“Have you guys figured out what Aiden is?”
“Kieran said that Michael confirmed that only angels can create vocivus rooms. But I tend to disagree with him. I know he was the one who tortured me, and the place had to be somewhere in Hell. So, unless there are angels in Hell ...”
“He’s a demon.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he told me. I guessed, and he didn’t deny it. He said he’s tortured beings for a very long time. Plus, he kidnapped me. No angel would do those things, right?”
“Not any that I know of. But the person I met in Vegas, she’s a Knight ... well, she isn’t all bad to the core. She’s helped me out of a few jams in my life.” I watch as Zoe’s lips flatten. She’s mad but won’t contradict me. “Look, whatever Aiden is, it’s up to you to get him to release you. You’re going to have to figure out his plan and get ahead of it.”
“I know. I’m realizing that, too.” She sighs. “He’s not all bad. I don’t think. If he was, why does he visit me? He asks me a lot of questions about me growing up, my future, and the way I see the world. If he wants to kill me, he would have done it already.”
“No, he wouldn’t. He needs you to be eighteen, so he can see your wings or your Heaven’s Mark. He won’t do anything until then.” We both contemplate that and look out toward the blue water. “We still have time. But Zoe, you need to get him talking. If he’s chatting you up, he’s doing it for a reason. You need do the same. Maybe he’ll slip, and you can get yourself out. You’ll be coming into your powers soon.” I squeeze her hand. “I wish I was there for you to help you. I know Kieran wishes that, too.”
“It’s enough that I know you both are thinking of me. But okay, I’ll get Aiden to open up to me. Somehow.”
“Good. Now, let me hold you until you have to go.”
Since it’s my dream, I think of the sun setting. Bright oranges, reds, blues, and purples canvas the sky. The full moon shines on the opposite side while the sun sets. Twinkling stars dot the horizon.
The waves lapping the shore are the only sound besides our breathing, which is in sync with each other. The sun finally sets, and the ocean stills, leaving only the beating of our hearts.
Chapter Twenty
Zoe
I NEED A DISTRACTION from Aiden and my thoughts about him. The screen pulses, waiting for me to view it. The scene shows me a sleeping Shay on a teak bench. I know he was just with me in a Dream Walk. He’s been mumbling ever since the dream ended. His body has been moving on autopilot.
Everyone seems to be waiting for something to happen. Vash is pacing, and Kieran stands perfectly still.
“Hey, Vash.” Kieran nods. “How do you think Shay is handling this?”
Yes, sound!
“Better than I would be.” He’s sitting on the fountain ledge, running water over his fingers.
“I can’t say if I would be or not. I’ve never known love like what they have.”
Oh, K. What Shay and I have goes beyond what normal people have. But what you and I have will always hold a special place in my heart. You’ve been, and forever will be, my best friend.
“You’ll find it someday, Kieran.” Vash pats his shoulder. “It’s whoever you’re meant to be with. I know you love Zoe, and you thought you were in love with her at some point. But you’ll know when it happens. The earth will literally move and tilt on its axis. Your heart will pound every single time you see her. Your mouth will spew incoherent words when you’re around her. Mushy thoughts will consume you. And they’ll be what you think about when you wake, right before you go to sleep, and everything in between.”
“That sounds wonderful.” He closes his eyes.
“It is.”
Kieran is thinking about something or someone. I hope it’s the latter. Maybe something will go beyond friendship with Sidelle. They’re both Eternals. But she still has Finn whom she keeps at arm’s length.
“Kieran,” Vash says. “You have a huge heart and generous soul. And we all love you for it. Someday, hopefully soon, you’ll find what Shay and I have. It’ll come. I know it will. You, of all angels, should know that.”
“Maybe I’m destined to be alone.”
“You’re never truly alone though, are you?”
“No. I guess not.”
“You are closer to Him than any of us are or will be. Find comfort that He knows best.”
“Thanks.”
Neither of them says anything for a long time.
A blue light floods the area, coming from the trellis. A mirror-like surface covers the inner circumference and out steps the Winter Queen. She’s dressed in a tight-fitting blue gown that flares out near the bottom. Her black hair is swept into an intricate up-do. A sneer mars her beautiful face. A step behind her is King Oberon. He’s regal in his green robes.
Oh, so that’s whom they’ve been waiting for. The Fae Royals. Are they offering help?
“I hear that you need our assistance,” Queen Mab says. Yes, do they ever. “Revenge is a dish that I’ll be serving as the appetizer, for the main meal, and dessert. I’ll obliviate the earth of its demons,” the queen continues.
“Calm down, Mab,” Oberon says as he tries to lay a hand on her icy shoulder.
“Do not tell me to calm down, Oberon. You didn’t have hundreds of your subjects’ lives extinguished from your realm. Did you?”
“No, I didn’t. And I’m sorry I wasn’t there to send aid sooner. Like I’ve told you before, if you would have made the distress call quicker, Summer could have helped.”
Fury rocks the queen’s expression.
“We sent word to my father as soon it was possible,” Sidelle says as she steps through the porta. “It’s not his fault.”
“Don’t you dare speak to me like that,” the queen hisses.
“Sidelle is my daughter and while I’m here, you will address her in kind.” Oberon scowls at the queen.
“Thank you for both coming to earth’s aide,” Kieran says. “Has Sidelle filled you in on the goings on?” He addresses each royal. They both nod. “Good, I don’t have to tell you what’s at stake here. Besides all the human souls departing, if things continue to unfold, there will be no earth left, and Sammael will breach into Fairyland and do the same to yours.”
“What do you need me to do?” Oberon asks.
“We need to stop the rain that’s causing the flooding and landslides. Sidelle managed to address the wildfires that have been burning across the Midwest.”
“The souls we cannot replace,” Oberon says. “But we can restore the earth as it was before the devastation. I will do all I can.”
“What do you need me to do?” Mab asks.
“The volcanoes need to be silenced,” Vash says. “And any demon you run across can be killed.”
“Ah, the new Alpha. Vash is it?”
“Yes.”
“Very well. At least you and I are on the same page. I’ll do what I can for the earth, too.”
The earth suddenly shakes. Vash loses his footing on the ground. Shay rolls off the bench, now wide awake.
“What’s happening?” Shay asks.
“Earthquake,” Oberon says. “We have these in Fairyland. It’s never a good sign. The earth is fighting back the only way it knows how. With the excessive water and everything burning, the land can’t sustain itself. It’s trying to reset, but by doing that all the crops will be destroyed. Worldwide famine will take hold. Not only in the third-world countries, but in your own backyard.” He stretches his arms wide. A deep, emerald green, swirled with browns and tan, surrounds him. His baritone voice chants an old-world language. He opens his eyes, but they are not his own chocolate coloring. Instead, they are solid white.
The ground continues to shake; decorative stone walls crumble as trees topple over. The limestone fountain begins to crack. Water seeps through, drenching his feet. A shock wave is emitted from the King of Summer. His eyes flash open, returning to normal.
“The evi
l runs deep to the earth’s core,” Oberon says. “There are many who work against us, and all is fixed for now. We shouldn’t have any more quakes. A few small tremors, but nothing that will cause damage.” He fixes Queen Mab with a stare. “We are needed to mend some of the wrongs done here, and we are needed in the far north.”
“What did you see, Father?” Sidelle asks.
“The Marqs are on the move toward northern Canada. I didn’t see their plan, so we should have enough time to stop the flooding rains here and find them.”
“How far north?” Mab asks. “I can go there now and head them off.”
“We can go, too,” Kieran suggests.
“No. It’s too dangerous. There are too many of them and not enough of us.”
“This whole mission has been nothing but danger for us,” Shay says. “It’s what I was created for.”
“I may need Mab’s assistance,” Oberon says. “My glamour is straining now because of the effort of stopping and shifting the fault lines back to the way they were. I won’t know if I can handle it on my own or not. And if she goes, and I can’t stop the evil here, she’ll be called back. It’s better to wait thirty minutes and we all go.”
It’s a good enough plan. I silently send prayers toward my friends. The TV screen fades to black.
Chapter Twenty-One
Aiden
THURSDAY, JUNE 15, forty-seven days after prom.
THOSE LUCKY PROTECTORS have managed to quell some of my efforts. And now they have called the royals from Fairyland to assist.
But it’s no matter because in the human world, it’s only weeks away from her eighteenth birthday. My wait is nearly over. She should come into her full powers, and we can get on with it.
There have been so many disasters around the world that even the Reperio Teams were pulled from their searches to assist. No one had the chance to find me, dig into my sister’s or my history, or retrieve my prisoner from her locked room.
I watched as her four friends toured around the world saving people from their deaths. It was glorious to witness so many souls die. And yes, some went to Heaven while others were met to face their equal in Hell.
My wings flutter. I’m anxious, and I haven’t had this feeling in many years. If ever.
I can’t stay away from her, but I know I must.
When her soft fingers touched my face, something passed between us. I saw it written in her eyes. Sympathy maybe? I know she feels something for me. It’s pity. She wants to fix me, but there isn’t anything wrong with me.
But her touch ...
My thoughts shouldn’t be on her like that. I need to keep my wings on straight.
There is no messing around when it comes to my father. He will be released, and he’ll unleash his power onto this world. Then conquer the next.
She’s not my soul mate. I repeat the mantra in my mind as if I’ll start believing it.
She’s not my soul mate.
Zoe is not my soul mate.
No matter how many times I repeated it, wishing it weren’t true, hoping it wasn’t true, it is real.
These past few days with her ... something is changing in me. She evokes feelings that I haven’t felt in eons. Feelings I never thought I’d feel again.
An inner battle rages in me. My head chants that I must kill her to release my father from his prison, so he can come into his full power. But my wings keep telling me to release her and be damned with the consequences.
I can’t.
I must.
Which part of me will win?
STILL STRUGGLING WITH that inner battle, I find myself wandering back to Zoe’s room. When had it become her room and not my room or the vocivus room?
I’m going soft. What will the other demons think of me? They’ll know I’m weak and use it against me. Zoe will be used against me.
Oh, hells.
Somehow, my body has dragged me to stand behind the speculo. I had told Zoe that it worked like a one-way mirror and it does. I’ve stood here watching her go about her business for hours. Even in her sleep, I’ve spied on her.
How have I become a stalker?
She’s felt my presence in the room, even though I’ve remained invisible. It made her feel uneasy and that bothered me. So, I tinkered with the mirror to allow me to view her, but only when she’s not watching the real world.
I’m pathetic.
I’m the Prince of Hell. A seventeen-year-old girl isn’t going to be my downfall.
From now on, it’s going to be all business and that’s it. No more being mister nice demon. No more chatting with her. And absolutely no spying.
I nod to myself and turn away, but my body won’t take that step to desert her.
The speculo isn’t turned on, and I’m drawn to it like my soul to Hell. I’ll take a quick peek, and then I need to get an update from my minions. Yes, this is exactly what I need to do. Throw myself into work and forget about her.
When I gaze through the screen, Zoe is doodling on a small chalkboard. Tiny bits of chalk are scattered across the bed. Pink dust is smeared along the side of her face, near the piece of hair she always plays with. I even notice that some of her hair is colored in spots. She must have wiped her face and forgot that she had chalk all over her hands.
I can’t see what she’s drawing, but from here they look pretty good. I could be biased, though.
Thinking back to all the times I snooped in her bedroom at her house while she was attending school, I don’t recall seeing any hand drawn pictures. Maybe it’s a new hobby or an old one she’s picked back up again.
I watch her stretch like a cat, and she hunches back over her drawing. Without looking for a specific color, her hands fumble for chalk. She’s deep in thought, and her fingers work feverously outlining and shading.
Now, my curiosity is peaked. I must see it.
“I didn’t know you could draw. Do you want to be an artist after high school?” She doesn’t look away from the chalkboard. I lean forward more, and my knees hit the bed. “It’s nice. What’s it supposed to be?” Just when I think she’s not going to respond, her brown eyes lift from her bed and find mine.
“Thank you,” she whispers. “It’s not done yet because I don’t have all the materials I would like to get the coloring correct, but I’m making due.” She flips the board in my direction, so I can see it better.
For a chalk drawing on a twelve by twelve piece of board, it isn’t too bad. Zoe’s managed to draw a beautiful waterfall with flowers lining the cliff. The blue water dives into a dark green pool, swirling around a lagoon. Palm trees line the outer edge.
“Watch.” She waves her hand across the picture and it comes alive. The leaves sway, and the water bubbles as it creates an eddy.
“That’s amazing.”
“Do you draw?” I continue to stare as the spinning colors. “Aiden?” Her voice pulls me out of the picture.
“No.”
“Listen to music? Do you read? Go to movies?”
“What’s with the twenty questions?” My voice is harsh, more than it needs to be.
“I ... I need to talk with someone and you’re here.” She shrugs. “You don’t have to answer anything. You can sit and watch.” Grabbing a different chalk, she starts filling in the sunset. “I don’t know how long it’s been, but I’m craving companionship. I miss my friends. I miss talking to people. I know you’re not a person, but you do talk. And I miss ... people.”
Oh, Hells.
“I don’t have time for indulgences like that.” I soften my voice. She sniffles and wipes her nose with the back of her hand. “I have a job to do.”
She better not cry in front of me. I see her inhale.
Oh, Hells.
Her shoulders slump and her head shakes.
She’s going to cry.
She doesn’t look at me, but fat tears drop onto her picture, smearing the colors. When she finally glances in my direction, her eyes are red and puffy. Tears line her cheeks.
She’s finally broken.
“But all those movies and CDs in your room—”
“All for show.”
“Everything in your room, too?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.” She moves off the bed and shuffles toward her bathroom. “Was anything you said to me the truth?” Her hands hold the edges of the sink. “She’s not your sister.”
It’s a statement, not a question.
Seeing her like this when I know how strong she is breaks me. “Everything you know about me is a lie.” I close my eyes and inhale. “Sarah is not my sister in the conventional way.”
“California?”
“I’ve been there but not to live.”
“It’s on my bucket list to go there.”
I can’t watch her lose it. I’m supposed to be a badass. I’m the Prince of Hell, I remind myself again. This soft stuff—these feelings—don’t happen to someone like me.
Her head hangs low over the porcelain sink. She’s grabbed a tissue and turns her body away from me. With one more glance her way, I’m done.
I leave her alone.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Zoe
SATURDAY, JUNE 23, fifty-six days after prom.
OVER THE DAYS OR WEEKS, I honestly didn’t know, but Aiden starts to visit me more frequently. At first, it’s only once a day, but it soon progresses to twice. He arrives at every meal and watches me eat. He never consumes anything, but is curious at some of the dishes I have come up with. He’s let me decide and conjure my own foods when I want to eat. After a few more days pass, he stays for hours at a time. I enjoy the time we spend together and really look forward to his visits.
Zoe, he’s the enemy.
He has opened up more and talks about himself; most of it is pretty vague. He doesn’t talk about his past life. I do most of the talking, which is fine with me. I steadily grow to like his silent company.
Weeks have quickly gone by. Neither Kieran, Shay, Sidelle, nor Vash have come to rescue me, and today is the day before my birthday. Tomorrow, I turn eighteen. How exciting. I’ll officially be an adult. But then I remember where I am, held captive by Aiden, as if I could really forget. My joyous moment vanishes.
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