Enthroned by Amethysts (A Dance with Destiny Book 3) (10 page)

“And I know
your
history as well.” He smirked haughtily. “You have only just become an Angel.”

“My dear man, one does not just
become
an Angel. You’re either created an Angel or you’re not. Yet, I see you know my story. It’s true I became
aware
of this fact only recently. Alas, awareness doesn’t change one’s origin, a thing I should think you know all too well.”

She winked at him, but it was in no way a playful gesture. He understood exactly what it was she referred to. She knew, somehow; she knew of his sordid past and the children he’d never claimed. He was certain of it.

“I refuse to cross words with you any longer. I shall deliver you as promised,” he snapped. “And be done with you forever.”

“Such sweet words, dearest Mikage. Are you trying to woo me, you sly devil?” She enjoyed taunting him
way
too much. “You must quit speaking thusly or I may come to believe you’re growing to like me after all.”

His face turned the color of blood. “I will find a way around your binding spell, Witch, and when I do—”

“Let me guess,” she interrupted his threat. “You shall come to me immediately.” She yawned. “And take my head, no doubt.”

Chapter 14

Vanahirdem

(van-ah-HEAR-dem)

“What do ye mean,
vanished
?” Vittorio roared.

“Have you trouble with the word, Brother? Vanished—as in,
disappeared
.” Varick sighed and closed his eyes. “We were laughing, talking, picking flowers, designing our future. I was looking right at her. Then… she was gone.”

“Could this be one of her new Angel powers?” Vareilious mused.

All eyes turned toward the glowing giant. “What? Were you not the one, just yesterday, telling me of all the strange things she’s now able to do?”

“Aye, the maid confessed tae us both, Varick. Changes were happening tae her every day an’ she knew nae the how or why,” Vittorio added.

“Changes with her mind, her senses, her mental abilities. The only physical change she has experienced was the
loss
of such ability,” Varick said.

“What of the eyes?” Vareilious asked. “Where were you, exactly, when she disappeared? Was it near where she sensed those alien eyes looking upon us?”

“Aye now. What bloody eyes are ye talking aboot an’ why in the hell dunnae I know what all’s going on here?”

“It only happened yesterday, Vittorio, chill out.”

“Aye, Vareilious, cease yer mundane eighth layer jargon with me. I wulnae
chill out
. It matters nae it was only yesterday. I should’ve been told.” Vittorio turned his furious gaze toward Varick. “I spent hours in yer home just last night an’ ye breathed nae a word of this tae me,” he snarled.

“How could I,
oh glorious one
? I couldn’t manage to get a word in edgewise. You were too busy going on about your incredible adventures, showering her with gifts, and proclaiming words of undying love to
my
Anicee. In our own home, no less.”

The enraged warriors jumped to their feet, growling threats—their sculpted chests banging together, their wings expanded.

“My, my, such a sight.” Vareilious chuckled. “You’ll both soon burst into balls of green slime if you don’t control this ridiculous pubescent jealousy.”

“Shut up!” Their words rang out in unison toward their gloating brother Vanir.

“I have seen and heard enough,” Valadrog roared. “She didn’t simply vanish. She was taken. If she had come by some strange new power and could disappear, reason stands she could also reappear. Vareen has scryed the whole universe. Jenevier is nowhere to be found. It’s obvious—to anyone who wishes to use their mind—she has been taken by someone powerful enough to magically hide her very existence.”

“Tell me, Father. Who could hide her from God? Whose magic is as great as that?”

“Do not sharpen your tongue with me, son. Why do you assume she’s hidden from God?” Valadrog spread wide his arms. “Should the skies part for you and readily display answers to all you speak of?”

Vareen gently placed her hand on her husband’s arm. “What your father is trying to say is that just because I haven’t been given a vision concerning your colorful little Anicee, does not mean God doesn’t know where she is, Varick.” She looked toward the other two warriors and held her words until she was certain they were giving her their full attention. “You well know, mighty Guardians of Innocence, everything happens for a reason. You also know we are privileged to see only what it is we’re meant to see. Many things are withheld from my sight,
especially
concerning Jenevier.” Her sorrowful gaze fell upon her grieving son. “She is not of us, Varick. She isn’t like us. We helped an innocent maiden who proved herself worthy of our talents. As I look back, I’m given pause as to the
good
we actually did concerning her. She’s no mere mortal, this we all know. Perhaps, we were never meant to grant her entrance here.” She released a weary breath and closed her eyes. “I’m no longer sure.”

“Do not cause your heart grief in this thing, Mother. I can assure you, she was always meant to come here. She was created for that very purpose.”

Vareen opened her ethereal eyes and looked on her son with knowing pity. “You speak from your heart, Varick, not your head. Think back. Not once did we receive a summons against Merodach, and not once did I receive a vision instructing us on her training. Everything we knew about the maid came from
your
constant observation of her.” She sighed again. “Perhaps you weren’t meant to be her protective shadow. You
claimed
that responsibility, it was never given to you by any other than yourself. I know not the truth in it, but my heart is in turmoil where she’s concerned.” Vareen stood, clasped her hands in front of her, and lowered her head. “No, the more I think on it, the more I dwell upon the whole of it… the more I am convinced. We have no part or lot in the things concerning that tiny little Angel, and we never did.”

“You crush me with your dark words, Mother. I never wish to hear them again. We weren’t wrong in helping her nor were we wrong in training her. And I’m not wrong in loving her.” Varick stood, facing his noble parents. “She passed the tests. She completed the training. She was chosen during her Pyrolysis. You know, as do we all, who does the choosing and the blessing during that holy transformation. God does. Not you and not I. If He didn’t wish her to be here, why did He bless her with Vashti? And still, God continues to bless her at every turn. How can you stand there and say we were wrong? She is what she is because of us.”

“No. She is what she is
in spite
of us,” Vareilious said. “Don’t spin about on me as if I’m your enemy, Brother. The only harsh words you and I have ever exchanged were concerning
her
. I will always love her. And dammit, if she ever called for or needed my help, I would lay down my very life for her.” A tiny tear trickled down with his words. “But I must give weight to your mother’s wisdom. What she says rings true. Jenevier isn’t like us. She’s more than we can ever be. She is Angel, Varick. When have you ever been given charge over an Angel?” He motioned his arm to encompass everyone in the room. “We were all blessed by her, each in his own way. But perhaps it’s because of what
she
is, not what we are.”

“Aye, yer all mad.” Vittorio snorted and shook his head. “She wasnae an Angel when she walked through that gate. An’ if she was, she knew it nae. She was an innocent child. She was one of the reasons there are Guardians in the first place, her an’ all the ones just like her. We only did what we are created tae do. Nae harm can come of that.”

“Do you even hear yourself, Vittorio?” Valadrog asked. “Of course harm can come of it. Have you not been living among us these last many years? Harm
has
come of it, many times over. Harm to her and harm to us as well. Search your heart and know I speak the truth. You very nearly died because we let her walk through that gate. She very nearly died for it as well, thrice. This is what Vareen means when she says we have no part or lot with her. Do you deny all the blood, all the pain, and all the tears that have befallen each and every one of us simply because she walked through that gate? Think with your heads, Warriors, and damn your hearts. Perhaps God withholds knowledge concerning her, because… she’s not our concern. We butted in on something we were never supposed to touch, gentlemen. And we have all been burned because of it, her included.”

Silence filled the room, tears filled their knowing eyes.

“Aye, she’s the most delicious poison I’ve ever tasted,” Vittorio whispered. “An’ I only crave more.”

“Delicious poison?” Varick’s shocked words drew everyone’s attention to the sentinel he was glaring at.

“Aye, delicious poison. The most painful, gut-wrenching, heart-shattering, bitter thing I’ve ever wanted tae experience over an’ over an’ over again. A delicious poison.”

Vareilious chuckled. “A more fitting description could not be given that colorful little bundle of curls.” He laughed as he slapped Varick on the back. “I should say she’ll be the death of us all.”

Varick smiled. “And I welcome it with open arms.” He looked to Vittorio and nodded in agreement. “Yes, a deadly delicious poison I will spend the rest of my existence hungrily searching for.”

“Very well, then. It appears you’re all in agreement concerning this—concerning
her
. Since we cannot find a clue as to where we should start looking, we’ll start looking everywhere.” Valadrog turned a hardened gaze toward the majestic sentinels. “Pick a layer and go. Don’t waste anymore of this energy warring with one another. Sweep the skies. You have each tasted her. You should have no problem catching her scent. Now, go.”

Only the sound of mighty wings could be heard in the distance when Valadrog collapsed into a chair. Vareen tenderly rubbed his tense shoulders.

“God has shown you nothing?”

“No, dear one. He has not.”

“Will this never end?” He placed his head in his hands. “Had I known all the trouble and heartache this tiny little girl would bring to us, I would have met her at the gate and—”

“And what, my love?” Vareen smiled at her glorious husband. “What would you have done or said that would’ve been any different?”

He sighed. “Nothing, I suppose.”

“It’s okay to love her and be worried for her, dearest husband. You don’t always have to be the strong voice of reason. You know, as well as I, things happen for a reason. Now, we must be still and wait.”

“I am never the voice of reason, my love. You are,” he whispered.

Chapter 15

Mika

(MEE-kah)

“Emperor Musashi, I humbly present the woman you desired.” Mikage bowed low and waved his hand toward Jenevier. “If that is all, Milord, I’ll return to my home within the forest.”

“Return home? This is awfully sudden, Master Mikage. My intent was for you to remain in the palace.”

“Yes, Milord. But circumstances have changed.”

“Circumstances?” The Emperor shook his head in confusion. “What circumstances?”

“I fear he refers to me, Your Grace.” She made a respectful bow and curtsied. “It seems this great wizard has become rather fond of me and no longer trusts his intentions concerning me.” She flashed a secret wink at the old Shinobi.

“Mind your tongue, Witch, or I shall remove it,” he hissed.

“Truly?” Jenevier sneered at the enraged man. “Then I would see your words forged into action,
oh mighty one
.”

He fixed his lavender gaze upon the monarch before him. “I beg you, Emperor Musashi. Grant me release from your service,” he pleaded.

“I will
not
grant such a thing.” The Emperor turned toward the nearby soldiers. “Guards, show Master Mikage to the room prepared for him.” He leaned in close to the older man. “We shall not speak of this again until you have properly rested and regained your strength. Until then, remove thoughts of leaving and turn them towards how best I may handle this maiden you have gifted me,” he whispered.

“Remove her head and take her charms,” Mikage said as he glared in her direction. “There’s no other way, Sire.”

Jenevier cleared her throat. “Will you tell me now why you’ve brought me to this place? Or does it yet remain secret?”

The handsome Emperor turned to her with a radiant, yet forced, smile. “Apologies, Princess, you must be weary. Your long journey would have been trying for a trained warrior. In your fragile state, it must’ve proven a most horrific ordeal.” He stretched his hand forth, but didn’t touch her. “Please, rest for a while and see strength returned. I will come to you at such time.” He looked over her shoulder. “Guards, gently see the lady to her lodgings. Bring her all she desires, deny her nothing.”

*****

Jenevier was impressed with the grand suite she was given. Sitting down heavily upon the soft lounge, she propped her weary feet upon the matching ottoman.

“Will you be requiring anything else, Milady?” The guard bowed before her with his fist crossed over his chest.

“Do you, by chance, have any Tissamon fruit?”

“Tissamon? I’ve never—”

“Then, that will be all,” she interrupted.

The only thing I truly need is a long soak and time alone to think.

She rested a moment more before gaining enough strength to run the bath and remove her clothing. It proved no easy task. She sent a little prayer of thanks out into the universe in hopes Varick might sense it and know just how much she truly appreciated all the little things he did for her every single day.

What I wouldn’t give for some rosewater right about now,
she thought.

I’ve never seen any rosewater, but I have seen lavender water in the apothecary.

“Then why don’t you be a good little girl and run get it for me?”

Wha… Did she just speak to me? Can she hear my thoughts?

Jenevier laughed softly. “Of course I can, Mika. You are an extraordinarily loud thinker.”

You know my name?

“Yes, it sings clearly within your head. Did you not know, dear child, it’s rude to stand next to someone and refuse to speak properly to them? Especially when one of them is unrobed and bare-skinned to the world.” Jenevier shrugged her shoulders. “I didn’t think you’d mind if I made ready for my bath. I mean, we are alone in here, are we not?”

Mika gasped. “You can see me, too?”

“Yes, child, I can see you.” Jenevier smiled at her. “And you are especially lovely, I might add.”

“I’ve never met another who could see me
and
hear my thoughts. How have you done this?”

“I know not what you ask. I haven’t
done
anything.” She smiled knowingly at the shocked little girl. “I can understand your surprise. I knew no one else could see you, not even Musashi.”

“But how did you know that?” Mika asked, puzzled.

“Because, little one, not a single eye strayed to the beautiful young girl dancing circles around their Emperor. He knew you were there, yes. But no one else did. Has he ever seen you? Or does he believe you to be a spirit?”

“He has only ever seen me when I speak or sleep. No one can see me until then. He wishes me to constantly hum when we’re alone, so that he may look upon me. He is my constant guardian and companion.”

“Yet he parted with you now,” Jenevier said, a slight smile accompanying her words. “And why is that? Does he wish you to spy on me?”

The girl blushed and Jenevier couldn’t help but giggle.

“Other than this, you never leave his side?”

“No, Milady, not since the moment he stepped foot in my village a few days past.”

“I see.” Jenevier checked the temperature of the water. “So you loved him immediately, then.”

Mika blushed crimson. “Yes, I did.”

“Musashi is merely a man. Thus, he cannot see you unless you allow it. This I understand. But can he hear you, as I can?”

“No, Lady Jenevier, he cannot. He’s a very perceptive man so he can sense much. Yet he cannot read thoughts.”

“But you thought he could, did you not?” She stepped into the tub, easing her weary body down into its warmth. “Is that not how he learned of your amazing talents?”

“Yes. I only revealed my secret ability to him because I believed I had finally met someone who could share in this strangest of talents. But he isn’t like me.” She had been looking down as she spoke, but jerked her head back up to face Jenevier. “Yet, he did not judge me cruelly. He did not mock me nor did he shun me because of it.”

No, he only fears you
, Jenevier thought.

“Wha-what did you say?”

“Remove worries, my child. I understand completely. I, too, am one who is feared because I’m different—
born
different. My own brothers aren’t always at ease around me. Unknown things can be troublesome at best, and just plain scary to most.”

“Apologies, I meant no disrespect. It’s only, well, it’s just, I’ve never met someone… like me.”

Mika bowed her head. Jenevier took her tiny chin in her hand, raising it until the little Shinobi ninja was staring straight into the angelic woman’s enchanting eyes.

She smiled warmly at the girl. “And now you have.”

The child’s eyes grew wide with instant admiration and devotion.

“Now, didn’t you mention something about some lavender water?” Jenevier winked at her.

The girl was all giggles as she ran from the room of her newest friend. She returned shortly carrying a small bottle, and poured the fragrant contents into the tepid water surrounding Jenevier’s tired and swollen body.

The smell was intoxicating. She filled her lungs with the joy of it. “Ahh, you are mine own little Angel, Mika. No matter the reason I was brought here, I’m blessed just to know you. In the grander scheme of life, sometimes bad things happen to good people through no fault of their own. They cannot reason it or rationalize it, for they can find no just cause in their own heart. Yet it happened, all the same.” She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. “People can become angry or depressed or they can withdraw completely. It’s a sad thing to watch and an even sadder thing to live through. If a person could but simply step back and watch how things work out within the vast scope of their destiny, all would be well. This is an exceedingly hard thing for most people, Mika.” She opened one eye and looked sideways at the lovely little girl. “It’s a rare being indeed who can truly accomplish it without faltering. Often, when people don’t try to see the good things ahead in life, they make poor decisions. That alters their destiny, little one. And then the bad thing that happened in their life was all for naught. They make the wrong choices, go down the wrong paths. They never end up finding the wonderfully miraculous thing that was simply lying there, waiting on them to stumble upon it.”

Mika’s eyebrows were furled in confusion.

Jenevier laughed. “Look at it this way, child. Have you ever played with ants or watched them while they worked?”

“Oh yes, many times,” Mika said happily. “I don’t always understand what they’re trying to do, but I find them incredibly fascinating.”

Jenevier chuckled as Mika’s eyes grew ever wider. She could see just how young this little girl truly was inside. It reminded her of her own blind naïve gaiety she’d treasured in her youth.

“Very good. Now, imagine this. While you’re watching the ants, you can see their whole world, everything around them. You see what lies ahead and what’s sneaking up from behind. You have knowledge concerning their future they couldn’t possibly conceive from their viewpoint on the ground.”

“Yes, I understand what you’re saying.”

“Very good.” Jenevier couldn’t contain the broad smile Mika had so easily brought to her face. “Now, imagine this. What if a small pebble, seemingly a large boulder to an ant,
rolled upon their path, crushing one of their brothers, blocking the way to their expected future?”

Mika gasped. “That would be horrible.”

“It would seem so, if you were the ant. Yet you stand afar and you can actually see what else happened when the pebble rolled onto their charted path. It revealed the way to an enormous sweet cake. One they would have completely missed were it not for the treacherous stone’s chaos. You see, the ants are working daily to bring food back home to their wives and little babies, so to speak. Food they must find, or all their loved ones will suffer. Some will even die.”

The young girl’s wide eyes showed a glimmer of understanding. Jenevier smiled again at the charming little lady she was fast falling in love with.

“Now, imagine what would happen if the ants stopped working and harvesting food. Imagine if the death of their friend, or brother, or father, or husband, caused them to simply stop at the stone and mourn there forever.”

“Then… their babies wouldn’t get the food they needed,” Mika whispered this realization mostly to herself.

“Yes. Now, imagine if some of the stronger-willed, hard-minded ants decided to plunge forward, no matter what, and stay upon their predetermined path. What if they shoved the stone out of the way or climbed the mighty boulder and forged on ahead?”

“Then… they would miss the sweet cake.”

“Yes, Mika, they would. The weak ones would crumble and mourn themselves to their own demise, dragging their families down with them. The strong ones would certainly make it through and find
some
kind of food to bring home, they always had. But they would also miss the bountiful blessing—unbelievably revealed, only to be ignored.”

Mika’s amazing lavender eyes were all but dancing.

“Then, there are the ones who are truly blessed,” Jenevier said. “The ones who are made of both strength and weakness combined. They’re the ones who will stop, mourn, and show proper respect for the fallen, then alter their course with a grieving heart and an open mind. What will happen to those ones, Mika?”

“They’ll find the enormous sweet cake,” she answered excitedly.

“Yes, they will. You see, they were weak enough to grieve, strong enough to accept change, and blessed beyond imagination because of it. Simply because they understood that sometimes bad things happen. It’s the path we choose to take
after
the bad thing that will determine our future, mark our worth.” She gently patted the girl’s tiny hand. “Every single ant on the path that day could’ve been blessed with a year’s worth of bounty for their whole colony. But such was based upon their individual decision. Each ant had a choice. Each choice had its own destiny.”

“Die there, work and trudge on forever, or be blessed beyond belief. One event, three different fates,” Mika surmised.

“Exactly, child. You alone could plainly see their fate because you were blessed with seeing the
whole
picture. Now, in your mind, replace the ants with people you know, with man, with humanity.”

Jenevier could actually see the moment that firm realization took hold in those big, beautiful, innocent lavender eyes.

“And now you understand.” She sighed, slipping further under the fragrant water. “That’s how I’m looking at the horrible events of this day. I’m trying to see the whole picture, not focus solely on the tragedy of being torn from the ones I love at the moment my baby is to enter this world. And… I’m trying not to be so strong and stubborn that I kill them all, only to return home and continue down the path I was already walking.”

“You don’t want to miss the sweet cake.” The words fell from Mika’s lips as she stared, focusing on nothing.