But she couldn’t even see him. She could, however, see her younger son. Colton bolted into their mother’s arms and her resulting laugh was like the sound of wind chimes blowing in a breeze. When she wrapped her arms around her son, the sensations of their magical reunion flowed like pulsing waves radiating in a perfect circle, affecting everyone around them. No other sensation was greater than that of absolute safety.
“My baby boy’s going to be a doctor, yes?” Sarah pulled back to look at Colton with that same warm smile. “I’m so very proud of you.”
“I’ve missed you so much.” Colton spoke quickly, as if he wasn’t sure how much time he had left with her. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you. I tried. I really did. I just couldn’t—”
“Hush, child.” Sarah’s tone was motherly, meant to comfort, not scold. “There is no need for an apology. Things happened as they should have.”
“But, h-how is this possible?”
She cupped his cheek and swept away the tear that fell down his face with the pad of her thumb. “I’ll explain everything in just a moment, but first, let me say hello to my first born.”
Colton stepped to the side and she looked around before walking toward Kerrigan, but Sarah didn’t go to her. Instead, she stopped when she got to where Dominic stood beside Kerrigan and look directly at him. Not through him. At him.
“My little Nicky.” She used the name she had always called him as a child, then she took a step forward and wrapped him in her arms. He was stunned to see the material of her robe shape to him. His skin tingled with something he could only describe as unadulterated goodness. He wanted to step into her and never look back, but the tether he felt to Kerrigan kept him grounded in place.
His mother moved her hands to his shoulders and allowed space between them. Her eyes were alight with an angelic sparkle as she smiled at him. “There, that’s better,” she said, looking him over. He followed her lead, finding himself back in his human form. He heard Kerrigan’s surprised gasp from beside him. Words escaped him, but the woman working the magic was sure not to get his hopes up. “It won’t last for long, but I much prefer to see all of you.”
“How did you know where I was?”
“Your soul, Son. It may be dim, weathered and beaten, but its light is unique and unmistakable.” Then she turned to the woman at his side. “And you must be my Nicky’s Kerrigan.”
Kerrigan nodded and offered her hand. “Sarah Ann Grayson, I presume?”
Sarah looked at her hand in amusement. “A handshake is a little formal between two people who are practically family, wouldn’t you agree?”
“You’re supposed to be dead!” Sinclair’s outburst shattered the heartfelt moment.
Sarah sighed and looked at Sinclair with kindness, not malice. “I should call you sister, I suppose, since you and I have both been victims of the same kind.”
“You’re no sister of mine, and I’m no victim.”
“Weren’t you? We both fell under the same man’s spell, did we not?”
Sinclair scoffed. “You were weak, where I am strong. He never really loved you. He was just using you.”
Sarah nodded. “Just as he used you. You still haven’t figured it out, have you?” Sinclair didn’t answer. “Think about what you saw here tonight. When do you recall ever having seen Drake outside of your dreams? And that sacrilegious altar,” she said, gesturing toward it. “It’s supposed to be his grave, but you and I both know that there’s no body there. The spell he gave you to work on my son and Andrew,” she said, acknowledging him with a smile and a nod, “you fell victim to as well... just like I did. Only Drake doesn’t use a potion because he doesn’t have to. He comes to those who feel alone, like they have no one. For you, it was right after you attempted to take your own life.”
“Shut up!” The vein in her forehead popped out, and her face reddened with anger. “You lie! You’re all a bunch of liars!”
“Sinclair.” Drew turned her to face him and then reached under his collar to retrieve the chain he wore with the golden band dangling from the end. Pulling it over his head, he took her hand and placed it in her palm before curling her fingers around it. “This is a very special heirloom that has been handed down from generation to generation of my family. It is called the Ring of Truth, and it possesses a magical power that allows the one who has it in their possession to decipher truth from fiction. If it warms in your hand, you will know that the person speaking to you is telling a lie.”
She uncurled her fingers and regarded the piece of precious metal as if she couldn’t believe it had that much power.
“Here, let me prove it to you.” He took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Sinclair Davis, I do not love you.”
Sinclair looked at her hand and then dropped the ring, taking a step away as if it might attack her.
“See? That was obviously a lie.”
Her brows furrowed in confusion. “But you don’t really love me. You just think you do. You drank the potion.”
Drew bent over and picked up the chain, placing it back in her hand. “I didn’t drink it. I poured it down the sink. My feelings for you are very genuine, sweetheart. I love you.”
She looked down at her hand again, but didn’t release the ring. When she looked at him with hope in her eyes, Drew nodded. “We’ll talk more about this later. Right now, you have more truths to learn.” He turned her to face Sarah with the Ring of Truth still resting in her palm.
Sarah’s lips turned into an uncomfortable smile. It was clear she was pleased that she now had Sinclair’s attention, but there was also sadness in that smile. “It does not make me happy to tell you these things, but before you can heal properly—and it looks like you have just the right person to help you through your woes—you must first face the pain of truth.”
Sarah took a deep breath. “Drake D’Mon is not human. In truth, he never was. Never has he walked the Earth, because he was never meant to. He is only meant to walk in dreams, or rather, nightmares, although his official dwelling is the great abyss, the bottomless pit. Drake is what is known as an incubus demon.”
The confused, yet curious murmurings of everyone present made it impossible to decipher what any one person said. Availia stepped forward, her kind yet even voice calming everyone down so that Sarah could continue.
“An incubus demon preys on humans in their dreams. They suck the essence from your soul. That is what gives them power.”
Well, that explained what had been happening to Dominic and Colton in their dreams, Kerrigan thought.
“But, an incubus has other names: soul sucker, dream reaper, dark molester. He primarily visits women in their dreams where he uses the power of persuasion to convince her that he is real. The demon takes the form of a man that will be to her liking. While he is standing at her bedside in his true form, she can only see what he wants her to see. She believes he is quite real because he manipulates all of her senses to make it seem that way: sight, sound, touch, and even smell. He makes her believe she is truly in love in with him when it is nothing more than a cruel magic trick.”
“But didn’t either of you ever question why you only saw him in your dreams?” Kerrigan asked.
“Ah, that’s part of the illusion. You believe what he wants you to, whether it’s that he’s away on business, or you’re just missing each other, or that he’s dead and in need of a flesh and blood vessel to be reborn,” she said pointedly.
“How did he get us pregnant?” Sinclair’s voice was small compared to her usual self-assured tone.
“When the demon has his victim completely under his spell, he molests her and rapes her will. She becomes his pawn, a tool he uses to gain what he wants most—power. He seeks to impregnate her, spawning demonic minions who will gain him favor in the dark lord’s army. These offspring would have the power to walk the Earth, as he cannot, to do his evil deeds and to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting. They are pivotal to bringing the world as you know it to its knees. L
ook back into your history, and you will see that there are many who you know possessed these characteristics. They have murdered many, encouraged mass suicides, and incited war. This is what your unborn child was to be, Sinclair. So, you see, you were never truly in love with him. You were a victim... just as I was.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense,” Dominic said.
“How do you mean?”
“I know I’ve done some heinous things, but Colton has never so much as harmed a fly, and despite what I’ve done, I really don’t feel demonic.”
Sarah pursed her lips, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “It’s true. You were forced to commit sins all in the name of protecting your family, our family. I should have been the one to care for you. You should never have been put in that position.”
Availia placed her hand on Sarah’s shoulder. “If I may?” Sarah nodded for her to proceed. “Dominic, part of the reason you did those things was to protect your family. The other part was because of the unclean blood you inherited. Your mind, body, and spirit want to do what’s good because of the pure blood from your mother, but the unclean blood—Drake’s blood—leads you to make the wrong choices.”
She paused, taking in Dominic’s confused expression. “Perhaps it will be easier to comprehend if you know that Sarah is also a Guardian. Not a Guardian of the Light, but a Guardian Angel. By birthright, so are you and your brother. It’s the reason Colton wants to be a doctor,” she said, giving him a proud smile. “And, it’s the reason you’re always so determined to protect and provide for your family. It was the unclean blood that swayed you to do it by less than favorable means.”
Dominic looked stunned and sat down on the nearest headstone.
“Hey, are you okay?” Kerrigan ran her fingers through his hair.
“Yeah, it’s just a lot to take in,” he answered in a breathless voice.
“There’s more,” Availia said. “Sarah, why don’t you tell them how it is you came to be human.”
Sarah took a deep breath. “Well, like Availia said, I’m a Guardian Angel. I remember watching over my charges, but always yearning to have a family of my own. I had gone to the High Council on many occasions and asked to be sent to Earth so that I could be a mother. Being sent to Earth meant I would have to give up everything I was and become completely mortal. I would live and die as a human, and I would have no memory of my time as an angel. The Council denied me every time I asked, and I had all but given up. My last charge was an infant, and I was forced to stand by and do nothing while the natural order of things took place and the child died. He was alone in his crib when he rolled over onto his stomach and suffocated, and I had to watch him take his last breath before I could gather up his soul and move him into Heaven. Before I even went to report in for my next assignment, I begged the Council again to make me mortal. This time, much to my surprise and delight, they agreed.
“It turned out it hadn’t been my persistence that paid off. Rather, it was my destiny, as well as your destiny, Nicky, and Colton’s too. It was the divine blood I transferred to you at birth that kept you from turning into one of Drake’s minions.”
“Why didn’t that divine blood keep you from becoming an alcoholic or getting involved with a demon?” Dominic asked with a hint of acidity. Kerrigan couldn’t blame him for the way he was feeling. He was right. It didn’t make sense.
Sarah ducked her head in shame. “You have every right to be angry with me. I am ashamed of what I became, and I was just as confused. You have to remember that I was human, and as such susceptible to all the vices to which normal human beings fall prey. When my human body died, my soul returned to Heaven and all of my original memories of being a Guardian Angel were restored, but I also still carried my memories from my time as a mortal.
“I remembered that I felt isolated and alone as a human, like there was something much bigger than myself that I was missing. I know now that my soul had never forgotten my time as an angel, even if my mind did. That’s when Drake came to me. He’d heard that an angel had turned mortal—not a fallen angel, but one sent by the High Council. He knew that if he could manage to impregnate me, the result would be the ultimate warrior. The problem was that once we had created the first born, our bloodlines were heavily diluted and the same outcome was not true for the second born.” She looked at Colton. “You are mostly mortal, and for that, I am happy. I’m sure your brother will attest to the burden that he’s had to carry on his shoulders.”
Colton shrugged. “Hey, I’m very happy to be normal.” He looked at Gabe. “Well, mostly normal anyway.”
Sarah looked confused and Gabe stepped forward. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Your Most Divine Excellency,” he said with a graceful curtsy. “I’m Gabriel Baxter. I believe you have an angel named after me, but anyway, I’ll be taking care of your baby for you now because he takes such good care of me.”
“Thank you,” Sarah said, caught off guard, and then turned back to Dominic. “Your mixed blood is the reason he’s so determined to possess you. Not only will it allow him to walk the Earth, but he can impregnate women much easier, and will have your dual abilities as well.”
Kerrigan stiffened. Her unborn child would be the same result Drake was seeking.
Availia noticed her granddaughter’s distress. “Not to worry, Sunshine. Your child is not the same. Because the demonic bloodline is impure, it is not as powerful. After all, Dominic didn’t turn out so bad, did he?” she asked with a knowing smile. “We’ll just have to have faith. There’s a reason so many entities were charged with protecting not only you, but Dominic as well. The two of you were always meant to come together. It is your destiny, and nothing that results from that destiny can be ill-fated.”
The pieces began to fall into place in Kerrigan’s mind. Her interpretation of Lucy’s vision had been wrong. The Guardians surrounding her were not Guardians from her bloodline. Two that lead the way—Availia and Sarah. One on each side to take the journey with her—Drew and Dominic. Dominic was a Guardian.
“But, Grammy, Dominic is dying. He can’t even materialize now.” Kerrigan was frantic, knowing she had to get some answers before she and Sarah left them. “We thought that once we destroyed Drake he might be whole again, but he’s not.”
“Kerrigan,” Sarah said, drawing her attention. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you haven’t destroyed Drake. In order to bind him to the abyss you must confront him in his world—you have to confront him in a dream.”
“He’ll never go to her dream,” Sinclair said. “I know him better than anyone here. He’s not that stupid. He’s scared of her. That’s why he made me try to sway Drew onto our side, so that we could even the odds.”
Kerrigan was shocked. It actually sounded like Sinclair was on their side. Whether it was just another one of her tricks, she didn’t know, but she was hanging onto Drew like he was her lifeline, so maybe she really was trying to be helpful.
She took a chance. “What would you suggest, Sinclair?”
“Oh, he’s extremely pissed right now, that’s for sure. And he’s going to want revenge. He knows how weak Dominic is, so he’ll go for the kill.” She gestured toward Dominic. “If he goes to sleep, Drake will be there.”
“And then what?” Kerrigan asked.
“Nicky will have to pull you into his dream so that you can bind him once and for all,” Sarah said. “It’s the only way.”
Dominic stood and wrapped his arm around Kerrigan and pulled her into his side. “How do I do that?”
Sarah and Availia looked at each other. “We don’t know the answer to that,” Availia answered. “What we do know is that what is to be will be. You just have to have faith, and the answer will come to you.”
“I’m sorry, Grammy, but that’s not good enough for me. I don’t want to risk losing Dominic.”
“I’ll do it,” Colton said.
“The hell you will!” Dominic yelled. Reflexively, Kerrigan slid her fingers under his collar t
o manipulate the scar on his shoulder. He calmed down immediately.
“That’s a nifty little trick you have there,” Sarah said with an amused laugh.
Kerrigan looked from Dominic’s shoulder and then back to his mother. “We have identical marks. I don’t know why, but we’re able to affect each other’s emotions by merely touching them.”
“Interesting,” Availia said, clearly mulling that over.
But Dominic wasn’t done. “I’m already dying, Colton. I’m not going to risk the same thing happening to you.”
“Stop playing the martyr. You’ve already sacrificed so much. You need to think about that woman by your side and the gift she’s carrying. You can’t protect them if you don’t make it out alive.”
“If I don’t make it out alive, there’s no protecting them anyway. It’s me he wants, and he knows I’m weak. Besides, he’s got a personal vendetta against me now. The temptation will be too great. He’ll come to me. I have to be the one to do this.”
“I hate to admit it, but I think he’s right, Colt,” Kerrigan said. “He’s more likely to be able to pull me into his dream because of the connection we share. Trust me. I don’t like it any more than you do.”
“So where is Drake now?” Dominic asked.
Availia looked upward. “Oh, he’s adrift somewhere in the dream world, I suppose. He really had no other choice. He’ll gather his strength and then he’ll be back... madder than a whole army of hornets.”
Tyson emerged from the thick fog with Chase in tow, followed by Olivia, Sydney, and Talon dragging the makeshift coven along.
“Thank you very much, Tyson Swail,” Availia said, acknowledging him. “You four are quite the unsung heroes this evening. Bring them to us, please.”
As each of Kerrigan’s friends stepped forward with their catch, Availia gave them personal thanks and then they went to stand behind their captives to ensure they didn’t escape again. The senior Guardian looked toward Sinclair. “You, too, my dear. While I feel that you have learned your lesson, we must be careful that you don’t find yourself in the same predicament again. Binding you will also ensure that Drake will no longer be able to torment you in your dreams.”