“Let’s get inside!” She ushered both Matilda and I through the door, dropping the bag she grabbed off the hallway floor onto a chair.
“Don’t you feel the least bit guilty for putting me through that?” I asked, throwing one of the couch pillows at her. I searched her face for anything that would signal some sort of uncertainty she might have with me. There was none. It was like this never happened. What we just managed to pull off might be one of the most important pieces to this war yet.
“I can’t believe this worked!” I squealed. “I feel so horrible celebrating this moment with Cyril wandering around completely defeated.”
Sadness crept into her eyes.
“How is he?” she asked softly.
“Not well, to say the least,” I whispered, “We’ve got to tell him soon. The very instant the threat is gone, he’s gotta be told. I feel like one of the most evil beings on the planet. Watching him go through this agony is horrendous. I know what it felt like with Athen gone and to know he doesn’t need to be suffering like this doesn’t help my guilt level at all.”
“This has to happen, Ana. I would never take this lightly.”
“I know. I keep telling myself that, but it’s a hard one to swallow. Did you actually witness his interactions with the minions?” I asked.
“I found some communication, and I overheard him talking to one of them. I don’t think it was Azazel, but it was definitely one of his minions. I was shocked that he’d even be entertaining the idea, like what these minions were saying was credible. I don’t know what mind tricks they were playing on him, but they were working,” Arie said.
“I don’t exactly understand why, when a white demon is tricked or gives themselves up to the dark side, they can’t be brought back to the white side. When I was taken, you guys started the process and got me back, same with Athen and you. Why can’t we just jump one of the family members who gave themselves up to the dark side and turn them back to our side?” I questioned.
“When someone in the underworld, essentially gives up their soul or sacrifices themselves to the otherworld, it’s like tying yourself up to the dark side. It’s kind of complicated. Basically, we know better. The rules of the immortals’ world take that into account. The celestial betterment that encompasses everything we try to accomplish is by our choice. If we choose to ignore everything we’ve ever learned to go to the dark side, it’s basically our punishment.”
“But why if a mortal gets possessed, can we still turn them? I don’t understand why we can turn some back to our side and not others?” I asked.
“Well, you said it right there. ‘Turn some back’, is the key phrase - back from what? We never had them on our side to begin with. They went from a human to the dark demon’s side. If a mortal becomes possessed, they made their decision in a mortal state, not immortal. Making a decision as a human has fewer consequences than making that same decision in an undying state. Supposedly, even if trickery is involved, we should know what’s at stake.” She finished with a sigh.
“Thanks. Glad you could remember all that, still.” I teased her.
“These memsors are pretty incredible, Ana. It actually only took seeing the one on Matilda to trigger things. It sent me to the one I had left at the front desk of this hotel, and that was the one that really helped. I was hoping every day that you would hurry up and get here. How’s my brother doing?” she added, “Does he know?”
“He does.” I nodded.
“Is he upset?” she asked tentatively.
“Actually, no. I thought he was going to be mad at me, too, but nothing. He told me that you were probably right, and he would’ve tried to dissuade us.”
“So the only piece of the puzzle, now, is ensuring that Cyril remains safe, huh?” Tears began to fill up her eyes. I knew this was one of the worst things imaginable for both Cyril and Arie. Matilda came over and pushed my hand off my lap for pets.
“On a positive, Athen is already running him all over the state, trying to expose him to the destruction Azazel has caused with these false promises to other families. The first family had two attempts. One worked and the other didn’t.”
“That was probably one of the best to take him to right off the bat.” Arie acknowledged. “I wonder how long it will take.”
“I don’t know, but in the brief time we weren’t together with you, we ran into some pretty crazy things.”
“Like what?” Arie was completely intrigued, and things seemed as if nothing had ever happened.
“Well, when coming off Mt. Rainier, we tracked down a training camp that is up and running,” I said.
“Did you check it out?” Arie certainly didn’t lose her fire during this process.
“Sure did. Guess who’s running it?” My voice probably gave away the answer instantly.
“Lilith? No way! Did you confront her?”
“No, but we sent her a message. Also, we followed some of the minions, and they actually vanished under a pile of boulders. Our guess is they went into some sort of underground tunnel system or something.”
“Wow! That’s incredible,” she sighed. “I’m out for a few days, and I miss all the big stuff.”
“Not really. I’d say having you get taken down and coming back to us is pretty big. I can’t get over that this worked!” I exclaimed. “Do you know what this could do for all the families that can master this? It could change the complexion of the war and our future.”
“Let’s hope.” She pushed back the strands of hair that had fallen in her face.
“I have to admit, that it’s really startling to not have your bright green eyes looking back at me.” My eyebrows went up in distaste.
My phone buzzed, and I reached for it.
ATHEN flashed on my phone’s screen.
“Oh, yay!” I exclaimed. “I’m not going to do what you did to me. I’ll tell you that much!”
Grinning she grabbed my phone away from me and touched the screen.
“Hey, brother!” she squealed into the speaker.
“Oh, my God, Arie. You have no idea how much I wanted to hear that recognition in your voice.” His words were signaling everything that I felt.
“Is Cyril around?” she asked him.
“No, the poor guy. He went down to the beach. We’re still up in Bellingham. This last family shook him to the core. I think the gal reminded him of you. She had the same coloring from the pictures, anyway. How the heck are we gonna know when enough of these incidents will resonate with him? I feel like the biggest louse in the world leading him on like this. Hearing your voice is awesome, but it only rubs in what we are doing to Cyril,” Athen finished.
“I don’t think it’s going to be long. It sounds like the families you managed to find are ringing true with him. I’m gonna get to work right away with Ana on some of the next steps. My hope is some of the things we come up with will influence Cyril quickly.” Arie did her best to sound like her old self, but I could tell she was exhausted. I think Athen picked up on it too.
“Okay, I’m going to go get Cy. Sis, it’s great to hear your voice.”
“Thanks. I might not let Ana come back home, by the way. It’s a bit lonely.” Arie laughed, as Matilda plopped herself down by the couch.
“Hey, I had to last for fifty years, missy! I think you can handle this,” I piped in. “I’ll see ya soon, Athen! I love you!” I yelled into the speaker.
“Love you too, hun and you, too, Arie. So glad this worked. It gives me hope for the battles ahead.”
“I know!” I exclaimed. “We were just talking about that.”
“Oh, I see Cyril making his way up here. See ya soon,” Athen’s voice trailed off. I took the phone back and slipped it in my purse.
“It’s good to hear his voice,” Arie exhaled. I realized she must’ve taken a deep breath in and never let it out while she was talking on the phone.
“Do you mind if I ask how you got this whole process started?” My voice was barely audible even for me
to hear.
Her eyes darted over to me in a flash. I worried I’d brought something up I shouldn’t have, but her smile began to resurface. Her eyes had a distance, though.
“If you don’t want to talk about it. I understand.” I fumbled for my words.
“No, it’s fine.” She took a deep breath in and scooted her legs underneath her. “It pretty much transpired like our plan. Only, it happened a lot quicker than I thought.”
“How so?” I probed.
“Cyril was getting aloof again. He was distracted like before. He’d wander around and not even pay attention to what I was saying. I knew he was contemplating being taken away to save me. I knew he was falling for their stories and mind tricks. Lord knows what kind of images they were throwing at him. There was no way I could talk sense into him. Azazel’s promise or threat, however you want to look at it, seemed to be working. We had barely gotten settled in our hideout, when I decided I needed to start the process.” Her voice sounded exhausted. “I didn’t want to leave him like that, but I knew it was my only shot to keep him from making the wrong decision. Every hour counted.”
“It’s funny how this love, we have for our partners, is so strong that it can even tear us apart.” Shaking my head, I walked towards the fridge to grab a water. “We think we are doing the right thing to protect our loved ones, and it can actually be a catalyst for something that we would never consciously want to happen.”
Arie nodded her head. Her eyes looked exhausted. I wasn’t sure how much longer I should stay.
“I tell you, that pull I had to Athen was like nothing I thought possible. It felt as if I would literally wither away, if I didn’t somehow see him or connect with him. I don’t know how he did it for fifty years.”
“I know! It’s crazy. In the real world, Cyril would never think of turning to the dark side, but throw in the mix that it’s the only way to save me, and he’s first in line. It’s pretty hard to wrap my head around.”
“Well, we’ll get him back to his old self, but in the meantime, we’ve got some major planning to do. The factions are popping up all over under various Masters. Azazel is pulling out all the stops. Deep in my heart, I think he’ll give up on trying to whisk us away when he sees it hasn’t worked.” I plopped on the couch, realizing how good sleep sounded right about now. I had no idea the stress I must have been feeling with the thought that this might not go well.
“Let’s hope it stays contained,” Arie sighed.
“I’ve been thinking the same thing, Arie. It’s not a happy thought. If they start dabbling in the mortal world the way they are capable…” I didn’t want to end my sentence as if that would solidify it. My body shuddered at the idea. Deep inside a thought kept trying to surface that I refused to acknowledge. This was a war for the underworld to handle – not the mortal world. I had to ensure that was the case.
We had both fallen asleep on the couch, only to be woken up by the darkness that the many hours of sleep had brought. Matilda was crawling on me, obviously, with some sort of business on her mind. Arie looked as if she had slept away some of her stress.
“I’ll take her out. I think you should stay under wraps as much as possible. Things have gone too well, to have something happen before you get your green eyes back,” I said, only half joking, as she threw the leash and room card at me.
“At this point, I feel wide awake! Argh! Now… my sleep is gonna be all screwed up!” Arie chuckled. “But, I really needed that.”
I headed towards the door to take Matilda out and scope around the block, in case there was anything I should be concerned about.
The elevator spilled Matilda and I into the lobby, and we made our way out to the chilly evening air. Walking, on the sidewalk towards the park, brought a sense of normalcy back. Summer’s tourists were out in great numbers as was typically the case this time a year in Seattle. I kept alert as I followed Matilda to her stomping ground.
“Hey, miss! Ana!” I heard a stranger’s voice call. My muscles tightened up all over. A twinge of sadness came over me, realizing that even normal interactions caused alarm. Spinning around to figure who might have called, I was relieved to find a man with eyes that showed a gentle green glow.
Matilda had no use for me any longer and went off to finish what was on her mind, so I walked over to the man. He was dressed in dark jeans and a light beige shirt.
“Yes?” I asked.
“I’ve come from the east coast. We’ve been hearing of the plans you have to battle Azazel, and we all want to help. No matter what it takes to defeat him, we are in.”
My heart started pounding. So many were placing so much hope on me, and I wasn’t sure I was up for the challenge.
“Have you been one of the ones in contact with Arie?” I inquired.
“Yes, Ma’am. She’s actually the one who asked me to come here about this time to meet her.” He looked at his watch, tapping it.
“Aww,” I groaned. “There’ve been some difficulties she’s encountered, so she hasn’t mentioned that you were coming. I’m so sorry. What’s your name?”
“Noah. And it’s not a problem. I’ve got a place I’m staying, and once you’re ready, call me. We’ve been able to get a lot of intelligence. I think you’ll both be pleasantly surprised,” he said, handing me his number.
The old me would’ve just invited him back to the room to hear what he had to say, but with everything going on now, I was beyond cautious. It was a sad commentary that I couldn’t even trust my own kind. Seeing his name on the paper, I hoped the information he had come to deliver would be as valuable as Arie seemed to bet it was.
“Noah, I’m glad I ran into to you. Things work out for a reason,” I said, a smile genuinely appearing on my lips. “We’ll reach out very soon. Tonight, probably…”
Shaking his hand, I watched as he turned around and walked down the street, with only the streetlights showing the path he was following back to his hotel.
Arie had been through a lot, so I don’t blame her for not remembering to tell me this, but I wondered what else she might not have filled me in on.
“Come on, Matilda,” I called. She did her best to run over so I could hook her back up the leash. “Let’s go find out what else Arie might have planned that we have no clue about.”
“Hey, forgetful!” I hollered, as I opened the door to the hotel room.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She retorted from the direction of her bedroom.
“Well, I ran into someone who you apparently invited to Seattle before your little mishap. Ring a bell? Has information for us, I guess.” I made my way to the bedroom, hoping to catch the look on her face.
Arie’s hand went up to her mouth, as things seemed to slowly re-enter her brain.
“Oh no!” she uttered. “He wasn’t the only one!”
“Oh, you’re kidding,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Are there people all over Seattle attempting to meet with us?”
“Over the next few days, yeah!”
Shaking my head, I reached for the piece of paper I had shoved in my pocket.
“Well, he seemed very nice and really understanding. His name was Noah. Kind of cute, actually.”
“Oh, gosh. Yes, he’s very nice.” Her cheeks were flushed, and I could tell she was extremely embarrassed. “I reached out to several people, globally, hoping that our plan would work, and I would end up here in Seattle. I figured in my spare time, I could meet with some of our own over the next while and not waste a minute.”
“Should we call him?” I asked.
“Might as well.” She nodded.
“I’m gonna give Athen a buzz first, so he knows what’s up, and that I might be home pretty late tonight.”
“If at all,” Arie offered up, hope filling her voice.
“Nice try, Arie. I think Cy would get a little suspicious if I suddenly stopped coming around the home at night.” I was unable to hide my smirk.
There was no way of knowing what all Arie had pl
anned or forgotten right before her attack. All we could do was hope everything would fall into place. I was thankful she remembered us, and that the memsors worked. Once the rest of the white demons master this, it could change the complexion of what we were about to face.
Chapter 5
Noah showed up at our hotel room, pastries and tea in hand. It was a perfect late-night snack. Matilda seemed excited to meet up with him again, and I kind of was too. Knowing there were more than just us, trying to hash things out, brought some relief about what we were possibly facing.
Athen had been pretty sure Cyril would be sleeping soon. He had hoped we could dial him in on the important part of the conversations. I totally agreed. The more ears we had, the better.
After brief reintroductions, we all went to the table, so he could unload his backpack. I wasn’t really sure what he had, that he felt he had to show us versus just tell us about, but my curiosity was definitely killing me.
“So do you have a family back home?” I asked.
“I used to,” he replied flatly.
“I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” I was horrified that I didn’t even think of the possibilities before I asked.
“Don’t be. You had no way of knowing.” The pain radiated from his eyes.
Whatever happened had to have been an awful event. There weren’t any other things that could take us down, so it had to have been the dark ones.
“Is that why you’re so connected with everything?” I asked gently, not sure of his comfort level.
“I’d say so. Before she was taken away from me, I knew things were starting to shift. I could sense a change that had begun in both the mortal and immortal worlds. She did too.” He shook his head, concern washing over his movements. “We just didn’t realize the severity or what it actually meant. I never would’ve guessed…” His words left a trail of unsaid remorse.
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