by S. J. West
“You put Angela’s life in danger,” I say, still seething over her nearly being killed by Asmodeus. “She could have died.”
“And there aren’t enough words available to me to say how much I regret what happened,” Xavier says, “but sometimes sacrifices have to be made.”
Without even thinking, I suddenly find myself hitting Xavier square in the jaw with a right hook. He stumbles back a step from the impact. I know it’s about the only satisfaction I will get. I shake my hand out to lessen the pain from the strike.
Xavier looks back at me. “Did that make you feel better?”
“A little,” I admit, unashamed of my action.
“You can do it again if you feel like you need to,” he offers.
“I think the urge is out of my system, for now,” I amend, “but I want it made crystal clear that I don’t agree with you. Every life is valuable, and I don’t particularly want you to be the one who determines who lives or dies.”
“It would have been nice if you had given us some warning,” Brand says to Xavier.
“I couldn’t,” Xavier replies regretfully. “If you had known they were coming beforehand, you would have been prepared. You needed to act naturally, or they would have known I tipped you off.”
“Well, did your scheme work, at least?” Malcolm asks, trying to salvage something to redeem Xavier’s actions.
Xavier hesitates before responding, hinting that I’m not going to like the answer.
“I’m not sure yet,” Xavier confesses. “I have hope that it will prove fruitful in the long run. There was never a guarantee that it would work, and if I look too eager to be included in their exclusive club, they’ll get suspicious. It might take a while before I know if it was a gamble worth taking.”
An uneasy silence ensues until Brand says, “Now might be a good time for you to show us around the castle, so we know where things are.”
“Of course,” Xavier says. “Follow me.”
Xavier takes us on a tour of the castle’s features, making sure we know where the most important rooms are, such as the kitchen, and Josh’s newly-outfitted computer room.
“Josh is going to go nuts when he sees all this,” Brand comments, looking at all the high-tech equipment. It reminds me a lot of our Joshua’s room back at headquarters. “He’ll think he’s died and gone to Heaven, with so much shiny new equipment.”
“There are a slew of bedrooms on the second and third floors,” Xavier tells us. “They’ve all been furnished, and they’re ready for occupancy. And, as requested,” Xavier says, turning his gaze to me, something he avoided doing during most of the tour, “the prison cell for your Lucifer is in the basement. I thought that would be the safest place for it. You shouldn’t have to worry about anyone just happening upon it. Plus,” Xavier pulls out a small gold key from his front pants pocket, “this is the only key to the door that leads down there. The entrance is through the small door directly below the staircase in the foyer.”
I take the key from him.
“The man who designed the room is still down there working on it,” Xavier tells me. “He assures me that it will be finished by the end of today.”
“Thanks,” I say, grateful for having him do as I asked, but still holding a small grudge against him for his earlier actions.
“Well,” Xavier says, looking uncomfortable with my continued hostility towards him, “I think I’ve shown you everything important. I’ll leave you now so you can get your group settled in.”
“Wait,” Malcolm says. “Do you have to be anywhere important right now?”
“No,” Xavier says cautiously. “Why?”
Malcolm reaches a hand behind him to his back pocket and pulls out what appears to be a photograph inside a slim, clear plastic case. He tosses the picture to Xavier, who catches it easily with one hand.
Xavier stares at the picture in disbelief before looking up at Malcolm.
“My Sebastian never looked this happy,” Xavier admits, slightly hoarse. “Are all of these his children?”
“Yes,” Malcolm says with a proud smile. “His pack is ever-growing, as you can see by the baby Abby is holding. Though, Abby says she’s getting too old to have any more babies. I took the picture a couple of weeks ago. I thought you might want to see him a little older and very much content.”
“Thank you,” Xavier says, holding the picture to his chest. “Thank you for sharing him with me.”
Malcolm pulls out his cellphone from his front pants pocket.
“I have some family videos on my phone if you want to see them,” Malcolm offers.
“I would, actually,” Xavier replies, excited by the offer. “Do you have time to watch them with me so I know who everyone is?”
“Of course,” Malcolm says, walking up to Xavier.
The two Malcolms walk away from us and into the library together.
“I think we might have just witnessed the beginning of a bromance between Malcolm and himself,” Mason jokes.
“You have to admit,” I say, “it was nice of Malcolm to bring a picture of Sebastian and his family for Xavier. It might not be his Sebastian, but just knowing there’s a version of his son who is truly happy must be a relief of sorts. Malcolm never ceases to amaze me with some of the things he does.”
“I wish he could find someone to love,” Mason laments, and not for the first time. “I would like to see him settle down with a family of his own.”
“He’ll find his soulmate one day,” I say confidently. “I have faith that he will, and God help the woman he finally does give his heart to. She won’t know what hit her.”
It takes us most of the day to move everyone and all of our supplies to Boldt Castle, but the activity helps take my mind off things for a while. It isn’t until we receive two unexpected visitors that I am reminded we have real work to do.
Mason and I are helping Leah settle into the bedroom she chose on the second floor when Brand knocks on the open door.
“Mason,” Brand says, “could I have a word with you and Jess? Ava and Mia Carlyle are downstairs with some news I want both of you to hear. Would you like to come, too, Leah? I think you would like Ava’s daughter.”
“Sure,” Leah says, always up for meeting new people.
It wasn’t always that way for Leah, though. I can still remember a time, not so long ago, when she shied away from encountering new people. I think having Caylin and Joshua in her life helped boost her self-confidence tremendously. She grew from her friendship with them and blossomed into a young woman filled with poise and a sense of self-worth.
Brand leads us into the library on the first floor. The room has a fireplace on one wall, and four-foot-high wooden bookshelves with glass doors lining the other walls. There is an arched entryway on the wall to the right of the fireplace. It leads to an open, empty room lined with windows.
Ava Carlyle and her daughter, Mia, stand in front of the unlit fireplace, speaking to one another in hushed whispers. They turn to face us when we enter the room.
“Ava and Mia,” Brand says, “thank you so much for waiting. I thought Jess and Mason should be here to listen to what you want to tell us.”
Mia holds her hand out to me, and I immediately shake it.
“It’s nice to see you again,” Mia says to me. “I’m sorry you had to meet me for the first time while I was a werewolf.”
“You’re beautiful in both forms,” I tell her.
Mia truly is a gorgeous young woman. She resembles her mother a great deal, but her slightly broader nose and rounder face tell me her features must hold a note of her father as well. The swirls of tan and brown hues in the fabric of her sundress accentuate the darkness of her eyes.
“Mia, I would like to introduce you to my little sister, Leah,” I say introducing the two of them. Even though they look comparable in age, I know Mia is much older; perhaps even thousands of years older.
“Hi,” Leah says, holding her hand out to Mia. “It’s nice to meet you
. I love your dress. It looks a lot like something JoJo would design.”
“JoJo?” Mia inquires.
“JoJo Armand. In our reality, she’s a famous fashion designer. Who made your dress?” Leah asks.
“I did,” Mia replies shyly.
“No way!” Leah says excitedly. “Then you have to meet JoJo. She’ll love you. Come on!”
Leah grabs one of Mia’s hands without giving it a second thought, and practically drags her out of the library to seek out JoJo.
“Will she be all right?” Ava asks in concern, watching her daughter leave with a complete stranger.
“She’ll be fine,” Brand reassures her. “And she will love JoJo. Which reminds me,” Brand pulls out one of the small, circular leather charms JoJo made for the Watchers of this world to protect them from the power Archangels have to kill them. He hands it to Ava and instructs, “Place it in your body somewhere, but don’t tell anyone else where it is.”
Ava looks at the piece of leather in confusion. “And why would I want to do something like that?”
“It will protect you from the princes,” Brand tells her. “It’s a charm JoJo made. It will counteract their ability to kill you with their power.”
“This little piece of leather can work a miracle like that?” Ava asks in disbelief.
“Trust me,” Mason says, “it works.”
Ava nods. “All right; I’ll do it when I get home.”
“What information do you have to tell us?” Brand asks.
“I think the princes are planning something for this evening,” Ava says. “I don’t know what exactly. Even Micah wasn’t told. He was just warned not to plan anything for tonight. Usually, when he’s told that, it’s something big. I won’t know what it is until they come to get him. I wish I had more to tell you, but I thought you should be prepared, in case this turns out to be an opportunity for you to grab Gabriel.”
“Will you be able to let us know what they’re doing after Micah leaves?” I ask.
“Yes, as long as I can recognize the place they take him to by the phase trail they leave behind.”
“That seems extremely risky for you,” I say. “What does Mia think about you spying on her father? Obviously, she knows you’re working with the resistance.”
“She doesn’t like the fact that we’re forced to keep secrets from him,” Ava admits, “but she understands that the risks are worth it, and that I’m doing what I believe is right in order to protect her. I want my daughter to have a better life than the one she’s known so far. Her father uses her in those juvenile Bait games the Watchers play with their children. Each human she’s forced to kill destroys a small part of her soul she’ll never be able to reclaim. I refuse to stand idly by and watch my daughter become something she isn’t. The sooner Lucian and his supporters are stopped, the better; even if it means the destruction of my own husband. As far as I’m concerned, he’s chosen his side, and I’ve chosen mine.”
“I understand,” I say. “We walk through fire for our kids sometimes.”
“Yes,” Ava says gravely, “we do.”
“Mom!” Mia calls out, racing back into the room.
“What’s wrong?” Ava asks anxiously. “Are you hurt?”
Mia giggles as she wraps an arm around one of Ava’s.
“No, Mom. I swear you worry about me too much,” Mia says with a shake of her head. “You have got to meet JoJo. She’s so incredible! Come on!”
Ava looks a little confused by her daughter’s enthusiasm, but pleased by it nonetheless. I watch them walk out of the library arm in arm, both wearing smiles on their faces. I suddenly find myself hoping nothing happens to dampen their happiness.
Unfortunately, hoping doesn’t always work.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
I’m not sure if Ava’s information is a blessing or a curse in disguise. For most of the afternoon, I walk around, anxiously waiting for her to return. There isn’t any guarantee that she will be able to tell us where the princes will be meeting, but I remain optimistic we will finally be given a break. If we could capture Gabriel, it would place us one step closer to putting an end to the princes’ agenda. I need a win, and I know the morale of my friends will benefit from it as well.
Even though we don’t know exactly what we’ll find when we get to the meeting, we do prepare for the encounter.
Obviously, Mason, Brand, Malcolm, and I plan to go. We ask Jered, Nina, Baruch, Isaiah, Desmond, and Sophia to help us as well. As far as our strategy goes, we decide to involve only one other vessel, because keeping them all safe is one of my top priorities. None of them is very good at hand-to-hand combat. The only real fight they’ve ever been in is the one in Antarctica when we closed the Tear. Since Gabe was able to show us exactly what would happen, they all knew exactly when and how to attack. They aren’t adept at fighting against the unexpected, and, honestly, I prefer them to stay somewhere safe. Otherwise, my attention will be divided, and I might become distracted from what I need to do.
The vessel we decide to take is JoJo. Wearing her coat of many colors affords her absolute protection from physical harm. We agree to implement the same strategy with her that we used on Lucifer in Antarctica. JoJo will remain invisible and wait for the right moment to stab Gabriel with the dagger. Even if someone tries to attack her, that person will be hit by a force that’s great enough to throw any of them far from her. Malcolm volunteers to stay close to JoJo since he will be able to see her given the special ability of our outfits. He will phase her to a safe house where Desmond will be waiting. Desmond’s primary mission is to make sure she makes it back to the castle unharmed.
The other vessels seem a bit disappointed that they won’t be going with us, but I think they all understand their limitations in a fight. Certainly, their powers would be helpful. Yet, for me, the advantages they might be able to give us with their unique abilities isn’t enough to outweigh the risks to their lives. Am I being too cautious? Perhaps. Until I know exactly what I’m dealing with, I don’t think being overly- protective is the worst route to take.
The afternoon turns out to be a productive one. Brand is able to make good on his promise to find me a pregnancy test. After I give the stick its required sample, I discover that I’m not pregnant yet. In a way, it’s a relief. I wasn’t sure I could handle being pregnant while doing the things I knew would be required of me here. I wouldn’t have been able to fight without having the thought of the baby in the back of my mind. Right now, a baby would only be a distraction, but one I will most definitely welcome once we’re all safely back home.
I decide to go down to the basement and check out Lucifer’s prison cell. As I walk down the wooden flight of stairs, I hear two sets of voices, one I recognize as belonging to Josh, but the other man speaking isn’t familiar to me.
When I reach the concrete floor of the basement, I look to the left of the open space and see Josh leaned up against the open doorway of what looks like a large steel box with various tubes running all over its surface. The box itself stands ten feet tall and appears to be at least twelve feet in width and length.
“I can’t believe how quickly you made this, dude,” Josh says to someone who is apparently inside the box. “You’re my hero.”
The man in the box chuckles, “Don’t be too impressed. I’ve been working on it for a while now, just in case someone needed a back-up cell.”
“Did Lucian know you were working on this?” Josh asks.
“Good God, no,” the man replies, “I made this specifically for you guys in case you needed it.”
“Hey, Josh,” I say, walking up to stand beside him so I can peer inside the box.
Just like Jered’s torture chamber, the interior of the box is completely covered with what looks like black marble. The box is separated into two sections by closely- spaced rods made from the same black material reaching from the floor to the ceiling. A man stands on the other side of the bars with his back turned to us, looking around the space as if
he’s searching for any visible defects.
“Hey, Jess,” Josh says, “come to check out our new graviton cage?”
“Is that what it’s called?”
“That’s what I call it,” the stranger answers, turning to face us.
As he walks out of the prison-cell portion of the box, I notice that he’s wearing a gray t-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes. The shirt makes me smile because it has a black screen print of the Star Wars rebel alliance symbol. It makes me feel an instant kinship with the stranger.
“Jess,” Josh says as the man comes to stand in front of us, “this is Wayne Robert Martin. He’s the inventor of the graviton cage.”
I hold my hand out to Wayne, and he readily shakes it. Wayne is tall, with dark brown hair and eyes.
“It’s an honor to meet you,” Wayne says with an easy grin. “Xavier has told me why you and your friends are here. Thank you for coming to help us to take our world back.”
“It’s really all God’s doing, not mine exactly,” I say, feeling undeserving of any praise. “So, you’re the genius who figured out how to design a room to stop phasing?”
“Yes,” Wayne replies without any conceit. “I figured it out after Xavier asked me to design one.”
“How does it work?” I ask.