by SJ West
Silence reigns supreme in the room after Aiden’s revelation as we all try to digest the information he’s just revealed to us.
“Wait a minute,” Ethan chimes in. “I thought the Guardians died when the princes took their seals.”
“I did, too,” Aiden admits, “but God explained to me that the bond between the Guardians’ souls and the seals is so strong that one can’t be separated from the other.”
“Does that mean the souls of the Guardians are the souls of our children?” I have to ask.
“No,” Aiden answers with a small shake of his head. “They each have their own soul, but their soul is now permanently tethered to the soul of their respective Guardian. It’s very similar to how all the vessels were connected to their archangels. Liam and Liana will have their own thoughts and emotions, but they will also always have their Guardian with them in the back of their minds.”
“So it was the Guardians who were controlling things while the twins were still inside my womb?” I ask, finally making sense of the babies’ actions.
“Yes. I suppose they knew what needed to be done and did it.”
“So the seals Helena still has contain the souls of their respective Guardians too, right?” I ask.
“Yes. God told me that while the seals were inside the princes, the souls of the Guardians were in a dormant state, but when you,” he says, looking at me, “took the seals from them, they awoke. Apparently the Guardians feared you wouldn’t survive carrying all seven of the seals at once. So when you became pregnant, they saw an opportunity to transform the energy of the seals into souls.”
“That actually makes a lot of sense,” Malcolm says. “They are Guardians, after all. That’s what they were made to do: make souls.”
“If Andel is inside Liam,” I say, “which Guardian does Liana carry?”
“A Guardian by the name of Arel,” Aiden tells us.
“Are the Guardians still controlling what the babies do?” I have to ask.
“No,” Aiden says with certainty. “Like I said, your children have the same opportunities as anyone else to grow up and become who they want to be. Andel and Arel will simply remain in the background, unless your children want them to play a greater role in their lives.”
I have to admit I’m a little disappointed by Aiden’s answer. If I could have laid the blame of Liana’s reaction to me on the Guardian inside her, then it wouldn’t have been my own daughter rejecting me. Feeling on the verge of tears, I lay the blame of my sensitive emotional state on having just given birth, but I know the root of the matter goes a lot deeper than that. With this new information, I feel as though I’ve doomed my children to a state of being that they never would have had to overcome if it weren’t for me. If I hadn’t conceived them while I was still on my mission to retrieve the seals from the princes, they wouldn’t have to be sharing their bodies with Andel and Arel. Once they become old enough to understand everything, will they both end up hating me for making them live with this burden?
“Are you okay, Mommy?” Lucas asks with concern, placing his small hand on my shoulder to show his support. “You look really sad and you shouldn’t be. What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing, sweetie,” I try to reassure him. “I think I’m just tired and a little overwhelmed from learning all of this.”
“You need to eat,” Lucas proclaims, as if his pancakes will solve all of my problems.
“You both need to eat, I think,” Zane says, standing from his stool at the kitchen island and walking over to Malcolm’s side. “Let me take Liana for a while. I promise not to drop her.”
Malcolm chuckles at Zane’s gentle gibe at Ethan’s earlier worry.
To my surprise, Liana actually gurgles with joy when Zane takes her into his arms.
“She likes you,” I say despondently, wondering if my daughter will ever greet me with unbridled joy like that one day.
“She’s just mesmerized by my dazzling good looks,” Zane jokes with a wink in my direction.
“No doubt,” I agree, forcing a smile I don’t actually feel.
Lucas quickly darts away from my side to grab something off the kitchen island, but he returns within seconds to his spot beside my chair.
“You need lots of maple syrup,” he declares, drizzling the sticky goodness on top of the mound of pancakes he stacked on my plate. After placing just enough over my pancakes, Lucas walks over to Malcolm to hand him the now half-empty bottle. “Take this, Dad. I’m going to get Mommy some milk.”
As I watch Lucas perform his thoughtful task, a sense of being loved by him fills my heart. If Lucas loves me, surely Liana will too, given enough time. It could be that I’m just overreacting anyway. She’s just a baby after all. At this point in her life, her only concerns are being fed, held, and kept in a clean diaper. Perhaps I’m overthinking things.
At least, that’s my hope.
Chapter 5
After Lucas brings me my milk, I finally satisfy the growling beast grumbling inside my belly and begin to eat the fluffy pancakes on my plate.
“Where’s Gideon gotten off to?” Malcolm asks as he makes the first cut into his own pancakes with his fork.
“Jered took him to see Bai so she can give him a tattoo,” Ethan tells us as the rest of the War Angels pass around the platter of pancakes amongst themselves at the table.
Since Bai is JoJo reincarnated, her tattoos have the ability to protect my angels from the remaining princes of Hell. Those who have one are immune to the effects of an archangel’s power to kill them. Cade was the first to get one from Bai and tested its effectiveness by enraging Levi until that particular prince unleashed his power. Thankfully, the tattoo worked or Cade would be a pile of black ash right now.
“And where are Lucifer, Jess, and Mason?” I ask in between bites. “They haven’t returned to Heaven yet, have they?”
“Do you really think they would leave before seeing the babies or you?” Ethan replies with a hint of admonishment.
“No. I suppose not.” I end up feeling a little silly for even thinking such a thing. The trio had traveled all the way from Heaven to help us when we needed them the most. Of course they wouldn’t leave without saying good-bye first.
“Andre took them to see a rebellion angel named Christopher,” Ethan says, supplying me with the missing information I really wanted to know. “From what Andre told us, he’s been hiding out in Montana since Lucifer’s redemption.”
I remember Christopher quite well. He was the rebellion angel Lucifer set into place within Catherine’s personal guard to watch over me. Unfortunately my last memory of Christopher is one I’ve tried to expunge from my memory, even though I know it will haunt me until the day I die. He was given the unpleasant task of bringing me Millie’s severed head in a box. It was Levi’s demented gift to me in his vain attempt to break my will. If Malcolm and Lucifer hadn’t rescued me from my own blind rage that night in Hell, I would have murdered Levi and doomed my soul forever.
I feel a sudden pang of guilt for not thinking about Christopher after Lucifer’s redemption. I briefly wonder if he’s sided with the rebellion angels who seem determined to make me suffer for my father’s return to Heaven. Then again, he had watched me grow up and kept me safe in Lucifer’s stead. Surely he cares for me in some small way.
“Do you know why they went to see him?” I ask.
“They didn’t say,” Ethan answers. “I’m afraid you’ll have to ask them when they return.”
As we eat, I begin to wonder what Lucifer is up to and if he is trying to recruit Christopher to help me with my rebellion angel problem. Apparently, ever since Lucifer returned to Heaven, many of the rebellion angels he left behind on Earth decided the best way to get back at my father was to take their aggression out on me and my family. Helena has kept them at bay for as long as she can, but even she doesn’t seem to be able to control all of their actions. Of course, she could just kill them all if she wanted to, but it’s obvious she has other plans f
or them and has no desire to do something so rash.
In all honesty, I don’t want them dead either. If they die in their current unforgiven state, they would be relegated to live in Hell with Helena for all eternity. I made a promise to Lucifer that I would try to help them repair their bond with God, but it’s obvious they would rather kill me than accept any guidance from the daughter of the man they believe betrayed them.
At the end of our meal, Gideon and Jered phase into the kitchen by the kitchen island.
“Did I miss the pancakes?” Gideon asks, looking distressed by the possibility.
“I saved both of you some,” Lucas reassures him, hopping out of his seat by my side to run over to the oven. He pulls out two plates with four pancakes on each. He hands one to Jered and one to a rather excited Gideon.
“Is it my turn now?” Xander asks as he turns on his stool at the kitchen island to look at Jered.
“Yes,” Jered tells him. “Bai and her mother are expecting you.”
“Finally,” Xander mutters, but I see a faint smile of eagerness on his face before he phases to Brutus’ house where Bai’s family is staying.
Gideon sits on Xander’s now deserted stool while Jered walks over to the table to sit in the chair closest to Malcolm. Finished with his meal, Lucas picks up Luna’s ball to play a game of fetch with her off to the side of the table.
“So how is everyone over there?” I ask Jered, eager to hear how my friends are faring.
“Kyna wants to come over, but I wasn’t sure if you were ready for guests just yet,” Jered tells me as he reaches for the almost empty bottle of syrup on the table. “Linn and her children are doing well, especially since Brutus’ servants are able to help her with the older kids so she can concentrate on the baby. She asked me to send her best regards to both of you on the birth of the twins.”
In a different time and under better circumstances, Linn wouldn’t have sent her well-wishes through an intermediary. She would have come in person because she wouldn’t have been able to keep herself away from seeing the newest additions to our family.
“That was nice of her,” I say, turning my gaze away from Jered so he doesn’t see the sadness in my eyes over Linn’s message.
“Just let me know when you’re ready for Kyna and Brutus to come over,” Jered says, swiftly changing the subject to something he knows will cheer me up. “I think she would have returned with me if Brutus hadn’t advised her to wait to see what you wanted.”
“I would love for them to come over,” I reply with a feeling of being loved by two of my favorite people in the world. The union of Brutus and Kyna is a match made in Heaven (literally), and having them around always makes me feel happier. “But I also think we need a day to get some rest, if we can.”
“That’s what I thought,” Jered says with a wink. “She’ll understand.”
Just then, Lucifer phases into the kitchen with my papa in tow. Shortly after they appear, Mason phases in with Jess and Christopher.
“I smell pancakes,” Jess says excitedly, sniffing the air like a hound dog on the hunt for its favorite bone. She quickly scans the table in search of the elusive objects of her desire but quickly discovers that there are no more pancakes to be had.
“I’ll make you some, Jess,” Lucas quickly declares, setting Luna’s ball on the floor before heading over to the stove. “Anyone else want some?”
“Well, I won’t say no to that offer,” Mason tells my son with a kind smile.
In the depths of my ancestor’s eyes, I see the love Mason harbors for Lucas, even though they haven’t been able to spend much time together. It’s obvious from the loving way Jess and Mason look at my son that his reincarnated form is invoking memories of Gabe. Thankfully, Lucas doesn’t remember anything about his previous life, and I sincerely hope we can keep it that way.
I know their current state as heavenly travelers won’t last for much longer, but I’m eternally grateful for their willingness to leave Heaven in order to help Malcolm and me in our time of need. It’s then that I realize the truth in what Malcolm said earlier about God being more helpful lately. I’m not sure why He’s assisting us so much, but I’m not about to question His motivations.
“I’ll help you, Lucas,” Aiden says as he walks over to Jess with Liam in his arms. “I’m sure Jess won’t mind looking after Liam for a little while.”
“Are you kidding me? You better give me that baby so I can smell him,” Jess says rather impatiently.
“Smell him?” Ethan asks, looking completely lost by Jess’ statement.
“Babies have a one of a kind smell,” Jess declares as she readily accepts Liam from Aiden. As she cradles him in her arms, she leans over and inhales deeply. “I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed that smell until right now.”
From the corner of my eye, I see Zane, who is still holding Liana, dip his head slightly to give my daughter a sniff. The action brings a smile to my face, making me realize something.
“I think it would be a good idea for all of you to take turns looking after the babies,” I announce to the War Angels in the room. “It’s one of the reasons God sent you to Earth, after all.”
“We were sent here to babysit your kids?” Atticus asks, looking dubious about my reasoning skills.
“No, you were sent here to have children of your own,” I remind him. “Remember? You’re supposed to start the next evolutionary step between humans and angels.”
“Oh yeah, that,” Atticus says, averting his gaze from mine and not sounding too enthusiastic about the undertaking.
As I look around the room at the other War Angels present, I notice that none of them seem particularly excited about the second part of their mission here on Earth.
“Don’t you want to have children?” I ask, watching their reactions to my question.
“It’s just odd to be expected to produce offspring,” Ethan answers for himself. “I think we all want to find someone we can love like you and Malcolm love each other. But during the time we’ve been here, we’ve all learned just how rare that kind of love is to find. It makes committing to someone that much harder to do because none of us wants to settle just to satisfy our father’s agenda. We all want to honor His wishes, but we also don’t want to throw away our only opportunity to meet someone we can truly love.”
“And you shouldn’t settle,” I reply, looking at them all. I become acutely aware of a growing sense of shared guilt among them for their personal desire and realize that it needs to be squelched as quickly as possible. “I think God sent you here to experience everything an Earthbound life has to offer, and that includes falling in love. You shouldn’t feel any guilt over wanting that for yourselves. I want that for you too. No one should ever rush into a relationship when it comes to spending the rest of your life with that person.”
“That’s pretty much what we’ve all decided,” Ethan says, sounding relieved that I agree with them. “We may not be able to stay on our father’s timetable but, like you said, we don’t want to waste this opportunity either.”
“Did God give you a deadline?” Malcolm asks, looking confused by such a possibility.
“No,” Ethan is quick to say. “He didn’t specifically tell us that we needed to find wives within a specific timeframe, but we all assumed that He wishes us to start families as soon as possible.”
“Where He’s concerned, I wouldn’t assume anything,” Lucifer chimes in. “I would advise you to do what you feel is right.”
With Lucifer making his encouraging statement, my attention is drawn to Christopher, who is standing by his side.
“Hello, Christopher,” I say.
“It’s good to see you again, Anna,” Christopher replies, looking uncertain about being in my presence again.
I turn a questioning glance in Lucifer’s direction, hoping my father will explain why he brought Christopher into my home.
“I asked him to come with us so we’re all on the same page,” Lucifer clarifies. “
We’ve talked, and he’s offered to help with your rebellion angel problem.”
Malcolm leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest.
“Help us in what way exactly?” he asks in a cautious tone.
“You need someone on the inside of the group so you know what their plans are,” Lucifer begins to explain.
“But Levi knows he worked for you,” I remind Lucifer, “and Helena certainly knows where Christopher’s loyalties lie.”
“That’s one reason I’ve been staying out of sight since Lucifer’s departure,” Christopher admits to me. “I’m certainly not welcome among the others.”
“So how exactly is he going to be able to help us?” I ask Lucifer.
“He will act as a go-between to relay messages from someone within the group we just recruited to help you,” Lucifer informs me.
I wait for my father to expand upon his explanation and tell us the name of this mystery ally, but he doesn’t.
“And who is it within the rebellion angels’ ranks that you’ve asked to help us?” I ask, seeking an answer to a question that seems unnecessary.
“I think it would be better if you didn’t know who it is,” Lucifer responds. “That’s the whole point of having Christopher help out.”
“But why can’t we know this person’s identity?”
“We have no way of knowing if any of you will have to go back to Hell,” Lucifer reasons. “If you do that, Helena can simply look into your memories and discover who is helping you. If all you know is that Christopher is your go-between, then she won’t receive any information that will endanger your operative within the group.”
I look at Christopher. “And you’re all right with becoming Helena’s target of interest if she learns you’re assisting us?”
“I’m not scared of her,” Christopher says without a shred of fear. “She can’t do anything but kill me, and I’m prepared for that. I’ve asked my father for His forgiveness, and my soul is prepared to meet any punishment Helena might deem worthy for me.”