"Are you sure you're okay now?" I asked Chris as we sat together in the backseat with Elijah sleeping between us.
The first lights of dawn were starting to shine over the horizon, casting many shadows around us. But not all of these shadows came from that. Much of it was still from the protective shield placed around us by Astaroth, who was trailing in his own way with Saffron and Jade.
Chris nodded as he rubbed his left side again, "Yeah, it's fine now. The wound's just about gone, and it wasn't that deep to begin with." he assured me, making sure to keep his voice down.
Elijah hadn't been asleep that that long now, and none of us wanted to wake him after everything he'd just been through. It made it hard enough for us to relax, but he'd taken quite a while to calm down and stop shaking.
Mark was leaning back against the window, playing with a dancing violet flame in his hand. It was something he'd been doing off and on since we'd gotten back on the road, and seemed to be comforting for him. It was comforting to Elijah as well, as he'd asked him to keep it dancing so that he could watch. It eventually lulled him to sleep, which Chris and I were grateful for.
I let out a long, tired breath, "I'm glad. I was really worried." I confessed.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm fine now, and everything will be okay." Chris promised, squeezing my hand and kissing my temple.
"Yeah. We're making sure of that, even if we don't want this extra help." Mark added.
We looked back at him, "You can't pass up stuff like this. It's something you learn when it comes to them." Chris told him.
"I'd imagine so, but I don't know that much about the Fallen. I've been around a lot of different creatures since I was a little kid, but I'd never actually seen any of them until we got to meet you guys." Mark admitted, still watching the flame.
I was watching it with him. The flame was beautiful, licking at the air with a radiance of violet colors that lit the vehicle in the same hue. I could've sworn that it almost looked like a person dancing in that flame.
"Hey Mark, is creating flames like that one of your abilities?" I asked him.
"I guess you could say that. I am the only one in my family who can controls flames this well. Well, aside from Kinsley, but he can do just about anything." Mark answered.
"Really?"
Mark smiled, "I can see where you'd be surprised, but it seems like all of us have our own talents in our families. This is just one of mine, though I admit that I like it too. It's nice to look at when you need some distraction, and I used to use it a lot like this when my sons were little to get them to calm down and go to sleep."
"Oh, you have sons?" I inquired. I didn't recall him mentioning that before, and from the way it sounded, they were already grown.
"Yeah. They're actually twins, and they're grown so they've been out on their own for a while now." Mark explained.
"Oh, so the twins in your family are yours." I noted.
"Not to change the subject too much, but what was Astaroth talking about with that Lamia? You all have never mentioned anything about that or how it involved Kira either." Chris interrupted.
Mark didn't seem like he wanted to talk about this, but he forced himself to.
"No, we didn't, but it's not something we like talking about. It's always been hard to face the reality of what happened back then, even if it has been over twenty years now." he confessed. He hesitated on saying anymore, probably not wanting to upset Kira.
Kira had been listening and spoke up from the front passenger's seat, "It's okay Mark. I've told you before that I don't mind talking about it now. It's been over for a long time and I'm finally moving on from it." she reassured him.
"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude on anything personal." I told her.
Yes, I did worry about upsetting Kira too. We'd seen how she'd reacted when Astaroth had brought all of this up. Even if she'd tried to hide it, it was easy to see in her eyes how it upset her.
"It's fine Ariana. It's been a long time, and it's something that we've had to accept happened. Mark knows that too." Kira responded.
"Yeah, she's right." Mark agreed. He closed his hand, the flame disappearing, "It's always been a touchy subject for our family, but we also really trusted that Lamia. He'd been around us for years, and we didn't think that he'd ever turn on us like he did. It was really stupid on our part."
"It wasn't that stupid Mark. Larut had always been stable before, but his other nature just got the best of him." Kira sighed.
"Sounds like you all got hit hard with what he did." Chris noted.
"Hit hard doesn't even begin describing it. What he did to her was unforgivable, no matter what he was." Mark muttered.
"Mark and my nephews have always been angry like this over it, but they have a good reason to be. The truth is that Larut did do something horrible to me. He trapped me one night and raped me." Kira confessed.
I stiffened hearing that. This thing had raped her? Just hearing her say that was gut wrenching.
A horrible vision flashed through my mind too. Kira being pinned down, a frightening man with glowing green eyes and white hair hovering over her and attacking her.
But then the vision changed to something else completely. Kira standing in front of a mirror, looking down at her abdomen and rubbing a small bulge in it.
Oh God, I thought, could that be...?
Chris was just as horrified by her words, "You're not serious. Please tell me you killed that thing as soon as it happened."
Mark scowled again, "No. We didn't get the chance because he immediately disappeared back into the Veil. We couldn't find him because he went straight into the ocean there, but he is gone now, at least in a sense. It's a long story though, so we'll just say that he's gone, plain and simple." he answered.
I took in a deep breath as he said that, glancing back at Kira and Zane in the front. Kira still had her head down, though she seemed calm.
Zane shook his head, "At least he is gone now. He can never cause such harm again, and you don't have to be afraid of him anymore." he gently told her.
"Yes, and I'm glad of that." Kira nodded.
I couldn't resist speaking up about what I'd seen now. I had to know for sure.
"Hey Kira, can I ask you something else with that?" I requested.
"Of course. I don't mind talking to you about anything." Kira obliged.
I was trying to be careful in how I worded this, "What happened to you is horrifying, and I can't imagine how terrible it was. But something else happened after that too, didn't it?"
Mark immediately sat up more, "How'd you know about that?" he asked me.
"Know what?" Chris asked.
"I saw something when you were talking about it, and Astaroth was alluding to it too. Kira was pregnant." I told them.
The SUV became very quiet with my words. I was sure that I was right. Kira had gotten pregnant from that Lamia when he'd attacked her. I couldn't help wondering if a baby like that would've even been allowed to exist.
Kira finally broke the silence, "You're right. I did end up pregnant, and I have a son who was born from that Lamia." she confirmed.
"Hold on. You have a kid that's a mix of Nephilim and Lamia? I never thought such a thing was even possible." Chris told her.
"Typically no, it should've never happened, but as you already know, none of us ever expected any of it, and we didn't like it one bit." Mark admitted.
"Maybe not at first, but you all knew that he was still my baby. It's never mattered to me where he came from. Peyton will always be my son, and he's not bad. Kinsley also was able to purify his blood before he was born, so there's nothing to worry about with him." Kira insisted.
"No, not at all. Peyton is a very good and kind boy. You'd never suspect that his father was a Lamia." Zane added.
"I take it you've gotten to meet him." Chris noted.
This was getting even more interesting now. Zane hadn't mentioned anything about this before and had never told us that he'd met Kira's child. Heck, we didn't even know she had one until now.
"I did, though it's been over a year ago now. Peyton may be a bit different, but as I said, he's quite kind at heart. There's nothing at all wrong with him." Zane confirmed.
Chris let out a long breath, gently stroking Elijah's bangs, "There's not much you can say to it. It doesn't matter what you're born from. You can look at us and see that. We come from beings that are supposed to be the incarnations of evil, but not all of us are bad like that. In fact, most of us are very peaceful. It's what you make of yourself, not what you come from." he reminded us.
He was right about all of that. Our fathers had lost their holiness long ago, but it wasn't a reflection on who we were. They may have been evil, but we were most certainly not.
"By the way Christoff, there had also been something else on my mind since our break at the rest stop that I wanted to talk to you all about." Zane spoke up after a few minutes of silence.
"What's up?" Chris responded.
Zane seemed to choose his words carefully, "I realize that we may be speaking too much of some things in this, but I had to bring it up. You recall that we figured out that Astaroth had met Elijah and Elena in the dreamscape, right?"
Chris nodded, "Yeah. You mentioned it, but you didn't say much more about it. Actually, you had me curious too. Did you get to see what this kid looks like?" he asked him.
"Yeah." I answered, "She's beautiful, and she looks a lot like Will."
"She certainly is." Zane agreed.
"I wouldn't doubt it. So, why bring it up like this? You think you have an idea of where she might be right now?" Chris continued.
"No, I'm afraid not. Judiel's hidden her quite well, as we all know. But I'm bringing it up because of getting to see her. I know you and I have spoken about this before, and we both agreed from what Will allowed us to know that we probably have met her mother somewhere along the lines. Seeing Elena in that memory only solidifies that belief for me now." Zane explained.
"Hold on," I interrupted, "you two really think that you knew her mother at one time?"
"First time I've heard that one too. What about you Kira?" Mark added.
Kira was honest, "Only a little, but I didn't really get into it because I didn't want to pry into Will's business, and Zane has been his friend for a long time."
"Yeah, me and Zane have been Will's only real friends for the last two hundred years. You all know what he was born as, and friends have always been a luxury for him because he's in the position as a ruler among us. It literally took the first hundred years of us knowing him to get him to really trust us, and even up until now he's still had some trouble with it." Chris informed us.
"I guess that does make sense. There's a lot of others who might misjudge him or try to use him because of who he is. He said that was why he didn't want to tell me at first, even though it's never really mattered that much to me. He's always been Will as far as I'm concerned." I responded.
"And that's a big reason why he's so close to you. You are much like a younger sister to him, whether he states it out loud or not." Zane told me.
Chris changed the subject a little, "Anyway, back to what you were saying about the kid before. You said that you think you might have figured out who this girl's mother is. How?" he probed.
"It was her face. Yes, she resembles Will quite a bit, but her features were what truly caught my attention. They remind me so much of Chloe that it's unmistakable." Zane answered.
Chris nodded, looking like he'd had a revelation, "That would definitely make sense. It fits everything for the last hundred years too." he agreed.
"I'm guessing you know a lot about Elena's mom then." I noted.
They both had to have known this woman at one time. In fact, with Chris saying something about the last hundred years, I was certain that she must've been another female Shadow Wing.
Mark was just as curious, "Who is this woman? Is she a Shadow Wing?
"Yes, she was." Zane confirmed, "I suppose I should start from the beginning here, and I will acknowledge that this is only suspicion for Chris and I right now, even if we are ninety-nine percent sure of it. The woman we're speaking of is named Chloe Ringwald, and yes, she was a Shadow Wing. We ended up meeting her quite a while back, and it was more of a chance thing. In that time, we hadn't seen Will in about five years. Chris and I happened to be in Rome when we ran into him, and he invited us to spend some time at his home there to catch up on things. At the time, the hunts had stopped and though we were hiding, life was relatively peaceful."
"Some of the few times, especially when our dads were leaving us alone too." Chris interjected, sitting back with Elijah curled up against him.
Zane chuckled, "Yes, those were better times for us." he agreed, "Anyway, we were caught a bit by surprise when we came to his house. For the first time ever, Will wasn't living by himself. There was a female Shadow Wing there with him. She was newly changed and on the younger side, I believe I remember him saying that she was around eighteen or nineteen. He introduced her as Chloe Ringwald, and told us that she was living with him for that time until she could get on her feet with what she was."
"I hate be the one to ask this, but was that all that was then?" Mark interrupted.
"Probably started out that way, but it's not like Will would've passed up more if she offered it." Chris answered.
"Not at all. We all acknowledge such things, especially with ones like Will. But we also realized in the years that followed that Chloe was different from the others he'd been involved with. Although it was kept very quiet, there were many times that Will would disappear for a while, and often it was because he was meeting and spending time with her. Even after we found Ariana and she began staying with us, Will would disappear at times for that reason. He always had to be careful with such a relationship because he knew that his father could be against it if he felt that it distracted him too much, which obviously would've put Chloe's life in danger even more." Zane explained.
Now some things were finally making sense to me. Not only did Will take off at random times and stay gone for weeks, but I'd also noticed where he'd occasionally bring back jewelry when we'd gone out, items that would've been for a woman. He'd always take them with him when he left during those times, and never returned with them. They must've been gifts for Chloe.
Kira was putting all of the pieces together now too, "It would make perfect sense then. Ariana told us that she was contacted before she found out that she was pregnant with Elijah, but Chris wasn't. Maybe Chloe was contacted too, but she never got the chance to tell Will because Judiel got to her first." she surmised.
"But what happened to her after that? I mean, think about it. He'd have to have at least waited for her to give birth, and that angel doesn't strike me as the type to take care of a kid himself, even if he wanted her for his own twisted reasons." Mark pointed out.
"No, I don't believe he got rid of her right away. I believe that it's only been recently. Think about it Chris. Will seemed particularly morose in the last few months, and he does sense when other Shadow Wings are killed." Zane responded.
I looked at Elijah as I heard this, my heart aching not only for Will, but for that little girl. Did Elena know her mother before this? Did she know that she was now dead? Elijah's words from before echoed in my head.
Elena wants to see her daddy.
There was no doubt in my mind now. Elena knew about Will, even if she'd never gotten to meet him. Chloe must've told her about him before she died, and now Elena wanted to see Will more than ever.
The conversation was dropped as Zane spoke again, "Hey, it looks like we've finally made it."
Chris and I both sat up a little straighter as we saw the sign for Fallsburg going past. I felt relieved. At least this part was over.
Mark was sitting up too, "It feels like that demon is lifting his barrier and retreating too." he told us.
"It doesn't surprise me. He's not going to get too close to those Seraphs." Zane responded as he pulled onto the main road of the town.
"Where exactly is this place that they were talking about? Is it in this town?" Kira asked.
"Not really. It's out in the woods near it. The house was originally built when Jade and Saffron entered into that first contract with that woman. The area serves as a portal to the other side of the Veil for those who can enter and exit it, so it was only logical for the Seraphs to choose it, especially when you consider the connection to the past with Ariana." Zane explained.
I was watching the passing scenery as he spoke. We were heading to the house were everything had started. I did feel like it had all started there for me too. Even though I'd met Chris at the college first, I hadn't understood much about why he'd come there or who he was until I'd found that house. It was the place where the last little bit of my innocence to this world was lost.
Elijah stirred between me and Chris, "Mama?" he whispered.
"You okay?" I asked, seeing him looking up at me with sleepy eyes.
Elijah nodded, "Are we there yet?"
"Yeah, we're here. Just a little longer and we can get out." Chris answered, putting and arm around him and rubbing his shoulder.
"Okay." Elijah yawned.
We ended up parking in the driveway of my old home. There was a nostalgia as I saw it, but I did my best to push it aside. We needed to get to that house and those Seraphs now. Hopefully Jade and Saffron would stay with us too.
"Wow. Now this brings back memories." Chris commented as we all got out.
"Indeed so. Too bad this place is abandoned now. Perhaps those around here don't like the sense of what may have been here. The house does seem to carry Saffron's dark aura." Zane noted.
Saffron and Jade landed near us, the flap of their wings echoing in the still air.
"Oh my. It's still standing." Saffron amused as he stood beside me.
"Did you think it wouldn't be?" Chris asked him.
"One can never be sure, considering how the people here believe the house is now cursed." Saffron answered.
"Why am I not surprised?" I muttered. That sounded just like something Saffron would instigate.
Mark walked towards the nearby woods, "Hey, let's go. Daylight's coming quick." he called.
"Fine with me. I'm ready for all of this to be over." Chris agreed as he picked up Elijah. I followed them as we all headed into the woods with Mark.
The path was well worn, and there were lots of leaves littering it, making it hard to see; but Mark was confident about where he was going. This was something else that Mark seemed fairly good at. Maybe it was part of his talents as a Nephilim.
As we neared where the house was, the woods suddenly became quiet. A familiar presence appeared near us. We looked up into a nearby tree to see Kinsley sitting on one of the branches. He'd been waiting out there for us, a friendly smile crossing his face as he saw us.
"You made it here in good time, though it feels like you had some extra help halfway through." he noted.
"You sensed Astaroth huh? Why am I not surprised?" Chris sighed.
"Of course he did. He simply chose to let it all play out." Saffron interjected.
Kinsley jumped down to us, "You may criticize things all you wish. We're quite used to it from you now."
Elijah smiled, getting Chris to let him down to that he could go to Kinsley. Though he hadn't seen him since he was a baby, he seemed instantly drawn to him.
"Are you an angel?" he asked as a moment of looking at him.
Kinsley knelt down to his level, giving him a gentle smile, "I am, but I'm sure you could sense it very easily too."
Elijah returned his smile, "Yes. You're a nice angel too. You feel safe."
"I'm so glad to hear that." Kinsley responded, running his fingers through Elijah's hair, "You've become a very beautiful little boy as well. It leaves little doubt of what you once were."
"Who I was?" Elijah said, looking confused.
I stepped over to them, "I don't think we need to get into that right now." I reminded him.
"Perhaps not. After all, this is a new existence for him, at least for now." Kinsley agreed as he stood up straight.
Chris joined me, "So, what now? You've called us up here, so what's your great plan to end all of this insanity?" he asked as he picked up Elijah.
"Yes, let us hear of this incredible plan that has been laid out to you. I've been waiting patiently as well to hear the details in it, though Saffron and I did anticipate some of it." Jade agreed. He sounded smug, much like Saffron had been.
"Ah yes, you both are as trusting as ever." Kinsley stated, sounding put out. His patience with them must've been growing thinner with all the tension of what was going on, "I will explain everything to all of you, but first we should go to the house. Malakai and Micah are waiting there with the others."
"The others?" I asked as we started walking again, "Who?"
"You didn't mention anyone else coming." Kira added.
"No, but I confess that some of this ended up being last minute. It appears that some have decided they cannot leave this be until they see it through, while two believe that they have something to prove, though for the life of me I cannot figure out what that would be." Kinsley answered.
"I'm going to take it that some are Nephilim we've met before, but who are the two with something to prove?" Zane asked him.
"We're almost there now, so I will do introductions when we arrive. I think that you may be a bit surprised too. They certainly didn't have much to do with this before." Kinsley responded.
The house was now coming into view. I still felt that sense of déjà vu every time I saw this place. It was like it carried a destiny for me. This was my fourth time coming there, and every time, it had been for something important.
A familiar figure was sitting on the roof, waiting for us. He stood up as we approached.
"Looks like you guys made it in one piece." Will called as he jumped down, his golden wings whooshing as he did.
Zane gave him a sour look, "And how long have you been here?"
"Come on, don't give me that attitude. I've only been here for the last hour, and trust me, it was hell getting here when it came to the Fallen. It was like my father sent just about all of them after me." Will complained.
"Can't say I'm surprised about that, but you also got here in one piece." Chris pointed out, smiling at him.
Will returned that smile, "Like I said, always do. Besides, I gotta make sure I can bring back my baby girl."
Nope, no surprise there. The last four years of his life had been focused on how he could get Elena back.
"I'm glad to see you're okay. I was worried too." I confessed.
"It's all good. You don't need to worry about me. Besides, your biggest concern right now is the little fellow beside you." Will reminded me as he glanced at Elijah.
"Yeah, that's true." I relented.
Mark glanced around with his hands in his pockets, "I think I'm getting what you were talking about now Kinsley, but I can't believe it. They're both here?"
"Who?" I asked him.
"Well, one of them is Raphael's grandson Yuki. I'm surprised about him as it is. I didn't think he'd show up in this with so many different people involved. He's kind of a loner like Carroll." Mark explained.
Kira's reaction was a bit more telling. She immediately was in front of Kinsley, "He's here? He came too?" she asked, sounding very hopeful.
Kinsley took it all in stride, "He is. He and Yuki don't like being apart that much, and I believe that he's been wanting to help in anyway he can. But enough for now. Let us go inside."
The memories hit me as soon as we stepped inside. There was so many of them here, from the first time I'd been there and met the frightening ghost of Lacy Manson to when we'd had to leave after finding out that I was pregnant with Elijah. Nothing seemed to have changed in that time either. All of what we'd left was still there and in good shape. Maybe Jade or Saffron had been keeping it as they saw fit, or the Seraphs had decided that rundown and abandoned looking just wouldn't do.
We went straight into the large dining and den area. The others were waiting for us in there. As expected, Micah and Malakai were there, seated on one of the couches where they'd been talking. Carlton and Carroll were sitting on the opposite one.
But near them were two Nephilim that we hadn't seen before. One had wavy dark hair that reminded me of chocolate in color and deep blue eyes. He was dressed in blue jeans and a white shirt, and was seated in the armchair. He looked away from the one who stood beside him as we entered.
This other Nephilim was also a young man who was a bit smaller in stature than the other. He had pretty golden hair and expressive green eyes that looked like they were stained with violet. His features were softer looking too, almost feminine in a sense. He too wore dark blue jeans, although he had on a black shirt.
"Oh, I see our senses were correct. Welcome back." Micah greeted us, giving us that same warm smile as Kinsley had.
"I can't say it's good to be back, considering this place." Chris responded gruffly.
"Call it bad memories from when we left before." Zane clarified.
Kira had already hurried over to the blonde Nephilim, hugging him with a happy smile, "I'm so glad you're here. It's been way too long Peyton." she whispered.
A realization hit me when she said his name. Peyton. Now I knew who he was. He was Kira's son, the one mixed with a Lamia.
Zane stepped over to them, "It's been quite a while now, but it looks like the two of you have been doing well." he added.
"We've been good. We've just been busy lately and haven't had the chance to visit again." Peyton explained as Kira let him go.
"You don't have to worry so much Kira. I promised you that I wouldn't let anything happen to him. Besides, we weren't passing up coming here and keeping the promise we made." the dark haired Nephilim added. He stood up and greeted Zane with a quick handshake.
I was guessing that he must have been Yuki Renaldi. I could see the resemblance between him and Raphael from his eyes.
"We know, but we still didn't expect either of you to get involved now. It's been quite a while." Mark informed him.
Yuki shrugged, "Like I said, we're keeping the promise we made. Not to mention I didn't want to be left out of a fight with a self-righteous angel to prove him wrong."
"Well, most of it is because we couldn't allow what they're trying to do to the kids and the Shadow Wings. Just because they were born different doesn't make them bad, just like us." Peyton added.
"Yes, that is very true." Kinsley agreed.
"I see that you're the two Kinsley was speaking of outside." Zane continued. He didn't sound the least bit surprised about any of this, and appeared very familiar with Peyton and Yuki.
"They are." Kinsley agreed. He turned his attention to me and Chris, "Yuki is one of Malakai's, and Peyton is Kira's son and one of my own. Both of them are rather special cases in the Nephilim class as well, and with their willingness to help us, they will prove very useful in all of this."
"Special cases huh? What do you mean?" I inquired. I already knew about Peyton's origins, but knew nothing really about Yuki except his relations within the Renaldi family.
Saffron had been studying them, almost like he was sensing what Kinsley was referring to, "It would seem so." he acknowledged, "Tell me, what can you two do?"
Yuki showed no signs of intimidation towards him, "Wouldn't you like to know? I'd imagine that the ones like us would be of special interest to the ones like you." he responded.
Malakai spoke up before anymore could be said, "That's quite enough Yuki. I have told you already not to start any trouble here. There is far too much at stake for such foolish actions." he warned.
Yuki immediately backed down, "You're the boss."
Carlton looked amused, "Less than an hour and it already starts." he teased.
"Enough now." Micah ordered, turning his attention to us, "As said, both of them are considered special cases among our own. Yuki has an uncanny dark ability within him that's normally only seen in a handful of Shadow Wings, one they refer to as Nightmare. In the most layman's terms, he can make nightmares a reality, along with creating and also enslaving monsters."
"You're kidding. You have the Nightmare ability?"
Chris was very surprised as he heard that. I got why too. Who would've thought that a Nephilim born from the light would carry an ability so sinister?
"Yeah. It's been my curse ever since I can remember, and trust me, it's not something I like using if I don't have to, though I might make an exception in this fight." Yuki responded.
"What about you Peyton?" I asked, hoping to change the subject a little.
Peyton glanced at the floor before answering, "I'm not quite that, but I'm not a normal Nephilim either. My father was a Lamia, so I have a lot of his abilities too." he confessed.
"So, you really are mixed with a Lamia. I really didn't believe that one was possible until now." Chris admitted.
"Okay, maybe I'm showing my age here, but what is a Lamia?" I asked them.
Yes, I felt foolish for having to ask, but I had to know to understand Peyton's heritage on that side.
Malakai was the one who explained it to me, sounding like a father patiently explaining things to his child.
"It's not a creature one would expect someone your age to know much about, especially for the fact that you haven't been beyond the mortal Veil yet." he answered, "Lamias are creatures that come from the other side, crossing over to this reality very rarely. Most of the time you'll only hear of the females, but there are males as well. Most mortal depictions of them are a bit incorrect too, despite their knowing that they tend to thirst for human flesh and blood, and that they remain close to bodies of water. We won't go into the circumstances of Peyton's birth at this time, considering the horror of it, but he does carry abilities beyond what most Nephilim have in both attack and defense."
I was glad that Kira and Mark had already leveled with us about that part. No need in us having to wonder about it anymore. But I also felt like they were all right. There was nothing remotely evil or threatening about Peyton. He wasn't any different from the rest of us.
Yet as I studied him, I focused again on his eyes. Now that I thought about it, all of the clan Nephilim always seemed to share the same eye colors as their Seraphs. Peyton didn't. Instead of having the Martell violet eyes, his were an aqua green that was stained with violet. Could this have been part of what he'd inherited from his father?
I didn't get much time to ponder that as Carroll spoke up.
"So, now that everyone is finally here, are we going over what we need to do now?"
"Yes, agreed. We don't have a lot of time, and there are things we wish to cover while we're here. We're already pushing our time as it is." Kinsley nodded.
Micah nodded, standing up, "Let us start from the beginning with this. As we said in our message, the time has come where the two children will need to be seen. It is also the only chance we will have to show that the Nephilim should not be destroyed. While I would say that our best hopes lie with Elijah, we've all come to the agreement as well that there is also a very good chance that we've also won over his counter, the other Seraphita who was born as the girl Elena."
Will agreed, "I can't prove it, but I think that's the case, especially if she's been communicating with Elijah at least through their dreams."
"Yeah, same here." Chris nodded, "It was mentioned about heading to St. Peter's Basilica too. Is that really where all of this is supposed to be debated?"
"Yes. We will have a short window of opportunity there." Kinsley confirmed.
"Just a short window? You mean they might not even notice if the two children show up there?" I inquired.
"Not exactly." Malakai answered, "The issue is that such an opportunity only happens once every century, so the timing that the two Seraphita had was impeccable. The area of the Basilica is indeed very holy ground, and has been since the beginning of time. Within the altar, there opens a doorway to the other side on this night, one that leads up to the Heavens so that many of the souls of the departed who still wander the earth can find their way there. But also, many angels come to the altar in that time to give blessings to those in the mortal world and pray for an end to all the strife within it. Among these angels are the seven Arch Angels, and many times, some of the highest Seraphim created will join them. Needless to say, this is the biggest event that the Heavens host on the mortal plane. For that, it is imperative for us to get Elijah there, and I'd imagine that Elena will also be brought there."
Even the clan Nephilim were surprised as they heard all of this.
"They really do this every century? All of those angels actually come into the mortal world?" Carlton said in disbelief.
"Yes, they do. It's something that has not happened since before the clans were formed. That is why there was no reason to bring it up to any of you until now." Malakai responded.
"Wait a minute." Will spoke up, "You mean to tell me that they actually do come there like that?"
"Yes, they do. You don't seem happy to hear that though." Micah noted.
"No, I'm not. We went there a century ago and we saw no sign of those angels. The only ones who showed up staged an ambush on us." Will explained to them.
Chris was quick to agree, "The whole thing was a disaster. We had heard rumors about all of that and we'd been foolish enough to believe it then. Why should we believe such a thing now?"
"I'm not going to put Elijah in danger like that if it's just a rumor." I added, holding his hand tighter.
The Seraphs looked at each other like they were confused. Carroll caught onto that too.
"They have a good argument you know. If they were there, why did no angels except for hunters show up?" he asked them.
"I do wonder about that one. I know for a fact that this event has gone on for centuries without any issues. I've been to quite a few of the vigils myself before I came into this world to create my family." Malakai admitted, looking puzzled.
Micah nodded, "As have I, and now that I think about it, I was at the last one right before I was assigned to the clans. I do know for certain that the Mass was held at that time."
"Then what happened? How did we get ambushed if it went on? Were all of you out to get us?" Will challenged.
"Not at all." Micah assured him, "We were never aware that Shadow Wings had shown up there, though I do wonder about something else now. Tell me, when did you and the others arrive at St. Peter's?"
Chris and Will looked at each other, both thinking about it before Chris answered.
"We're not that sure. It was pretty late, maybe around eleven."
Kinsley nodded, "Ah, that explains it, wouldn't you agree?" he said as he looked at Micah and Malakai.
"Explains what?" Chris asked.
"I'm afraid that you had bad timing then, although you very well may have made it if it wasn't for that ambush staged on you. Judiel and those under him pulled a fast one on all of us then. I halfway wonder what the Arch Angels will say when they learn of it, especially Lord Michael. It certainly was a dirty tactic used." Micah commented.
All of us were starting to see the reality behind that one. Something big had happened with that attack on the Shadow Wings back then at St. Peter's; something that none of these angels had known about before.
Will was the one to finally speak, "Hold on. Are you saying that we were too early, and they knew about it?"
"Yes." Micah confirmed, "Like I said, if you had not been attacked, then you would've been there for the opening and the Mass. It typically begins around midnight and lasts until two. Angels like Judiel are often called upon to guard against threats, though he reported none that night, nor did he report any type of battle."
Malakai was catching on as well, "I know what you're speaking of with all of that. There was a rumor afterwards that I'd heard among the others like myself claiming that there were an unexplained number of casualties that were never resolved. I even recall questioning with St. Michael about angels who had vanished and later were listed as killed that night. There were suspicions that the reports given to him were a lie, but Judiel's status allowed him to stalemate it being looked into more."
It all made grim sense. That attack had been staged perfectly, and Judiel had managed to use his influence to keep things mostly quiet. The Shadow Wings had lost their chance back then because of a very cunning and powerful angel.
"Hold up. You're saying that he's one of the main guards at St. Peter's? How in the hell are we supposed to get past him and to this altar then?" Yuki asked them.
"We have no doubt that the whole thing will be a major fight, considering Judiel has aimed to only have the one child there to influence the decision. That is why we need you four to accompany us as well. Between all of us, we can make sure that Elijah is also heard." Malakai answered.
Peyton looked pensive, "You really think we can do that? We're only Nephilim, and they're full angels." he pointed out.
"So are we, but we've taken down enough of them to know that it's possible. Hell, if Azrael hadn't shown up back there, I probably could've bested Judiel." Chris boasted.
"Ah, so Azrael has stepped in with all of this like the rumors were saying. I don't doubt now that he's relaying messages to the other angels confirming things now." Kinsley nodded.
Will's attention was on Chris, "Maybe, but that angel's mine if we can get to him. I still owe him for what he's put my family through." he informed him.
"Everyone understands where you're coming from here, but remember what we've told you Will. Even if some of it is hard, you must remain focused. Hopefully once all of this is over the little girl can be returned to you." Kinsley reminded him.
"You can say that, but there's no guarantees either. What if she doesn't help us when that times comes?" I had to ask.
Malakai answered me, "We cannot fully promise either way, but this is the last option left. It's this or hide away until the inevitable day comes that all of us are destroyed. But we can promise you that we will do everything in our power to protect Elijah, even if it means putting our own heads on the chopping blocks."
Chris laid a hand on my shoulder, "There's no other choice. It's a fight we've always had, and this is our only chance to end it." he reminded me softly.
"It'll be okay Mama. Those angels will help us, and so will Elena. Besides, real angels help people, not hurt them." Elijah added.
Will knelt down in front of him, "You know because you've talked to her before, right?" he verified.
Elijah nodded, "Yes. She wants us to be there too. She said she's been waiting a long time to see you, and she's ready to go home." he confirmed.
"I've been waiting just as long for her, and I promise that I'll bring her back with us. Then she'll finally be home with me." Will told him.
Yes, we all knew that he meant every word of that, and it was what we all prayed for. Not only the end for these senseless deaths, but for Elena to be free with us. I only hoped that Judiel didn't use her and make us too late.