Angeline frowned and responded almost breathlessly, “Yes, it is real.”
“So, something is really after me and all of you.” Olivia seemed to be trying to register the gravity of the situation.
Storm shifted and spoke up, “How much do you know, Olivia? I mean, about all of us.”
“She has been fully briefed, Storm. I think the reality of the information is just now setting in, isn’t it Liv?” Shane broke his silence and Olivia calmed slightly. Ryder noted the look of affection on the young girl’s face and fought hard to maintain a mask of indifference. Did every female in this realm have to fall for the angels?
“I guess I just thought you were teasing me or scaring me into behaving or something. I mean, I figured my parents were having second thoughts about my freedom and sent you to babysit me with some lame story. Shane, I’m sorry.” Olivia reached up to Angeline, touching the tip of her right ear. “Ang, your ears are so cool. You are really beautiful, not that you weren’t before but, wow. Lots of guys must ask you out, huh?” The young girl smiled awkwardly at her older sister before adding, “And we still look like sisters, don’t we?” Ryder wondered how long it had been since they’d seen each other. Actually, he wondered a lot of things.
“Not to be the party crasher and all but I think we have some pretty serious problems to deal with beyond pointy ears and the girl’s knowledge of our world.” Lucian stood, arms folded across his chest to show off his biceps. Ryder hated when he did that, after all these years it was still most embarrassing. “I think we need to bring Dorian’s brother, research, and underlings here. Willow Wood is more secure than anywhere else in this world. Besides, it makes sense to keep our assets under one roof. I also think we need to reach out to other supernats to call in some favors. Let’s face it, we need all the help we can get.” Ryder nodded slightly and caught Storm’s eye. She seemed to waver for a moment but quickly conceded Lucian’s point.
“I agree with Lucian.” Storm turned to Dorian, “It would be my pleasure to house you and yours within my walls.” Pride surged through Ryder as his wife dealt so ceremoniously with the vampire. Though young by their standards she must have known more than a few vampires to deliver her invitation as a polite request while leaving him little room to decline.
Dorian shifted slightly and frowned before replying formally, “I humbly accept your invitation, Emerald Seer. You are as gracious as you are wise and even more lovely than your aunt described. I will have Watson begin the transition at first light. I am hopeful Gregoire will concede.”
“I will speak with him directly if you believe it would help.” Storm inclined her head respectfully toward the vampire.
“I do not believe you would have any more luck with my brother than I will, with all respect, but I will convince him. Perhaps your legend alone will be enough to intrigue Gregoire.” A wry smile broke across Dorian’s pallid face. “I shall retire to the dark rooms below to make my calls unless you have altered them?”
“Dark rooms?” Storm frowned.
“Yes. Your Aunt had them prepared for Dorian before. He has been here often.” Angeline chimed in, a slight flush across her cheeks. Ryder could not recall a time when his former assistant appeared so ill at ease. She continued to shift her gaze, her weight, even fidget.
To her credit, Storm shrugged. “Very well. Make yourself comfortable, Dorian.”
“I will fill you in later, Dorian.” Angeline lowered her eyes, pretending to study something on Olivia’s shirt. “Why don’t you have some pizza, Liv. Then you can head to bed and rest. I am sure you are tired.”
“You are not my mother, An-hell-ina.” Olivia scowled. Angeline cringed, her face contorting in to a strange mix of anger and annoyance.
“No, but if you say my name like that once more I will call her so she can tell you to mind me. Just because you know of my world does not mean you are prepared to understand everything that is happening around you.” Angeline’s confidence returned with her blossoming rage.
“Olivia, why don’t we take some pizza into the game room and I can teach you some tricks on the pool table for your next game with Dan.” Shane stepped in, wagging his eyebrows comically at the young human. Though pretending to scowl, Ryder could tell the girl fought a smile. She followed Shane in much the same way that Pac Man tended to follow Storm around. Almost as if on cue, the dog trotted into the study and rubbed up against Storm’s legs.
Once he felt certain Olivia could not hear them, Ryder addressed Angeline. “Why are they after your sister? None of this is chance, is it?”
Angeline’s shoulders fell. “No. It is not chance.” She paced and bit her lip, tugged at her ponytail and paced some more. Finally, she turned to face the room and spoke, calmly and evenly, “Olivia fits all of the criteria for the vessel who will raise the Unseen. She was not foreseen, has fae blood in her veins, and bears the mark of the White Lady. Even though I stripped her fae powers she can still be used. You’ve seen it, Ryder, I know you have. While I took on Olivia’s fae powers I could not take it all. There is a piece of her that none can touch. She remains attractive to all supernaturals – especially the Unseen.”
“Wait. Are you saying that Olivia was meant to be a priestess of the White?” Everybody turned to face Lucian. Ryder had not made the connection quite as quickly as his friend. “That’s it, isn’t it? She should have been the White Priestess of this generation and you stopped that.”
Just when things could not possibly get worse they somehow did. Ryder’s eyes flicked toward the game room. Beyond the wall stood a would-be angel of death. What could this mean for the balance? Angeline shifted, looking at her feet for several moments. When she raised her head and threw her shoulders back, Ryder saw into her for the first time. He saw the intense emotion, sacrifice, and depth of wisdom they somehow all had missed. Though young in many ways, Angeline held an old, wisened woman in her core and carried a burden unlike any of them.
“Yes. Olivia should have become a White Priestess. She should have followed the White Lady into the beyond but that destiny could never be. Had I not taken on her fae blood, Olivia would have been used to resurrect the Unseen before she could meet up with the White Lady.” Angeline settled into the chair her sister had vacated, crossing her legs and silently challenging Lucian to question her further. “That is why I sought Trin, to help me find a way to fix everything without letting the Unseen have Liv. We were close before…” Angeline trailed off, not willing to say the words they all were thinking. Trin’s death really had changed everything.
Storm pressed against his thoughts, her uncertainty and shock warring with her usual curiosity. “Angeline, I do not doubt you or the choice you made but I am still confused. If you took her fae blood then how does Olivia still have power? What is she, Ang?”
“She is my sister, Storm. That is all that matters.” Angeline softened her tone to address Storm but the finality of her statement left little room to question further. Except that Storm was asking the questions and she was not one to be deterred.
“Angeline, I think we need to know where Olivia comes from. It might be the key to keeping her safe.” Storm leaned forward slightly to pet Pac Man who now sprawled across their feet. He knew full well that she was trying to keep calm.
“I think she is right, Angeline. It is time you told them.” Surprisingly, Dan joined the conversation. He strode across the room and put a hand on Angeline’s shoulder. “They will understand your decision better.”
Angeline sighed. She looked up to Dan, several strange expressions cycling across her face while his remained a mask of neutrality. Ryder watched the silent battle of wills with interest. She did not break Dan’s gaze while responding. “My father is a nephilim.”
Angeline
With her last great secret in the open she had nothing left to lose. Angeline felt exposed but there was no turning back now. They were staring at her, all of them, a mixture of curiosity and something else.
“Well that exp
lains a lot.” Lucian’s voice carried over across the room. Angeline shifted her attention to Lucian, shocked that he appeared to be pouring a drink at the wet bar. She thought he’d quit drinking - apparently not.
“Why didn’t you tell us, Ang? I mean, wow, half nephilim, half fae!” Understanding flooded Storm’s face as she gushed. Angeline looked down at her feet as Storm fell silent. “Your father is a child of one of the fallen, isn’t he?”
Somebody inhaled sharply, Angeline could not be certain who it was, but it did not matter. The gravity of the revelation struck a chord. Every religion preached about the fallen in some shape or form. Among humans, the fallen are cautionary tales, depictions of pure evil and minions of the devil. In reality they all had it a bit right but a lot wrong. The true “devil” was the Unseen and the fallen were his captives for a long time, tortured into submission, and let loose only after they pledged to raise the Unseen should he ever be vanquished. Angelic or Seraph bloodlines were forced into hiding for several generations until the Unseen was defeated and enough of his minions were destroyed or exiled to other dimensions. Only in recent centuries were seraphs able to walk among humans to guide their movements and protect innocent supernaturals appropriately. Angeline always found the truth to be far more complex than religions would allow. It galled her that women were vilified, children could be brainwashed and corrupted, and power hungry humans could rule masses of people by imbuing them with irrational fears. The fallen did not seek to strike out against any God, they did not ask to be tortured, did not lose faith in the grand design. Her father was not evil; he may be the best man she ever knew. Viktor Corsova was half seraph, half human and one hundred percent saint. He trained in human and supernatural medicinal schools, volunteered at homeless shelters and vagrant sanctuaries whenever possible and never raised his voice. Angeline only met her grandfather twice but he did not seem evil either. The only reason he abandoned Angeline’s grandmother was to save her father, to keep the secret. He had kind eyes but did not seem capable of laughing or even smiling. Angeline remembered her parents being extra kind to Grandmama Corsova. They said she lived a hard life and deserved a little extra love. Years later, Angeline learned the truth when her own nephilim-like powers emerged.
“Ang?” Storm’s voice broke the disjointed reverie.
“I’m sorry. Yes. My grandfather is one of the fallen. I tell you this now because I trust you all with my life and the lives of my family. Olivia does not know about our nephilim blood. She would not understand the truth as she has lived as a human all these years. The way the humans view the fallen –“ Angeline cut off.
“Perhaps it is time to call your family as well, Angeline.” Ryder interrupted from his seat on the couch, his eyes far away as if elsewhere. “Surely they will seek out your family if they are so set on taking Olivia.”
“The Corsovas have already been moved.” Dan spoke up, a strange edge to his voice. Angeline really hated having him in the same house as Dorian. Things were going to get even more complicated. “We had them moved to a safe house before Shane and I moved Olivia.”
Angeline looked back to Dan and nodded tightly. His face softened, the familiar warmth spread through her core and she saw his eyes flare briefly with emotion. “We can give you their location if you wish, Angeline. Your father did not wish to distract you.”
“No. It is best I do not know until this is over. Is it possible to send Olivia to them? Would it be safer?” Angeline forced aside the desire to rejoin her family and hide from coming war, to disappear again into a nameless half fae girl, to forget what she’d seen and done. But, her parents would be disappointed and disgraced if she did not see her chosen path to the end, not that it was in her nature to run.
“Olivia is safest here.” Sophia spoke up for the first time. “Think about it Angeline. There are none more capable of protecting her than us and no place more secure than Willow Wood. We must keep her here and wait out the next wave of attacks until we can formulate a better plan and figure out what we are up against.”
Angeline pondered the argument and had to agree. As much as she hated the awkwardness of having Dan and Dorian in the same house, Olivia following after Shane like a lovesick school girl, and the idea of Liv seeing her in action, there really was no other solution. “Alright, we all stay here as long as Storm is in agreement.”
Their hostess nodded, “Of course you are all welcome. We can use all the help we can get at this point and Willow Wood is plenty large to accommodate a small army. We have not yet touched the east or west wings. I guess we have some work to do.” Storm leaned up to give Ryder a quick kiss on the cheek. “Perhaps you and Lucian can do some of the heavy lifting and we can get the rooms cleaned up.
“I believe we have more pressing concerns, my love.” Ryder wore the same loving expression on his face that Angeline had seen hundreds of times before. She wanted that, or something like that, something that made her feel she was the world to another person. A part of her would always want that even if it could never be. Angeline gave up hope of having a real life with love long ago.
“Liv can room with me and Gregoire will need to be downstairs with Dorian. I am certain there are a few other vampires in their employ and Watson never likes to stay far from Dorian. Maybe the rest of their contingency can take to the wing above Dorian’s suites? I am fairly certain those are the rooms Trin had me prepare some time ago. They may be a bit dusty but they are ready to be slept in.” Angeline once again contemplated how much Trin Sullivan had foreseen before her death, how every chore had a purpose. She wondered how much Trin knew about what was coming.
“Gregoire will arrive within the hour with Watson and the rest of my contingency.” Dorian entered the room and sidled up to Angeline, his close proximity sending a chill down her spine. His long fingers found their way to the small of her back and he leaned in to whisper in her ear, “we have some things to discuss, fairy girl.”
“Should we wait for Gregoire to arrive before continuing?” Angeline slipped away from Dorian and Dan under the guise of grabbing a slice of pizza. She was not really hungry but desperately wanted to avoid the suffocating sensation of standing between the two men who had more than battle plans on their minds. Storm arched an eyebrow as Angeline passed by her but thankfully said nothing. Unphased, Dorian settled into a chair and stretched his long legs.
“We can bring my brother up to speed later. For now, it is important to address our biggest problem.” Dorian straightened the legs of his pants and smoothed his hair.
“Our biggest problem?” Storm studied Dorian. Angeline watched the Emerald’s eyes rove over the vampire while nibbling at the slice of pizza in her hand and wondering what Dorian had to speak with her about. Dan’s eyes could have bored a hole in the middle of her forehead but she continued to ignore him as well. He was clearly angry about the exchange with Dorian.
“The witch, of course. We must take her, torture her, and kill her.” Dorian smiled at Storm, not condescendingly but with a degree of amusement Angeline had often been on the receiving end of.
“She has children.” Storm protested through gritted teeth, her eyes set on Ryder’s.
“And we will end their lives as well. This is war, Emerald. Do you wish to survive it?” Dorian inclined his head slightly as if listening but maintained his relaxed pose. “If they openly threatened the lives of your babes would you be more amenable to my suggestion? They took up against you when they declared for the Unseen. We must kill or be killed. There is no longer room for mercy.”
Angeline knew Dorian spoke true though his harsh delivery was not well received. “Storm, he is not wrong. I know how you feel and I regret the children as well but if it is you or them I will save you every time.”
“I agree, Storm.” Sophia chimed in and Lucian nodded along. “I do not relish the idea of killing a child though. Perhaps we can offer them an option? Lock them up or something?”
“And waste resources to guard them?” Dorian sounde
d colder with each statement. “You must understand; those children are now just as lethal as their mother. They are no longer children, no longer innocent. Once the witch pledged to the Unseen the children were lost to us.”
Angeline watched as Sophia’s eyes drew tears. Lucian moved to sit beside her, pulling her close in one fluid motion. He whispered in her ear and paid no attention as the Phoenix crawled into her lap. Angeline realized this issue could tear the group apart if not handled appropriately but she also understood the truth of Dorian’s words. What to do?
“They must each make the choice. It is part of this. Each is allowed to choose and can only be claimed by the Unseen when or if I choose not to claim them.” Storm stood up, realization and understanding registering across her features. “If I claim them he cannot have them. I have never met Rosalee’s children, only Rosalee and apparently the act of not allowing her to stay on as a housekeeper was enough to give the Unseen an opening. So, I can offer the children positions in our household or something and claim them directly. That should solve the problem, right?” Storm looked hopefully from one person to the next, looking for affirmation of her supposition.
“How did you learn of this loophole, Storm?” Dan stepped forward, turning his back to Angeline.
“The Phoenix told me. She said I can claim them and if I do not then the Unseen may claim them.” Storm looked to the Phoenix whose feather tail swished back and forth lazily at her mention.
“It must be true, as ancient as the Phoenix is.” Dan began to pace, toward the fireplace and back again, avoiding Angeline’s gaze. “It may work, then. I do not know for sure.”
“So why not experiment?” Ryder leaned forward, elbows to his knees, somewhat excited by the solution. “I know that her eldest runs pizzas for Whiskey Mystics. Why not order and request that he deliver? We can offer the choice and see what happens. If he is already against us he will not be able to breach the outer wall let alone the study.”
The Storm Sullivan Saga: The Emerald Seer Series Box Set Page 45