Roar of the Lion : Celestra Forever After 7

by Addison Moore

  “Me too, sister. Me too.” No sooner do I get the words out than Cooper and Laken file into the room.

  “Laken”—I stand and my arms start to open to hug her before I remember whose skin I’m in—“and Cooper,” I say a little more measured. Laken is stunning with her caramel waves and denim blue eyes. Cooper looks every bit like Logan’s twin today with his dark blond scruff peppering his cheeks. Cooper is the kind of guy that everyone gravitates to naturally. He was once Wesley’s right-hand man back when they were students at Ephemeral. I believe Coop was referred to as the cleanup committee—as in cleaning up the Spectators once he and Wes managed to off them.

  Both Laken and Coop offer me a curious look before greeting Marshall and me and taking a seat.

  Brody walks in with Wes and they’re chatting away like old friends. Brody heads this way and offers me an embrace before landing a soft kiss to my temple. His cologne is strong but smells nice. There’s always been something warm about Brody. One thing is for sure, he really cares for Chloe.

  I’ll never forget the day we met. He ran me over with his car. Good times.

  Sounds like a storyline Gage would have written for you, Chloe muses. And you’re right. My big brother is the best, despite the fact he chooses to spend his time with that Johnson ditz.

  The Johnson ditz would be Brielle’s sister, Brookelynn. She is a ditz but in an adorable Brielle sort of way.

  Logan walks in and I gasp. “We forgot Brielle!”

  He shakes his head. “She’s not a part of the team.” He gives a slight wink.

  Logan is so right. Bree’s more than wishy-washy when it comes to Celestra. Just because she qualifies as one of my best friends, she most certainly doesn’t qualify for the Retribution League.

  Ellis walks in on their heels, and this time I can’t contain myself. I run right over and latch onto that hippie stoner, best guy friend in the world, and sob without meaning to.

  “Get a grip, Bishop.” He carefully plucks me off. “Whatever you’re scheming, you can count me out. You might be on the right team once again, but you’ll have to cure your lady boner with someone else. I’m taken.”

  I pull back, a laugh rumbling in my chest. Ellis’ dark blond hair is mussed, his eyes glossy, and he reeks as if he just lit up a blunt on the ride over. He’s wearing his wire-rimmed glasses—something he doesn’t do all the time—but they make him look like a scholar, a stoned scholar, but nonetheless.

  “I thought you were trying to quit weed?” I give his hair a tussle.

  He makes a face and looks decidedly handsome. “I am. It’s baby steps. Sort of like you trying to quit being evil.”

  Touché, Chloe shouts.

  “I’m not evil,” I say and pause for a moment because I can’t believe those words just flew from my lips.

  “Chloe.” Wes nods my way as he enters the room, a stern look on his face as if he were truly speaking to his former wife.

  Coop gives a glance around the lab. “Where are Nev and Ezrina?”

  “Working.” He hitches his head to the next room. “They don’t need to be here,” Logan says as Ellis and I take our seats. We told them a few days back, and they weren’t all that amused with Gage’s actions.

  Laken looks mildly alarmed. “Well, Skyla needs to be here.”

  “No”—I close my eyes a moment—“actually, she doesn’t. I’m the one that’s called you all here. I have something to say.”

  “No way.” Laken pulls out her phone, and without thinking, I lunge over and snatch it right out of her hands. “Laken, no.”

  “Don’t you Laken no, me. Logan, do you see what we’ve unleashed? Don’t give Chloe Bishop this kind of power. She’s clearly trying to usurp Skyla. There is not a reason on this earth that Skyla should miss a meeting of the Retribution League.”

  “She’s right.” Coop looks equally miffed. “Give Chloe an inch and you can kiss ten thousand miles goodbye.”

  See how your friends treat me, Skyla? They’re bullies.

  A dull laugh pumps from me. Only because you’ve harmed every person in this room one way or another. Trust needs to be earned, and I think you can do it.

  Chloe makes a retching noise. If this is the part where you say stick with me, kid, I’d rather vomit—thank you very much.

  “I’m not saying stick with me, kid,” I whisper, and all eyes land on me, each face with its own quizzical expression.

  Logan nods my way. “Go ahead. I don’t think there’s an easy way to do this. Just dive right in.”

  Brody groans. “What now, Chloe? How many more disasters am I going to have to save you from?”

  Tears dampen my eyes.

  Aw, come on, Messenger. Do not make me look like a pussy. Buck up.

  “That’s the thing, Brody. I’m not quite feeling like myself these days. Everything is sort of a disaster. But I’m afraid you can’t save me from this one.” I glance to Marshall, and he nods as if encouraging me to go on. “I’m not sure who can save me, in fact.”

  Cooper lifts a brow. “You dragged us out here because you’re having an identity crisis?”

  “Knew it.” Ellis’ chest bucks. “You’re not really for Celestra, are you?” His brows dive into a sharp V. “That does surprise me, though. You were sort of a diehard.”

  “I’m still for Celestra,” I say. “And so is Chloe.” I watch as the whites of their eyes widen. “And you’re right, Coop. This is an identity crisis, one for the ages. You see I’m not actually Chloe Bishop. I’m just in her body.” I hold a hand out to Brody. “She’s in here, too, and she’s fine. But it’s me, Skyla.”

  Laken gasps as if I just sprouted a third eye, and come to think of it, that might have been less shocking.

  “A few weeks back on my birthday—me as in Skyla, my birthday”—I shrug, willing to go with a moment—“after we got Laken settled at Coop’s place, I went back to your house, Ellis. I found Gage in the theater room where that nasty X-rated movie Rory blew us all out of the water with was playing on a loop. And he was saying things to me.” I shake my head, not wanting to remember a word from his lying lips. “Anyway, he pulled me close in a firm embrace and pressed his lips to mine. He was thinking about me, and the boys, and his twisted love for us.” Silent tears run down my face as I look to Gage Oliver’s head bobbing in the glass box before me. It breaks my heart all over again, just the way it did that night he died. I’m not sure why the recounting of my own death at his hands has me feeling melancholy for who we were but—

  Because you’re a fool, Skyla. Get on with it.

  I nod.

  Chloe is right on so many levels.

  “And he smothered me.” I look to Laken, Coop, Ellis, and Brody—even Wes as their eyes remain enlarged. “No sooner did I breathe my last and floated outside of my body than I witnessed my own eyes opening, my body suddenly filled with life once again.”

  “Oh my God.” Laken covers her mouth as if she were going to be sick.

  “It’s Rory,” I say. “She’s in my body. She’s in my bed, in my house, infiltrating my family.”

  “Oh, Skyla.” Laken shakes her head before leaning my way and falling over in with a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. How do we fix this?” She pulls back, her face streaked with tears of her own.

  “I don’t know,” I say, wiping down my cheeks.

  Brody strums his fingers over the table and squints my way. “Chloe?”

  “She’s in here.” I nod. “I can hear her. She can hear you. And believe me, she’s just as pithy as ever. You see, when Marshall escorted me to Ahava, I told my mother I flat out refused my fate. I’m not sure that had any impact on anything, but she said without a body I couldn’t remain on Earth. After some supernatural groveling, she agreed to grant me one possession. The participant had to be willing.”

  “I would have done it.” Laken doesn’t miss a beat.

  “But I couldn’t do it,” I counter. “Laken, you have your childr
en who need you, the real you. Cooper and you are in your honeymoon phase.”

  Wes groans.

  Logan catches my eye. “I would have done it.”

  “I know.” I shake my head. “But you were detained in Eversor, and I couldn’t get to you.” I give a simple shrug. “Anyway, I asked Chloe and she agreed.”

  Brody shakes his head. “I don’t know. My sister is not exactly what you would call the agreeable type.”

  Wes tosses up a hand. “Amen to that.”

  “Of course, she had stipulations,” I’m quick to add.

  And I’m nice, Chloe spits it out like a rusty hook.

  “And she says she’s nice.” A warm laugh circles the room.

  Logan takes a breath. “So you see, we’re not exactly sharing this information with everyone.”

  I nod. “If Rory goes off the rails, I don’t know what I’ll do. But I expect her to do something unbelievably stupid at any moment regardless.”

  Ironic, isn’t it, Skyla? Chloe chirps. Rory will explode with enough foolish behavior to take down the planet, and no one will think a thing about it. How is her stupid behavior going to be any different than that of yours? People won’t be shocked or surprised. They’ll roll their eyes and say, there she goes again.

  I give a tight smile to the people in the room. I’m not translating that little ditty.

  Laken nods. “We won’t tell anyone. Least of all Gage.”

  See? Chloe is quick to mentally jab me. Even Laken realizes that was a dumb idea.

  “Gage knows.” I take a deep breath. “I couldn’t contain my rage, and I went right over and kicked his ass twelve ways to Sunday.”

  Brody’s eyes bulge. “I bet my sister liked that.”

  “She did. She was right there cheering me on. And anyway, I didn’t come right out and tell him—he guessed and I didn’t deny it. I can’t tell if Demetri knows.”

  Wesley’s ears pull back. “If Gage isn’t telling Demetri, that means there’s dissension in the ranks.” He looks to the wall a moment. “Interesting.”

  Coop folds his arms across his chest. “How do we get you back where you belong?”

  “You don’t,” I say. “I’ll take care of that.”

  Ellis slams his hand over the table. “That’s bullshit. You’re getting married in a couple of weeks. I’m sick and tired of this hell. You’re not really going to let her marry Logan are you?”

  I pause a moment. “Yes, I am. Actually, I hope she doesn’t, but I’m willing to push Candace Messenger to sanity’s edge. She understands what a binding covenant marriage is. I want to see just how far she’ll go without intervening. And—I have something else in the works as well.”

  Logan shoots me a curious look, but I’m not in the mood to share any hopes I might have pinned on Dominique’s potions.

  “I just need you all to know”—my voice breaks—“I don’t want Rory’s actions to affect our friendships. The true Retribution League is now classified as a secret counsel and is open to discussion only for the people in this room. I’m sorry, Ellis, but I’ll have to ask you not to tell Giselle. I need to know nothing will rock this boat.”

  Ellis postures in his seat. “Until Gage blows it out of the water—like he does everything else.”

  “Yes, well, speaking of Gage, he and Demetri are up to something. I get the feeling Gage isn’t in the know quite yet, but Demetri came by the Landon house and hinted that something big is in the works.”

  Wes shoots Cooper a hard look. “It would have to be big. Gage has bled out all of his people. The Fems are hanging on by a thread once again. He needs a way to get everyone’s attention, and fast. And he needs them to need him. Gage is desperate, and that makes Gage dangerous.”

  Logan takes in a never-ending breath. “Gage is desperate.” He nods. “In a strange way, it seems he’s spent his whole life priming for this pinnacle of desperation he’s achieved. He’s never had the confidence that he wasn’t about to lose something.” His amber eyes meet with mine. “He knew of Skyla before I did. He was sure she was his. But you could see the hurt in his eyes even at that point. He knew that in some way he would eventually lose her. He could feel his destiny circling him. He could smell it coming. But he couldn’t see the big picture. He saw through a glass darkly. He was fed whatever the hell Demetri wanted to feed him, bits and pieces, just enough poison to turn him into a monster.”

  “I don’t know,” I say, looking right at the blue-eyed devil. “I don’t care. And I can’t muster any pity for him either.” I glance Logan’s way because I know he can. “He killed me. He murdered the one he professed to love. That tells me his love wasn’t true. It was obsession. I’m not entirely sure he didn’t kill me to keep me from Logan. Yes, he wanted to keep me from infiltrating his throne any further, but I think maybe it was his way of saying if I can’t have you, nobody can. That sheds a different light on our relationship, our marriage. And it builds Wesley’s case. Gage is dangerous. He’s a madman. A wild horse barreling through Paragon who needs to be put down for the safety of the people. And since that doesn’t seem to be a viable option, we need to castrate him every single day. We need him impotent. If we can’t send him back to paradise, we need to strip him of his power until he’s the equivalent of a celestial paperweight. And that’s why I’ve decided that even though we will continue to pursue a way to hide the markers permanently, we will never distribute it.”

  A gasp circles the room.

  I nod. “I don’t think Gage will reach that capability either. He can’t hide them at all without Wesley.”

  Wes sits back in his chair. “It’s true. And this way the Factions will always need Celestra. Take away their need for us, and we might just play into Demetri’s plan. Once their markers are covered, I’m sure Gage will entice them with a good enough reason to cross the battle line once again. And we’ll be up a celestial creek without a supernatural paddle. Good job, Skyla. This is why you shine. But in the event we need it, we’ll finish out the production of the serum that allows us to have a lifelong inoculation. We’ll put it in the vault. Our ace in the hole.”

  “I agree,” Logan says. “And that keeps us one step ahead of Gage. And if I’m right, Gage and Demetri won’t waste too much time unveiling their new campaign to try to woo the Nephilim back to their corner. And believe me, they’re pulling out all the stops. This is going to be big.”

  Ellis nods. “One big runaway train straight to Hell.”

  Laken huffs a dull laugh. “But they will market it as Heaven.”

  Coop shifts uncomfortably in his seat and shoots a hard look to Wes before closing his eyes a moment as if this were all too painful to hear.

  Ellis shakes his head. “And what about now? Do you really think Demetri is spilling his guts and glory? I don’t think so. Chloe—Skyla just said there’s something brewing with Demetri. I’m not sure that dude ever tells the whole truth to anybody, not even to himself.”

  I glance to Logan. “We don’t know what Demetri or Gage is thinking even when the tide is low. I don’t think there will ever be a time that we can put our guard down. Not today. Not after I reenter my body. Not after Celestra reclaims her rightful spot as the victor.” I take a breath as I look to Marshall. “And we will. I will seat you and your people back in the heavenlies as well.” I take in the faces of my closest friends, my comrades in arms, and soak in the moment. “I love you all. I’m so grateful for your support. I want you to know there will be no secrets between us. I will tell you what you need to hear, no matter how painful it is. And as soon as I’m returned to my body, I’ll let you know that as well.”

  Laken shudders. “The sooner, the better. What can we do, Skyla? There must be something.”

  “Yes, there is,” Wesley answers for me, and I startle for a moment as all eyes fall to him. “Cooper”—Wesley’s dimples invert—“whatever the hell you’re keeping from us, speak now or rue the day you decided you knew better and made the decision to hold out on us.”

>   Cooper looks momentarily stunned, but his expression quickly morphs into anger.

  “What is it, Coop?” I ask. A part of me wondered if Wes was going to drag their never-ending grudge into the room, and he did not disappoint.

  Logan shifts in his seat.

  “Wes.” Coop takes a breath, and if I’m not wrong, I’d swear he just growled. “You are insane.”

  Wesley’s chest bounces with a laugh. “No. Not by a long shot. I am completely within sanity’s bounds. It’s you, buddy, who’s lost it.” He glances to Laken. “Good old Coop here has a secret, Laken. If memory serves correct, you adore the hell out of those.” He raps his knuckles over the table before he stands. “Skyla”—he narrows his gaze over my eyes as if trying to seek me out in this strange flesh—“I’m here for you. I’m sure you’ll figure this out sooner than later. I’m going to head back and talk to Ezrina about creating a stable serum that can hide the markers effectively for the time span you determine. The last thing we want is something that fades too quickly. That could be just as dangerous.”

  There’s a rustle at the entry, and we collectively turn our attention that way, only to find the devil himself among us.

  Gage Oliver stands tall and stately, chest wide as that football field he used to worship.

  “Hey.” He nods to the lot of us. “What’s this?” His left brow arches, along with his amusement. “A party I wasn’t invited to?”

  Logan stands and so do Ellis and Brody.

  “Relax,” Gage chides. “I’m not looking for a fistfight.”

  Ellis chuckles under his breath. “Dude, we do not care what the hell you’re looking for. And you might just get that fistfight anyway. You’re a beast. An asshole of the highest order. The fact you stepped into Whitehorse shows you’ve got some imaginary big hairy balls.”

  Gage cuts a glance my way. “I’m not here to see any of you. I have to speak with Ezrina.” He does his best to head in that direction, and Wes cuts him off at the pass.

  “No can do, brother. I was about to pay her a visit. And seeing that I can’t stand your damn face, we’re not headed back there together. I win, you lose. Get used to the sound of that song. The chorus isn’t going to change.”