Mona narrows her gaze, “How is Lillith here then?”
He raises his eyebrows, “They’re cunning as hell and evil as the day is long, as long as their purpose is noble. Noble to them means serves their purpose. They are not to be trifled with. At all. They are the only creature, beyond Lucifer and God himself, that can trade your soul in a bargain. I would bet Lillith bargained hers away to be protected from Lucifer.”
We climb the steps to the crystal palace and my heart is in my throat. Mona leads us to the top floor. Constantine looks around uneasily, and Mona looks like she has tears in her eyes. I can’t feel anything, but I am scared. I know I am. The girls inside of me are silent.
When we get into the large throne room, my mouth is dry and my heart is beating out of control. She is where she was the last time, speaking to the man, only he isn’t himself. He is something else altogether. He is stunningly beautiful. The kind of beauty that makes me forget who I am. Lillith’s back stiffens and she turns. The man’s lips curl into a sexy smile. I moan a little. Mona grips me, “Who is that?”
I swallow hard, shaking my head, “I don’t know. In the dream world she was talking to a man who had the blue veins.”
She wrinkles her nose, “He was hideous. I remember.”
“That’s him.” Constantine says.
She shakes her head, “He is beautiful.”
Constantine leans in, whispering so softly I can barely hear him. “Try to keep remembering him as the man from the dream. I have a bad feeling about him in particular.”
I frown, “Why?”
He gives me a disturbed look, “When I saw him, I felt movement.”
I scowl, “What?”
He nods at his pants, “Movement, growth, attraction.”
I make a face, “What the hell? Why? Ewwww. Dude.”
Mona laughs nervously, “I think I misheard you.”
He shakes his head, “You did not. If I’m attracted to a bloke, we have an issue. That’s never really rung my bell, if you get my drift. He probably doesn’t even know he is the bait.”
The room isn’t silent but it’s quiet. The few scattered people talking in small clusters watch us but continue to speak to the people around them.
My mother smiles at me, “What a surprise.” I can see that it is not. She walks to us, desperate to look controlled, but I can see the panic in her eyes. I barely register her being there. The man next to her is all I see. His blue eyes meet mine and I am lost. He smiles, so I smile. He looks down, bashfully, so I do too. His smile turns to a lip bite, I bite mine. I bite so hard I blink as if leaving a trance. Constantine nudges me, “Easy tiger.”
Mona is a forgone conclusion on whether or not he can have her. She is entranced, fully. She looks up at him through her lashes, and I see him do something I don’t think he expected to do. He seems genuinely surprised at his reaction to her. He is stopped in his tracks. Instant jealousy fills me, but my mother catches my eyes again.
When I look at her, I feel nothing. I want so badly to run to her or kiss her or cry, but I am silent inside.
Her eyes fill with tears, “You misheard me, I suspect.” She glances at the beautiful man. I notice he doesn’t move or blink or do a single thing. He stares. It’s creepy. He is as lost in Mona as she is in him. I look at my mother and realize she has a sly smile creeping across her lips.
She ignores the man and looks back at me and Constantine, “You must go. Do it and go.”
I shake my head, “I have one question.”
She nods once. I look around the room at the people watching us. They don’t speak. They stand there like a Jane Austen movie, watching us in gowns and jewels. If it weren’t for the rustic furnishings and throne, I would swear we were in one of those rooms where you gossip and do a turn about the room.
“How did you get pregnant with me and where was I born?”
Her eyes sparkle, “I left the garden, met with Lucifer. I’m sure you, being a succubus of sorts, have figured out how babies are made. I came back here and gave birth to you. You were born in the garden, but you have a complicated soul. So I had to take you away. I took you to the orphanage and got the nixie to find the right witch.”
I look about the room. Constantine whispers, “How does one lose their head in a place like this?”
Lillith laughs softly, “They do not. The sharpest thing here is the wit.” She winks at Constantine, “I’m sure you know this already, but you brought your weapons with you.”
The mention of weapons makes the others in the room nervous. They look shocked at Lillith’s wording. Silence falls upon everyone as a woman comes from the back of the room, from an arched doorway. She is dressed over-the-top fancy, like Marie Antoinette but worse. Her blonde hair actually looks like a cake with pink flowers all through it. My mother’s face draws in. She whispers, “Do it now.”
I frown, “What?” What does she want? Does she think I’m psychic?
I see something dawn on Constantine’s face, but the woman comes towards us with a soft smile. My mother points, “This is the high priestess, Faranelle.”
She looks down her long, creamy nose at me. Her pale skin and sparkling blue eyes are an amazing contrast. The fae are so beautiful. I see what Constantine was talking about. I have only ever been attracted to guys—okay and Mona’s glossy lips, but this woman makes me feel something I have never felt before.
Constantine becomes something I have also never seen before. He drops to his knee, “Milady.” He is humble suddenly.
She smiles at him, “You may rise, Lord Basarab. You owe me no fealty.”
He shakes his head, “And yet, you inspire it in me.”
She blushes and I see my mother is again confused at the behavior of the lady as she was the man. Mona and Constantine have an effect on them both, just as they do on Mona and Constantine. The four of them have a moment.
The lady tears her gaze from Constantine as he stands. Her eyes dart to me, “You must be Rayne.”
I nod.
“You have come to aid us in our quest to end the angels reign over the world?”
I nod. I don’t know why.
She smiles, “Excellent.” She looks at Lillith, “You have kept your side of the agreement. Our covenant is fulfilled.”
My mother smiles at me, “Thank you, milady.”
I have a bad feeling. It’s just there suddenly. Liana and Ezara flash an image into my mind. It is the face Lillith is making now. It was the same then. She is leaving me here. She has betrayed me, and I don’t know how to stop her. I could jump at her and punch her in the face, but I don’t have enough anger.
I look at Constantine. He is entranced in the lady still. That’s just great. Perfect timing for him to become a smitten schoolboy. At least he’s occupying the lady.
My mother smiles, “Rayne, do it now. Do what you have come here for.”
I scowl, “You have to come with me, out of the gates.” She nods towards the priestess. I shake my head, “What?” I look at the lady, “I need to take Lillith from the gates to end this.”
The lady ignores me, she is lost in Constantine.
Suddenly, the man with no eyes from the dream, walks from the back of the room. He limps a bit, but I can see his eyes are white, as they were in the dream. He puts a finger to his lips, “They cannot see me, child. Just you.”
I don’t move. He whispers loudly, “The weapon is not what you think it is. The one who is your enemy is not the one you think it is. You must hurry.”
I nod once and flash a look at my mother. She gives me an expectant nod toward the lady again. I have no idea how I’m supposed to know anything she is hinting at. The man with the white eyes smiles at me, “Love is a weapon; did you know that, Rayne? Sacrifice of love is the ultimate weapon.”
I feel like we are frozen in time. The room is still. The eyes of everyone are upon me. The lady priestess is lost in Constantine and Mona and the beautiful man are swooning at each other.
The man with the white eyes gives me a look, “Sacrifice your love and kill her.”
I look at my mother, “Will you leave with me?”
She gives me a desperate look before shaking her head. “I have to find forgiveness, Rayne.”
From my father? Of course. She has a plan. She looks at the priestess, “Will you excuse me, milady?”
The priestess nods once, still not taking her eyes from Constantine. Lillith looks at me, there is something in her eyes. She seems like she regrets her choice or the fact she never filled me in on the decision she is making. “Good luck, Rayne.” She turns and leaves the room.
I’m confused and want to run after her, but I don’t know what to do.
I grab Constantine’s hand. He looks at me like he has come out of a trance. “What happened?”
I shake my head, “She left. We have to go.”
The priestess looks confused, “She is free to go, of course. You must stay.”
“I thought she was here, hiding from Lucifer.”
She frowns, “Did no one tell you your role in all of this?”
I shake my head, “I eat the sin and save the world, it’s pretty simple.”
She laughs, “No child, you free the Earth from the humans who are trying to kill her. Lillith had the light but when she gave birth to you, the light left her. It went into you. We didn’t know it would do that.”