Blood In The Stars

by Jennifer Shea

  The white cross above the doors shone brilliantly even in the night. It bore down on Jason and for a split second, he couldn’t breathe. He sagged, his lungs struggling for air, for survival. Just when he thought he’d suffocate, they expanded and he inhaled the life around him in desperation as a man escaping death by drowning.

  Come unto me, all who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest.

  He knew the words well. How fitting, as though Matthew said those words especially for him in this situation. Apropos, but what did Matthew know of his burdens? How could he know the weight of their chains?

  Miller headed straight for the heavy wooden doors, which opened with ease. “I called the dean of the school,” he explained in answer to Jason’s raised brows.

  Nothing about the open doors brought welcome. The orderly rows of pews reminded him of coffins and the moonlight shining through the stained glass splayed eerie streaks of blood red, indigo, and canary-yellow bevels across the aisle and walls. The chancel window in the center drew his eye. He stared at the red glass representing sacrifice and wondered if his arrival today acted as another offering upon the altar.

  He stepped forward. Just one more sacrifice. For Daria.

  A glance at the night sky allowed him to gauge the position of the stars. They had begun the dawn of a new day. He turned to look down at Daria.

  “We made it through your birthday.”

  She gazed up at him. “You are the best present ever, Jason.”

  Her earnest declaration stung his heart. Emotion burst from within, clenching his chest in longing. He wanted to tell her he loved her, that none in the world could ever love her as he did. But they had only a few minutes before his father and uncle figured out where they were. And they—no, he—still needed to get into the church.

  Daria grabbed his hand and ran to the door. With every step, his wrists felt heavier. When he stood merely three feet from the doors, his wristbands began to dig into his flesh. Two steps later, he fell to his knees. His palms spanned the stone floor, bracing his body from complete collapse. His chin dropped to his chest as he struggled to breathe from the exertion. A chilling sweat beaded along his brow and dripped down his neck.

  Kneeling beside him, Daria gasped at the sight of his blood-soaked hands and the rapidly growing red stain on the ground. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she breathed. “These were the consequences?”

  “Miller,” Jason wheezed.

  Miller tried to pull her back but she flung his arm aside. “Let’s go,” she pleaded, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Marriage doesn’t matter. We can run away.”

  Run? No more running. Even if he and Alice had managed to escape, they would have turned into fugitives. He refused to condemn Daria to the same fate.

  “It’s the only way to give you two freedom,” Miller said.

  Jason had never known such a thing. He had developed wings at three years of age and the wristbands with the chains had materialized that same day. They had never left him and never would. They were as much a part of his body as his ears and legs. If cutting off his arms would free him from the chains, he would consider the option. But it wouldn’t.

  Freedom had never been in his vocabulary. But Daria deserved better.

  Jason focused on gaining his feet. He leaned back, hands still plastered to the floor, and bent his leg forward, foot arched like a relay racer ready to spring.

  “Please don’t,” she cried.

  “Miller,” Jason snapped. “Take her!”

  Miller dragged Daria from his side. The pain pulsing through his body drowned out her sobs. He wanted to comfort her and dry her tears but his entire being focused on standing.

  His shoulders and back ached as when Atlas carried the world. The weight seemed to come from above now and not merely the chains pulling him down.

  He had to get up. If they wanted to get married, he had to step inside. He gritted his teeth. In one violent heave, he stood. His soul-crushing cry of torture shattered the night. Whimpers flitted to his ear and his eyes shot to Daria. Tears streamed down her face.

  “Jason,” she begged.

  “Two more steps, Jason,” Miller encouraged. “You just need to step inside and I’ll say the words.”

  Daria sniffled back tears and reached out her hand to clasp his. “Why can’t we just marry here? He can’t take another step!”

  Jason swallowed hard, trying not to focus on the unbearable knife-like pain in his hands. His future lay before him. Daria. His light, everything he had waited for all these years. If he hadn’t had Daria in his life, he would have long ago become no better than a zombie. Using inhuman effort, he lifted his left hand toward her. Blood dripped from his wrist.

  “Marry me, Daria.”

  She didn’t have a chance to answer because a voice interrupted from the grassy fields in front of the chapel.

  “You can’t enter the church. Not as you are now.”

  Uncle Mike. Dread consumed Jason. He didn’t turn around.

  “You’re killing yourself. Would you die to protect her?” Now his father spoke, standing somewhere beyond the dangers posed by the church.

  Jason hadn’t noticed when they arrived since pain had blanketed all his other senses while one thought ran through his mind. He had to get up for Daria.

  All of this was for her. His father would kill her to keep his dirty little secret. Uncle Mike could grant her the angels’ protection at the cost of her happiness. What could he do to protect her, truly save her from everything and everyone after her?

  He needed to buy some time. He looked to his father. “Tell your brother, Father. Tell him about Mother.” As he spoke, Jason inched forward. He was so close. A little more. Maybe he could throw himself inside. But the chains might wrench him back.

  Luke said nothing but Mike began to walk forward. Anxiety quickened Jason’s heartbeats. What was his uncle planning to do?

  “You made up the rules for the auspicious one so you could rule the realm. From the very beginning, the auspicious one was a lie.”

  “You’re wrong, Jason. The auspicious one is very real.” Mike didn’t let Jason protest. “We’ve always known your mother isn’t the true auspicious one. Her twin sister who died young, was. But it didn’t matter.”

  Luke’s menacing laughter pealed through the night. “Do you see what they are, Jason? Father cast me down and then wanted me to secure the mortal world,” he spat. Enraged, he turned to Mike. “You and Father never cared what lies were told to ensure a balance of power. And then you keep me in these,” he added in disgust, lifting his hands, “so you can control me.”

  An energy ball formed in Mike’s hand and his face had become as hard as stone. “The powers of the auspicious one are unfathomable. We can’t have that falling into the wrong hands.”

  Jason’s eyes widened and his mouth went dry. Where was his uncle planning to throw that energy ball? Suddenly, he felt eyes on his back. With difficulty, he turned to see someone standing across the street under the curved arch of the university’s name. Jason tensed. Alastor. The silhouette vanished.

  A hand reached out from the shadow for Daria just as Mike threw his energy ball. And though Jason’s strength had dwindled, he dove for her. His hand clutched air as Daria shrieked. Death flew at her in a flash of blue and he realized Mike intended to kill her . . . except now he stood in the way. Something knocked Jason aside from the left and he hit the ground with a thud.

  “Christ,” Miller whispered.

  Jason shook his head, trying to clear the ringing in his ears. He glanced over and saw his father lying face down, white wings limp to the side, blood dripping from his hands. Jason’s blood froze and his guts twisted and wrenched.

  Why wasn’t his father moving? He was Lucifer, the brightest star in the sky, the general
who controlled an army of angels to rebel in Heaven. He was the most powerful angel that ever lived until he was cast out. He was the most powerful even then. Jason struggled to stand and managed only to crawl to his father. Though Luke lay a foot away, the exertion drained Jason of the rest of his strength.

  Miller stooped down, helping to turn Luke over. His shallow breathing indicated a tenuous hold on life. Somehow the beautiful light that always surrounded Jason’s father had dulled.

  Then Luke’s eyes fluttered open and Jason let out a relieved breath.

  “Are you trying to silence me, Mike? Go ahead,” Luke rasped. “Kill me in front of my son. And when you fall, I will be waiting for you.”

  “You’re an idiot, you know that?” Mike said, bending down next to them.

  Jason felt a gentle hand on his arm. Blood dripped from his father’s wrists onto his clothes. He couldn’t imagine the effort his father had used to launch himself across the chapel’s grounds in time to block Mike’s energy ball with his body.

  “When I was cast down, your mother saved me,” Luke whispered. “I fell in love with a human. As you have.”

  “We can talk about this later.” Jason swallowed hard. “You’re hurt. Let Uncle Mike heal you.”

  Luke gave him a wry smile. “I won’t die that easily.” He glared at Mike. “Only death speaks no words, eh?”

  Mike pursed his lips and didn’t respond, only placing his hands over the gaping hole on Luke’s chest.

  “I met her identical twin. She died before ever reaching maturation so I told a little lie. I told everyone your mother was the auspicious one to secure my rule. But your grandfather sanctioned it.” Luke smirked in contempt. “You might even say it was all part of his master plan.”

  “Just stop talking,” Mike muttered, continuing to heal Luke.

  Luke snickered even as he coughed up blood. “Why? Afraid Jason will know how unclean you truly are? Tell my son why I left.”

  Mike sighed. “We’re going to talk about that old thing?”

  “Why not?” Luke shot back. “Why would I, the brightest star in the sky, choose to leave my luxurious home?”

  Jason had wondered that many times. He imagined most people who had heard the story of Lucifer had questioned the same. If Heaven were so great and Lucifer the most favored, why did he rebel? Was it truly because God favored the humans? They were nothing to his father and to most with power. So that couldn’t have been the reason.

  “Luke didn’t like the way things were done up there,” Mike murmured.

  “That’s putting it mildly,” Luke scoffed. He eyed Jason. “You are so broken because of one human. Do you know what it’s like to feel that way about every human?”

  “Luke,” Mike warned.

  “It’s one big fucking lie!” Luke let out a heavy breath. “Everything you think is true, is a lie. You’ve watched over Daria her entire life. Imagine watching over all of them and feeling that way. Helpless.”

  “That’s enough,” Mike interjected. “Jason is not one of us. He doesn’t need to know.”

  “He’s my son. He is every bit one of us. But he will not be going up there with you, Mike.”

  “That may not be your decision, Luke.”

  Jason had no intention of going anywhere with Mike, especially after tonight. But given the weakened state they were in, he wasn’t about to voice any of that.

  “I left because I was tired of watching them suffer. Just watching. Stupidly watching and doing nothing.” Luke spread out his arms. “But now I’m here. With them. And I can make a change.”

  Jason stared at his father. That was why his father revolted in Heaven? To change the livelihood of humans?

  He understood better than anyone the powerlessness of watching over someone and not being able to make any changes, unable to do anything to help. He knew. What he never fathomed was that his father knew and suffered through the same thing. More importantly, was it possible this selfish angel actually cared?

  “What change did you possibly think you would make?” Mike asked in disgust. “Humans go through the same motions generation after generation. Free will means mistakes.”

  “When I came to this realm, things were in chaos,” Luke pointed out with a snarl. “Demons roamed. Monsters preyed. On top of regular wars and disease. Absolute disorder. So when I saw a way to enact rule over the supernatural realm, I took it. But every five hundred years, the risk would happen again. Chaos could ensue, disrupting the order people desperately craved.”

  Mike stood and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Alice was not my fault,” he bit out. “No one knew how Balthazar got to her.”

  Luke struggled to stand and Miller helped both Luke and Jason, leading them away from the church where their powers would not be restrained. But Jason barely noticed any of it. His mind had stayed on Mike’s last comment.

  Why were they talking about Alice now?

  Miller, who had remained silent throughout most of the exchange, recovered first. “So you had wanted to kill Alice before Balthazar ever got hold of her,” he murmured. “That’s clever. It would secure the House of Fallen Angels as the ruler of the realm. And since you controlled Uncle Luke, Heaven ultimately controlled all.”

  Jason gazed at his father with new eyes. All this time, had his father really been a puppet of God? Just a figurehead to control the unruly masses?

  “Don’t look at me like that, son,” Luke joked. “I’m every bit as evil as they say.”

  Mike crossed his beefy arms over his chest and threw them all a disapproving frown. “You make it sound like it was a bad idea.”

  “It was clean,” Miller admitted. “If you could tie up all the loose ends.”

  “So Alice and Daria . . .” Jason turned to his father and uncle for answers.

  “They are truly auspicious,” Luke finished for him. “Daria’s power could surpass even yours, my son.”

  “That’s what makes her dangerous,” Mike said. “We don’t know what could happen.”

  Jason barely heard Mike’s warning. Daria could never be dangerous. He shifted his father to Miller. “Take care of him. I think Alastor took her to the villa. I need to go after them.”

  Chapter 22

  For the fourth time, Daria fell into a never-ending abyss. The first time with Damien had her screaming. The second time with Jason had left her dizzy but feeling safe. The third time they were escaping with a wounded Candy and Daria hadn’t had time to react to anything. This was the fourth time and she didn’t cry out nor did she feel sick. She had become used to this type of travel by now, the out-of-body, lighter-than-air floating sensation. A strange peace invaded her soul. A finality.

  Wherever she was taken, Jason would find her.

  Daria kept her eyes open this time, though she could see nothing while she fell. A hand touched her arm and when her feet landed on solid ground, Alastor stood beside her.

  To her left, two men with beautiful wings guarded wide, double wooden doors at least twenty feet tall. Swords hung from the belt on their waists and they appeared as an odd mix of medieval knights and modern-day bodyguards. Chains extended from their wrists to disappear into the floor and they both wore a black trench similar to Jason and Alastor.

  “Welcome to the realm of fallen angels,” Alastor told her.

  Was that why their wings and chains displayed for all to see? Because this was their turf? Their land?

  Daria surveyed the room. Two imposing chairs sat at the back center of the room and a red carpet rolled down the middle. It looked like a throne room.

  Alastor had done the same thing as Damien, taking her to a land where she couldn’t escape. She assessed her surroundings again. It would be much harder to leave this time around. Damien had just put her in a cage at the time. No guards.

 
“You’ve been waiting for this chance, haven’t you?” she accused.

  Alastor tipped his head to one side as if mulling over her question. “I didn’t plan for this, no. But I saw a chance and I took it.” He stepped closer and looked down at her. “Whatever chance I have to ruin Jason, I’ll take.”

  Uneasiness swamped her. He was going to use her to destroy his brother. “Were all the attacks from you?”

  His brows rose and he laughed. “You really don’t think well of me, do you? Sorry to disappoint you, but no, I didn’t orchestrate the attacks. I didn’t have to. Everyone found you without any obstacle.”

  Her body chilled in terror as she stared into the face of someone who would stop at nothing for his agenda.

  “And Damien’s father?”

  “Purely coincidence. I couldn’t have asked for better timing.”

  “The water sprites?”

  “That coalition never became quite what I had hoped,” Alastor admitted with a shrug.

  “So why kidnap me now?” Did he want to kill her? He’d had plenty of chances for that. If he wanted to take her, he could have done it when she left Club Triple Six that night. Why save her only to bring her here? Waiting until now made no sense.

  Alastor grinned. “I know you can’t understand and I really don’t expect you to. But soon you will. Until then, you should rest as we will be wed tonight.”

  “But you’ve never wanted to marry me!” What was he saying? Jason and Damien had proposed. Alastor had never once said he wanted to marry her though he had inferred it often enough, mostly to needle his own brother. “You know Jason will be coming for me,” she stated.

  Alastor leaned forward, his face a breath away from hers. “Nothing would please me more.”