When the rest of the family went home, Aura took the girls back upstairs. After their baths, Aidan asked what movie the girls wanted to watch.
Bren chose one of her favorites. She handed it to Aidan. ‘This is a good one,” she said to the other two.
Aidan looked at the title and read it silently. “What is this about?” Aura started laughing when she looked at the selection.
“It’s a comedy,” Tracy said. “Alannah hasn’t seen this one.”
Aura decided to hang around to see Aidan’s reaction to their movie choice.
A few minutes after the video started, Aidan considered taking it out. “Are you sure this is appropriate for them Aura?”
“They’ve seen it hundreds of times before. It’s one of their favorites.”
Aidan looked worried. “I’m not sure the subject matter is suitable for little ones to view.”
“It’s alright Aidan, they know some of the content is made for mature audiences, but it really is funny.” “I don’t agree with this. Why don’t we find a nice cartoon or something to watch?”
“Cartoons are boring. Nobody tells a story like Buddy,” Bren insisted.
“Please don’t turn it off daddy. I want to see it,” Alannah pleaded.
Realizing he was outnumbered, Aidan reluctantly allowed them to continue watching the video. “Perhaps you should watch it with them?” Aura suggested.
“No thank you. I doubt there is anything of value in this type of entertainment.”
“You might be surprised.” Aura laughed as she walked out of the room.
Aidan was right behind her. They stood in the hall for a few minutes listening to the little ones laugh hysterically. Aura was sure Bren and Tracy would have to explain some of the jokes to Alannah, but it would be well worth the sound of their laughter.
Aura yelled back through the door. “Don’t choke on your food. Bren knows where the funny sections are, so don’t drink anything when you get to that part.”
Aura and Aidan headed downstairs to have a cup of tea. They could still hear the girls laughing. “You may not agree with everything they watch, but I assure you they know the difference between right and wrong. It’s not like they would repeat anything,” Aura said.
Aidan shook his head. “I’m still not sure they should be watching such a thing. The next thing you know they’ll be watching smut.”
Aura stopped in her tracks. “What did you say?” “I said they may decide to start watching smut,” he said honestly.
Laughing, Aura asked him, “Where did you hear that?”
“Logan told me. He said he found Mia watching smut one day and he nearly fainted. He had the cable company put a lockout on the television. Little girls should not be allowed to watch such things Aura.”
“You have become quite comfortable here, haven’t you? I remember the first day we met. You were so prim and proper. I didn’t think you would adapt. I stand corrected.”
They both stopped talking for a minute as they heard all three of the girls laughingso hard, they weren’t sure they could catch their breath. Aura laughed and shook her head. “They are definitely enjoying Buddy tonight.”
Aidan missed hearing Alannah laugh.
Although, he knew she had more than enough reasons to be sad. He hoped they could finally return to their peaceful existence. But he also knew Natalie’s freedom would come at a high cost.
As Aura poured the tea, she stopped suddenly. “What’s wrong? Did you see something?” Aidan asked.
She should have known Jeziel would not honor her wishes not to return. She smelled her coming. It was the same pungent odor she always smelled when a black wing was close. She put the teapot on the table and looked at Aidan. “You’re friend is coming again. She’ll be here any minute. It won’t do to keep her waiting.”
Before Aidan had a chance to respond, she was already going up the stairs. He shouted after her. “Aura wait!” But she never turned around.
He walked out to the back porch and watched as Jeziel approached. She stopped in front of the orange tree. “I thought we agreed you wouldn’t return to Aura’s house.”
“I don’t ever recall making that agreement,” Jeziel smiled seductively.
“Have you decided to come before the Council?” “Are you angry with me Aidan?” She moved closer to him.
“You didn’t answer my question.” “I need a little more time.” You could almost taste the sweetness in Jeziel’s voice.
“If you’re innocent, I see no reason to wait.”
Jeziel stood in from of him and attempted to caress his arm. “Why are you so upset with me?” When she reached to touch him, he backed away.
Aidan could see the rage in her eyes. “I told you before that I’m in love with Aura.”
“Did she put you up to this Aidan? Have you forgotten how long we were friends before your precious Aura was born?She’s not Avriel! AVRIEL IS DEAD! When are you going to start realizing that truth?” she raged.
“I forget nothing. Avriel lives in Aura. I have no intentions of jeopardizing my relationship with her.” “How can you be so coldhearted, when you know I’m afraid?”
“I wish you would lower your voice, we have guests in the house.”
“I doubt I’m distracting Will and Joshua.” “I wasn’t referring to them. We have other guests visiting from New York.”
“New York? Is it the Devereaux sister’s? I heard they werestaying at the Godwin Academy.”
“No, it’s another group who came with the Enchantor Mahlyssa.”
“So you have more house guests. Aura is comfortable picking up strays. It’s what she does best.”
Aidan tried to ignore Jeziels last comment and returned to the subject of bringing her before the Council. “If you were a friend to Heaven, you wouldn’t hesitate to meet with the Guild.”
“If Aura is making you turn your back on your friends, then perhaps you should question her loyalty.”
“I choose my own friends,” Aidan insisted. “Well perhaps you have chosen the wrong friend. Let’s hope Aura doesn’t break your heart. I may not be here to pick up the pieces.”
“I would never expect you to. Are we finished? I need to check on the little ones.”
“I’m sure your brats are fine! After all, your precious Aura is looking after them. I hope nothing happens to any of them.”
“Are you threatening them Jeziel?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, but we both know accidents can happen.”
“I think you need to leave before I call the Council myself. Don’t come back here again.”
Jeziel turned and started to leave, when she burst into tears. “I don’t know what I did to make you hate me. We used to be such good friends. I know you think I’ve changed, but you’ve changed too. Why don’t you trust and believe in me anymore?” she sobbed, as she took a seat on one of the chairs.
Aidan couldn’t bear to hear her cry. What if she was innocent? He remembered how she was treated after the war. The other angels shunned her. He was her only friend now. He walked over to the bench, sat down, and put his arms around her. “I’m sorry. The Guild is putting pressure on me. I don’t know what to do.”
“All I have ever asked is that you be my friend; nothing more. Why doesn’t Aura understand that? She doesn’t know what it feels like to be alone. I wish she could understand me the way you do,” Jeziel sobbed.
“I’ll talk to Aura.”
“Do you think she’ll listen? She’s so jealous of me. I can’t help feeling she wants me to go away, so she can have you all to herself.”
“Aura’s not like that. If you knew her better, you would realize she could never be like that.”
“You know I would never hurt any of those little ones. I get angry sometimes and say things I don’t mean. I hope you forgiveme. You’re all I have left in this world.”
“”I forgive you. I’ll talk to Aura; I promise.”
Jeziel threw her arms around Aidan and kissed hi
m again. He didn’t pull away but stayed there holding her, until she was calm enough to leave. Finally, she got up and started to walk away. “I’ll be in touch. I promise I’ll consider meeting with the Guild.”
When she was out of sight, she started to laugh. “This isn’t over Aidan. This is far from being over. If Aura doesn’t want to listen to you, I’ll make her listen to me.” She ran until she was no longer visible.
Chapter 31
When Aura reached her bedroom, the girls were standing next to the window, with the curtains pulled aside. Aura walked over to stand next to them. “How long have you been listening?” she asked.
“Long enough to know that Aidan told Jeziel about Mahlyssa and Shannon,” Bren said.
“We won’t let anything happen to either of them. Aidan may be her fool, but I can assure you that I’m not!” “What are you going to do, Aura? Are you going to tell Daddy and the rest of the Guild?” Bren asked.
“No – I’m going to beat Jeziel at her own game. I want her to think the Guild has no reason to question her now.”
“But she killed Elijah and Ericah. We can’t just let her get away with that,” Alannah insisted.
“You’ve seen this, Alannah?”
“I’ve seen it too,” Bren said. “She beat them and left them for dead. Then she asked Samhael to start the hellfire and burn them. Ericah was going to have a baby. Did you know that?”
“Yes. I’m sorry that you had to see their deaths. How long have you had the sight?”
“I’ve been seeing visions since I was a baby. I just told Alannah, but Tracy has known for a long time.” “Does Mom know?” “Yes and she knows that Rita is a seer too. But her visions aren’t as strong as ours.”
“Can you see past, present and future?” “Yeah – but I don’t see everything.”
“I don’t think we should tell anyone else about this yet. It might be to our advantage to keep it quiet, for now.”
“Bad things are coming Aura. Alannah and I have seen them. We can’t trust Jeziel, because she’s been to see her father, Lucifer. They are planning another war. Do you think our friends will be safe?”
Aura had never seen Bren so worried. “My shield should protect us.”
They all watched as Jeziel stood and kissed Aidan, before running away. Aura moved away from the window, when she saw Aidan walking towards the house. But Alannah didn’t move. She stared icily at her father. That was the moment she stopped trusting him.
Aura hurried the girls to bed and turned out the light. “We’ll just be quiet until he goes into his room.”
It was a few minutes later, that Aidan knocked on the door. The girls didn’t say a word. They clung to each other and waited for him to walk away. When they heard his bedroom door open and close, Aura turned on a small nightlight that sat on the nightstand next to her bed.
“We’ll have to talk in a whisper. I don’t want Aidan to hear us. We’ll have to be careful, not to let Aidan know our plans.”
“Do we have a plan?” Tracy asked.
Aura smiled, “Most definitely. We can talk more about this in the morning. I have a feeling it’s going to be a very busy day.” She kissed the girls goodnight, and turned off the light. She would be patient, but vigilant, just like Michael told her. Soon, it would be time to settle the score.
When Richard left Paris, he went to the outskirts of Utopia. As he suspected, there was little to no activity on the street where Virgil once resided. He instinctively looked around; making sure no one saw him as he walked in the house. It was a small cottage in comparison with the finer homes in Utopia; housing only two bedrooms and in need of serious repair.
Richard was impressed by how neat everything was on the inside. Perhaps Virgil still believed in the premise that cleanliness was next to godliness. As he walked through the kitchen, he came upon a room he presumed was the library or study. There was a small wooden desk and chair in the center of the room.
As he looked behind the desk, there were several shelves where he saw a host of books, neatly stacked next to each other. He skimmed over the titles, until he came across one that didn’t seem to belong with the others. “Surely he wouldn’t keep something this valuable in plain sight?” Richard thought.
The book was not written in a language Richard could decipher. He knew by the condition, this was probably the book he was searching for. He pulled it from the shelf, opening it carefully. Along with the strange writing, he found pictures that had been hand drawn. They meant nothing to him, but to another Enchantor… they would be priceless. This was the book of spells; it had to be.
Why would Virgil have this in his possession? He knew first hand Virgil never practiced the dark arts. As he looked inside, he could barely make out the inscription, save one word … Marcus.
This book belonged to Mahlyssa’s father, one of the first and most powerful Enchantors. He wished he had thought to look for the book before. Perhaps Mahlyssa would not have betrayed him. Surely it would contain the information he needed to save his daughter. He placed the book inside one of the pockets of his wool overcoat, and started to walk towards the door.
As he was leaving the room, a gold locket caught his eye. Richard had never seen anything like it before. The craftsmanship was extraordinary. The chain was made of gold. On the cover, appeared to be a bird of some kind; unfamiliar to him. He had no doubt; it was expensive, and important.
He placed the pendant, still on its chain, in his trouser pocket. As he passed through the front door, he looked around once more, to see if he had been followed. When he was certain he was alone, he used a portal to go to London to meet with the Cavanaugh’s.
Richard arrived in London shortly before midnight. As he walked towards the home of the Cavanaugh’s, again he checked to make certain he was alone. It was not like him to be so paranoid, but there was a lot at stake now. As he prepared to knock on the front door, a middle aged woman answered it.
“Well this is a surprise. To what do we owe this pleasure?” Claudia Cavanaugh smiled.
“I have a proposition I believe will benefit all of us.” Claudia smiled and asked Richard to come in and follow her to the study.
“Well I see you’ve done all right for yourself,” Richard said as he looked around.
“We manage,” Claudia replied.
Claudia Cavanaugh was not a stunning woman, but she was not unattractive either. She had long red curly hair and deep green eyes. She epitomized the Irish. Her husband Colin in contrast was almost frail looking. Claudia looked to be about thirty; Colin looked twice her age.
“So why have you come here tonight Richard? What was so urgent you couldn’t have waited until the morning?” Claudia asked.
“I have need of your services.”
“Isn’t Mahlyssa seeing to your needs?”
Mahlyssa and I have had a little misunderstanding. I removed her father’s curse and I believe she has abandoned me to search for her daughter.”
“And what of our own daughter, is she not still in Mahlyssa’s custody?” Colin asked.
“I have no doubt your daughter remains in her care. Judging from what I saw, the child has been well cared for these last five years.”
“Do you have any idea where she went?”Claudia asked.
“I have some ideas, but first I’d like to discuss another matter with you,” Richard said directly.
“What is it you would have us do?” Colin asked.
“My daughter has gotten herself in a bit of trouble with the Guild. She now wears the mark of angelfire on her left cheek.I need to find her a suitable identity, so she can’t be recognized. I was hoping you could help me.”
Colin and Claudia looked at each other. They had never had dealings with angelfire before, but Claudia was well practiced in the dark arts. She was more than capable of altering someone’s identity. “Some of the ingredients we need will be hard to come by and expensive. What are you prepared to pay us?” Claudia asked.
Richard reached in
to his coat pocket and pulled out the old book. “I thought you might have a use for this.” Claudia examined the book. She was very familiar with the language in which it was written.
Richard pulled the book out her hand. “I have two questions for you. Do you believe you can perform the service and when can I bring my daughter here?”
“We will need a few hours to make the necessary preparations. It’s after midnight now, if you return with your daughter tomorrow morning by six, we should be ready by then,” she said. “I’m assuming you have an identity in mind.”
Richard ha nded her the picture of Monica. “There is one more thing. Better yet; I’ll wait to discuss it with you in the morning, after we have taken care of Natalie. I trust you will not betray me,” Richard said. “If you do as I ask, the book will be yours.”
“You’ll give us the book if we do this service for you?” Claudia asked.
“Yes, if you honor your agreement. Though I don’t see any real value in it,” Richard snickered.
“This book belonged to Marcus. There are a great many secrets hidden in its passages. Of course the language would only be known to another Enchantor.”
“That’s good to know, because if you betray me, I will have the pleasure of burning it, and making you both watch. Perhaps I should have an enchantment placed on the book, so if you ever try to deceive me, you will never know its secrets,” Richard laughed.
“No please. We swear we will be loyal to you. The book cannot be copied. This may be the only one left in existence,” Claudia said.
“That’s also good to know. I’ll be here in the morningwith my daughter.” Richard immediately vanished.
“All the secrets of the Enchantors are in that book. I heard a rumor there was a copy not accounted for. It must be the same. With this type of knowledge, we will be the most powerful Enchantors to ever live. Perhaps even more powerful than Marcus,” Claudia said excitedly.
“You promised after those unfortunate deaths in New York, you would stop practicing the dark spells. Have you changed your mind?”
“It won’t hurt to have a peek. Can you imagine the power we would have if the book belonged to us?”
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