She took the scissors and cut a lock of hair from each of them. Then, she took the bow from her jacket pocket, and placed the hair over it. Immediately, the bow started to shimmer exactly like the original; the ancient writing appearing in an iridescent script.
Aura held it up to make sure Jeziel saw it. She quickly put the bow in her pocket again. “What do you think? Did we fool her?” “It looks exactly the same,” Dareus whispered.
“Now, all I have to do is set the trap. Are you certain you want to do this?”
Dareus looked at his brother and smiled. “We’re sure. We know about the other prophecy Aura. Our life won’t end here, either way.” Aura hugged him again. “I will never forget what you are doing for me.” The priests had no doubt they would soon leave the earth, but it seemed a small sacrifice to make, if they could free the eternal children, and return them to their mother.
“Let’s go back to the house. My father is waiting.”
Jeziel heard the last thing Aura said. She wondered why she only mentioned her father, and not the others. Was Dareus planning
to ask Paul to marry his daughter? She needed to tell Samhael what she w itnessed. She couldn’t believe her good fortune. She was glad she followed her. She found the other half of the sacred bow, and she suspected Aura was involved with Dareus.
Aidan would have to forget Aura now. She would notify Samhael first, and then try to find her future husband. Jeziel watched Aura and the two brothers get into the car and drive off.
After they were gone from view, she came from behind the tree and started doing cartwheels on the lawn. Nothing would keep her and Aidan apart now. That ring was almost on her finger.
She used a portal to return to the beach house. Once there, she called Samhael’s name. A few minutes later, he arrived with Natalie. “You are interrupting our plans,” Samhael said with such disdain, that Jeziel could almost feel the heat of his breath. “Perhaps when you hear my news, you will be a little more respectful.”
“Has something happened to Aura?” Natalie asked. Jeziel picked up an apple out of a bowl and bit into it. She had a big grin on her face as she chewedand then swallowed. “Not yet, but it may happen soon. I know where the missing half of Bodhi’s bow is.”
Samhael stared at her incredulously before ripping the apple out of her hand. “Are you certain?” “Not only do I know where the bow is; I know how to restore its power. I went to see if Aidan returned. He wasn’t there, so I decided to follow Aura. She went to see the twin brothers, Dareus and Aureus. She had a stick in her hand, and she cut off a lock of their hair. When the hair touched the stick, it changed. Letters appeared, and the stick transformed to a shimmering golden bow. They were as shocked as I was.”
“Where is the bow now?”Samhael asked.
“Aura put it in her jacket. I’m sure she took it home with her.”
Samhael began to pace. He turnedto Jeziel. “You said the bow only interacts with their hair?”
“Yes, as soon as the hair was removed, the stick changed back. Their hair is the key to the sacred gifts.”
“I need to tell your father about this new development right away. We have to get thatbow from Aura.”
“I could ask Aidan to help?” “You will not speak of this to him! I will meet with your father. He will decide how to proceed. You’ll say nothing until you hear from me. Do you understand?”
“I don’t know why we can’t just take it ourselves?” “This must be thought out. We need the hair, but if you kill the brothers, Aura will hide the bow.”
“What if we threaten her brats?” “They are not without power. Have you forgotten what happened when you entered Aura’s home? Your father will decide. Perhaps it’s time to bring Isla here.”
“Why do you need her?” Jeziel asked.
“Who is Isla?” Natalie asked.
“She is Iris’s twin sister. We may be able to fool them into thinking that she is Iris. They look exactly alike.”
“How will that help?”
“Aura trusts her. She knows that Iris is close to the Creator. If Iris were to insist on returning the bow, Aura wouldn’t question her.” “Then, we can kill Aura,” Jeziel said.
“We’ve had this discussion! Mortriel wants Aura for himself.” “Surely if I return the sacred bow, my father will reward me?” “He may offer you a gift, but it will not be Aura.”
Samhael wasn’t going to change Jeziel’s mind. He father would support her if she could return another of the sacred gifts. Samhael looked at Natalie. “I need to leave for a short time, but I’ll return as soon as I can.”
“I understand. This is good news, isn’t it?” “This is exceptional news. Lucifer will be very pleased.” He kissed Natalie goodbye. “Why don’t you have something to eat while I’m gone?”
“I’ll have a snack with you, but then I want to return to Aeden,” Jeziel said.
“I can’t believe our good fortune. Your father will be euphoric with this news,” Natalie said. “I still need Avriel’s ring, but I have no doubt Aidan will give it to me soon. I have a feeling that Aura is going to marry Dareus. I wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t already asked Paul. Aidan will have no choice but to give me Avriel’s ring then. Once my father has the bow, he can return the sacred gifts to power. We can eliminate the halfbreeds and their parents.” Jeziel was almost jumping for joy. “Soon, they will all kneel to us,” she said.
“How do you know that Aidan will join us?”
“I won’t give him a choice. If he marries me, I will spare Aura’s life.”
“Samhael said Aura was not to be touched.” “Aidan doesn’t know that. He’ll consider that I’m being generous. Perhaps you can help plan my wedding?” The girls left the house talking excitedly about the possibilities.
Chapter 33
When Meredith and Verah arrived at the cottage it was well past midnight. Thankfully, it was dark and no one saw them arrive. Meredith was already feeling tipsy from the amount of wine she drank at the wedding.
Verah looked at her. “You might want to remove your tiara before you visit your friends.”
“Thank you for reminding me. I doubt Samhael would be happy if they learned who I am.”
“There are very few things that make Samhael happy,” Verah said.
“I’m going to change. Did you bring any clothes?” “Samhael had clothes delivered. He said I could use Natalie’s room with your permission.”
“I doubt she’ll mind lending her room to a friend of her husband.”
Verah stared at Meredith. “I am not Samhael’s friend.” Meredith gave her a curious look. “We’ll talk after we change. I’m interested in hearing your story.”
“As you wish, but it is not a pleasant one.” Verah followed Meredith to Natalie’s room. She couldn’t believe Samhael allowed her to leave. He would soon realize his mistake. She would wait until the child was born, and then she would escape.
Meredith and Verah returned to the living room at the same time. “Would you like some tea, or perhaps a glass of wine?” she asked Verah.
“Tea would be fine. If you tell me where everything is, I’ll fix us both a cup.”
Meredith would have preferred wine, but she already had more than enough to drink. After Verah brought the tea, Meredith directed her to a seat opposite hers. “How did you come to be in Purgatory? Were you fallen like the others?”
Verah laughed. “Is that what Samhael told you, that we were fallen?”
“He said some were fallen and some were there by choice.” “I can assure you many of us were not there by choice. More than half of the residents were taken by force. Samhael was correct about one thing; once you’re there, you can’t leave. I am one of many who were trapped.”
“I’m beginning to know what it feels like to be trapped.” Verah looked kindly at her. “Samhael commands absolute obedience. If you should fail to do as he orders, he will not be forgiving.”
“My son has returned. He will insure my safety.�
��
“Your son is one of them now. Lucifer gave him life. He will not defy him for anyone, including you.”
“He wants me to take Desiree’s son after he’s born. If I refuse, he’ll kill me.”
“I imagine death might be a welcome change, rather than continuing to live under their rule.” “How did you get those scars?”Meredith asked.
“There was an accident four years ago. I was on vacation with my husband. While he was watching our infant son, I left to buy groceries.I wasn’t familiar with the treacherous roads. As I was coming around a bend, I lost control of the car and went over an embankment.” She stopped to take in a deep breath.
“The car hit something on the way down. I was injured, but before it burst into flames, I managed to escape. Unable to use my wings to lessen the fall, I fell several hundred feet. As I tried to collect myself, Samhael approached me. I thought he was an angel. He promised to take me back to my husband, but instead he took me to Purgatory.”
“Did you get those scars from the accident?” Verah hung her head. “I must have passed out. Samhael lied to me. When I learned of his betrayal, I tried to leave. But no one leaves Purgatory. I was taken to the center of town, and Samhael burned me with hellfire while everyone watched.
“This is your reward for disobedience!” he shouted. “He said if I tried to escape again, my punishment would be far worse. If you take your grandson to him, he won’t be allowed to leave, ever. They will teach him to be just like them. I hope you consider that when you make your decision.”
“If I refuse him, Samhael will kill me.” “If you don’t refuse him; you will kill your grandson.”
“I’m going for a walk on the beach. I trust you’ll still be here when I return?” “I have no intentions of leaving.” She held her arms out for Meredith to see. “I think I’ll get some sleep. You said you wanted to have breakfast with your friends in the morning.
“Yes – perhaps you can go with me?” Verah nodded and walked into Natalie’s r oom. She hoped that Meredith would consider her warning. A single tear fell from her eyes as she thought of her son Ethan. She had not seen him in four years. She wondered if he would even remember her. She took off the dress and slipped a nightgown over her head. Perhaps she would one day see him and Alistair again.
Meredith walked as far as the shoreline, and then turned around. She needed to consider her options. If Verah was right, Richard wouldn’t dare defy Samhael, not even for her. She would have a difficult decision to make; her life or the child’s.
When she returned from her walk, Verah was already asleep. Meredith went into the bedroom and closed the door. She tossed and turned, until she finally fell into a deep sleep.
Samhael returned an hour later with a gift for Jeziel. “Your father is pleased. He asked me to give this to you.” He reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out an old dagger.
Samhael handed it to Jeziel. She stared at the black metal. There was nothing even remotely attractive about the old relic. “This is what my father has gifted me with?” Jeziel asked, unable to hide her disappointment. Samhael laughed. “You obviously have no idea what that is. What you hold in your hand is the dagger of Dionese, Gabriel’s wife. She is one of the Angels of the Tier. That old relic is one of the sacred gifts. You should know that your father has never allowed one of the gifts to leave Hell, since he took possession of them. Even your brother Mortriel, was never given such a treasure. This should not be disregarded as some little trinket. You hold a very powerful weapon in your hand,” Samhael assured her.
Jeziel looked closer and could see faint lettering on the blade. “If the hair of those brothers can change the bow, it can change this too.” Samhael could see the wheels turning in her head. “I will be able to wield angelfire when the dagger is restored,” she said breathlessly.
“I hope that you appreciate this gesture,” Samhael said. “I swear that I’ll take good care of it.” Samhael handed her a sheath that could be worn on her thigh. “You may want to keep that hidden.” Samhael hesitated before he and Natalie left. “I trust you won’t get into any trouble while we’re gone.”
Before she could answer, they disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.
“Well, Brother, we’ll see how your precious Aura fares when I can match the angelfire of Heaven,” Jeziel whispered. While Aura went to the kitchen to make snacks for the girls, Dahnael returned. No one ignored him, but everyone made excuses to leave the room when he walked into the kitchen.
Dahnael wanted to apologize, but he didn’t know where to begin. He never got the chance.
Aura asked Mahlyssa to join her again in the library. “Was there a problem with the spell?” she asked, after closing the door. “The spell worked perfectly. I would like you to place a spell on this.” Aura handed her the first ring that Dahnael had given to her.” “Isn’t this Avriel’s ring? Why would you want me to place a spell on it? Isn’t it one of the sacred gifts?” I have Avriel’s ring in my pocket. Michael didn’t trust Dahnael with it. This is a very good imitation.” Aura projected another image on the wall. “This is what happened when Michael gave me the true ring. Do you think you can duplicate this reaction with a spell? I need this to be able to interact with anyone’s hand, and it has to last.”
Mahlyssa took the ring and spoke more incantations that Aura didn’t understand. She handed the ring back to her.
“You put it on your finger,” Aura insisted.
Mahlyssa did as she was told. The light from the sun, moon and star started to glow. “Is this what you wanted?”
“That’s perfect. I intend to return it to Dahnael tomorrow. He’ll think its Avriel’s ring. In the morning, I’ll set the trap.” As Aura was pouring tea, she noticed the pungent smell again. A dark wing was approaching, and she had no doubt it was Jeziel. “Your girlfriend just can’t stay away, can she Aidan?”
“Aura, I swear that I didn’t invite her here. I haven’t seen her since the rehearsal dinner. I’ll ask her to leave.”
“No! I’ll tell her to leave!” The girls heard Aura raise her voice and came running to the kitchen, just as she was walking abruptly to the backyard. They ran to the porch to watch, not caring that Dahnael had joined them.
“KICK HER ASS, MOMMY,” Alannah yelled.
Dahnael glared at Bren. He knew that she was responsible for Alannah’s behavior. “What? What I say?” Alannah asked. Bren and Tracy started laughing, but Dahnael wasn’t the slightest bit amused. As Jeziel approached the yard, A ura held up her hand. “That’s far enough. You have no business here. I’ve given you more than enough warning to stay away from my home. This is the last one that you’ll receive.”
“I’m here to see Aidan. I had no choice but to come here. If you send him out, we can both leave you alone.”
“I am never alone Jeziel.” “I’m sure; where is your new boyfriend? Does Aidan know about your open display of affection this morning? Are you looking for a father for your brat?”
“That’s the last time you’ll speak ill of my daughter.” Aura lifted her hand intending to knock Jeziel to the ground when she noticed her staring at the ring. This was exactly the reaction that Aura was hoping for. Rather than hide it, she flaunted the ring in front of Jeziel’s face. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” “Where,did you get that!?”Jeziel bellowed.
Aura laughed. “Aidan gave it to me.” “Liar Aidan would never give you Avriels’ ring! It belongs to me. Aidan loves me, not you. Give me the ring now!” “Ha-ha ha-ha, no one loves you,Jeziel.” “He does love me! Give me the ring, or I swear I’ll rip it off your finger!” “Why don’t you come and try?” Aura continued to laugh until Jeziel lunged for her. Reacting quickly, Aura called for her shield, and Lucifer’s daughter was slammed to the ground.
Jeziel looked on the porch, where she saw the brats clapping and cheering. She yelled for Aidan to help her. “Do you see how she treats me? Tell her you love me! Tell her it’s the truth!” she cried.
Dahnael tried to le
ave the porch, but the shield kept him there. “Let me out,” he said; banging on the window with his fists. “That’s not going to happen,” Bren said. “I’m her guardian. Aura could be in trouble.”
“Aura’s not in any trouble,” Tracy said. “You might want to worry about your friend because Aura’s about to lose her temper.” “Get off my property before you get hurt!” Aura yelled. Jeziel moved for her dagger, but before she could reach it, Aura threw her to the ground again. She used more force this time, and Jeziel was slow to get up.
When she finally stood, she glared at Aura. “You’ll pay dearly for that!” She turned and vanished in a mist of black smoke. Aura stared at Dahnael before stopping to pick some oranges from the tree. When she got inside, she was met by three smiling little faces. “You really kicked her ass,” Bren said.
“Not yet, but I will,” Aura mumbled. “This is the last time that Jeziel will walk away from here,” Aura said, as she shoved past Dahnael. The girls were right behind her.
Aura took some paper towels and handed a piece of fruit to the girls. When Dahnael walked into the room, Aura pulled the ring off her finger, and placed it in the center of the table. She then walked into the other room, and waited for the explosion.
Alannah went to reach for the ring, when Dahnael screamed. “DON’T TOUCH THAT. IT DOESN’T BELONG TO YOU!” Bren looked at her friend, and then she slammed Dahnael into the wall with her shield. “YOU LEAVE HER ALONE!” Alannah was mortified. She could barely hold back the tears. No one had ever spoken to her like that before. Rita and Jessica had just returned home, and ran into the kitchen to see what was happening.
Aura came running down the stairs into the kitchen. The light was already starting to illuminate her fingers as she watched Dahnael pick himself up. “You can talk to your demon bitch like that, but don’t you ever speak to my daughter that way!” She scooped Alannah into her arms, and carried her to the bathroom to dry her face.
“I’m so sorry, I should have warned you, but I needed him to get angry.” She turned on the faucet and wet one of the washcloths. She wiped Alannah’s face, and then hugged her again. “You have to go back out there. It’s the only way that I can know for sure if Dahnael has turned to darkness. Can youdo this, for Mommy? I’m going to walk away for a few minutes, but I’ll be back. Bren and Tracy will be right there with you.”
Esra's Prohpecy (Book 3 An Angel-blood Novel) Page 25