Richard decided to see Fenryr and Faelan before going to New York. It was nearly a month since his last visit and they were probably growing restless. He kissed Desiree goodbye and told her he would return after taking care of some business.
When he arrived at the cabin it was in ruins. Obviously the brothers had a falling out and decided to take their frustrations out on the furniture. He regretted not being there. Watching them try to destroy each other would have been entertaining.
The brothers were dressed in green flannel shirts and loose fitting jeans.“Richard, where have you been? We’ve been sitting here for weeks,” Faelan hissed.
“Did you not have everything you needed during my absence?”
“We need to have more freedom than this,” Fenryr argued.
“Have you forgotten you take orders from me?” Richard glared at the brothers.
“We forget nothing, but it’s unfair to keep us imprisoned. We could be more useful to you in other places,” Fenryr insisted.
“You’ll get your chance soon enough,” Richard vowed. “Things are moving according to plan, save a few minor setbacks. But I assure you, the rewards will be worth the wait. Now is there anything you need before I take my leave?”
The brothers said nothing.
“Then perhaps you can clean this place up,” Richard laughed. “I’ll be returning soon and you’ll be informed of my new plan. Until we meet again,” and he walked out the door.
Richard knew the brothers had to stay loyal to him. If they dared disobey him, they would suffer Lucifer’s wrath. He doubted either of them wanted to meet that fate. He smiled when he thought how good it felt to have complete control over them. Soon, he would use them to avenge his daughter and take over the Utopian colony.
When Henry returned to the house, he found Meredith waiting there.
“I thought you already left for the country house?” he asked.
“I went for a walk. Surely you’re not serious about making me leave? We’ve been married for forty years. Does that mean nothing to you?” she asked.
“I don’t trust you Meredith. I should have asked you to leave a long time ago. You can’t expect me to stay in a loveless marriage. This is for the best. I’m not going to argue you with you about it. My mind is made up. I trust you and the servants will be gone in the morning.”
He didn’t wait for a response. He walked up the stairs to his bedroom and closed the door. He would not entertain any more of her lies.
When Aura went downstairs to cook breakfast the next morning, the girls were still sleeping.
Aidan remained quiet and Aura didn’t pressure him to talk. She knew that he went looking for his friend again last night, but he was unable to find her. Aura knew where she was, but she wasn’t about to tell Aidan. She didn’t really trust him. He put Jeziel before Alannah and that didn’t sit well with her.
The sun was shining and the temperature was unseasonably warm for December. Jessica’s gift was welcome.
They did not wear black; instead the family wore white to celebrate the new life their friends would begin.
It was customary to display pictures of those angelbloods who died. Jayden insisted Jasper’s picture include Ella, who died less than a week before.
They arrived at the funeral hall before noon. As before, it was decorated with white satin ribbons adorned with lilies and roses on each pew. The pictures of the departed were displayed in the front near the pulpit.
Bren, Tracy and Alannah left Aura to speak to Father Patrick. “If you don’t mind, we would like to say a few words whenyou finish,” Bren said.
Father Patrick smiled at the little ones. “I’m sure any words of encouragement would be appreciated by the family.”
“We saw Ella Father,” Tracy spoke up. “You did?”
“She’s a beautiful angel now,” Alannah smiled. “She came to take Jasper home.”
“So they are together?” “Yes,” the girls responded collectively.
“Well that’s as it should be. Let’s get you seated now. I need a word with Jane and Jayden before we begin.” The girls held hands and made their way to the front pews.
The service was touching with emphasis on the new journey they were about to begin. When Father Patrick was finished, the girls stood in front of the hall.
“We wanted to say something too,” they said in concert.
Bren started. “I know everyone here has angel blood, with the exception of Father Patrick.” They smiled at him.
Tracy continued. “When we’re born whether we’re angels or mortals, we are given the light of Heaven.” “It is that light that envelopes our souls and binds us together,” Alannah added.
Bren spoke softly. “We were always taught it’s not only our blood that defines who we are, but the choices we make. Those choices affect the light that lives within us.”
“If you make bad choices, your light can dim. If you walk the path to darkness, you will lose your light completely,” Tracy said.
“When you lose your light, you lose your soul,” Alannah assured them.
“If you make good choices, your light will grow,” Tracy said.
The three girls held hands and addressed their family jointly.
“It is the light that lives within us, that gives us faith. It is the light that gives us hope. It is the light that gives us love. It is the light that gives us joy. It is the light that gives us peace. And it is the light that will one day guide us home.”
“Those who walk in the light can be assured it will never fail them. Elijah, Ericah, Jasper and Ella are home now. Each of them followed their light.”
The room was silent. Aura looked at her three little ones with pride. They perceived what others struggled to understand. She thought she saw a tear fall from her father’s eye, not because of sadness, but because of pure admiration.
The girls hugged Father Patrick and thanked him for allowing them to speak.
“Do you think they heard us Father?” Alannah asked.
Father Patrick smiled with pride. “All of Heaven heard you.” Though he had no children of his own, he felt blessed because he would always have them.
Chapter 5
When they returned home, Aura knew it was time to show them her visions.
“Make yourselves as comfortable as possible. I have to warn you I can’t filter anything. You’ll see these events exactly as they happened. She directed everyone to the living room.
Bren and Tracy sat next to Alannah. Jayden sat next to his mother. When they were all seated, Aura called for the vision. Esra showed her how to recall certain events. She practiced until it was second nature for her.
“I’ll start with the most recent events first.” She called for the vision and soon the scene appeared on the wall.
Natalie was standing outside the cabin watching the fire burn, when Jasper approached. Jeziel, still dressed in cotton shorts and a camisole top, was in the backyard having a conversation with Samhael. They could see that the two of them left the property together.
Jasper started yelling at Natalie. She reached into her pocket for a dagger which she threw into his chest. He instantly dropped dead to the ground. She then picked him up and lofted him through the plate glass window in the front of the burning cabin.
Jayden arrived afterwards, followed by Rita and Jessica. They all knew the rest of that story.
“She wasn’t defending herself at all. She murdered him,” Rita bellowed.
Jane and Jasper remained silent. Too upset to speak. Aura apologized. “I’m sorry, but you need to see this too.”
She showed them Ella’s death. The scene started with the two girls in the car. Natalie grabbed the steering wheel and put her foot on the accelerator. They were headed towards the large oak tree at a high rate of speed. Everyone could hear the fear in Ella’s voice. “Let go Natalie. You’re going to kill us both.”
They could hear the cold calculations as Natalie responded, “Not both of us; just you. Per
haps Jasper will think twice before he talks trash about me again. This will hurt him more than anything else I could everdo to him.”
They watched as the car slammed into the tree. Natalie ripped the door open and crawled away, leaving Ella behind the wheel. She was already dead.
This was no accident; it was about revenge. Natalie killed Ella and Jasper. The Guild had enough evidence to convict her now. The penalty would be death.
Jayden and Jane were inconsolable. “How could I have trusted her? Now we’ve lost them both,” they cried.
After the initial shock of Aura’ s visions, the family broke into groups. They would have their own discussions. Will was gracious if nothing else. As he got to know Jayden, he determined he was a decent guy.
Rita sensed Acadia’s life wasn’t a bed of roses in Utopia. She promised to make her feel at home and asked her to join their group.
As usual the Guild met in the library. “How do you want to approach this?” Adam asked. “We can prove now that Natalie murdered Ella and Jasper.”
“Richard will have her hidden before we can get to Paris,” Paul said.“Sooner or later she will reappear and then we can take her before the Council. It will not go well for her. I am curious to see if she will make contact with Jeziel.”
“We don’t even know where Jeziel is?” Adam replied. “Do you think she’s with Samhael? Jayden said Natalie and Jeziel went to Elijah’s together. She was gone by the time he arrived at the scene. Now we have seen that Samhael and Jeziel were together in the backyard. Natalie lied about that too. She is obviously protecting Jeziel. We need to find out why.”
“I still believe Jeziel is the key to the deaths. Even if she wasn’t directly responsible, it’s almost certain that Samhael started that fire,” Paul said.
Adam stared at his friend.“Pity Hespa isn’t here.”
“Hespa was summoned for her own protection. I’m sure if she were left behind; she may have done something she would later regret. We still don’t know who killed Elijah and Ericah. Perhaps Aura’s visions will show us that truth soon.”
“So what do we do?” Adam asked.
“First we notify the High Council. Then we’ll return to Utopia. I think it would be useless for us to go to Paris. Richard will have Natalie moved from there. At least we can let Arthur know the truth. Natalie is guilty of murder. We will notify the colonies that if she is seen, they need to contact us immediately.”
After dinner everyone seemed more relaxed. “I know Jasper’s happy now,” Bren told Jayden. “He’s with Ella and they’re both safe.”
Even Alannah hugged him. “Don’t worry, you’re home now. We’ll take good care of you and your mommy, I promise.”
Jayden looked at them and smiled. He was home and it felt good. He missed all of them over the last couple of weeks.
Aura assured him he would see Jasper again. “The bonds between twins are powerful. Jasper will always be a part of you,” she said kindheartedly.
“How can I see him?”
“He will return to his old self in a short time. He may appear to you in a vision or in a dream,” Aura assured him.
“Are you sure?” “I’ve seen a vision of one dream in particular. You will communicate with him then.”
“I’ll still be able to talk to him, even though he’s in Heaven?”
“Of course Jayden, he isn’t dead. He’s just started the next part of his journey.”
“You’re not saying this to make me feel better?”
“My visions never lie. Trust me; you will speak to him again.” Seeing the worried look on Rita’s face she added. “I haven’t seen any visions of your death. But I have seen something else that might shock you,” she laughed.
“You’re not going to tell me are you?”
“Not yet. But I promise it will be a happy discovery.”
“I could stand a little happy right now.”
She looked at him with empathy. He would heal. Aura was sure of it.
Paul and Adam left to meet with the High Council.
Natalie would stand trial and if found guilty, Paul and one other would execute her. It was not one of the duties he enjoyed, but it was a necessary part of their way of life. First she would be given an opportunity to atone for her sins.
Her testimony would determine the method in which she would die. The execution would be done in private, with only two other witnesses from the Guild. Rarely did they allow a family member to be present.
The girls decided they wanted to watch home movies.
“Do you have an idea what you want to see?”
“We want to watch the ones about Mia and Joey. They’re funny,” Bren told Alannah. “We can watch them in the family room. Then everybody can see them.”
Aura walked them into the family room. The movies would keep them entertained until lunch was served. Within minutes the room was filled with laughter.
Aura watched Acadia, who seemed to enjoy the closeness of the families here. She knew she would never want to leave. If her vision was right, she wouldn’t have to.
An hour later Paul and Adam returned from their meeting. Aura sensed her father was distressed about something. He pulled up a chair and sat down close to Bren, Tracy and Alannah, who were still laughing hysterically at Mia’s antics.
Such was their way of life. One minute they were crying and the next they were laughing. Angelbloods didn’t mourn death the same way as mortals; perhaps because they knew life didn’t end. Usually after a day or two, they would return to their familiar routines.
The next b ig event would be their New Year’s celebration. One thing was certain; Natalie and Jeziel would not be invited.
Aidan looked worried. Aura questioned whether it was because Jeziel abandoned her post, or if she participated in the deaths.
Sooner or later he would have to accept the truth. They all saw Jeziel speaking to Samhael. Aidan had to suspect that she had been to see her father.
Aura had no doubt she was walking the dark path, but convincing Aidan of that would be another matter entirely. He was still protecting her. Even if she didn’t kill Elijah or Ericah, running away with Samhael wasn’t helping her defense.
Chapter 6
When Richard left the creatures, he went to meet Samhael. He walked to a secluded location, outside Utopia. He called Samhael’s name and he instantly appeared.
Richard needed his assistance to convince Mahlyssa to help him.
Samhael was still dressed like he just stepped out of a magazine. His shoulderlength blonde hair was neatly styled and his black designer suit was tailored to fit his wellsculpted body.“Why the sudden change of heart?” Samhael asked.
Not wanting to be evasive in any way, Richard said, “My daughter killed her husband’s brother.”
“Did she?” Samhael smiled.
“It was clearly in self defense, but I doubt the Guild will see it that way. I need your assistance to hide her.” Samhael looked at him curiously.“How do you propose we do that?”
“I need you to teach me how to break the Enchantor’s spell Marcus placed on his daughterMahlyssa.” “How would that benefit me?” Samhael was at least intrigued by the proposition.
“Hiding her amongst the Guild’s family would be beneficial to both of us,” Richard insisted. “She could obtain valuable information that might help us realize our plans.”
“What will you do when Mahlyssa realizes you killed her husband?” Samhael asked.
“I have significant knowledge that she will find invaluable.”
“What informationmight that be?” “I know the whereabouts of her daughter.” “Myra is alive? How do you know this to be fact?”
“She lives in Aeden. Unfortunately, she is married toMetatron’s son Martin.
“How did she arrive in Aeden?”
“ My father told me she was brought to live with Seraphon, shortly after her third birthday. Myra grew up withSeraphon’s daughter Angela, and Esra’s granddaughter Eve. I understand
the girls are like sisters.”
“So the Enchantors daughter is alive. The time frame would certainly be correct. You don’t plan to tell her the whereabouts of her daughter do you?”
“I’m not a fool. I need more time until I’m ready to follow through with our plan. The Guild is making my life difficult, but you needn’t be concerned. If my daughter is living amongst them, she can keep us apprised of their plans.”
Samhael smiled. “I did tel l you I would assist you if the need arose. Very well; I’ll agree to teach you what you ask. I trust you will remain loyal to my father?”
“I have always been loyal to Lucifer. Surely you don’t doubt my allegiance?”
“I wouldn’t be helping you if I did,” Samhael grinned.
He proceeded to teach Richard the spell that would remove the curse.
“I’ll be speaking to you again soon. You’ll keep me informed of any information Natalie receives, on a regular basis.”
“I’ll need a day or two until I can give her an identity that will be convincing.”
“There is one more thing. Perhaps you should spend some time to improve your appearance before you meet with Mahlyssa.”
“What’s wrong with my appearance?” Richard was offended by Samhael’s remark.
“You obviously have gr eat taste in clothing, but you may want to do something about your hair. Appearances are after all, everything. You need to command respect. I doubt anyone will take you seriously with that greasy mop of black hair. Just a little suggestion between friends,” Samhael smirked.
Perhaps Samhael was right. As Richard looked at the fallen angel, he felt intimidated. Samhael was still beautiful. Even Richard had to admit that he looked angelic. His eyes were still blue and he carried himself in a noble manner.
“I will consider your suggestion.” “Until we meet again,” Samhael said, before he vanished.
Only a few members of the Guild knew how Virgil came to practice the art of Enchantment. As an angel, he came to earth, fell in love with and married a young girl named Mahlyssa. Mahlyssa’s father Marcus was thrilled with the union.
Marcus was an old and powerful Enchantor; one of the first. In the beginning, he was able to convince Virgil the spells he cast were harmless. Before long, Virgil saw a precarious side of him. He decided to speak to Mahlyssa about leaving, when she informed him they were having a daughter. After Myra was born, Virgil tried to limit the amount of time she spent with her grandfather.
Fall from Grace (Book 2: An Angelblood Novel) Page 4