by S. J. West
“Were you injured in the fight?” I ask him.
“No,” Malcolm tells me. “It’s an old wound that will never heal. It’s nothing to be concerned about.”
“If we do end up leaving Lucifer here,” Gabe says to Malcolm, “do you think the curse would be lifted?”
“I don’t know,” Malcolm says, looking surprised by Gabe’s suggestion. “I wasn’t even thinking about that, to be honest. I was just thinking how quiet it would be if Lucifer wasn’t on our world anymore, being his normal pain in the ass self. I certainly wouldn’t complain if it did stop the pain, though.”
“Well, worrying about Lucifer is the furthest thing from my mind right now,” Mason says.
Without even having to look at him, I know Mason is directing his gaze straight at me. I feel a sense of guilt for not being able to remember anything about him. I desperately want to, though. I mean, what woman in her right mind wouldn’t want to remember making babies with him?
I feel my cheeks begin to flare up again, and chance a glance in Mason’s direction to see if he’s noticed.
I immediately regret my decision when I see that he’s smiling at me knowingly.
“So, this video,” I say, hoping to hide my embarrassment with a change of subject. “When can I see it?”
“You can see it now, if you like,” Brand says to me as he looks between Mason and me quizzically. It’s obvious he’s noticed a change between us.
“Mon cher,” JoJo says with concern, leaning forward in her chair across from me to cup my face in her cool palms, “are you sick? You look very flush.”
I try to smile to ease JoJo’s worry.
“I’m fine,” I tell her, even as she slaps the back of one hand against my forehead.
“You feel very warm to me,” JoJo says worriedly.
“Here, let me see if I can help,” Rafe says, standing from his chair to walk over to me and take hold of my hand.
I feel Rafe’s cool healing power infuse my body, but I know he won’t find anything to heal.
“You do feel a bit warm,” Rafe says, confirming JoJo’s diagnosis, “but I don’t think you’re sick.”
“Like I said, I’m fine. Thanks anyway.” I slowly pull my hand out of Rafe’s so I don’t look like a total tool by refusing any more of his help. “Honestly, I’m ok.”
“Maybe you should go rest some more,” Chandler suggests. “I could play you a lullaby,” he offers, waving his flute in the air.
“I don’t think sleep is the best idea right now, do you?” I ask. “Sounds to me like we’re on a very short schedule. You have no idea when the princes will blow the remaining horns, right?”
“No, we don’t,” Mason confirms. “The sooner we come up with a plan to stop them, the better.”
“Noel said Lucian and Gabriel were the only princes present at the party,” Brand tells the group. “It may be impossible to find the others if they remain hidden until Lucian instructs them to blow their trumpets.”
“What are they waiting for?” I ask. “If they have the means to destroy this world, why not do it quickly?”
“It could be the same reason why they didn’t open the seals all at once,” Malcolm suggests. “Maybe Lucian believes the same principle applies. The more hate and chaos there is in the world, the stronger the effect of blowing the trumpets will be.”
“That,” Brand says looking troubled, “or what Ravan told Jess about opening the seventh seal in Heaven is actually true.”
“What did she say?” I ask, knowing from the expression on Brand’s face that whatever it was must be bad.
“Maybe you should listen to it for yourself,” Mason says. “After you watch the video, you’ll understand.”
I stand from my seat. “Then I’m ready. Show it to me.”
Brand, Malcolm, Mason, and I all phase to what they told me was Josh’s computer room. I wasn’t sure who this Josh was, but I assumed he was the techie of the group.
The equipment in the room looks sophisticated, but I’m not sure what all of it does. We find a young man sitting in a black mesh chair with rollers, staring at a series of holographic projections on the white wall in front of him.
“How are things looking, Josh?” Brand asks gravely.
Josh swivels around in his chair to face us. “Like Hell on Earth, literally. Fires are burning on every continent and in every major city. Some of the more isolated areas have been spared, but not many. From what I’ve seen, the fires will just have to burn themselves out. There’s nothing else that can be done. It’s going to take days for this to clear up.”
“Well, maybe it’s a blessing in disguise,” Mason says, looking over at me. “Watching the Earth burn might satisfy Lucian’s bloodlust long enough for us to find a way to recover your memories.”
“The more power Hell receives from what Ravan did, the happier he’ll be,” Malcolm says in disgust.
“Power?” I ask, still confused. “How is it receiving power from this?”
“From souls,” Mason reveals, the weight of his two words reverberating in the air.
I look over at Josh. “Show me the video I took.”
Josh nods his head, as if he agrees that I need to see it. He stands from his chair and tells me, “You might want to be sitting down while you watch it.”
Just from what I’ve been told, I feel sure Josh is right. I take his seat while he gets the video ready.
“Ahh, I see we’re just in time for the viewing,” a man with a British accent, wearing a black leather outfit, says as he walks into the room.
Behind him walk in three more men, two of whom look like body builders, or, at the very least, professional wrestlers.
“I’m glad to see you could all make it,” Brand says to the newest arrivals. “We were just about to show the video to Jess.”
“How are you doing, Jess?” the smaller man of the group asks, his voice accented with an Irish brogue.
“Ok, I guess,” I say.
“She still doesn’t remember much of anything, Desmond,” Mason answers the man more fully for me.
“I’m sure it’ll all come back to you,” the well-built bald man of the group tells me with a reassuring wink.
“Slade’s right,” the other large man, with long curly brown hair and wearing what looks like a vest made from alpaca hair, says to me. “You’ll get your memories back soon.”
As I stare at all the men standing in front of me, I have to ask, “Are all of you angels?”
“We are part of a group of angels sent to Earth a long time ago,” Mason explains. “We’re called Watchers.”
“And are all angels as good-looking as you guys?” I have to ask.
Slade laughs. “Well, at least she hasn’t lost her honesty.”
“Watchers, yes,” Brand tells me, ignoring Slade. “But the rebellion angels, those who fell from God’s Grace with Lucifer during the war in Heaven, can inhabit any human body. A few of them were at the party with you.”
“The video is ready,” Josh says behind me.
I quickly turn around to face his holographic monitor.
“Are you sure you’re ready to watch this?” Josh asks me, obviously concerned about the reaction I’ll have to what I’m about to see.
I nod. “Yes. I need to know what happened to me.”
I feel Mason come up to stand beside me. Without even thinking about it, I reach over and grab his hand to hold while I watch the last few minutes of when I knew who I was.
I don’t see myself in the video, of course. But I see Ravan and Lucian clearly enough.
When Ravan explains why she is opening the seventh seal in Heaven, I involuntarily squeeze Mason’s hand tighter. I continue to watch as Ravan threatens to phase me into Heaven with her. I hear myself gag as she tightens her hand around my throat. At that point, the video cuts off.
“That’s all that was transmitted back here to us,” Josh tells me.
I look up at Mason. “What she said, about souls not being
able to go to Heaven, do you think that’s true?”
Mason bends down onto one knee beside me so I don’t get a crick in my neck from looking up at him.
“We have to go on the assumption that it’s true. The only thing the Bible says about the seventh seal being broken is that there will be silence in Heaven for thirty minutes.”
“Well, it’s been a lot longer than thirty minutes since she did that, right?”
“Yes,” Mason says hesitantly, and I know there’s more bad news to come, “but time in Heaven isn’t like it is here on Earth. Thirty minutes Heaven time could be thirty days or it could be thirty years or it could be ten years, for all we know.”
“One thing is for sure,” Brand says, “we can’t allow the seventh trumpet to sound, or we’re all doomed.”
“Why?” I ask. I may not remember Brand very well, but he hasn’t struck me as someone who would lean towards over-exaggeration.
“Gabriel is destined to blow the seventh trumpet. If he does that,” Mason says, “every soul in this universe will leave their body, to be judged. Since the pathway to Heaven is closed, many of those souls will be drawn to the only other place left open for them to go, Hell.”
“How do we stop them?” I ask, having zero inclination for my soul to spend an eternity in Hell.
“Well, first things first,” Mason tells me as he stands up, tugging on my hand to urge me to do the same. “We need to get you a sword so you can protect yourself.”
“Ok,” I say, agreeable to that idea. “Do you have one I can borrow?”
Mason smiles at me almost indulgently. “All swords are not created equal, and you deserve a replacement for the sword you lost.”
“Ravan has it,” I tell him, having recognized the flaming sword I was holding in the video. “Gabriel gave it to her as a wedding present, but she wasn’t able to make it produce a flame.”
“I’m afraid we’ll have to let her keep that one until we’re able to get it back from her,” Mason tells me with much regret. “And, I promise, before we leave this world, we’ll find a way to get your sword back.”
“Then what kind of sword did you have in mind?”
“One that should be almost identical to it.”
“And where are we supposed to find a sword like that here?”
Mason smiles mischievously. “How would you like to take a little trip to the Garden of Eden with me?”
CHAPTER FOUR
“Are you telling me that the Garden of Eden actually exists?” I ask Mason, wondering why I’m having trouble believing such a thing, considering the fact that I’m in a room full of angels. “Where is it?”
“It’s in a pocket of space called an inner realm,” Mason starts to explain. “In our reality, Michael and Jophiel made it to protect the location of the Tree of Life. I’m assuming that probably happened here, too. Am I presuming correctly, Brand?”
Brand nods his head. “Yes. The same thing happened here. A few of us were allowed inside it. I can take the two of you there now, if you’re ready to go.”
“I think the sooner we get Jess a weapon, the better I’ll feel about her safety,” Mason tells him.
“While you’re busy doing that,” Jered says, “the rest of us will begin to search for the other princes.”
“Good luck,” Mason says to the others, but, from his tone of voice, I know he doesn’t place much hope in their endeavors.
After the others phase out of the room, leaving only Mason, Brand, Josh, and me, I turn to Mason and ask, “Why don’t you think they’ll be able to find the other princes?”
“Was my pessimism that obvious?” Mason looks a bit chagrined by his unintentional slip.
“It was to me,” I tell him, not knowing if I have a special gift to tell Mason’s moods, or if it actually was that obvious.
“Lucian’s plans to carry out this Apocalypse of his have been too well thought out. I doubt he would allow the other princes to go anywhere we might think to look for them. He would never risk losing the upper hand in such a careless way.”
“Then how are we supposed to stop them if we can’t even find them?”
“I haven’t quite figured that part out yet,” Mason admits, “but we will. We have to.”
“I think the best thing we can do right now is concentrate on what we can do,” Brand says before holding out his hands to us. “Ready?”
Mason and I both take hold of Brand’s hands.
“It might be a good idea if you phased out of Eden shortly after our arrival,” Mason advises Brand.
“Uh, mind me asking why?” Brand asks, looking bewildered by Mason’s request.
“Jess might have the same reaction to being there as she did the first time,” Mason says with a large grin on his face. “And I really don’t want you to see my wife naked.”
“Naked?” I practically shout in surprise. “Why was I naked there?”
“Eden affected the way you thought,” Mason explained. “From what you told me afterwards, you really wanted to lay in the grass naked and watch the dragons fly in the sky.”
“Dragons?” I say, my interest in Eden quickly quadrupling. “They’re real?”
“In Eden they are,” Mason tells me.
“Then why are we wasting time just standing here?” I ask in exasperation. “Let’s go!”
Mason chuckles over my enthusiasm, and Brand phases us to Eden.
The first thing I notice about the Garden of Eden is that the air smells as sweet as cotton candy. I lift my gaze to the bluer than blue sky and gasp as I see a group of dragons, all jewel-tone colors, flying overhead. I’m aware of when Brand leaves us, but I have too much to look at to be bothered with the pleasantries of a goodbye.
Everything is brighter and fresher than anything I can remember seeing before.
The ridiculousness of such a thought makes me giggle.
“What’s so funny?” Mason asks, drawing my attention back to him by the sound of his happy voice.
When I look over at him, I see that he is indeed smiling at me. Not only are the corners of his mouth tilted up, but his eyes are twinkling with joy as well.
“Nothing important,” I tell him, unable to keep myself from smiling back at him.
I stare at Mason for a long time. Even with the beauty of Eden surrounding me, Mason’s happy face completely captivates me, keeping all of my attention centered on him, tickling a memory. I feel something deep inside my heart crack open, wanting to let him in and keep him there forever. My brain might not have any memories of him, but my heart does. It’s telling me that I love the man standing before me with every fiber of my being, and that nothing, not even my stupid amnesia, will ever change that.
“I love you,” I tell him, feeling tears spill freely from my eyes as a well spring of love for Mason gushes to fill my heart.
“Jess,” Mason says, his voice filled with hope as he takes a step closer to me, “do you remember me?”
Regretfully, I shake my head, and I see the light of hope dim in his eyes.
“I’m sorry. I still don’t remember our life together,” I lift my free hand and cover my heart, “but you’re in here, Mason. It’s like you’re a part of me. I feel… complete when I’m with you.”
“Now you know why I had to get you away from Lucian as quickly as possible,” Mason tells me. “I’m not complete without you either, Jess. And just the thought that he might hurt you drove me crazy.”
I reach up and cup Mason’s face, telling him, “Don’t dwell on something that didn’t happen. He didn’t hurt me, and, to be honest, he’s the last person I want to think about right now. Let’s just enjoy being in paradise together for as long as we can.”
“I would like that,” Mason says, squeezing my hand.
“We won’t be missed back at the castle, will we?”
“I’m sure if something major happens, Brand will come get us,” Mason says, looking pleased that I want to spend some time alone with him. “What would you like to do he
re?”
“Can I ride a dragon?”
Mason busts out in a laugh. “Only you would want to ride one of those monstrosities…”
“From that answer, I’ll take it as a no to my question.”
“Why don’t we go see if Jophiel left her sword in the Tree of Life first? It might be a good idea to check, since that’s the reason we came here.”
“So, it’s not a definite no to the dragon ride?”
“Whether they let you on them or not is completely up to them,” Mason tells me. “Dragons usually aren’t that friendly. You can try, but I can’t promise you’ll be successful getting on one.”
“I’ll take my chances,” I say confidently. “Ok, lead the way to where the tree is supposed to be.”
As Mason and I walk through Eden, hand in hand, I can’t help but marvel at how vibrant all the colors are. Everything from the sky to the blades of grass at our feet just seems more alive, like they’re pulsating with energy.
“It’s a shame humanity lost all of this,” I tell Mason. “Just think how different the world would be if we hadn’t.”
“I’m not sure my Father ever intended for humanity to stay in paradise,” Mason tells me. “He likes to see personal growth in his creations. If humans had remained here, I don’t believe they would have gone on to invent as much as they have. They would have become lackadaisical in their lives, and never amounted to much. People complain about working, but it’s that desire to build a better life for themselves and their families that keeps humanity innovative. It makes them unique.”
“You sound like you admire us,” I say.
“I do. I always have. That’s the main reason I accepted the leadership of the Watchers. I wanted to help humans reach their full potential. I still do.”
“So, you’re immortal, right?” I ask, seeing no other way around it. “I remember you telling Rafe that you couldn’t die, but I could. How do I feel about your immortality?”
Mason grins. “You’re fine with it, but I do intend to ask my Father to make me human once we return to our reality.”
“You can do that?” I ask in amazement.
“Two Watchers have already made the transition. The first one was the Brand on our world, and the second one was his son-in-law, Aiden. We’ve just been waiting for you to catch up to me in age and for this little detour of ours to alternate Earth to be over.”
