Judgment (The Alternate Earth Series, Book 3)

by S. J. West

  “No. Just tired,” I say through a yawn.

  Mason leads me over to the bed and pulls the covers back. I notice a slim silver- wrapped treat lying on my pillow. When I pick it up, I spot the word ‘jouir de’ written on it with a black marker.

  “What’s this say?” I ask Mason, showing him the piece of candy.

  “Enjoy,” he tells me.

  “I don’t know why JoJo thinks I understand French,” I say, opening the thin chocolate mint and doing as JoJo directed.

  Mason chuckles. “You understand some.”

  “Some being the operative word in that sentence.”

  I rest my head on the pillow and close my eyes while I chew the sweet treat. I don’t know how JoJo found candy in the middle of an apocalypse, but I don’t question the small miracle. I just enjoy it, as my friend told me to.

  I feel Mason’s weight push the other side of the bed down as he lies beside me. When I turn to face him, he does the same, and we hold onto one another. With the soft comfort of the bed underneath me, and the warmth of Mason’s body infusing my own, sleep quickly follows.

  I’m not sure how long we sleep, but, at some point, we’re woken up by a knock on our bedroom door. I say a silent prayer, hoping that the person on the other side of the door isn’t Lucifer again. I feel sure Mason would lose his head to madness if it were.

  Mason disentangles himself from me and stands from the bed to walk over to the door. When he opens it, I breathe a sigh of relief to see that it’s Brand standing out in the hallway.

  “I’m sorry to bother you two,” Brand apologizes, “but I thought you would want to hear what Xavier and Noel have to tell us.”

  “They’re both here?” Mason asks, surprised by this news.

  Generally, one of them would stay behind to cover for the other while he or she came to report anything important to us. The fact that they both decided to come seems to indicate that something big is going down.

  “Where are we meeting?” Mason asks.

  “In the library.”

  “We’ll be there in just a minute.”

  Mason closes the door and I reach for my shoes and jacket.

  “Why do you think they both came?” I ask Mason as I zip up my boots.

  “I don’t know, but it can’t be to tell us anything good,” Mason says truthfully. There’s no reason to sugarcoat things… not if you consider all the bad we’ve already seen in this world.

  “I’m feeling a little apprehensive.”

  “You’re not the only one,” Mason admits as he takes my hand. “Ready?”

  “No,” I confess, “but we need to know what they came to tell us.”

  Mason phases us directly into the library, where most all of our friends have gathered. Xavier and Noel stand together in front of the fireplace as they wait for everyone to take a seat.

  “So, what’s happening?” Brand asks, taking his place behind Jai Lin’s chair to stand. “It must be important, or both of you wouldn’t be here.”

  “Well, once I tell you what we just learned,” Xavier says, “I’m afraid neither Noel nor I will be able to go back home.”

  “And what do you have to tell us?” Mason asks.

  “For the past couple of days,” Noel begins, “the princes have been trying to repair the Dragon Network.”

  “I didn’t realize there was something wrong with it,” I say.

  “The fallout from the moon crashing to Earth caused an interruption in international telecommunication services. All of the fiber optic cables suffered some sort of damage, especially those buried in the seabed between the United States and Europe. They’ve been repairing the cables like madmen for the past few days.”

  “Why?” Brand asks, looking confused.

  Xavier takes a deep breath, and I know I’m going to hate what he has to say next.

  “It turns out that the red dragon tattoos weren’t only to keep track of people’s movements,” he begins. “Apparently, the nanites were engineered to release a poison into the people who have them.”

  A collective gasp can be heard in the room. I’ve seen some of the humans living here at the castle marked with Ravan’s tattoo.

  “How is the Dragon Network connected to the tattoos?” I ask.

  “The nanites can only be activated by playing a particular frequency over the Network,” Xavier explains. “Once they have it up and running, they plan to play it across all open channels. I think the original plan was to use the Network’s satellites to broadcast the signal, but all of those have been destroyed by one thing or another. Some people won’t be in range of the radio signal, of course, but many will. We’re probably talking millions, at the very least.”

  “That’s why they weren’t worried about us decontaminating the water supplies,” I say, now understanding what Mammon meant by Lucian having a back-up plan.

  “There’s really only one thing we can do,” Noel tells us. “We have to destroy the Network before they can use it.”

  “How close is it to being repaired?” Mason asks.

  “Very,” Xavier tells us. “That’s why we’re here. We both came because, once it’s destroyed, Lucian and the others will know that we told you where the core facility of the Dragon Network is housed.”

  Josh practically jumps out of his seat.

  “No way,” he says, looking stunned. “No one knows where the core facility was built. Every hacker in the world has tried to find its location.”

  “Lucian took us all to it,” Xavier says. “I’m not sure if he was just trying to show it off, or what, but we know where it is now and can take you down to it.”

  “Do you think this is a trap?” I ask, not trying to be pessimistic, just practical. “Maybe he showed it to you to lure us all there.”

  Xavier shakes his head. “I don’t believe that’s the case, but, of course, I can’t be certain. I think he did it to show off and tell us the next step of his plan. Apparently, only a select few knew about the poison the nanites were engineered to carry. But we need to go as soon as possible to destroy the facility. We need to wipe it off the face of the map so Lucian can’t ever use it again.”

  “I don’t think we need to physically blow it up,” Brand says thoughtfully. “We can just use a powerful EMP pulse to fry everything.”

  “An EMP isn’t a permanent fix,” Xavier says. “The best thing we can do is take the facility out of commission by blowing its fusion reactor to hell and back. By doing that, we can permanently destroy Lucian’s ability to activate the nanites because he has all of his information about them stored on the computers there.”

  “Too bad you’re not as smart as your counterpart in this reality, Malcolm,” Lucifer says, unexpectedly showing up to the meeting.

  Lucifer stands leaned up against the doorway of the room leading into the foyer. With arms over his chest and legs crossed at the ankles, he looks rather comfortable in a room where most of the people despise him.

  “Can’t you find someone else to push your unwanted attentions on, Lucifer?” Malcolm questions grumpily. “We don’t exactly have time to cater to your narcissism today. We’re a little too busy trying to save the people of this world.”

  Lucifer smiles, but the expression never reaches his eyes.

  “Narcissism,” Lucifer says, slowly rolling the world over his tongue. “Well, you should certainly know the meaning of that word, Malcolm. In fact, I’m surprised you can love anyone more than you do yourself.”

  “At least I can,” Malcolm snaps back, heavily implying that Lucifer is incapable of such a selfless act.

  “Oh, my God, Xavier,” Noel says, grabbing his arm as her eyes grow wide with realization. “I completely forgot they had their own Lucifer.”

  Xavier’s eyebrows furrow, as if this fact brings new light to the situation.

  “What do you think Lucifer can do for us?” I ask them.

  Xavier looks over at our Lucifer before looking back at me.

  “How much control do yo
u have over him?” Xavier asks me, tilting his head in Lucifer’s direction.

  “Helllooo,” Lucifer says. “I’m standing right here in the same room, you know. I can hear you. I don’t appreciate being talked about as if I’m Jess’s pet.”

  “Obviously, I have no control over him,” I tell Xavier as I roll my eyes at Lucifer. “Why? What do you need our Lucifer to do?”

  “If you can persuade him to help us,” Xavier says, “destroying the core facility will be much easier. Lucian has a biometric alarm system set up, leading into the room where the fusion reactor is stored. We could try to blow it up from the outside, but if we can set the charges off on the inside, we can ensure its destruction.”

  “Of course I’ll do that,” Lucifer says, like it’s a no-brainer, but the smile on his face tells me his cooperation isn’t going to come without a price.

  “And what exactly do you want in exchange for your cooperation?” Mason asks suspiciously, knowing as well as I do that Lucifer never does anything out of the goodness of his heart, not even for me.

  “Hmmm,” Lucifer says, tilting his head as if he’s considering all his options, “let’s see…what…do… I …want…?”

  We wait for a moment then Lucifer snaps his fingers as if he’s hit upon the perfect idea.

  “I’ve got it!” he exclaims. “What about the soul of your next-born child, Mason?”

  I instantly feel Mason tense and prepare to pounce on Lucifer.

  Lucifer begins to chortle. “I’m just playing with you. Don’t get your panties in a wad, Mason. Hmm, now…let me think…Oh! I know. Every year for the rest of her life, Jess has to spend a whole 24 hours with me. However, I should warn you that it will be on a different day each year and completely random. I do hate being predictable, and this is in addition to the hour she already has to spend with me on her birthdays.”

  I sit there, finding it strange that Lucifer keeps bargaining to spend time with me. First, he wanted an hour on my birthday. Now, he wants to spend a whole day with me. Considering the fact that he threatened to kill me a few years back, this new development seems peculiar. However, I view the time spent together as opportunities to influence him a small bit. He seems to think these little bargains of his are to be viewed as punishments, but I see them as potential moments between us. He may not realize it, but his need to be close to me is an evolution in his character. He knows my values and beliefs, yet he still wants to be around me. Perhaps he unknowingly craves the effect I have on him.

  “I’ll do that,” I tell him, having no problem accepting his request.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mason lower his chin towards his chest. I don’t even have to look at him fully to know his jaw is as tense as a piano wire.

  “Wonderful!” Lucifer says, smiling like the cat that ate the canary. “When should we leave?”

  “We’ll need some time to get the explosives together,” Brand tells us. “Give us a couple of hours and we should be ready to go.”

  “Until then…” Lucifer says before phasing away.

  The word ‘coward’ rattles in my brain as Lucifer runs off, leaving me to deal with the fallout of our bargain. It’s probably for the best. Mason isn’t going to be in any mood to have Lucifer around anyway.

  When we stand up from our seats, Mason grabs my arm a little roughly and phases us outside, near the powerhouse. I wonder why he didn’t just take us up to our room until he starts to yell.

  “Why do you keep giving into his demands?” Mason practically screams. His sudden outburst takes me aback. It’s one of the few times I’ve seen Mason truly mad at me.

  “Stop yelling,” I tell him in a calm voice. “I love you more than life itself, but I won’t be yelled at like I’m a child you’re trying to scold.”

  “I’m sorry,” Mason apologizes, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves. “But you drive me crazy where Lucifer is concerned. It’s like you have blinders on and can’t see the danger he poses to you.”

  “The worst thing he could do is kill me.”

  “No,” Mason says, shaking his head, “the worst thing he can do is poison you against the rest of us.”

  “He could never do that…”

  “I know you think he can’t because you love us so much, but the more time you spend with him, the more he’ll try to manipulate you, Jess. He’s very good at making his opinions sound like the right ones. He can take a kernel of hate or doubt and cultivate it over time. I don’t know why you think you can trust him. You can’t. He isn’t looking out for your best interest. He will always look out for his own first. I don’t know exactly what he hopes to accomplish with these little visits with you every year, but I do know he’ll use them to his advantage somehow.”

  I walk up to Mason and wrap my arms around him.

  “I need you to trust me,” I tell him. “I understand the pitfalls when it comes to getting close to Lucifer better than anyone, but I can’t turn my back on him, Mason. I know you hate it when I say I think of him as a friend.” To prove my point, Mason’s body tenses in my arms. “But you need to realize that I have an opportunity to influence him as much as he does me. I may not be the one who turns him back to God, but at least I can remind him that his father still loves him. I think he needs to know that more than he realizes.”

  Mason rests his forehead against mine and closes his eyes, sighing heavily.

  “Why are you the eternal optimist where Lucifer is concerned?”

  “Because with him,” I say, “there’s nowhere to go but up.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  As soon as we step back into the castle, my olfactory receptors are assaulted by a reminder of home. I practically drag Mason to the kitchen in my haste to snatch one of Beau’s cinnamon rolls before they’re all gone. If I’d been thinking straight, I would have just asked my husband to phase us there, but sometimes it’s the extra effort exerted to get something you really want that makes reaching your goal all the more sweet.

  When we reach the kitchen, my heart drops when I see that there is already a long line of people waiting to partake of the sinful goodness of Beau’s confectionary efforts.

  “Hey, Jess,” Leah says, walking up to me with a plate of four delectably-sweet treats. “I was just looking for you. Beau told me to make sure you got these.”

  “Have I said how much I love and adore you?” I ask Leah, kissing her on a cheek before taking the plate of rolls from her hands.

  “Yes,” Leah giggles, “but it’s always nice to hear.”

  I study Leah’s lovable smile, realizing we haven’t spoken much since our last adventure together.

  “How are you holding up?” I ask. “Are you feeling any side-effects from our last mission?”

  “I’m fine, Jess,” Leah tells me as her smile turns to one of reassurance. “We did what we had to do, and I wouldn’t change a thing. We saved lives. That’s what we were sent here to do.”

  “You’re a brave...” I stop myself short because I was about to say ‘girl’, but think better of it, “woman, Leah. And the bravest of us women always deserves a cinnamon roll.”

  I hold out the plate to Leah, which makes her laugh, making me smile in return.

  “I’ve already had one, but,” Leah says reaching out to pick one up off the plate, “I can’t say no to a second one when it’s offered.”

  “What in the world is that intoxicating smell?”

  I look up to see Logan, Sophia’s daughter, and Dillon, Peyton’s daughter, walking down the hallway together, towards the kitchen. I feel a pang of guilt flutter inside my chest at the sight of Dillon. Even though it wasn’t any of my doing, I still feel guilt over Peyton’s mutilation of her own daughter. The memory of Peyton pulling Dillon’s wings out of their sockets is a haunting image that will stay with me forever.

  “Cinnamon rolls,” I tell Logan, holding out the plate to the girls. “You’re welcome to try one.”

  As the pair comes to stand in front of us, I c
an tell they’re both apprehensive to take anything offered by me. Logan eyes the rolls with open curiosity before licking her lips and reaching to take one off the plate.

  “These things are probably filled with calories,” she says, “but I have to eat one before the smell drives me crazy.”

  Dillon plucks one from the plate, too, without much reservation. “Considering that we’re transforming so often now, I wouldn’t worry about the extra calories, Logan.”

  I’d completely forgotten that with the shorter days, the children of the Watchers would also be forced to change into their werewolf forms more frequently.

  “Have you gone to see your mother yet?” I have to ask Logan.

  Logan chews on the piece of pastry in her mouth for a little longer than she needs to before answering, “No.”

  “After all she did to save you, you’re repaying her with your apathy?” I ask, unable to hide my aggravation.

  “She shouldn’t have bothered,” Logan says. Her tone doesn’t exactly sound ungrateful. It sounds more like she’s resigned to the real possibility that this world is doomed, and all Sophia did was allow her to live on borrowed time.

  “She’s your mother,” I tell her. “She did what she thought she had to in order to protect you. The least you can do is go say hello to her. She deserves that much respect from you.”

  “If she hadn’t given Lucian what he wanted, none of this would be happening,” Logan argues. “I was only one life, Jess. She could have saved millions, but she just wasn’t strong enough to let me go.”

  “If you’re ever given the gift of having a child of your own one day, you’ll understand the pain she went through when she saw what they were doing to you. I can’t condone what she did, but I certainly understand it. I’m not sure I wouldn’t have done the same thing if I saw one of my children being tortured. I would rather die than watch something like that happen.”

  “She’s right, Logan,” Dillon says, licking the icing off her fingers, having finished her roll in record time. “My mom is the one who actually did torture me, and I can still forgive her for what she did. At least your mom cared enough to save you from it.”