Page 10 of Secrets of Sanctuary Hospital Andrew and Mia's Encounter

  Chapter Eight - Past Events Reveal Certain Truths

  After breakfast, the children head off to school, I head off to the hospital and Jason promises he will call me as soon as everyone arrives and Mark gets in contact with Peter. The emergency room is bustling with patients and I am grateful for the real world distraction.

  The hours fly by quickly. I have heard from Jason and not only will Peter be coming this evening, but so will Casey and Anthony is returning with Christian and our family. Maybe with everyone together, we will finally get some real world answers on this plane at this time. After two very long surgeries and an unpleasant encounter with Geoffrey and his wife, I am finally heading home. Unfortunately, the clock reads nine o’clock when I pull into the driveway. Considering the number of cars in the driveway, I know everyone remained and I run in to apologize. As I enter, I see Jacob going to his room and he doesn’t even turn to say anything. Entering the archway I see my family, but not even Eva moves toward me, she and Jackson are whispering in the corner, Gabriel is speaking with Jason and I am met with what I can clearly see as a division. But is it a division due to disbelief or because of something they learned. Looking closer at the stress driven faces and defensive body language, I wonder if there was more than just words passing.

  As I walk further into the room, Jeff, Christian, and Anthony are huddled in a corner deep in conversation while Cassie, Adam, Mark, and Peter seem to be shielded by Ben and Claire.

  Andrew approaches me and his concern is evident. He places his hand on my elbow and immediately I feel energy coursing through me that is not my own. The room is before me but everyone’s position has shifted.

  I see Peter enter with Mark and then fall back into a chair as Andrew turns from his conversation with Gabriel. Numerous emotions flit across Gabriel’s face, concern, wonder, and maybe astonishment, but as his eyes widen, anxiety dominates his features and he is now staring at Peter who is mumbling to himself that he knew his mother had returned, but is astonished that somehow we both returned.

  Before he can contemplate further, Anthony interrupts his thoughts and is moving slowly toward him. His voice is as quiet as a whisper. “Whatever, you are thinking, it has to be black magic; he is not your father. Don’t be fooled, I was fooled once and when they got hold of me, I did terrible things, things I can never take back and never seek redemption for. Don’t let that happen to you.”

  Peter rises and moves toward Andrew. As he stretches out his hand, Anthony immediately blocks it and grabs his shoulders. “Don’t, touch will let him in.”

  Peter shrugs out of Anthony’s hold. “It’s fine. I just need to confirm who he is.”

  Anthony shakes his head vigorously. “No you don’t. They are not what you think they are. They are very clever. They have surrounded themselves with good people, have even fooled their own family who believes that they have been with this one since his birth, don’t let them fool you.” He shudders and I know it is because of the unimaginable horrors that he was forced to participate in when he did not have control over himself.

  Christian moves forward. “Anthony, we talked about this, you agreed to leave Laurel up at Sanctuary. You said that you could see how good they are up there and how much they are helping her.”

  “I still believe that, but have you ever considered that you are all being fooled by the two of them?” His head nods toward Andrew.

  Jeff opens his mouth and moves toward Anthony to interject, but Anthony holds up his hand. “I know you say you know them and trust them. At this point, I am not sure either way what is going on. That’s why I told you I would come back here, but before he does anything that could allow the evil in if I am right, he should step back and think about this.”

  “Anthony, please step aside.” Peter’s voice is measured. “I have to know if they have come back again.” As these words escape his lips, a deafening silence from all of the stunned faces fills the room and every eye is now intensely focused on Peter who moves past an immobile Anthony and touches the wrist of an absolutely stunned Andrew.

  As he does, the image quickly shifts to a young boy holding my hand as we are passing through fast moving spirits and then are before Andrew. I can hear the young boy say that he will find a way to get his father out.

  The image quickly shifts again and now the boy is older, a teenager, but definitely the same young man, his eyes are unmistakable. He is on a boat and Andrew is showing him how to tie a slipknot and how to wield a sword.

  Shifting again, Anthony grabs Peter and rips his hand from Andrew’s wrist and he is pleading with Peter. “Are you alright? Please say something.”

  “I’m fine” Peter replies, but I can see he is amazed, but doesn’t’ seem surprised.

  Casey interjects. “Anthony, I don’t know what your role in all of this is, but considering who Peter really is, he is too strong to be taken over. His followers, his parent’s followers are here because they have been running, running from one who wants to destroy them all. They are not evil, although why they are hiding when they are all here on this plane, I don’t understand. From what I saw, they stood against evil, fought with everything they could to allow their people to escape. Why they would hide now, I’m not sure.” As her tone becomes more and more accusatory and her stare at Andrew becomes more and more aggravated, Mark steps forward and interjects, probably trying to focus the attention back to the task at hand.

  “Anthony, I know that you are concerned, but the thoughts of the people here are not sinister.”

  Anthony steps back from Mark. “This is what I mean, too many people getting into too many minds. What is it with you people? Mind control is what almost destroyed me.”

  Mark’s tone turns conciliatory. “It is not mind control. Sometimes, we are allowed to share thoughts, but never have we used this gift to control anyone. I know what grabbed hold of you. I have been fighting it for centuries, I lost my daughter to it, but we all have a part to play in this war and you are being called upon to do something now, something that I know is very difficult, but if you don’t you will be giving the darkness a way in to this situation that they would not otherwise have. You need to see beyond your fear, beyond your self-doubt and open your mind to the possibilities that not only Jeff’s men are good, but Andrew and Mia are good as well.” I see Anthony bolt, but as I return to the here and now, he is back.

  I can’t believe that those images happened so quickly, Andrew and I are now with Gabriel, Martina and Jason. Eva and Jackson now move towards us and I can see Peter giving me an assessing look as a smile plays upon his lips.

  Turning to everyone in the room, for the first time, I notice a new face, a woman with Casey and Adam. As my eyes meet hers, she steps out, extending her hand. Moving, I extend my hand to her, but as I shake it, she pulls it up to her cheek. “I never thought you would come back. So many of us with you that day have been found and destroyed. I felt Reabin here for a while, but then he disappeared. Was that you?” As my confusion registers with her, she drops my hand. “I’m sorry.”

  As she backs away, I now see Jacob in the archway. Moving towards him, he grasps my hand, but he is staring into the room, his eyes shifting between Anthony and Peter. “I know that I was asked to wait upstairs, but I know how to help.” He has the attention of the entire room, but seems to now be addressing Anthony. “You spoke with Laurel, you know that she trusts me despite what happened. I am no threat to you and neither are my parents, but obviously something is going on here beyond all our comprehensions, something that needs resolving. You and Peter think that my parents are the same people.” He shakes his head. “I mean you both think that they are your parents.” He sees Anthony shaking his head and Jacob quickly corrects himself. “Alright, you fear that they are being used to reflect your parents to allow some evil to grab hold of you again, but they are not and I think that I can show everyone the connection, but everyone needs to trust me.”

  I put my free hand on his shoulder and he looks at me. ??
?I know you want to protect me and have tried not to let on to others what I can do, but the time for hiding is over. Mom, I have heard you and dad, I saw what you did last night.” I can’t help it, but my jaw drops and I am about to ask him why he didn’t say anything when he answers me. “I couldn’t tell you. You are too scared already. You want to go home, but everything is culminating here. Everything here is happening for a reason and we have to see it through. I love you and know you want to protect us, but you can’t protect us from everything. I am strong, we are strong, and there will always be danger. We can’t ignore it and everyone is right, we can’t hide.” His face turns worried and he quickly glances around the room. “I’m not saying that they are they hiding on purpose or even that I know for sure that they are the people you believe they are. If they are, they don’t know it. They wouldn’t hide, not the way you believe they are. They are not cowards.”

  He turns to Anthony and Peter and from Peter’s expression I can see that he agrees with Jacob’s assessment, but is staying silent, letting Jacob take the lead. “We all need to stop guessing at what the other knows, what the other sees or what his interpretation is. We need to all see exactly what each one is seeing, feeling and believes he knows. I can help with that so that we are all on the same page.” He moves past me and is standing right before Anthony. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I know that you are afraid, but the only way evil is going to grab hold of you is if we keep floundering to determine what is going on, ignoring signs that we are afraid to face, and shooting in the dark at what might be asked of us now. You have been running your whole life, Peter has been hiding for his, waiting for a return, waiting to be called upon to do whatever he was born to be, my parents have gone through unspeakable things, been thrown in realms they have had to fight to get back from, but have never stopped striving to do what’s right. We all need to do that now. We have been brought together for a reason. Please let me help you, let me help them. If darkness is coming, we need to stand together and fight this.”

  Jacob stands stock still as Anthony stares into his eyes, assessing every word. We wait in silence for what feels like hours. He grasps Jacob’s hand. “I hope you know what you’re doing, what you are letting in. I have seen horrible things, done the unimaginable. Once that becomes a part of you, it never leaves you. You are still so young. Are you sure that you want to see such things?” Jacob swallows hard but nods. “If you are willing to see it, I will show you.” His other hand touches something below his shirt and I know it is the amulet.

  Peter interjects. “I’m ready when you are.” He smiles at Jacob.

  Jacob turns next to Ben, Claire, Casey, Adam, and the woman they are with who speaks quickly. “Thank you for everything. You showed the right person Casey. I’m sure that everything will be fine, but I’m sure they want to do this privately. She looks as if she wants to say something, but then closes her mouth and begins to move toward the door. As the woman passes Jacob, he places his hand on her arm. “Realin, could you leave a number where they can reach you on the table in the foyer? I have a feeling they will want to talk with you once all of this plays out.” Listening to him, I can’t believe how old and wise he sounds. He truly is no longer the young boy I left behind a year ago. In truth, he sounds older and wiser than his parents.

  As she nods and passes, he leans my way. “You didn’t leave me behind. You gave me time to find myself, my strength. Although I am fearful, have not truly experienced the horrors you have, and am not limited by the fear that my children will be hurt, I know what I’m doing is the right thing so don’t worry. I need for you to come into this with an open mind. You always felt that if you could do that, you would be able to see the truth, let me help you with that. Let me help all of you and if what you saw is something that I need to do…” He turns to his father. “I won’t let it be my hell. I won’t let hell grab hold of me, but I am going to help.” He whispers and I nod and so does Andrew.

  He turns to Gabriel and the others. I think that Anthony would feel better if you waited outside too. This way, his attention won’t be torn by what is happening around him. He can just concentrate on his memories.” As they begin leaving, he stops Christian. “Can you stay and watch Anthony’s back. I know that he trusts you implicitly and it may help him relax.” He nods and goes to stand behind Anthony who visibly relaxes.

  As the door closes, Jacob moves to the mantle, removes three candles, lights them and places them in a triangle. I am not the only one surprised by this. Peter nods and sits. Anthony sits beside him and Jacob sits on the other side of Anthony effectively boxing him in so that he does not have to hold Andrew or my hand. Despite his agreeing to this, I can see his relief. As I put my hand in Jacob’s and then in Andrew’s, they each give me a reassuring look, probably in hopes of calming my raging heart.

  Since Jacob seems to have command of the room, everyone stays silent awaiting his instruction, but he immediately lets go of my and Anthony’s hand bringing his to his head. Andrew places his hand on my shoulder indicating that I should give him a moment, but I worry because he looks in pain. Andrew mouths to me that he is fine, just received an overload, so I wait.

  A moment later, Jacob’s strained voice pierces through the pounding of my heart in my ears. “I have never consciously done this before with so many, so if we could maybe do this one at a time that would help.” He picks up our hands again; “if everyone could just envision a blank television screen that would be helpful.” After several moments, he speaks again. “Anthony if you could show us your life before the incident of your mom and dad’s death that would be helpful. Try picking out a really peaceful, special memory to share first.

  As he says this, I see a beautiful blue sky filling my thoughts. Trees suddenly spring up around me and I can feel my head moving as they do, but am careful not to break contact. I feel someone holding my hand, and as I look down, it is a young girl with sparkling blue eyes and auburn hair. She is no more than five or six, smiling and whispers ever so softly. “Do you think daddy and Anthony will catch dinner tonight?” As she does, someone pounces on her.

  “Of course we will, just wait and see. Then, I’ll show you how to hunt.” She giggles and he puts his index finger on his lips, he can’t be more than eight or nine. He crouches and indicates for us to do the same. I can see Andrew behind the bush holding a bow as Anthony sets his arrow, he moves deftly and silently forward. The brush moves and Anthony rises and releases his arrow. The arrow strikes the mark and Mary squeals in delight. Andrew comes up from the bush and we all approach the down deer carefully. I see Anthony smile, but then the scene changes and the sky is gray, thick with what I now realize is smoke as ash falls all around us. Again I see Anthony traveling over the rubble, calling for Mary and reaching the house but freezing. As we join hands, and begin moving the world is collapsing and crashing around us and then we are at the moment that we were so many times before. This time I concentrate on the people and try to detach myself, but as I do, the image of myself and Andrew only becomes clearer, more defined even down to the unmistakable flex in Andrew’s eyes. Before this image even has time to finish it shifts again and I can see the image of me transposed over an image that looks like Mary, but I realize as I look over at that woman and concentrate it’s not me and the eyes are not Mary’s, not really. I hear someone gasp and know that it must be Anthony. I can feel him fighting to keep control over the images that are shifting so fast. Death after death, horror after horror at his hand, but not, the images that are holding him, once cloudy are now clearer, the darkened shadows surrounding him, but to my horror and I think his, we see an apparition sporting white wings, fighting to grab him, but then the wings turn black, the beatific face fiery and the eyes turn from blue to blood red as the fires of hell itself spring up around it. It looks as if it is consuming him, but I do not feel the burn and from the look on his face, neither does he. I don’t understand how, until I see something emerging from behind, a white glow and then white w
ings begin wrapping around him, shielding him. I can now see a head close to his ear, but can only see the soft brown hair. As the angel lifts him up, a black amorphous shape escapes from Anthony and is thrust past the wings. The angel lifts their face to the heavens and I can hear the collective gasp. The beautiful angel is the mirror image of Eva. She lifts him higher and higher and then places him gently in the sacred Sanctuary which I know he believes gave him the strength to rid himself of the evil.

  As the image goes black, I hear Jacob’s strained voice, and know it is from a combination of the atrocities he has just relived through Anthony’s eyes and the shock of seeing the image of Eva. “Peter, you are next. Think of something quick.”

  Before the echo of Jacob’s words vanish. a new image is forming and from the surroundings, I can see that it is the netherworld from a past image. The young boy is begging his father to come back with them while his father tries to explain that it is not possible and he cannot break the barrier of the world that he has been sent to. “But mom does it all the time to bring me here to be with you.”

  “I know, but that is to get in, she doesn’t belong here and neither do you. My rights to enter that plane have been severed, but I will always be with you and if you need me, your mom will take you here and when you are older, she will show you how to punch through. Ma’at just remember be careful, hide your identity, Reabin will not stop looking for you or your mother. Stay safe son and know that I love you.” I can see the unbelievable strain in Andrew’s face with each word, but as he says this, his voice and stature are unmistakable. As I look in to his eyes, the flecks that glisten are also unforgettable.

  The image quickly shifts. Peter is now older, and is standing on a dock near an open marketplace watching a ship come in. The image shifts again and he is standing before an embracing Andrew and I. As we turn, his astonished face greets us and he staggers back. “I knew I saw you standing on that deck. I can’t believe it, how did you return?” He throws his arms around me. “Mom” Andrew rips his arms from mine.

  “Who are you and what are you doing to my wife?”

  Peter staggers back. “Dad, I’m sorry, is someone watching.” Andrew shakes his head, I can see an angry expression cross his face, but then he quickly closes his eyes. Opening them again, his features are softer. “Are you alright, son?” Peter smiles, but it quickly fades as Andrew continues. “Were you in an accident? Is that why you are confused as to who we are? Is there someone that we can take you to? Do you know who you are?”

  Peter looks around and his voice cracks. “You don’t know who I am?”

  Stepping close to him, I place my hand on his wrist. “No, but we would like to help you. Why don’t you follow us back to the house, you can get a good meal and maybe we can find a way to help you.”

  The image shifts again and I am saying good-bye to Peter and Andrew, they are going off on the ship and Peter turns to me. “Don’t worry about dad I’ll make sure he gets into plenty of trouble in port.” He laughs and Andrew punches his shoulder. Pulling him into a hug, I’m laughing too. “You be careful too and both of you come home safely to me.” They both laugh and say they will in unison.

  The image flashes again and Andrew and I are seeing Peter and what appears to be his family off. They board a ship and Andrew turns to me. “They will be fine. He wants to spread his wings and start a new life with his family. We knew this day would come. He is a grown man and knows how to take care of himself. He is a father and husband now and wants to see what the world holds for him.”

  The image fades and I am about to open my eyes, when the image of Andrew’s transformation flashes before us and I hear the others gasp. As the image finally fades and I open my eyes, I look toward Andrew who is shaking his head and I know, from his expression, that he did not intentionally think of that event and did not intend to share that.”

  Looking at the others, Jacob is visibly upset, Anthony is stunned and Peter appears shocked. Rising, I hug Jacob. “Are you alright?”

  “I am” His tone becomes more determined. “I told you I am getting older and stronger. It just took me a little by surprise.

  “When I first saw it, it took me more than by mere surprise. Jacob, you may be strong, but it is still extremely disturbing.”

  As I say this, I hear Anthony speaking to Andrew. “I’m sorry I thought you weren’t…I mean I should have never thought you were…” He struggles with the right words to say. “How did you live through that? Can you ever …”

  Before he can even finish, Andrew raises his hand. “Anthony considering what you have been through, I would have made exactly the same assumptions. Mia had a similar experience where the underworld tried fooling her. We all know what it can bring.” He looks over to Jacob. “Maybe we should bring in the others and try sorting this out.” Jacob moves out of my embrace and goes to the door. As he does, Andrew whispers in my ear. “Maybe you are right. Did you see us there?”

  “I did and honestly, I think we are caught in some type of loop. I saw the flecks in your eyes, Andrew that can’t be a descendant. It somehow has to be us, but how?”

  “I can’t explain the how” Peter interjects. “They never seemed to be able to figure out how you escaped the underworld, or maybe they just weren’t allowed to tell me, but I may be able to explain the why.” Andrew and I both stumble back as the others enter.

  From Gabriel’s expression, I can tell he saw exactly what we did and must have shared it with the others. Everyone sits and every eye is upon Peter. After I found you again, I punched through to the plane. The story that I was told is that after Mia joined you, you tried every spell, unleashing mystic energy, utilizing amulets, mystics and even white witches to break through to this plane so that you could hunt down Reabin. You couldn’t live with more and more of your men being caught in the nether plane never being able to enter paradise and being forever hunted down like animals because Reabin was looking to stop the threat that we somehow are to him and his plans. Marcus, one of your men that I met while I was seeking you out, said that you had finally found a way out with your daughter, Selene, when she was banished by one of Reabin’s lesser minions.”

  I interject. “Do we know what Reabin’s plans are and what type of threat he saw us as?” I can’t believe that I just said that, but after seeing those images, they have to be us.”

  He shakes his head. “Not even after all these centuries was I able to find out what his plan was or what he thinks we are capable of doing to stop him, but I have been on my own for quite some time..”

  “Is your sister still alive?” In inquire as my heart constricts.

  “No, and she was not my sister.” He shakes his head. “In some way, I guess she was, but she was from another period and I never got to know her.”

  Although I know it seems irrational, pain fills my eyes for someone I don’t even know. Seeing this, his features turn sympathetic. “Mia, she could be back, I just haven’t run across her. Considering what you have been through and the memory alterations, it may be possible that something similar happens to those who are banished to the netherworld.” He looks at my confusion and continues. “It seems that every time you disappear, you somehow have been able to punch through again. Maybe she has done the same. It may be possible that you keep returning because you have unfinished business to resolve and cannot rest until that happens.”

  “But how is that possible?”

  He moves toward me. “How are any of us possible? How could you throw fire and hold off Reabin to allow your people to escape. I know it sounds terrible saying that we lost so many, but hundreds escaped and most who embraced immortality are fine. They knew the risks and accepted them a long time ago, but still today do wonderful things and help people. You swore one day that they would live in peace, not fearing Reabin’s wrath and that he would be banished from this plane once and for all. Maybe when you were in the underworld and one of your children was facing eternity caught in that nothingness” his attention i
s now focused upon Andrew, “you found the strength through your desperation to find a way to break through and then when Mia joined you, you both keep finding a way to punch back to this plane, but unfortunately, you come back not remembering who you are. There is always a price that must be paid. Up until this point, I would surmise that you are sent back before you can carry out the deed. That must be why you keep looping back.”

  Despite my shock from tonight’s reveal, maybe he is right. Even Emma’s theory of souls crossing until something is resolved backs up his theory.

  “So what do we do now?” Anthony interjects.

  Andrew’s eyes glance toward the window and the graying sky indicates that morning is close. “We will contact Realin in a few hours. In the meantime, why don’t you catch some rest. We will do better if everyone is rested and has time to process tonight’s information.” He turns to Peter. “Would you like to crash here, there is plenty of room?” Peter steals a glance at Mark and then nods at Andrew.

  As some of the others leave, Gabriel moves next to Andrew. “You and Mia should show Peter his room. He has something to share with you. I’ll go with Jacob.”

  Jacob nods and we move toward Peter who is waiting in the archway. When we open the door to an empty room, Peter turns. “Can you come in a moment?” He backs away from the door and we enter. “I know what happened to Jonathan and Kim. They were wonderful people and he would be extremely happy that you are continuing his work. You don’t have to worry about the task he asked you to complete with me though. Although Scott is a poor college student on paper, I have plenty of money.” He chuckles. “You can use it to set up a scholarship in his name for students studying business finance.” As my mouth falls open, I catch the same stunned expression on Andrew’s face.

  “How did you know?” I squeak as my voice barely recovers.

  “I have known since the day it happened. I have been watching you Mia since you first came here. I needed to know that you were safe.” His words leave my head reeling and I feel dizzy.

  Andrew’s arms snake around my waist holding me up. “If you knew that we were here, why didn’t you approach us? Did you know I came to the university?”

  He motions for us to sit on the bench at the end of the bed. No, I don’t mean when you and Mia first came here. I mean I have been watching Mia since she first arrived not knowing who she was.” Before we have a chance to ask him anything, he continues. Kim and I had a very strong connection. She found me and hid me away, giving me time to heal after I lost a fight with a demon. After that, I worried that they would track her and destroy her because she helped me so I placed a protectionist spell on her so that I could find her if she was ever in danger. For the longest time, it worked better than I had hoped. I was able to detect trouble for her and thwart it before she was aware that there was any danger.”

  I have to interrupt. “I thought that the spell would only allow you to find someone, see where they were and help you locate them if they were in trouble so how did you stop trouble, before she knew she was in it? How fast are you?”

  “You are right for the ordinary witch, that is exactly how it would work, but with some of us, as you both know, it allows you to step through gateways or in my case it allows me to transport to the one who is in trouble.”

  “How did you know about the gateway?” Andrew inquires staring at Peter.

  “Your unintentional image sharing of your conversion was not the only thing that I was privileged to see during our little exercise down stairs. I’m not sure how, but the longer I have walked on this plane, the more I have been able to gather, compartmentalize as you will, many images of those around me at once. While I was sharing the images I had of you both, I also saw other clips from your life together here and saw that you crossed over realms to help someone in your party who was in danger of being lost forever. It would have been ashamed to lose her and may have even weakened you, since she imprinted on a part of you.”

  “What else did you see?” I manage to whisper.

  “I saw most of what has happened in your life, but not so much Andrew’s. You are still the same always worried about others.” His voice softens. “But I am getting off track. When Kim was in trouble, when they came for her and Jonathan, I arrived as the demons were torturing them threatening to bring down the plane. I tried to combat them but I just wasn’t strong enough to go against so many directly empowered by the underworld. They must have been fresh up from that plane, usually demons who are here for a long time, even in numbers, I have been able to defeat, but these ones, I could not even penetrate the darkness around them to get a shot at stopping the copter from crashing into the sea. Despite throwing everything I had at them, all I could do was punch a hole through and hear them torturing her. One of them really liked to talk. He spoke of their dying to serve the all-powerful one and that their deaths would open the doors to a whole new world where those who have a right to this world, a right to the souls upon it would finally be heard. I thought he was mad, but considering where they come from.” He stops and shakes his head, his eyes appear temporarily unfocused and I wonder if he is trying the erase the images which must be bombarding him. We sit silently and finally he continues. “One of the others he was with became very aggravated and began yelling at him that he shouldn’t declare victory until the deed was done considering how their boss had failed before. The first one bellowed that there was no way he was going to fail this time because he had a whole different tact and you were without your memory, without your powers and without protection. The other one argued if it was so easy why was everything so dependent upon them taking out these two. When he responded that it was because Jonathan was the perfect cover for some infallible plan, I came back here after I failed as saving Kim. I was shocked to see Jonathan arrive a few hours later, but as I watched, I realized, it wasn’t Jonathan at all. Jonathan’s image was being used to encase something dark, shroud something so tied to the underworld that I could not break through their façade to see what was truly housed within. I needed a way to stop whatever they were planning. I would not let them accomplish whatever they had killed Kim and Jonathan for.” His voice is absolutely livid and he closes his eyes, fighting to calm down before continuing. “As luck would have it, the demon had an accomplice, a driver, Anthony. I knew that after they had first made contact, whoever had taken over for Jonathan would pay little attention to the one he was with unless he got into trouble so I…” He takes a few steps forward and Anthony is standing before us. I gasp and quickly jump before Andrew. “I’m sorry” Peter quickly states before he is standing before me again. “I didn’t mean to make you nervous. It’s only me, really, sometimes when I get caught in the moment, it happens automatically. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “How did you…”

  A nervous giggle escapes his lips. “That happens all the time. One time I was at a concert and got so lost in the moment that the people next to me thought they were staring at the performer. Luckily, he had stepped to the side stage. Never mind. Shrouding myself in darkness and becoming Anthony was easy. Although I must admit, I almost blew everything when the demon led me to you. After that, I stayed very close and paid attention. I could tell something big was going on and that you had no idea who you were. I could see flashes of your life, but they were buried so deep and were so hard to see, I couldn’t really get a handle on them and then when I finally started piecing it all together, this Cassandra contacted me and said that I couldn’t interfere and lead you back to the life you lost. She told me that I could observe and try to throw Jonathan off his game, but that I would serve everyone best if I played my part, let Jonathan believe that I was on his side, that I was helping him. She went on and on about how if I made contact with you as myself or interfered by helping you reconnect with those you sacrificed for, you would be lost forever and I would be exposed. I did try to help you, but the more I tried, the more things were going wrong.” He is now kneeling in front of me. “I am really so
rry I drugged your wine that evening. I knew Jonathan was planning on seducing you, trying to make you commit to him. I thought by getting you sick, you would go home and the evening would have been ruined, instead, it played into his hands better than if I had let him go forward. Knowing you, you would have slapped him and his plans would have been thwarted. I never saw what was coming and it was all my fault.” His tone rises dramatically and I can feel the panic within him.

  “Peter, you didn’t do anything wrong. You were trying to help me. I’m here and back where I belong and now so are you. It all worked out as it should.”

  “But you accepted his ring and were going to say yes, I could see it and it was all because of me, I didn’t think it through. I should have seen that he would have found a way to turn the situation to his advantage, I should have thought it out better, I should have…”

  Seeing the panic in his eyes, I interrupt him. “You were trying to help me and I am fine, really. Everything is fine and we are all together now and are probably stronger than we were before this incident.” I didn’t even realize that he had grabbed my hand and that I am stroking it comfortingly until I look down at him.

  I rise. “It has been quite a day. Get some rest. We will all think clearer with some sleep under our belt.” I move to leave, but he throws his arms around me.

  “I’ve missed you. I’m so glad that you’re alright. I’m so sorry for my mistake.”

  Wrapping my arms around him, “Everything is going to be alright.” As he releases me, I stroke his cheek and he leans into my hand. “Peter if I’m not here in the morning, stay. I only have to go to the hospital but will be back by four and Mark is only two doors down from you.”

  He nods and I can see him watching Andrew carefully, but then he puts out his hand. “Good-night, I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Andrew shakes his hand and I can see him hesitating as to what to do next, but he smiles and his voice is full of emotion. “I’m going to get the children to school in the morning, but if you want to come by there and talk, I don’t have a busy schedule at all.”

  Peter smiles widely. “I would really like that. I’ll see you later.”

  As we stroll down the hall, we stop to check on Jacob who is fast asleep. Entering our room, Andrew enfolds me in his arms and I feel the anxiety of what could have happened in his embrace. “It’s fine. We’re fine and we are together.” I pull him tighter for a moment and then release him. “Andrew do you think that they are our children? Could this really all be possible?”

  “He changed even quicker than Jacob. If you asked me before tonight, I would have said no, but after what we saw, what I felt when we were connected, now, I’m just not so sure that it isn’t possible. Just think about what we know, we know that souls can come back for shortened period of times to act as guardians for souls on this plane, I mean just look at my mom and dad. We have seen demons possess bodies and know how shadows and spirits fight on this plane for souls, I just never thought that individuals could come back and play different roles over and over again, but considering what we saw tonight, maybe we never entered one realm or another, maybe this netherworld that Peter kept talking about is a no man’s land that those who learn to punch through can come back from until they have gone to the ultimate destination. Maybe last time I punched through, I turned into this so that the cycle stopped and then when you embraced your inner witch and immortality, the loop stopped for you as well.” He smiles and I know it is because he is trying to lighten my introspective mood. When I don’t smile back, he places his fingers gently beneath my chin, lifting my face so that my eyes are forced to look at his. “Mia, maybe we don’t remember the time before, not because angels blocked our memories like they did with you this last time, maybe we are more like that Giovanni we read about and in those other lives we were not immortal but when we died, our spirits were not allowed to travel to one plane or another but were instead part of a different dimension, one that could not hold us.” He lifts me into his arms and moves me over to the bed. “You need to rest at least. The children will be up in two hours. I can already hear Gabriel and Eva making calls and Jason is going through more of those ancient books he took back with Mark. Maybe when you wake they will have a better perspective on all of this.”

  Stretching out beside me, I want to cuddle into his chest, feel safe, but I know he is thinking about this and would rather be searching with the others for answers. Reaching up and stroking his glorious cheek, “Why don’t you join the others and I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  He smiles, but does not move. “I think I’ll stay right here and ensure you at least try to rest.” He pulls me into his chest, reaches across me and opens the music box.

  Stretching, Andrew is not beside me and I turn quickly to the clock. It’s five thirty. I have only been out for forty-five minutes, but know it would be useless to try to go back to sleep and the children will be up soon. Showering quickly, I can hear the others downstairs.

  Reaching the bottom step, Andrew emerges from the library. “You should really be trying to get more sleep.”

  “I’m fine, have you found out anything?”

  “The books and scrolls that Jason brought back talk about demons that we have never even fathomed in our wildest imaginations. There are some stories which talk about powerful beings fighting them and banishing them to different dimensions so that they could no longer serve the darkness and other stories that talk about imprisoning beings sworn to uphold the light, but they are all ancient stories and could be just that, stories, myths. We have no way of knowing whether or not they are true and there does not appear to be any recent accounts of such beings on this plane.”

  I stare at the numerous scrolls and books which are splayed out over every conceivable surface and a drawing of a horned demon catches my eye. Moving closer to it, the drawing is the strangest depiction and I am surprised that for something so ancient, it almost jumps out at you like a 3-D changeable. It reminds me of the image that you hold different ways to uncover the picture underneath. As I move closer, depending upon my angle, the demon looks like either a man with a crown or a horned demon. Staring at it, I get the strangest feeling, but cannot concentrate on it for long as I hear the children up and about. Unconsciously, I look out at the others, but do not see them. “I better make breakfast. I’ll shut the door so you have privacy.” I move past the archway and shut the door, not wanting the children to see some of the strange drawings.

  A moment later, Andrew is in the kitchen with me. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine” I answer absentmindedly.

  He turns me around. “What’s wrong, tell me.”

  “Nothing really, the pictures they are just very strange that’s all. I thought we were strange enough, but I guess not.” I try to joke, but my voice is off and Andrew pulls me into an embrace. Mia, they could be just ancient stories, I have never come in contact with anything that we have been reading about and I have been here for a very long time.”

  “I don’t know, there is something too real about that drawing, didn’t it jump out at you. What if they are on this plane?”

  “Mia, don’t you think that we would have come across something like that. Don’t you think Reginald or some of his men, some of the people that we have come in contact with would have talked about such a thing? They don’t appear to be blenders.” He smirks. “If a seven foot horned demon walked into a convenience store, don’t you think that some great rag would have published that picture by now.” He laughs and looking at it that way, he does have a point. “Come on, let’s get breakfast ready.”

  I never thought a busy emergency room where I didn’t have a second to think about anything but what is directly in front of me could bring me such peace, but it does. By two in the afternoon, everyone is at least in recovery or assigned to a room and there appears to be a moment’s breather. Going into my office, Janet steps in behind me. “Did you hear?”

  Figuring she is going t
o tell me Geoffrey is pulling more shenanigans, I roll my eyes at her and cross my arms. “What has Geoffrey done now?”

  “Not him, the boy who was in here, the boy from the drug bust.” Immediately I stiffen and am all ears. “He killed himself.”

  “How, when did this happen?”

  “Mia, I know your new life is busy with your new nieces and nephews and all, but I would assume that Jonathan is at least reading the papers, to keep up to date with all of his investments and the like.”

  “Janet, what happened?”

  “He was being arraigned yesterday and was going to be held without bail. When he heard this, he went crazy in the courtroom, started yelling and screaming that he was not going back there and when the guards tried to restrain him and take him back, he somehow got hold of one of their guns. In the struggle, he shot his mother and then as she fell to the ground, he blew his brains out.”

  Falling back, if it weren’t for my desk, I would be on the floor. I can’t even find my voice to ask what happened to the mother. An emergency page pulls me from my immobility, but I haven’t quite engaged and instead find myself moving robotically toward the emergency room. The blood oozing from the chest of a young stabbing victim finally pulls my mind back from wherever it has been.

  Emerging from surgery several hours later, I am dead on my feet. Entering the lobby, I see Ruth and Geoffrey entering. Not wanting to engage in any additional unpleasant sparring with Geoffrey when there are so many other issues to deal with, I deftly try to avoid them while crossing the lobby so that I can speak with the young man’s parents who are sitting in the waiting area before leaving for the evening.

  Half-way across the lobby, I catch someone’s quick and erratic movement from the corner of my eye. As I turn, he shouts my name, pulls a gun, and immediately discharges his weapon while screaming. “You killed my brother and now I’m going to kill you!” I should move, but I am frozen to my spot and watch detached from my surroundings as the security guard tries to grab hold of him but is pushed to the ground. I hear another round discharge from its chamber. Instantly, someone jumps before me but is pushed back into me. I feel a piercing pain in my head and chest as I crash against the concrete floor.

  Images I cannot grasp are spinning out of control around me. My chest is on fire. Fighting for air, I cannot manage even the slightest breath to offer me some relief from the burning.

  Shouting from an all too familiar voice inside my head that I cannot die now because he is too close for mere mortals to thwart his plan rips my attention from my searing chest to the pain and oozing of blood from my pounding head. Panicked shouts around me rip the voice from my thoughts and my eyes flutter open, only to be blinded by the halogen lights above.

  Julian’s face comes in to focus. “Mia, I need you to concentrate on me. You need to stay awake, don’t shut your eyes. As I fight the darkening tunnel, pain rips through me and I can hear the shouts for gurneys and what can only be police sirens in the background. I fight to focus on the confusion around me, but dip into my unconscious peace once more.

  A strong odor invades my senses, pulling me from the darkness. Pandemonium surrounds me and I hear Geoffrey’s muddled voice asking someone why she would do that, but we are on the move and Julian’s screeching for me to stay with him pulls my attention from all else. He shouts to Janet to call Jonathan and let him know what’s happened and asks who else in on surgical rotation, but as pain overloads my senses, I feel each drop of blood escape my head and chest and dip once more.

  Floating through graying hues as cold envelops my every cell, the images swirl around me once more like the funnel cloud of a tornado, too fast for my mind to process. Descending closer and closer to me, this spiraling cone interweaves the images which begin covering my essence like a blanket. As they wrap themselves around me, I feel a warm sensation coursing through me and a peace unlike anything I have ever felt before, calling to me, comforting me, wrapping me in love and tranquility. Just as my body begins to relax, fear, despair and panic wrap around me like a mummy’s shroud entombing me. From somewhere in my desolate abyss a woman’s voice whispers to me. “Hide here, I will lead him away, I will not allow him to rip your choice from you or take you away. Your brother made his choice and so have you. Just remember, no matter what happens I love you. Do not come out until he is banished, someone you trust will come for you if I can’t.”

  A booming voice around me rattles my entombing shroud. Terror touches my very core, I’m going to be lost forever, ripped from paradise, torn from Andrew, all for being…

  A brilliant light forces back the darkness, ripping me from tomb as a gentle voice floats through my thoughts. “Allow the images to show you the way, you need to be strong, you are being called upon, the time has come.” The light fades and the vortex is before me once more, as it slows, the images now come into focus.

  Beep…beep…beep, the steady rhythm calls to me as the last image fades. Swimming toward the surface, familiar voices lift me closer to the surface. “She is healing and will be fine. You could not have seen this coming. No one could have predicted the twisted thoughts of a drug dealing maniac.”

  “How is Ruth?”

  Eva’s response is barely a whisper. “She didn’t make it. Does anyone know why she jumped in front of Mia?” Her tone immediately becomes concerned. “I didn’t mean that I’m not grateful for her jumping in front of Mia to protect her, but weren’t you frightened of her? Didn’t you say she had dark demons around her?”

  “When I followed her, I did see a light, but thought I was being fooled, maybe she knew what was going to happen and came here to protect Mia.”

  Breaking through to the surface, tears prick my eyes and Andrew is at my side. I hear Eva say she’ll go and tell the others I’m awake as he strokes my cheek. “Welcome back. We’ve missed you.” Relief floods his face and he smiles.

  “How long have I been out?”

  “Only about twelve hours since we completed your surgery.”

  I shift and can’t help my surprise as I realize my chest and head no longer hurt. Leaning down, he kisses me gently and whispers in my ear. “Don’t move around too much, Julian is on the floor and if he comes in, we don’t want to raise suspicion. We’ll have you out of here in a few hours, but until then, relax Mrs. Taylor.” He jokes and I can’t help but wrap my arms around him, holding him tightly to me.

  After several moments, he gently moves from my embrace. “Mia, it’s alright, I’m here, the children are outside and you are going to be fine. What can I do to help you?”

  I want to tell him everything, but know that it not possible now. “I’m sorry it was just the thought of Ruth dying because of me and then seeing you, I’m just so grateful that you are here.” Needing a distraction, “Who operated on me?”

  “Gabriel and I, although the staff thinks that it was Mark and Dr. Meyers. Jackson took care of them while we operated on you.”

  “Isn’t it a bad idea for a husband to operate on his wife?” I joke hoping to lift my dark mood.

  “It may be, but I was not going to take any chances with you. We even snuck Jacob and Nicole in to speed up the healing process.”

  “Are they still here?”

  “Yes, would you like me to go get them?”

  “Yes, but Andrew before you do, I need to tell you something and I need you to sit down.” He sits and concern overshadows his features, but he waits for me to gather my thoughts. “I saw everything. I saw our lives here, it was us. Everything that Anthony and Peter believe is correct. We have been together before here and not only the times with them. My visions from before, two times in England, we were there as well, I am certain of it now.” He doesn’t seem as surprised as I thought from my revelation.

  “I know.”

  Forgetting, I scramble to sit up, but he jumps up and places his hand on my shoulder guiding me back down just before the door swings open and Julian steps in. “I heard you were conscious. How are you feeling?” Althoug
h he is addressing me, I see his eyes scanning the monitors before they come to meet mine.

  Knowing that patients so soon out of surgery sound weak, I force a raspy tone from my lips. “Very lucky.”

  He reaches for the glass of ice chips by my bed and feeds me a spoon. “This will help.” Then he turns to Andrew. “Jonathan would you mind stepping out for a moment so that I can examine Mia?”

  Before Andrew can even respond Mark enters. “Julian, Tracy and the children have just arrived and are looking for you. Weren’t you supposed to clock out hours ago. I can examine Mia.”

  He turns to me and smiles. “Never a dull moment with you anymore. I’ll see you in the morning, I have the early shift.” He leans over and kisses my forehead before he is out the door.

  As it closes I can see a look pass between Andrew and as Mark comes closer, I realize it is Gabriel. “That was a little too close, we need to get Mia transferred out soon. What is Taylor’s ETA?”

  “He should be here in about fifteen minutes. He was on his way to the airport before getting our call, not even our kind can overcome rush hour traffic.”

  “You’re not really transferring me, are you?”

  “No, but we can’t have anyone looking too closely at you, all of your scars are gone.”

  As he says this, my fingertips tear at the corner of the bandage on my head and I cannot even feel the trace of a scar.

  “Thankfully, Ruth knocked you off balance and the bullet only grazed your head. Do you feel any residuary effects in your chest?”

  A move around quickly and feel fine. “No.”

  Gabriel interjects. “The children are anxious to see you.” He opens the door and they come rushing in and to my surprise, I see Anthony and Peter shuffle in and stand near the door as Nicole launches herself at me.

  “I’m fine sweetie, really.” She squeezes me tighter and I can feel the tension radiating off of her. “Nicole, I’m here.”

  “I thought we lost you again. We should have never come back here. Mom, please we need to go home.”

  Before I can even say anything, Jacob whispers something in her ear that I cannot hear and she kisses me on the cheek, releases me and then steps back.

  Nicholas and Kayla also hug me and their relief that I am still with them is evident.

  As soon as Jacob embraces me, I can feel him stiffen and immediately realize my mistake, knowing that he is seeing what I have seen. I try to grab hold of him, hoping to somehow whisper in his ear that he cannot let on, but before I can, he rips himself from me. “No, No, it’s not possible!”

  Before he can utter another sound, I interject. “Andrew take the others outside, Jacob just saw the shooting, give me a minute with him.”

  Despite Andrew’s concern, he ushers the others out knowing it is best to keep a low profile with the staff still milling around.

  “Jacob, please calm down. You need to listen to me so that we can save your brother. He is an innocent who cannot be made to suffer and cannot be left there to become an instrument of destruction. Sebastian cannot protect him much longer, I felt his power waning and if the other gets hold of him, it will destroy this world and we will have brought about the greatest force of destruction on this plane.”

  I can’t stand seeing Jacob immobile and I want to get up and comfort him, tell him that everything will be alright, but he has stepped out of the leads reach and if I set off the monitor, others will rush in. Knowing I am already fighting Andrew’s return, I need to get Jacob to listen to me, to understand and to agree to undertake his part without hesitation and without alerting his father.

  “Jacob, please, there is not a lot of time before your father returns, there are things I need to show you, things you need to know that I fear you did not get. Please.”

  “Mom, I’ve seen enough and it’s a lie. I know it is; it has to be.”

  “Jacob, please we are running out of time, please you need to see it all. You are the only one who can help me.”

  His features soften as he meets my pleading eyes and he stumbles forward. Embracing him hoping to comfort him and to allow him to see all that I have seen before Andrew returns, I can feel the energy, visions and power passing between us.

  As Andrew enters and Jacob finally pulls away from me, he looks as if he has aged a century in only minutes and he cannot hide his escaping tears. Andrew places his hand on Jacob’s shoulder and I can see Jacob fighting to shield him from the images and knowledge which can only bring about the destruction of all our worlds.

  He turns deftly shrugging out of Andrew’s hold. “I’m alright. Did I frighten Nicole?” Before Andrew can even respond, Jacob moves toward the door. “What am I saying, I know I did. I should go out and talk to her and give you a moment.

  Ten minutes later, they are loading me up into the ambulance when the real Mark stops them. “Jonathan, where are you transferring her?”

  “I arranged for a private staff and some equipment at the house. There are too many press people milling about waiting for their chance to talk to her about the ‘deranged drug dealer who tried to shoot the doctor who released his brother.’” Andrew can’t hide his aggravated tone.

  “But it wasn’t even Mia, I released him. She was in surgery.”

  Moving away from the others, and looking around, Andrew’s voice drops. “Mark, we know, but Walker holds it against Mia because he asked her to stall Greg’s release and she didn’t. You don’t want to clear up any misconceptions Peter’s men have regarding this. Greg has two other siblings and we don’t want to give them another target.”

  “But…”

  Before he can finish his objection, Andrew interjects. “I have the resources to protect Mia, you have a family you need to worry about. I don’t know if the other members are as deranged as Peter, but you can’t take any chances with your family.” I see Mark nod and then Andrew moves back toward us and shuffles the children into a car next to the ambulance as Gabriel, much to my dismay climbs in with me.

  Fighting desperately to fill my thoughts with anything but what I have seen, I decide to sit up and start taking off the leads and equipment they have on me and jump as he places his hand on my shoulder. “Mia, it’s alright, you don’t have struggle, I know.”

  My eyes shoot up to his. “What…how…what do you know?”

  “Everything that you have seen. I operated on you with Andrew, remember. As you saw it, so did I and I know that Jacob knows now as well.”

  Grabbing his wrist, “Tell me that you didn’t tell Andrew, you can’t! You know what will happen if you do. You know what will happen if they grab hold of him!”

  “He does” Says a voice from nowhere and then instantly Reginald appears before me.

  Without thought, I throw myself at him. “I thought you were lost for good. How did you escape? Did the others get out? How did you get here? Where did you come from? How did I not see you?”

  Shrugging out of my stranglehold, he leans back. “I survived the hell dimension, but may not survive your hug.” He jokes and in making me laugh, he stops my stream of questions and I sit back down, releasing him.

  “You didn’t see me because I gained a few tricks on my last journey.” He smiles. “You shouldn’t have been there, that was extremely dangerous and you could have gotten trapped there before we knew what was going on.” He admonishes.

  “I didn’t mean to, it just happened.”

  “I know and in some ways it was good because by throwing Amanda out, I left myself a pathway from her tethering me to escape.” His features fall and he shakes his head. “I got out many of the others you saw, but Sebastian and your son are still there. Some stayed to try and help protect them, but it won’t be long. We are going to have to go after them soon.” He glances at Gabriel and then back to me. “He didn’t tell Andrew what he knows and you know why he won’t.”

  The words escape my lips before my mind even processes the true meaning of them. “Because he sacrificed heaven to stay with him and prote
ct him and knows the importance of protecting him still.”

  Gabriel smiles and nods and I can’t help but ask. “Knowing who I am why would you allow him to find me again?”

  Reaching across, he takes my hands in his. “Mia, you have been joined since the beginning. He has loved you since the very first moment his eyes met yours. I could no sooner stop him from finding you again than I could extinguish the souls in heaven. That is not my place and not my job. Nor would I. You should not be punished, you did not choose wrong. I came here to watch over him and help him when I can. I always come with him here and am never that far, but hopefully this time, knowing what I truly am, I can utilize my powers to help him. We have never had this knowledge going into a final fight before. But then again, the alignment has never been right and the stakes never as high.”

  My head drops into my hands as I consider the weight of what could happen all because of who I am and our union. I can’t help but wonder if I had gone with him originally, if all of this could have been avoided. Gabriel sits beside me, placing his arm around me. “You need to stop thinking that way. He has no right to claim that you belong to him and you still are not seeing the entire picture, you still do not have all of the pieces to the puzzle. You won’t until you are there, but Mia, you need to remember what you always tried to convince Andrew of, just because he made Andrew what he is now, doesn’t mean he has the right to him. You have done nothing to be claimed by him and you do not belong there. I know what you are planning, but Mia, I can’t explain why, but you need to concentrate on getting out as well.”

  “I have a feeling that may not be possible. No matter what, your priority needs to be Andrew and my children’s protection. Promise me.”

  “Mia, I promise, but I know that we still do not have the entire story. I can feel it. We are closer and this is the first time you and Andrew are not facing it alone and some of us are armed with knowledge that we have never had before. You know that he has to know, he has to know what you are planning.”

  I shake my head forcefully. “He can’t know what I am asking Jacob, you know his feelings for me will cloud his judgment.”

  “The way your feelings for him are making you make decisions for him that may hamper your eternity.” He retorts and from his expression, it is a little more forceful than he expected.

  “Despite my feelings you know my decision is right. They will torture him for their situation; blame him for the consequences of their own decision. He doesn’t belong there.”

  “Neither do you.” Gabriel’s tone turns angry. “I know what you are thinking, but you did not hide because you are a coward, you hid because you exercised your free will to stay and he had no right to try and rip that from you to drag you down. I know you want to rescue your son, but you need to fight for yourself as well, you belong with Andrew and your family.”

  I turn to Reginald. “Did Cassandra and Amanda come back with you?

  Knowing I am seeking a momentary reprieve from and argument that will get us nowhere, he smiles. “They are at the house. Mia, do you know what caused you in this lifetime to gather the knowledge you did? I wouldn’t ask, but you know how much I can’t step away from gathering information.”

  “I don’t mind your asking. The images of Andrew and my lives were flashing around me, probably while they were operating on me. I saw some additional flashes of Anthony and Peter after Andrew and I had left and even saw some of my daughter, but I couldn’t get a handle on her face and still am not quite sure why pentagrams and the images of only five of my children kept flashing before me.” Looking into Reginald’s eyes, I see a spark. He knows. “Are you going to tell me?”

  He shakes his head. “Cassandra can explain it better and I don’t really have all of the information. Besides, it’s better if everyone hears it together.”

  “Do you know how my son ended up there?”

  “That wasn’t revealed to you?” He sounds surprised. I shake my head, but know that he is aware of how it happened. He places his hand upon mine. “We can talk about that when we are all together. Mia, do you know what the catalyst is that unlocked the knowledge for you?”

  I shake my head and wonder if he is asking because he believes that this situation will arise again with Andrew and I in another time where Reginald’s immortality will take him, but considering where we are heading, I can’t see this opportunity presenting itself again. “I have no idea, but I’m sure, even if I did, the information wouldn’t matter for the future.”

  I see the look pass between Gabriel and Reginald, but thankfully the ambulance has come to a stop and our conversation for the moment is over. The children are already outside at the ambulance doors when they open. Huddling around me as I climb out, I can feel their anxiety. “I’m fine, really. Why don’t we get inside and I’ll make some hot chocolate.”

  “Why don’t you rest and I’ll make it.” Kayla replies. Taking her hand, she turns to me.

  “Honey, I’m fine. I’m healed and everything is going to be alright.” Catching Jacob’s skeptical glance, I want to say more, but considering I feel the strain in my voice as I’m trying to sound normal, I do not want concern them, not yet. I need to talk with Andrew first.

  I can see Jeff scurry into the office with Amanda and Cassandra as we enter and Julianne and Paul are toting trays of hot chocolate and cookies. “Charley, Peter and Anthony are already in the living room starting a fire.”

  “No, have them stop!” Every eye is on me now.

  Reginald places his hand on my shoulder and whispers in my ear. “Mia, it’s fine, it won’t happen now.”

  “Mom, what’s wrong.” Nicholas asks concerned.

  “Nothing, honey, I’m sorry, I just didn’t want them going to all that trouble considering how late it is.” Despite all of my children’s skeptical looks, they decide to go along with my explanation and go into the living room. I can’t help but keep one eye on the fire.

  After seeing them off to bed, Andrew and I join the others in study.

  Andrew moves toward Reginald. “Since I don’t see Sebastian here, I take it your trip was unsuccessful.” I can hear the trepidation in his tone and know that he is concerned that Reginald is going to ask for our help in rescuing him and is torn because of everything that the children have already gone through.

  Taking his hand in mine, “Andrew I think we should sit down there are some things I need to tell you.” After telling him about seeing our lives and how everything Peter and Anthony told us was true and that we were there, I finally come to tell him what he needs to know in order for us to move forward, hoping that once I do, Cassandra will explain the rest. “Andrew, the white light that I saw with Sebastian in hell, it’s the soul of Alexander’s twin brother. He is trapped there. If he falls into Satan’s hands, he will be used to bring the Anti-Christ to this plane and cause unimaginable destruction. Reginald didn’t get Sebastian out because Sebastian refused to leave our son behind. He is somehow protecting him in that realm with some others, but their power is waning and he will be taken if we don’t rescue him soon.” As I touch him, concentrating only on what I saw in the hell dimension that I want Andrew to see, I notice Andrew turn to stone before my eyes. Calling his name several times, his eyes do not even glance my way and I begin to panic.

  Eva puts her hand on mine. “Mia, give him a minute, he is seeing for the first time what you saw. I think he’s fighting to hold on to the connection of images.” As I release him, she releases me.

  Finally, after what feels like an eternity, he manages to focus on the here and now. He stares at Cassandra. “Please tell me how this happened because I know Mia doesn’t know.”

  Shocked that he somehow is aware of my lack of knowledge regarding this, I can feel the panic, what if he saw the other images that I was trying to hide from him. I see Cassandra shake her head and hear Andrew’s angry voice. “Don’t you think since it is our son being held down there we have a right to know?”

  “Of course you d
o and I’m going to tell you.” Turning to Andrew, I can see his confusion and realize that she shook her head in response to my panicked thoughts. Forcing aside all errant thoughts, I focus on her.

  “Do you remember the story you were told regarding certain souls capturing and imprisoning innocent souls to come back as their being unhampered by having to fight the soul within from a mere possession?”

  “Yes, but what does that have to do with this situation. He wasn’t even born yet, his soul hadn’t even entered this plane, nor was there a body to grant access to this plane.” As the words escape Andrew’s lips, it clicks, but still it is beyond comprehension. How could it even be possible? As this idea flashes through my thoughts, I hear Cassandra voice my fears.

  “When you were in England and Mia encountered David and Marlena, his connection to the demon world and transcendence among planes made him more powerful than most of the demons you have encountered. I told you they could entrap souls and in some cases for rebirth, they needed two. In David’s case, that is exactly what he accomplished when he bit Mia.” She now focuses on me. “Think back, when he bit you, his hands were not just on your shoulders, there had to be an instant where they were on your abdomen and he had contact with Marlena. Closing my eyes, trying to envision what she was saying, even before the image can form, I know it’s true.

  “Mia, he was trying to take both, but only got one. Alexander’s soul was stronger as the first formed, he was tethered to you tighter and David only got one chance to come back, once chance to transfer a being to Marlena. He did not count on what happened nor did he count on Sebastian’s soul having the ability to tether to child and protect him.”

  “So what do we do now? How do we get in, it looked like the opening that Reginald and Amanda went through closed when he threw Amanda through. Is there another way in? Did Reginald get out another way?” I inquire and those who are unaware of what I saw in my dreams are now staring at me.

  Cassandra liens forward. “Mia, what you originally thought was never a way in for you or for them. Although they went in the way of your dreams, they were in more of an observatory, they could see and in Reginald’s case with the dagger, he was able to puncture the realm to entrap some of the good souls and then release them. Unfortunately, he also released the ones captured since our encounter with Caleb. However for where you have to go, utilizing that route would be futile.”

  She pauses, taking in a deep breath. “When David stole the soul of the child and it was banished to hell, he put the final piece into the puzzle. He provided an opportunity which Satan has been waiting for since his banishment. Everything now is aligned and to prevail you must both be willing to risk it all, make whatever sacrifice is necessary and fight like you have never fought before, otherwise we are all doomed.” As she says this, she is staring at Andrew and I realize it is because she already knows where I stand.

  With a resolve in his voice like I have never heard before, he leans toward her and speaks forcefully. “Just tell us what we have to do.”

  “You have already accomplished part of it. You have accepted that you have had past lives and that that your children are before you.” I can’t help but glance at Peter and Anthony. “What you are not aware of and neither are they, are that they are your first born from those lifetimes, you will need a drop of blood from five of your first born children to mix with the blood of five of Jonathan’s first born children and then five souls from each realm, children lost from you and Andrew and Jonathan in order to gain access to where you need to go.”

  The room is silent as eyes dart from one person to another trying to absorb such an impossible task. A shot of adrenaline pulls me from my stupor and the questions on everyone’s mind comes shooting out of me like a rocket at takeoff. “How is that even possible? Why does there have to be five? How can we get souls from other realms? What does Jonathan have to do with this? You said that everything is aligned, but that can’t be possible even with Anthony and Peter that only gives us three first born children. How are we ever going to find two more before Sebastian loses his hold? I couldn’t even see my daughter, and I didn’t see an image of another child. Even if I had, how could we ever find them in time?” Panic seizes my heart and I fall silent.

  “Mia, you need to relax. Save your energy for when it is truly needed. You already have the five children around you. You don’t have to search for anyone. As far as Jonathan’s children on this plane now, they will come to you. They believe they will prevail and have been called upon by him already. As to the souls from heaven and hell that are needed, you have seen some of them already and the rest wait in the wings. Each side is prepared to release them for this battle.” As she says this, I know what souls she is referring to, but I still do not understand how she thinks that we have five first born children around us.

  She inhales deeply and answers my unspoken question. “Mia, Alexander is considered a first born child because you were taken out of your life and technically placed in a new one and as for your daughter, she is here. The reason you could not see her face is because I was blocking it. I wanted to introduce myself.” She glances quickly at Peter and I see him smile.

  From the corner of my eye, I see Andrew leaning forward. “Why didn’t you say anything when we first met?”

  “Considering all that was going on, would you have believed me?”

  The answer registers in Andrew’s features without him even saying a word. “With your gift of sight, you must have known we were here before our encounter, why didn’t you seek us out?”

  “It was not time and there are rules, especially with you. Balance must be maintained. Although I can see, I told you free will sometimes changes everything and we could not predict what would have happened if Mia made other choices. Even now, you suspect things, but still do not know the whole story. All is not yet revealed and before you ask, I cannot reveal it, and even if I could, I am not privileged in this matter to have all of the answers. I only know that to get in and save the soul of the child trapped you must go to where this timeline began with your first born children, draw a pentagram with each standing on the tip, the oldest at the top. Once that occurs, Jonathan’s children will materialize, the souls will gather and the amulet shall open the door for passage. However, this does not come without a price, opening the rift between dimensions, between the planes will allow some to escape. If it closes before you escape, those caught inside may not be able to get back out, not even with using the blood of the ten on the amulet as a key. If you are trapped, what you are will not protect you, it will make you an even bigger target there than you are up here and your powers will be used against you to torture you and gain access to all that you possess.”

  I cannot help the shudder that runs through me and Andrew draws me closer.

  Jeff interjects. “What would happen if they do not go?”

  “The soul of their son will be used to bring forth the anti-Christ. The world as we know it will be gone and lying in its wake will be a world filled with the creatures of the stories that you read about in the scrolls. This realm will be filled with demons that have the power to devour humanity, one soul at a time. Champions will rise to combat the evil, but none of us have been privileged to see whether or not they will be strong enough to destroy it before it rules this plane. Either way, this world will be plunged into a supernatural war ground possibly for centuries until balance can be restored and the demons can be forced back into their hell dimension once more.”

  There is so much to take in, but finally something she says registers and I cannot stop shaking. In trying to rescue our son and prevent the anti-Christ will we be opening up the doorway for Satan himself to enter this plane? “Opening the gateway, does that mean the devil himself may pass through?”

  Cassandra’s features turn understanding and her tone becomes more of a mother comforting a child that that of a daughter addressing her mother, but then again, considering I only have images of past lives and no true unde
rstanding of how much they held, she is the wiser one. “No one really knows, but he was only allowed a short entrance in this world to reclaim one he sent here and who defied him. We do not believe that he himself can just enter this dimension and stay because he chose to reign in hell when he went through the gates of heaven for the final time. No demon has defied him since Ann and the one he feels he has a right to is going to be in his realm, not here so we believe that he would stay where his power is strongest.”

  “What will happen to those closest to the gateway if some of his minions can escape?”

  “That will depend upon those who you convince to come with you on this journey and how strong they are in fighting to contain them or send them back. You have powerful friends and allies, more than you realize.”

  As she glances around, my eyes follow hers and I see not only those we have come across and fought with but new allies in Peter, Anthony, Mark and those who they have come into contact with. As my focus intensifies on Peter, Casey’s words about Saria’s followers swims through my thoughts. “Is that why we were shown Saria’s life because her followers are to play a role in this apocalyptic journey?”

  She smiles. “Do not give up hope, I know that you see this world being harmed either way because of what is happening, but the energy toward this has been building and this is the first time that you are truly not alone, you are stronger now than you have ever been and you have amassed an army of those who are willing to fight on your side. It is not like before where you, Andrew and those around you had no real information to combat what was coming for you. This time hopefully it will be different and may even close the gateway for good.” She leans across and takes each of our hands. “You cannot give up hope. You have to believe that you will prevail. If you don’t, all those around you, those who have been waiting to support you, to serve their purpose will fail before they have even had a chance to fight.” She cannot stifle her yawn and rises wearily. “It has been a very long journey.” She looks to Reginald and smiles. “If someone could show me to a room, I really need to rest.”

  I rise, but Peter moves forward. “The room next to mine is unoccupied. I’ll show you and you can tell me how you slayed the riptar demon.”

  She laughs and nudges in to him. “That is quite a dark bedtime story. Besides, aren’t you supposed to tell me a bedtime story older brother.” Watching their interaction, I catch Anthony’s forlorn look and know he is thinking of his own sister.

  Approaching him cautiously, he smiles and I move forward. “Are you alright?” I inquire, my eyes now glancing at Peter and Cassandra.

  “I am, it just brought back some memories, that’s all. Mia, I’m glad that you are alright and I’m sorry about how we met.”

  Raising my hand to stop him, I speak confidently. “Don’t. I would have done the exact same thing. Truthfully, even seeing it, I don’t think it has truly sunk in. I’m sorry that I left you so young and that you went through all of that alone.”

  He smiles warmly. “You left me to save me and I wasn’t alone for long. Charley and I got together shortly after I woke up and then Renee came along. I have been alright, really. If you don’t mind, I am going to call and check on Laurel before it gets too late.”

  As I watch him go, Peter calls him brother and tells him to come up after his call. I also hear the others making plans on who to contact and what we may need in order to even hope to prepare ourselves for what I hope will not be a futile mission and even worse, one that brings an end to life as those in this world know it.

  As they begin to disburse, Eva hands Jackson her cell and he talks to whoever is on the other line. “Do you need someone to talk to? A lot has happened and it is quite a lot to take on.” As the image of her as an angel flashes before me, I know I could talk to her, but feel that the less words spoken at this point the better.

  “I’m fine, who should I call?”

  Andrew comes beside us both and I know I made the right decision. “You shouldn’t be calling anyone, you need to rest, even though you’re healed, your body has taken a beating. Come on, let’s get you upstairs.” As I turn, I catch Eva’s sympathetic glance and know it is because she is aware that I am less able to control my thoughts when I sleep. I need to fill my thoughts with all things present and not what is to come.

  He lays beside me, but as weariness settles in, I can feel my thoughts drifting and the worry touching my heart for all my children if we should fail. Gathering the little energy I have left, I turn in his embrace. “Andrew, would you do something for me?”

  “Anything, but you know that. What do you need?”

  “I was thinking about what Cassandra said. It sounds as if we have lost five of our children to the darkness, if five souls can be gathered from each realm. I do not want to lose any more. If we are going to somehow open a gateway to hell, I would feel much better if you would call Emma tonight and see if she will come too and then work with Jason on those scrolls, I know it showed evil, but somewhere, maybe, if we are lucky, it will show a way to contain the gateway so that we do not unleash evil on the ones who are around the gateway. Could you also find out if there is any indication as to whether we just need their blood or if they need to be there too? If they do…” I can’t even finish the thought because I know I’m correct in my assumption that they have to be there. Otherwise, why would I see Jacob on that floor in my visions? “I know where the gateway is.” I sit up, but for the first time, I realize he is not surprised by my revelation. “You know too, don’t you?”

  He nods. “It is back in Italy at the original house and you are right to fear that Jacob is needed at the opening. I don’t have to go downstairs and confirm it with anyone. I know that much is true. I also know that you fear whatever is being held from us is going to hold you down there.”

  My face falls. How much more does he know? Are we both keeping things from each other to protect the other? I want to come clean, tell him everything. Be honest with him, knowing that secrets have always hurt us in the past, but in this case could the truth hurt our family more. Despite what Gabriel said about my having free will and hiding so that it would not be ripped from me, maybe he was wrong, maybe this life, this world never really was mine to enter. It is rather ironic Andrew always thought he was never good enough because of the hold that “he” created when he transformed them, holding them to this world, but in truth, it is I that he has the greatest hold upon. I’m the one who had no right to stay with Andrew. Could I have stopped all of this if I had not hidden and just left?

  “What has you so deep in thought?” He moves to embrace me and I force my thoughts to Jacob immediately. As he touches me, he whispers in my ear. “Jacob will be fine. I’ll go down and call Emma and search the scrolls.” He rises and I am thankful. My fears that now when he touches me, he is aware of my thoughts are now confirmed. Maybe he is just so good at reading me that my actual thoughts are not his unless we are trying to share them, but as we gain more knowledge and come closer to the time of reckoning, I can feel powers strengthening inside of me and I’m sure they are also growing inside of him that we blocked out or which we were unwilling to accept. Can I dare to hope that we may succeed in our quest?

  “Sleep will not find me; my weary thoughts cannot escape what we are facing. I want to check on the children, spend time with them, even if they are asleep, not knowing what tomorrow will hold, but if Andrew hears me up, I know he will come looking for me and I will not be able to block my thoughts when I’m this fatigued. For the first time, I wish that my kind did not need sleep.

  Turning over, I begin to count backwards hoping at least to drift enough to reenergize my thoughts which are becoming cloudier and cloudier. Reaching 49, I feel myself floating, my body is weightless and I can see a beautiful wispy cloud sky stretching out beyond the horizon. Looking down at myself I am dressed in a cream colored, floor length sundress. I am moving toward a man whose back is turned to me. He is wearing a white linen shirt and white pants. As he tu
rns, my heart skips a beat and I float forward. His eyes are the color of diamonds and as Andrew reaches for my hand, I feel warmth from his touch, which courses through my palm, up my arm and touches my heart, filling it with love and serenity. I am blissfully happy as his lips caress mine. Opening my eyes, his sparkle with love and joy.

  Mist forms around us, getting thicker and thicker. Suddenly two boisterous voices boon through the sky. “I considered you my son. You are one of my first creations. A part of my highest ranking legion and all the while you have been plotting against me, plotting to destroy paradise, and the world that the children could learn to grow, to experience new things, to experience an extension of this world.”

  “I will never again serve you or your coveted creation. You are through.” I hear the crack of thunder and see a flash, but the fog between us and those who are fighting has grown too thick to see the men.

  “It is you and yours who are through. I created this realm and it is time for you and your betrayers to leave. You are forbidden from ever entering paradise again. Gather your followers and leave before I cast you out. I am giving you this one opportunity to leave peacefully, with only those who choose to follow you, try and take anyone else and I will cast you into eternal damnation, building a prison that will forever hold you and yours.”

  “You cannot do that. You gave us free will and we are exercising that will now, we choose not to follow you, not to serve you.”

  “You may exercise your free will outside of my house, this is my creation and the ones who love one another, love me, and choose to stay are not yours to take. Leave my house!”

  The world shakes around us and I can feel the fear gripping my heart as Andrew pulls me to his chest. “You are with me, I will protect you.”

  “You can’t protect me against him, he’s …” A scream echoes through my thoughts and I am falling, descending deeper and deeper into a gray, darkening mist. The temperature is dropping around me as the sky is darkening. There is no earth below us, no sky above us, only piercing screams and darkness.

  I see a shooting star piercing the pitch sky. It is moving quickly and as it illuminates the terror filled faces of the falling souls, screams of panic turn to screams for help, but the blazing star appears to be dodging and weaving the sea of plummeting spirits, almost as if it has a purpose. As is zooms closer to me, I am expecting it to weave by me, but as is approaches, it is no longer a star, it takes shape, its Andrew, shrouded in pure white angelic wings with golden tips. Swooping past me, suddenly I am being lifted, flown through the darkness as white wings envelop me, carrying me through the darkness.

  A threatening voice cuts through the surrounding pleas. “She is not yours to take she belongs to me! She had no right to make a choice to stay. She is mine to take. She belongs to me. This is not over, she is tied to me. She is mine! She is…” At that moment, his wings open and I fear that I am going to fall once more, but instead am met with bright light from a sparkling, sunny sky. Gliding to a stop, he places me so that the cool earth is now touching the soles of my feet.

  The wings that carried my protector and blanketed me, are no more. Andrew pulls me closer. His hand gently strokes my cheek. “Are you hurt?” Still stunned, I can’t find my voice, but shake my head. He pulls me into his chest. “I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner. If anything had happened to you… If he had dragged you down…” His voice chokes with emotion and I can feel the tension in his embrace.

  As my hands move across his strong, muscular back, there is not even a trace of his breathtaking wings. They have disappeared as fast as they appeared.

  Steeping slightly back, my hands fall off his back, as his hands glide down my arms so that he is gently cupping my hands. As his thumb gently strokes my knuckles, he stares into my eyes. “Mia, you are safe, it’s alright. He had no right to you.” Looking around, I tense, this is not his plane and as I turn back to him, he answers my unspoken question. “To come after you, I made a deal. We need to stay here for a while. We’ll be fine and we’re together.”

  Looking up, I can see the worry in his eyes. “You should have let me go. He will never accept this and will come after you. At least at home, you would be safe, he could not enter that realm again.”

  “He had no right to take you. You did not choose to go. You belong with me, you chose to stay with me. He had no right to rip you away. If he had just left you, they would not all be falling now into the abyss. They will be falling for a long time. Even if he does somehow manage to reach beyond his prison into this plane before we get home, his power here is limited and we will face him together.”

  A cool set of arms around me causes the image to dissipate and Andrew’s soft voice is at my ear. “We will face this together as well.”

  My eyes flutter open to meet his. “How long have you been here?”

  “Since the fall” His breath hitches and I softly stroke his cheek.

  “I always knew you are my rescuing angel.”

  “We rescue each other.” He moves to sit up and takes me with him. “Mia, when we do go, you cannot run away from me in hopes of keeping me safe.” My face drops, how much more does he know of what I am hoping to accomplish? “We need to face this together, stay together, and rescue our son.”

  “Andrew I don’t know what to say.”

  He interrupts me. “Say that you hear what I am saying and understand that we need to stay together in this, we need face this as one.”

  “But you cannot risk getting trapped there, he cannot claim you, but he has a right to me.”

  “No he doesn’t!” Andrew’s voice is angrier than I have ever heard it. “You fought so hard to convince me that he does not have a hold on me because of what he turned me into and yet you believe he has a hold on you.”

  “It’s different and you know now who I am. It’s not the same.”

  “Stop that right now. I don’t want to hear you talk like that ever again. You have never, not in any lifetime from what I can see, done anything that remotely indicates he should have a hold on you.” His voice turns softer. “This is going to be difficult, but we need to cut off his opportunity to use our son to bring about destruction. If Cassandra is correct and balance is what needs to be maintained, then the powers that be have taken one opportunity on this plane and maybe we can stop his opportunity to affect this plane now. No matter what happens though, we need to stick together. Promise me.”

  A knock on the door is a welcome relief. “Come in.” It’s Eva. “The children are up and are getting ready to go to school. Mia, you may want to talk to Jacob before they leave, he had a rather rough night.”

  Andrew and I rise. “I’ll start breakfast while you talk to him.”

  Walking into his room, he is alone and the circles under his eyes tells me he got no sleep at all. “Can we talk?”

  “Mom, I know what you are going to say. I heard everything that went on last night.”

  “Then you know how important it is that we are successful. We can’t allow this world to be overrun.”

  I know, but mom, I think I can do what you asked me for both of you. I don’t understand why I can’t try.”

  Grasping his shoulders, “Jacob you need to promise me that you will do exactly what I asked you. We both heard that a mother’s sacrifice must be made to save the child. We can’t ignore that and your father cannot be caught there.”

  “But you are choosing to leave us again. Why?”

  “Jacob, if the antichrist is allowed to reach this plane you will not have a life and I could not bear that.”

  “If I agree to do what you have asked, will you promise me something?”

  “I guess that depends upon what it is that you want me to do.”

  “I want you to promise me that you will try to get out too. Maybe the sacrifice that you heard doesn’t mean what you think it means, maybe your request to me is the sacrifice.” He rolls his eyes when he sees my skeptical look. “Mom, when has that world ever followed any type of cl
ear meaning, everything is always twisted, so don’t discount what I’m saying so quickly. Mom, please I’m not a kid and I do know what I’m talking about.”

  “Look Jacob, I know that you are no longer a kid, despite your years, but you and I both know the claim he thinks he has on me and considering who I am, I am his most legitimate claim.”

  Jacob’s features twist and pure anger tightens his lips. “The same could be said of me, Kayla, Anthony or Peter if you use that logic. Stop sacrificing everything because you don’t have enough faith in yourself and the courage of your choice to stay with dad to have cut his right to claim you.” His body trembles and I know that I must try to calm him down.

  Placing my hand upon his, he stills. “That is not true, your father’s light shines in everything you do and are. You were all born of this plane and he was already cast out. That fact and your father’s nature are much stronger than any tenuous claim that he could make.” As he refuses to let go of his tenacity and aggravation over this, I change tactics. “If you promise to do exactly as I asked of you, then I will keep an open mind about what you are saying and if there is a way out, without condemning you all, I will take it. No matter what happens, remember that I love you.”

  “I know. I love you too, that’s why I want you to fight for us to be a family for as long as we can. I’m sorry about what I said earlier, I didn’t mean it. I’m just afraid.”

  “I know you are. I am too. Come on, we better get downstairs before they come looking for us.” I turn and reach the door, but stop. “Jake when you are around your dad, you can’t even think about what I have asked you. Our connections are getting stronger and if the time comes, I don’t want him having advanced notice to stop what may need to be done.”

  He hugs me again. “I promise, but don’t forget what I said either.”

  “I won’t. I know you are right and nothing of that world is ever what it seems.”

  As the children head to school with Andrew, I call Julian who is surprised that I feel well enough to talk but is happy that I called. He tells me that Ruth was there to actually meet with him because she felt it was imperative that the children’s wing be built as soon as possible and even gave him the names of wonderful contractors and investment managers who are willing to donate some time to bring about this project. Although Geoffrey is not too happy considering he was hoping Ruth would have convinced the Board otherwise, it seems they are more committed than ever to satisfying the expectations of benefactors and members alike. I am relieved and thrilled to hear this. At least one thing is going as planned.

  Hanging up, I am surprised to see Cassandra when I turn.”

  “Mia, I have to go and meet with a few individuals and Andrew said it would be alright if I took your car. Before I go, I want you to know that we will do everything that we can to protect Jacob and Alexander near the entrance, but what Jacob said is right. Although you are right to prepare, you don’t have the full story yet, and not everything is as it seems. You can’t discount anything. This battle is like nothing that we have ever fought upon this plane before and although you are willing to make certain sacrifices, you need to be open to every possibility, because the consequences of a misstep here will be fatal, not just to you and your family, but to the entire human race. We cannot fail.”

  “Cassandra, you need to protect yourself too. You are all my children. I am so sorry that I wasn’t there for you.” As I say this, a realization hits me and I feel as if someone has punched me in the stomach. Is this what I do? Make children only to leave them on their own for one side or the other to claim. What kind of a monster am I?

  “Oh my God. The wonder why he has been able to pick you off so easily, deceive you into doing what you do. We will lose this fight if that is what you believe and you really will have a hand in bringing this world to the darkness. Mia, you did not choose to leave me, you did not choose to leave Anthony, and you did not choose to leave your other children. It is not your fault that some of them chose the darkness. That was their choice, not your doing. Don’t you understand that? Don’t you understand that everything has always come down to a fight about free will? You lost in those other lives because you have never believed that you have had a right to make your own choices, to exercise free will, to fight to stay with your children, fight for the right to stay in this world, fight to stay with Andrew. You need to believe that now more than ever.”

  “Even if what you say about the past is true, aren’t I choosing to leave my children again now?”

  She shakes her head in disgust. “You are making a choice to save them, to save humanity if the circumstances you fear arise. In the same way you and Andrew both made a choice not to let Anthony die when he tricked you into believing that darkness came to claim him. The same way that Andrew thought that he was protecting me from the encroaching darkness taking over me when they came after you both.”

  “I don’t understand, I let go of Anthony so he wouldn’t fall and Andrew jumped trying to save me and then with you, I stopped fighting.”

  “Is that how you see it?” Her tone drips with disgust. “No wonder he found it so easy to trick you into ending your time here. He didn’t even have to send in his strongest fighters because you never felt you had a right to this world, a world other than the one he was trying to force you to enter. Can I show you something?” I nod and she leads me to the couch in the library. Sitting down facing her, she touches my temple briefly. “This is what you and Andrew truly saw and which Anthony could not have seen because of his humanity. It never seems to fail, you get some inclination just before he is able to rip you from this world.” She seems to be talking more to herself. As she comes back from her contemplation, she places her hands back on my temple, closes her eyes and I do the same.

  Once again I am plunged into the erupting world of an exploding volcano, but this time, as my eyes search for my children and Andrew, not only do I see the falling ash, but I see the sky above my house filled with descending demons. I rip Anthony from the area, but we get only a few feet before we are both pushed down on the rocks, not by the rumbling ground beneath our feet, but by shadowy creatures whose whispers I can now hear. They are instructing each other to separate us and to grab hold of the boy, get him to commit before the tethers are severed. Find the father, we must gather them all, if one is lost, so is this opportunity. We only have one shot, he is not committed to one side or the other. We must act now, before it is too late.

  Getting up we are running again, but now the ground below me is consumed. I can feel the nothingness, the emptiness as I hang between this world and the next. I can hear the demons whispering around Anthony. “Commit yourself to darkness to save your mother, commit, agree to do his bidding and we shall save her, commit.” I can see his head whipping around, and I can feel his thoughts, his confusion as to what is going on, he can hear but cannot see what is coming for him. Andrew and I am the tether and I realize now as I peel my hand from his and hear Andrew shouting to hold on, he is not shouting it to me, he is shouting it to Anthony as an angel shrouded in light is now combating the demons around him.

  As I fall, I feel myself caught and Andrew is with me now. “It will only hurt for a moment. Our first born is safe, he cannot claim him.” Our bodies bash against the rocks as we descend further and further into darkness as pain engulfs us and then there is nothing.

  The image shifts and we are fighting on the boat. Demons are everywhere, but so are witches, warlocks and white apparitions. I feel shocks of energy bursting through me, throwing me against walls. I can feel the dark tunnel forming around me as I fight not to lose consciousness. I see Andrew fighting. I can hear spirits shouting that they must protect us and demons arguing that they must grab us that the master is waiting, while shipmates are shouting incantations about banishing souls. As two demons grab me, I am being lifted, and I can hear them shout that he is coming to extract the child, and to grab Andrew, as they do, I see the terror in Andrew’s eyes as he is grabb
ed and lifted high off the deck. As the darkness approaches me, I can see him struggle and hear him shout. “Do it now!”

  As he does, a bolt of lightning hits the demons and Andrew free falls toward the deck. I see the demons trying to grab him once more, but he passes right through and lands with a final thud on the deck. I can feel his loss as my body goes limp and the thunderous “No!” shrieks through the surroundings blocking out all other sounds, even the sound of my own scream.

  I am now enshrouded in light and can feel myself being carried on the wings of a spirit. Gliding to a stop, we are surrounded by woods. As the angel departs, I can hear her whisper. “You know who you are now, but he has touched you in this life. Andrew died to cut the tether but in separating the two of you, you are too weak to stay. You must fight to bring the child to term and cut all ties to protect her, you have no right to this world, but she can grow and choose her side. As the angel backs away, I now see shrouds of darkness before it fades to nothingness.”

  The image fades and I can feel Cassandra’s hands retreat from my temple. As I open my eyes, I can see determination in hers. “Mia, the angel you thought you saw, wasn’t. Think about what you saw the other night, you need to put more of this together or we will all be destroyed. Please it is imperative that you consider everything I showed you and put the pieces together correctly. Think about what I have told you about the battle, what I have showed you and you need to discuss what you know with Andrew.” I shake my head and she places her hand upon mine. “I am not saying that you need to discuss what you asked of Jacob, but he needs to know more, especially if it comes down to what you fear.”

  She rises. “I have to go, although I can keep some of my party waiting, others, I cannot for fear that they will be discovered.”

  “Why didn’t you have them come here?”

  “Some are better left in the shadows until the time comes when they have to fulfill their jobs. I will be back soon.”

  That evening, after the children have gone to bed, Andrew and I take a drive, away from the many ears and eyes which are now listening and watching us intently. After clearing my thoughts, I show him what Cassandra showed me and we begin to dissect her plea.

  Requesting that I close my eyes and concentrate only on the words spoken, Andrew has me go over not only Cassandra and my conversation, but also others since we returned from Sanctuary. He has me repeat them over and over again. After going over every detail of my conversations, which seemed to get more detailed as I repeat them, we sit dissecting them, contemplating their meanings for what seems like hours.

  Finally, Andrew grabs my wrist, breaking the silence and pulling me from my whirling thoughts. “What if we have been wrong all the other times, what if we are ending our lives hoping to save our children from the oncoming darkness, not realizing that darkness couldn’t claim them, at least not at the time when we gave up on this life.” Seeing my confusion at his quick rattling, he stares into my eyes and speaks very deliberately.

  “Mia, you hid not to allow him to rip free will away from you, we saw the demons come for Anthony and thought they could take him to the darkness, but they were whirling around him practically begging him to choose to serve the darkness to save you. What if they didn’t take him because they couldn’t? Think back to the fight on the boat to extract the child, while grabbing us, not killing us. Why not just kill us and extract our child?”

  He hits his head and begins mumbling to himself. “Why didn’t I realize this sooner, see the game earlier. Mia, everything is about connections, ties, free will, and what happens during our lifetime.” Although I can see he is making connections, I still fail to see where he is going. “Mia, when he came for my mother, deals were made, rules were set in place, and limits to his claim upon us were imposed. Even a time frame was established. What if we are facing the same type of situation, but in this case, whatever is going on has to do with our first born? Think, the gateway that we are trying to open now can only be accessed with our first born children.” He drifts again. “Although why Jonathan and his first born children play a role in this, I still can’t fathom.” Again, he drifts, mumbling to himself and although I want to shake him, to bring him back, I fear that in doing so, I will let him lose whatever tenuous connections he may make and knowing that this is the closest we have ever come to knowing what is going on around us and who we are, I remain immobile hoping that we can end what appears to be some vicious cycle.

  Finally, he comes back and his eyes meet mine. “The winning of free will is the prize and the time frame is our lifetime, or at least it was. Mia, just look at our children, how strong they are, how strong they are becoming, if he were to control them, bring our first born to the darkness, maybe he would control the rest. Think about what we were told would happen if I had committed to the darkness, he would have had the ability to lead and control the rest of my family. Maybe that same situation applied to our children in the lives we were shown and the ones that we have not yet seen. What if he needed the control over the first born to manipulate the others, to gain power on this plane, more so than the mere influence he has now?”

  I hear his sharp intake of breath and know that something else has occurred to him. “The rules may have changed when he entered this plane to reclaim what he proffered as his own. When he transformed us, hoping to strip us of our free will and claim the souls he extracted, the game they were playing, the control they were fighting for, took on a new set of rules, something else happened. Something I’m still not quite sure of, but I believe that free will is his Achilles heel, that is what limits all of their powers here. People need to choose their sides, to mar or brighten their souls by what they do here. Then, when they die, they join one army or the other. He has always wanted more control here, puppets to do his bidding beyond mere influence, beyond the limitations caused by free will. What if he could get that by having our first born commit, he could do exactly what I always feared, utilize their powers to directly impact those here, to strip humanity of their free will, the way he tried to strip you of yours and take you with him. We died trying to protect the children from being taken by the darkness, but what if they couldn’t be taken?” I cannot help but shake my head considering what we saw around Anthony and what came after us on the boat. “I’m not saying they could not die, because Anthony was definitely human and I don’t know if Cassandra as a baby could have been anything but. What if they could have died, but could not be taken?”

  Suddenly, he bolts from the car and is pacing wildly. Scrambling out of the car, I wrap my coat tightly around me and listen intently to his mumblings. “What if his time to claim our first born before he took matters into his own hands with me was limited to our joint lives and his ability to claim them and utilize them as puppets ended with our death? That has to be why we are being shown the images with Anthony and Cassandra, but what happened to those that Cassandra said are part of the shadows now, did we fail to cut the connection before they committed? Am I wrong, could he take them if we are alive without their committing? What if they are suffering because of our lack of knowledge, our ability to unravel these puzzles in the other lifetimes?” His hands press against his temple.

  I have to interrupt him, “Andrew if you are correct, does that mean that he can forever go after Jacob and Alexander now that we are immortal?”

  He stares at me and my heart is now pounding in my chest, each beat like a sonic boom in my ears. He says something, which I cannot hear, but then finally shakes his head and waits for my heart to slow so that I can hear him. “I don’t think so, I think everything shifted when he transformed me, the rules changed and this is why this fight is so important. This may be his last chance. I don’t know if it was planned or that he got an unexpected opportunity when his man somehow stripped the soul of our son, but either way, this is different than before. I can feel the energy that has been building, our knowledge is greater and the fight is bigger than anything we have seen before. Mia, get back in the car,
we have to see Cassandra. She said that we don’t have the full story, but I will wager that if I am correct about this part, she can at least confirm this for us.”

  Jumping back in, we race to the house and rouse her from her sleep while the others gather in the living room. After recanting everything that he surmised to the others, Cassandra does in fact confirm that he is correct and that this is the biggest fight that we have ever faced. “I have to caution you, although you have come farther than you ever have in knowing what is going on and the stakes, you do not know everything, you are still missing some crucial pieces of the puzzle that are essential to what is going on around you.”

  “Is there anything you can tell us without breaking the rules you are bound by that could help?” I plead.

  She smiles. “I can tell you that the lives you have been shown were chosen, not just to show you that you have five first born children on this plane to open the gateway. You are on the right track and are on your way in gathering those from our realm to help, just don’t forget that everyone plays an important part and unfortunately there are things that you will not learn until you are there. You are going to need to be strong, vigilant and hold on to the courage of your convictions and never forget the most important lesson that you have learned so far, things are not always what they seem.”

  She turns to me. “Although you are immortal, sleep deprivation will interfere with your abilities and you cannot go into this impaired, none of us can.”