by Linda Creel
Now that Andromeda is free, we can finally have a life together. I’ll finish the mission, and by that time, she should be over her grief for Gregory.
Paul pulled another slip of paper from his pocket. “These are the names of the families you’ll find in Richmond, Virginia.”
Axel grabbed the list. “Let’s get this over with. The sooner we find them, the sooner we can get back to our families.”
“Rita and Jessica will be keeping an eye on Analie and Jade,” Adam said. “I promise no harm will come to them.”
“I appreciate the extra protection. I’ll just say goodbye to Ava, and then we can be on our way.”
Caspian chuckled again. “The little girl seems fond of you.”
“What can I say,” Axel joked. “I constantly have women falling at my feet.”
Everyone had a good laugh, and then followed Paul to the dining room. After saying goodbye to the girls, Caspian and Axel used the portal to take them to Richmond while the family prepared for Gregory’s funeral.
Aura stared after them. I hope they can convince the other families to come here. It’s not safe for them out there alone.
“Who wants more chocolate milk?” she asked the little ones.
Eve showed Audria the room she would occupy until her new home was ready. There were undergarments, shoes, a dress and sweater already laid out on the bed.
How odd – they wear white to a funeral. As she examined the clothing, she thought of Eve. I wonder how she knew what size I wore. Pushing the thought out of her mind, she jumped into the shower.
Allowing the warm water to soothe her muscles, Audria turned her head towards Heaven. Thank you, Father. My girls will never do without again.
Chapter 48
While Aura dressed the girls, Eve went to New York to bring Andromeda back to the funeral hall. The rest of the family, including Andromeda’s son Matthew would meet them there.
Driving was how the others would travel this afternoon because the mortuary, though hidden, was located so close to a community of mortals.
As the cars started to converge in the parking lot, Aura noticed Father Patrick already waiting on the front steps. Dressed in his vestments, the priest walked out to meet the angel-bloods.
After they piled into the building, Bren directed the kids into pews a few rows away from Gregory’s body. Eve and Angie flanked each side of Andromeda, while Matt stayed behind with Willow.
Andromeda had already been told not to expect Caspian because he was taking care of some important business for the Guild. She approached the glass-covered casket in front of the room, marveling at how handsome her husband looked. Whoever prepared his body did a remarkable job.
Gregory wore an all-white suit and his hands were clasped together just below his chest. She couldn’t help staring at the ring on his left finger. “Pity his personality didn’t match his good looks,” she sighed as Matt and Willow came to stand beside her.
Matt’s face was expressionless but his mother’s eyes were red and swollen from crying. He didn’t understand how she could grieve a man who treated her like dirt.
“You know -- usually, we don’t have a body when an angel-blood dies,” Willow whispered. “They go back to Heaven just as they are.”
“Maybe now you’ll believe me when I say my father wasn’t a nice person,” Matt snorted. “Those kinds of people don’t go to Heaven.”
Willow could hear the bitterness in his voice and see her friend’s body take on an unnatural stiffness. Even though he said his father’s death didn’t bother him, Matt’s posture told a different story. Maybe it was because his mother was so sad. She patted his arm, and he forced a weak smile.
Matt stared at his father’s lifeless body. What’s taking so long? I just want to get this over with, so Mom and I can start a new chapter in our life – one that won’t include him.
Everyone turned when Henry and his wife entered the building with Richard, Desiree and Nathali. The Guild and their families wore white to signify the passing of an angel-blood from this life to the next.
Henry and his son wore black pin-striped suits, Richard’s tie – a bold red color. The three women were dressed in long evergreen gowns. Eve noticed the tiara was back on Meredith’s head – the missing diamond replaced with a new stone.
“Look at them,” Bren said. “I guess they didn’t get the memo that said you wear white to a funeral.”
“Yeah – I may not have liked Gregory, but that’s a bit disrespectful,” Willow said, watching Desiree descend down the aisle with Richard so close they were touching.
Willow gave the bride a blistering stare. “She sure doesn’t seem too upset about Caspian’s absence.”
Bren started giggling. “I’m sure Richard is keeping her company.”
“Please tell me they’re not going to Aura’s house after the service?” Tracy asked.
“Who…” The chatter ceased when Eve turned around and placed her finger over her lips, telling them it was time to be quiet. Bren shrugged and her eyes faced towards the front, but there was a still an impish grin on her face.
Father Patrick waited for the governor and his family to slide into one of the pews opposite the Guild, before beginning the service. Not knowing the deceased, he kept his homily short, but respectful.
Afterwards, everyone piled out of the hall while Paul and Adam stayed behind. “He should have ascended,” Adam remarked.
Angel-bloods who were loyal to Heaven, returned there, but Gregory’s body remained in the casket.
“Perhaps he wasn’t as loyal as he led us to believe. I suppose we’ll have to bury him in one of the plots behind the mortuary,” Paul sighed.
“Let’s get this over with, so we can meet with the High Council. Did you invite Henry and his family back to Aura’s house?”
Paul started chuckling. “Are you kidding? Eve would have my head if I allowed Meredith near Reaghan again.”
The angels went outside to say goodbye to their families and inform them that they had a task to finish before they joined them at Aura’s house. Eve already knew what they were planning, so she rearranged the passengers in the cars, making sure Andromeda rode with her and Angie.
Thankfully, Meredith made some excuse about having to get back to Utopia, so no offer was made for them to join the family for a late lunch.
When they walked through Aura’s front door, the caterers had already been there and gone. A mountain of food covered the dining room table, and Bren made sure the little one’s plates were full, before she and Tracy sat down to eat.
“I wish you would reconsider, and stay here with us for a few days,” Eve said to Andromeda.
“I still have a few students left at the Academy, plus there’s our cook, Mrs. O’Leary to consider. She’s getting up in age and I don’t want to leave her alone,” Andromeda said.
“We’ll come with you,” Willow volunteered, looking at Rita for confirmation and smiling when she got the nod.
“We have to start planning Father Ryan’s party,” Bren said. “By the way, we’ve changed the date to October 30th. We want to take the girls to Savannah and trick or treat in the old neighborhood.”
“I guess Ryan won’t mind having the party a day early,” Aura said. “I was going to call him later to see how the new girl is getting along.”
When lunch was over, Aura fixed a doggie bag with the leftover food for Andromeda to take back with her. Rita and Jessica packed an overnight bag for themselves and Willow. They planned to do some shopping the next day to take Andromeda’s mind off Gregory.
After everyone said goodbye, Bren and Tracy showed Alli and Ava where the playroom was while Aura cleaned up the dishes.
Eve and Angie spent the rest of the afternoon with Audria, explaining about Alice, the first angel-blood, and the powers most of those with the blood of the angels were gifted with.
“I’m sure some of the children have abilities which have been dormant,” Eve said. “Tomorrow, Paul and Adam ca
n begin testing them. You may be surprised to know your daughters have received special gifts from Heaven. Alli seems to be very intuitive.”
“Do all angel-bloods have the same special gifts?” Audria asked.
“Our children are descendants of the archangels, so they have more powerful weapons at their disposal,” Eve said.
“I’ve heard you were a seer?”
“Yes, my grandmother passed her second sight to me and my daughter Aura.” Bren has the second sight too, but there’s no reason to tell her about that. I’m sure it will come out eventually. As to the other children, we’ll have to wait and see.”
Alli and Ava decided to sleep in the dorm room with Aura and the other children. She missed her bed, but Aura wouldn’t complain, not knowing what the little ones had been through. After they were bathed and placed in pajamas, she said goodnight to her mother and Angie, who decided to go home.
When Audria went to check on the girls, she saw they were sleeping, so she excused herself. A few minutes after changing into her nightclothes, she was snoring softly.
Aura turned out the lights and climbed into bed beside Gertie and Gracie. I hope they have sweet dreams tonight.
Unfortunately, she wouldn’t be so lucky. Visions of the carnage from the war in Heaven so many years ago kept disrupting her sleep.
Chapter 49
The next two weeks Samhael followed Lucifer’s orders and spent most of his time with the Abyvir in Purgatory, leaving occasionally to check on Mehri and Stella.
As the brothers, Faelan and Fenryr, who were now accustomed to their new names, were in complete control of their newfound abilities; Samhael released them from their cage and set them up in temporary housing in an empty home in the village.
They were allowed to shop and eat at the restaurants, but both were warned to stay clear of the dormitory where the young angel-bloods were kept.
Verah had known about the beasts, so she was allowed to leave the shack to bring food and clothing for the children. Samhael had warned that if she betrayed him, he would not burn her arms this time – her face would suffer his wrath.
Even though the girls were confined to the small house, it was better than having to work all day for the shop owners. They used the time wisely to regain their strength, talking among themselves about the possibility of being rescued like the others.
Now that the Abyvir were walking the streets freely, Verah knew it was only a matter of time before the children would return to their daily grind.
Oliver and Garrett made sure they had plenty to eat, often sneaking extra food to the girls when Samhael was away.
Samhael waited for two days, and then he met with Richard to advise him that the Abyvir were ready for the attack. He sent word for Mortriel to return to Purgatory, and as soon as he arrived, apparently unscathed by his tryst with Olga, they left to inform Lucifer of their plans.
When they returned to Purgatory, Richard was informed the attack would happen that night. The date, October 30th, couldn’t have been more perfect. Aura was planning a costume party for her priest friend, Ryan, and Mehri and Stella had both agreed to join the celebration. Richard knew Joshua and Will would also be in attendance, so he wouldn’t have to worry about them snooping around.
The attack on Utopia would take place in the wee hours of the morning when the residents, including his sister, Analie, and her daughter, Jade, would be asleep. Because of the time difference, it would be 9 o’clock at night in Aeden and Aura’s party would be in full swing.
Samhael took the brothers to the cabin, and told them Richard would advise them when it was time to attack. Though it was clean and food had been placed in the kitchen, Fenryr started complaining as soon as he saw the bungalow.
“You expect us to live here?” he grunted.
“No one knows about this place, so it will serve our needs temporarily. The cabin is in close proximity to the country estates, and that’s where you’ll attack Richard’s sister and niece. Afterwards, you’ll both be free to return to Purgatory, or wherever it is you call home,” Samhael said.
“What about our money?”
Samhael reached into his jacket pocket and threw a bag of gold on the small kitchen table. “As agreed, you’ll receive the rest after the job is done.”
Faelan opened the pouch and stared at the coins; a wide grin formed at the corners of his mouth as he thought about how he would spend his share. No more begging for him. He would have fine clothes, a big house, fancy car and more women than he could keep up with.
“This will be the easiest money we’ve ever made,” he said to his brother.
“Don’t leave until you hear from Richard,” Samhael warned as he walked out the door.
I don’t care what Lucifer says; if they screw this up, I’ll kill them myself.
After scanning the area and finding no one in sight, he snapped his fingers and returned to Purgatory. He and Mortriel had agreed to wait there until they heard from Richard and Stella.
Aura found herself staring at the calendar in the kitchen. It was already October 30th – the night of Ryan’s party. The last two weeks had been quiet; there were no other attacks.
Caspian and Axel found ninety angel-blood families, and thankfully, all of those with young children agreed to relocate to Aeden, or the Australian colony.
Surprisingly, none of the families wanted to live in Utopia. Even though they had distanced themselves from the angel-bloods, word of Richard’s possible involvement with Lucifer somehow reached the families.
Caspian didn’t elaborate on his brother’s activities. Rita had yet to find the proof she was looking for to link Richard to the fire, but she was still hopeful.
Not all of the families wanted to leave their homes. Those with teenage sons and daughters, refused to give up their mortal life and friends, regardless of the threat of danger. It was useless to argue with them; their minds were made up.
Paul and Adam spent a great deal of time evaluating the kids to see what dormant powers they had. Already they had learned how the dark wings could debilitate them with an overwhelming sense of sadness, so Bren taught them how to focus on something happy, like singing a favorite song.
Aura and the older girls weren’t privy to what her father had discovered about the children, but Bren and Tracy knew, and they weren’t talking.
“Sometimes it’s better to keep your abilities a secret,” Bren said. “That way, the dark wings will be surprised.”
Aura knew not to argue. Gabriel had taken her little sister under his wing, and who was she to question him, the Champion of Heaven?
Since it was a costume party with a Renaissance theme, Bren and the girls thought it would be fun to dress as Disney princesses.
Aura thought it was hysterical to think of Bren as a princess; she was a warrior at heart, much more comfortable in blue jeans and tennis shoes, wielding her Uncle Gabe’s sword. Still, this was just another sacrifice she was willing to make for her new sisters.
They had carved a dozen jack-o’-lanterns and placed them along the walkway leading to the front porch. The candles would be lit after dark. Inside -- orange and black streamers hung from the cathedral ceilings; giving Bren and the girls an excuse to use their wings because they couldn’t reach otherwise.
Life-size witches were placed strategically around the rooms. One pair was sitting in chairs in the living room with spell-books in their hands. Two more flanked each side of the door to greet guests when they arrived.
Skeletons and ghosts appeared to be dancing in the hallways, and skulls and spiders littered the tables.
As much as Bren loved Santa Clause, and Christmas; Tracy loved Halloween. The scarier the props, the better she liked it. Of course she drew the line when it came to devil costumes. Some things were verboten, even for them.
The Guild wouldn’t be part of the celebration; they were meeting with the High Council. Eve and Angie also begged off, claiming they had to work on preparing the houses for the angel-blo
ods who were coming to the valley to live.
Aura ordered pizza for lunch, so she and the kids could prepare all kinds of ghoulish food for the party, including spooky spiced shrimp, devilish eggs, hotdogs made to look like fingers and mummy pizza. For the rest of the guests, she made pans of lasagna and assorted salads. Reaghan insisted she make something with chocolate.
Most of their parties were formal, but at the insistence of the kids, this was one of the rare occasions Aura agreed to use Halloween themed paper plates and plastic tableware and cutlery.
There would be light-up acrylic glasses next to a bubbling cauldron of witch’s brew, which had smoke coming off the top for special effects.
Aura spoke to Ryan early in the afternoon to make sure he didn’t mix up the dates. The truth was, she was trying to find out what costume he had decided on, but he refused to tell her.
Since the party wasn’t going to start until 8 o’clock, Aura insisted the girls take a short nap after a light dinner.
After they climbed into their beds, she went about setting out their costumes and make-up for the evening. While they slept, she tidied up the kitchen, before showering and slipping into her own costume.
Aura felt ridiculous dressing like a fairy tale character, but given the length of her hair, Bren insisted Rapunzel would be a perfect choice. After loosening up her braid, she allowed her hair to flow down her back until it touched her knees.
Staring at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help but stifle a giggle. The lavender, long-sleeved dress with the open neckline suited her, but she was worried her long tresses would be inconvenient.
Oh well, it’s just for a few hours. Hopefully, there won’t be any surprises tonight.
Chapter 50
Rita and Jessica arrived with their guests from Utopia at 7:30p.m. Aura didn’t feel out of place when she saw the other girls were all wearing renaissance-themed gowns too.