couldn’t blame Edgar for delaying the transition of power. I know I would have second thoughts if a child of mine ran as wild as Callum Ellis.
“Edgar,” Olivia says as we approach, immediately drawing his attention to her.
Edgar smiles, making the fine lines on his face become even more pronounced.
“Olivia, have you come to brighten up my day?” Edgar asks.
Olivia leans in and kisses Edgar on both cheeks.
“Does your day need to be brightened?” Olivia asks good-naturedly.
Edgar sighs. “Yes. Especially when I expect my son to do his duty and attend affairs such as this one. You haven’t seen him, have you?”
Olivia shakes her head. “No, I’m afraid not.”
Edgar Ellis glances in my direction, but doesn’t look as if he plans to include me in the conversation. I get the distinct feeling he would rather I wasn’t even there.
“Edgar,” Olivia says, wrapping one of her arms around one of mine in a friendly manner, “have you had the opportunity to meet Empress Anna of Cirrus?”
“We’ve met once before,” Edgar says, looking at me reproachfully, “at her wedding to Augustus. Though, I suppose I must be the only one here who remembers that happening.”
“Are you trying to imply something?” I ask, feeling my guard go up.
Edgar leans forward on his slim silver cane and looks me in the eyes.
“Everyone knows you’re shacking up with one of your overlords like some harlot,” Edgar says scathingly. “I just can’t believe you had the audacity to bring him here with you today. Don’t you have any sense of decency?”
I feel my body automatically stiffen. The arm Olivia has around mine becomes slightly tighter right before she speaks.
“Anna is my friend, Edgar,” Olivia says to him. “You should treat her with more respect and not judge how she chooses to live her personal life.”
“I see no reason to give her my respect,” Edgar says, looking away from me. “In my day, a woman like her would be shunned by polite society, not lauded as being a free thinking leader. I’m surprised Augustus hasn’t assassinated you yet.”
“It’s not from lack of trying,” I tell Edgar, which draws his attention back to me. “You shouldn’t judge people you don’t really know. You have no idea what my life is like, or the sacrifices I’ve had to make. Before you go jumping to conclusions about a situation you know nothing about, perhaps you should get all the facts before sharing your ignorant opinions with others.”
“I know what I know,” Edgar says stubbornly. “And that’s plenty enough for me. I have no desire to get to know you any more than I have to, Empress Annalisse, if you can even still be called that.”
“That is enough,” Olivia says with more viciousness than I thought her possible. “You’re being rude, Edgar. I never thought I would see the day when you would forget your manners. I will not allow you to verbally abuse a close friend of mine. Come on, Anna. I’m sure we can find someone with better manners to speak with.”
Olivia turns me away from Edgar Ellis but not before I see his final scornful look at me.
“I’m so sorry,” Olivia says as we walk away. “I had no reason to think he would be so disrespectful to you. If I had, I assure you we would have never gone over there. I just thought he might like some company. He isn’t the most popular ruler among us.”
“I can’t imagine why,” I say sarcastically.
Olivia softly laughs at my statement.
“Now that you mention it, Horatio and I were the only people Edgar was ever social with.”
“Is what he said true?” I ask, remembering Lorcan publically ridiculing me for being with Malcolm at his version of a wedding celebration with Kyna. “Do the other rulers think Malcolm and I are merely having an affair?”
“I’m afraid they do,” Olivia says with a concerned sigh. “The only way you will ever be able to legitimize your relationship is for Auggie to die and for you to make Malcolm your husband in the eyes of the public.”
“Auggie is dead,” I say, “it’s just that the public doesn’t know it yet.”
“I’m sorry you lost the real Augustus the way I lost my Horatio. He was a good man and would have made a fine ruler.”
“Auggie would have been happy to know I found my soulmate in Malcolm. All he ever wanted was for me to find the love of a good person.”
“Then don’t worry about what other people think,” Olivia tells me. “Only what you and Malcolm feel for one another matters. Life is so short, Anna. Don’t waste a moment of it because you never know
when it might suddenly end.”
I see Malcolm walking through the crowd of people towards me. Just the sight of him sauntering across the floor makes my heart tighten inside my chest. I love him so much I want to shout it out to the crowd of people around us. I know what Olivia just said is true, but I also have this need to make what Malcolm and I have together a celebrated event, not one to be ridiculed by strangers.
When he reaches us, I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him soundly on the lips. I feel his hands rest on my hips as I kiss him like it might be the last one we ever share.
When I pull away slightly to look at his face, I see a pleased smile spread his lips. The effect of his smile just makes me want to devour him whole.
“Don’t take this as a complaint,” he says, “but what exactly was that for?”
“I love you,” I tell him, not bothering to keep my voice to a whisper. “And I want everyone in this room to know it.”
Malcolm quickly scans the faces of the people around us while I continue to look up at only him.
“Well, if that was your intent, I believe you’ve made your point, my love.”
“I don’t care what they think about us,” I tell Malcolm. “Because I love you with all my heart and nothing will ever change that. Nothing.”
Malcolm looks back down at me. His smile vanishes, and I see his concern for me return.
“Please remember those words,” he practically begs. “After you take what you need from them today, let that thought keep you with me.”
“I will,” I promise.
Music begins to play, signaling that we should all take our seats before the wedding begins.
As we walk over to where the chairs are situated, we see Daniel waving us up to the front row.
“Kyna reserved these seats for us,” Daniel says when we reach him, Linn and Bai. “Since we’re basically Brutus’ only family, she wanted us to sit close enough for him to see us.”
It was a thoughtful gesture on Kyna’s part, and one that made me even surer of her love for Brutus. Though, her love for him was never in question. Now that I knew why soulmates existed, I also understood what a rarity it was to actually find your own. I looked over at Malcolm and realized he was my miracle. The kind of love we shared wasn’t experienced by many people in the world. I knew I needed his love for me to survive and to remain sane.
Brutus and Bianca walk in from the right side of the room to stand underneath the center of the altar just as the wedding march begins to play. It was only then I realized Bianca would be officiating the ceremony. She had every right to do so. Each ruler of every cloud city had the authority to marry people. It made sense that Bianca would want to preside over the service herself.
We all stand and watch as Kyna walks down the aisle on the arm of Bianca’s father. I wonder if Kyna thought about inviting her biological father to the wedding. I doubt the Empress and Emperor of Stratus allowed her to have much contact with Barclay while they were alive. And after their deaths, Lorcan kept Kyna on a tight leash. Maybe in time, the two of them could work through their estrangement like Lucifer and I had. I hoped so, for Kyna’s sake. I knew firsthand how important such a relationship was.
When Bianca’s father hands Brutus Kyna’s hand, it feels like the sun itself is peeking into the room and smiling down on them.
As I watch Brutus and Kyna exchange their vows to one another, I suddenly get the distinct feeling that someone is staring me. I look to my right across the aisle and find the source of my unease. It’s the same man who I noticed observing me right before my duel with Lorcan in Stratus. If I thought I was simply being paranoid back then, I know now that I wasn’t imagining things. It is me he is watching and no one else.
I meet his stare with one of my own, silently asking him who he is. Have we met before? And if we have, how can I not remember him? I highly doubt that is the case. He is someone I knew I would remember. With his dark hair, haunting brown eyes, and chiseled good looks, he is a man any woman would keep in mind. As we stare at one another, the stranger unexpectedly smiles at me. Yet, it isn’t the kind of smile a man gives a woman if he’s interested in her romantically. This smile is one of encouragement. It's as if he is telling me, in his own way, to forge ahead with my mission and not give up. I feel no malice from the man’s attentions, just a quiet support.
Our connection with one another isn’t broken until everyone stands to applaud. I look back over at the altar and see Kyna and Brutus standing proudly in front of all of us as they hold hands. It’s only then that I realize my preoccupation with the stranger has caused me to miss the last half of the wedding.
As I stand to add my own applause to our friends’ nuptials, I glance over to where the man was sitting and find the seat he occupied just a moment before empty.
Chapter 12
Malcolm, Daniel, his family, and I are ushered to be first in line to congratulate the happy couple. Brutus and Kyna’s joy is evident on their faces. It makes me push my troubles to the back of my mind for a moment. I don’t want to ruin one of the most important days of their lives with my problems.
“Congratulations,” Malcolm tells Brutus, shaking his hand. “I guess the two of us will be growing old gracefully together.”
“About time too, I think,” Brutus says, sounding almost relieved by the prospect.
“Where will the two of you be living?” I ask. I have to assume Brutus doesn’t intend to continue with his ‘taking from the rich and giving to the poor’ profession now that he’s a married man. I also can’t imagine him taking Kyna to his bar in Kathmandu to build a normal life together there either.
“Malcolm gave us one of his homes,” Brutus tells me. “I’m sorry, Anna. I thought you knew.”
“No,” I admit. “But I couldn’t be happier to hear it. It’s better to have your friends close than far away.”
“Any news yet?” Brutus asks, not having to say much more.
“No,” Malcolm tells him. “Not yet. But Rafael should be showing up soon for the meeting.”
“I saw him earlier,” Brutus tells us, looking troubled by the encounter. “But it was only for a split second. He disappeared before I had a chance to corner him. Something’s wrong with Baal though. I’m just not sure what. If I didn’t know what he was, I would swear he looked sick.”
Olivia mentioned the same thing to us earlier. I honestly didn’t care what condition Baal was in physically. All I needed was his seal. As long as he was still breathing, I would take it from him.
“I have a message for you,” I tell Kyna quietly. “Barclay Stewart asked us to give you and Brutus his best wishes.”
This makes Kyna smile which only confirms my suspicion that she does indeed know who Barclay actually is.
“Thank you for telling me,” Kyna says. “I hope I can get to know him better now that there isn’t anyone to keep me from him.”
As Malcolm and I walk away from the happy couple, I finally catch sight of the person we have been waiting so patiently to make contact with us.
Baal, in the body of Rafael Rossi, is standing on the other side of the glass portion of the wall in the throne room. He’s dressed in a white suit with his shoulder length blond hair blowing in the artificial wind produced by the pseudo-ocean in the background. His skin was indeed paler than I remembered it being in the pictures I had seen of him. It seems only to be a few shades darker than the suit he’s wearing, and his eyes look bloodshot and weary.
I grab hold of Malcolm’s arm to gain his attention. Malcolm follows my gaze out the window just as we watch Baal walk around the veranda to somewhere behind the sandstone and glass block wall.
“Let’s go,” Malcolm says, taking hold of my hand.
Malcolm nods to Daniel and our friend follows us as we make our way towards the automatic partition that leads from the throne room to the outside veranda. Once we reach the veranda, we see Baal making his way down a grey stone staircase to a stretch of white sand buffering the palace fr
om the artificial blue-green sea.
Baal walks towards the ocean then turns to watch our approach.
“Daniel,” Malcolm says, “grab your sword. Something seems off here.”
Daniel phases but barely misses a step because he returns so quickly. He obviously positioned his sword in a place where it could be accessed readily.
“What’s wrong?” I ask Malcolm. “What seems off to you?”
“The way he looks for one,” Malcolm says, narrowing his eyes on Baal as he studies the other man. “The way he’s fidgeting isn’t natural for him either. Considering the fact that he’s holding all the cards against us right now, Baal should look cocky about it. Normally, he would have thrown some taunts our way because of that fact. It’s what he does when he thinks he’s in control.”
“Maybe he’s simply scared of me,” I suggest.
“Perhaps,” Malcolm agrees. “But I don’t think so. Something else is going on. It’s better if we’re prepared for the worst case scenario here.”
“A fight?” I ask.
Malcolm nods.
I immediately shed the jacket I’m wearing and let it fall against the steps as we continue to descend them. I need easy access to my sword in case what Malcolm suspects comes true.
“Why would he start a fight?” Daniel asks. “This should be an easy trade.”
“I don’t know,” Malcolm replies, sounding worried because he doesn’t have all the facts to form a concrete conclusion. “But be prepared for anything, Daniel.”
When we reach the sand at the base of the steps, we all slip off our shoes to make it easier to walk over to Baal.
As we get closer, I do notice that Baal is twiddling his thumbs together as he holds his hands clasped in front of him. Why is he so nervous? I mean, sure, I could kill him with one touch, but he should know I won’t do that since he and Mammon are holding Millie and Lucas hostage. I might want to kill Baal, but I want my family back more.
