Finding Retribution

by Jana LaPelle

  Her father spins to face us and he is livid, as he demands, “Are you the grimy demon that went home with my daughter last night?” Holding my hands up in submission, I take a step back not wanting any part of this.

  Before I can address her angry father, LJ rounds on him, “How dare you, Father? Daxell is first and foremost a person. He did not choose to be demon-born. He has been nothing but a gentleman. Hands off.” She glares at her uncle, “Just like you instructed, uncle Tarron. How dare you meddle in my life. It’s my life.” She declares, before continuing, “If I choose to befriend Daxell, its because he’s a good person. If my soul is attracted to his its because there may be a deeper connection there, and you are not welcome to interfere.”

  Did she just say soul connection? Hellfire and brimstone, that explains my pull to Lillie. I want her, but I’m not allowed to have her. What the hell were the fates thinking pairing the two of us together?

  7

  Can Family be Disowned?

  (Lillie Joanna)

  Iam so pissed off right now. How dare they. Turning to Daxell, I say, “You’re welcome to leave. This is my family drama. I don’t expect you to stick around or to understand. It’s not fair that I made you come in here with me and I’m sorry for that now.”

  “I understand more than you know. I’ll stay because I think I have a stake in this. That, and you may need an ally.”

  Tarron is quick to join in, “This is not what we discussed. Dax, you need to leave before things escalate.”

  “Escalate? Oh, hell no. None of you in this room have any say over my decisions from this point forward. You are all acting as if I’m a child with little to no experience. I’m sorry. I love you all, but I have earned the right to live my own life, and anyone who challenges me now on that count will regret it.”

  I watch as everyone in the room allows my words to sink in and I continue, “I can’t believe that you are so quick to judge someone because of their heritage. That’s so wrong. Da, once you got to know Pipperton, you were all in, you welcomed him and his family into our own. What’s to say that Dax is not like Pipperton? He’s a son of both worlds, not just The Underworld. That should stand for something. Right?!” I demand. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter. You all were quick to judge him without information to back that judgment up. I’m ashamed to call you all family. Especially you, uncle Tarron. What the hell?”

  I have never seen Tarron look chagrined until just now. It’s then that my mother rushes forward. “Lillie, please -”

  “No, Mother. We’re better than this. He’s a good person. I can sense it, but you are all so quick to pass judgment because of who fathered him. You haven’t even met him. He made me breakfast. He covered me with a blanket when I couldn’t. He was thoughtful and he was kind. So none of you get to judge him. Do you hear me?!” I demand.

  As my tirade comes to a close there is utter quiet within the room, my mother is the first to approach me, “Lillie, I’m so sorry. You’re right. We were quick to pass judgment in our worry for your wellbeing. As much as I hate to admit it,” she pauses before continuing, “You are no longer the baby girl that I could hold tightly in my arms at night. Your father and I are guilty of hanging on to you and your brother too tightly. The two of you are our firstborn, and it is time for the two of you to take your rightful places. As much as we might want to help, we need to step back. This is not something that we can do for you. You must be willing to sacrifice everything you hold dear to ascend to your rightful place as the goddess you were born to become.”

  “Ash -”

  “Shhh, Alaric. She needs to know.” Turning back to me, my mother smiles sadly, “My dear daughter, you must embrace your calling. You must heed your need to understand The Underworld, and upon second thought, I think that Daxell here may be meant to walk that path with you.”

  “What? I’m sorry, I don’t understand. What is my role? And why the sudden change of heart?” I demand, my mind spinning.

  “Lillie, it’s up to you to determine your role, I have my suspicions, but just like me, you will have to follow your own path to unravel the secrets to your ascension. To answer your last question, Daxell has a unique light that he holds at bay. I see that now that he is standing here.” My mother smiles a brilliant smile and walks over to Daxell and pulls him into a hug. He looks so awkward as he bends down to hug her back, pulling away she looks up to him and says, “Thank you, Daxell, for taking care of our daughter last night and making sure she had something to eat this morning.”

  “Your … welcome?” His reply is more like a question than and affirmation. He’s just as puzzled as I am at the turn of events.

  My father steps forward, the two males are about the same height. For a moment the two just stand there, sizing one another up before he holds out his hand and says, “Please forgive my earlier outburst. Lillie is right, I allowed my desire to protect my daughter to override my sensibilities. Thank you for taking care of our Lillie Joanna.” The two shake hands, and the turn of events have Daxell looking adorably confused.

  Da steps toward me and lays a hand on my shoulder and with his other hand he gently brushes his thumb across my forehead, pushing healing energy into me, and I whisper, “How did you know?”

  “You know how, you hold the same gift. That and it’s just like you to punish yourself for last night’s transgressions.” Chuckling he continues, “It doesn’t take a genius to know how hungover you would be feeling after having drank faerie wine. I know that you’re an adult now, but you are still learning. Life is nothing if not a series of choices leading to learning experiences. You don’t have to punish yourself for mistakes that you make, just learn from them. Does your head feel better now?”

  I nod and smile, “Yes, thank you.”

  “Come on over here, you two. Our visit here to see Tarron was in regards to some whispers on the wind that we have come to investigate, that is before we got sidetracked. Daxell here may hold some of the answers to our questions. Questions directly related to The Underworld. Daxell, do you know where Morríganna resides there?” My mother asks, and for a moment I’m taken aback as all eyes in the room turn to him.

  Daxell shakes his head, and replies, “I’ve heard talk, but she is one of Luc’s prized possessions, so her exact location is unknown. What little I do know is that her torture in The Underworld was custom designed for her, and her alone, by none other than Luc himself. At one time, she was supposedly imprisoned in the abyss of Hell, also known as Tartarus. Her torment is said to be that she was locked away in a room surrounded by mirrors so that where ever she looked, all she could see was her demon reflection. It has been told by the Underworlders that she was once a great beauty and that she can’t stand the sight of her Fallen form, her demon. Supposedly by the end of the click or day, she crumbles into dust, just like her sisters did the day she fell, only to be pieced back together to relive it all over again the next day. It’s my understanding that at some point her prison was moved from the abyss to the Fields of Punishment because she no longer posed a threat of escape. After a period of time, Luc had conditioned her to expect the same outcome day after day. I’m fairly sure that she resides there at this time, reliving her torture over and over again. If Luc has his way, this is how she will live out her eternity and he takes great pleasure in her torment. Do you mind if I ask why this is relevant?”

  Both my parents inhale, and I look over to them, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  “It’s been brought to our attention that The Morrígan has followers that are attempting to raise her from The Underworld.”

  “What?! Since when?” I can’t help but exclaim.

  “Evidently, since the moment she fell.” My father announces, before continuing, “For those of us that go by the time in Faerie it’s only been going on twenty years, but for those that ran from The Otherworld because they remained faithful to The Morrígan are said to have been hiding in The Mortal Realm. They have had over two hundred years to build their
following.”

  Tarron’s eyes narrow on that last bit of information, “I have not heard of any such following during my time here in The Mortal Realm. What kind of following are we talking about?” He demands before getting up to walk over to the bar to retrieve a decanter of dwarf ale and glasses for us all. He saunters back over to the table and goes about pouring drinks for us. When he gets to my mother she holds her hand over the glass halting the pour, and he asks, “Are you sure, mo solas?”

  Her reply is sweet, “Yes, I’m sure. Water if you don’t mind.”

  My mother smiles and places a gentle hand on her belly. It’s then that I notice a difference in her aura, how I didn’t notice it before is beyond me, and I ask, “So, when can I expect another addition to our ever-expanding family?”

  “Lillie Joanna,” she scolds, “it has been just the three of you for a while now and your father and I miss having little ones around the Keep. All three of you are grown and are wanting to stretch your wings. We’ve had more than enough time on our hands -”

  “Mother. Stop.” I hold up my hands before she can continue. My father laughs and pulls my mother in close to his side, wrapping an arm around her possessively and grinning like the Cheshire cat as Tarron brings her a glass of water, and I continue, “So back to the subject at hand. What do you know of these followers?”

  “Not much really, we’ve heard tales of the New Raven Order. Some of which have made it to the Drakon guardians. Dray has been trying to determine how they are crossing from this realm into Faerie. The Drakon heavily guard the areas of the veil between our worlds that is the thinnest as well as the dolmen portals, but we think they have either found a hidden portal that no one knows about or they have found another way to come and go between the realms. Until now we did not think that they posed a threat, but we fear that they are becoming stronger and have more than enough followers to attempt to raise the fallen phantom queen from The Underworld.”

  Everyone stops to mull over this information. The Drakon are dragon shifters and were once the guardians of the realms. Their special talent is that they can realm hop without the need for a portal. Kind of like tracing, but very unique to the Drakon while in flight. That was a long time ago, but then, when the veil between the realms was damaged by the actions of the Morrígna the dragon shifters once again took up their once necessary position of guardians of the realms. Now they guard the veil between worlds to ensure that the comings and goings between the realms are limited to those with business in the realms and those that have express permission. Otherwise, Faerie would be inundated with mortals trying to flee their struggling planet. Dray swore his allegiance to my parents long before I was even born and has been instrumental in organizing his kind for the now crucial task. Daxell shifts, gaining my attention.

  “I need to bring word of this to Luc. Tarron, I think its time that I go back to Hell for a visit.” Dax says seriously, “I know that I’m supposed to be here for a while longer, but under the circumstances, I think I need to head back.” He runs his hand through his hair before sitting back and looking at me, his face a mask, but his eyes tell a different story. They hold regret.

  “I think that we need a little more information to give to Luc, not that he probably isn’t already aware of something going on. Let’s see what we can dig up. In the meantime, let’s all convene back here in one week at the same time. That will give me a little bit of time to get back to Raven’s Claw Keep and talk with my counsel. It may be time for me to head back to Faerie for a while and leave the running of this establishment to some of my horde.”

  “That should give me plenty of time to search the web, to see what I can find out here, on my end,” I announce.

  “What do you want me to do?” Dax asks. “I want to help.”

  Smiling, I say, “You can help me. We’ll go to your place and you can pack a bag and come back with me.”

  “Now wait just a minute,” my father interjects, a scowl on his face. “Why does he have to stay at the house? You can just trace him home at night.”

  “I could, but if he wants to crash, then he won’t have to worry about clothes, but I’ll leave it up to demon boy.”

  “Jeez, LJ, stop with the demon boy comments. Why don’t I just meet you back here tomorrow? My bike is in the underground parking garage. I need to get it back to my place. I don’t want anything to happen to it.”

  “I’ll agree, on one condition. You take me for a ride tonight. I can trace back home from your place.”

  “Lillie, I don’t -”

  “Da, my life, remember. I’ll be safe. You made sure that I know how to handle myself. Relax. Go take care of Mama. I’ve got this.”

  My father mumbles under his breath, “I seriously doubt that you do.”

  8

  She’s All That

  (Daxell)

  I‘m quickly learning that LJ is good at getting her way, even though I know that she has not been spoiled or use to overindulgence. As endearing as that quality is in her, I’m nipping this right now. “I’ll make that deal only if we both go back to our individual places tonight and get a good night’s rest. We meet back here tomorrow night at eight in the evening. I have some things I need to do tomorrow. If you show, I’ll take you out on my bike. If you don’t, no harm, no foul.”

  “And just why would I not show?” She demands, tapping her pointy-toed black suede boot in aggravation.

  “Oh, I don’t know, honey cheeks, I’m a demon and you are, well… you.” I finish coldly.

  “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing, Dax. You think that if I go home, I’ll have a chance to rethink us working together, but you’re wrong. I intend to go with you when you go to The Underworld. I need to understand why I’m drawn to grasp the difference between dark nature and dark intent, and you have been set in my path for a reason. I may not be your type, but damn if I’m not getting under your skin.” With that she turns and walks away, as she is about to trace, she says, “Tomorrow. Eight sharp.” And then she’s gone.

  Turning, I announce to no one in particular, “I’m out of here.” I make my way toward the elevator and jab my finger on the call button, the door slides open and as I step in, I hit the garage indicator and wait patiently for the lift to descend to the garage level. She’s right, she’s gotten under my skin and spending any more time with her is just going to solidify that fact. She doesn’t understand why I’m not good for her to be around. Tarron was right to warn me off of her, but damn if I’m more conflicted now than before. Her mother all but shoved me at her daughter. I’m not sure what to think. The drive out of the city will do me some good.

  The building Tarron chose for his tavern is on the outskirts of the city, it doesn’t take me long to put it behind me and head further north to my lakeside cabin. It’s secluded and surrounded by trees, and in just under an hour I pull up to the detached garage outside and park my black and silver Ducati inside. Striding to the house, I admire all the colors that this place holds. It’s so different from The Underworld. It’s getting late and the sun is close to setting. The ribbons of color that dance across the water reflecting the sky above has the ability to calm me. The very thought of going back to The Underworld has sat me on edge. I could do without ever stepping foot in that accursed place again.

  The door to the cabin slams open, and I jerk my head in that direction, not expecting anyone to be here, only to see my mother step out onto the covered porch. She smiles and asks, “Where have you been, Daxell? We arrived last night.”

  “When you say we, I’m assuming that you mean you brought your Fallen lovers with you.” My tone is irritable and cutting.

  “Daxell, what has gotten into you? I don’t like the tone that you are taking with me. Your fathers are not just my lovers, we are bound to each other. You know that.” I can see that I’ve hurt her. Her silver-gray eyes bore into me and for a moment I just stare back at her. My mother has an almost elven beauty about her. Her skin is a creamy white, her
hair a platinum blond with streaks of silver, her stature is willowy, almost waif-like. Her appearance is the exact opposite of both my father’s. She is the moon that they gravitate about.

  Sighing, I relent, “I’m sorry, mother. I’m just in a foul mood and should not be taking it out on you. Are they with you?”

  “Yes, they’re here, they’re making dinner. It’s almost ready. What’s bothering you, son?”

  Climbing the steps to the landing, I reach my mother and pull her small frame to mine for a long hug. I cradle her close to me and just hold on to her for a moment and whisper, “I am sorry, mother. I know you love them.”

  “Why are you always pushing them away? They love you Daxell.” She pulls back to look up at me, her eyes wide and filled with questions and concern.

  Gently, I kiss her forehead, and murmur, “Because their DNA makes me half-demon.” Straightening up, I smile at my mother and ask, “What’s for dinner, and why the unexpected visit?”

  My mother looks at me pointedly, her chin raised in challenge, “You are a mixture of the best of the three of us. You, my son, are perfect, just the way you are.” Her expression softens, before she takes my face in her hands and whispers, “you are who you are meant to be, and just like with your fathers, I balance them, and that piece of me that you hold within you balances you. Don’t ever forget that.”

  I had always ever dwelled on the fact that I was half-demon, and never really gave my other half a thought, until now, and I smile down at my mother, “Thank you for that. Come on inside, let’s see what the two old farts are up to.”

  My mother swats me on the arm with a smirk, and says, “Don’t let them hear you say that.”

  As we walk into the spacious cabin, from the kitchen, I hear them say in unison, “We heard that.” Both of my fathers are identical in appearance with one minor exception, their eyes. Asmodeus or Dez as he likes to be called has warm chocolate brown eyes with hints of amber, and Leviathan or Levi’s eyes are a startling electric green. The two have a rich mahogany skin tone with hair the color of the deepest night which is kept closely cropped to their heads, same for their beards. Both are standing together in an ultra-modern kitchen surrounded by bowls of Chinese food and are casually attired in jeans and snug-fitting black teeshirts. They look right at home in my little house.