by S. J. West
“Idle hands are the devil’s playground,” JoJo jokes. “And Lord knows that man can have a field day.”
JoJo’s eyes fall to the plate in my hands.
“Oh! Pancakes! I do so love them.”
I set the plate on her table, and she immediately takes the clear wrap off and lifts the plate to her delicate little nose, inhaling the aroma.
“Heaven!” She says with a giggle. “Pure Heaven!”
We let JoJo eat her meal, and I fill the three of them in on what happened the day before. We’re in no rush. And to be honest, I don’t want to stop and think about what Aiden, Mason, and Jess are doing right at that very moment. I want Hunter’s murderer destroyed, but I definitely don’t want to know the details. The less I think about it the better.
After JoJo is through, I ask, “So what amazing creation do you have for me to wear?”
JoJo crooks her little finger at me, and we walk into a separate room where there are a line of mannequins displaying a myriad of dresses.
“Every young woman needs a little black dress,” JoJo tells me, walking to one of the mannequins.
It’s wearing a sleeveless, seam-sculpted dress with cutouts on the neckline and a center front slit at the bottom.
“It’s gorgeous and simple,” I say, walking around the dress and seeing that there is a long zipper in the back.
“How come you’ve been giving Caylin such grown up clothes lately and still have me dressing like Mary Poppins?” Leah complains, obviously envying me for getting such a … well… sexy dress.
“Because you are still too young for such a dress. Caylin is practically a woman.”
“I wouldn’t mind you wearing a dress like that,” Joshua says, eyeing the dress with undisguised interest.
“Which is exactly why I will not be designing such a dress for Leah any time soon,” JoJo says resolutely. “She is too young for you to be drooling all over her.”
“So you don’t mind Aiden drooling all over Caylin?” Leah asks, seeing this as a double standard.
“Aiden is a man who can control himself,” JoJo says. “Joshua is a regular human boy who thinks with his hormones first instead of reason. So, no, I do not mind Aiden drooling after Caylin because I know he will behave like a gentleman with her. Joshua… sorry my little love…but you are simply too young and human to be trusted completely.”
I have to smile at JoJo’s sense of logic because it’s very true.
“Thanks, JoJo. I’ll take it.”
JoJo puts it into a hanging bag for me to take back home.
“So you’ll be there when we make the daggers this afternoon?” I ask JoJo. “That’s what they told me last night. That all the vessels will be there to help.”
“Oh yes, Mon Cher. I will be there. I have made something for the daggers and for the other Watchers.”
“What did you make for the Watchers?”
“Smaller versions of the protective anklets. Since the princes know what they do, it was decided something else should be done to protect them.”
“What do you mean?”
JoJo looks uncertain. “I’m not sure it is my place to tell you, Mon Ami. Perhaps you should ask Mason or your Uncle Malcolm that question.”
I wasn’t sure I liked the look on JoJo’s face. Why did she look so apprehensive in telling me what the plan was? What was so terrible that she thought maybe it was better if I didn’t know?
Right after lunch, Aiden, Mason, and Jess phase into our living room.
I walk over to Aiden and wrap my arms around his waist.
“Did you have any trouble finding the changeling?” I ask him.
“No. He barely put up a fight,” Aiden reassures me, kissing the top of my head.
“Everything is ready,” Jess tells my parents. “Hopefully, it won’t take very long to make the daggers.”
“I’ll go with you,” my dad says. “Lilly will stay here with the kids.”
“Are you ready?” Aiden asks me as I take a step away from him.
“Yes. I want to put all of this in the past as soon as possible.”
I walk over to the kitchen island and grab the box with the remnants of the archangel crowns.
Aiden takes my hand when I walk back to him and phases us.
I soon find myself standing in Brutus’ workshop on his island. It’s a large wood building with massive double doors at the front facing the blue-green waters of the Mediterranean Sea and shuttered openings along the walls to let the cool ocean breeze flow through the open space.
My chosen Watchers are already present talking amongst themselves, at least most of them. Jered seems to be the odd man out and standing by the open doors looking towards the sea.
“Brand!” Desmond says, walking over to my father and shaking his hand. “I’m glad you came today. We haven’t seen you much lately. You’re looking happy and…. older….”
My dad smiles. “Happens when you turn mortal, Desmond.”
“Ahh well, guess I won’t know anything about that for a while yet.”
“No,” my dad says, almost looking sorry for Desmond. “I guess you won’t.”
“Pfft, mortality,” Slade says, “completely overrated.”
“Not everyone is cut out for it,” my father agrees.
“Well, after this last mission is over,” Daniel says, “I plan to do what you and Mason have done: find someone, settle down and have a family. I can’t think of anything I want more from this life.”
“I have a feeling it will be a long time before any of us can think about doing that, my friend,” Andre says.
“It’ll probably take that long just for you miscreants to find women who will put up with you,” Uncle Malcolm tells them with a teasing grin.
“You’re one to talk,” Slade says. “I’m not sure there'll ever be a woman born who you’ll love more than your own ego. She would have to be a saint or something.”
“I have no desire to fall in love,” Uncle Malcolm proclaims. “It’s not exactly a goal in my life. Besides, it’s not like I have trouble finding companionship when I want it.”
“Like your latest one?” Desmond asks. “Haven't I seen her on the cover of some magazine?”
“Seems like all of your companions are models or actresses. Ever thought about dating an ordinary human?” Daniel says.
“When did this become a time to delve into my love life?” Uncle Malcolm complains. “I think we have more important things to concern ourselves with. Where are the vessels?”
“They’re at our home in Cypress Hollow,” Mason says. “I’ll be right back with them.”
Mason leans over and kisses Jess on the cheek. “Be right back. Keep the boys in line if you can.”
“I'm not a miracle worker,” Jess grumbles.
Mason winks at her and phases.
I look over at Jered to see that he is still looking out towards the sea, seeming intent on ignoring the teasing the others enjoy so much.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell Aiden, letting him know I want to speak with Jered alone.
As I reach Jered's side, he drags his eyes away from the crashing waves along the rocky shoreline and looks over at me.
“Are you sure you made the right choice by choosing me, Caylin?” He asks, still looking unsure of himself. “I’m just not like the others.”
“And you say that like it’s a bad thing,” I tell him which makes him chuckle. “Yes, I made the right choice picking you. Stop second guessing yourself, Jered.”
“I’ll try to stop,” he promises. “But it’s become my nature to second guess myself. If I had done more of it sooner, maybe I wouldn’t have been on the wrong side at the beginning of this fight.”
I couldn’t argue against that logic.
“But, you found your way back from that,” I remind him. “It takes a lot of strength to want to become a better person. Look at Aiden. He did it, and now he’s happier than he’s ever been. It can happen for you too, if that’s what you want.
I think you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for being, Jered. Stop doubting yourself so much because I don’t have any doubts in you.”
Jered smiles wanly, and I can tell he’s pleased by my praise, but I fear it will take a long time before he truly believes in his own judgment again.
I notice Mason phase in with the rest of the vessels. All of them have their respective talismans with them.
I sigh because I suddenly have a sinking feeling that making the daggers won’t be as easy as they seem to think it will be.
“Are you ok?” Jered asks me. “You seem worried about something.”
“I just hope this works,” I confide. “The plan seems too easy, and if I've learned anything about our lives, it's that nothing comes without a price.”
“Sometimes the easiest path is actually the right one.”
I look at him and raise my eyebrows at him. “Do you really believe that or are you just saying it for my benefit?”
Jered chuckles. “I’m going to plead the fifth on that question.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” I sigh.
“It’ll work,” Jered says, turning to face the others as I look at them too. “You have a blessed life. I have a feeling things will go as planned.”
I nod, hoping Jered is right.
“Leah,” Brutus says, “come over here please.”
Leah walks over to Brutus who is standing beside a large stone forge.
“Caylin,” he says to me, “bring the box with the crown pieces please.”
Once we’re both there he instructs us further.
“Now, place the box on the coals,” he tells me.
“But the box is wooden,” I say, completely confused. “Won’t it just burn up in the fire?”
“It’s an artifact from Heaven,” Brutus tells me. “It won’t simply burn up like an ordinary box would. I believe it will be strong enough to withstand Leah’s fire.”
Trusting his knowledge about such a thing, I place the box on the coals within the fire pit of the forge and flip the lid open.
“Leah, are you able to control the intensity of your fire at all?”
Leah nods. “Yes, I can control it a lot better now than when I first learned what I could do.”
“Good, then start a slow burn and let’s see what happens.”
Leah points the palm of her hand toward the fire pit and a stream of orange flames issue forth, enveloping the box. I watch, much like everyone else, to see if the silver crown pieces begin to melt. Unfortunately, they don’t.
“Make it hotter,” Brutus tells her. “Keep making it hotter until you can’t anymore.”
Leah nods and continues to heat the box. Five minutes pass before Leah says, “That’s as hot as I can make it.”
Still, the crown pieces haven’t melted.
“Well,” Slade says, “we could always gut the princes and stuff the pieces inside them, might actually be more fun.”
“Wait,” Jess says, pulling out her sword from the baldric on her back. “We have one more thing to try.”
Jess goes to stand beside Leah, her sword igniting with orange flames. She places the blade of her sword into Leah’s fire stream. Where Jess’ sword meets Leah’s flames, the fire turns blue.
I look back at the silver pieces in the box and see them begin to melt.
“Zack!” Brutus says, waving him over. “Make a dagger and drop it into the silver.”
Zack walks over to Brutus and rubs his right hand over the dagger tattoo on his left arm, magically pulling out a real dagger. He stands next to the forge and drops it into the silver.
Brutus picks up a long pair of tongs and places it in the box. He pulls the dagger out, and I’m relieved to see it’s covered with the silver. But, the silver slowly begins to drip off and Zack’s dagger disintegrates into sand.
“Now what?” Andre asks.
“We need something to bind the silver to the dagger,” Brutus says, rubbing his head while he racks his brain to think of the solution.
A little voice inside my head says, “Blood binds.”
“Wait,” I say. “I think we need blood.”
“Please don’t tell me we need to make a virgin sacrifice,” Slade moans. “Those were hard enough to come by back in the days when saving yourself for marriage was expected. I can't imagine how hard finding one now a day will be.”
Leah and I look at each other and just smile.
“No, it’s something that was said to me in Heaven by someone,” I say vaguely, not wanting to mention Anna to those gathered. “God wanted me to know that ‘blood binds’. I didn’t understand it at the time, but I think it must have something to do with making the daggers now.”
“But whose blood?” Jered asks.
“Mine maybe?” I ask. “Since it was said to me?”
“No,” Jess says, “I don’t think so.”
Jess looks around at the other vessels gathered.
“I think it means us,” she tells them. “The crowns belonged to us. Maybe they need our blood to bind to the daggers.”
“Let me try it first,” Rafe volunteers, walking up to the forge. “Anyone have a knife handy?”
“Here,” Joshua says, pulling out a little Swiss army knife from one of his pants pockets and tossing it to Rafe.
Rafe makes a small slit on his right index finger and holds his hand over the box until a few drops of his blood mixes with the now bubbling silver. When he’s done, he folds his finger into the palm of his hand, and I see his hand glow blue as he heals the wound.
“Ok, Zack make another dagger,” Brutus instructs.
Zack pulls out another dagger and drops it into the box. Brutus gets his tongs and pulls the dagger out. We all watch breathlessly to see if the silver will hold this time.
It does.
Brutus places the dagger in a tub of water to cool it off then pulls it back out.
It doesn’t look very sharp to me.
“I’ll grind it down to sharpen it,” Brutus tells me, obviously seeing my doubt.
Rafe holds up the Swiss army knife. “Who’s next?”
Chandler comes forth first and one by one, all the vessels give some of their blood to make the daggers.
I feel sorry for Leah when it’s her turn. Not only does she have to keep her fire going, but she has to have her finger cut by Rafe. Thankfully, he heals it quickly after she’s given the remaining silver her blood to make the last dagger.
Once all seven of the daggers are made, no silver remains within the box, which makes me think that whatever remained of each archangel’s crown was soaked up by each dagger one by one.
As I look down at the line of seven daggers, I feel a bit overwhelmed by the task ahead of us.
How are we ever going to trap all seven of the princes? And what price will we have to pay to get the job done?
CHAPTER TEN
After the daggers are made, Brutus places them all in a black felt lined silver box. He takes them to JoJo who is setting out long, thin strips of black leather on one of the worktables nearby.
“What are those for?” I ask her, watching as she picks up one of the daggers and begins to wrap the leather tightly around the hilt.
“They are to make sure those devils cannot grab hold of the daggers,” she tells me. “If they do, they will regret it!”
I smile because I've never seen JoJo look so feisty.
“What will happen to them?” I ask, wanting to know what booby trap JoJo has planned for the princes if they try to grab hold of one of the daggers.
“Zzzzzz,” JoJo says, play-acting at electrocution while holding the dagger by the hilt. “They will let it go quickly enough. I assure you, Mon Cher.”
“JoJo,” Uncle Malcolm says, walking over to the table. “Did you bring what we discussed?”
“Oui,” JoJo says, nodding her head to a black velvet drawstring bag sitting on the table in front of her. “They are all in there. I made them as small as I could.”
Uncle Malcolm picks the bag up and looks inside.
“Thank you, JoJo. They should work just fine.”
“What's in there?” I ask, remembering JoJo say something about making smaller version of the anklets for all the Watchers.
Uncle Malcolm digs into the bag and pulls out what is indeed a smaller version of the anklets, which are about the size of a nickel.
“What is that going to fit on?” I ask, not seeing how it would be able to even fit around a Watcher’s pinky finger.
“It's not going to fit on anything,” Uncle Malcolm says. “But it will fit inside something.”
“Inside?” I ask, not understanding what he's talking about.
Uncle Malcolm looks me in the eyes. “Inside our bodies, Caylin. Unless they tear us to pieces, they won't be able to find them there. Each Watcher will get one of these and put it inside themselves somewhere. It'll hurt like hell, but we regenerate quickly enough. This way no one else will know the exact location of the talisman except the Watcher it belongs to.”
I glance over at Aiden who is speaking with my dad and Andre about something. I don't like the idea of Aiden having to insert a foreign object into his body, but it's better than the alternative. And I decide then that I won’t ask him where he places the talisman because it’s information I don’t need to know. What if one of the princes tried to make me tell them? Ignorance was a far better alternative.
“What about me?” I ask. “Do I need to put one of those things inside me too?”
“No, Cher,” JoJo says. “It was decided I would make you and your family something different. Perhaps not as concealable, but hopefully less noticeable than the anklets.”
JoJo lays down the dagger she is working on and picks up her purse from the floor beside the stool she's sitting on. From her purse, she pulls out what looks like a jewelry box. She lifts the lid and shows me a row of silver rings etched with a decorative ivy design.
“Each ring’s core is made of leather,” JoJo tells me. “And for the little ones,” she says, pulling out a drawer beneath the layer of rings, “I have made these guardian angel necklaces which have a piece of leather I enchanted sandwiched in between the medallions.”