Angel Incarnate: Second Sight (23 page)

“It seems the girls
have already accepted you into their little group,” she said. “You should spend
as much time with them as possible.”

Mehri glanced at Stella
like she just grew a third head. “I thought I was supposed to spend time with
the priest gathering information about Aura?”

Stella shook her head
and laughed. “Silly girl – do you think those runaways don’t know all about
Ryan’s best friend? I’m sure he spends hours talking about Aura to them.”

“So – you’re saying
they know her almost as well as he does?”

“Those girls are closer
than sisters. Each of them has a sad story to tell. Who do you think their
benefactor was? I’ve known Aura for fifteen years. Her family is extremely
wealthy. The younger angel-bloods can’t bear to see anyone do without,
especially children. According to Father Patrick, Bren and Tracy are even more
generous than their older sisters.”

“So, you think I should
get close to Aura and her family?” she asked incredulously.

“No – we may see them
in church, but you won’t be spending any time alone with them.”

Mehri nearly dropped he
wine glass. “Surely, you don’t expect me to attend mass with the people who
killed my son?”

“I promised my father I
would stay close, so leaving you alone is out of the question. I can’t stay
home; I’ve been going to sermon every week for the last fifteen years. If I
fail to show up, Father Patrick may come to check on me. Do you want to risk
him coming here – unannounced-- to find my father in the living room? No – we
will both attend the nine o’clock mass on Sunday. Afterwards, the girls can
show you their dormitory.”

“What if Aura wants to
join us?”

“Paul and Adam always
take their family to a small diner after the services. Aura won’t break
tradition. Besides, there’s no rush for her to spend time with you. I’m sure your
paths will cross at the meetings.”

“What about the party
Father Ryan mentioned?”

Stella chuckled.
“Everyone will be dressed up. We’ll make sure you don’t stand out from the
other girls. In fact, maybe you could ask them for costume suggestions when we meet
on Sunday. With the right disguise, no one will recognize you.”

Stella leaned forward
and poured a second glass of wine. When she tried to top off Mehri’s glass; she
covered it with her hand. “I don’t want to be drunk when I tell Samhael what
happened to my parents.”

“Suit yourself; I
really don’t see any problem. She refilled her glass, and walked over to turn
on the television.”

“What are you doing?”
Mehri asked.

“I’m turning on the
news. I want to know if the bodies have been found.”

Chapter 35

After visiting four
other elderly families, Father Patrick pulled alongside the Buick in the
driveway of Charlotte and Pierre Chastain. He had met the couple twenty years
ago when he was first approached by Paul to head his family’s church.

Though the congregation
was initially limited to angel-bloods, after a few short months, some of the
locals were welcomed. They knew nothing about the descendants of the
archangels; that was a secret the priest vowed to keep.

As he walked up the
wooden steps, he noticed the door was ajar. Placing the basket of tomatoes on
the porch, he called their names.
How odd
– they usually keep the door bolted shut even during daylight hours.”

He did a quick scan of
the yard, but didn’t see, or hear anyone outside. Using his foot to widen the
opening in the front door, he called their names again – this time a little
louder.

The television was
blaring and no one came to greet him. He chuckled.
No wonder they can’t hear me.
 

Picking up the basket,
he walked slowly into the house. As soon as he got to the living room, he saw
Pierre Chastain’s flaccid body. Taking a step closer, he could see the poor
man’s windpipe had been crushed. A line of blood, still wet, streamed from his
mouth, staining the beige carpet.

Who would have done such a thing?
 
As his eyes flitted around the room, he noted
Charlotte’s body slumped in a corner near the entrance to the kitchen. He
couldn’t tell if she was alive or dead, so he moved closer.

He didn’t find an open
wound, but he did
notice a deep
bruise around her throat.

Handprints – someone strangled the old woman, but why?
He was about to reach for the phone,
when his eyes were drawn to something shimmering next to Charlotte’s body – a
bracelet.

Bending down to take a
closer look, he could see the profile of an angel, intricately imprinted onto
the precious metal.
 
Embedded in the
center was a large cerulean-colored eye, made from a blue diamond – the gem of
Heaven.

Father Patrick
recognized the rare stone immediately; he had seen the same precious jewel on
the rings and pendants worn by the Guild’s wives and daughters.

Whoever designed this piece was a master at his craft.
 

As soon as the bracelet
touched his hand, he felt a slow, burning sensation creep up his arm. He
quickly tossed the bracelet on the floor, and stared in horror as his fingers
began to turn black.

There is something evil about this jewel. Why would it be in
Charlotte’s possession, unless…? No – she has always been loyal to the church;
her attacker must have lost it during the struggle.

Determined to examine
the relic further, he walked into the kitchen in search of a tool which would
allow him to handle the bracelet safely.

After finding a small
pair of tongs in one of the drawers, he retrieved the trinket and set it on the
small round kitchen table. The sunlight filtering through the window would
allow him to see more clearly.

Being careful not to
allow the bracelet to touch his skin again, he slowly turned it over and found
an odd inscription engraved into the platinum band.
 
Though some of the words were written in
Latin, a language he was familiar with, he couldn’t decipher the rest of the
writing, or the strange symbols.

Father Patrick’s first
instinct was to call the police, but after finding such a rare treasure, he
decided to call Paul instead.

If this is an old artifact, Paul may be able to identify it.
He told me someone was killing angel-bloods, but Charlotte and Pierre were
mortal. Why would a fallen angel be interested in them?

He thought it was
strange the Chastains portrayed themselves as good Christians, yet there was no
crucifix, or pictures of angels, despite the many other pictures displayed. He
couldn’t even find a bible in the house.
 

Maybe they keep it in a safe place. I wouldn’t feel right
about going through their belongings. I’ll wait for Paul to come.

Reaching for the phone,
he dialed his friends’ number, but before the call went through, he hung
up.
 
No
– he’ll probably be at Aura’s house.
He dialed her phone, and waited for
someone to answer.
              
                                                 

Aura had just come
through the door carrying a bag of Chinese food, when she heard the telephone
ringing.
Where is everybody? The girls
could have answered the phone.

Placing the brown bag
on the kitchen table, she hurried to answer before the caller hung up.

“Aura, its Father
Patrick. Is your father there?”

“He left this morning
and hasn’t returned yet. Is there a problem; I can get a message to him.”

“No – that won’t do. I
need to speak with him urgently. I’m afraid something has happened,” he sighed.
“Charlotte Chastain and her husband have been murdered, and I found a strange
bracelet next to her body. I recognized the blue diamond and thought your
father may know where it came from.”

A vision popped into
Aura’s head as she witnessed the deaths of Charlotte and Pierre. She couldn’t
make out the attackers because their backs were turned, but she knew they were
female. “Let me ask my mother to watch the kids and I’ll be right over.”

After she hung up, Bren
and Tracy came running into the kitchen with the rest of the little ones.
“We’re going with you,” Bren said.

“Were you eavesdropping
on my conversation? I’ve told you -- that’s rude.”

Bren didn’t want to
tell Aura she had seen the same vision, so she gave a half-hearted shrug.
“Sorry – I couldn’t help it. So, are we going or not?”

Aura looked at the
girls, who were huddled together, holding hands.
 
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to take them
along. Father Patrick says there has been another murder.”

“Look –they aren’t
going to see anything they haven’t seen before. Purgatory was more horrible
than you can imagine.” Bren’s eyes squinted and she crossed her arms over her
tiny chest. “Besides, Mom isn’t here, and you don’t want to leave me and Tracy
alone with them, do you?”

The six little ones
stared at Aura, nodding along with Bren’s every word, their big doe-eyes
pleading. They wanted to go on an adventure too, though Aura was pretty sure
this wasn’t what they had in mind.

Aura saw the twinkling
in her sister’s eyes, and knew if she refused to take her and the girls, Bren
would make her pay later – one way or another.

She tipped her head
skyward and whispered a silent prayer. “Alright, you can bring them, but I
don’t want the girls inside the house. I don’t know what we’re walking into.”

Bren made the sign of
the cross over her chest. “We’ll be so good you won’t even know we’re there – I
promise.”

Aura chuckled.
I’ll believe that when I see it.
“Fine –
hold hands and we’ll leave now.”

“Do you know where
we’re going?” Bren asked as she moved next to Tracy.

“The vision was pretty
clear. It’s actually not far from here. We should be there in a few seconds.”
The girls formed a circle and with Aura at the center, they departed Aeden.

Aura watched the girl’s
body language after the portal took them to the farm. They didn’t seem to be
the least bit afraid, but then, Bren and Tracy were with them, and they had
already witnessed their powers.

“It’s a really pretty
house,” Gracie said. “It reminds me of home.”

Seeing the
heartbreaking expression on her face, Aura suspected the four-year-old was
remembering her mother’s death and wondering about her older sister, Hope, who
was still imprisoned in Hell.

Bren must have realized
the same thing. She grabbed the little one’s hands and spoke softly. “We’ll
bring Hope home – I promise. Right now, she is with Alorrah and Alexis. Lucifer
and his disciples can’t touch her.”

Aura stared curiously
at her little sister.
How
can
she possibly know what’s happening to Hope, unless…?

She pushed the thought
out of her mind.
We have other issues to
deal with now, but I’ll make it a point to ask Mom if she has spoken to Bren.

Hearing chattering
coming from the yard, Father Patrick placed the bracelet on a dish towel, leaving
it secure on the kitchen table. He started towards the front door, being
careful to avoid stepping on the Chastain’s bodies.

As he exited the house, he was
relieved to see Aura, but wished Paul was there instead.

Chapter 36

Rather than arrive in
front of the school, the portal dropped Gregory at the front gate. There were a
few hundred yards between him and the Academy, and he wanted to compose himself
before meeting with Andromeda.

Unable to stop his
hands from trembling, he shoved them into his trouser pockets. His heart raced
as images of the feral creatures flashed through is mind.
 
I’ve
never seen or heard of anything like them. Surely the rumors about werewolves
can’t be true. Did I really see them, or was this a fabrication of my
imagination?

He shook his head
. No – they were real. Richard and his
friends are planning something, but what?
 

He went back and forth
trying to decide if he should notify Henry and the Guild about what he saw. He
wasn’t even sure he should mention it to Andromeda.

Maybe I should just pretend it never happened. Or, maybe I
can ask for a special favor in exchange for my promise to keep Richard’s
secret. Surely it must be worth something.

Gregory punched some
numbers onto a keypad and waited for the large, wrought-iron gate to open.
Before he could enter the grounds, he saw a dark shadow approaching from out of
the corner of his eye. He immediately recognized the figure; it was Richard.

He must have followed me when I left Utopia. I’ll hear what
he has to say, and then – we’ll see how much he is prepared to pay for my
silence.
Gregory
laughed.
“If everything goes as planned;
I could become a very wealthy man. I won’t have to keep the school; I could
sell it and start traveling again. I’ll take Matthew with me, and Andromeda can
return to her beloved Caspian.

Gregory turned around
to greet Richard, who had stopped just shy of the gate. “I wasn’t expecting to
see you this afternoon,” he said cordially. “What can I do for you?”

Richard slapped his
hand away and chuckled. “Oh, I think we both know why I’m here.
 
Why don’t you tell me what you saw?”

He looked from Richard
to the academy entrance and back again. Drops of sweat started beading on his
forehead and cheeks, which grew redder with each passing second.
I’m supposed to be in control. I don’t want
him to think of me as weak.
“If you’re speaking about those creatures – I
saw everything. What kind of blood did you give them to cause such a drastic
change?”

Richard decided to tell
him the truth. He wouldn’t be alive long enough to repeat the story to anyone
else, especially the Guild.

“My friends and I were
conducting a little experiment with hell-hounds blood.
 
It hasn’t been done in some time, and we
weren’t sure if the outcome would be successful. Though four of the mortals
survived the process, there was a bit of a disagreement between them, and well
– let’s just say, their numbers have been cut in half.”

Gregory’s eyes widened
and he felt a heavy knot in the pit of his stomach. He took a few steps
backwards, fearing Richard would infect him with the tainted blood. “Where did
you find hell-hound’s blood? The beasts aren’t supposed to leave hell.”

“You’re partially
correct, but as Lucifer’s nephew, I have access to all kinds of raw materials.
You seem afraid. I’m not going to inject you with the blood.”

Richard held up both of
his hands, showing Gregory they were empty. “Now the question is – what to do
with you?”

Maybe it was the way he
said it, but Gregory suspected Richard wasn’t going to trust him to keep the
secret.

“As far as I’m
concerned, I didn’t see anything. I’ll go back to running my school, and you
can follow through with whatever plans you’re making.”

“I was hoping I could
trust you. Very well – as long as you swear to keep the making of the Abyvirs a
secret, I will allow you to go about your business. Shall we shake hands to
seal the deal?”

After extending his
hand, Gregory noticed a small drop of blood in his palm when he released his
grip. “What’s this?”

Richard started
laughing. “You didn’t really expect me to trust you?” He showed him the tiny
ring-like weapon that he slipped on his finger while Gregory was distracted.

“I’m told the venom
works very quickly. You might want to say goodbye to your family. In a few
minutes, you’ll be dead.”
 

Falling to his knees,
Gregory wrapped his arms around Richard’s legs. “Please – I beg you! Don’t
leave me like this. I won’t tell anyone – I swear it.”

Ignoring his pleas,
Richard freed himself from Gregory’s grasp, knocking him to the ground. He
turned on his heels and walked towards the end of the road. Still chuckling, he
raised his hand and waved, before vanishing.

Rita and Jessica
arrived at the Godwin Academy a few minutes before Gregory. When they heard
someone shouting, they went outside to investigate.

There, staggering up
the walkway was Andromeda’s husband. With the color drained from his face, his
muscles barely supported the weight of his body. He stumbled repeatedly as he
made his way to the main entrance of the school.

The rest of the
children were busy with lessons, but Matthew and his mother, who were preparing
to leave for a shopping date in Manhattan, followed Rita and Jessica outside.

“Where’s Willow?” Rita
asked.

“She went to the
bathroom. Do you want me to get her?” Matthew said. He stared at his father’s
pitiful body, but there was no emotion in the young man’s face, certainly not
grief.

Rita nodded, and then
she and Jessica helped Gregory to the ground. “What do you think happened to
him?” Jessica whispered.

Gregory pulled Rita by
her shirt, so her ear was even with his mouth. “Don’t try to speak. Willow will
be here in a minute, and she’ll fix you,” she said.

He tightened his grip
on Rita and shook his head frantically as she tried to discern what he was saying.
She looked at his mouth, attempting to read his lips, which were already
turning a dusky blue.

Andromeda crept to his
side and held his hand, trying to alleviate his fear. A single tear slipped
down his cheek as he placed her hand to his lips.

Willow arrived a few
seconds later. She inspected the body for any visible wound; there was none,
except a small scratch on his right palm, which was already beginning to
heal.
 
That shouldn’t have caused his death, unless…

“Poison – I’m sure of
it,” she said.

Gregory used his last
bit of strength to give a slight nod of his head. Making one last-ditch effort
to identify his killer, the only word Rita could make out was “rich.”

With paled skin,
Gregory’s body twisted into a fetal position. Willow looked at Rita and shook
her head -- there was nothing she could do; the poison had already consumed his
body.

She watched his chest
rise and fall for the last time. After his final breath, he released the grip
on Andromeda’s hand, and then closed his eyes. Gregory was dead.

“Can you have some of
the students place his body in one of the rooms until my dad has a chance to
examine him?” Rita asked.

Andromeda, still in
shock, couldn’t stop staring at Gregory’s lifeless body. Seeing the dazed look
in her eyes, Rita repeated the question.

With tears streaming
down her cheeks, Andromeda gave a slight nod of her head.
 
This is
all my
fault. I shouldn’t have said Matt and I would
be better off without him. I’m so sorry.

Willow rushed into the
academy and found the students having a history lesson in one of the
classrooms. After informing them about what happened, they shot out of their
chairs and followed her outside.

Andromeda grabbed hold
of Matt’s sleeve, and he pulled her from the ground. As she gaped into his
eyes, she noticed his face was expressionless.

Gregory had not treated
her well, but he was never blatantly cruel to their son. Matt should have some
feelings about his father’s death, yet there were no tears. What she saw was a
total lack of sorrow.

Andromeda’s next
thoughts were of Caspian.
I wonder if
he’ll return from his honeymoon to attend the funeral.

Some of the older boys
lifted Gregory’s body and carried it into the school, moving towards the
bedroom he shared with Andromeda, until Matt stopped them. “No – he can rest in
one of the spare rooms.”

Andromeda didn’t argue
with her son, she was still in shock over her husband’s death. After Gregory
was settled, Rita, Jessica and Willow pulled her and Matt into the kitchen,
where Mrs. O’Leary had tea waiting.

Pulling the chairs away
from the table, each of them took a seat.
 

“Can you tell me where
Gregory went this morning?” Rita asked.

“We left Caspian’s
reception so quickly; I forgot to give him and Desiree their wedding gift. I
intended to deliver it this morning, but Gregory said he had business to
discuss with Richard and would take the gift for me.”

Rita and Jessica
exchanged a knowing glance. They had always been suspicious of Richard, and
though Gregory didn’t exactly condemn him, his last syllable being “rich” made
them think he might have been identifying Richard as the killer. Still, without
proof, they couldn’t openly accuse the governor’s son. Then again, there had
been several angel-blood deaths recently, and Richard may not have had anything
to do with killing Gregory.

“We’ll have to tell my
father about this,” Rita said. “You have a home in Utopia. Do you want us to
transport his body there for the funeral?”

“No – Gregory really
didn’t have many friends. Maybe we could have a small ceremony in Aeden. Your
Father Patrick is familiar with the angel-bloods. Do you think he’ll agree to
perform the service?”

Though his lips were
pursed tightly, Matt managed a guttural laugh. “I don’t know why you would even
bother,” he said. “I’m sure Gregory was up to no good and that’s what got him
killed.”

Willow reached over and
patted his hand. “Regardless of what he did in the past; he’s still your
father. We need to have a proper funeral.”

Matt smiled and nodded.
I know you’re right, but you don’t know
how cruel my father was. I’m glad he’s dead, because now, he can’t hurt my
mother anymore.

“Until we find out who
was responsible for the death, you and Matt might want to stay in Aeden,” Rita
said.

Andromeda’s eyes
widened and her jaw dropped. “No – I- I couldn’t possibly leave the other
children. Who will run the school?”

“I hate to say this,
but when their parents find out Gregory was killed on the school’s grounds,
they will probably insist the students return home. I’m sure it won’t be for
long. We just need to get to the bottom of this.”

“I understand your
concern, but Matt and I are staying here. My husband had some shady friends,
but I doubt they’ll come after us.”

“We can give you more protection
in Aeden. My mother’s shield is strongest there.” Seeing that Andromeda wasn’t
going to budge, Rita finally conceded.
 
“We can talk about this after the funeral,” she sighed.

“What should we do with
Gregory’s body?”

“If it makes you
uncomfortable having him here; Jessica and I can take the body with us.”

“I’m going to stay with
Matthew,” Willow announced. “You can come for us after the arrangements are
made.”

Rita looked at Jessica
who nodded. “Fine, but no one leaves the school until we get back.”

She and Jessica walked back to the
room. Rita tossed Gregory’s limp body over her shoulder, and then the girls
used a portal to take them back to Aeden.