by S. J. West
“Yes and no,” Jered says looking perplexed. “Not every descendent received the power. Sometimes it would skip through ten generations before showing up again. We still don’t understand how the powers were passed down. It was almost as if a part of the archangel each vessel carried did something to their genetic code after they were awoken. But, it wasn’t a dominant gene which was altered. It was a passive one that only seemed to activate in particular descendants. Lucas is the last of Gabe’s line now that his biological father is dead.”
“Then, he really can see into the future?”
Jered nods. “Yes, but the vision he had of you is the only one he’s told us about. As he grows, his power may strengthen.”
I sit there for a moment absorbing this new information.
“He said,” I say hesitantly because I fear if I voice my next words they won’t come true, “that I was going to be his new mommy.”
“Yes, he told us that when he was three and had the vision. Well, he said he saw the woman who would become his mother. I guess his vision of you has stayed with him since then.”
“I haven’t been around many children,” I tell Jered. “And I don’t know if it’s just because he’s a cute kid or what exactly, but I already love him to pieces. Is that natural?”
“With Lucas? Yes, I would say that’s perfectly natural, Anna. He has that sort of effect on people, always has.”
We fall silent and simply enjoy the ride. Malcolm decides that we need to keep to the trails within the forest again that day. I don’t mind the slow progress. It gives me a chance to ponder things.
“Jered,” I say in a low voice, hoping Malcolm is far enough in front of us that he won’t hear my next question, “what type of relationship did Malcolm have with Celeste?”
“Business mostly,” Jered replies, also keeping his voice to a minimum. “Though, I think Celeste took Malcolm’s frequent visits to her as meaning he felt something deeper. But, he never cared for her beyond friendship. Malcolm’s just always had a healthy appetite when it comes to …ahh…physical activity with the fairer gender.”
I have to smile at Jered’s euphemism.
“So you’re saying he likes to have sex,” I clarify for him.
Jered grins and seems to almost blush. “Well, if you want to put it bluntly, yes.”
I grin back at him. “Good to know.”
In spite of or because of my audaciousness, Jered laughs.
Malcolm turns his head to look back at us.
“Everything all right back there?” He asks.
I smile back at him. “Everything is absolutely fine. We’re just getting to know each other a little better is all.”
Malcolm raises an eyebrow at this but doesn’t make a reply. He simply turns back around in his saddle.
“You’re too good for him, Anna,” Jered says with a shake of his head, still grinning. “But, you’re exactly what he needs.”
“I hope he realizes that soon,” I tell Jered. “If he doesn’t, neither of us will ever find happiness.”
“Have faith,” Jered tells me, mirroring the words God said to me only the day before.
I nod.
“I do,” I tell him. “But Malcolm has to have it too or it’s never going to work out between us.”
Jered doesn’t make a reply because he knows I’m right.
The horses come to a stop suddenly and begin to back up of their own accord.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
But there’s no need for anyone to make a reply.
Twenty Cirrun guards teleport in around us holding laser swords pointed in our direction.
“In the name of the emperor!” One guard shouts to Malcolm. “We demand that you let Empress Annalisse go or suffer the consequences!”
I watch as Malcolm looks around at all the guards, sizing them up. Apparently, he finds them wanting because he begins to laugh.
“So, do these humans not know what you are or are we really going to pretend you aren’t a rebellion angel?” Malcolm asks the guard who spoke. “Seems a bit ridiculous don’t you think?”
“Give us the girl,” the guard says, losing the pretense of actually being one, “and we’ll let you go, Malcolm.”
“I lost the ability to tell a lie from the truth a long time ago,” Malcolm replies, “but even I can hear the lie in what you just said clear enough.”
“We’ll let the boy live if the empress comes with us willingly,” the guard says, trying another tactic.
I hop down off my horse and draw my sword from the baldric on my back, causing it to ignite into its red-orange flames instantly.
“Unfortunately for you,” I tell them all, “I can tell the difference between a lie and the truth.” I look at the guard who seems to be the mouth piece for the group. “And that was a lie.”
“We have you outnumbered,” the guard says, trying to sound threatening. “Just come with us, empress, and I promise we’ll let the others go unharmed.”
“If I thought there was even a remote chance you would keep that promise,” I tell him, “I would go with you willingly. But, we both know you have no intention of ever letting them go.”
“You’ll die if you try to fight us,” the guard threatens with so much conviction I almost believe him.
“I would rather die fighting than let you slaughter my friends.”
“Don’t worry, Empress Anna, you won’t be dying today,” I hear a friendly voice say behind the guard I’m talking to.
I look over the guard’s shoulder and see someone I haven’t seen for quite some time, Gladson Gray, Auggie’s former lover and leader of the rebel faction in Cirrus.
Before I know it, all hell breaks loose. A group of men and women seem to erupt out of the forest attacking the surprised Cirrun guards.
Jered phases off his horse to join the fray, drawing the sword from his scabbard and showing a practiced skill with it against his opponents.
Malcolm jumps off his horse and pulls out his sword from its sheath at his side. He quickly picks Lucas up and sets him down on the ground behind him.
A guard attempts to take Malcolm by surprise while he’s tending to Lucas, but I phase the short distance to him and use my sword to block his swing at Malcolm’s back. The guard attempts to fight me but quickly realizes he’s outmatched in strength and swordsmanship. In three swings, I have his head separated from his shoulders.
I quickly turn around to make sure Malcolm and Lucas are all right. Lucas is staring up at me in shock. I realize he just saw me kill the guard and hope that he understands I didn’t have any choice.
Malcolm quickly takes off his long coat and places it on Lucas, covering his son’s face with the hood.
“Put your hands over your ears and shut your eyes,” Malcolm instructs him.
I can see the worry on Malcolm’s face over Lucas being in the middle of a fight.
“Phase him away from here,” I urge Malcolm. “We can handle this.”
Malcolm looks over at me, and I can tell by the stony expression on his face that phasing isn’t an option.
“No,” he says decisively, “I’m not leaving you. We stand and fight together.”
A part of me loves that Malcolm doesn’t want to leave me and another part of me just wants him and Lucas somewhere safe. Yet, I know from the stern look on Malcolm’s face that he won’t leave no matter how strenuously I make my plea.
So, I turn around to face what’s coming next with Malcolm by my side.
Malcolm and I keep Lucas sandwiched between our backs. Any guard who is foolish enough to attack us is dealt with quickly by either me or him.
The fight between the guards, us and Gladson’s people is fast and furious, but finally all the guards are killed and the threat to our lives is contained, for now.
Once the bedlam is settled, I quickly turn and kneel towards Lucas, pulling the hood from his face to make sure he’s all right.
Lucas’ face is tear-stained, and his little body is
shaking uncontrollably. When our eyes meet, he takes a step towards me and wraps his little arms around my neck, burying his face against my chest as if he's trying to hide his eyes from the death surrounding him. I rise to my feet, and as I cradle him in my arms, Malcolm’s coat falls away from Lucas to the ground. I walk over the bodies of the fallen until I’m out of the circle of death. I sit down by the trunk of a large oak and just hold Lucas close to me and let him cry. I suddenly remember the lullaby Millie used to hum to me and begin to sing the tune to Lucas, hoping it calms his fears like it always did mine.
After a while, Lucas lifts his head and looks up at me.
“I was scared,” he tells me like he’s making a confession.
I try to smile at him reassuringly. “You had nothing to be frightened of, Lucas. Your dad and I would never let anything happen to you. I want you to remember that.”
Lucas nods. “I know, Anna. I shouldn’t have let myself get so scared because I already know what will happen.”
“What do you mean?” I ask. “What have you seen?”
“I’ve seen us living in a castle built in the clouds.”
“You have?” I ask, feeling my heart swell with hope for the future.
Lucas nods. “Yep, and we’re all happy. Even the babies.”
“Babies?” I ask, completely taken off guard by the simple use of this word. “Whose babies?”
“The ones you and Dad will have one day,” Lucas says like I should know this already. “Liam and Lilianna. I can’t wait to have a brother and a sister. I promise I’ll be the best big brother ever.”
I sit there stunned into silence.
“Have your visions ever been wrong?” I ask, holding my breath as I wait to hear the answer.
“I’m not sure yet,” Lucas says, shrugging his little shoulders. “I’ve only had visions that have you in them. But, you turned out to be real.”
It isn’t exactly the reassurance I am looking for, but, at this point, I decide to take what I can get.
“Everything all right?”
I look up and see Malcolm standing beside us. His eyes hold a worry for Lucas as he looks down at his son.
Lucas stands up from my lap and walks over to his dad. Malcolm bends down and picks his son up into his arms. Lucas wraps his arms around his dad’s neck, and I watch as Malcolm rests his chin against one of Lucas’s small shoulders, closing his eyes like the embrace is bringing him as much comfort as it is Lucas.
“Sorry I got scared, Dad,” Lucas says to Malcolm.
“You don’t have to be sorry about that,” Malcolm tells him. “There’s no shame in being scared of bad people.”
Lucas pulls back slightly so he can look into Malcolm’s eyes.
“When we go to live in the castle with Anna, will you teach me how to fight with a sword?”
Malcolm’s face scrunches up in bewilderment.
“Live in a castle with Anna?” Malcolm asks.
Lucas nods. “Yeah the one in the clouds that I’ve seen. Will you teach me?”
Malcolm still looks confused and at a loss for words.
I stand up.
“Maybe you’re asking the wrong person,” I say to Lucas. “I’ll teach you how to use a sword when we go. I promise.”
They both look at me. Malcolm in confusion and Lucas with a bright, expectant smile on his face.
“Thanks, Anna.” Lucas’ smile falters some. “When can I just go ahead and start calling you mommy?”
“Mommy?” Malcolm asks, rather loudly. “She is not your mother, Lucas.”
Lucas looks back at Malcolm. “But, she will be, Dad.”
Malcolm is silent for a moment like he’s trying to make sense of what Lucas just said.
Then he asks, “Anna’s the woman you saw in the vision you had?”
Lucas nods his head.
“Why didn’t you ever mention that before?” Malcolm asks. “You’ve seen pictures and holograms of her on the news, but you never said she was the one.”
“I thought she might be made up,” Lucas says. “I didn’t think anyone so pretty could be real. But, now I know she’s real, and she’ll be my mommy one day. I just don’t see why I can’t call her that now.”
“Because she’s not your mother,” Malcolm says a little too harshly.
“But she will be,” Lucas insists again, like it’s a forgone conclusion.
Malcolm begins to open his mouth to say something else but seems to think better of it and closes it again.
Malcolm looks over at me, but apparently, he doesn't know what to say to me either. Finally, he settles on, “Come on. Gladson wants to have a word with you.”
Malcolm walks away with Lucas in his arms to where Gladson and Jered are standing, talking to one another.
Gladson Gray was one of the most sought after lords in Cirrus. His exotic Middle Eastern looks make him stand out in a crowd. His light brown hair has a natural body to it that is envied by many women, and his deep set brown eyes let you see the pureness of his soul. It was easy to understand why Auggie fell in love with him the first time they met. Many a lady had set their sights on Gladson, at least until he turned rebel. He became one of the most vocal proponents on how the citizens of the cloud cities were misusing their power by keeping the down-worlders as indentured servants, as he put it.
When we approach, Gladson turns to me and brings me into his arms.
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Gladson says to me. “We’ve been looking for you since you disappeared. Anna, can you tell me what's wrong with Auggie? He’s…changed and not for the better. He won’t even see me anymore.”
“It's a long story, Gladson. One I'll tell you about in just a minute. Right now, I need to know how you found us, and how you knew we were going to be attacked.”
Gladson pulls away to explain. “Like I was telling Overlord Devereaux and Emissary Alburn, I have spies everywhere. We learned of your whereabouts when a message was delivered to the emperor this morning telling him you would be traveling this way today. Someone was trying to cash in on the bounty he’s placed on your safe return to Cirrus.”
“Do you know who it was?” I ask.
“Did we seriously miss out on all the fun?” A new but familiar voice says behind us.
We all look over and see Barlow Stokes and about ten of his men walk towards us surveying the carnage all around.
Malcolm hands Lucas to Jered and phases over to Barlow, grabbing the other man by the throat and lifting him in the air.
“Are you the one who betrayed us? Did you come to get your reward?” Malcolm demands, throwing Barlow onto the ground roughly.
Barlow chokes out his answer. “I wasn't the one who betrayed you.”
Malcolm looks to me, and I nod that Barlow is telling the truth.
“Then why are you here?” Malcolm demands. “You act like you knew we would be ambushed.”
Barlow stands to his feet, rubbing his now sore neck.
“Obviously, I did know,” he tells us, coughing a little. “We just got word that a deal was made between Celeste and the emperor. What the hell did you do to piss her off enough to betray you to him anyway?”
Malcolm sighs and runs a hand through his hair in agitation.
“That’s none of your business,” Malcolm tells him irritably. “I knew she was mad, but I never thought she would put Lucas’s life in danger like this.”
Barlow looks over at me. “We came as soon as we heard, Anna. I’m sorry we weren’t here in time to help.”
“Well,” I say, an idea forming in my mind, “maybe you can still help me, Barlow.” I turn to Gladson. “Gladson Gray, I would like to introduce you to Barlow Stokes, the best black marketer here in the down-world. I think the two of you might be able to help each other... and me. Maybe by working together we can all change the world for the better.”
We take a few precious minutes to tell them both what's really going on with the emperor. Gladson takes the news hard but keeps himself together
because he knows Auggie would want us to avenge his death, not waste time mourning it.
We also discuss what each man has to offer in my plan to rebuild how our society functions, and they both seem eager to do their part. Once the two men I’ve just recruited know their roles in the new world order I see, we decide it’s best to split up and get busy doing what needs to be done.
“So how long will it take you to complete this mysterious mission you’re on?” Gladson asks me before he gets ready to leave.
“I’m not sure,” I tell him. “But I have to do it. It’s what I was born for, and it's the best way I can honor Auggie's memory.”
“Can I help in any way?”
“I’ll let you know if I need your help,” I assure him. “Right now, I just need you to keep your ears and eyes open for any move the emperor plans against me. It's the best thing you can do to help me, for now at least.”
“Then you have it,” Gladson says, bending at the waist to pledge his fealty to me.
“I'm still a little confused about something,” Barlow says. “If the emperor sent his men here, why hasn’t he sent anymore men by now? He has to know exactly where you are.”
“Oh, well, that’s partially my doing,” Gladson says with a sly grin. “I had my people disabled the teleportation system in Cirrus after we teleported here so we didn’t have to deal with any more guards than we had to. We also disabled aerial surveillance in the area, at least for a little while. Things should be coming back on line within 24 hours though.”
I look to Malcolm. “But there was a rebellion angel leading the human guards, right? If he has more angels masquerading as guards, they could just phase in at any time.”
Malcolm nods. “Yes, but Levi probably doesn’t have many under his command. Most of the rebellion angels still follow Lucifer. I think it’s best if we all leave before Levi figures out his ambush didn’t succeed and decides to come down himself.”
“I don’t suppose you have personal teleporters?” Barlow asks Gladson. “Otherwise, my men and I will have a long walk ahead of us.”
Gladson smiles. “We do, but they're offline until the system in Cirrus comes back up. Sorry.”
Barlow sighs. “Then I guess it's a long walk for all of us back home. The nearest teleporter is in New Orleans.”