by SJ West
“I need to go,” she tells me, quickly pulling her hand out of mine.
“Wait,” I say, acting on instinct rather than common sense.
I put my arms around Helena in an attempt to comfort her. I hear her sniff once, which prompts me to pat her reassuringly on the back. I have no idea what to say to her about what Lucifer did. I mean, I can’t exactly blame him for his reaction. It was harsh, but also natural. She never should have appeared to him for the first time looking like me. If she had chosen a different body, he probably wouldn’t have reacted so poorly. From what I just saw, it appears that Helena simply wanted love and acceptance from him. Who would have imagined that from her?
Helena allows me to comfort her for a little while longer, which is surprising. When she does finally pull away, her eyes shimmer with tears, but she seems determined not to let them fall. The space around us reverts to the bedroom where Lucas is still sleeping.
“I’ll go get you some food,” she tells me, thinking of an excuse to leave for a while. “I’m sure you could both use something to eat.”
“Thank you,” I tell her.
“You’re welcome,” Helena replies before hastily vanishing from my sight. I know she isn’t phasing down here because I never see her leave behind a phase trail. If she did, it was possible I could follow it and escape, which is probably the reason she isn’t phasing. Although, I’m not sure if her ability to stop people from phasing in Hell also restricts her from doing it. This is her domain, after all. I would imagine she can do almost anything she wants to in it.
Seeing Helena become so emotional has thrown me for a loop. I had no idea she sought Lucifer’s acceptance. It was obvious she was jealous of me at one time, even though she had no reason to be. My father did visit me on each of my birthdays until I turned ten, but I didn’t know that until recently. Millie was the one who told me about his yearly visits. She didn’t even tell my papa about them during the time they were happening.
I’ve peeled back yet another layer to Helena’s personality, and I’m not quite sure what to think about it. All I do know is that I feel pity for her and selfishly hope I’m slowly breaking down the barriers she’s erected to protect herself from being hurt by others. If I can do that, there’s hope I can convince her to let us go.
Chapter 7
(Helena’s Point of View)
What an idiot! All I had to do was shed a tear, and now I have Anna eating out of the palm of my hand. She feels pity for me. Me of all people! It took every ounce of self-control I had not to start laughing triumphantly when she brought me into her arms for a loving embrace. What a sentimental fool my sister is to believe anything Lucifer ever did actually hurt me. Manipulating her emotions is child’s play, and I intend to keep her on a short leash until I don’t need her anymore.
I may have slightly embellished the scene I just showed her with half-truths to gain her sympathy, but believing anything that I show her in Hell is real is her own fault. She should know me better than that, but her innocent, gullible nature when it comes to family matters seems to prevent her from using her basic reasoning skills. I am Hell. I use people and bend them to my will. It’s simply what I do.
As I walk through the fissure that is still open between Hell and Cirrus, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. I have no doubt Anna will do everything within her power to make me feel like I matter in the world, even if our father tried to make me believe otherwise. I didn’t have to overexaggerate the scene of me appearing to Lucifer as a young Anna by too much. The only thing I added in was the waterworks. I didn’t know how to cry back then. It wasn’t in my repertoire of emotional responses until recently. In reality, when Lucifer shook me, I lost my ability to keep my physical form, and so I vanished. But for dramatic effect, I showed her something I knew would tug at her heartstrings and make her more pliable to my will. I’ve learned over the years that very few humans can resist the effect of a crying child. It seems to excite some sort of primordial emotion within their psyche.
I phase to Anna’s palace in Cirrus to snoop around a bit. I do intend to take her some food, but I don’t think she expects me to return right away. After all, I’m supposed to be attempting to sort through my emotional baggage and finding a way to ease my sorrow over being rejected by Lucifer all those years ago.
I can’t prevent myself from laughing out loud at the absurdity of such a notion. The sound of my laughter echoes in the empty halls of Anna’s home. I have to admit that I like her palace a lot better when it’s devoid of humans. It doesn’t feel so … happy.
I decide it will be beneficial to look through Anna and Malcolm’s private chambers to see if I can discover something I can use against them while they’re trapped in my domain. Plus, I’m just curious to know what my sister treasures in her life. Most humans like to keep mementos of what’s important to them. I want to know what my sister cherishes most.
As soon as I walk into her chambers, I feel cradled by an aura of peace and tranquility. Even though Anna isn’t here, I can still feel her presence. The room itself is filled with the warmth of natural light from the outside. The rays of the sun stream into the space through the windows and a large opening that leads out onto the veranda. A gentle breeze lifts the sheer white curtains hanging in the space between the living room and the terrace, stirring the scent of freshly cut flowers. The chamber is decorated with comfortable-looking furnishings in light-colored fabrics and woods. I notice at least a half-dozen crystal vases holding skillfully designed bouquets scattered all around, providing the source of the floral aroma permeating the air.
The glint of something shiny on the fireplace mantel catches my attention. I walk over for a closer inspection and find an old-fashioned framed photo of Lucifer and Amalie. I remember this picture and wonder how it came to be in Anna’s possession. Lucifer thought he had found true happiness with Amalie, and that’s what they’d shared for a time. Then she got knocked up with Anna and died during childbirth. Her death caused Lucifer to lose his mind to grief. I didn’t realize it at the time, but Amalie’s death was actually a blessing in disguise for me. It was the catalyst that sent him spiraling down into a pit of despair so deep that I thought he would never find his way out of it. If his natural instinct to protect Anna hadn’t been so strong, he would still be with me.
I don’t blame him for the way he felt, and in the end, everything worked out as it was supposed to. I managed to recover most of the seals, despite the odds that were playing against me. I finally gathered enough power to emerge from the pits of Hell to venture into the Earthly realm. Lucifer may have lost sight of our goal, but I haven’t. Humanity still needs to be destroyed, and my sister has given me the means by which to do it.
The photo of Lucifer and Amalie isn’t the only picture sitting on the mantel. There is also a framed holographic image of Anna, Malcolm, and Lucas. It’s from their wedding day, and they’re all smiling as if they have a bright and wondrous future ahead of them. It has often amused me how people think their lives can sustain such happiness. No one can stay that cheerful forever. I don’t care how much you might love one another. Something always happens to make you face reality.
“You really shouldn’t be here,” I hear a rancorous, yet familiar, voice say behind me.
I turn around and come face to face with Hale, the self-proclaimed leader of the rebellion angels that Lucifer left behind after his exodus to Heaven. The fact that the person responsible for their fall from grace has been welcomed back into Heaven has sent them all into a feeding frenzy. Having no better target for their rage, they all decided Anna and her offspring should be the ones made to suffer for Lucifer’s betrayal. I’ve done my best to protect her and the babies, but Hale and his group obviously became restless and decided to attack her against my wishes. It’s just as well. I won’t make them suffer for ignoring my orders. Their actions caused the babies to seek me out for succor. I got what I wanted, even if it wasn’t the way I had planned to
get it.
“And why shouldn’t I be here, Hale?” I ask.
“We’ve placed charges on the propulsion system keeping this city in the air,” he tells me, looking especially pleased with himself. “On my command they’ll be blown, and Cirrus will fall out of the sky and into the ocean.”
“And what exactly does doing such a thing gain you?” I ask out of curiosity.
“Revenge,” Hale replies heatedly. “Anna may have gone to you for protection, but she’s left her city vulnerable. When she finally does poke her head out of Hell, she’ll discover that her home is laying at the bottom of the sea.”
“Seems a bit childish of you,” I comment, finding the whole situation amusing.
“It will cause her pain, and that’s all I care about.”
“What do you think Lucifer would say about your plan?”
“I don’t care what he would think!” Hale rails angrily. His otherwise handsome features are contorted into an ugly mask of rage. “His opinion means less than nothing to me now.”
“I think you’re just jealous,” I taunt him. I do think that, but I’m also tweaking his anger up a notch. It’s always so much fun to poke at the hearts of the rebellion angels. Not all of them completely lost their sense of right and wrong during their fall from grace. A lot of them considered what they did in Heaven with Lucifer as the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good. They sincerely believed they were on the right side of the war, but isn’t that the way it is in every war? Each side always thinks it’s right. That’s why wars are fought. And who’s to say one side is more right than the other? It all comes down to a difference of opinion, nothing more. “I believe you wish you had been given a chance at redemption so you could finally go home. Does that sound about right, Hale? You can’t reach Lucifer anymore, so you’ll punish Anna as his proxy.”
“There’s no way a thing like you can understand how I feel,” Hale says, looking at me like I repulse him.
“I assure you that I can understand a great deal more than you give me credit for,” I say. “And don’t forget that I can end your life with just a thought, Hale. So watch your tongue when you address me, or I’ll cut it off and shove it down your throat—literally.”
“Then why don’t you just go ahead and do it, Helena?” he challenges. “If you’re so worried about Anna and the babies, why haven’t you killed us all and gotten us out of the way?”
“I need you to do something for me.”
“Like father like daughter, I suppose,” Hale replies snidely. “And what exactly is it that you want us to do for you?”
“All in good time,” I tell him. “I’ll be sending someone to you when the moment is right. He’ll lead you in the direction I want you to go.”
“And who exactly is this someone?” he asks suspiciously.
“His name is Silas, and he’ll be able to tell you exactly what you need to do.”
“Silas …” Hale considers that name for a moment before asking, “Isn’t that Jered’s son?”
“Yes.”
“And what makes you think I’ll take orders from the child of a Watcher?”
“You’ll either do what he tells you to or spend an eternity being my plaything in Hell. Which would you prefer?”
“Neither.”
“Well, unfortunately for you, that’s not an option you will be given. Do what he tells you to do, or I promise you’ll regret it. That also goes for all the other rotten little rebellion angels under your command. Please make sure you let them know what to expect.”
The pinched expression on Hale’s face tells me he’s enraged by what I’ve just said, but he’s not stupid enough to make a snide reply.
“And when can we expect him to come?” he asks instead.
“I’m waiting for the right time, but I suspect it won’t be too much longer. Now, why don’t you go scamper off and enact your petty little revenge plan? Do you want me to tell Anna that you’ve sunk her city, or do you want it to be a surprise for when she comes back?”
“You can tell her. I want her to suffer for as long as possible.”
“Very well. I’ll let her know when I get the chance.”
“Good,” Hale says, sounding self-satisfied. “And make sure she knows I’m the one who did it.”
“I’ll be sure to mention it, but does she even know who you are?”
“Maybe not yet, but she will.”
He phases, and I hear the first bombs go off in the city. On impulse, I grab the picture of Lucifer and Amalie from the mantel before phasing to my Earthly home in Nimbo.
I go directly down to the kitchen in the palace and tell the cooks to prepare something worthy enough for a queen. The people of Nimbo love me, so they immediately set to work on the task that I’ve given them. I instruct the cooks to pack it up and to have someone bring it to my rooms once it’s ready.
Since I have a few minutes to wait, I go up to check on Levi. I don’t like leaving him alone for very long. When he gets bored, it usually leads to trouble, and I’m trying my best to maintain a certain standing for us in Nimbo.
When I had Levi take over the body of Zuri Solarin, I knew the Emperor of Nimbo had a certain reputation with the ladies. Our marriage was supposed to be one that finally calmed the emperor’s ravenous appetite for the fairer sex by introducing true love into his life. If he started bringing strange women into his bed, the illusion we were cultivating (that of a happy marriage) would be ruined, and that was something I wouldn’t let happen.
I find him in his office with Nimbo’s Minister of Finance, Joseph Shea.
“And you’re sure we can handle the financial burden of bringing them here to live?” Levi asks as he sits behind his sleek, burnt orange desk, which has a design that seems to defy gravity. Its wave-inspired shape sweeps up and out in front of him in an impressive curve.
Joseph sits in front of Levi’s desk in a chair that only appears when someone wants to sit down to speak with the emperor. It’s made from miniature polymer balls that rise up from the surface of the floor when they sense someone is about to sit down. The balls conform to the person’s body to provide a comfortable seating experience.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Joseph says. “I believe we can incorporate at least ten thousand Cirruns here in Nimbo comfortably. It shouldn’t put a strain on our housing situation or economy. However, I would caution against bringing in more than that number. I realize you want to help them in their time of need, but allowing too many to take up residence here would place our economy in peril.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted to know,” Levi says, smiling Zuri Solarin’s legendary, charismatic smile. “Since the empress is here,” he says, lifting his gaze to look at me standing behind Joseph, “we can discuss what needs to be done later.”
Joseph quickly stands from his chair and turns around to face me. He bows at the waist.
“Empress Helena, I didn’t realize you were there. My sincerest apology for not acknowledging you sooner.”
“Oh, Joseph,” I say good-naturedly, “you were perfectly fine. I quietly slipped in here to see if I could steal a kiss from my husband.”
Levi chuckles and practically jumps out of his seat to walk over to me. I have to admit, he plays the role of the besotted emperor quite convincingly. He sweeps me up into his arms and kisses me soundly on the lips in front of our audience of one. The fact that Levi has his mouth over mine appalls me more than I like to think about, and when he tries to slide his wet tongue between my lips, I pull away, laughing to hide my revulsion.
“I think we’re embarrassing Joseph, my love,” I say, looking at the Minister of Finance sheepishly while I place a placating hand on Levi’s chest.
Joseph clears his throat nervously before saying, “I should really be going so the two of you can have some time alone. As soon as you hear back from Cirrus, please let me know, Your Majesty.”
Joseph scurries toward the office door and makes a hasty exit.
I push away fro
m Levi and quickly wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.
“What was that all about?” I ask him, wishing I had some soap and water to take away the taste of him on my lips. “What is that devious little mind of yours up to?”
“I thought we would help Catherine secure some votes,” Levi states with a satisfied grin. “I’m sure Anna and Malcolm will have a hard time finding homes for all the Cirrun refugees. If Catherine goes to her people and tells them that she made a bargain with us for some of them to have a temporary home here, I’m confident the people chosen to live in our city will give her their support when the time comes.”
“It’s a good enough plan, I suppose, but I wouldn’t count on the election taking place anytime soon.”
“And why is that?” Levi asks. “What do you know that I don’t?”
“Hale and the others just blew up the Cirrun propulsion systems to send it to the bottom of the ocean.”
Levi stares at me unblinkingly for a moment, like he didn’t hear what I just said. I’m about to ask him if he did when he busts out in laughter.
“Are you serious?” he asks between chuckles as he attempts to control his mirth. “That’s classic! I should have thought about doing that myself. Poor Anna; she’s losing everything at once.”
“That’s not all,” I say. I go on to tell Levi about everything that has transpired in Hell. After I’m finished, there is a smile so large on his face I almost worry his head will literally split in half.
“Can this day get any better?” he asks, and I know it’s a rhetorical question. “Why do the babies seem to trust you so much, and how are they so self-aware about what’s going on around them?”
“I’m not sure,” I admit. “They seem to know I am the only one who can protect them from the rebellion angels. I don’t know how they understand that, but I couldn’t have asked for more from them.”
“You still haven’t told me what your plans are for Anna’s children,” Levi points out yet again.
