by SJ West
“You have lost your mind, old man, if you think I’m going to let you leave with Anna!”
Helena roughly grabs one of Lucifer’s arms, almost dislodging me from his hold as she tries to stop him. Jess grabs one of Helena’s arms, trying to pull her away from us. The babies kick me simultaneously, causing me to squeeze my eyes shut as I scream out in agonizing pain.
“Oh, crap,” I hear Jess say in dismay.
I open my eyes and notice that she’s staring at something with a mixture of surprise and horror above my head. I follow her gaze to discover what has captured her attention and caused her to look so stunned.
Directly above my head, less than an arm’s length away, is a vortex of lavender-hued clouds with what looks like tiny stars intermixed within them. In the center of it all, one of the stars shines brighter than the rest, beckoning me to touch it like a beacon of hope.
As I extend my arm and reach out my hand toward the star, I vaguely hear Jess scream, “Anna, no!”
The pull the star has on me to touch it is too strong for me to ignore, so I decide to disregard Jess’ warning cry instead. When the tips of my fingers make contact with the star, I instantly wish I had listened to Jess.
My body feels like it’s being broken down into finite atoms and then unceremoniously sucked through a straw by some unseen force. When I’m whole again, all I feel is excruciating pain. All I can do to maintain my sanity is remain lying where I am and squeezing my eyes shut to concentrate on my breathing.
“Anna!” Lucifer says in a panicked voice.
When he touches me, the pain I feel just seems to amplify, causing me to scream.
“Don’t touch me!” I beg.
I lie there for a moment until my rapidly beating heart slows to a steady pace. Once I can breathe normally, I force myself to open my eyes. I look up at the sky and see a million twinkling stars against the backdrop of a black sky with no signs of Earth’s celestial partner: the moon. Without that light source, the night is dimmer than it should be. Although one prominent feature floating in the sky still reflects enough of the sun to provide some light to this world.
Malcolm told me a little bit about his adventures on alternate Earth. It wasn’t a time in his life that he liked to talk about, but since Lucas was Gabe reincarnated, he felt it was important that I know what transpired here.
As I look up at the rocky debris that was once this Earth’s moon, the name of the astronomical phenomenon encircling this planet comes to mind: the Kinlan Ring. It was named by the Watchers of this world in honor of Gabe’s sacrifice to save it.
I hear Jess sigh heavily beside me. I look over at her and see her staring up at the ring, too.
“I never thought I would have to come back here,” she says despondently.
As my physical pain begins to ebb away, I struggle to sit up so I can see where we are exactly. I feel a gentle hand push against my back to help me up.
“Thank you,” I tell Lucifer.
I sit and take in our surroundings. We seem to be sitting in the middle of a forest of some kind. If it weren’t for the tall glass and metal skyscrapers in the distance, I would have thought we were in the woods somewhere.
I look around at Jess and Lucifer, but notice one important detail.
“Where’s Lucas?” I ask, feeling panic set in.
Both Lucifer and Jess quickly stand to their feet and begin looking around, calling out Lucas’ name. I’m faintly aware that Helena isn’t with us either, but she’s the least of my concerns. Unless …
“Did Helena take him?” I ask, even more worried now about my son’s absence.
“I don’t think so,” Jess tells me, still scanning the area for Lucas. “Lucifer and I would have seen her do something like that. She can’t phase here yet. She doesn’t have any points of reference to phase to. It’s more probable that they were deposited at a different location. To be honest, I don’t understand how we traveled here in the first place. The last time I came here, it took the power of seven archangels to open the portal to this Earth. The vortex shouldn’t have had enough power to open up again.”
“Actually,” Lucifer says, looking thoughtful about the situation, “I think we did have that much power.” He holds up his right hand and, with his index finger out, he begins to count. “Me, you, Anna, Helena, Lucas, Liam, and Liana.”
By the time he’s done, he has seven fingers raised in the air.
“I knew the babies would be powerful,” I say, “but I didn’t realize they would be as powerful as archangels.”
If I wasn’t worried about my children before, I definitely am now.
“When they kicked me,” I tell them, “that’s when the vortex of stars appeared. I think they caused it to open up.”
“How would they even know about this place?” Jess asks.
“I told you it was a bad idea to become pregnant while you were here,” Lucifer says to Jess in an “I told you so” kind of voice.
“But you never said why!” she counters.
“This is why!” Lucifer replies in exasperation. “Your boy was always connected to this place. He was born of two Earths: this one because you were impregnated here and ours because that’s where you and Mason are from. Each Earth vibrates at a different frequency, and he was connected to both. Every generation after Luke ended up with the same connection. It’s no wonder the babies teleported us here. It was the only way they could get out of Hell after Helena put Anna’s life in danger by starting her labor early. Once Helena grabbed me and you grabbed her while holding Lucas’ hand, it was a simple matter of willing the vortex to manifest. If we ever want to get Anna and the children back home, we have to find Lucas and Helena. Without their power, we can’t reopen the vortex.”
“Are you sure there isn’t a way we can just leave Helena here?” Jess asks sarcastically, already knowing the answer to her question but hoping for a different one from Lucifer.
“We need her whether we want her to go back home with us or not,” he replies.
“Right now, all I’m worried about is finding Lucas,” I say, just as a contraction doubles me over in pain.
“I think we need to get you some medical help first,” Lucifer replies, bending down and picking me up in his arms.
“It’s been a thousand years,” Jess says worriedly. “I don’t even know if any of the Watchers are still around.”
“I suggest we try Boldt Castle first,” Lucifer says. “There may still be someone there who can help us.”
“It’s worth a shot.” Jess takes hold of one of my hands not only because she needs to be touching one of us before Lucifer phases, but I also think she knows I need the comfort of her touch.
Lucifer phases us to what looks like a small island with a large estate built on it. I have to admit that I had never heard of Boldt Castle before he mentioned it. It makes me wonder if it survived the Great War on my Earth or not.
The castle itself is majestic in size and truly does look like an old-world castle with its many turrets and formidable stature. I could well imagine an empress or emperor living inside it.
A woman phases in a few feet away from us. She has straight dark hair and brown skin. From what I can see of her face in the dim light of night, her features are beautiful and evenly proportioned. She’s wearing a white nightgown that catches the wind blowing off the water surrounding us, causing the material to billow around her legs.
She stares at us for a moment before saying uncertainly, “Jess?”
“Ava?” Jess replies, just as shocked.
The two women begin to laugh at themselves before they walk toward one another and hug.
“What in the world are you doing here? I thought you would be dead on your Earth by now,” Ava says as she pulls away and looks at Jess. “You were human, right?”
“I am dead,” Jess informs her. “God let me come back to Earth to help some friends.”
Ava turns her attention to Lucifer and me.
“I’m surprised to see you back
here, Lucifer,” she says, clearly leery of my father’s presence.
“Don’t worry,” Jess tells Ava. “My Lucifer finally saw the error of his ways and asked his Father for forgiveness in my reality.”
“Really?” Ava asks, unable to hide her surprise.
“Can we dispense with the catching up for now?” my father says in an agitated voice. “My daughter needs a doctor who can stop an induced labor. Do you have one here who can help or not?”
“Your daughter?” Ava quickly takes in my pregnant condition. “Take her inside to the living room. I know of someone who can help her.”
Lucifer wastes no time, phasing us to the living room inside the castle. Ava phases in with Jess but quickly phases away again, presumably to find me a doctor.
My father lays me on the leather couch in the room and props my head up with a throw pillow. He kneels down beside me, brushing away the hair matted to my sweaty forehead.
“How are you doing?” he asks worriedly. I know he wants me to reassure him that I’m all right, but the simple fact of the matter is that I’m not.
“I need you to find my son for me, Dad,” I say instead, reaching out and squeezing his arm to emphasize my words. “The best-case scenario is that he’s out there by himself. The worst one is that he’s roaming around a strange Earth with Helena. If you want to help me, find Lucas and bring him back to me.”
“I can go look,” Lucifer says, sounding uncertain about his mission, “but you do realize that it’s going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. He could be anywhere.”
“Odds are he’s in New York City,” Jess says. “The two times we’ve traveled here, we all ended up in the city somewhere, just like we ended up in Central Park. Still, the city is huge. Finding Lucas is going to be hard unless he brings attention to himself somehow.”
“I’m not only worried about his safety,” I tell them. “I’m worried being here might trigger memories from being Gabe. This is where he died. What if he begins to remember who he was?”
Lucifer leans in close and kisses my forehead.
“You try to get some rest,” he instructs me before standing up. “I’ll do my best to locate Lucas. Maybe luck will be on my side.” Lucifer turns to Jess. “Take care of her for me. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Don’t worry,” Jess says, “I’ve got her.”
He phases, and I can see through his phase trail that he’s returned to the wooded area we just came from to begin his search for my son.
“Jess?”
The sound of a familiar male voice causes my heart to pound with excitement, and I attempt to sit up.
“Oh no, you don’t,” Jess says as she walks over to me, pressing my shoulders back onto my pillow. “You stay right where you are.”
The man walks around to the end of the couch so I can see him. He’s dressed in a pair of tight-fitting black jeans and a black T-shirt.
Malcolm told me about his doppelgänger on this alternate version of our Earth, but it was hard for me to believe there could ever be two of him. I suppose there are multiple versions of my husband within the multiverse, at least physically, but as I look at this Earth’s Malcolm, I quickly realize he isn’t mine. He may look and sound just like my husband, but he’s a far cry from the man I’ve given my heart to.
“It’s good to see you again, Xavier.” Jess holds her hand out to Malcolm’s double. “How have you been?”
“As well as can be expected, I suppose,” he says, shaking her hand and looking mystified by our unexpected presence. “No one has addressed me by that name since all of you left.”
“Well, considering Anna, here, is Malcolm’s wife back home, I think it would cause her less confusion if I called you Xavier instead.”
He nods. “Of course. I’ve never minded the name.”
Xavier looks at me with blatant curiosity before he smiles. “So, Malcolm finally fell in love?”
“He didn’t have much of a choice,” I tell him. “We’re soul mates.”
“And get this,” Jess says, “Anna is also our Lucifer’s daughter.”
“Well, the plot thickens,” Xavier says with raised eyebrows as he takes in this news. He looks at my belly and asks, “Wasn’t it dangerous to travel here while you’re pregnant? And where is Malcolm?”
“It’s a long, twisted tale.” Jess sighs.
Just then, Ava phases into the room with a woman by her side. She’s blonde and wearing a fitted white jacket with matching pants. In her hands, she’s holding a small black case.
“Is something wrong with the babies?” Xavier asks worriedly, letting his arms fall back to his sides.
“My demented sister induced my labor with some medication,” I tell him as the doctor walks over to me.
“Do you happen to know what the name of the medicine was that she gave you?” the doctor asks, setting her case on the coffee table.
“I’m sorry,” I reply. “I have no idea what it was or how much she put in my drink.”
“It’s okay. It could only have been a couple of things. I have a drug that can counteract whatever it was as long as your water hasn’t broken yet. Has it?”
I shake my head. “No. Not yet.”
“Good.” The doctor pats the hand I have resting on top of my belly. “Don’t you worry about a thing. I can slow down what’s happening.”
“Slow?” Jess inquires. “You can’t just stop it?”
“Once labor is induced,” the doctor tells her, “it can’t be completely stopped, but if …” The doctor looks down at me. “I’m sorry. What’s your name?”
“Anna.”
“I’m pleased to meet you, Anna. My name is Marie Chambers. As I was saying, we can’t stop your labor, but we can place it on hold for a time and take away most of your discomfort.”
“So how long can we prevent Anna from giving birth?” Jess asks.
“A few days at least,” Marie replies. “Possibly even up to a week. But I would caution against preventing it for longer than that. Like all medication, what I’m about to give you might have side effects.”
“Will it hurt the babies?” I ask, determined not to take any if the answer is yes.
“No,” she assures me. “Your babies will be fine. It’s you who will have to suffer through them.”
“What kind of side effects are we talking about?” Jess asks worriedly.
“Mood swings, nausea, and fatigue, for the most part.”
“I already have those just from being pregnant,” I say, not seeing the problem.
“True,” Marie says with a small smile, “but all of those symptoms will be magnified while you’re taking the medicine. Honestly, I would suggest that you let the labor progress naturally, but Ava tells me that would not be a good option for you.”
“No,” I say. “I can’t have the babies right now. Give me the drug you have to postpone my labor, and I promise you I’ll have them after I get back home.”
Marie doesn’t look pleased, but she doesn’t argue with me either. She reaches for her case on the table and opens it, pulling out a short, silver tube.
“This might sting a little bit,” she warns me, placing one end of the tube against my arm.
I feel a small needle pierce my skin, but that isn’t what causes me pain. As the fluid enters my body, I feel an intense stinging sensation that lasts a few seconds.
“There is enough medicine in this tube to get you by for at least a week. You’ll need to take a dose every twelve hours. Like I said, it will be much better for you if you have your babies as soon as possible. How long will it take you to get back home?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know.”
Marie looks confused by my answer but doesn’t comment on it.
“Well, if you have any problems, don’t hesitate to have Ava come and get me.” She stands up and walks back over to Ava. “I need to get back to my other patients at the hospital.”
Ava places a hand on Marie’s shoulder and phases
the doctor away but instantly returns to the living room.
Xavier walks over to my side and lifts me off the couch, cradling me in his arms.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I demand to know, offended by his actions, considering the fact that he didn’t ask me for permission first.
“I thought you would be more comfortable in a bed,” he explains, looking bemused by my outburst. “Am I wrong?”
“Well, no,” I concede, “but you should have asked me if I wanted to be moved by you. It’s just common courtesy.”
“I’m sorry,” Xavier says sincerely. “I was only thinking about your comfort. You’re absolutely right, though. I should have asked first. I’m just not used to asking for permission before managing something I know needs to be done.”
“I’m not someone you can just manhandle,” I inform him.
He smiles. “No, I can definitely see that. To be honest, you’re the first woman who’s ever complained that I picked her up to take her to my bed.”
“Oh, no you’re not,” Jess says feistily with her hands on her hips. “You take her to one of the other rooms. There are a ton of them in this joint. She doesn’t need to be in your bed.”
“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” Xavier explains. “Not exactly, anyway. I just thought she would be more comfortable in my bed because my room is clean and the bed has fresh sheets on it. The other rooms, besides Ava’s, haven’t been used for a long time. They’ll need to be prepared before anyone can use them.”
“Well, you should have started off with that,” Jess huffs. “Anna gets your room and you get the couch, buster.”
Xavier chuckles. “That was the plan, Jess. I would never disrespect Malcolm’s wife by making passes at her while she’s my guest. Her honor is safe with me.”
“That’s something I never thought I would hear you say about a woman,” Ava jokes. “Why don’t you go put Anna into bed while Jess and I make her some hot tea?” She loops an arm around one of Jess’ and begins walking her out of the room. “Now, tell me everything about Nina and Rafe’s life. How many babies did they end up having?”
I don’t get to hear the rest of their conversation after they leave the room.
