by SJ West
“I thought you fell asleep,” he says. “Or did I wake you by making the tea?”
“I wasn’t sleeping,” I inform him brusquely as I walk over to him.
Set before him I see what looks like a scone on a small white dish and a cup of tea.
“Do you have any more of those?” I ask, looking pointedly at the scone.
“Yes. Would you like one?”
I nod and sit down in the chair next to his. Cade leaves his seat just long enough to pour me a cup of tea from a kettle on his stove and to grab a brown paper bag from off the counter.
“Here,” he says, handing me the bag while setting the cup down in front of me. “You can have your pick. There are vanilla and chocolate ones in there.”
I open the bag and pull out the triangular biscuit-like cake in a chocolate flavor. Cade brings me a small plate to rest it on.
As I’m nibbling on my snack, he says, “I didn’t mean to make you mad, Helena. That wasn’t my intention at all.”
“Why don’t you enlighten me and explain exactly what your intention was,” I say, on the verge of being incensed by his words all over again.
“I know you’ve been frustrated with me for putting off making love to you, so I thought if I at least gave you pleasure, it would satisfy your needs until the time is right.”
“So tell me this,” I say, placing my scone on its plate while I give Cade my full attention. “Why is it that you get to decide when the time will be right for us to have sex? If you care for me as much as you say, doesn’t what I want factor into your decision-making at all?”
“Of course it does,” he says, looking taken aback by my questions. “But would you really want me to make love to you before the time is right?”
“But when will the time be right?” I ask irately. “You still haven’t told me that yet!”
“Please, Helena, don’t be mad at me for wanting to make our first time together special. I want you so badly right now that the ferocity of it would probably bring this house down around us.”
“Then I don’t understand what’s holding you back,” I say at a total loss.
“And I can’t tell you without ruining everything.”
I huff in aggravation, but the earnest way Cade is looking at me stops me from slapping him senseless.
“Fine,” I say, seeing that this is a battle I’m doomed to lose anyway. “I won’t keep questioning you about this as long as you promise me that we’ll at least have sex sometime this century.”
“I can’t promise you that,” he replies, sounding increasingly unsure as to when the union of our bodies will ultimately take place. “However, I can tell you that I hope it doesn’t take that long.”
I pick up my scone again and begin eating it. It’s so delicious I end up taking a second one out of the bag after I finish the first one.
“These are quite good,” I tell Cade. “Where did you get them?”
“There’s a small bakery in New York that I go to from time to time …” His words trail off as if his thought isn’t completely finished, but he’s unsure whether to tell me the rest.
“What aren’t you saying?” I ask, not ever being one to beat around the bush about things.
“I was wondering if I could go see Lucas tomorrow morning,” he says, casting a furtive glance in my direction.
“And why would you want to do that?”
“His birthday is tomorrow,” Cade reveals. “With everything that’s been going on, I’m not sure if Malcolm and Anna remember that. One of his favorite things is cupcakes from this particular bakery, and I would like to take him some and wish him a happy birthday in person. I know we haven’t exactly discussed the terms of our bargain, but I was hoping you would allow me to go to him on his special day.”
I take a moment to consider his request. It would be so easy for me to squash his hopes and tell him that he can’t go see Lucas. I have every right to deny his request since our bargain is open-ended. Yet for some reason, I want Cade to wish his friend a happy birthday. There are definitely things that I don’t like about Lucas—particularly his ability to see into the future—but I have to admit that I like the kid’s spunk. His unique sense of self is refreshing. I would never admit it to anyone, but I like Lucas. He amuses me, and that is something not many people can do.
“You can go long enough to deliver your present to him and wish him well on his birthday,” I tell Cade. “I have some matters to attend to in the morning anyway. Once I’m done, I’ll meet you back here. How does that sound?”
“Extremely reasonable,” he says, sounding surprised by my acquiescence.
“Don’t look so shocked,” I tell him, finding his surprise annoying for some reason. “I’m not a complete ogre, no matter what other people might think about me.”
“I’m sorry,” he says in a properly contrite voice. “I just expected you to put up more of a fight. Thank you, Helena. It means a great deal to me that you’re not trying to talk me out of going.”
I give a slight shrug. “It’s the kid’s birthday. From what I understand about human behavior, some of them consider it a big deal, especially when they’re as young as Lucas. I sincerely hope Malcolm and Anna haven’t forgotten about it.”
“I’m sure they haven’t,” Cade says with his words, but the tone with which he says them doesn’t sound so convincing. “Can I ask what it is that you have planned for tomorrow?”
“Of course you can ask, but that doesn’t mean I will tell you.”
He seems to take the hint and leaves the issue alone.
After I finish eating the second scone, I drink my cup of tea and stand from my seat.
“Come lie with me in your bed,” I order, holding out a hand to him. “I would like to go to sleep.”
“Not that I’m complaining,” he replies, taking my hand and standing from his chair, “but why do you want me in there with you?”
“Because if you stay out here or go to sleep in another bed, I’ll end up wondering what you’re doing. If you’re in bed with me, I’ll be able to go to sleep that much faster.”
Cade silently follows me as I lead him back to his bedroom. He has to grab a pillow for himself from the floor before climbing underneath the covers with me. He lies flat on his back, and I end up curling up against his side with my head resting on his chest.
Even though we’re in the back of the small house, I can still hear the faint crashing of the waves outside. Considering the fact that it was a noise that greatly annoyed me only a few hours ago, it seems odd that I should now find a sense of comfort in it. I begin to wonder what happened to change my mind about the sound.
I fall asleep still pondering the difference in my mood without ever coming up with a sufficient answer to my dilemma.
Chapter 8
(Anna’s Point of View)
Having my family around me is a blessing unlike any other in my life. As I sit beside Malcolm and observe the individuals in the room, an overwhelming wellspring of love bubbles up inside my chest, and I begin to wonder what I did during my time here on Earth to earn the devotion and unyielding support of so many good people. I’m grateful beyond words to be able to bestow such a powerful support system upon my children. I grew up only having my papa, Millie, and Auggie to lean on for encouragement. Liam and Liana will have a host of people they can go to at any time during their lives. Considering the dangers we have to face on a daily basis, I know they’ll need all the help they can get.
“So,” Jered whispers to us as he crosses his arms on the table in front of him and leans toward us to ask, “what’s the plan for Lucas’ birthday tomorrow?”
I feel my heart stop and hear myself gasp.
“Damn it,” Malcolm curses under his breath. “With everything that’s been going on, I completely forgot about his birthday.”
“It’s understandable,” Jered sympathizes. “You’ve both been through a lot lately.”
“So have you, but you didn’t forget,” Malcolm
says, not allowing for excuses where we’re concerned.
I’ve known for months that Lucas’ birthday would be close to the due date for the twins. I should have remembered my own son’s birthday without having to be reminded.
“Listen.” Jered continues to whisper in a conspiratorial tone. “Why don’t you let me and Andre handle it? We can arrange to have a surprise party for him in Cirrus.”
“Is it back in the air?” Malcolm asks anxiously. “I felt Anna call to me before we could test the repairs to the propulsion system.”
“Desmond is there now working on getting it into the sky,” Jered tells us. “He recruited a few War Angels stationed in Nacreous to help him.”
“Speaking of War Angels,” Aiden says from his seat beside Jered, “do you know where Manakel is? He was Arel’s War Angel. Since Liana and Arel now share a connection like Liam and Andel, I think you should tell him. He deserves to know what’s going on before word spreads and he hears it in passing.”
“Wasn’t Manakel stationed in Nacreous?” Malcolm asks Jered.
“Yes. He goes by the name of Marcus now,” Jered replies. “Let me go to Cirrus first and see if he’s with the group helping Desmond. If he isn’t, I’ll go to Nacreous and track him down there.”
“Are you sure you have time to do so much for us?” I ask Jered, worried he might be trying to do more than he should in an attempt to forget what happened between him and his son in Hell.
Seeing your own child doomed to an eternity of servitude to Helena has to be devastating. If that ever happened to one of my children, I’m not sure if I could remain sane. However Jered has had a thousand years to prepare himself for the truth about his son. He had to have known Silas would end up in Hell when he died, but knowing something is true and actually having to come face to face with that fact are two very separate things.
“Don’t worry, Empress,” Jered says with a confident smile. “I can handle things. Tracking Marcus down shouldn’t be hard, especially if he’s already in Cirrus with Desmond.” He stands from his seat and says, “I’ll be back shortly with him. Then I’ll return and begin coordinating tomorrow’s activities with Andre.”
“Eh, coordinate what activities exactly?” my papa asks from his spot as the center of attention among Jess, Mason, and Lucifer as he holds Liam in his arms.
“I’ll tell you after we get to Cirrus,” Jered replies, waving my papa over to him. “Come on. We’ve got some work to do.”
My papa hands Liam over to Lucifer, who readily accepts my son, before walking over to Jered.
“Wait!” I hear Jess call out from across the room from her spot between Mason and Lucifer. “I want to go to Cirrus too. I keep hearing about these cloud cities. I want to see one for myself.”
“Come on then,” Jered says, waving her closer to him as well.
“Well, if she’s going, I’m coming too,” Mason declares.
“Does anyone else want to go to Cirrus?” Jered asks the others in the room.
“I want to go!” Lucas says, holding up his hand as if he needs to in order to be seen.
Jered looks a little crestfallen that Lucas wants to join the group, but it’s also obvious he’s not about to say no to the birthday boy.
“Can I go too?” Vala asks. “I would like to check on my office to see how much damage was done.”
“Come on, you two,” Jered says, waving them both closer.
Lucas rushes over and grabs his hand quickly, as if he’s concerned Jered might change his mind if he isn’t fast enough. Luna walks over to stand by Lucas, because wherever he goes, she goes too.
After Jered phases everyone to Cirrus, Aiden stands from his chair.
“I should be leaving too,” he tells us. “Our father allowed me to stay here a little longer than I’m really supposed to.”
“So I presume we won’t see you again unless Liam is on the verge of death?” Malcolm asks in a resigned voice, standing from his seat to shake hands with Aiden before his departure.
“Unfortunately, that’s the rule both Will and I have to follow,” Aiden states, sounding disappointed about the restrictions placed on his visits to Earth.
I notice Lucifer walk over to the table and toward Aiden.
“You can’t leave without saying good-bye to him,” my father states, handing Liam over to his guardian angel.
Aiden smiles, gladly accepting my son back into his arms. Seeing the love Aiden has for Liam in his eyes eases a worry I wasn’t even aware that I had for my son. I know that no matter what happens, Aiden will always watch over Liam. Even when Malcolm and I are no longer on Earth, our children will have their guardian angels looking out for them.
Aiden bends down and kisses Liam on the forehead.
“You take care of your big sister,” I hear Aiden whisper to him. “The two of you will need each other in the years to come.”
“Well, that sounded rather ominous,” Malcolm comments, looking even more worried than he already was. “Are you privy to something we should be made aware of?”
“Nothing more than the fact that our father deemed it necessary to give them both guardian angels,” Aiden tells us. “You know He doesn’t share anything before we’re supposed to know it.”
Malcolm sighs heavily. “Yes. I’m acutely aware of His penchant for driving us crazy.”
Aiden smiles. “Everything will turn out the way it should, Malcolm. It always has, and it always will. We just have to maintain our faith that He knows what’s best.”
“Oh, faith I have plenty of,” Malcolm assures Aiden. “I’m quite confident that even if I ask Him why Helena gave Liana a seal, He won’t tell us.”
“I meant to ask,” Aiden says, “which seal does she have?”
Before I can answer, we hear Lucifer say, “She has the one I carried. Silence.”
“How did you know that?” I ask him, finding it odd that he would know the answer before even seeing the seal on her back. “Malcolm is the only person I’ve shared that information with.”
“I know Helena,” Lucifer answers. “She’ll do whatever she can to hurt me, and giving my granddaughter my seal was probably the icing on the cake for her. The irony of it all was just too tempting for her.”
“Besides hurting you, do you think Helena has another reason for giving Liana that particular seal?” I ask, curious to hear his take on the matter.
“Undoubtedly,” he replies, looking at my husband. “I’m surprised you haven’t guessed the reason yet, Malcolm. You know as well as I what happened on alternate Earth when Ravan opened the seventh seal.”
“Liana isn’t Ravan,” Malcolm says defensively. “She would never do that.”
“Do what exactly?” I have to ask, becoming more worried with every passing second that Helena has purposefully harmed my daughter in some way. Malcolm never likes to talk about his time on alternate Earth, so I have no idea what either of them is remembering. “What are the two of you talking about? What happened when Ravan opened the seal?”
Lucifer raises a questioning eyebrow at Malcolm. “Do you want to tell her, or shall I?”
“You do it,” Malcolm replies, sounding disgusted by the whole conversation. “I don’t think I have the stomach to think about the implications.”
Malcolm sits back down heavily in his chair next to me, as if the weight of the world has suddenly landed firmly on his shoulders. I’m faintly aware that everyone else in the room has stopped their conversations also and are all focused on listening to Lucifer’s next words. My body involuntarily tenses up, as if bracing itself to hear my father’s explanation.
“Ravan phased to Heaven and opened the seal there,” Lucifer tells me.
“And what did that do?” I ask, understanding that such an event could only lead to disaster, but I’m not sure what kind exactly.
“It sealed Heaven off from that reality. The souls of those who died between the time the seventh seal was opened and Heaven was accessible again either wandered the Earth aiml
essly or found their way to Hell and became trapped there forever.”
“So you think that’s why Helena gave Liana your seal? She plans to use Liana like the Lucifer on alternate Earth used Ravan?”
“I think it’s a possibility that you have to consider,” my father says, looking much calmer about the situation than I feel. He probably doesn’t want to add to my alarm by showing his own worry, but I can see it in his eyes and so much more. “This is all my fault, Anna. If I hadn’t taken the seals out of Heaven in the first place, this never would have happened. If you want to lay the blame of this fiasco on anyone, it should be me. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to forgive myself if something happens to your daughter because of something I did.”
With his words, I suddenly realize something very important.
“I think you may have just uncovered another reason Helena gave Liana your seal, Dad,” I tell him. “She knows the guilt you’ll feel if she’s ever able to coerce Liana into opening the seal in Heaven. What better way to exact her revenge on us both than to turn my daughter into her pawn? It’s the perfect plan, if you think about it.”
“Our daughter will never do what Helena wants,” Malcolm declares, leaving no room for argument. “I won’t allow it to happen. Ever.”
I, unlike my husband, am plagued with doubt about our daughter’s future. Considering how much Liana seems to detest me and Lucifer, is it beyond the realm of possibility that she will grow in Helena’s shadow and come to hate humanity just as fiercely as my sister does? Will she one day become the harbinger of Hell and doom millions upon millions of souls to an eternity in Helena’s domain?
None of the War Angels left in the room has said a word, but I can see some of them beginning to fidget in their seats as if confirming to me that they have the same doubts as I do concerning my daughter’s fate.
“Dad,” I say, looking to Lucifer for more answers about what Helena has done to my baby girl, “do you have a theory as to why Liana seems to hate us so much?”
“Yes,” he says, looking more troubled about this answer than the one he just gave us explaining why Helena transferred his old seal to Liana.
