Fated Origins: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 4)

by May Freighter

Lilia rolled her eyes. “I know you cannot understand my logic. You don’t need to. I am here for a single reason. From this moment, I can do this alone.”

  Maya was about to say something when Ben took her hand and pulled her to sit on the bed next to him. “Stop. It doesn’t matter how they met. Those two love each other. Their love is real, so why bother arguing?”

  “It makes me sick how she manipulated someone’s life to such an extent. Heck, how do we know she didn’t fuck us over, too? Maybe she planned for my body to be trapped in the Demon Realm.”

  “I assure you, I did not touch your path. Your choices and actions are your own.”

  “Yeah, that makes me feel so much better,” Maya grumbled.

  Having regained her strength, Lilia tested her legs and hopped out of her seat. “Let us go and meet Helena’s parents.”

  Maya groaned. “Yeah, I almost forgot we have a date with her folks. This is going to be painful. You should try to talk like Helena.” She dissected Lilia with a stern gaze and groaned. “Even the way you stand is different.”

  “I am not here to act as her substitute.”

  Ben rose, and Maya did the same. She brushed her hand through her red hair, saying, “Doing so will carry you a long way.”

  “I believe acting like Helena may get me killed,” the fate corrected her.

  Ben stifled a chuckle. “She has a point, Maya.”

  “Whose side are you on?”

  “On the outside,” he said, leaving the hotel room.

  “Whatever!” Maya shouted after him.

  Lilia could see through the demon’s false displeasure. Maya loved that hunter. It was a strange combination she did not expect to witness. Then again, her sister fell in love with a demon as well. Peculiar relationships surrounded her from all sides. “You cannot remain in the Human Realm forever, Maya. You must eat souls to stay here, erasing their chance at rebirth.”

  “I only eat the souls of monsters and bad guys.”

  “And who are you to judge a soul? They may be bad in this lifetime and good in another.”

  “Let me worry about that. You have your shit to wade through and I’ve got mine.”

  5

  THE SECOND FATE

  LILIA

  L ilia sat in the car, waiting for Maya and Ben to scout the area for vampires. She traced her fingers over the stitches in the leather seat. It would take years for a single craftsman to piece together so much leather. Times certainly had changed. Humans rode in metal carriages without a single horse or donkey in sight. Places of worship were not overflowing with devout followers for their god. None of them knew three gods in this realm were among them, hidden in plain sight. And yet, their influence had to be fading. Ben had abandoned his need to eliminate everything supernatural, which she found to be odd. No hunter she had ever encountered would dismiss their beliefs with such ease.

  The others returned, and Lilia pressed a small lever on the door to get out. “Are you finished?”

  “Yeah.” Maya placed her hands on her hips. “Two vampires were waiting for Helena to come back. At the party, we needed to kill three of them to get to her. They will probably keep sending in more to locate her.”

  “Then we must finish our business here.”

  Ben checked the time on his glowing handheld device. He called it a ‘phone’. A contraption with multiple functions Lilia couldn’t understand. Magic was simpler than the mechanical creations humans made to simplify their daily lives.

  “It’s the middle of the night. Maybe we should wait,” he offered.

  Lilia shook her head. “There is no need for that. We will take what we need and leave here. I do not wish to waste another minute.”

  “Look, it’s not as simple as walking in and getting what we came for. You have to tell them that Helena’s leaving, so they don’t worry about her needlessly,” Maya said.

  “Why?”

  Maya gaped at her. “Because her mother’s pregnant. Any stress could cause her to pop the kid out at any moment. And, Helena gave you her body as a loan. So, act like her, for God’s sake.”

  Shaking her head, Lilia strode ahead and knocked on the front door. When nothing happened, she knocked again, putting in more force behind each knock.

  The light came on inside and the door was opened by a yawning woman covering her mouth. Her eyes widened, and she grabbed Lilia by the hand, dragging her into the house. “Where have you been, Helena? We were worried sick. You got mixed up with those vampire people again, didn’t you? What were you thinking?”

  Unable to keep up with the myriad of questions, Lilia tore her hand out of the stranger’s grasp. She assumed this had to be Helena’s mother. Upon closer inspection, she noted two souls in her body—a grey and a pale white. “You’re a siren.”

  “Excuse me?” the woman asked.

  “Your soul is grey. You have powerful abilities from your Wiccan ancestors.” The woman didn’t seem to fathom Lilia’s words. She added, “You’re a witch if you do not understand what a siren is.”

  Maya gave a nervous laugh as she entered the house. She elbowed Lilia in the side, making her scowl. “Sorry about this, Mrs Hawthorn. We were the ones who brought her back, and she’s a little tipsy.”

  “You drank alcohol?” Helena’s mother snapped.

  “What’s the matter, Sasha?” an older man asked, emerging from the room down the hall.

  “You won’t believe this, Richard. Helena’s drunk, and she was brought home by two strangers.” Sasha eyed Ben, focusing on his snake tattoo. “Are you in some gang?”

  Ben stifled a laugh. “No, I’m not in a gang. I’m a hunter.”

  The man Lilia guessed to be Helena’s father joined his wife. His intense stare unnerved her. She concentrated her energy on a spell. Wisps of Wiccan power prickled her fingertips as she lifted her hand and touched Sasha’s forehead. “Sleep.”

  Sasha’s eyes rolled back into her head, and Richard caught her before she could hit the floor.

  “What have you done to her?” Richard asked, panicked.

  “She needed to relax and stop asking questions,” Lilia explained nonchalantly.

  Maya grasped her elbow in a painful grip. “This wasn’t the plan.”

  “I do not have time to answer everything, demon.”

  She glared at Lilia and went down on one knee next to Sasha’s sleeping form. “I’m sorry about this.”

  Richard’s gaze never faltered. He stared at Lilia with silent accusation. “You’re not Helena. Who are you?”

  “I am a fate.”

  “First vampires and now this?” he grumbled, lifting Sasha into his arms. “I’ll be right back. I need to put her in bed.” He paused halfway down the hallway. “How long will she sleep for?”

  Lilia shrugged. “It had been a long time since I have used spells. I am uncertain. It may be hours or it may be days.”

  “Days?” Maya screeched. “Are you kidding me? You’ve put Helena’s mother in a coma?”

  Lilia tilted her head to one side. “She will awaken in time.”

  “I can’t believe Helena let you take over her body…”

  The father returned from the bedroom alone. “Helena did what?”

  “It’s a long story,” Maya explained, her temper simmering back down.

  Ben touched Maya’s shoulder. “We should get the passport and pack some clothes for her.”

  “Helena is not going anywhere until I know what’s going on,” Richard said, squaring his shoulders.

  Although the world outside had changed, humans had not. They continued to seek answers, fight for their beliefs, and meander blindly into trouble. Helena had given up her body to allow Lilia to complete the task she had been reborn to do. The longer she spent explaining herself to mortals and their friends, the less time she had to prevent her son from returning. Yet, they seemed to care little about the impending end—too busy squabbling over useless matters.

  Lilia touched Richard’s arm. “Sleep, mortal.”

/>   He collapsed in a heap on the ground, bashing his head against the wall.

  Maya slammed Lilia against the wall, her red irises glowing with malice fit for a demon. “That was uncalled for!”

  “He was in the way,” Lilia retorted.

  “He’s Helena’s step-dad. Don’t you feel even remotely guilty for knocking her parents out cold?”

  “I did what had to be done. Why must I feel guilty?” Lilia focused her anger, channelling it into magic. Her energy packed the small hallway, and Maya stumbled backwards, clutching at her chest.

  Ben rushed to Maya’s side. “What’s wrong?”

  “She’s using her powers on me!”

  A second later, he pointed a metal object at Lilia’s head, which she believed to be harmful since there was an unspoken threat in the way he stood.

  “Stop whatever you’re doing or I’ll shoot,” he growled.

  Lilia withdrew her energy. As she did so, Maya fell to her knees, massaging her chest.

  “I want you to understand something,” Lilia spoke each word with care. “I am not Helena. I am not here to act like her or bow to a demon and her hunter friend. I came here to stop my son from destroying this world. That is my mission. That is my only wish.” She left the others behind and entered the bedroom with Sasha lying on the bed.

  Sitting on the edge of the mattress, Lilia ran her hand over the woman’s stomach. The baby inside kicked against her palm, and she smiled. “It’s been a long time, Diya. I have missed you greatly.” Her voice trembled with emotion. She focused on the pale soul-string pulsating with life. “You will not be a part of this battle, dear sister. Your fate is your own in this cycle.”

  “What are you doing here?” Ben asked, barging into the room.

  Lilia blinked away the tears. “I need a phial or a container of some kind.”

  “What for?”

  “I need the child’s blood.”

  He said nothing and stared at her for a long second. “Why would you need that?”

  “Do not tire me with more questions. Do as I ask. Bring me what I need, please.”

  Ben’s attention flicked between her and Sasha. He gave a stiff nod. “Alright.”

  When he was gone, Maya stumbled into the room and grabbed Lilia by the throat. “What are you planning to do to the baby?”

  “I need her blood for the ritual. Fates are drawn to each other, and our paths will always intersect in this realm. So, to save this child from being dragged to England, I wish to take some of her blood to help us open the tomb. After all, two fates and two of Arthemis’ children had sealed it and their blood is the key to undoing the spell.”

  Maya’s eyes bulged with realisation. She let Lilia go. “The child is another fate?”

  “Yes.”

  “Will she become like you? Will your sister take over that child when some crazy prophecy is nearing?”

  Lilia rubbed her aching neck to relieve the pain where Maya held her. For a demon, this girl had little control over her emotions. She wouldn’t last long in the Demon Realm. Lazarus had lost his touch if he had failed to win the mental battle.

  “Answer me!” Maya shouted.

  “I don’t know the answer to that. I only shifted her birth date a little. This way, Arthemis will not know who the second fate is. She will be safe.”

  “Like hell she will! What if someone comes looking for her, or worse, what if your existence draws her into danger?”

  Lilia rose from the bed and stroked Maya’s cheek. “You value family. I can see that, but I am not all-powerful. With each reincarnation, I become weaker. In this cycle, Diya will make her own decisions and forge her own path—whatever that may be.” She lowered her hand once Ben strode into the room, carrying an empty glass jar.

  He offered it to Lilia. “This is all I could find.”

  “It will have to do.” She took the jar and returned to sitting next to Sasha. Gently, she ran her hand over the woman’s belly, chanting the words engraved into her memory. The lights in the room flickered, and Sasha let out a faint moan, causing Maya to edge closer.

  Lilia could feel the demon’s anxiety as Maya hovered around her. Allowing her powers to flow with the spell into the unconscious woman, Lilia envisioned the child’s blood trickling into the empty container.

  She heard a gasp coming from Maya and opened her eyes to see droplets of blood floating through the air from the mother’s belly to the jar. When she had gathered a dozen drops, she let the magic settle down and the blood flow stopped.

  Maya pushed Lilia aside and lifted Sasha’s clothing to study her stomach. “There’s nothing here… How did you do that?”

  “I drew directly from the child without harming the mother. They are both safe.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  Lilia handed the jar to Ben who stood by the door as still as a rock. “Keep this safe for me.”

  He lifted it to his eye-level and assessed the contents. “I didn’t think witches could do this kind of thing.”

  “It is old blood magic.”

  “Isn’t blood magic dangerous?” Maya asked, crossing her arms. “I heard it’s addictive.”

  The demon’s constant questioning of her actions started to annoy Lilia. She had done her best to hold back her temper since these people knew nothing about her world and the darkness that awaited them. Their desire to do what was morally right was not what would bring them to their goal. It was the reason why Helena could not cope with this burden—a duty Lilia carried since she had been banished to this realm where death was around every corner, disease claimed hundreds of thousands of souls, and mortals clawed at one another to get ahead.

  Her balled fists quivered at her sides, or perhaps her whole body did. Lilia was no longer sure. Countless times she wished to turn the clock back and change her destiny. There was no escape from this cycle. The Angel Realm’s gods wished to punish her and everyone she loved. And just like blind men, these mortals could not see the bigger picture.

  “Answer me, Lilia!” Maya hissed, grasping her by the shoulders.

  It was the final straw. Lilia slapped her across the face, making the demon stumble backwards. “Do not touch me again. You woke me up. You know what is coming, so stop acting like a petulant child. No matter how much you pretend to be human or how much you wish to have your own body, it will never happen. You are a demon. A monster. An abomination that devours the souls of others to live.”

  Ben gently lifted Maya’s face. “Don’t listen to her, she’s—”

  “She’s right,” Maya mumbled. “I keep pretending, acting like everything is fine, but it’s not, Ben. I’m not supposed to be here.”

  “Stop talking like that,” he pleaded.

  Maya rubbed her cheek and smirked at Lilia. “When this shit is over, I’m going to kick your ass.”

  “That is if we survive,” Lilia replied.

  LUCIOUS

  Bound to a chair with silver chains, Lucious struggled to contain his pain as the silver burned his exposed skin. He closed his eyes, thinking of a dark void to push out his emotions. It didn’t work. His worry for Helena rose exponentially. Between Kallias’ threat and seeing her with Ben in that relic, he couldn’t envision a good outcome. Whether the Royals found her or Ben dragged her back into their world, she would suffer.

  His jaw clenched, and he tasted the metallic sweetness of blood. How did he end up like this, bound to a chair in the Council building while being a Councilman? Eliza would have taken the Royals under control. The most important answer eluded him.

  Why did Anna and Eliza go through with opening the Demon Gate only to put me in this restricted seat of power?

  It didn’t make sense. He was a nobody. He held no special abilities other than the ones he received from Helena through their energy transfers. Even his ability to lead others seemed lacking.

  So, why me?

  The door opened, startling him. Kallias stood next to his blood-brother, Ealdraed. Both men exuded power. He
knew it was done to intimidate him. The winding threads of unseen energy crawled along their formal attire.

  Ealdraed leant against the wall, saying nothing as Kallias pulled up a chair and faced Lucious. “Come on, mate. Tell us where the tomb is. You can then be freed from this prison, although”—he looked around with interest, taking in the lavish furniture—“this room is much nicer than the cells downstairs.”

  Lucious returned the stare Ealdraed speared him with. “Why are you doing this?”

  “This process…” He waved at the chair and the room they were in. “I never cared much for torture. I find no pleasure in bringing pain to those undeserving of it. And, since you are Runa’s direct descendant, I believe it is rather disrespectful to her memory.”

  “Then why?” Lucious asked.

  Ealdraed tucked his hands into his pockets. “Because Kallias may be right. If the fates walk the earth once more, it signifies the return of our father.”

  “It doesn’t have to. You can prevent it from happening!”

  Kallias got up and grasped Lucious’ hair, pulling his neck into an uncomfortable angle. “He is our maker. How can you say things like that?”

  “Let him go,” Ealdraed warned in a low voice.

  His grip loosened, and Kallias took a step back. “I’m sorry. I have searched for our father’s tomb for an eternity. You can’t blame me for being a little excited.”

  “Let me speak with this man in private,” Ealdraed said, pushing away from the wall.

  “Why?” Kallias asked.

  “Are you worried I might kill him to keep his mouth sealed and the secret of the location hidden?”

  Kallias’ lips stretched into a nervous smile. “Of course not, brother.”

  “Then leave us.”

  With a final glance at Lucious, Kallias left the room on the behest of his brother. Ealdraed took the seat opposite him and crossed his legs. Elegantly, he intertwined his fingers on his lap. “Not many of our kin ever defy our orders. You are a breath of fresh air, young man.”

  Lucious raised a brow at the sudden change in the Royal’s demeanour. “I do not mean to defy you. I merely don’t believe Anna wished for me to reveal the location to Kallias. If she wanted him to know, she would have given him the information long before I arrived in London.”