by SJ West
I lead the way out of the castle, which is conspicuously empty of hellspawn. Once we reach the castle’s exterior, we’re met by a horde of the stinky beasts. We immediately begin to blaze a path through their numbers to reach the area beneath the city where the propulsion system is housed. It takes us a while to kill our way down there, but once we’re below street level, the hellspawn stop pursuing us. The only reason I can come up with to explain their odd behavior is that Helena gave them specific orders to leave certain areas of the city alone.
Ethan and the other War Angels stay topside to clear out the rest of the hellspawn while Desmond, Andre, and I begin making repairs to the propulsion system. I hope to have things repaired by the time Anna and Lucas return home. I want to be able to give my wife her city back. I focus all of my energy on that one goal and let everything else fall to the wayside.
Hours pass while we work. I don’t even attempt to keep track of time. I know if I do, it will drive me crazy. I let the physical labor of repairing the propulsions consume my thoughts so I don’t dwell on what’s happening to Anna and Lucas on alternate Earth. It’s a place I’ve tried my best to forget, but for whatever reason, I’m constantly reminded of it. Having my son there worries me. Will someone who was alive during the Apocalypse say something to cause memories from his life as Gabe to resurface? Ever since I learned that Lucas is Gabe reincarnated, I’ve done everything I can not to mention alternate Earth in his presence. I assumed that the less he knew about that place, the better. Was I wrong to keep the information from him? Even knowing what I do now, I still don’t believe I should have told him anything. Gabe came back to Earth to have a second chance at a new life with JoJo. I didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize their future together or their happiness.
“I think we’re almost finished,” Andre says, wiping the sweat from his brow as he leans back from the control panel he’s been working on for the past few hours.
“You might need to take a break, old man,” Desmond teases. “You’re not as young or as angelic as you used to be.”
“Ha ha,” Andre retorts. “Your jealousy is showing, Desmond. Maybe you should just give up on finding your soul mate and join me in the human race.”
“I’ve waited this long. I think I’ll wait a little while longer before throwing in the towel,” Desmond says, replacing the panel over the oxygen system he was working on. He walks over to a set of controls and begins to bring the system back online. “Here goes nothing.”
A few seconds later, a gust of fresh air fills the room.
“It’s about time,” Atticus complains as he, the other War Angels, and Slade come to join us in the engineering room. He inhales deeply, relishing the fresh, clean air. “It smells like dead fish in this city.”
“It’s because the hellspawn were inside it for so long,” Slade tells him. “They’re not the most hygienic of creatures.”
I stand away from my work area and let myself enjoy the fresh air, too. It’s grown increasingly stuffy where we are because the system that circulates the air in the city was knocked offline. I have to agree with Atticus’ assessment: Cirrus was beginning to smell like dead fish.
“I never thought …” I begin before I feel an overwhelming, unimaginable grief strike my soul.
“Anna …” I whisper just as the connection between our souls tells me exactly where I need to phase to find her.
When I arrive, I find Anna lying on the ground in the center of Central Park in New York City. The bottom half of her dress is soaked with blood. She’s sobbing uncontrollably as I immediately fall to my knees on the ground beside her.
“She has her!” Anna screams at me between sobs. “Helena took Liana to Hell!”
Everyone who was with me in Cirrus phases in behind me, having followed my phase trail.
“Go get our daughter, Malcolm!” Anna orders hysterically.
Knowing Anna will be in good hands if I leave, I try to phase down to Hell but instantly find that Helena has closed the doors to her domain once again.
“She won’t let me phase there,” I tell Anna distraughtly, not knowing what else to do.
“I’ll go,” I hear Cade say behind me. “She’ll let me in.”
Anna looks behind me with fire in her eyes. “Get my daughter back, Cade. I don’t care what you have to do. Just bring her back to me!”
“The next time you see me, I’ll have her,” Cade promises before phasing.
I look back at his phase trail and see that Helena has indeed let her soul mate join her in Hell.
Anna screams out in pain as she experiences a contraction. I instantly pick her up and phase us to our bedroom in New Orleans.
Desmond phases in with Andre, but the others wisely don’t follow.
“Desmond,” Anna pants, “Liam is coming.”
“Get the things we need for the babe, Andre,” Desmond says as he comes around to Anna’s side of the bed and sits down to lift the hem of her skirt so he can get a better look at the situation.
Andre rushes out of the room to get the necessary supplies.
Anna grabs one of my hands and squeezes hard. When I look into her eyes, she says, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Malcolm. I couldn’t protect her. I couldn’t keep Helena from taking our baby.”
“Now you listen to me,” I tell her, brushing away the long strands of white hair from her sweat-soaked face. “You have nothing to apologize for. You weren’t in any condition to prevent Helena from taking her. Cade will bring our daughter back to us. I know he will.”
“But what if she won’t give her to him?” Anna asks frantically. “What if she tries to keep her?”
“Then we’ll find another way to get our baby back,” I vow vehemently. “I won’t allow her to keep our daughter, Anna. Do you trust me enough to believe that?”
“Yes,” she says without hesitation. “You know I do.”
“Good,” I say, feeling as though I could pry the doors of Hell open with my bare hands as long as she has faith in me. “We will get her back. You have my word.”
“Well, the two of you are about to have another child in just a minute who will need you, too,” Desmond informs us.
When Andre walks back into the bedroom carrying a bowl of water, a knife, and a couple of fresh towels, he isn’t alone.
“Mommy?”
I turn to face the doorway to the room and see Lucas standing there with Jess, Lucifer, Vala, and Luna directly behind him.
“Lucas!” Anna cries in a mixture of pain and happiness.
He runs over to us, grabbing me around the hips with one arm and using his other hand to hold on to his mother’s outstretched arm. Luna stays close to his side while Vala leaps up onto the other side of the bed to be near Anna.
“Am I finally going to become a brother?” Lucas asks excitedly.
Anna begins to cry even harder at the reminder that Lucas is already a big brother. We just don’t have Liana with us to prove it.
I move my son’s arm slightly so I can kneel down on one knee and give him a proper hug. He uses both of his arms to squeeze me tightly around the neck.
I kiss one of his cheeks and tell him, “Why don’t you crawl up onto the other side of the bed so you can hold on to your mother’s hand? I think she needs us both right now.”
Lucas runs around me to crawl onto the bed as I instructed. As he sits cross-legged beside Vala, he gently takes Anna’s left hand while I take her right one.
“Okay, Anna,” Desmond says. “On your next big contraction, I need you to push as hard as you can.”
Anna nods that she understands his instructions, but she’s unable to speak because the simple act of breathing is taking top priority right now.
“Can you give her something for the pain?” I ask Desmond.
“Afterwards, yes,” Desmond replies. “But she’s about to have Liam in just a few seconds. One big push, Anna, and you’ll have the newest little Devereaux in your arms.”
Anna squeezes down on my h
and, but I know she isn’t using her full strength. Otherwise she would have ripped my hand off at the wrist. She screams out in pain as she pushes one final time before allowing herself to collapse from exhaustion. When I hear the first cry from my son, it’s a bittersweet moment instead of a joyous one. The absence of his sister leaves me feeling hollow inside, and I know our lives won’t be complete until she’s with us.
After Desmond cuts and ties off the umbilical cord, Andre quickly wipes Liam’s face with a wet washcloth and bundles him in one of the white towels he brought in earlier. He then walks over and hands my son to me.
“Congratulations, Malcolm,” he says as I take Liam from his arms. Andre leans over Anna and kisses her brow. “You have a healthy baby boy, cherub.”
Andre begins to take a step back but stops abruptly.
I look away from Liam’s face to see if something is wrong and notice what’s caught his attention.
As I stare at my wife, I watch as her white hair and blue eyes turn back to their natural brown color.
“What’s wrong?” Anna asks as she notices we’re all staring at her.
“Your hair isn’t white anymore,” Vala tells her in amazement.
“And your eyes are brown again, too,” Lucas says, smiling at his mother’s physical transformation.
“I suppose it makes sense,” Andre says as he contemplates this new development. “The seals were probably how Helena was able to make a connection to you in the first place. Now that you’re not carrying them at all, your connection to her has been broken.”
Anna sighs in relief. She’s always hated the white hair and blue eyes. She runs the fingers of her right hand through her hair and brings up a handful in front of her face so she can see it for herself. She smiles, but it’s a faint one. I know neither of us will be able to feel pure joy over anything until Liana is with us.
When Andre steps fully away, I immediately place Liam in his mother’s arms. I hope having at least one of her babies close will ease a small portion of her heartache over Liana’s absence.
“He’s simply gorgeous, Anna,” Vala says, her voice filled with pride and joy.
“But where is Liana?” Lucas asks, innocent of the situation concerning his little sister.
“Cade’s bringing her,” Anna tells him, attempting unsuccessfully to hide her tears.
“Oh,” Lucas replies as understanding comes into his eyes. “Helena took her, didn’t she?”
“Yes,” I tell him, seeing no reason to lie about Liana’s whereabouts. “But Cade will make Helena give her back to us.”
“She won’t do it for nothing,” Lucas says with certainty. “She’s gonna want something in return.”
I know Lucas is right. Helena won’t just give away her prize without requesting something of equal or greater value to replace it.
I have no idea what she might want, but I know I’ll pay whatever price she asks for to get my daughter out of Hell.
Chapter 21
I don’t have to think very hard to know where Helena has taken Anna and Malcolm’s baby. We’ve all been aware that she’s had an unnatural desire to protect the children. We just haven’t been able to figure out what it is she wants with them yet. Considering she only took Liana, it’s apparent that the little girl was the one she was interested in possessing the most. I’m not sure why. I’m her soul mate, but it doesn’t give me the power to read her thoughts or understand her motivations.
When I first came to Earth, I envied the love I saw Anna lavish on Malcolm. It wasn’t because I wanted her to treat me the same way. I was jealous of the close connection they seemed to share. I quickly decided that I wouldn’t enter into a relationship with anyone unless I felt that kind of love. I was fully aware that Malcolm had to wait thousands of years before Anna was born, but I didn’t care. All I wanted was to feel that connected to someone else in my life. I was certain it would be worth the wait as long as I eventually found my soul mate.
When I first saw Helena, I couldn’t believe she was the one I was destined to share that bond with. Our souls are nothing alike, yet fate matched them to one another a very long time ago. I’m not sure what God hopes to accomplish by bringing us together, but I have faith He knows what He’s doing.
I phase into the bedroom with the cribs, where Helena kept Anna and Lucas. I find Helena there, leaning forward against the front of the crib nearest the window. She’s humming “Brahms’ Lullaby” as she watches Liana slumber peacefully.
“I wondered how long it would take Anna to send you to me,” Helena says just before she looks up and over at me. “I suppose she wants her baby back.”
“You know she does, Helena,” I say, slowly making my way to her. “It was wrong of you to take her in the first place.”
“I only took what was mine.” Helena stands up straight as I come to stand beside her. “Anna lost her to me fair and square.”
“We didn’t get to finish your little game,” I remind her. “How does that automatically make you the winner?”
“Because Anna transported us all to that alternate Earth! She forfeited the game when she did that.”
“You make it sound like she knew that would happen,” I point out. “Did she?”
“Well, no, but that’s not the point.”
“As I recall, all you told us was that we had to get into the castle and find Anna. We made it into the castle. It wasn’t our fault that none of you were in here.”
“Exactly my point! Anna is the one who messed up your chances to win. She also made a mess of my home by taking me away from it.”
“Yes. We did notice that things didn’t feel the same here while you were gone.”
Helena smiles at me coquettishly. “Are you saying you missed me, Cade?”
“This place certainly did,” I admit, knowing exactly what she wants me to say but not giving in so easily. “I’m not here to flirt with you, Helena. I’m here to take Liana back to her parents.”
“Admit it,” she whispers, resting her right hand against the bare skin directly over my heart. “You missed me, didn’t you?”
“You need to give Anna her baby back, Helena,” I say, “or this thing between us ends here and now.”
She drops her hand away from me. When I look into her eyes, I see her anger, but I am prepared for her reaction.
“Do you think your threat is supposed to make me bend to your will?” she asks crossly. “I bow down to no one, much less you.”
“I’m not asking you to bow down to me,” I tell her in a calm voice. “I’m merely stating a fact. I can’t be with someone who would keep a baby away from her family. You call Anna your sister, but you’re not acting very sisterly at the moment, Helena. If you actually want her to see you like that, you need to give Liana back.”
“But I won her fair and square,” she replies, as if it’s some sort of defense for her actions.
“Do you hear yourself?” I ask her in disbelief. “I mean, seriously, you need to start listening to your own words. How would you react if people talked to you the way you talk to others? If you truly want to be a part of Anna’s life, you need to stop acting like a spoiled brat, and you need to stop throwing a tantrum every time you don’t get your way. Grow up, Helena. Start acting your age.”
Helena’s mouth puckers, and I expect to hear a string of curses gush forth from her mouth, but surprisingly she remains silent except for a loud huff of frustration.
“Let me take Liana back to her mother,” I implore. “It’s not too late. If you give her back now, Anna may forgive you, but the longer you keep her away from her daughter, the more she will grow to hate you.”
“I don’t see how she can hate me any more than she already does,” Helena scoffs.
“Trust me, she can,” I assure her. “Humans are very protective of their young. I know I would hate you if you kept me away from my child.”
Helena considers my words before saying, “All right. I’ll make a deal with you. That is, if you’re
willing to give up something in return for Anna’s little spawn.”
“What kind of deal?” I ask cautiously.
“You can take Anna’s baby back to her,” she says, “but you have to return here and stay with me until I say you can leave.”
“Is that all?”
Helena raises a questioning eyebrow at me. “Isn’t that enough?”
I walk over to the crib and lift a slumbering Liana up into my arms. Helena has wrapped her in a pink baby blanket, which I find unsettling and endearing at the same time.
“Is that a yes?” she questions me as I turn to face her.
“Yes,” I tell her. “It’s a deal.”
“You’re not even going to fight for terms?” Helena asks, baffled by my simple acceptance of her bargain. “Most people would negotiate for more specific conditions, especially the length of their stay with me.”
“I don’t think a time limit really matters, do you?”
She eyes me up and down. “No. I suppose not.”
“I’ll be back in a minute,” I tell her. “You have my word I’ll return to fulfill my end of the agreement.”
“I never thought you wouldn’t.”
I phase back to the living room of Anna and Malcolm’s New Orleans home and find my brother War Angels standing around. When Ethan sees me holding the swaddled baby, he says, “They’re in the bedroom.”
I phase up to the room’s door and knock.
“It’s me,” I say through the door. “I have her.”
Malcolm almost rips the door off its hinges in his rush to open it.
I carefully hand Liana over to Malcolm, and he immediately takes her to Anna, who is lying on the bed as she cradles Liam against her chest. She begins to cry when she sees her daughter, but I know her tears are happy ones this time.
“How did you convince Helena to give her up?” Malcolm asks me as he sits on the side of the bed, holding Liana in the crook of his arms next to her mother.
“I made a deal with her,” I tell them, not wanting to ruin their happy family moment but knowing I can’t lie to them either.
