“Can you tell if he is okay?” I asked him as we walked out of the room.
He nodded, and placed his hand on top of the infant, ready to heal him if necessary.
“He is fine.” His voice was tight with concern. I wasn’t sure what he thought of this situation. But it was the only way I could think of to do the right thing. Yes there would be some cause for alarm. Yes it could end badly. But what else could I do? Kill him? Kill the innocent baby in my arms?
Finally I looked around. I noticed all the bodies lying around the room. Death hung heavily to every inch of the dreadful place. I could no longer see the beauty it once held. Then I saw him. Before I realized what I was doing, my legs moved faster beneath me and I weaved my way through the maze of lifeless bodies that scattered the floor.
When I came to him, I knelt down. His blue was gone, his body wasn’t moving. David followed slowly behind me. He knelt down next to me and placed a hand on my back. I handed the baby to him, and he held him, though awkwardly.
“He was gone before I could get to him. He had been fighting the man they call Frank. Apparently he is a leader of sorts, as the other Rising members answered to his commands.” He explained. I barely listened.
I placed my hands to his head, and pulled it up into my lap. I was already covered in blood, so the blood that dripped from his ears and nose didn’t bother me. Tears ran down my cheeks slowly, the salt they contained mixed with the scent of blood already heavy in the air.
My body shook as the full weight of what I had lost wrenched my heartstrings and twisted them in unnatural knots. I placed my forehead against his chest and cried without cease.
I remembered every trip he had taken me on as a child. Every trip to the zoo, to the state parks, to the hiking trails, to everywhere. I remembered the day he came back into my life and turned it upside down. I remembered the night he stood beside me as Alex died, and the day he welcomed me to the Compound.
I remembered the day he walked me down the aisle, and when he danced with my mother at my wedding. I remembered the way they looked at each other. How could I tell her about this? I cried heavier. My father, the one man in my life that had been confident in me and stood by me, encouraged me and loved me as a daughter was dead.
I tried pulling him closer, his heavy body sagged against my legs as I attempted to pull him onto my lap. I held him in our last embrace and cried more fiercely. I was angry that he was gone. Angry that he could have been taken from me. He was so Powerful! But he was gone.
Finally Nicholas and the Guard came back in.
“The sequence was stopped. We have won.”
“Won?” I shouted at him. “How the hell can you call this winning?” My voice cracked as I screeched the words at him. Rick had been his friend, yet he stood there as if nothing had happened.
“Allison, we will all grieve for this loss. Rick was one of the best men I have ever known. But we did win. We saved billions of people, and stopped the Fifth Seal from being opened. He would be proud. He gave his life, as we all would have, for this.”
His words meant nothing to me. Not now. I would have gone back, if I could have. I would have done something different. I would have come alone, or just left him back at home, or something. Anything.
But he was gone. My Rick was dead. Yet another person I cared for was gone and would never come back. I looked away from Nicholas and placed my head back down on his chest before I squeezed him once more. I kissed his bloody cheek.
I whispered, “Goodbye, Rick. Thank you for…” I took a deep, shaky breath. “For everything!”
Chapter 19
Peace
Even a week after we returned the mood was still bittersweet back at the Compound. Though everyone was excited that Lilith was dead and that the virus had not been released, we all grieved for Rick and our other fallen comrades. Not to mention, most everyone was confused and nervous about the infant.
I was sitting in my room again with Samantha asleep on my lap. I leaned back against the headboard as I brushed her hair with my fingers, letting it fall through one finger at a time. I sat there thinking, always thinking. It was never a good thing to let your mind wander to the what-ifs in life, the things in the past you wish you could change, but that’s all I did. I just kept thinking about Rick, and what I should have done differently.
David was in the Councils Chambers discussing things I didn’t care to know about anymore. I placed my other hand, the one not tangled in Sam’s hair, on my tummy. I had my own things to worry about. Too often lately I had been carelessly thinking about the stupid world, when what I should have been focusing on was my own loved ones.
It had become my mission to find a way to bring my mother to us. Somehow, someway, I would bring her to the Compound. I could not leave her out there anymore. Even with Lilith gone, there was no guarantee that someone else wouldn’t take her place, just as she took Damien’s place. Someone would come along, and once again try to wreak havoc on the world.
The Order would be here to stop them, but I wasn’t sure I could do it anymore. I still couldn’t imagine sleeping, not seeing another person’s death at my hands. Damien’s first, then Lilith’s. And Rick’s.
Oh Rick…
My body shivered and Sam stirred atop me. “Shh…” I whispered and continued playing with her hair, easing her back to sleep.
I heard a knock, and nearly jumped off the bed. I had been way too jumpy lately. Sam really did wake then, and I laid her back down. “Sorry, baby. Go back to sleep.” She nodded, still half asleep anyway.
I climbed off the bed and went to the door. Sharon was outside it, standing in the living room. In her arms she had a sleeping baby, swaddled in a blue blanket.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know Sam was with you.”
“It’s no problem.” I said after shaking my head.
She sat down on the couch, adjusting the baby to settle against her more comfortably. I sat next to her. I still hadn’t been able to truly smile at her, though she was often smiling now. It wasn’t what I had expected. Though I knew Sharon would love any infant, I wasn’t sure how she would feel about her traitorous brothers half Order-half Rising baby. But I couldn’t have hoped for a better solution. Immediately after we returned she had claimed him. She promised to care for him, and love him, and raise him to be a good Order Member.
I looked down at the handsome boy. He looked a lot like Mark. His skin was more olive colored, like Sharon’s and Mark’s. Very different than Lilith’s pale complexion. His eyes were deep brown and already had flecks of yellow, like Marks had. His hair was even like Marks, dark brown, with red streaks through it. There was no denying this child was of Mark Howard’s bloodline.
“You have been pretty hidden lately, and I do understand why, but I miss you!” She explained. I looked up at her, tearing my eyes away from the precious baby. Her eyes were large, with slight dark circles beneath them. Her cheeks were even more flushed than normal. It was apparent this was the face of a frightened, lonely, new parent.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been a terrible friend.” She shook her head in disagreement, but I continued. “How are you dealing…with all this?”
“Much better than I expected. Mark was my only sibling, and he was older than me. So, I was never around kids much. Then of course there is Sam, but she was already walking, talking and dancing by the time you came here. I’ve never really been around an infant.” The tips of her lips turned up just a tad as she spoke.
Thankfully she had her Power to assist her where most parents do not. She would be fine. I was confident of that.
“I’m glad to hear it.” I answered.
“How are you?”
“I’m dealing. Things are hard right now. I’ve done things I never wanted to do. And I lost…” I couldn’t say his name. But she nodded. She understood. She had recently lost her brother. Sometimes I only thought of how it was to me. He died a traitor after selling me and my daughter out to the Rising. He had been a friend
, but not a close one. To her, it was her older brother, her mentor and confidant.
We didn’t speak for a while then, just shared each other’s company. Gathering support and love from one another was easy when you literally were leaning on one another.
Finally she broke the silence. “Thank you.”
I leaned my head away from her and looked into her big brown eyes. “For what?”
“For him.” She motioned to the baby. “You could have killed him. Others would have. Others still want to. But you didn’t. Thank you! I should have told you earlier, but…” she shook her head.
“I could feel him. I knew he had goodness in him.”
She nodded. She agreed of course.
“I think I’ve decided on a name finally.”
“Oh yeah?” I had wondered when she would finally decide on one.
“Well, there are so many out there, and I didn’t have nine months to think about it.” I smiled at her. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who had been wondering. She cleared her throat, “Derek Marcus Howard.”
“I like it!” I promised.
“Well, Derek was our grandfather’s name, and I looked it up. In the English origin it means peaceful ruler. I thought that was fitting. I don’t know if he will ever be a ruler, but he will be very Powerful, so I thought the peaceful part was good. And Marcus of course is from Mark.”
I nodded at her as I said, “I agree. I think it’s perfect!” Let us hope and pray that he would be peaceful.
***Five months later, in July***
It seemed the time had gone by too quickly. Every thought in my head was about the baby, the one who grew inside me. I still thought of Rick, and missed him terribly. Sharon continuously assured me that as time went on, the pain would lessen, but the ache would remain. I would welcome the ache by the time it would come if it would replace the intense pain that resided in my heart normally.
I still hadn’t discovered a way to allow my mother to the Compound. I only wished there was some way I could infuse her with some of my own Power. So instead she continued to stay alone in that small town in Texas. Thankfully, though, with Lilith dead, the Rising had scattered, the best we could tell anyways. I suppose after the two most Powerful leaders they had were killed by us, no one wanted to be a leader anymore. I knew their second in command, Frank, was also dead. Rick had taken him down with him. At least his death wasn’t for nothing. The other man, the tall, bald, African American man, survived though and that still haunted my dreams.
It started again. I stopped to breathe and focus as my body tightened and my midsection turned harder than a rock.
Then it was over.
The war between the Russians and their allies, and the United States with their allies appeared to be coming to a close. They were in negotiations for a peace treaty. Things were looking hopeful.
The famine that had spread across the entire world was also coming to an end. My Mom had told me the other day that she had been able to buy beef and pork, at the same time, at the grocery store again for the first time in a full year.
Hope was a Powerful thing.
And as I lay on my bed, hope was the prominent thing in my mind. I had to have hope. Without it I would only despair, thinking of all the terrible things that had happened, and that I knew were still to come. The infant inside me guaranteed that. She wouldn’t be coming in to this world if there weren’t some serious bad shit about to happen. She would be here to save the world.
We weren’t sure if the first Four Seals had closed, or if they were only in waiting, waiting for the next leader to rise up and claim them.
I felt my body contract again. It had been going on for a few hours already. David placed his hand on my arm attempting to sooth me. I stopped thinking as I tried to breathe through this one. Again.
Sharon was there too, and Samantha was in the other room waiting anxiously. She was more excited than ever to have her new baby sister born.
I wished my mother were here. She was there last time and I couldn’t have done it without her. This time I had David, and that was better, but I still missed her. I needed her. A tear slid down my cheek.
“Honey, what can I do?” He pleaded with me, wishing he could take the pain away. This was something he couldn’t heal. This was natural. Something my body had to go through to bring life into the world.
“Yes, dear, name anything and I will do it.” Sharon promised.
I shook my head. There was nothing they could do.
And then the pain changed. It wasn’t in my stomach anymore. It was below, between my legs. I spread them wide, leaning back against the pillows. David was in front, with Tyler, another healer, standing next to him. Sharon was to my left, holding my hand.
It felt like my insides were exploding inside me. My body was shuddering at the pain, wanting it to disappear. And I pushed. I pushed with all my strength. My Power came to my assistance of its own accord, aiding me in my mission to bring forth life.
I screamed. And pushed again.
Gabriella Ann Donnelly
I found out today.
You are alive.
You have a heartbeat. You have a brain and a spine.
You are whole.
I feel you squirm inside me, dancing freely.
You grow as the months go on
And my belly enlarges.
I’m incredibly round.
Today there was a new ache.
Something strange and different.
The day arrived.
My body contracts as the hours go on.
Agony-frustration-torture.
My wails tear through the air.
My body contracted in ways never before imagined.
Anguish- my body was tearing, rupturing from the inside.
You want out!
I force you into this world.
Cries- not mine- yours!
Bliss-Heaven-Paradise
You’re here, breathing the same air I do,
Nursing at my bosom.
Safe-Love-Perfect
Stunning green eyes look back at me. So alert.
You know me.
You know that I am Mama.
We move at the same speed as I rocked you,
Back and forth, back and forth.
In that instant, in that ephemeral moment, my life was once again whole and intact.
Elation—Euphoria—Ecstasy
*PRIMITUS
Peony : Virtue-Charity, Ability-To heal others
Minerva: Virtue- Wise, Ability- Teach people by touch
Arabella: Virtue- beautiful and full of grace, Ability- Artist/Dance
Beatrice: Virtue- Joy and Patience, Ability- affect people’s emotions
Idadurant: Virtue- Diligent, Ability- Fierceness in battle
Catsafonda: Virtue- Love and Chastity, Ability-inspire love
Temperence: Virtue- Self-Discipline, Ability- Telekinesis.
Esperence: Virtue- Hope, Ability- Shield/force field
Verefidel: Virtue- Faith and loyalty, Ability- Telepathy and Visions of past/present/future
* The Order-
All descendants are faster and stronger than the powerless. Also they heal faster and age slower than the powerless.
Allison- Deep Purple.
Descends from: Beatrice, Esperance, Verefidel, Arabella, Temperence, Idadurant
David- Emerald.
Descends from: Peony, Minerva, Castafonda, Idadurant, Esperence, Verefidel, Temperence
Rick- Royal Blue.
Descends from: Temperence, Verefidel, Idadurant, Esperance
Samantha- Plum.
Descends from: Beatrice, Esperance, Verefidel, Arabella, Temperence, Idadurant
Sharon Howard- Peach.
Descends from: Verefidel, Arabella, Temperence
Mark Howard- Yellow.
Descends from: Verefidel, Arabella, Temperence
*The Rising
All Rising Members are faster and stronger than the powerless. Also t
hey heal faster and age slower than the powerless. Depending on which demon(s) one descends from, a Rising Member could have any number of different abilities, including but not limited to teleportation, telekinesis, telepathy.
Lilith- the Leader of the Rising after Damiens death.
Frank- the General in the Rising’s Army, and her second in command.
Nigel- In charge of taking care of the Order and releasing the Seals
Hadrian- a new recruit, who showed exceptional Power.
Magnus- a wise but fairly useless lower level Rising member.
Acknowledgments:
There are many people who helped me along the way. I first need to thank my Mom, for giving me hope and encouragement through every draft of this. I want to thank my husband, for putting up with my obsessive need to read and write. I want to say thank you to the amazing photographer, Dana Dotherow at Digitally Different Photography for my gorgeous cover art, and the model, Ashley! I want to thank all my bloggy friends, who encouraged me along the way. And especially to YOU, the reader for taking the time out of your day to read this!
If you enjoyed this book, PLEASE take the time to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads!
The best gift you can give an author is a good review!
About the Author:
Theresa M Jones is just a regular small town, Texas girl. When she isn't at work at a local Medical Equipment provider, you can find her at home with her husband and two beautiful (and rambunctious) kiddos.
In her spare time- as if there ever was such a thing as "spare time" - she reads and reviews books on her book blog, and writes paranormal romance novels.
POWER (The Descendant Trilogy #1) was her debut New Adult (Mature YA) Paranormal Romance novel.
HOPE (The Descendant Trilogy #2) is her second published novel.
You can find Theresa M. Jones many places!
Hope (The Descendant Trilogy Book 2) Page 21