Roar of the Lion : Celestra Forever After 7

by Addison Moore

  “The Valkyrie?” They’re a military ranking among the Fems, comprised of both men and women, and my mind reels as I try to comprehend this. “Who took the mighty three?”

  His chest pumps with a dull laugh. “Who do you venture to guess?”

  “Shit.” I pull the door open with a start and he slaps his hand on my shoulder, darn near crushing it.

  “That’s right, Gage. The enemy is desperate, and they are pulling out all the dirty stops. Don’t fall into the net they’ve set out for you. Eternity is the bounds for you and for me.” He growls out those last words with so much passion—hell, I think I believe him.

  But the truth is, I don’t know what to believe.

  I jump into my truck, intending to head home, but I end up at Wesley’s place instead.

  I don’t do the whole bang down the door routine. He’s got the kids, and probably Kresley lurking in there. I don’t want to give them and the whole damn neighborhood a heart attack.

  Instead, I shoot him a text. I’m outside. I want in.

  And somehow I find those words I just sent ridiculously poignant.

  I’m outside. And my God, how desperately I want in.

  My heart drums against my chest, and my adrenaline is surging, ready to skyrocket me right into enemy territory.

  I squeeze my eyes shut tight. How in the world did Skyla and I ever end up on enemy lines? How is this real? How is any of this real?

  What I wouldn’t do to have all this turned on its ear.

  The grand delusion.

  Yes, I was waiting for it, but I never saw this coming.

  And how in the hell did he pull it off?

  Worst yet, what if this grand delusion was another one of Candace Messenger’s great glorious plot twists? Her way of saying bend over, no lube.

  The door cracks, and I barge right in. It takes me less than five minutes to recant the entire scene to Wes and he stands there, arms crossed, with a pensive look of worry, much the way Demetri just did. Like father like son. But that’s where the resemblance ends with Wes.

  With me, not so much these days.

  “Tell me the truth, Wes. Hell, I wouldn’t blame you for lying to me. But I need to hear something. What did I see last night?”

  “You were there, Gage. It was real. Skyla took one for the team. It sounds like she gave you the grand tour. It’s up to you to believe it or reject it. And knowing the idiot that you are, you’ll take the slow road. You might get there, but it will be too damn late for my people.” He flashes a short-lived smile. “That’s right, Gage. I swing in whatever direction Laken tells me to. And you want to hear something? I have embraced Celestra. I actually care about them in a way that I never felt before. Isn’t that something?” A crooked grin erupts over his face. “You bought the lie, and I bought the truth. So very unlikely, isn’t it? And yet that’s where we are. You get to be the new poster boy for wickedness, and I’m one of the good guys. Laken always did know best.” His chest expands with his next breath. “What do you want, Gage? It’s clear I’m not going back to sleep. The kids are going to be up soon.”

  “Convince me.”

  He inches back. “Dude, you had Skyla, Candace”—he shakes his head—“you had Demetri spilling the truth and lies like oil, and your conscience wants to mop it up for him like you’ve done every other time. Just look the other way again. It’s what you’re best at. I’m getting some coffee.” He turns to leave, and I pull him back until he’s standing in front of me.

  “You didn’t have Skyla, you didn’t have Candace, and God knows you didn’t have Demetri spouting off anything to you. Tell me”—I swallow hard—“take me to the beginning, Wes. Walk me down the road that got you here. I know for a fact Laken is good, but she’s not that good. You’re involved in this crap because you believe it’s true. You don’t go halfway not even for Laken. You proved that the first time.”

  His jaw clenches, but he keeps his trap shut because he knows it’s true.

  “Fine.” He pulls his phone out and begins tapping into it. “The road to freedom begins with Coop. Logan will want to be here, too.”

  “No,” I grab him by the wrist. “Not Logan. Skyla will show, and that’s not what I want. I need to see this from another angle. Your angle. Show me whatever the hell convinced you. It’s time I weigh the evidence.”

  “It’s past due, brother. Well past due.”

  It takes an hour for Coop to drag himself out of bed, shower, and show up with that trusty old tome in his hand.

  “Is this the Good Book?” I mean to sound playful, but it comes out grumpy as we settle on the sofa in Wesley’s man cave.

  “Yup.” Coop opens it up and lands it close to me. “Written a hell of a long time ago by our Nephilim predecessors. Written in their celestial native tongue, something we lost ahold of almost right after this was written. There are three books in Wesley’s possession. Laken swiped them for me.” He sheds a brief grin to Wes. “Nevertheless, this is the smoking gun. Marshall and Ezrina transcribed as much as they could. I determined the rest with the code they helped me crack into—and long story short—you are having the wool pulled over your eyes in a grand manner. No one is going to hell. Not even the bastard that deserves to. At least not when it comes to so-called guarding that fiery pit. The only souls who will find themselves in there are the ones that refuse to believe in the Son. Nobody is landing in that hot spot because of their sins either. It’s black and white, believe or not believe—at least for those of age and in their right minds. And you might be of age, but, brother, you are not in your right mind.” He leans back and folds his arms as he examines me. “Gage, Skyla says you were well aware of the fact Demetri was about to pull out a strong delusion. That he was going to twist your heart and make you yearn to lean toward the enemy. Didn’t you for a minute think this could have something to do with that?”

  I groan as I bury my head in my hand a moment.

  “No.” I take a breath as I look back at the two of them. “And I’m not sure I believe this either. Look, I’m in a position that I think the two of you can appreciate. I’m not about to screw around with eternity—not mine, not my family’s. I have to be with Skyla and the kids. This is nonnegotiable.”

  Coop nods. “I get it. Wes gets it. But you’re buying a fallacy that is destroying your wife’s people. You’re burning the world down, innocent people are dying, economies are being slung out into space with no hope of ever recovering in our lifetime. You don’t have five more minutes to figure this out. Get on with whatever else you feel you need to do to confirm this because there’s too much riding in the balance. Now that you have all the evidence in front of you, get to the truth so we can all have some peace in our lives.”

  His voice is curt, there’s a threat in there somewhere, but my mind is reeling and I don’t care to find it.

  “Coop”—I stare intently at him—“I need to be certain beyond a shadow of a doubt before I flip the table. But if and when I do turn over this demented game board Demetri is playing, I’m going to gut him like the rotten fish he is. He’s not getting away with this. And if this is just another ploy of Celestra’s, then you can have the last laugh because, I’ll admit, I’m rattled.”

  Cooper and Wes take me on a journey that spans hours. Coop pulls out diagrams, breaking the code down in the text for me until it’s as easy as reading English. And there it is, in black and white, in complex diagrams, and none of it rings true to anything Demetri has ever said to me.

  I head for the door. “Don’t worry. I’m ending this bullshit as soon as I can.” A thought hits me and I pause. “Three of my men are missing. Either of you two happen to know where they are?”

  “Tenebrous.” Wesley’s chest bounces with a laugh, no smile. “And you’ll find a little more than half your guardians down there with them. Good luck getting them out. But, then again, once you figure out which way is up, you’ll want to make sure they stay there.”

  “Tenebrous,” I say the word, stunned
as if Wes just coldcocked me from across the room.

  Coop nods. “That’s right, Gage. The show is just about over, and the Fems are done. Demetri knows his days are numbered.”

  Wes takes a deep breath. “And before you even get there, welcome back, brother.”

  Those are the last words I hear as I race out of the house, out of Paragon, and straight to Eversor.

  That stone monstrosity my father built for me glares down on me like a curse. The sky that is forced to reflect my mood turns a nasty shade of soot with traces of blood intermingled because I’m fit to kill—I’m just not sure who quite yet.

  No sooner do I enter those hallowed marble halls than Sage runs out.

  “Father!” The look of panic in her young eyes is startling, and this feels like another fissure in the infrastructure of my heart today.

  “What’s the matter, Sage?” I scoop her up into my arms and spin her, but she kicks her way back down. Sage is never up for being treated like a child.

  “They’re all gone.” There’s a notable lilt in her wail. “All of the king’s men have been taken. And along with them some of the most powerful weaponry was removed from the war room. They took it with them when they left. I watched the ambush take place on that rubbish beach Mother lured you to. While you cavorted with her and she whisked you into the sky, Uncle Logan and Uncle Wesley and the rest of their weasel friends attacked them. But don’t worry. You still have the Valkyrie—a small handful, but they’re dedicated.”

  “Sage”—I stoop down a notch—“I appreciate you looking after me.”

  “And our people,” she adds quickly. “I fight for them, too. Mother is trying to choke the life out of us, but we won’t let her. Not even in death can she stop us.”

  “Yes.” I sigh. “About that. I think I need to head to Ahava for answers.”

  Her face grows dark.

  “Answers for what?” There’s a sharp edge to her tone, and I won’t lie, I’m not looking forward to what comes next. “She’s filled you with doubt.” A tiny laugh puffs up her chest, but the anger in her eyes has grown far more acute like a lethal sharpened blade. “Come then.” She holds her hand out, and I take it. “We shall find out the answers together.” Her brilliant blue eyes bear hard into mine, and it feels as if I’m looking at twin globes, the exact representation of the Earth. “Did you know that it is impossible to lie in paradise?”

  “Yes.” I give a slow nod her way. “But did you know there are clever ways to spin words that can make you wonder what in the heck was just said?”

  “Oh yes, Her Grace is an expert at it. I’ve no doubt she will do just that, Father. Don’t let your heart be heavy. Soon your anxious heart will be filled with relief, and then a righteous anger for what the enemy has done to our most prized fighters. But don’t worry, Father. We still hold the high ground and we always will.” She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. “Away,” she riots, and soon the gray stones of Eversor are traded for the pristine glow of Ahava. It’s nothing but baby blue skies, a matching lake, the vibrant Elysian Field in the distance. Paradise is truly just that—paradise.

  A smattering of souls drifts about. I spot Candace out on the water with her two cohorts that look just like Dudley.

  Candace looks our way, and my heart thumps because, holy heck, she is Skyla in every way but where it counts—the heart. Candace Messenger doesn’t have a beating heart because if she did she would have told me the truth from the get-go. But like I said, some people know how to beat the truth into submission so much so that it sounds like a lie. I’m wondering if that’s what she’s done. The question is, when did she do it? The first time I came around sniffing for answers or in that mind warp of a dream that Skyla induced. I have no doubt we were here.

  “Your Grace, Candace,” Sage says it in a menacing shout. “Please entertain us. We have come in need of your assistance.”

  I give a quick blink at Sage’s word choice. I’m not quite sure I want Candace to entertain me, ever.

  But Candace gets right back to the conversation she’s having with the two men by her side.

  “She’s not coming?” Sage sounds a touch amused. “Surely, you’ve angered her.” She nods my way. “What shall we do now?”

  “I’ve a thought,” a deep voice strums from behind, and we turn to find Dudley striding over in a light gray suit as if he were about to head up a celestial board meeting.

  Sage groans, “We’re not interested in your thoughts. Father, don’t even look at him. He’s been lewd in every capacity with Mother. I’ve seen the way he ogles her. He hates you. He’s glad you’re dead and out of the way. He wants Uncle Logan dead, too.”

  “Now now.” Dudley gives a little wink her way. “Hate is a very strong word, young lady. And what’s wrong with dead? Certainly your father enjoys the fruit of both worlds.” He takes a moment to glare my way. “State your purpose.”

  “I’m here for answers, but you know that, don’t you?”

  A sly smile flickers on his lips. “I know everything, Jock Strap. Now think hard. Who could tell you the truth?”

  “Candace but she’s refusing to acknowledge me. Hell, I don’t know. Any of my dead relatives around? My grandmother, maybe?”

  He lifts his chin. “And why should she be apprised of the things that concern the battle to end all battles?”

  “You’re not calling it a war.” I tip my head to the side, trying to decipher what he’s saying. “I think I get it. If I stay, it’s a war. If I walk, it’s nothing more than a battle with the Fems. They need me as their leader.”

  He tips his head my way. “Evidence that you are bright when you wish to be.”

  I glance down at Sage. “So if my grandmother isn’t privy to this information because she’s not privy to battle plans, we’ll have to find someone who—” My gaze shifts back to Dudley. “Nathan Messenger.”

  “Grandfather?” Sage says his name like a protest. “No. Grandfather is devoted to that spoiled little daughter of his. He’ll bend the words like you said, Father. He’s for Celestra. He is Celestra, for goodness’ sake. You mustn’t listen to a thing he says.”

  “Someone call my name?” An all too familiar voice calls out from behind, and I turn to see Nathan Messenger’s loving eyes, that smile riding on his lips that looks so damn genuine.

  I don’t hesitate heading his way and offering him a firm embrace.

  “Gage.” He pats me on the back as we part ways. “And there’s my favorite little paradise princess.” He holds out his arms. “Come on, come to Papa. I want a kiss on the cheek and a hug that will rock the ages.”

  “No,” she whines as she folds her tiny arms over her chest. “I won’t do it. I don’t like that smile on your face. You never smile when my father is around. You don’t like him. You’re just pretending.”

  “Sage.” Nathan turns his head slightly, his eyes remaining trained over hers. “You know how I feel about your dad.” He takes a few steps closer as he looks to me. “Gage Oliver, I can say with honesty that I love you. Yes, I’ve had my reservations. I was crushed when Skyla stepped into a union with you because I knew where it would lead. And here we are.” He sighs. “But all that is in the past. Skyla has a plan, and I trust it’s a good one. What can I do for the two of you today?”

  I nod his way. “You know the truth, don’t you?”

  He glances to Dudley in haste, and my body pulsates with adrenaline from that simple motion.

  Dudley gives a slight nod as if granting Nathan permission to proceed.

  “It’s true.” Nathan’s chest broadens. “I know.”

  “Then tell me.”

  He shakes his head. “I can affirm, Gage. I cannot reveal.”

  This is it, the moment in which my entire existence, my sanity, my heart hinges on.

  “Nathan.” I step forward, his name evicting from me low as a whisper in fear Candace or Demetri will appear and muck up the waters. There has always been something pure about Nathan Messenger, and ev
ery last part of me already believes the words that haven’t yet been uttered by his lips. “Tell me, is it true that there are no guardians in Hell? That neither the Sectors nor the Fems will be forced to drown in the pit along with those miserable souls that land themselves there? Have I been fed a lie? Have I killed, stolen, and destroyed for nothing?”

  He closes his eyes, and a thin streak of silver runs down his cheek—a lone tear.

  His watery blue eyes blink my way as he takes up my hand and pats it.

  “Gage,” he whispers my name with heavy sorrow. “None of it was real. It was all for naught. It was nothing more than a grand delusion Demetri was granted to impress upon you.”

  A part of me had rehearsed this very scenario in my mind. I thought I would roar out a scream, tear my clothes, find Demetri and tear his head off, but none of those things seem to be at the top of the list anymore.

  “Then I denounce the Fems and all that they stand for.” The words stream from me, and they were long overdue.

  “Father!” Sage belts out an anguished cry and I turn to comfort her, but she backs away. “No! I won’t have this!” she roars. “I won’t tolerate it!” She tears at her garment before running off toward the field.

  Nathan strides forward. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure your daughter is all right. You find, Skyla. You make sure my daughter is all right.”

  I don’t need to be told twice. My body is already dissipating from Ahava.

  The last thing I see are Dudley’s boiling red eyes.

  As soon as I get back to Paragon, I shoot Skyla a text.

  We need to talk. I hit send.

  She shoots right back. Where and when?

  Rockaway. Come alone this time. I’ll be waiting.

  The air is sweeter, the sand, the earth, the sky is richer in color, far more vibrant than I ever remember it, and for the first time since that day of the Bastard’s Ball, I feel blessedly alive, in love with life, my kids, with Skyla.

  I reach down and scoop up the ebony sand before pitching it toward the briny waves.