The Beloved Fire

  James cleared his throat which sounded a lot like Blake, not helping the situation. “Listen, I do have a plan. I know it’s confusing, it’s going to have to stay that way for a little longer. Thanks to you I only have a little bit of time to get you out before the ceremony. Just listen, certain things had to be laid out in order to plan your escape, certain things that got taken too far. Blake should have never had sex with you, now it’s going to make things ten times harder when everything gets back to normal. You love him,” Mikayla lifted her hands from her face, looking into his sad face as he continued. “I know you do, it’s written all over your soul, it was taken to the one you love and it was more than taken, it was fated.”

  Mikayla interrupted through her confusion. “I thought all three of us were fated?”

  James reached up and ran his hands through his hair. “I know, and that’s what makes this all so confusing. We are drawn to you, Blake and me. You are drawn to us. Both of us, and there’s other factors that play into why we are so drawn to you that I can’t say. At least right now and it makes it hard to gain your trust. I understand you being put off by me because I’m so forward with you but that’s because of the stuff I can’t tell you about.”

  James stepped forward holding out his hands, to which Mikayla stepped back from. “It’s okay, I just want to show you something. It won’t scare you, it’s not my wings or anything like that. I won’t try to do anything without your permission again, I haven’t been myself lately. I’m sorry…just…trust me, please.”

  Mikayla rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh of frustration, more to herself than anything. Why did she have to listen to these good, bad, dream walking men? She walked forward meeting James who held out his hand upright. “Place your hand in mine.”

  She slowly lifted up her hand, placing it lightly on top of his. She watched intently for him to do something, or for something to happen with their hands but it never did. Mikayla looked up to him in confusion and almost fell back from shock when two bright blue eyes stared back at her. Blake’s eyes. She started to step back but he grabbed her hand stopping her retreat. She was so confused, it was James’s in front of her, but he felt like Blake and had his eyes, even though she could have sworn his eyes were green.

  “Mikayla, close your eyes.”

  She was breathing quickly now from fear and confusion and was sure she didn’t want to close her eyes. “Why would I do that?”

  The blue eyes she stared so intently at turned pink and she couldn’t help but feel wonder as her mind flashed back to Blake holding her close in the woods as he made love to her. It was like Blake, the real Blake, the one who loved her was right there in front of her. “So I can show you what true love looks like.” It was Blake’s voice, and for a second, she could have sworn she saw his face.

  As if lost in a forever long trench of madness she decided to give in and close her eyes. The world fell away around her as a white world replaced it. Everything around her was bright and blinding but her eyes slowly adjusted to see Blake walking slowly in front of her in his dark torn jeans and a white breezy shirt. His black hair looked ruffled like it had in the dream they last made love in, and he moved just how she remembered, gracefully, but full of power and sexiness. He smiled and she couldn’t help but smile back at his brilliant face, but just as he reached her, his face changed to James. She stepped back in confusion. “What is this?”

  James reached out grabbing her up against him carefully, running a hand through her hair. She realized she was in the long flowing white night gown she’d worn in her first dream of him. “You were made for just one of us, but not both. You want Blake now, but you wanted me first. Be with me Mikayla and I will make this all go away, just try, give me a chance to show you who I can be. If only in your dreams. Please. Let me be the one you deserve.”

  “Who is more deserving between an angel and demon?” It shouldn’t have to be a question, but at this rate, she wasn’t sure.

  James bent down slowly whispering in her ear. “Both.” He then stepped to the side holding her hand and showing her the world behind him. “Look around. Tell me this isn’t in your heart? Tell me this isn’t home.”

  The scene ahead of them was a beautiful green garden in front of a huge dazzling waterfall. It was breathtaking, peaceful, everything about it calmed her and drew her in. The ground now looked more like glass than the see through iridescent marble she thought it was, while all around them the white she realized was more a mist, or fog. Everything sparkled and was perfect, it did feel like home.

  She looked over to see James watching her with a calm expression. “What do you think?” He asked reaching out trailing a hand down the side of her face.

  Mikayla was shocked, it looked like heaven. “I think it does look like home. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

  James walked back in front of her taking her other hand, now holding them both. “The power you hold is what you want it to be. You can be everything or nothing at all. Don’t be afraid of what you are, this is who you are, this is where you belong. You belong with me Mikayla, we were made for each other.”

  Time seemed to stand still looking into his jade green eyes, almost like every hour had come down to this moment. “I can’t be made for you when I don’t even know who I am.”

  James smiled as a white light started shining from him. “You will.” He whispered as he stepped back, releasing his wings and jumping up into the air, and disappearing into the white world above her.

  The dream faded as she woke.

  18

  Tricked

  Ben got up in a hurry, stumbling, to answer the knock at the door. The motel alarm clock read 2:43 a.m. and he was confused at who would be knocking on the door at this hour but needed to make sure it wasn’t Ander. As he slipped on his house shoes the knocking continued in a rush making Anita stir in her sleep, he wanted to call out to them that he was coming but he didn’t want to wake his wife. Ben got to the door looking out the peep-hole to see a woman with a burgundy caped hood on, standing in front of two army men in uniform.

  After a quick decision he undid the locks and opened the door against his better judgment, stepping outside and shutting the door quickly behind him. It was a lot cooler at night in the desert atmosphere, even though it was in the middle of June. The woman lifted her hood slowly, revealing a beautiful young face and long black hair. The men stood at her back silent and staring.

  “Hi Ben Renifum, my name is Salena. I’ve come a long way to meet both you and your wife. I have lots to tell you.” Her accent was something he’d never heard before.

  Ben held out his hand and she took it shaking his hand in acquaintance. “Hi Salena, it’s nice to meet you I guess, but what are you doing here in the middle of the night? Anita is resting as you can imagine, so was I. What is so important that this couldn’t wait for the morning?”

  The men at her back looked uncomfortable and the mysterious woman didn’t seem to be holding anything to attack him with so why were they shifting so much? “You and your wife were set up in a trap to go to California. Now Ander has been taken by the same people who took Mikayla and I’ve come to get the two of you out of here. It won’t be long before they arrive.”

  “Come for us? How do you know the people who took Mikayla…and how do you know they took Ander? How do I know it’s not you that took them? And if it isn’t you that took them, good, let them come, at least we will know where our daughter is.” Ben said taking a step back towards the door.

  Salena looked around suddenly, before stepping towards Ben, “They’re here, let us in.” Ben looked out to the yellow streetlamps shinning down on a half empty parking lot but didn’t see anything. The two tough looking men, both looked at each other as if they both were able to sense something and turned around at the same time readying themselves for an attack.

  It finally struck Ben at what was happening. “No. Leave now or I’m calling the police. Better yet, I will come back with my pist
ol and shoot you myself. I’m not going to be some victim on the front page of the local newspaper because of some robbery gone bad, I’ve come too far to find my daughter.” He took a breath to calm his frustration.

  A second later a man appeared dressed in all black with a hood drawn up that hid his face. He ran straight for them with a long dagger in his hand. The guy to the right of Salena didn’t hesitate when he pulled out his gun and shot the hooded man right in the head. In front of Ben’s eyes, the man with the bullet hole in his head disappeared, leaving no trace of what happened other than the sound of the bullet being fired. The fragments of his once body floated down to the ground in pieces, the rest blowing away with the wind.

  “What…was that?” Ben stammered and pointed at where the man stood.

  Salena never turned around to even see what had happened but continued to look at Ben with a sober face. “There will be more, do we have to stand here all night trying to prove it to you until they have captured us, or are you going to let us in?”

  Ben turned and unlocked the door to their room with now shaky hands. He opened the door letting the three visitors inside before walking inside himself to see Anita sitting up awake at the edge of the bed looking confused and exhausted.

  “Anita, there is something I need to tell you.”

  The slow realization of waking up piqued her senses. The first thing she could hear before she opened her eyes was the sound of a crackling fire. She breathed in deep smelling a strong cedar, and something of spice, almost like ginger as she adjusted on a soft smooth surface. She opened her eyes looking up at a black silk canopy that attached to the huge bed she laid in. The wood of the bed frame itself was a deep mahogany. The fire she first heard came from her right and she looked over seeing the flames dance upon logs inside of a rustic stone fireplace.

  Anock sat in one of the two huge black cushioned chairs in front of the fire, his chair was turned to face her and away from the fire like the other chair still sat. He was in nothing but black dress pants. No shirt. She sat up, and he looked up noticing she was awake.

  “Ah. Finally.” He said, rubbing his hands together. “Now we can begin.”

  A loud clang to her left, followed by a thud and then a loud creaking had her jumping as a huge door swung open into the room. Two bright white wings entered first as whoever it was, was bent over walking backwards as they dragged something into the room. When the blonde hair came next, Mikayla’s heart dropped with the realization of it being James. It was someone he dragged. They had a black hood tied around their head, and other than that, she could tell it was an angel. The angel that was being dragged, had his hands tied behind his back, below wings that held a brown film over the white. Not only dirty, one of the wings was crooked and possibly broken. James dragged the angel under their armpits on the angel’s back, who grunted and struggled against James, but the angel’s feet were also tied together, and his struggling wasn’t going to save him.

  “What’s going on?” She asked, looking at Anock who looked immensely pleased. He sat calmly in his chair. He was relaxed back, one foot resting on his knee, with a drink in his hand. His facial expression could only be described as an evil overlord.

  James, hearing her talk glanced at her, but only for a second, before continuing his dragging. The captive angel paused his struggle at hearing her voice. The closer they got she saw that the angel wore normal clothes. Jeans, boots, and a plain grey fitting t-shirt and it made her wonder if all angels and demons wore everyday clothes all the time. She started to look away feeling bad for the angel when a necklace caught her eye.

  It was the necklace that stopped her heart. The black braided string held a baked, glazed clay circle with her all too familiar small fingerprint in the center. The world seemed to spin. She threw back to silk sheets and blankets as she rushed to crawl off the bed.

  It was Ander.

  Right when she reached the edge, all but stumbling off, Anock was there, grabbing her shoulders to keep her in place.

  “ANDER!” She screamed, and upon hearing her yell, he mumbled through his hood and struggled harder. It sounded like they had him gagged under the hood.

  “GET OFF ME! LET ME GO!” Anock now held her shoulders tight, pushing her to get back on the bed.

  She looked up confused by his actions and even more confused about James hurting Ander, and Ander…he was an angel. This whole time. He’d been an angel. He was, no, is an angel. The realization had her falling back on her butt, back on the soft bed and she stopped her struggle, watching James throw Ander to the black stone ground, as he grunted in pain. She cringed thinking of how bad he must be hurting with his wing broken.

  Seeing her struggle stop, Anock grinned and she scowled at him. Anger bubbled dangerously under the surface of her skin, a red glow coming from her arms.

  “Now, now. None of that.” Anock said, snapping his fingers and her glow died down along with the heat.

  How had he stopped her powers?

  He opened his mouth to say something else, but before he could, James’ voice broke through and she turned glaring into his amused green eyes. “You figured that out faster than I thought you would. Did you know the whole time?”

  Mikayla scooted back shrugging out of Anock’s hold before spitting in James direction. She kept trying to raise up her powers, but they just kept dying back down.

  “OH, wow! Feisty!” James laughed.

  What an asshole. Didn’t she just see him in her dream, where he was acting all heavenly? Was it all fake? Was it all a game?

  The door flying open with Blake and the twins rushing through gave her nerves a temporary relief, but only for a second, until she saw the fear on their faces.

  “Oh good. Now that were all here, I can begin. Cain. Elijah. Seal the door…for now.” Anock said cracking his knuckles before walking back to the chair he was first in when she woke.

  “Mikayla love, I’ve decided that the ritual will just have to work, with or without my mind interference. From now I will be making sure your powers are contained when you’re around me.” Anock looked to the twins and snapped his fingers. “Seal! Now!”

  The twins flashed quick glances at each other before turning and muttering words at the door, and an iridescent film made its way over the door. She scooted closer to the twins and Blake, glancing nervously at where Ander laid on his side on the floor, unmoving. James just continued to stand over Ander, legs spread, and arms crossed in his black uniform that matched the ones she’d seen Blake and the twins wear.

  “Don’t do this.” Blake said to Anock with red eyes. His voice wasn’t a total growl, but close. Tension floated in the air so thick a knife would be able to cut it.

  Anock chuckled, grabbing his drink off the side table by his chair before answering. “I think I will. See.” He paused, taking a drink. Looking around the room before landing eyes on her. “I wasn’t sure what to do when I found out what went on with you and Blake. Of course after you passed out from blood loss, minutes from our arrival here, I dropped my guard and images flooded my mind. I saw everything.” She was sure everyone in the room could see the blood draining from her face. She was sure no one in the room was breathing.

  Anock stood now and started to pace. “You see it was then, after we arrived that I decided it was time to confront Blake about leaving the mansion again. I knew there must have been a reason. Cain and Elijah leaving to see Queen Asgret made the wards weaker. Then they were temporarily down for some time and Blake went missing. When I tried to confront him about it before the dinner where you killed Eiseth’s sister, he said he would never want to leave this place and that indeed it had not been him that left. You walked up stopping the conversation and it never got brought back up.” She glanced around the room confused about what he was talking about. He was rambling and sounded like he’d gone crazy.

  Anock seeing her confused expression, “You probably think this is irrelevant, but I assure you, it is not. If someone didn’t leave the mansion and
no one else was missing how did the wards break? Well, that’s where James came in. The moment I was about to put the deathly blow down on Blake, he walked out from behind a cave entrance. I heard the black sand crunch under his weight before I ever saw him, but even before then I could sense him, and I could feel him. The darkness around him was strong, and shocking for a supposed angel. His powers were dark magic, dark blood of the purest kind. Looking down to Blake I saw nothing but light. James revealed something. The Magical had slipped in a secret clause they forgot to inform the rest of us about. Something called, the ritual of the hearts. Here…” He paused, setting down his drink. “It would be better if I showed you.”

  Just like the first time he’d show her memories, her eyes glazed over. She stared ahead at the stone jutting out of the wall behind where James and Ander stood, and like a movie, she began to see the memory.

  A younger version of Blake stood with James, and a heavyset man, with a cape and handlebar mustache. They were in what she knew as the landscape of Hell. It was night and the cracks of the barren desert floor held lava underneath. Steam shot out in random intervals around them. She watched as the man stepped forward slashing both Blake and James hands across their palms, the brothers then shook hands. A black and silver light shining up from their joined hands. It only lasted a second and then the brother’s unlocked hands and stepped back away from each other. The bigger man then stepped forward with what looked like a black marble ball the size of a baseball and threw it in the air. The ball erupted and brought out colors of dust that formed a small tornado and hung in the air. The bigger man concentrated on the colored tornado shouting words that she couldn’t hear, before the tornado crashed straight into Blake swallowing him whole as it lifted him into the air.

  No sooner than the memories started they stopped, and she heard a collective sigh go around the room from everyone being released from Anock’s mind hold at once. Anock immediately rushed Blake grabbing him up by the throat and into the air.