"Wait a minute. Are you telling me that you brought me here because of Chris?"
I was cautious about all of this as I stared at Saffron. I was afraid to believe such a thing, especially when I thought about what Michael Renaldi had told us about Jade meeting up with them to discuss the possible redemption of the Shadow Wings.
Saffron smiled as he crossed his arms, "Of course I am. He's been part of my plans to pay Jade back for a long time. I wouldn't simply give up when I now know for certain that he's still alive, and adding to that, I'm certain that Jade will be around here for bigger reasons. He won't pass up looking for Wilhelm Marcos when he knows that Judiel wants his power." he responded.
"Will's come back here too? Why?"
It was odd to me that he'd come back to Baton Rouge this quickly after what had happened. He'd seemed as hellbent as Zane was on leaving six months ago and never looking back.
"He has his reasons, but for now, I feel that it would be best if you stuck with me. There's still much unrest in places like this, even if the angels have been temporarily called off, and I'm not that certain that Jade can be trusted when he sees you again. He did blame you for what happened before, even if it was that boy's choice. A foolish thing, his connection to that blood. It's going to lead to his downfall."
His words struck a chord with me. The memories flashed through my mind of when I was a child. Back then, I hadn't known the truth about what Saffron was. I didn't even put together that he was my father. He was just a very kind man who'd show up to spend time with me. He offered me comfort on the dark nights and lonely days, giving me words of advice and even encouragement. Looking at him now, I wondered if all of that had just been part of a very elaborate act.
"You doubt me, don't you?" Saffron noted, now looking solemn. He walked over and tilted my chin up to make me look him in the eyes, "You doubt everything I've ever done for you because of what you now know."
I stared into his light blue eyes as he said this, my mind echoing Chris's words about our fathers. No, there was never any denying our connection to them. I didn't think that I could ever deny Saffron anything he wanted from me, even if I wanted to. That really sucked. All of the Shadow Wings were slaves to their creators. Even if we found the redemption we wanted so badly, we couldn't escape this dark bond.
Saffron stepped back from me, "I think you understand a lot more than you want to, but to be perfectly clear, I will tell you that I am just as much a fool as Jade is when it comes to what I created; and between you and me, the use of that girl was never to get back at him. I never lied when I told him that I hated him for such an attachment. I wanted it for myself, so I took it, and that mother of yours was a crowning achievement in my existence." he bragged.
"I bet." I looked towards the large front window. I was starting to feel a bit edgy about all of this, so I decided to change the subject. I think I knew that a part of me may feel a stronger connection with Saffron if he kept talking like that. He had a way of getting me on his side when he wanted to, "So, what now? Are we supposed to go out looking for them?"
"No. The first thing I want to do is get you settled here again. However, I don't wish to stay at this house. I'm not fond of places that I don't consider my own, and I know that others will come here looking for you soon enough, so we'll be going elsewhere. Coming here was merely to give you insight as to where you are now." Saffron responded, brushing past me to the foyer.
I reluctantly followed, "Do you have somewhere else for us to go, or are you just winging it?" I asked as he opened the front door.
"I never wing things. You know that. I have a good place for us for the time being. I'm looking forward to this too. I've never been able to live with my daughter before. It may be fun."
"Don't sound so excited. It's not like I wanted to come with you." I muttered.
Saffron didn't say anything. He simply kept walking.
I quietly followed, not really feeling like talking now. My mind was on Zane. Was he going to be okay after all of that? I knew that Shadow Wings tended to heal quickly from physical wounds, but the emotional wounds ran deeper. It made me wonder about all of the things I Zane never told me. He seemed to have a lot of secrets. I wondered if Chris did too. Had there been another before me that he might have regretted?
Baton Rouge hadn't changed at all in the time I'd been gone. Looking around me as we walked in an effort to clear my mind, I saw all of the same shops and types of people walking around. A few glanced at us, but none really seemed to care about our presence.
Saffron didn't pay attention to any of them. He continued walking with his hands in his pockets down the long, cracked sidewalk. I took in his appearance in the dim light of the evening. Saffron could look so normal when he was out among humans. He didn't seem menacing at all.
Yet looking at those eyes, I felt like they were the exception to that. Even with the casual expression he had, Saffron had very cold, calculating eyes. I shivered as I looked away again.
We finally came to an old mansion that had been converted into apartments. The building didn't look that impressive on the outside. The walls were an off white, and it had large windows on the front and sides. Delicate black lattice work lined the small balconies in the front.
Following Saffron inside, I saw that the foyer had five small mailboxes on the left wall, and a staircase that led to the second floor. Saffron quietly led us up the staircase and to the last door down the left side of the hallway.
"Welcome to you new home." he said as he opened the darkly painted door and we stepped into the small apartment.
I couldn't say that it looked uncomfortable. Decorated in blacks and whites, it reminded me a bit of the modern theme. I walked over to the sliding glass door that looked out to the balcony and street below.
"Not too bad. How'd you get this so quick?" I asked, not bothering to look back at him.
"I didn't. It's just a place I saw that I liked, so I took it for my own. They think I'm just another normal tenant here. It's a perk of hiding in plain sight." Saffron bragged, sitting down on the black couch near me.
"You're a piece of work." I muttered. I swallowed my pride and sat beside him.
"I'll take that as a compliment. I personally think that this is more suited for you. Sometimes those friends of yours are too fancy. They need to learn to tone themselves down or they'll always end up caught."
Silence filled the room as I thought about what was happening now. At one time, I had actually dreamed of being able to be with my father for good, but then I'd begun learning more about what he was and the things he'd done. That had become a huge point of conflict deep within me. How could I want to be with him when I knew that I couldn't trust him?
Saffron broke the silence between us, "I know you don't trust me."
I looked over to see him watching me. His blue eyes flashed with intelligence. Yet there was something else there too. As hard as it was for me to believe, there seemed to be some sort of regret hidden deep within them.
Still, far be it for me to say anything about my suspicions, "No. Everyone's warned me not to, and I know about what you've done before." I responded.
"As you well should. I don't even trust myself at times, but this is for the best. Not only for the problems with Zane Hedel and his past, but also for the ones who are now joining in on this whole salvation fiasco. Kinsley is stirring up a lot of trouble with all of this; not only with the other angels, but also with the Fallen, and that includes the Darkest One deciding to get involved." Saffron continued.
I stared at him, "The Darkest One? You mean Lucifer?"
"The same."
"You've got to be kidding me. Now he's going to be around?"
Saffron shrugged, "Perhaps, perhaps not. I wouldn't worry about it too much right now. I think his only motive here is to see what's going to happen with that child of his. Abass has always been his first priority in this world, considering his very existence drives those angels insane. But enough about that. We should try to relax now. If you're hungry, there's plenty of food in the freezer that I can fix for you. I'm quite fond of cooking, and I've been waiting years to do it for you." he went on.
"Are you trying to humor me or something? You tell me all those things and then you offer to make me dinner because you've been waiting for the chance to do it? You sound like you're planning on poisoning me or something." I accused, glaring at him.
"Now why would I do that? It wouldn't make the least bit of sense for me to do so." Saffron responded.
I stood up, determined to find a way to get away from him for now, "Do I have a room here? I'm tired and I want to rest."
Thankfully Saffron took the bait, "It's the second door down the hall. Take as much time as you like. I have no intention of going anywhere for the time being. I already know what I need to here."
His words chilled me as I hurried down the hallway to the bedroom. I made sure to lock the door once I was inside. It really didn't occur to me that there was no purpose in doing so with what Saffron was, but at least it made me feel better.
I leaned against the door and looked at the room. It looked almost exactly like my old bedroom in Fallsburg, which was very unnerving. The twin bed was in the same place along with the dresser, bookshelf and desk. The only difference was that the window was larger.
Looking at the bed, I realized that the comforter was same burgundy as my old one and had the same patterns. Could he have taken this from that room before he came to take me? It definitely seemed possible.
My eyes landed on a small object sitting at the end of the bed. I recognized it right away. It was the box that I'd taken from the old house back when I'd met Chris. It looked like Saffron had taken the time to retrieve it and left it there for me.
I thought about whether or not I should look inside of it as I sat down. I already knew that I'd left the book and most of the photos in there. Did I really want to look at that stuff again? And if I did, was I going to be playing into his hand?
The obvious answer was yes.
But thinking about everything I now knew, I felt like I could learn more from all of this too, so I opened the top of the box. The small book and the envelopes were neatly laid inside of it. I pulled out the two envelopes, opening each one and lining the pictures up in a row. The only one missing was the one of Saffron that I'd taken with me and left in the pocket of the coat I'd had back in Fallsburg. Looking at the photos of Faith Evans and Jade, I found it hard to believe that this one mere mortal woman had caused so much trouble between two Fallen.
Yet that also added to the mystery in my mind. Why had Jade brought Saffron in on that original contract? Obviously, Jade was powerful enough to handle things with Faith Evans by himself. He could've easily killed her husband without Saffron to subdue Lacy, and he could've defended her from any threats. But instead, he'd invited Saffron in as a partner, actually writing him in and giving him equal power. He had even given him enough to change things and set the whole cycle in motion for me to be born. Why would Jade make such a careless decision? Or was it not really careless at all?
My first thought was that perhaps Jade was the more cunning of the two. What if he wanted to use Saffron for some reason? He'd been watching over Chris even back then. He'd taken care of him by himself for years, training and molding him into one of the strongest Shadow Wings alive.
But he also knew that Chris was leading a lonely life. He knew that Chris had this strange belief since he was a child that there would be a girl born just for him. Jade had to have known that, so it would make sense that he'd use Saffron to create that female Shadow Wing.
I shook my head. No, that was way too complicated, even for Fallen like those two. Jade may have been extremely intelligent, but there was no way he could predict the future like that, and on top of it, I hadn't even been born until decades later.
There was also the fact that Jade had never liked my existence. He'd been very apprehensive about my connection to Chris. He'd even wanted Chris to stay away from me after that whole horrible ordeal with Judiel. So that ruled out Jade expecting Saffron to create me.
Sighing, I sat back and looked at the box again. That was when I noticed something odd about the book. Picking it up, I realized that there was a folded piece of thick paper being used as a bookmark. I hadn't seen it before, so it had to be something that Saffron had put in there recently. I took it out and realized that the page it marked had been written on after the last time I'd looked at it.
I found her again. She's here in Baton Rouge. What timing this all is. Truly, the fates are coming together in all of this. It will be over very soon. I sense it with all my being.
I reread the lines several times, trying to make sense of them. Apparently, Saffron had an immense interest in someone who had shown up in Baton Rouge; a female someone.
I picked up the folded piece of paper that I'd set aside. It was a photograph. It looked like a recently taken one. In it were a man and a woman. They were standing together in what looked like the park I'd visited before with Will, looking at the small lake under one of the willow trees. The man was very handsome, with white-blonde hair and brilliant violet-colored eyes. He was dressed nicely in casual dark pants and a white shirt.
But what really caught my attention was the woman standing next to him. I blinked a few times as I looked at her, almost unable to believe my own eyes.
She looked like a younger version of Faith Evans!
Although I knew that she couldn't have possibly been her, the girl looked so much like her that it was eerie. She had long blonde hair that fell around her face in waves and was dressed nicely in a long dark skirt and pink blouse. She was looking to the side as though she was speaking to the man, but I could see her clearly enough to feel this odd sense of familiarity.
I picked up the book with my free hand, rereading Saffron's words. That was when I remembered what he'd said before. Already knowing what he'd needed to know there. I couldn't believe it. He wasn't just talking about Jade and Chris. He must have been talking about these people.
I felt my heart beat harder as I realized who this girl must have been. She had to be the reincarnation of Faith Evans. She was the very last one, the one who had survived and lifted the curse of the contract on her soul. She was in Baton Rouge, and Saffron had found her there.
But as I realized this, I felt a slight ache within me. This girl was the reincarnation of that soul. That meant that she was also the reincarnation of my mother, Faith Kent.
I had a lot of mixed feelings about the girl who had given me life. Ever since the vision I'd had when I'd gotten my wings, I'd felt both a longing and hatred towards her. On one hand, I hated that she'd allowed herself to have me knowing what I'd be born into; but on the other, I felt sad for her. I think I understood deep inside that Faith Kent had loved my father despite what he was, and her love had been used by him. I wondered if this girl carried any of her memories of that time. If she did, then I felt like I wanted to know the truth about all of that. I wanted to know if Faith Kent really knew what she was getting into with me, and if she really understood what I'd be.
Closing the book, I slowly stood up and walked to the door. I was debating on whether I should speak to Saffron about all of this. I knew that he'd wanted me to find it. He wouldn't have left that box on the bed if he didn't. I hoped that I wasn't falling into one of his sick games by talking about this, but I sucked it up and opened the door.
I was greeted with silence as I stepped into the hallway.
"Saffron?" I called.
There was no answer. I stopped in the living room and looked around, wondering where he was. He had said that he was staying there. He wasn't lying, was he?
I really didn't care that much. This felt like my chance. If I could get out without him and have a look around, maybe I could find this girl. It was at least worth a shot. I had to know if she had any of those memories.
I quickly went to the door and opened it. I took one last look around me, then slipped out of the apartment and into the hallway.
Everything was quiet as I stood out there. I still felt nothing of Saffron being around. Even though I was confused, I wasn't about to question it. I continued down the hallway to the stairs. I kept taking occasional glances around me as I walked, but there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. Finally, I made it to the lobby and hurried out of the front door, not even taking the time to look around anymore.
The dusk had set in, and the skies were becoming dark. I could see a few stars coming out. A part of me recoiled slightly at this as the memories of what had happened with Norma returned, but I pushed them back, determined to keep going. I was wiser and stronger now. I could handle myself in Baton Rouge on my own. I didn't need the others and I definitely didn't need Saffron. If this was my chance to get away from him, even if only for a little while, then I would take it.
Picking up my pace, I made my way back to the park where the picture had been taken. The walk wasn't that far from where I was now supposed to be staying, and I arrived there as night set in. The moon was coming up in the sky, giving good illumination on everything around me.
I looked over at the lake and trees as I continued walking. Everything was quiet, and I could hear the soft lap of the water hitting the shore. I tried to picture the man and woman standing out there. Were they still in Baton Rouge? Did they even suspect that Saffron was there too? Or know anything about me?
I stopped dead in my tracks as the air suddenly became thicker around me, the night seemingly darker. About ten feet ahead of me, I could see a white shape that was standing very still. It looked like a woman with her back turned to me. She had long white hair and was wearing what looked like a faded blue housedress. She seemed to have an ethereal glow around her.
"Ariana? That is you, isn't it?"
I tensed up as I heard the familiar voice, "Mama?" I whispered. I felt like I couldn't move as I watched the glowing form.
Mama didn't move. I heard her laugh in what sounded like relief.
"It is you. I knew I would find you. I always know where to find you."
"But you're dead." I managed.
I tried to reel in my senses. This whole thing felt far too surreal. Something was definitely wrong with the whole scene, and not only because she seemed to be a ghost.
Mama still didn't turn, although I could see her form starting to drift closer to me.
"Death is only a mortal thing, but what awaits can be even more terrifying. It was your fault I ended up here. I never should have made that deal with him." she whispered harshly.
I took a step back, "Mama, you're scaring me."
She didn't seem to hear me, "But you can help me. You can help." she insisted.
Her form turned in a blink of an eye. I was now staring into her glowing white eyes that were set in her drawn, bony face. Bony fingers grabbed my upper arms, squeezing them tightly. I screamed as I pushed hard against her chest in an effort to get her off of me. But it was no use. My hands went through her blouse right into her withered chest. I could feel dirt and bone in there.
Mama let out a screeching laugh, "You can help! You can help! Give me your life!"
I brought out my wings, knowing that it was probably the only way to release her hold on me.
"Get away from me!" I yelled, closing my eyes and using a shield of flames to help push her back.
I felt the grip of her bony hands loosen and fell to the ground as she finally let me go. I quickly scooted myself back as I stared up at the raging spirit floating in front of me. Even though she was monstrous, I knew that this spirit had once been the woman I'd called my mother. That was what was making me hesitate on fighting her.
Mama floated in front of me, the wind gusting around her form and whipping up her white hair around her zombie like face.
"You must die! If you die, then they will set me free!" she screeched.
"Mama..."
I heard my voice trail off as the guilt hit me. She was this way because of me. She must have been sentenced to Hell because of her helping me. I put my head down and closed my eyes. Maybe I deserved this. I'd hurt so many others just by existing.
But as I did, I suddenly felt a strong gust of wind blow past me. Then everything went still and silent. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up to see a dark form standing in front of me, holding Mama by her lower jaw.
"This is enough! I gave you freedom in your Hell and you'd dare turn on me?!" Saffron growled.
Mama's spirit gurgled in his grip, fading in and out. As I watched, she began to disappear completely into a small orb of blue light. Saffron stepped back and held the sphere of light above his palm.
"Incredible. Using one of my own against me; and here I considered Judiel weak willed." he muttered, closing his hand and causing the sphere to disappear with a distant screech.
"What did you do to her?" I demanded, getting back up.
For as scared as I was over what had happened, I couldn't bear the thought that he'd harm her anymore. I suppose that a big part of it was because of how I'd seen her suffer before she died. What Saffron had done to her was cruel enough.
"Pull yourself together. I've simply sent her back to where she belongs, and I've made sure that her spirit will remain sleeping." Saffron responded, looking displeased. He turned to face me, "What do you think you're doing out here? I told you to remain in the apartment."
"You weren't there. I came out of that room, and you had disappeared." I informed him.
"I did not give you permission to leave!" Saffron bellowed, his black wings bursting out.
I took a step back, working hard not to yell out in fright. While I knew that I had been pushing things, I hadn't expected such extreme anger out of him towards me. Maybe I should have. None of these Fallen had stable personalities, and Saffron especially didn't seem to from everything I'd come to see and hear in the last year. I just hoped that I wouldn't regret my impulsive actions now.
Thankfully Saffron seemed to bring his temper back down just as quickly as it had flared up. He pulled the wings back in with a loud swooping sound, then turned away from me.
"Come. We're going home." he ordered.
I put my head down, following him out of the park. The walk was uncomfortably silent, but rightfully so. I stayed close behind Saffron. I was kind of worried about anything else popping out from the shadows after this incident. I could still see Mama's cadaverous face and hear her voice in my mind.
If you die, they will set me free!
I looked down as I thought about that. Maybe it really was my fault that she'd ended up like she was. Maybe she really was as tormented in death as she had been at the end of her life.
Saffron spoke up, "Stop blaming yourself for such silly things. She was simply under another's control, and that other wanted you to take blame and allow her to kill you."
"You were reading my thoughts?" I guessed.
"I didn't have to. It's rather easy to tell what you were thinking, especially with what was said back there." Saffron replied. He stopped and turned to face me.
I looked up at him, taking in his appearance. He seemed a lot calmer than before, which I counted as a very good thing. I took a deep breath to keep my composure.
"Maybe, but you didn't exactly tell me that I couldn't leave that apartment."
"Perhaps you have a point, although I would've thought you'd consider the obvious."
"Stop trying to turn all of this one me!" I protested, stomping my foot.
"You know darling, you're starting to act like a child." Saffron chided me.
"Maybe that's because I am a child!" I shot back, "You and everyone else in all of this think that and always tell me so, so why not?! You never give me a straight answer on anything! What do you expect from me?!"
Saffron was quiet as he regarded me, but there was an odd look in his eyes; almost like he felt some pity towards me. To my surprise, he reached over and laid a hand on top of my head. The action was actually quite gentle.
"Perhaps we have come off wrong to each other. Presumptions on things often cause that. But let us try and start over from the beginning. What do you say to that?" he suggested in a softer tone.
I stared up at him, wondering whether to believe him or not. But I didn't have much of a choice in the matter either. I was stuck with him for now. At least, until I could find Chris and the others. It was obvious that Saffron was planning on that eventually. Maybe if I played along with his game, it would allow me to get away from him sooner.
"Okay. I guess we can do that." I lamented, letting myself sound defeated.
Saffron smiled at me, "Come then. Let us get home. It's been quite a day."
I wasn't that comfortable walking as close to him as I was, but I knew that I had to make myself be, if only for now. Maybe I couldn't make myself trust my father anymore, but I could use him until I got to where I wanted to be. As terrible as it sounded, it may have been the only way that I could return to Chris.