Mystery's Choice (Vengeance Of The Fallen Book 1) (6 page)

“Please sit down, Belinda.”  Raevanne said in an even voice.

Belinda sat down, still staring straight ahead.

“I suppose this is just as much my fault as it is yours. You tried to tell me some of my people feared Cain’s behavior. They thought he would bring about our destruction. And I treated you like a child. I didn’t take what you were trying to tell me seriously. They sent you because they thought if anyone, I would hear my friend.”  She stood and walked around the desk stopping in front of the chair where Belinda sat. “I didn’t listen. You didn’t trust me to do what’s right for our people. And now, we have no choices, we have no time.”  She sat in the chair next to Belinda. “The Master himself has ordered your death; there is nothing I can do to save you.”

Belinda’s breath caught in her lungs. She looked her old friend in the eyes. “I knew the risks when I joined Daniel. I did what I did because I love my people and I don’t want to see them fail after all these centuries of waiting for the Master to take his rightful place. I still think we were right, but I am sorry I had to deceive you to do the things I did. You have always been my friend and you shall always be my friend.”

“The master gave me the choice of how it would be done.”  She stood and went to the shelves on the other side of the chamber. She took down a silver chalice and bringing it back to her desk, she filled it with wine. She opened a secret compartment on one of her rings and a black powder fell into the wine. She took the fizzing liquid back over to Belinda. “This potion is made of nightshade and some other herbs; it is quite poisonous. Normally it would be a painful death, but I have added other ingredients to counteract the effect. The death will be almost instantaneous.”  She handed the mug to Belinda.

“I shall miss you, Raevanne.”  She held Raevanne’s hand. “May the Master show mercy on my soul, I have and will always serve him.”   She wiped the tears streaming down Raevanne’s cheeks away. “May Satan guide your steps always.”  She tipped the chalice up and drained the liquid. She slumped forward and the glass fell out of her limp fingers.

Raevanne kissed Belinda’s brow and turned away from the body of her childhood friend before ringing the bell for Malcolm.

“Take her away.”  The mountain of a bodyguard picked the body up and flung it over his shoulder. “Be gentle with her.”

“Yes, my Shivana.”  Malcolm turned and left the chamber, closing the door behind him.

Raevanne fell into her desk chair and began to weep.

Cain watched from the shadows as Raevanne brushed her long hair until the heavy curls gleamed in the candlelight, which lit their bedroom. He swallowed hard, when she stood and the light shone through her sheer gown, silhouetting her curves. She moved slowly to each candle snuffing them out, until only the ones on the bedside table remained. Cain’s heart swelled with love for the woman who was his wife and more his mate than any other woman before her. She beckoned to him, having finally sensed his presence. He stepped from the shadows and moved to sit on the bed. Raevanne sat in his lap and placed her head against his chest.

“I have found another gift to take the place of the one that was lost.”  Cain said as he stroked Raevanne’s back. “She will be perfect, she fancies herself a Christian, and she will truly please Father.”

“I sent Nergal himself after Kim Owens. He will make sure it is a mystery what became of her.”  Raevanne said as she turned and began raining kisses over Cain’s hard, muscular chest.

“What shall we do with Abigail?”  Cain asked as he began sliding the straps of Raevanne’s gown over her silken shoulders.

“I sent Legion after her.”  Raevanne sighed as Cain lowered his head to her breast. “I believe she and Daniel were the leaders.”  She gasped as Cain pulled a nipple into his mouth and began to suckle. “The remainder of their little group has already been dispatched, except for Manuel, who will be reconditioned.”  She whispered as her head fell back in surrender.

“All is going according to the Master’s plan.”  He took the other pebbled nipple between his fingers and rolled it, “I think we can find other things to occupy our thoughts for awhile.”

Raevanne moaned and the candles blinked out.

6

Raevanne knew as the Ascension grew near she would have choices to make. She would have to choose between her people and her duties as a mother. She would have to choose between her husband and her child. And ultimately, she would have to choose between life and death. She closed her eyes and a maternal smile lit her face as she remembered how beautiful Melusine had been as a toddler. Her emerald eyes had always sparkled with mischief as she had bedeviled her father. Her features had been fragile like a china doll, but she had been a sturdy, gutsy little girl. She would try anything, charge into whatever challenge put before her.

They had been the perfect family. Cain and Melusine had adored one another. She would spend every evening after prayers sitting in Cain’s lap listening to tales of the Master’s triumphs, her little hands clapping together with glee.

All of that had changed when she had been stolen from them on a business trip to meet with several of the California coven heads. They had been at a coven bar; Melusine was playing with the other children, showing off her strengthening powers, a little queen holding court. The next instant, the other children had begun screaming and crying. When the adults ran over, Melusine had been gone.

It had been 17 long years since the horrible night, and now she had found her baby. She was safe, alive and right here in Colorado. She tried not to get angry again as she thought of Daniel having this information and not sharing it with her. Raevanne took a couple of deep breaths and tried to picture what Melusine would look like, how her perfect features had arranged themselves on an adult’s face. She wondered if she were happy, if she was lonely. Did Melusine even remember the three short happy years they’d had together?  Would she be the powerful sorceress she was meant to be or had David Williams stopped her from using her powers?

Raevanne knew she had to warn the Williamses it wouldn’t be long before Cain would come after the child. And if she knew nothing else about the woman, her daughter had become, she knew she would fight him and Cain would see her as a threat and kill her. So, she said a prayer for strength and picked up the phone. She quickly dialed the number she had gotten from the phonebook. Raevanne swore when she got an answering machine.

“Melus… I mean Mystery is in danger,” she paused, glancing at the door to make sure she was alone. “The protection spell you used will no longer protect her. It is only a matter of time before they find her and destroy her.”

Raevanne slammed down the phone, misery clearly etched in her face. She had just broken the most sacred of the oaths; she had gone against the Master. She hung her head, rubbing her forehead. Choked sobs forced their way from her throat. She rose from her desk and went to the altar in the corner. Falling to her knees she began to beg the Master’s forgiveness. She was so intent on her prayers she almost couldn’t hide her shock when Cain gently rubbed her shoulders.

“It’s time to go and claim Father’s prize, my love.” Cain helped her to her feet. “I know you feel you failed Belinda, but she made her own choices.”

“I know, but I still miss her, she was one of my dearest friends. I should have seen she was keeping something from me. I should have taken the time to explain how the Ascension will come about.” Raevanne wiped away a tear.

“My love, they should have had faith that their Master would not allow me to destroy his people. They should have know my being here, in this life, would be to bring about their Master’s aims, to lead us to The Ascension, not to destruction. You did not fail them. They failed Father by not having enough faith in him to know I would not be allowed to destroy his people.”

Raevanne ran her thumb beneath her eyes to catch the last of her tears. “Faith is hard when your gut tells you danger is all around you. When your eyes show you someone breaking every law you were raised with. Yes, they failed the Master, but I failed them because I should have explained his path for us. I, as their leader, should have known there would be fear among our people.”

“I suppose it is hard for me to fathom, because I have always seen who I worshipped. I have supped with him, we have share succubi, and we have spent endless hours talking. He is not an abstract belief to me, but a father. I do not know what it would be like to simply go on the faith I felt in my spirit that he would attend to my needs and protect his people. Even you, my love, have never actually seen my father.”

“I suppose when I had a child’s faith, nothing more than word of my mother was needed for me to believe. Then when I was an adult, you were here and you actually saw who I worshipped, so I was sustained in the knowledge you knew he listened and cared. Our people have not even had that. A few words could have saved several lives.”

“Perhaps, but it is done now, my love. Think on it no more.”

Cain pulled her into his arms and kissed her, his hands found their way under her cloak and claimed her full breasts. Raevanne moaned and her head rolled back. Cain released her breasts and stepped away, laughing.

“We’ll finish what we began when Father’s gift is ours.”

He shook his head as he dragged a still dazed Raevanne down the hall. He shoved her towards their chamber so she could dress.

“I’ll meet you at the truck in 15 minutes.”

“I’ll be there.” Raevanne sashayed down the hall, her earlier fear forgotten.

David Williams sighed as he stepped out into the crisp night air, it had been a very long week and he was exhausted. He flipped open his cell phone and said, “Home.”

“Williams’s residence.” His wife’s soft voice answered.

“Sarah, it’s me. I’m on my way home.”

“Hurry home, we have to talk.” She paused, “I told you it would ruin our lives when you brought someone else's child into our home.”

“Sarah I don’t want to get into this right now.”  David said as he climbed into his car.

“The girl’s parents have found her and they want her back. Whoever called said something about her being in danger.”  Sarah said dispassionately.

“Did you warn Mystery?”

“No. They are her parents, why would they hurt her?”

“Bye Sarah.” David said as he pulled out into the light traffic.

David hurriedly dialed Mystery’s number. It just rang and eventually the machine picked up. He switched lanes, heading north on Colorado Boulevard. He would just go to Boulder and talk to his baby in person. After all, what he had to tell her was not something for the phone. This was going to crush her.

As he got on the highway, he thought about Sarah’s response to Mystery being in danger. She had never even tried to love Mystery. He had thought saving the girl and giving Sarah a child would provide him with the perfect family. He couldn’t have been more wrong; Sarah had resented someone else’s child being in her home and had never believed she was not a hidden mistress’. Mystery had always sensed her mother didn’t love her and had stopped trying to gain her approval. Now, they only talked when necessary and his marriage was dead. When he stopped and thought about his choice, which he had several times over the last 17 years, he knew he could have not lived with the guilt had he made any other choice?

David had dabbled in the occult as a teenager and college student, he knew the signs and symbols. Seeing the symbol outside the bar had made him curious. So, he had snuck in and had been horrified to realize there were children inside. David had watched in horror as the children had said prayers to Satan right along with the adults. He had noticed the angelic child, who seemed to so enchant the children gathered around her and he had fallen in love. He waited for the adults to be preoccupied and he had grabbed the girl and ran, holding his hand over her mouth. When he stopped to see if he was being followed, he realized the girl had fainted as he ran.

David had searched his memory for the words for a hiding spell and said them, smiling as he felt the energy build and the world outside the protective bubble blur. The little girl had woken up and simply stared at him, when she decided he was no threat, she had gone to sleep. Men had come looking but they could not see or hear him. When the street had cleared, he had disillusioned himself and the child and gone back to his hotel. He checked out that night and caught a flight back home. As soon as he got there, David had placed a protective spell around the house and the child, so the cult could not locate her. It wasn’t long before the child had become his world and vice versa. He would not let them harm her or take her from him.

David’s gaze jerked up to his rearview mirror as headlights glared from behind him. He noticed a van tailgating him. He switched lanes to get away from the van, but the driver followed, getting closer to his bumper. He took one hand off the wheel to cover his ears as chanting began to fill the car. David swore as the van bumped him and his car swerved off onto the shoulder. He finally managed to stop the car. The chanting grew louder and louder until David’s ears began to bleed. Maniacal laughter filled the air. David looked at his rearview mirror and saw red glowing eyes staring back at him from the back seat.

“You must pay, kidnapper.” Said a voice from the back seat, “The Shivana wishes it.”

David continued to scream, he pulled frantically at the door handle. He began banging on the windows, screaming for help. Cars swerved as David’s car erupted in a giant fireball, silencing his screams.

Raevanne stretched out her long limbs and draped herself around her husband... She turned his head and gave him a sizzling, breath-stealing kiss.

“Payback’s a bitch isn’t it?” She tickled his ear with her tongue, and chuckled as he moaned. “This one must be perfect.” 

Cain chuckled “She will be my love,” he toyed with her long wavy red hair, “her faith will have to be overrun,” He shifted to stare out the window, his blue eyes going blank, “here she comes.”

Raevanne watched as a crowd of teenagers poured out of the multiplex theatre. She turned to her husband and watched as his eyes began to glow with an unholy light. He slowly disappeared and Raevanne watched as he reappeared behind a small, bubbly blond teenage girl. He smiled at his wife, and followed the girl down the street. She stood in the parking lot talking to her friends, they were laughing and the girl flipped her hair over her shoulder, she shivered and looked behind her. She sensed Cain but she couldn’t see him. Raevanne laughed as the girl turned around to see who or what was behind her. Finding no one, she waved goodbye to her friends and she hurried to her car. Cain sat in the passenger’s seat, the girl kept glancing at it, but she couldn’t see him. She put the car in gear and drove away and Raevanne pulled the truck into traffic and followed behind them. Cain stayed behind the girl when she entered a spacious three-story house, went up the stairs, and into her bedroom. He sat on her bed, as she began undressing. She stopped and whirled around, feeling his presence, but not seeing him. Cain watched as she stepped into a frilly cotton gown and crossed to the light to turn it out. He smiled a demonic smile when she climbed into the bed beside him smelling of soap and innocence. Yes, she would please Father. When she finally slept, he scooped her up and took her out to the waiting truck.

Raevanne’s eyes twinkled with pleasure; the girl was even more beautiful close up. Her golden hair framed her gentle features. Oh, yes, Master would be pleased with this one. She smiled; you could smell the godliness all over the sleeping girl. Breaking her would be a challenge, but one worth working toward. Raevanne felt someone watching them; she centered herself and found the source. The teenage boy across the street was watching them through a telescope. When he saw her looking up at him, he stepped back out of the window. Raevanne read his thoughts, he had seen Cain materialize outside with the girl, but his mind didn’t accept what it had seen. Deeming him no threat she sat back and watched the girl’s features as she slept. The girl never stirred as they drove into the night.

Mystery rubbed rose-scented soap over her skin and let the warm water soothe her. When she was done, she blotted the water softly off her body and wrapped herself in a fluffy towel. Humming to herself she padded into her bedroom and pulled open her closet door. A secret smile lit her eyes as she pulled the emerald green peignoir out; it was Seth’s favorite and matched her eyes perfectly. She laid it on the bed and smoothed vanilla-scented lotion over her body, humming as she rolled thigh-high sheer hose up her legs and slipped into the lingerie. She brushed and blow-dried her long ebony hair until it shone in the light. Humming to herself she spritzed her body with his favorite perfume, slipped on matching stiletto heels and smiled at her reflection.