by S. J. West
“Now, please help me welcome your future king and queen, Princess Lillianna and Prince Liam!”
As if they were listening for Jered’s introduction, Anna and Malcolm phase onto the dais with their children while Jered quietly steps off to the side of the platform. The thunder of applause from the crowd is almost deafening. From what I understand, this is the first time anyone outside of the palace has been allowed to see the twins, and the picture the five of them make as they stand together on the dais is rather awe-inspiring.
Malcolm stands proudly in a white suit that is cut similarly to Ethan’s outfit. He has Liam perched in the crook of his right arm while holding one of Lucas’ hands. When Liam begins to squirm in his father’s hold, Malcolm has to let go of Lucas in order to reposition his testy little prince.
Anna is wearing a beautiful lavender gown befitting an empress. The body of it is sheer lace with swaths of chiffon strategically placed along the front and down the skirt. The gown flows around her body as she moves, surrounding her like a cloud of pure elegance. Liam and Lucas are wearing suits that match their father’s while Liana looks like an angel in a full-skirted white sleeveless dress that has lavender butterflies embroidered into the skirt.
As soon as the applause dies down, Anna speaks.
“Thank you all for coming here tonight and welcoming the latest additions to our family and to Cirrus. Our greatest hope is that you will all become an extended family to Liana and Liam. Each of us have suffered losses and hardships over this past year, but I, for one, only see a bright future ahead of us all.”
“I’m glad to see that someone has a bright future ahead of them,” a new voice says, interrupting what was supposed to be Anna’s chance to speak to her citizens.
Everyone standing on the dais looks over the crowd gathered in front of them toward the grand staircase in the room. Most of us turn to discover the identity of the interloper of the celebration. Standing at the top of the stairs is a nice looking young man with brown hair and intense eyes. He’s dressed in a severe military style black uniform.
“Silas,” I hear Ethan whisper in surprise as he keeps his eyes fixed on the young man.
“Is that Jered’s son?” I ask him, chancing a glance in Jered’s direction and clearly seeing the answer to my question. The devastation and remorse Jered feels as he gazes upon the son he’s been searching for is clearly written on his face. “Why is he here?”
“Whatever the reason, it can’t be a good one,” Ethan says as he turns his head to the right to look at Roan through the crowd. It’s only then that I notice that both Roan and Gideon are looking toward Ethan, as if awaiting special orders.
Ethan looks at each of his men and then up to a particular vantage point on either side of the staircase on the second level.
“I’ll be right back,” Ethan whispers to me. “Stay close to your mom and Enis in case there’s more to this than an awkwardly timed family reunion.” Ethan looks at my mom, who is still standing beside me. “Take her back to Sierra if things get out of hand here. This may be meant to act as a distraction for a more coordinated attack by Hale and his followers. I need to go position more of my men around the area in case it is.”
“I’ve got her,” my mom tells Ethan, taking hold of one of my hands with her own. “Go do what needs to be done.”
Ethan leans over and kisses me on the cheek before whispering in my ear, “Stay safe.”
He phases before I’m able to make a reply or return his kiss. I sigh in disappointment because I don’t want him to leave. Every time we part, there’s an emptiness that forms inside my chest as though a piece of me is missing. I begin to wonder if this is how all soul mates feel when they’re parted from one another.
A tense silence falls over the assemblage as we all wait for someone to break it.
“Hello, Father,” Silas says, staring down at Jered with unbridled contempt. “I heard you were looking for me. Well, here I am!” he declares, spreading his arms wide as if daring his father to say what’s on his mind in front of the whole crowd.
Jered phases up to his son and reaches out to take him by the arm, but Silas backs away, just out of his father’s reach.
“I would rather discuss matters in private, Silas,” Jered tells him. “And this is not the place or the time to make a spectacle of yourself.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” Silas agrees, nodding his head as he makes a pretense of considering his father’s words. “Then again, what if this is the only chance you ever get to ask me for my forgiveness? I could be yanked back home at a moment’s notice, and then you would spend the rest of your miserable life always regretting that you didn’t seize this opportunity when you had the chance. Are you ready to live with a lifetime of regrets, Father? If you want to speak your piece, say it now!” Silas yells angrily. “Otherwise, it will only fall on deaf ears and a closed heart later. I’m giving you this one chance to make things right with me. Don’t waste it.”
When I look back at Anna and Malcolm to see how this public display of family drama is affecting them, I notice something odd.
“Where did Lucas go?” I whisper to my mother.
She looks up to the dais, and I see her face go slack with shock. She quickly grabs ahold of Uncle Enis’ arm and says, “She came for Lucas.”
Uncle Enis follows my mother’s gaze and his face instantly mirrors her surprise and worry.
“This isn’t good, Evelyn,” he says uneasily.
“Who came for him?” I ask just as I hear Anna shout out Lucas’ name.
Anna’s panic as she stares at the space where her oldest son was standing gives me all the answer I need even before my mother says, “It had to be Helena. Silas only follows her orders.”
Helena used Silas as a distraction to grab Lucas right out from under everyone’s noses. I just don’t understand why she did it. What is it that she plans to use him for, and more importantly, what will it take to make her give him back?
CHAPTER 19
(Helena’s Point of View)
Lucas looks up at me as I stand behind him with my hands still resting on his shoulders.
“Hi, Helena,” he says in that sweet voice of his. Normally, his innocence would grate on my nerves, but for some reason, it doesn’t today. I’m not sure if pregnancy has made me soft, or if it’s because I know I have a child of my own on the way and can imagine him gazing at me the same way Lucas is right now: full of naive trust.
When I take my hands off his shoulders, he calmly turns around to face me.
“You don’t look surprised that I snatched you away from your parents and brought you here,” I say, briefly looking around the bedroom that he and his mother stayed in while they were my guests in Hell.
“I’m not surprised,” he states with a nonchalant shrug. “I knew you were coming.”
I almost ask how, but of course, I already know the answer to that question. His special gift of seeing into the future is the reason I brought him here in the first place.
“Why didn’t you warn your parents that I would be coming for you?” I have to ask.
“Because I think Cade would want me to help you, if I can.”
“Do you already know why I brought you here?” I question him, wondering just how far into the future he was able to see.
He shakes his head. “Nope, but I’m sure you’ll tell me when you’re ready.”
“You’re such an impertinent little man,” I tell him, remembering that he dislikes it when I call him a “little angel.” “Most people quake at the mere thought of me, and those unlucky enough to come face to face with me in my domain cower because they know what I will do to them.”
“I’m not most people,” he states confidently, lifting his chin up a notch higher to prove his bravado, “and I know you won’t hurt me.”
“Oh really?” I say, intrigued by his foolish deduction. “What makes you believe I won’t?”
“You love Cade,” he says, “and Cade loves me. I don�
��t think you’ll hurt me because you know how sad it would make him in Heaven. He’s already hurting because he can’t be with you, and I think you love him enough not to cause him any more pain.”
Lucas has always been far wiser than his young years, but I suppose that’s not exactly surprising. He is the reincarnation of Gabe Kinlan, the vessel of Archangel Gabriel. I wasn’t sure if Gabriel would take over Lucas’ body when I brought him to Hell, but I can see that Lucas is still in full control and holding his own quite well against me. His trust in my feelings for Cade are well-founded.
“I need you to do something for me,” I tell him, knowing I don’t have a great deal of time. I can feel Anna and her angels on Earth trying to phase into my domain, and although I enjoyed our fun and games the last time they were here, their presence would only be a distraction that I don’t need right now.
“I kinda figured that already, Helena,” he tells me. “Do you want me to look into your future again?”
I vigorously shake my head. “I would rather you didn’t. I already know what my future holds, and I don’t need to have it confirmed. No …” I say, placing my hands protectively on my belly. “I would like for you to show me my son’s future.”
“Oh,” Lucas replies, looking confused. “I don’t know if I can do that, Helena. He’s still inside you, so I can’t touch him directly.”
“Yes, I’ve thought about that,” I tell him, unsure if my relationship with Lucas is strong enough to ask for what I need him to do. “If you can place a little bit of trust in me not to hurt you, I believe I can give your powers a boost of energy. That’s one reason I brought you here instead of somewhere else. I can channel the power of Hell and hopefully feed some of its energy directly into you to strengthen your gift. Are you willing to at least try, Lucas? It would mean a great deal to me if you did.”
I don’t like practically begging a child to do something for me, but I need to know what my son’s future is destined to be. Will I be a good enough mother for him? Will he ever be able to love me as I am, or will he hate me for the things I’ve done and will undoubtedly do in the future? I can’t help the way I view the universe. Lucifer designed me to be a destroyer of worlds and to cause as much pain and suffering as possible to humanity. To go against those two ingrained principles is like asking a river to flow upstream against the laws of nature. I am who I am, and there’s no way to change that.
“I can try,” Lucas says hesitantly, appearing uncertain my plan will work, “but I can’t promise you that I’ll see anything besides your future.”
“And if you do see my future, can you keep it to yourself instead of showing me as well?”
“I’m sorry,” he says, truly apologetic, “I can’t control that either. I don’t know if it’s because I’m still so young or what. Maybe when I get older, I’ll learn how to handle what I do better, but I can’t right now.”
I nod. “I understand. Just do the best you can then, and we’ll go from there.”
I reach a hand out for Lucas to take. He stares at it for a moment, and I begin to wonder if he might be rethinking his bargain with me.
“If you want to know about the baby’s future,” he tells me, “I think I need to touch your belly, Helena. The closer I am to him, the better.”
“I suppose that makes sense,” I say, finding his request a reasonable one. “Go ahead and touch me. Then I’ll place my hand over yours to give you a small burst of power.”
Cautiously, Lucas lifts his left hand and gently places his palm against my stomach.
I feel my son move inside me as if he senses Lucas’ touch. I quickly cover his little hand with mine to diminish the risk of him inadvertently channeling my own future with his gift.
Just like the time before when Lucas showed me the aftermath of Cade’s death, I can see momentary flashes of my son’s future. Tears begin to burn my eyes as I watch him grow from infancy to adulthood in only a few short seconds. Not all of the moments I see are happy ones though, and I know my son will have to find his own way in the universe and learn how to handle its many prejudices and preconceived notions about him. I should feel consoled that he will always have a loving mother to go to for advice, who will support him during the hardest parts of his life, but I don’t. Instead, I feel sad and angered by what I’m being shown.
Lucas removes his hand from me when the montage of my son’s future stops.
“That’s as far as I can see,” he tells me, looking uncertain about what my reaction will be to what he just showed me. “Are you all right, Helena?”
I feel twin trails of warm tears stream down my cheeks. In order to block out Lucas’ concerned expression, I close my eyes and take in a deep breath to calm the churning of my raging emotions. I have to remind myself that what Lucas showed me is only one possible future. Nothing is ever set in stone because all sentient creatures have free will. I refuse to allow the future to play out the way Lucas foresees, and I know exactly what I need to do to change it.
I open my eyes and look at Lucas, filled with a new sense of determination and purpose.
“Thank you for showing me that,” I tell Lucas as I quickly wipe away my tears. “I know what needs to be done now.”
Lucas narrows his eyes on me with a great deal of suspicion. “That doesn’t sound good. What are you planning to do?”
“Nothing you need to worry about,” I calmly reassure him, not wanting to alarm him any more than he already is.
Since the moment I brought Lucas into my domain, I’ve felt multiple attempts by those on Earth to phase in and rescue him. I’ve basically been ignoring their pitiful efforts, but now I feel an intriguing and unlikely challenger attempt to phase into my realm. On a whim, I decide to allow this one entry to see where it will all lead.
My sister’s daughter, Liana, phases into the room. I can only imagine the turmoil Anna and Malcolm are feeling right now considering I have two of their children at my mercy.
Liana sits on the floor between me and Lucas with her head tilted up as she stares at me with her bluer than blue eyes. Her white hair and unique eye color are all signs that she and I are still connected to one another through the seal I gave her. Unexpectedly, she lifts her arms up to me as if asking to be picked up. She smiles and makes a happy gurgling sound like she believes her cuteness will win me over and make me do her bidding.
Since leaning down isn’t exactly an option for me right now, I snap my fingers, which instantly makes her rise into the air until she’s hovering right in front of me.
“And what brings you here, little one?” I inquire, wishing she was old enough to answer the question. “Your mommy and daddy are going to be very cross with you for coming to see me.”
“Put her down, Helena!” Lucas orders, brandishing a silver dagger he must have had hidden inside his jacket somewhere.
“You do realize that dagger has no effect on me, don’t you?” I ask him, amused by his daring effort. “At most, it would only give me a little sting.”
“A little sting is all I need,” he says bravely. “Now, put my sister down before I come and get her from you.”
“Fine,” I tell him, “catch!”
I fling Liana backwards, forcing Lucas to drop his dagger in order to use both of his hands to grab ahold of his sister. As soon as Lucas has her, I notice a far-off look come into his eyes, and I know he’s having a vision about Liana’s future. He stays that way for a good five seconds before regaining his senses.
Lucas brings Liana in close until she’s snuggled safely against his chest. She wraps her chubby baby arms around his neck and begins to giggle. Lucas simply continues to hold her tightly to him and looks up at me warily. I presume he saw me in his vision about Liana’s future. Before I can ask him what he glimpsed, she phases herself and Lucas back home.
I let them leave because I have a more pressing matter to attend to at the moment. I need to kill someone in order to change the future I saw for my son, and the sooner I do it, the better I�
�ll feel.
Without warning, a searing jolt of pain erupts along the base of my abdomen as if the muscle and skin there is about to be split in two by my son. It’s the same type of pain that I felt earlier, telling me that my child is impatient to be born. It was the main reason I risked going to Cirrus during the party and used Silas’ daddy issues as a distraction. The first time I felt this pain, I knew I didn’t have much time left and needed to hasten my timetable for asking Lucas for his help.
My son moves again, only this time it feels like he does a complete somersault inside my womb, and I fear I know exactly what it is he’s preparing to do in there.
“Not yet,” I beg him as the agony of him bearing down against my pelvic bone drops me to my knees.
Pain is not a new companion to me. I’ve felt it many times before, but the agony I’m suffering through now doesn’t even compare to my past experiences. Desmond warned me that the birth of my son wouldn’t be an ordinary one and that I would need his help to ensure we both survived the ordeal. He practically begged me to come to him when it was time for my baby to be born, but I don’t know if Desmond is at home right now or if he is in Cirrus for the twins’ coming out party. No matter where he is, I don’t have time to seek him out for help. Right now, I need to follow through with my original plan and hope that the person I need to kill happens to be home. My son will just have to wait to be born until I can secure that his future is with me.
I phase to my victim’s home only to find the space devoid of her presence.
“Where are you, Jules?” I ask the empty living room. Either Jules is still in Cirrus with the others, or she’s with her mother, Evelyn, in Grace House. Since both Lucas and Liana are presumably back home by now, perhaps they decided to continue the party despite my short abduction of Lucas. If that’s the case, it could be hours before Jules comes back home, and I simply don’t have the luxury of waiting around that long.