Dominic nods approvingly, when his face abruptly goes stone cold, eyes going past me down the dark hallway. I glance over my shoulder, only hearing the fury of heavy footsteps making their way towards us.Dominic moves with lightning speed in front of me, shielding my body, but I manage to peek around his black cloak, watching the dark hallway eventually spit out my brother. Relief washes over me before I see the anger blazing in his eyes."Have you two lost your ever-loving minds?" Zack says, throwing up his hands, "And you," he scowls at me when I move to Dominic's side. "You actually approved Skylar's insanity?" "Stand down, Master," Dominic commands and reaches out, preventing Zack from getting any closer. Zack takes a step away in surprise, his expression clearing when he looks up at Dominic, towering over him. "You cannot approach us in that manner. I could have taken your head off without a thought."Zack shakes his head. "Yes, of course...I, I apologize," he says, smacking
Determination or maybe anger grabs hold of me, and I rush at my husband. "You don't know!" I shout, hitting his chest with my palms. "You can't say that!"Dominic stands stoically, my hands giving blow after blow as warm tears stream down my cheeks. I can't bear the thought of losing Rachel, someone so dear, someone who has been in our lives and become such a vital part of our family. "You are right, Love," Dominic whispers, gently taking my wrists as he pulls me close with the other. "We will keep looking."I close my eyes, relieved and breathless, heart pounding in my ears as he gently strokes my hair. "I'll go to Skylar," Zack says, looking up at Dominic, "Have him show me where he's already looked." His tone is soft, and his words meant for me.Dominic nods, his chest rocking slightly, and I pull back. "Do you really think...?" I pause, hardly able to say the words. "Rachel is gone?" I ask, looking up as Dominic's jaw tightens.His hands go to my shoulders, forehead creas
"Stasis?" I ask, confused. "Like in a coma? Hiding in some kind of hidden closet somewhere?""No," Dominic says, his voice low."Not exactly.""What are we waiting for? Let's go get her! Skylar must be out of his mind right now!""It is not that simple, Kate." Dominic reaches out, touching my hand. "Once a Seraph is in stasis they have to come out of it on their own.""Okay, so, we help her wake up." "You are not understanding me." Dominic shakes his head. "Coming out of stasis is an individual situation. It could take days," he clears his throat, "or more likely, weeks, months, sometimes years.""What?" I blurt out, glancing frantically back and forth between the two of them. "She could stay this way for years?"I stare at Dominic, stunned, bewildered yet relieved Rachel is still with us. Or is she, really? My mind begins to race, contemplating on how we got here and what we should do next. I have no idea, but I do know I need to see her."Where is she?" I whisper. Samuel lo
Waves of unsettling grief follow us like a heavy, black cloud as we return to our quarters. The uncertainty of Rachel's condition and the heartache Skylar must be going through weighs on my heart. He, of all people, deserves happiness. And now, what to do about Deumus? Who will she go after next?Dominic pulls out a chair and I take a seat, my mind spinning like a hamster's wheel, moving in circles and going nowhere fast. I catch Dominic's eyes watching me. I know what he's thinking, even without his silent words."I'm okay," I say, giving him a slight grin.He tilts his head. "Take it easy, Kate, remember what the doctor said. The less stress on you and the baby, the better."I give him a nod, placing a hand over my belly. "Don't worry. When I get tired I'll go to bed," I assure him.His lips press together, unconvinced as he takes a seat adjacent to me, a look of concern shadowing his features. Samuel and Laila pull out their usual chairs, puffy eyed from tears. Our son, sitting
Samuel jerks awake, disoriented, rubbing his eyes. He turns his head and sees me holding his sister's face in my palms. "Laila!" he cries, instantly crouching over her, his expression suddenly clears as if seeing what she's seeing too.Out of nowhere, the sound of footsteps echoes on the stone floor, heavy and purposeful, becoming louder the closer they get. "Daddy!" Laila, snaps out of it, leaping off the bed straight for him. He appears at the doorway, opening his arms as she slams into him. "Samuel woke her up!" My eyes dart up at Dominic the knowing expression on his face confuses me. "What is she talking about?" I ask, my heart picking up its pace. "Rachel," he says. "The doctors think she might be coming out of stasis.""Are they sure? You said no one comes out of stasis this quickly." "Samuel touched her in his dream," Laila cuts in. "I saw him do it."I glance down at Laila, still latched around Dominic's waist. "You saw him touch her again?" I ask."Yeah," she lo
My mouth goes dry, bile threatening the back of my throat. I glance down at Samuel, standing at his father's side, hand in hand with Laila as they both wait silently. I look back up at Dominic, his expression bathed in dread as warm tears begin to sting my lids. "Samuel...," I whisper in my head, "his eyes, Dominic, they were solid black for a split second. I tried telling myself I was just being paranoid but now..."Laila shifts, moving closer, I look down as she takes my hand, "I'm tired," she says, yawning. "Me too," Samuel agrees, his mouth opening into a following yawn."Yes, we all need some rest," Dominic's deep voice resonates, a stark difference from his tone in my head."Alright," I say as calmly as I can. "How about you two sleep in our room tonight?"Smiles light up their faces as they immediately rush off, hopping back on the bed. Dominic takes my hand and pulls me close, kissing the top of my head."We cannot protect them once they are asleep," He whispers, voice
The door to our bedroom is wide open with the sound of giggling children echoing down the hallway. Dominic stops just outside, waiting for me to walk in, and I look up. "What is it?" I ask as his expression changes like he's in deep thought."Victoria," he says, glancing down at me. "She is on her way with food.""God bless her," I whisper, walking into the room.Laila is sitting at the table, laptop propped open to a screen full of cartoon jellyfish. Samuel is seated next to her and looks up when he sees us approaching."Mom," he turns to me,."I saw you in my dream the other night.""Oh?" I ask, curious. "What was I doing?" I take a seat beside him."Well, it was really dark, and Deumus was talking to you. You didn't seem very happy.""Yeah," Laila cuts in. "You were reaching out, but we were too far away to touch you.""Hold on," I say, scooting closer to the table as Dominic pulls out a chair next to me. "You two can see me when I dream?""Uh huh," they murmur in unison.
After the movie ended, we had a long conversation about demons, angels, strategies, crystals, even martial art moves. Anything and everything, we talked about it. We also decided to keep Samuel and Laila with us another night. We had a job to do as a family, and we needed to stay physically close. So, we lay side by side in our bed, holding moon crystals, amethysts and clear quartz tightly in our hands, Dominic on one end and me on the other. Once Dominic turned off the lamp, the only source of light was half a moon, though, that didn't matter-we wouldn't need light where we were going, only the combined efforts of our dreams. "Mom, Dad?" Samuel whispers. "I need to tell you something.""What is it, son?" Dominic asks in a soft voice."Well..." Samuel pauses for a moment. "The demons, Deumus and Baphomet...they will try to fool you.""Oh, we are well aware of that," I chime in. "You never know which direction they'll be coming from...""No," Samuel interrupts. "Not that," he sa
His forehead is lined in concern, pinging my gut and I watch his expression grow more serious. "It was not a dream, Love," he whispers, glancing down at my waist. I let out a cry and sit up, throwing the covers off of me.There's no blood, it's gone... there's not even a trace."Oh, Dominic, did I?" I can barely say the words. "Did I lose the baby?" "Our baby is fine." His smile widens and my breath hitches, the smell of sweet rosemary swirls between us as he softly kisses my lips. "you do not need to worry.""Really?" I whisper, astonished. "Really, honey?"He nods. "It is over, Love." He moves closer, gathering me in his arms. "You are safe." He kisses my cheek. "And so is or our baby." His arms pulls me closer."But how? I-I was bleeding." My body shivers, remembering. "Oh Dominic, there was so much blood.""I know, honey." He nods, gently rubbing my back. My eyes go wide. "The twins?" I pull back. "They were there...they saw everything, they saved me, I think they even
"Hello, Kate," a woman's voice calls out, and I sluggishly blink, pulling my heavy lids open to total darkness. "Did you enjoy my little gift? I sharpened the blade myself."I reach out, groggy and drunk, touching the edge of a blanket on my chest. "Yes, you are still in bed," the woman says. "But now it's time to wake up!" she shouts, yanking me up by the arm as a hard slap stings the side of my face. I yelp, more alert and duck my head awkwardly in the blackness. She laughs. "They have sedated you. This is going to be a cake walk." The lamp next to the bed suddenly switches on, blinding me, and I sluggishly shield my eyes. "Who are you?" I ask, the back of my head falling hard against the headboard as I lower my hands.I see her dress first, black, long and skintight, hands propped on her hips, hair and face still breathtaking. Olivia. Her lips curl up into a slow smile as soon as I look into her new black eyes. "Surprised to see me?" she winks, "Why yes, I can dream wa
He slowly nods. "Yes, I could tell it in her expression. I could feel her anger."My eyes go wide. "What if she tries to do it again?" I blurt out."She cannot." He shakes his head. "I have been sealed," he says, and I let out a breath of relief.Dominic holds me in his arms a few moments longer, and I look back up, "The councilman, he was sent to protect the twins from her too, wasn't he?""Mmm, hum," his voice resonates in my ear. "The Hierarchy Council knew they would be especially susceptible to her.""Because of their visions?" I ask.He nods. "And their dreams.""If they can kill a demon, they can certainly kill a witch," I smirk."It is not that easy," he says. "It is forbidden for a Seraph to kill another Seraph." I pull away and look up, "Even if she tries to kill them?" Dominic glances down at me. "Yes.""What would be her reason? Why would she want to hurt the twins?" I ask."Power," he says."Power for what?" "No one is sure, but the Hierarchy Council has
"Not at all, Victoria, it's okay," I assure her, attempting to ease her guilt. "I know Dominic had a life before me." I push back my chair and stand. "So, if Olivia stayed, she must have met her husband a few years after Dominic left?" "Yes, her husband was already a Warrior for the Seraph Realm, but eventually, Dominic took his place.""Why?"Victoria shrugs. "Dominic was more skilled and introduced new strategies to fight the demons.""Oh...," I whisper, suddenly impressed as I make it out in my head. "And Olivia's husband was sent to the Hierarchy Realm then? "That is correct." Ah, now we're getting somewhere. Demons can't touch this place, it's too holy. "Did he come here for more training?"Victoria nods. "Yes, among other things. Henry was injured pretty badly in battle and was in need of physical and mental rehabilitation.""Olivia must have spent a lot of time with him.""Indeed.""How long were Olivia and Henry together before he had to leave, do you know?""Ma
Still panting, he quickly recovers and lifts himself above me, focused as he begins to slowly move his hips, thrusting himself in and out. His blazing hand cups my breast, and he leans down, teasing my nipple with a firm tongue. My body tightens. "Harder," I whisper, so close to euphoria I pull him down, arching my hips before wrapping my legs around his waist. He continues to hold back, keeping himself from going any further. He's knows I'm on the edge, and he knows how to drive me crazy."Dominic, please!" I whisper, trying to pull him closer but he stops and moves lower, tossing the blankets back before pausing between my legs."Not before I get a taste of you," he whispers, pressing down on my legs as he leans in and runs his warm, slick tongue gently over me, sucking and moaning before doing it again. "So good," he murmurs, his breath like fire. He raises himself back up, his length drags along my thigh, wet and firm. I tremble, reaching out to wrap my arms around him as he
"This place," he ignores me, eyes darting around the room. "It is not our realm...it must be having an effect on me, on us. Maybe even the children."I squeeze his hand, but he's lost in thought, agonizing. I can't let him take the blame. He needs to know the truth about her. I reach up, pulling his face toward me and we lock eyes. "The only thing affecting you is Olivia's fucking witchcraft!" I blurt out."Kate!" he shouts and yanks himself away. "You mustn't speak like that!""It's true!" I plead. "The twins know it too!" He glares at me, fury in his eyes, and if he weren't my husband, I'd be frightened. "They are mistaken! And so are you!" "No!" I shout, standing up to him, "Olivia, she's cast some kind of spell. There's no way you would have allowed her to kiss you otherwise."His face clears, nostrils flaring with each breath as he stares down at me."I wanted to wait," I whisper. "I wanted more time to prove it, but we don't have time." I move closer to him. "Laila is
Laila whimpers, and my eyes go straight to hers. I have to be strong. I won't let this woman hurt my children or tear my family apart. "Listen to me, honey," I squeeze her hands tightly. "I promise no one will come between your father and I," I say, trying to reassure her, "In the meantime, do your best not to worry about this right now and get some sleep, okay?" She nods, wiping the wetness from her eyes. "Samuel told me the same thing.""Samuel knows?""Yeah."I take in a breath, scanning the room and lean in, "Okay, but let's keep this just between the three of us." "We will." She sniffs. "Samuel and I have a plan, anyway." I turn my head to the side, eyeing her. "What kind of plan?""I'll tell you in the morning.""Laila," I whisper, moving closer, "are you and Samuel planning to enter Olivia's drea...?""It's the easiest way, Mama," she interrupts. "Dreams are more truthful than real life.""I don't want you two getting involved." I say, brows pushing together. "I c
From that point on, I watched Olivia closely. Her eye movement, her facial expressions, anything that might reveal that I'm completely wrong about her, and she's just an innocent woman, waiting desperately for her husband and children to return. An hour went by and nothing. Olivia was cordial, considerate and even friendly toward me as though she were a different person or, somehow aware I was on to her, I can't be sure. When dinner was over, Olivia invited the four of us to stay for a couple of days to help the twins settle in, and we agreed. It was a nice gesture, and I appreciated her generosity.After dinner, we toured Samuel and Laila's rooms, located on the second floor of the castle, directly next to one another with an adjoining door. The twins couldn't wait to show off all the books, gadgets and games they discovered earlier, dashing back and forth while Olivia smiled with pride. She did it all. She completely customized everything to their individual likes, even down to th
I catch a glimpse of Olivia, standing with Zack and Victoria as she stares in my direction, but not at me. She's fixated on Dominic with an expression of yearning, no-it's more like pure lust. I can feel the blood rushing to my face, hot with anger as I glance up at Dominic. His eyes focused on hers with such intensity, I jerk away and gasp, trying to keep my composure. "Kate," he says, reaching out to me, his connection with Olivia broken. "Are you all right?"I glance up, surprised by his expression, suddenly draped in love and concern and I stumble, tripping on my dress. "Yeah," I answer, taking his hand, strong and tight as he steadies me."C'mon, you two," Zack calls over his shoulder, hand in hand with Victoria, "Didn't you hear? It's time for dinner," he says as they follow Olivia into the hallway.Dominic lets go, and I smooth out my dress. Its champagne colored beads glistening under the brilliant light of the sparkling crystal chandeliers."As always, you are a vision,"