"How long have you been back in Baton Rouge?" I asked Chris as we entered a bedroom and he turned on the overhead light.
The room was small but comfortable. There was a nice queen-sized bed in there with a canopy over it, and the comforter on it was dark brown with gold weaved into it in intricate patterns.
"I've been here the entire time. Jade didn't bother moving me away. I guess he thought that they'd all count on it. We did have to go to New Orleans for a few days to tie up some loose ends though." Chris responded. He double checked that the dark curtains in the nearby window were drawn tight.
"Maybe. It seems like Jade would think like that." I noted.
I sat down on the side of the bed, taking in my surroundings. I had been there for nearly two hours, and I was still having a hard time believing that I was finally with him again. After all of the time that had passed, I had begun to think that it may never happen.
Chris sat down beside me, holding my chin as he kissed me.
"I'm sorry. I really scared you this time, didn't I?" he said as he pulled back.
I was a bit dumbfounded by his words and actions. He'd never been so openly affectionate before. He'd only just begun opening up to me before what had happened.
"Yeah, but it's okay now. At least I know you're okay and I'm finally back here with you." I managed to squeak out.
"Yeah, but it did take a long time for me to heal. Hell, I was a little worried too. I pushed a lot harder than I probably should have, but I didn't have a choice. Will's plans definitely went very wrong back there." Chris admitted.
"Did you know about all of that? Did you know that Will was putting on an act because he'd been ordered to?" I asked.
These were things that I'd been wondering about ever since that night. It was obvious that Saffron and Jade had known something about it. Perhaps Jade had shared some insight with Chris.
Chris shook his head, "No. I didn't know a thing about it until much later, when Jade was able to tell me after I'd woken up. I really did think at the time that he'd betrayed us, even though I didn't get why. But now I know that it was just another order. He's gotten them before, and he's never been able to disobey. He wasn't even allowed to tell us about it because of all the spies he had to deal with." he explained.
That made sense to me, but at the same time, I couldn't help but think back to what had happened in these last six months. The guilt was returning as I did.
"Did Zane tell you about us having to go to Fallsburg?" I asked, deciding to use the roundabout approach to things.
"Yeah. He sung like a bird about a lot of things after he showed up here. I get that you thought I was dead. I think that everyone thought that one until recently, and he felt bad too. I know that Zane's not like that, and I doubt you are either, so stop worrying so much." Chris told me.
"I'm not worrying." I lied.
"I know better than that. You've got a good poker face, but it shows in your eyes." Chris responded. As if to prove his point, he forced me to look into his eyes.
My cheeks burned as he did, and I quickly looked at the floor. I hated it when he did that. He knew it unnerved me to look him directly in the eyes. There was something way too deep about that.
"Either way, what Zane told us was more than interesting." Chris went on. He'd apparently decided to leave my embarrassment alone, "Not only did you get to free that woman's spirit, but you also got to meet one of the clan Nephilim. When he told me that the guy was a Renaldi, that really got me listening. It was almost ironic, considering that Jade and I had seen two of them only a month ago."
"Yeah, Michael told us about it. He said that Jade had met with him and Raphael Renaldi. Raphael is supposed to be the oldest of them too." I confirmed.
"That's what I heard. I didn't talk to them myself, but I was there when Jade met them." Chris told me.
"What was that about? Why would he want to meet with them like that?" I asked.
"I'm not completely sure." Chris admitted, "He hasn't talked a lot about it to me either. But I know it has something to do with the redeeming of the Shadow Wings. Jade's not happy about it, but he's not as opposed to it as some of the others are. I think he's seeing the benefit of us not being hunted down like we've been throughout the centuries. But on the other end of things, he's worrying like most of the other Fallen that if we're deemed like the clan Nephilim, then he may not be able to be around me as much. It would put a lot of restrictions on what they can do with us. That's part of the trouble that Will's having too. His father is anything but happy about this whole thing, and that's causing more problems now."
This was starting to sound really bad, but I forced myself to keep a straight face.
"So that's what you all were checking on? You were seeing where the ruler was and what he was doing." I realized.
"Yeah, but we were getting worried once we figured it out. That's the other reason why I was so glad to see you here. I thought something terrible might have happened to you." Chris confessed.
"I'm fine, but seriously, what was so bad about me being with my dad? He was treating me pretty good, although he scared the crap out of me right before that Fallen showed up because he was so mad."
Chris shook his head, "You don't get it, do you?"
"Get what?"
"Who that Fallen was."
The two of us sat there in silence. Then it dawned on me. Talking about Will checking into his father, Chris's concern about something happening to me.
"Are you serious? You're telling me that that Fallen was Will's father?!" I said in shock.
"Exactly." Chris confirmed.
I immediately stood up, "We've got to go back."
"We can't go back there with Lucifer running around. He's in a seriously bad mood right now and he'll kill you if he sees you." Chris reasoned, standing in front of me. He sounded stunned.
"But my father's still there and he might be hurt! I can't just sit around and do nothing!" I protested.
"Ariana, get a hold of yourself. You can't go back there."
"But I..."
"Listen to me." Chris interrupted, holding my shoulders to calm me, "There's no point in you going back there. Nothing you could do would work against one like him. Besides, your father is a lot smarter than most, and I doubt he'd allow himself to be badly hurt. More than likely, he'll show up here within the next few days, so just calm down."
I backed down, feeling defeated. He was right. There was nothing I could do against something like that. I just had to trust that Saffron would be okay.
A knock at the door brought us back to the present.
"Yeah?" Chris called.
Zane peeked in, "Sorry if I'm interrupting, but I had to make sure that Ariana's okay." he said.
"Yeah, it's fine. You're not interrupting anything." Chris assured him.
Zane stepped in and closed the door behind him, "I'm glad to see that you're here Ariana. I was very worried after all of that." he admitted as he gave me a comforting hug.
I smiled as he let me go, "I was worried about you too. I really thought that Saffron might have hurt you more than what I saw."
"I admit that it wasn't too pleasant after that. I was more hurt than I wanted anyone to know, but I managed to get out of that house and somehow ended up being found by Israfel out on the street. I suppose I must have passed out because I woke up in this home with him taking care of me. But once I started healing, I turned out fine." Zane explained.
I was glad to hear that, but looking at his eyes as he spoke, I had this odd feeling that he was keeping things from me. Lennox's words echoed in my mind. He'd claimed that Israfel must've done something to Zane to make him better mentally. I wondered if that was true. If so, then what had happened to precipitate it?
Chris's voice brought me out of these thoughts.
"By the way, did Jade make it back yet?"
"It seems so, but none of us have gotten the chance to speak with him. He's secluded himself again. What's interesting is that Lennox is claiming he may have brought Saffron with him. I'm not sure of whether I believe that one or not. If he did, then why would he hide away with him? He's never done so before." Zane responded, looking puzzled.
"You don't think that Saffron's really hurt, do you?" I asked Chris.
"I couldn't say. Like I told you, Lucifer's nothing to mess with. Even if he tried to get away, that doesn't mean he came out of that fight without some damage." Chris admitted.
"Ah, so he did show up there. That's what they were all so uptight about." Zane noted.
"Yes, he did, but it's over and done with for now. The bigger problem is what Jade was telling us this morning. This cease fire isn't all it's cracked up to be, and I doubt that all of those opposing angels are just going to sit back and wait." Chris went on.
"You have a point, but there's nothing more we can do. If we make the wrong move now, everything will be over, and that's probably something that the ones like Lucifer are counting on." Zane reasoned.
Reality was really setting in now, and it more than sobering for me. My life had been in more danger than I'd realized back there with Saffron. As if what had happened with Mama's spirit wasn't enough.
"First Mama and now this. They're all trying to kill me." I sighed.
Chris put an arm around me and made me look at him, "Hey, don't start getting upset about all of this. You're still new, so you're not always going to be ready for everything that can happen, and if you're still worrying about Saffron, I really don't think you need to. He's smart enough to know when to retreat and probably did it when he realized that you'd gotten to safety." he assured me.
I have no idea of how Chris was always able to calm me like he did. Maybe it was just his talent. I felt myself calm down almost instantly, taking a few deep breaths to completely regain my composure.
Zane shook his head, "I'm not really sure about all of this Chris. You know that Jade may just make her a pawn now that he's brought her here."
"I'm aware of that, but I don't plan on letting him or Saffron do anymore to Ariana or us. This is our only chance, and if we have to force ourselves away from them, we'll find a way to do it." Chris told him. There was a lot of conviction in his voice as he spoke. More than I'd ever heard before.
"You realize that may be easier said than done." Zane warned him.
We heard the door open as he said that. My breath caught in my throat as Jade stepped in. Had he been listening this whole time and decided to come in because he'd heard what Chris had just said? I hoped not. I wasn't ready for another confrontation.
"I think that's enough for tonight. Go back to your room." Jade ordered Zane.
Zane bowed, acting polite, "Yes." he agreed. He smiled back at me, "Goodnight, Ariana. I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight, Zane." I replied, watching him walk out.
Jade watched as well, then turned to us, "I trust you've made sure that she's comfortable now."
"Of course I have. But you could've said something to us about this. You must have been watching closer than you were letting on." Chris replied.
There was an argumentative tone in his voice now, but that wasn't unusual when he was dealing with Jade. It seemed like their relationship hadn't gotten any better in the time that we'd been apart.
"That is none of your concern. I want you to keep her close and keep an eye on her while I deal with her father tonight. Things are in a delicate balance, and we don't need anything to be messed up this early in the game." Jade continued.
"Saffron is here then." I guessed.
"He is, but you have no need to worry about all of that. It's better for you to stay away from him." Jade informed me, looking directly in my eyes as he spoke. Without realizing it, I reached up and held my pendant tightly. Something about his intense gaze unnerved me.
Chris gave him a suspicious look, "Something more's going on with him, isn't it?"
"Perhaps. As I said, don't concern yourself too much with it tonight. Just make sure to keep the girl close. I'll deal with the rest." Jade ordered. He turned and left the room.
Chris scowled as he looked at the door, "Of course he won't tell us anything. He's up to something." he muttered.
I rested my head against his arm, "I'm so tired Chris. Can we please get some rest?" I requested softly.
"Alright. I'll show you where the bathroom is so that you can get cleaned up, and I'll lend you one of my shirts for the night." he agreed.
I followed him out of the room after he grabbed the shirt for me, going into the bathroom that wasn't far down the hall. I was feeling a lot better after I finished my shower and put on one of his black tee shirts and my underwear.
The light in the room was off as I stepped back in there, and Chris was already lying down in the bed. I moved the covers back and curled up against him, closing my eyes as he put an arm around me and kissed my forehead. For the first time in months, I felt comfortable again. Being with Chris truly felt like coming home.
But even as I drifted off to sleep, I kept wondering about what was happening now. Why had Lucifer shown up and attacked us? And why did Jade suddenly appear to save me? I really didn't think that he cared at all for me, and though I reasoned that he may have done it for Chris, I still didn't feel that sure about that. But if he was up to something, then what? What was so important about me to all of them?
I dreamed of darkness for what seemed like hours, but then I realized that a small, red flame was appearing in front of me. It was very bright and burned at varying intensity. It was like it had a consciousness as it floated there.
"Who are you?" I finally asked.
"Never you mind child. What I need from you now is cooperation." the flame responded. The voice coming out of it was deep and didn't sound familiar.
"Cooperation for what?" I asked, feeling apprehensive.
The flame flickered a bit brighter, "This redemption cannot happen as things are. Sacrifices needs to be made. Break the tie that binds you." it ordered.
My eyes shot open as those words were spoken. Chris was still asleep beside me. I could see the rays of dawn coming in through the curtains of the nearby window. It must have been morning now.
I held my pendant as I gently sat up so that I didn't wake Chris. I had the feeling that I knew what that flame had been telling me. Break the tie that bound me.
Break this Heretic Stone.
But even thinking about that was frightening to me. I couldn't explain why, but it felt like if I did, my soul may shatter as well. Had Saffron bound me to him that tightly?
Chris shifted a little and opened his eyes, "Are you okay?" he asked as he realized that I was sitting up.
I shook my head, lying down with him, "I don't know."
"Nightmares?" Chris guessed.
"I don't know. It didn't feel like one." I confessed.
Chris gently pushed my hair back, giving me a gentle kiss, "It's alright. Not matter what it was, you're safe with me. I won't let anything else happen to you." he promised.
I closed my eyes to hold back the tears. I was so grateful to have Chris back. I was certain that this was a destined love. It had to be. Why else would I dream of him my entire life and feel like I was lost without him by my side?
The two of us laid there together in silence for a long time. It felt wrong to break it. But lying there, I kept thinking about everything that had happened up until now. The truth about what we were, the redemption that was hopefully to be our salvation. All of it seemed so crazy that sometimes I wondered if all of this could really be true. What if everything was just some big nightmare and I was about to wake up any moment?
"You know, you think some weird things at times." Chris commented.
"Have you become a real mind reader like Lennox now?" I asked.
"No, but it's kind of easy to figure out with the empathy thing I have. You've always had this tendency to be really anxious about everything, and it's only gotten worse since you came back here." Chris responded.
Well, I thought, he always has been good at figuring me out.
"I'm sorry. I really am glad to have you back and all, but I keep wondering if this whole thing is just some huge nightmare." I confessed.
Chris laughed, "You're seriously worried that this whole thing has been some kind of dream?"
"It's not funny! I'm being serious!" I retorted.
It was hard to stay angry with him smiling like that. It seemed like Chris had loosened up a lot since the last time I'd seen him. Had something more happened in the last six months? I was tempted to ask Will and the others about it in private if I had the chance.
Chris was amused by my little outburst, "I know, I know; and seriously, I'm not laughing at you for that. But none of this has been a dream. Everything up until now has really happened, and you really are here with me, okay?" he said, sounding a bit more understanding.
That was right. I was most comfortable when I was with Chris. Even with the awkwardness he'd had when we first met, he'd always been the only one who really knew how to help me with all of these changes. But thinking about that, I had to speak up.
"You know, you've changed a lot since I last got to see you."
"Yeah, I guess you could say that, but it was something I was working on anyway before all of that." Chris told me.
"I do remember that, but it wasn't like you weren't okay like you were. You know you don't have to change just for me." I reminded him.
"I realize that, but I wanted to. To be honest with you, I'm tired of having to live looking over my shoulder. I've told Jade that too. That's why I've decided to fight with the others to make this redemption happen for us. We deserve all of the same rights that those clan Nephilim have, whether we come from Fallen Angels or not. We're not born to be bad, and we should be able to carve out our own destiny and live peaceful lives." Chris explained.
His words really stuck a chord with me. Deserving the same rights as the clan Nephilim, deciding our own fates. I again thought of the dream I'd had. Break the tie that binds.
"Chris, do you think I should take this off?" I asked, looking down at the stone still around my neck.
Chris immediately tensed up, "Why would you ask that?"
"I was dreaming about this bright red flame that told me that I should break the tie that binds me. I think it was talking about this pendant. If I take it off, then wouldn't that break some of my connection with Saffron?" I asked him.
Chris held my pendant, studying it with pensive eyes, "You can't take this off right now. That would be the worst thing you could do." he told me.
I was surprised to see a look of sadness cross his eyes as he spoke. Obviously, he knew something that I didn't.
"Chris, what's going on? Why did Lucifer attack us, and what's so important about me wearing this Heretic Stone?" I pressed him.
Chris hesitated to answer me, which I found even more suspicious. I think I'd known for a long time now that Chris knew more than he liked to say about all of this, but this time, I felt like he couldn't keep hiding all of these answers from me. I think he knew that too.
"There are good reasons for all of this. I know you don't believe that, but it's true. I told you before that you can't take this necklace off and I meant every word of it. If you do, there will be very bad things that will happen." he finally told me.
I sat up in with him in the darkened room, "Very bad things?"
"Yeah." Chris confirmed. He let out a sigh as he continued, "There's a reason that Saffron gave you this stone. I used to have one very similar to it. Heretic stones are used for a lot of things and that includes limiting power. Before we awaken, if our power is too great or if it tries to awaken prematurely, the stones can stop it or keep it in check. That's how Jade was able to help me control mine after that massacre and until I changed. But your situation is a little bit different. You have a lot of power within you, but you have no idea of how to control it. Saffron never bothered teaching you and then ended up locked away before you changed, so it became imperative that you kept the stone on at all times."
I looked down at the stone I was holding. I could see it glowing deep inside. It was a like a swirling mist of dark power.
"This thing has been limiting me all this time?" I whispered.
"Yes and no. When I showed up, I was able to break through some of that seal and begin to teach you how to use the powers you gained access to with your wings. But I couldn't even begin teaching you the full extent because most of them were still sealed. I talked to Jade about it a few times, and he kept on telling me that it was better that way while Saffron was locked up. If we unsealed even a portion of your power without him, you might not be able to control them, and we might not be able to stop you. So, I left it alone and decided not to say any more about it. But after what happened with Judiel last time, I don't think that's the right approach now, and I definitely don't think it with Saffron in the picture again and everything he's done with you so far." Chris continued.
"Because he didn't tell me about any of this and he won't let me take this off." I guessed.
I felt angry now. I knew that Saffron had been hiding things from me, but this was something that potentially could've saved my life many times before. He couldn't possibly have thought that keeping my powers locked away could help anything. That was, unless he was doing so to keep me underfoot.
Chris caught onto my thoughts easily, "You've figured it out too. Saffron has a bad habit of keeping what he considers valuable to him extremely close, and you're supposedly the most valuable thing in his existence. So instead of trying to slowly release your power and allowing you to learn how to live and defend yourself, he's hidden everything about them and tried to make himself look like he's your only option for survival. The only reason he brought you here to find me was because of his twisted plans of using you against me. But I think he's started to realize that you're not bending to his every word. He was probably getting ready to pull you away again before Lucifer showed up. It would've been easy enough for him to do by planting doubts in your head through that girl Mari Hanes."
So having me meet Mari had been strategic after all. It made sense when I thought about it. I'd wanted to be close to her, and through her memories as Faith Kent, I'd felt a tiny bit of fondness towards Saffron for his taking care of her. It had been enough to make me think that Saffron could've cared for me, and probably was the best one to watch over me. Of course, he'd kind of broken that feeling when he'd lost his temper after talking to Cass.
My thoughts were interrupted by Chris holding my pendant again.
"Maybe there is nothing else we can do right now about this, but I think we can still find a way around it. I think Will might be able to help too. But for now, it might be better if you tried to pull yourself away from Saffron more. It's not an easy thing to do, but it's for the best. Saffron has a fearsome reputation, and we've all been worried that something might have happened to you because of him." he admitted.
I saw his eyes narrow slightly with the last sentence. Obviously, Chris still didn't feel much respect, if any, for my dark father.
I touched his cheek, "Chris, are you sure you're okay with me being here? It was my fault that you got hurt so bad before." I had to say.
"Stop that. I told you before that I'd protect you, and I'll do it again if I have to. I've been waiting a long time for you and I'm not giving you up now." Chris promised. He let go of the stone and held my hands tightly.
I closed my eyes, my forehead leaning against his. I could never doubt Chris's love for me or my love for him. The only thing for now was what fate had in store for us, and with what we came from, I was worried about what it might be. I just hoped that whatever it was, we could continue to face it together.