The Pentagram Child: Part 2 (Afterlife Saga Book 5)

by Stephanie Hudson

  Once we had all found out the details from Aurora things after that became a little bit more complicated. For starters everyone questioned how Aurora could gain access to something called the Janus Gates. I remembered hearing this name before and it only hit me on the flight over when it had been.

  It had been that perfect night of the New Year’s Party in the Temple and where not only did Draven and I have our first dance but that was also the night Draven took my second virginity.

  I looked out at the clouds resting my chin on my palm with my elbow to the arm rest as I tried not to think back to how perfect my life had been back then. It seemed to be the only time we had together without the world against us and us having a break from revenge, hatred or greed for power.

  No, instead I focused on the story Draven had told me in bed one night before the party so that I would understand what they were celebrating. It was to celebrate the Roman God Janus, who the month of January was named after. I remember that he had two faces one looking to the past and the other to the future.

  I also recalled that he was the God that controls all doorways into the past, future and the end, which made sense considering the end was rather Heaven or Hell for most of us.

  So I understood why these portals were called Janus gates and obviously Aurora knew of one that went straight to Tartarus. I gathered that this particular gate only worked when Draven’s father had pulled down the barriers, to which Sophia had assured me would be for some time longer.

  The most important thing I remembered was that Janus was actually the oracle Pythia’s father, which given her cryptic fate shit completely made sense. You could just imagine Sunday dinner round in that family’s house…’Can you pass the carrots daughter’….’I could father, but are the carrots really there if a rabbit doesn’t see them grow?’…I laughed to myself thinking this was exactly how it would be having met her myself and after spending the summer playing her cryptic games of fate, that only led to heartache.

  I liked to think everything we had been through was for some greater reason and the fact that we had both been played like saps was all just for the greater good. I spent a long time after finding Draven in Italy cursing the Gods and basically telling the fates where they could shove it. I had turned my back on their world pretending it was for the best but I knew the mistake I was making.

  Because deep down there has only ever been one path for me to take in life and even sat on this plane off to where I was headed, I knew I was still walking that path. The only time I had veered off was when I ripped off that necklace and said goodbye to Draven for what I had believed was the last time.

  Nothing about the last ten months in my life had felt right. Just like I was living through the motions hidden by my own shadow cast through a bitterness that wouldn’t die. But none of that mattered now. Not after learning the truth in Draven’s heart and that of my own.

  Because one thing became so clear in what I was doing now. That when you were truly this much in love with someone honestly, there were no lengths you wouldn’t go to just to protect the one you loved. I understood that now but more importantly, I understood Draven’s actions had been justified. I too, if it meant saving Draven’s life, would fake my own death so that he could live and one look at Aurora and the Gods only knew what she was capable of.

  We had said little to each other for most of this trip and it had got to the point where I needed to know about where we were going. The place Witley Court had been mention during the last meeting we had which had been to iron out any issues with the plan. When Aurora mentioned about the Janus gates, everyone knew where we would be traveling to…Worcester, England.

  “So, this Witley Court, is there anything I should know?” I asked trying to sound polite at least.

  “Why should there be?” She asked raising one perfectly plucked eyebrow, making me worry about my own. I could only hope I wasn’t starting to resemble Burt from Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie! Given her snippy tone I knew she had clearly dropped the fake loyalty act.

  “Oh I don’t know, say because I am trusting you here to be my guide into the lowest levels of Hell and bring me back alive after freeing my boyfriend’s demon from a prison you sent him to…so yeah, I would say any information you can give me right now would be classed as a big heads up and help immensely.” I said sarcastically making her lip curl up at me in disgust. Then something must have clicked with her because her shoulders slumped and she dropped the attitude.

  “I know you don’t trust me and after your track record for pissing people off, I guess I don’t blame you.” She shocked me by saying this and I frowned at the comment about me pissing people off…what by… breathing!?

  “But I truly want to help my King and as I am partially responsible, I feel it is my duty to make things right.”

  “Uh huh.” I said nodding my head and I think I would have been more convinced if she dressed as Santa and told me she started work at the North Pole in an hour! There was nothing sincere about her noble statement and I was half tempted to grab her arm and give it a yank across the table to check all that hadn’t been written on her skin.

  “So this Witley Court, aren’t the owners going to mind when we rock up and ask to use their Janus Gate to Hell?” I said and you could tell one look from her frowning at me and she obviously didn’t get my humour.

  “Are you right of mind? Of course that isn’t going to happen! To start with it’s not the type of place you would live in and secondly…”

  “Why? Not fancy enough for you?” I asked interrupting her.

  “More like dilapidated… really, does Dominic not tell you anything?” She said shaking her head to herself as though I was a lost cause. I silently saw red at hearing the way she said his name and felt the ache in my hands when I realised I was twisting the bottom of my t-shirt in both hands until my fingers hurt.

  “Well most of the time we are too busy doing far more enjoyable stuff and conversation kinda gets in the way.” I said making it clear not to go down this route with me.

  “And how long have you been back together again after your yearlong split?” She said smirking at me and it was at that moment I was thinking of joining a very different kind of mile high club…the murdering kind!

  “Look, are you going to tell me about this damn Witley Court or do you just want the bitch fight and lets be done with it!?” I said and at that moment if I would have been the bone popping type I would have cracked my knuckles in some super cool badass way…but to be honest the sound gave me the willies.

  “A lady doesn’t fight.” Aurora said and I laughed out loud.

  “Yeah right! I wouldn’t let Sophia or Pip hear you say that, you would get your ass kicked!” I thought it a wise decision when she didn’t reply but the sour look on her face said it all really. On both sides I thought my chances against her looked good seeing as miss prissy pants was too above her girly ass to fight me but on the flip side, it didn’t bode well for me going into Hell with some wimpy Angel that couldn’t fight for toffee! Which reminded me to ask,

  “So if you’re an Angel, then how is it you’re ok in Tartarus yet no one else is?”

  “Because I am a Titan goddess and it was the power of my ancestors that made Tartarus. All who hold our bloodline can access the prison boundaries.” I wanted to roll my eyes at her arrogance.

  “Yeah well I wouldn’t boast too much love, if I had been related to the Manson Family I wouldn’t write a song about it.” At this and the mention of her family I had obviously hit a nerve. Her face twisted into an angry scowl but I continued,

  “And you must need the barrier down or you wouldn’t have checked with Sophia at the meeting.”

  “I can gain access to the outskirts of Tartarus as the barriers only prevent you from getting inside the mountain but to enter through the Janus Gate, I would need the barrier down, yes this is true” She added reluctantly.

  “So you only locked Draven’s Demon to the outskirts?” I asked fe
eling hopeful.

  “I did, but when he unleashed the Titans, that locked his Demon back inside the mountain, due to the marking I had to carve into his arms.”

  “You did that!” I shouted outraged at what I was hearing. She rolled her eyes at my reaction and said,

  “Everything I did was because it was asked of me. I cannot just tie anyone to Tartarus with the click of my fingers you know and this is the first time I had ever done anything like this.” She said all this looking exasperated at having to explain herself, but yet she carried on.

  “Try and remember Dominic is different. It’s not like there are many of us walking around with both Angel and Demon inside of us. First I had to ensure the two sides would split, which is what half of the symbols are for.”

  “Ok, I get it you had no choice, yada, yada, yada! So now we are off to this Witley Court…what’s so special about this place anyway?” I asked to a bored looking Aurora who had turned to look out of the window.

  “That you will find out when we get there.” And that was my cue to shut up if ever I saw one. I gave a humph sound and noticed she picked up a newspaper that was folded on the table between us, but not before I caught her satisfied smile, one she tried to hide.

  If it wouldn’t have looked blaringly obvious in such a small space I would have got up, walked away somewhere I could go and screamed in frustration at having to deal with her!

  I hated her and not just because she was Draven’s ex, but mainly because she was a massive bitch face that just loved trying to make a fool out of me! But I wouldn’t stoop to her level….ok, so maybe I had already stooped a bit by rising to her haughty and rude comments but the best thing I could do now was just ignore her.

  She was a means to an end and that end was my only goal now…

  That end meant having Draven back.

  Chapter 59 –

  Back To Afterlife.

  Thankfully Aurora and I both learned quickly that there was little point to us actually speaking seeing as we both couldn’t stand each other, which meant that I spent the rest of the flight torturing myself with beautiful memories of my time with Draven. It had taken me a bit of time to realise that this was the exact plane we had travelled back in when we stayed at my parent’s house for Christmas.

  I remembered my shock when hearing him say he was flying the plane. I mentally shook my head at thinking back to when I had heard his voice coming over the speakers asking me to join him in the cockpit. I still remember what he had said like it was yesterday,

  ‘You don’t want me to come back there do you, Keira?’ I had laughed knowing that he would have as well if I hadn’t chickened out and lost the battle before it even began. There was never any point as Draven always won with me. He would give me that sexy commanding voice and I would be a goner, powerless to say no. For a start he knew all my weak spots and I was ashamed to say there were many.

  I remember freaking out when he talked about me being his co-pilot and laughing at my reaction to it. In truth all he had wanted to do was show me one of the most perfect skies I had ever seen. There had been something about being in the front of that plane with all that vast blue space in front of you. There weren’t many places in the world where you could look out and not see anything living in front of you as far as the eyes could see.

  No plants, no wildlife, and not a single person that could invade our moment, just a blue ocean with not a drop of water in sight. It was the closest to heaven any living creature would ever get until their dying breath. Nothing manmade for your eyes to see but the plane we sat in and down there it could have been any time in history and we wouldn’t have ever known.

  Because up here nothing ruled.

  There was nothing owned to fight over. There was no religion to forbid or curse. And the power of the sky could destroy the mightiest of armies or destroy nations with just one storm. If we were nothing but targets for the Gods above and below, then we were nothing but grains of sand to the sky.

  And looking down at the world slowly coming into view, I had never felt this be as true as it did now. The different shades of green patches were getting closer and closer until the roads looked filled with toy cars. Was that what we were to the higher beings…toys to powerful children, keeping them entertained with the choices we made? Sometimes it felt like that and now I had to wonder how entertaining the choice I was about to make was going to play out for them?

  We landed with a bump and as I usually did I closed my eyes just when I felt the wheels hit the runway.

  “I never liked flying in one of these things.” Aurora said and I had to laugh at that.

  “An Angel who doesn’t like flying?” I asked and I was expecting a scowl not the little smile I received.

  “It is a funny notion I guess, considering if this plane had crashed I would have been the only one to survive.” Ah, so that’s what made her smile, the thought of my death. Well that was reassuring for the hours to come… not!

  I gave her a fake smile and then rolled my eyes when she looked away. Oh yeah, this was going to be a riot, I thought sarcastically. The plane cruised slowly away from the rest of the planes and I saw a black car waiting for us. I yawned not being to help myself as the lack of sleep was catching up on me. I was surprised I was still going but when I queried it with Pip and Sophia they had both explained that was due to the blood from Draven. Well I knew one thing, I was definitely not looking forward to the jetlag once it caught up with me as I might end up sleeping for a week.

  I had tried to sleep on the plane a few times but my mind had been too jittery to relax enough. I couldn’t really blame it all things considered. I was starting to lose count of the people who had tried to kill me, so now being sat across from someone who was smiling at the thought of me dying in a plane crash wasn’t giving me the BFF vibe.

  Before I knew it we were off the plane and I was once again stood on English soil, smelling the English air that seemed to always threaten rain. I smiled at the thought of English summers and how unpredictable they were but I had to smile at the bright sunshine we were getting now. Well I could only be optimistic and take it as a good sign because it was that or people saying, ‘well at least it was sunny the day she died’.

  We both folded ourselves into the car, one of us more graceful than the other but at least I could say I received a smile from our chauffeur. Aurora didn’t strike me as the type of person who was nice to what she considered the hired help and her attitude wasn’t only reserved for people she wanted to maim, like yours truly.

  Not a word was spoken to the driver and I gathered he had already been given his orders, so I let myself sink into the expensive leather seat I knew belonged to a Mercedes, thanks to the badge I recognised and looked out of yet another window.

  I watched the busy world getting on with their lives and whether it was stuck in traffic on that long commute or arguing in the car with a loved one, it was still a simple life I envied right now. None of them knew how close they had come to the end and I was thankful for that. I really was but the smallest part of me, the selfish part, wished I didn’t feel so alone and out of my depth sometimes.

  You would think by now that I would have been used to things like this happening and in a way I was but it always made you face each day wondering if today would be your last.

  It made you create a list in your head of things you needed to do. The people you loved in this life and what it would mean to you just to hear their voices for the last time. To tell them what it has meant to you having them in your life and loving them the way you knew they loved you back. It was breathing deep, looking down at yourself one last time and whispering the last words you wanted to die saying.

  Yes, it felt like I had prepared for this day and done these things far too many times in my short life… and honestly,

  I was tired.

  I must have nodded off not long after we hit the M5 as the next thing I knew the sound of wheels crunching over gravel was jarring me awake. Th
e creepy part was waking to have Aurora looking at you like she wanted to peel my face off and use it as a victory flag. This look didn’t last long before she graced me with one even creepier and with a fake smile plastered on her face she said,

  “We are here.”

  I would have said, ‘No shit Sherlock’ but words fled me because one look out of the window and the breathtaking Witley Court stood there in all its broken glory.

  Aurora waited for the driver to open the door for her and I watched as he handed her a fancy, old fashioned umbrella. I leant closer to the window and looked up to see the unusual sight of a clear blue English sky with the sun beaming down at us. So I could only surmise that she knew something that I didn’t,

  “Big shocker there, Keira.” I muttered to myself as I opened the door and got out of the fancy car.

  “Please Miss allow me to do that for you.” The driver came rushing over and I don’t know what he was going to help me with bless him as I was already out of the car. I thought he was going to leap at me when I started to close the door myself, so I left it making him smile at me.

  “Thank you.” I said and he tipped his chauffeur’s hat at me and one look to Aurora and I knew he hadn’t received the same gratitude from that giant cow bag! I had nicked ‘Cow bag’ from Pip when I heard her call Aurora it the last time we spoke, so I thought it was quite fitting.

  This was proven even more so as she walked up to the small gate and nodded to it expectantly. There was a woman sat next to a little hut off to the left and after saying something I couldn’t hear into her radio, she stood up. I just made it to Aurora in time to hear her saying,

  “I am very sorry Madame, but the house is closed today due to unforeseen circumstances.”