by Cara E Holt
His mouth kicks up into a smile. “Did I say that? I’m pretty sure I said I needed to keep you awake, you know, to make sure you are okay.”
I grin like a complete doofus on helium. “Oh really.” I pull his lips to mine and we fall into each other. The world was going to shit and I had just experienced the most horrific morning on record but when it was us like this, the world was forgotten about for a while. It was just me and my green-eyed boy.
I quietly close the door and turn to face my sister. She lies asleep in the bed. Her blonde hair is spread out on the pillow. She is alive and she is here with us. The door opens and Alana tip-toes in behind me. I put my finger to my lips. She nods and comes to stand beside me at the end of the bed. We both just stand there watching her sleep. She looked peaceful now but how would she feel when she wakes up?
‘She’ll be okay.’
What the eff? I jerk my head to the side to where Alana stands. “You just spoke in my head?” I tell her attempting to whisper.
“I did?”
I nod firmly. “Do it again. Ask me a question?”
Alana shrugs and turns so we are facing each other. ‘What is my favourite food?’
I grin. Oh my god. ‘That’s easy. It’s grilled cheese.’
Alana looks at me gob-smacked. “OMG” She mouths. ‘You can hear me and I just heard you! This is amazing.”
I nod returning her grin. ‘We can call Noah now without him ever knowing.’
She nudges me with her elbow and chuckles quietly. Leora turns over in the bed and both our eyes snap forward. I sigh, my sister was here. The three of us were finally together. I reach for Alana’s hand and squeeze it in mine.
‘I’m sorry about the ceremony.’
Alana shrugs her shoulders. ‘It’s okay, we will set another date. There are more important things to worry about right now.’
She was right of course, but still this was supposed to be her special day and it had completely gone to shit, in a way none of us could have ever prepared for. I gesture with my head for us to head out and Alana silently sifts out into the corridor with me. We head back into the room I had been in and sit together on the bed. I cross my legs under myself and lean my chin on my hands.
“We need to talk to dad. He might be able to give us some clue as to why Lucifer has stolen our Niece.”
I shake my head. “I’m not sure that Dad will be able to tell us much. Although he does need to know that his granddaughter is now residing in hell. I think we might discover more if we talk with Kol.”
“How do we contact him. Do they have mobiles in the underworld?”
I laugh. “No there’s no phones. Kol spends most of his time in the human world, so if he’s here he’ll answer. Well I hope he will.”
I call him and it rings and rings and then goes to voicemail. It looked like he was still avoiding me. I wait for the voicemail to kick in so I can leave a message.
“Hey arsehole. I know you’re ignoring me. Please can you call me back. I have things I need to discuss with you that cannot wait for you to pull your head from up your ass. Ring me back okay.”
Alana looks at me one brow raised in surprise. “To the point huh?”
Two seconds later my phone starts ringing. The name Lusty comes up on my screen. Alana chuckles on seeing the name and shoving her face away with my hand I answer.
“You found your way out then?”
“Hello to you too flower. So I got your voicemail. Sorry I didn’t take your call I was busy trying to get my head out of my ass.”
I grin. Yeah maybe my voicemail was a little aggressive. “We need to meet, like now.”
“You’re being a little demanding flower. What’s the urgency?”
I sigh. “My world has fallen apart that’s what and I need your help.”
“Then I’ll come meet you.”
“Great. See you in five.”
Alana and I sift to our home in the human world and we sit and wait in the lounge for Kol’s arrival.
“You think we should have let the boys know what we were doing?”
“I did.” I tell her as I look out the window for Kol. “I told him we had to nip home via our mind bond.”
The whirling of a portal grabs my attention and Lorcen and Blaine enter the room. Lorcen gives me a pointed look and leans over the sofa opposite me.
“Hello Love. Want to tell me why you two have sneaked home?”
I roll my eyes. Seriously? “Want to tell me why you have followed us home?”
He sighs. “We were worried. We thought you would not leave your sisters side and were concerned when you did.”
Okay. That was a fair point. Now I felt bad for being arsey. Before I can reply there is a single knock on the door and then it opens and Kol strides into the room. He looks around the room at us all.
“Oh great. He’s here.”
Lorcen tosses him a sour look. “He happens to live here demon.”
“Okay.” I say standing and holding my hands up. “Quit with the pissing contest boys.” I throw a warning glare at Lorcen. “Kol. Thank you for coming so quickly.”
He nods the frown easing as he concentrates on me. “You know I’ll always come when you need me flower.”
I hear a snigger from Lorcen and I turn and glare at him again. “Don’t start okay. We need his help so just behave.” I gesture to the sofa. “Sit down.”
Kol smirks at Lorcen as he passes by him and sits down. I sit back down and Lorcen makes a point of sitting beside me and placing a possessive hand on my leg. Men!
“Have you been home today?” I ask.
Kol looks puzzled. “No. Why?”
I play with the hem of my sleeve. “Earlier today your father swapped the Nuada sword for my sister’s baby.”
He blinks and leans forward. “Say what?”
“Your dad – Lucifer swapped the sword for my niece. He took my sisters baby into the underworld and I need to know why.”
He purses his lips, letting it sink in. “I have no clue flower.” Lorcen scoffs and Kol frowns. “Something you want to say fairy?”
I put a hand on Lorcen’s leg. “Can you try and find out for me? Can you, can you see if she is okay please?” My eyes must show how desperate I am to know she is okay.
“Of course flower. I’ll go now.” He stands. “I’ll call you as soon as I am back with news. Will you be here?”
I nod but then I remember that my sister is currently resting in the seelie court and I feel that I should be there for her in case she wakes up. “I can be back here in two hours time.”
He nods his head and then stalks out of the room without a backward glance. I feel Lorcen relax at the side of me once he has gone. I turn to face him, frowning. “Honestly Lorc, why not just get your dick out next time and compare sizes with him.”
He sniggers. “Well we know who’d win that contest.”
I roll my eyes and shove him. “Come on jealous legs. I need to get back to my sister.” I stand up and take his hand, pulling him up behind me.
We arrive back in the seelie court and are met with a huddle of fae outside my sister’s room. Queen Eira is there and she is looking stressed.
“What’s going on?”
“Oh thank pixies.” She exclaims. “She woke up about twenty minutes ago and screamed the place down. She won’t let anyone in. I sifted in and she threw flames at me.”
“Okay. We’ll sort it. Thank you for trying. Leave us with her.”
Lorcen’s mother squeezes my hand. “Good luck.”
When it is just Alana and the boys and I left, I lean a hand on the door and knock gently.
“Leora. It’s me Ebony.” There is silence on the other side of the door. “I know you’re hurting. I can’t even begin to imagine, but we are not the enemy here sister. Alana and I, well we love you and we want to help you through this.”
Silence again. I lean my head against the door. “We are going to come in now okay, so please no fire balls.”
/> Alana blows out a steadying breath and we both sift inside the room. It breaks my heart when I see her. She is curled up into a ball on the bed. Her face is soaked with tears and the expression of utter desolation kills me. She eyes us cautiously.
“Hey.” Alana says softly.
“That man. He took my baby.”
I still when I realise she doesn’t know who Lucifer was. Alana gives me a quick glance that tells me she is thinking the same thing.
“I know.” Slowly and carefully I sit myself on the end of her bed. “We will get her back, I promise.”
“Who was he? Why did he want my baby?” She squeezes the pillow anxiously between her hands.
I swallow. “His name is Lucifer and we don’t know why he has taken her.”
She releases a sob. “He betrayed me. I thought he loved me.” Tears roll down her face. “He discarded me like I meant nothing.”
I reach out my hand and gently place it on her arm, hesitant as to how she will react. She stills but she doesn’t shove me off her. “I know he did and I’m sorry he hurt you. Devlon is not a good person. He is not the person you think he is.”
Her sad and empty eyes meet mine. They are the exact same blue as ours. “He said he loved me.” Then a sobs breaks free and she breaks down. Her sobs rack her tiny frame. I can’t take it a moment longer I lean forward and place my arms around her and she doesn’t pull away. She nestles her head into my shoulder and cries. I close my eyes and breathe a little more easy. She was letting me comfort her. I had my sister in my arms. I feel an arm come around the back of me as Alana embraces both of us.
“We are here.” Alana says softly. “We will always be here for you.”
We stay like this for a good twenty minutes or so. Leora cries and cries and we simply hold her. I vowed silently as I held my broken sister that one day soon I would end Devlon’s life. I would stand over him and watch him take his last breath and avenge my sister.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX.
“Woah!” Noah exclaims when the big bald guy on the door lets us through. “This is something else.”
I nod as I scan the crowded old mill looking for a particular demon. “Come on.” I reach for Lorcen’s hand and the boys fall into step behind me. The three boys together generate a lot of attention. Girls were having a really good look. We push through the crowded space until I find the fighting ring where I watched my father fight, the last time we were here. I find the mohican guy who runs the fights and the bets.
“Hey, is the Az around tonight?”
He pauses in counting the thick wad of notes in his hands. “Over by the bar.”
“There’s a bar here!”Noah rubs his hands together. “I’m liking this place more and more.”
We move towards the bar and I spot my father straight away. He has the kind of dominating presence that you can’t really miss, even in a place as crowded as this. He is stood deep in discussion with another demon. I come up behind him and tap him on the shoulder.
“Hey.”
My dad turns frowning, but it soon changes into a wide grin when he realises it’s me. “Sweetheart. What are doing here?”
“We need to speak.” I tell him as I glance around the room. “Is there somewhere more private we can go to talk.”
Dad nods, the frown returning to his face. He must be picking up on the negative and angry energy I am giving off tonight. “This way.” He downs his drink and leads us off into the crowd until we come to a narrow metal staircase. “Up here.” We follow him up and into a small office space. My Dad takes a seat behind the desk.
“Hold the phone! Wait is this place yours?” I ask him, shocked.
Leaning back in his seat he offers me a half smile. “Sure is. Now what is it that has you all fired up my sweet because the rage emanating from you is strong.”
I sigh as I take a seat opposite him. Blaine takes the only other spare seat. Lorcen stands behind my chair his hands leaning on the back. Noah leans casually against the wall, his legs crossed at his ankles.
“Have you been in the underworld today?” Dad shakes his head. “Okay well a lot has happened today. So much I don’t know where to start.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Okay so Lucifer has given the sword to Devlon, which means that a war is imminent.” My father sits forward in his seat when I tell him this. “In exchange for the sword, Devlon gave Lucifer his child.”
Dad holds his hand up to stop me. “Come again?”
I chew anxiously on my lip. “Devlon cut his child from my sister’s stomach and gave her to Lucifer. Leaving my sister to bleed out on the floor.” I pause, as that image hits me again and makes me shudder in horror. “Luckily Alana and I were able to heal her.”
My father growls. “What on earth would he want with a baby?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I was hoping you would be able to answer that question.” I look at my father’s face and from the blank and confused look, it is clear he don’t have the answer.
“I’ll kill him for this.” My Dad stands and bangs his fist on the desk, making it crack down the middle. “Leora. How is she?” His angry blue eyes turn tender again.
“She is as you might expect, heartbroken, she thought he loved her. She is also desperate to find her baby.”
Every muscle on my father’s body was tensed. “I’ll go now. Have you spoken to Kol?”
“A couple of hours ago. He went straight home to try and find out what his father is up to but I haven’t heard back from him yet.”
My father strides around the now broken desk and looms over me. “I will bring her home to her mother, I swear.”
Looking up at him, I smile sadly. “She’s called Rihani. Your granddaughter. Leora hasn’t named her yet, but it was foreseen that this would be her name.”
“Rihani you say?” Dad asks as he rubs at his jaw.
“Yes. Why?”
He shakes his head. “Nothing yet, but I think I need to speak with a certain archangel after I have dealt with Lucifer.”
“An archangel? Like from heaven?”
He chuckles at my response. “Yes. Michael to be precise. I need to go. Now.”
Standing I look up into my father’ blue eyes. “Please hurry. We’ll likely be fighting a war tomorrow.”
We separate as soon as we sift into the seelie court. Lorcen and the boys head off to the council chambers, where Blaine’s parents have been for the last few hours with all their dignitaries and military leaders. I check in on my sister who is sleeping. Alana had stayed by her bedside while we went to find my Dad. Feeling dog-tired I head to the room Lorcen and I had been given and head straight for the shower. I close my eyes and let the water rain over my head. Today sucked big time and who knew what tomorrow would bring us. I jump as warm breath tickles my ear and an arm comes around my waist.
“Jeez Lorc. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
He laughs in my ear, making me shudder. “No, but I’m hoping to give you something else.”
I gulp. Holy hell that got my attention. “Shouldn’t we be getting an early night to ready ourselves for what tomorrow will bring?” My voice comes out all breathy.
His hand moves from my waist down my front and I think I forget to breathe. “We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. So I say we remind ourselves tonight of what we are to each other. So that in those dark moments tomorrow, we are reminded of what we need to fight for.”
I lean my head against his chest, closing my eyes. “So show me, fairy.” I feel his smile against my neck and forget everything outside this room.
I sit bolt upright in bed, all disorientated. A loud bell tolls through the castle, echoing loudly along its walls.
Lorcen is up and out of bed and sifting on his military gear before I can blink. I rub at my eyes to try and clear my tired vision. “What’s the ringing bell about?”
Lorcen looks at me as he pulls on his boots. “Bells in the fae lands toll for three reasons. A royal wedding, a royal death or to warn of invasion.�
�
“Shit.” I jump out of bed and sift on my clothes. “It’s only just dawn.”
“Let’s go.” Lorcen grabs my hand and we waste no time sifting to the chambers. Queen Arliss and King Faolan are already here, as are half the royal court. Blaine and Alana sift in seconds behind us.
“Devlon?” Lorcen asks them.
“Yes,” Nods King Faolan, “But not here. He is on the border to the unseelie court.
“Fuck.” Lorcen exclaims, his fist clenching at his side. “I need to get home now.”
“We’ll follow shortly.” King Faolan tells him. “We’ll bring as many soldiers as we can, without leaving our lands vulnerable to attack.”
Lorcen nods. “We’ll take whatever you can give us right now.” He turns to me. “You ready?”
“Wait!” I put a hand to his chest. “I need to tell Leora what is happening.”
“Go.” Alana says placing a hand on my arm. “I will speak with Leora and then we’ll follow you.”
Smiling briefly in thanks, I grip her hand in mine. “This is really it.”
Her eyes meet mine and the fear I feel inside is reflected in her face. “Together we can do this.”
Without a backward glance we portal over to Lorcen’s home and sift straight to the rooftop of one of the highest castle turrets. There we find Queen Eira and Drustan.
“How many?” Lorcen asks as we come to stand beside them.
Drustan keeps his eye on the binoculars. “Roughly I’d say five hundred. Most of them are free fae, trolls, exiles.”
I pull upon my demon powers and reach my vision out across the snow covered fields. Until my vision finds him. Devlon stands there and it is as if he can feel me watching him, like he is looking straight into my eyes. “He’s there, and he has the cauldron with him. I see no undead army though.”
I feel this strange pull towards the cauldron. It’s like it whispers my name along the cold crisp wind in the air. I was the watcher of the cauldron and one way or another I would take it back. “What do we do now?”