by SJ West
I don’t know if it will work, but right now it’s my only hope.
Chapter 10
(Helena’s Point of View)
Every time I leave Cade, I feel an aggravating ache build up inside my chest like a part of me is missing. It’s an odd sensation, and I detest feeling as though I need him in my life. Being dependent on someone else for my own happiness seems like a deplorable way to live, yet existing without him would be an even worse fate. If I hadn’t arranged a meeting with Hale and Silas this morning, I never would have returned to Nimbo. Instead, I would have stayed with Cade in his little beachside home and seen how the day would have unfolded for us. Considering the way he clutched me to him before I left his side this morning, I’m confident he would have preferred that I stayed as well.
It simply wasn’t possible, though. I’ve set certain plans into motion that I need to get an update on. If things proceed as they should, almost every person in the world will hate Anna as much as I do by this afternoon. I’ll finally be able to end her rule of Cirrus and place one of my own puppets on the throne. Catherine Amador may believe she’s the ruler of Cirrus once I win her crown back for her, but it’s just that type of idiocy and arrogance I’m counting on. Humans are so easily manipulated after you stroke their egos. If you let them believe they’re in control of their own fate, you can lead them almost anywhere you want them to go. I wonder if this is the way God feels. Even though He gave His creations free will, He still seems to know exactly what will happen. Perhaps He and I aren’t that different after all.
“And just where have you been all this time?” I hear the irritating voice of Levi question me, as if he deserves to know my whereabouts when I’m out of his sight.
I turn away from the large window that overlooks Nimbo from my suite in the palace. I find Levi sitting on one of the couches in the center of the room.
“What I do and where I go is none of your business,” I retort hotly.
“And what am I supposed to tell people when they ask me where you are? If you want us to maintain the illusion of a happily married couple, you need to at least let me know what I should be telling others when they can’t find you.”
“I realize thinking for yourself isn’t exactly your strong suit, Levi, but I thought even someone with your limited intellect would be able to come up with an excuse for my absence. If I need to hold your hand every step of the way, you become more of a liability to me than an asset. Prove to me that you’re worth keeping by my side and maybe I’ll let you live. Otherwise, I’ll chop you into bite-size morsels to feed to my hellhounds and rule Nimbo all by myself.”
“All I want to know is what you expect me to tell people so that our stories match up. There’s no reason to get so nasty, Helena.”
“I really don’t care what you tell people. Just handle it and don’t bother me with idiotic problems even a child should be able to solve on his own!”
“What’s put you in such a foul mood anyway?” he asks, unable to keep himself from sounding annoyed by my scolding. “Or dare I even ask?”
“I was perfectly fine until you showed up to bombard me with inane questions,” I gripe. “Actually, just looking at you is enough to irritate me most of the time.”
“Why is it that you hate me so much, Helena? I’ve done everything that you’ve asked of me, yet you continue to act vile. I have to say it’s rather frustrating.”
“It’s because you repulse me on a variety of levels, you ignoramus. Now, why don’t you just sit there quietly and look pretty? You might as well stay to learn the next phase of my plans for Anna. I’ll need your help soon to finally remove her from the Cirrus throne.”
Levi sits up straighter and eagerly leans forward in his seat.
“Do tell,” he says excitedly. “And how do you plan to work such a miracle, or am I not allowed to ask such a question?”
“You’ll learn my plan soon enough. We’re just waiting on two more people to arrive. They should be here soon.”
“How long has this plan of yours been in place? Did you ever actually intend for there to be an election to put Catherine back on the throne?”
“The election was just a way to bring Catherine back from obscurity and place her in the forefront of everyone’s minds when the time came to choose Anna’s successor. My plan has always been to force Anna off her throne in disgrace.”
Levi smiles, obviously pleased with my scheme even before he hears the specifics of it.
Thankfully, I don’t have to be alone with him any longer than I have to because Hale phases into the room with Silas.
“You’re late,” I chastise them. “You both know that I don’t like to be kept waiting.”
“I’m sorry, Helena,” Silas is quick to apologize, kneeling on one knee in front of me in total submission. With his head bowed, he says, “Please forgive us. Our tardiness wasn’t an intentional slight. We had a little trouble moving the package to its location. Neither of us wanted to come here without first accomplishing the task you gave us to complete.”
“So it’s done?” I ask.
Silas raises his gaze from the floor to look up at me. “Yes. Everything is set to go on your command. All we need to know is when you want us to follow through with your instructions.”
“Let’s see. It should be done early enough for the other cloud cities to hear about it, but late enough for there to be a light show for any spectators lucky enough to witness the event,” I say. “So wait six more hours before initializing the first phase of my plan. I’ll be otherwise occupied when the time comes, but I’ll be back tomorrow morning to deal with the aftermath.”
“As you wish,” Silas says with a small nod of his head.
“Are you sure this will be enough to force Anna to abdicate her crown?” Hale asks, looking exceedingly eager for my sister’s public disgrace to occur.
“With a little prodding by me, yes.”
“Excuse me,” Levi says, holding up his hand like a student wanting to ask a question to his teacher. “What exactly is supposed to happen?”
I briefly tell Levi what Silas and Hale have been up to. Once I’m through, he busts out in laughter, unable to contain his jubilation over Anna’s imminent humiliation.
“That’s just classic!” Levi howls with joy. “I wish I could be in the same room as Anna when she hears the news. Can you imagine her reaction?”
“Yes, I can,” I say irritably. “Now please, do shut up while the grown-ups are talking.”
Just as I turn my head to return my attention to Hale and Silas, I see Levi raise his hand again.
“What?” I snap, looking at him sharply.
“It seems to me that it would solidify our position if other royal families besides us demand that Anna relinquish her crown. If you want me to, I can go to Stratus and speak with Lorcan Halloran, or Abaddon. I never really know what to call him these days. I’m sure it won’t take much to convince him to side with us. He hates Anna just as much as we do after she humiliated him in that duel for Kyna’s freedom. Mammon’s support is a given. The only one I’m not so sure about is Baal. Ever since he fell in love with Bianca Rossi he’s been unreliable, to say the least. He may not be so willing to go against one of Bianca’s best friends.”
“Tell him that if he wants his precious Bianca to remain alive, he had better do as we say. His love for her should be the only leverage we need to obtain his support. Now, why don’t you scamper along like a good little minion and make sure Lorcan and Baal know what I expect from them? I was going to let it be a surprise, but you can tell Lorcan that his cloud city will also be playing a role in today’s events. He’ll find out in what capacity soon enough.”
Levi stands, looking none too pleased by my belittling of him in front of the others.
“And will you be here when I return?” he asks.
“No,” I reply curtly. “I won’t be back until the morning. I’ve already said this, Levi. Once Silas’ broadcast is seen by all the cloud cities, I wil
l need you to begin organizing the meeting of the other royals on Mars for tomorrow. We’ll need to act fast before Anna has a chance to mount a defense. The quicker we strike, the better the outcome for us. I’m not even sure Anna’s closest allies will be willing to argue on her behalf after today.”
“Then I guess I’ll see you in the morning,” Levi says, sounding almost disappointed that I won’t be returning until then. If I didn’t know any better, I would say he was jealous. I’m sure he’s deduced that I’m spending time with Cade. Who else would distract me at such a crucial time in my plot to finally take Anna down?
After he phases to Stratus, I return my attention to Hale and Silas. Silas is still kneeling on the floor before me.
“Stand, Silas. You’ve done well. I’m very pleased with what you’ve been able to accomplish during your return.”
“I’m only here to do your bidding,” Silas says like a good little soldier.
I turn my attention to Hale. The leader of the group of rebellion angels who wish to see my sister dead doesn’t look as happy as I thought he would, considering what is about to happen.
“What’s wrong, Hale? You don’t look satisfied by my plan.”
“I’m not,” he says bluntly. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s definitely a step in the right direction, but most of my brothers and sisters would rather see Anna’s head on a pike.”
I study Hale for a moment because I want to gauge his reaction to what I’m about to tell him next.
“Lucifer is back on Earth,” I inform him.
Hale’s eyes grow wide and his mouth slack. To say he is surprised to hear my news is an understatement.
“Why is he here?” he asks in a low voice. It’s almost as if he’s afraid Lucifer might hear his question.
“Why do you think? Come on, Hale. You’re smarter than this. Did you honestly believe he wouldn’t come back to help Anna if given the opportunity? He wants to find a way to stop your vendetta against his precious daughter and her family.”
Hale lifts his head defiantly. “Well, he won’t find a way unless he intends to kill her for us. We know that the babies have been born. Making sure that they lived was your only restriction against us killing Anna. Now that she no longer carries them inside her, do you give us your blessing to end her life without any repercussions from you?”
Hale’s question makes me wish I hadn’t already promised Cade that Anna and her family would remain unharmed. I know Hale will be upset by my answer, but there’s no helping that. He’ll just have to learn how to live with disappointment.
“For now,” I say, doing my best to assuage his anger beforehand, “Anna and her family are still under my protection, and tell your cronies that if any of them even touch a hair on her head, that I will personally skin them alive and feed them to one of my leviathans. I’m doing this for your own good, Hale. Not only is Lucifer back, but so are Jess and Mason. Even if you could get through Anna’s War Angels, I seriously doubt you would be able to cut those three down before they ended your life.”
“Don’t underestimate how powerful our hatred is,” Hale tells me. “When you’re properly motivated, it’s amazing what you can accomplish. As things stand now, we’ll be watching to see what happens later today. Hopefully your plan will succeed, but sometimes even the best plans don’t always work out the way you think they will.”
“Oh, I have every confidence that mine will,” I assure him. “Now, if the two of you don’t mind, I have somewhere else I need to be right now. I assume the two of you have things to do to prepare for this afternoon.”
Hale doesn’t show me the respect he should and simply phases himself and Silas out of the room and back to complete their mission.
Once they’re both gone, I walk into my bedroom and check my reflection in the mirror. I couldn’t very well attend the meeting that morning wearing Cade’s T-shirt and shorts. As soon as I returned to Nimbo, I changed into a rather attractive one-shoulder red dress that is more an asymmetric piece of artwork than clothing. It’s a little dressy if Cade simply intends for us to stay at his beach house for the remainder of the day though. I turn around and pick up Cade’s clothing from my bed just in case I need them again. For good measure, I also grab some undergarments from my wardrobe to take with me.
When I phase back to Cade’s home, I immediately know he isn’t there. Homes lacking the presence of a second entity inside them tend to feel empty. I never noticed the effect that another life can have on a physical space before I became corporeal. I suppose you have to be a living creature in order to feel the energy of another one. As I look around the living room in my soul mate’s home, a longing to have him near settles over me. I’ve noticed that the more I’m around Cade, the more I want to be around him. He’s become my soul’s addiction, and I’m not exactly certain how I feel about that.
“Stop being stupid,” I berate myself as I place the clothing in my hands on the glass top of the driftwood coffee table. “He’ll be back soon.”
When I look up from the table, I notice something that I hadn’t before now. The inner wall separating the living room from the master bedroom is made up of a series of ten horizontal shelves that are evenly spaced between the floor and the ceiling. Set along each shelf is a multitude of seashells of various sizes, shapes, and colors, and a host of starfish. I walk over to the display to discern if there is a pattern to the randomness. Scattered here and there near the edge of the shelves are small rectangular pieces of metal with dates engraved on them. Only five out of the ten shelves are decorated, and the last date to be engraved was only a couple of weeks ago.
Even before he speaks, I feel Cade phase into the room behind me.
“Do you like them?” I hear him ask.
“Some of them are pretty,” I answer with honesty as I pick up a quarter piece of a sand dollar and turn around. I hold it up and ask, “But why keep a broken one? Why not just keep the perfect ones and throw something like this in the trash?”
“Even something that’s broken can be beautiful,” Cade tells me, looking at the small piece of shell I’m holding. “I can remember exactly how excited Lucas was when he found that on the beach, so now it holds that memory for me, and that’s the real treasure.”
“So all of these,” I say, waving a hand at the display, “are shells you and Lucas have found together?”
“Yes.”
I turn around and place the broken sand dollar back in its spot on the shelf.
“And the date plates are the exact days you found them?” I ask.
“Yes.”
I shake my head. “You’re more of a sentimental fool than I thought you were.”
Cade walks around the couch that separates us to come stand by my side.
“I don’t think it’s foolish to hold onto keepsakes if they mean something to you. One day, I hope I can do something like this with a child of my own so we can always remember the times we were able to spend together.”
I look over at Cade and ask, “And who do you plan to have this imaginary child with?”
“I hoped we could adopt one in a few years,” Cade tells me, watching my reaction closely.
I don’t make a reply because I would hate to obliterate the beautiful fantasy he has of us having a happy, normal family. It’s almost as if he still doesn’t realize we can never have a life like other people. Even though I remain mute on the possibility of fulfilling Cade’s dream sometime in the future, I can tell by the dimming of happiness in his eyes that he already understands what my thoughts are on the subject.
“We can have whatever life we choose,” he tells me. “All we have to do is work toward it.”
Still, I don’t say anything. If I choose to deny his words, he’ll simply argue his position on the matter that much harder. If I choose to support his fantasy, he’ll expect more from me than I’m willing to give.
Besides, everything we have or might have in the future could be destroyed by the events about to take place this afternoo
n. Once my plan is set into motion, Cade may hate me so much he won’t be able to look at me again, much less want to plan a life with me. Perhaps I should hide him away in Hell for a while so he remains ignorant of what I’m about to do to Anna. Otherwise, I fear I might lose him forever.
“Did you have any plans for us today?” I ask him, already devising one of my own to get him safely away from the Earthly realm until I’m ready for him to return.
“Actually,” he begins, sounding hesitant to bring up his next subject, “we’ve been invited to a party.”
My head tilts of its own accord. “A party? What kind of party and given by who?”
“Anna has invited us both to Lucas’ birthday party,” he reveals.
To say that I’m flabbergasted by what he just said is an understatement. It takes me a moment to gather my thoughts.
“Why in the world would my sister want me at her son’s party? I thought she would hate me because of what I did to Liana.”
Cade’s eyes narrow on me. “What did you do to Liana?”
“Anna didn’t tell you?” I ask, unable to hide my surprise.
“No. She didn’t, but I think you should.”
“It seems strange that she wouldn’t tell you,” I muse, pondering the reason Anna wouldn’t take advantage of the situation and portray me as a villain in his eyes. Is it possible she hasn’t noticed what I’ve done yet? No, that would be virtually impossible. Then why not use it to tarnish Cade’s growing feelings for me? I have absolutely no idea and fear I’ll never understand the way my sister thinks.
“Helena,” Cade says sharply, pulling me out of my reverie, “tell me what you did to Liana!”
“Don’t yell at me, Cade,” I warn coldly. “I am not someone you raise your voice to.”
