by SJ West
Christopher’s revelation knocks me slightly off guard.
“I didn’t realize you had asked for God’s forgiveness,” I admit.
“A few of us have,” Christopher reveals. “And, hopefully, more of them will when they realize what they’re doing is only damaging their souls further.”
Lucifer clears his throat as if he’s uncertain he should give voice to his thoughts.
“I’ve asked our operative to contact me if an opportunity presents itself when I can speak to all the rebellion angels at once,” Lucifer reveals.
“To what end?” I have to ask.
“I plan to tell them how wrong I was to go against God and allowing my pride to fuel my anger. I’m not going to shirk my responsibility to them. I know I’m the reason they were all cast out of Heaven, and I think they need to hear me own up to that fact. I’m not sure how many of them I can reach by admitting to my own faults, but I hope my words will influence at least some of them. Vengeance isn’t what they should be seeking right now. There isn’t a single doubt in my mind that they all want to return to Heaven, even if they profess that they don’t. I probably won’t be able to convince all of them to seek redemption, but I can at least plant a seed of hope inside the souls of some of them. Perhaps it’ll be enough to turn the tide of this fight in your favor. If enough of them come to our side, it might be just enough to stop the others from trying to kill you. I believe I have at least a fifty-fifty shot at making it work. They all followed me once in a war we were doomed to lose. I’m hoping I can convince at least a portion of them to follow me one more time and allow the light of His love for them to fill their souls again.”
“I think if they’re willing to listen to you, that will happen,” I say. “How long does your operative think it will take before you’re able to speak to them?”
“I don’t believe it will be too much longer. Apparently Helena is planning something big soon, at least that’s what our informant said.”
“Does this person know what it is?”
Lucifer shakes his head. “No, but all of the rebellion angels predict it’s coming soon. If I know Helena at all, she’ll act as swiftly as possible. It’s the perfect time to make a move against you since you’re distracted by the babies. I would certainly take advantage of your split focus.”
“It makes sense,” Malcolm says, looking worried. “If she’s going to do anything, she’ll do it now. Ethan, we need you to inform every War Angel to keep their eyes open for anything out of the ordinary. We don’t know where Helena will strike next or when, so they need to stay vigilant until the threat is over.”
“If it’s ever over,” I mutter under my breath, but Malcolm hears it.
“We’ll find a way to stop her from interfering with our lives,” my husband promises me. “You have to keep believing that, Anna.”
I do my best not to look worried, but I can tell from the look in his eyes that Malcolm knows exactly how scared I am of what Helena might try to do to our family now and in the future.
“So where are Cade and Xander?” Mason asks, noticing their absence from the room.
“Xander is getting his tattoo from Bai,” I answer. I want to tell them where Cade is, but the words simply won’t come out.
“Cade’s with Helena,” Malcolm says for me.
“Uh, why?” Jess questions, looking flummoxed.
Malcolm takes the lead and tells them exactly why Cade is with her instead of us.
“Why did she give Liana up so readily after going through so much to get her in the first place?” Lucifer asks, never one to be shy about getting to the heart of the matter.
We’ve already told the others in the room what Helena did. There’s no point in hiding the fact from the rest of them and Lucifer might actually have a theory to help explain her actions.
“Helena gave Liana one of her seals,” I tell them.
Lucifer immediately walks over to Zane, who is still holding a slumbering Liana.
“Let me see her,” he orders brusquely.
Without hesitation, Zane hands my daughter to her grandfather. Almost as soon as she’s in his arms, Liana begins to wail as if she was suddenly dropped into a vat of boiling oil. I immediately stand and go to her. Before I’m even halfway to them, I realize I’m not the best person to bring comfort to my daughter.
“Give her back to Zane,” I tell my father.
Lucifer does as I ask, and Liana immediately quiets once she’s back in Zane’s arms.
I stop beside Lucifer as we both look at Liana safely cradled against Zane’s chest.
Lucifer looks over at me with a troubled frown marring his otherwise handsome face.
“This isn’t good, Anna,” he says gravely. “I assume she has the same reaction to you?”
“Not quite as violent,” I reply, finding small relief in that fact, “but she definitely doesn’t care for me very much. Is it the seal that’s causing her to react this way to us?”
“I’m sure it’s playing a part, but I think more than that is going on here.”
“Then what’s wrong with her?” I practically beg. “I can’t live with my own daughter hating me, Dad. It’s breaking my heart.”
“Could that be why Helena gave her the seal?” Zane asks, gently rocking Liana as he holds her. I feel a moment of jealousy that she’s allowing him to do something I myself desperately want to do. “Is she trying to cause Anna distress by making Liana dislike her?”
“I don’t think so,” Lucifer says, mulling over the possibilities. “That’s probably just a bonus side effect to the real reason.”
Lucifer peers at Liana, but she has her eyes shut as her breathing levels out. She begins to suckle on a closed fist as she turns her head toward Zane’s chest and appears to fall back to sleep.
I sigh in relief that she was so easily quieted, but the pain of rejection still stings my heart.
“Can Anna take the seal away from Liana like she did the princes?” Jess asks, attempting to find a solution to our problem.
“She could if she wanted to risk killing her own daughter,” Lucifer says rather condescendingly, but Jess doesn’t seem to take offense. I think she realizes my father is simply concerned over the latest obstacle Helena has placed in our lives. “None of us has any way of knowing how tight the connection is between Liana’s soul and the seal. It’s possible Liana can give Anna the seal when she gets older and understands the consequences, but for now, I don’t think it’s wise to just take it away from her.”
As I study my father’s expression, I can tell he’s trying to figure out what Helena’s endgame is by giving Liana a seal. After all, it was the energy she derived from taking the seals away from me that allowed her to finally break the shackles keeping her trapped in Hell. Obviously she doesn’t need all five seals to maintain her corporeal state, but it seems odd for her to risk it just to transfer a seal to Liana. From my experience with carrying the seals in my own body, I fully understand the pull of the power they bestow on their holder. Why would Helena willingly make my daughter stronger? What does she hope to gain from such an action?
I have to find the answers to those questions quickly not only for my daughter’s well-being, but also for the sake of my own sanity.
“I’ll help you figure it out before I leave,” Lucifer promises me. The earnest expression on his face tells me that he will keep his word, and I immediately feel a sense of comfort in his love for me and my children.
“Wait,” I say, suddenly realizing something. “Aiden told us that each seal contains the soul of the Guardian who was protecting it. Did you know that?”
“Yes,” Lucifer reveals, “but they weren’t awake. They were in a dormant state.”
“Well, what’s the name of the Guardian who had your seal, and is that Guardian awake in Liana now? Aiden told us that the Guardians awoke when I absorbed the seals. They’re the ones who transformed the energy from the seals into souls for the twins.”
“Hmm,” Lucifer s
ays, “interesting. To answer your question, the Guardian in charge of my seal was named Jequn. It’s more than likely that he’s awake. It’s also possible that Jequn will do what the other two Guardians did and make a soul for Liana’s firstborn child. If that’s the case, marry her off early so she can get rid of it as quickly as possible.”
“I will let her choose who she marries and when,” I say. “I refuse to push her into a loveless marriage.”
“Uh, Anna,” Zane says, drawing my attention to him.
When I look back at him, I see a look of near terror on Zane’s face.
My heart skips a beat in worry. As I walk over to him and Liana, I ask, “What’s wrong?”
It only takes me a couple of steps before I know exactly what the problem is, and I feel relief wash over me as realization sets in.
“That can’t be a natural smell,” Zane professes as he peers down at Liana in disgust.
“I’m afraid it’s completely natural,” I assure him with a sympathetic smile. “She needs to have her diaper changed.”
“Good grief,” Gideon says from his seat next to Zane as he pushes his half-eaten plate of pancakes away from him. “That unholy stench certainly curbed my appetite. I’ve smelled better things in Hell.”
Zane lifts his arms in an attempt to hand the burden of my stinky child over to me.
I hold my hands up in the air. “I can’t take her. She’ll just fuss if I try to do it. Besides, I think this is a wonderful opportunity for you to learn how to take care of a baby’s needs, Zane. This way, you’ll know what to do when you have one of your own.”
Zane looks less than confident that he’s up for the challenge, but he lowers his arm and cradles Liana to his chest again.
“If you say so,” he says hesitantly. “Where are the supplies I need to use to clean her up?”
Malcolm stands from his seat at the table. “I’ll be right back with them.”
My husband phases but returns less than a minute later with a black bag filled with supplies for such an occasion. He walks over to the kitchen island Zane is still sitting at and sets the bag down on top of it. He opens the flap and pulls out a slim foldable white pad, laying it out in front of Zane.
“Lay her down on it,” Malcolm orders.
Zane does as instructed, treating Liana like a porcelain doll he’s afraid he’ll break.
“Wouldn’t you rather do this?” Zane asks Malcolm hopefully. “I would hate to deprive you of such a thing.”
“Trust me, I’ve changed more diapers in my life than I want to admit to,” Malcolm says. “Buck up, War Angel. If you can handle fighting a horde of rebellion angels and hellspawn, you’ll survive changing a diaper.”
Zane doesn’t look convinced by Malcolm’s words of encouragement as he begins to unfold the blanket swaddling Liana. The aroma of my daughter’s little present fills the air in the room, causing a few of the War Angels to cover their noses in a vain attempt to temper the flow of the unpleasant smell into their lungs.
“I agree with Zane,” Roan says with a pinched face and slight cough. “That smell can’t be natural.”
“Oh, put your hands down,” I admonish them. “In fact, I think you should all come closer and watch Zane so you know what to do when your turn comes.”
“I don’t think it’s safe,” Atticus protests.
“I would rather go pick a fight with a prince of Hell,” Roan mumbles.
Ethan stands from his seat at the table.
“Anna gave us a command,” he tells his men. “No matter how much we might fear for our own lives right now, we have to do what she tells us.”
I hear Malcolm snicker, drawing my attention back to him. He looks mightily amused by my War Angels’ predicament. I refrain from admonishing him because my angels all stand from their respective seats and walk over to the kitchen island to have their first lesson in diaper changing. He’s already taught me how to do it, so I see no need to take up space unnecessarily around the tutorial. I leave them as Malcolm begins to give Zane step-by-step instructions on how to perform the task.
“Here you go, Grandpa,” I hear Jess say as she hands Liam to Lucifer. “I know you’re itching to hold him.”
I witness what has to be a rarity in the universe. As Lucifer cradles Liam in his arms, he smiles.
“Hello, Liam,” Lucifer says as he marvels at my son’s perfection. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
I glance at Aiden, who is involved in a conversation with Jered at the table, and see him briefly look up while his charge is meeting his grandfather for the very first time. He grins at the introduction and quickly returns his attention to Jered to continue their conversation. I wasn’t sure what his reaction would be since Lucifer’s return to Heaven only happened a short while ago. After all the animosity my father had built up over the years with almost everyone in the room, I have to say I’m somewhat surprised by how welcoming they’ve all been toward him.
As I watch Lucifer with Liam, I have to wonder if he ever held and looked at me the same way when I was a baby. Millie once told me that Lucifer would come to Cirrus once a year to visit me on my birthday. Supposedly I was asleep during his visits, but surely he held or touched me while he was there. The sight of him with my son makes me even more determined to find a way to connect with Liana. Being held and loved by your parent is such an important part of growing up.
I search the room and find my papa leaned up against the counter nearest the stove. He’s supervising Lucas as he makes more pancakes and listening to something Vala just said to him. I was so lucky to have had Andre Greco raise me as his own daughter. He didn’t play a role in my conception, but since the day I was born, he accepted the responsibility of being my father. No child in the history of the world could have ever asked for a more loving and compassionate parent.
I feel a well of love threaten to spill over for my papa as a deluge of happy memories from my childhood plays through my mind. I walk over to him, because of anyone else in the room, he has earned the right to be called grandfather by my children. I know he’ll give them the same unreserved love he has always lavished on me because that’s just the kind of man he is. In all my years with him, I have rarely seen my papa say a harsh word to anyone unless it was well-deserved.
“Papa,” I say as I walk up to him, “why don’t you come see your grandchildren?”
I notice him briefly glance in Lucifer’s direction before settling his gaze on me again.
“I didn’t want to intrude,” he tells me, looking uncertain about his role in the gathering.
“I don’t want you to ever think your presence is an intrusion,” I tell him in earnest. “You’re my father too. Don’t forget that, because I never will.”
My papa smiles. “Okay. I won’t.”
I loop an arm through one of his. “Now come with me. I want Liam and Liana to meet the first man I ever loved.”
My papa follows me across the room without putting up a protest.
The world I live in is filled with uncertainties at the moment, but even through all the chaos, there’s one truth I know I can always hold on to during the difficult times. I have a family who loves me unreservedly, and together we can face whatever tries to tear us apart.
Chapter 6
(Helena’s Point of View)
After I give Silas and his men my instructions and deposit them where they need to be, I return to Grace House on the planet Sierra. When I phase back there, I find Cade still sitting in our cozy little booth, but I don’t find him alone pining for my return. Evelyn Grace is sitting across from him, wearing a sympathetic expression on her face as she gazes at Cade. I suspect she cornered him while I was gone in order to better understand why Cade wasn’t trying to make his great escape from my company during my absence.
“Wonderful, her royal pain in my ass is back,” Evelyn says less than enthusiastically when she spies me.
My first instinct is to obliterate Evelyn from existence for her open def
iance, but since I don’t want to ruin my first date with Cade with homicidal rage and subsequent murder, I say, “Did you have any doubt that I would be returning?”
“No, but sometimes I can’t prevent myself from being an eternal optimist.”
“I hope you find yourself witty, Evelyn, because I certainly do not.”
“For some reason, I don’t have a hard time believing that,” she replies caustically. “You actually have to have a sense of humor to find my sarcastic repartee amusing.”
Before I can make my retort, I hear Enis say behind me, “Evie, you have a visitor.”
Evelyn’s attention is instantly diverted away from me to Enis.
“Where is she?” Evelyn asks, quickly standing from her seat at the table. As she smooths the wrinkles from her dress, I notice her scan the throng of people in Grace House in search of this mysterious guest.
“She’s sitting at the bar having a drink,” Enis informs her. For some reason, he doesn’t sound particularly pleased about this person imbibing alcohol.
“Damn it, Enis!” Evelyn says irately, snapping her gaze back at her best friend. “Why would you let her do that?”
Evelyn quickly turns on her heels and heads toward the bar area, Enis following closely behind her.
“You know how she is,” he tries to argue. “She does whatever she damn well pleases. She may call me Uncle Enis, but the respect that’s usually associated with such a title has been sorely lacking in her attitude of late.”
I hear Evelyn growl in frustration as she continues to make her way across the room to the bar built against the far wall. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I watch as Evelyn approaches an attractive blonde sitting on a stool at the bar. Once she reaches her, Evelyn reaches out and grabs the woman’s right shoulder, deftly spinning her around until they’re face to face. Considering the striking resemblance between the two women, I instantly know the identity of Evelyn’s mystery guest.
“Who is that?” I hear Cade ask as he vacates his seat in the booth to stand by my side.
