Celestra Forever After (52 page)

I glance back into the house, at the sea of swarming bodies, and hope that Skyla has made her way back to Gage.

Skyla keeps me going. And judging by that depressed as hell look on my nephew’s face tonight, she keeps Gage going, too.

“We’ll, see.” I shake Holden off my shoulder. He flies over to a nearby branch as I try to regain my footing.

A lot of things have been knocking me off balance these days, but I’m getting my bearings. It’s good to be back on Paragon. It may not be easy seeing the two of them together but the only true paradise is being right here with Skyla—with Gage, with all of the people I know and love.

I sling my arm around Nev’s shoulder as we make our way through the crowd toward Ellis and Giselle, Ezrina, Lexy—Brielle and Drake—Ethan and Emily.

There’s something special about a place called home even if it is Halloween 24/7.

I’m home—on Paragon, near Skyla, right where I belong.

This is heaven.

17

The Devil’s Dawn

Skyla

Again—why did I let Brielle talk me into dressing up as a sparkling fairy? Swear to God, there is nothing as itchy as glittery tights, except maybe a leotard that’s seven sizes too small, and I happen to be wearing them both. Not to mention the fact the girls keep trying to escape their corseted prison. One of them nearly leaped out while I was hugging Logan goodbye. Believe me, that’s the last thing Gage needs to see—Logan helping me stuff my boob back into my costume. Speaking of Gage—I do a quick scan of the living room. Nothing but stock skanks and a bunch of drunk frat boys. And, I have yet to see the guest of honor. I bet Marshall is disguised as a ghost—rendering himself truly invisible, of course. Hey, maybe that’s why I keep getting a wedgie in all the wrong places? I give a wry smile because it would be just like him to torment me that way.

I glance around at the tinfoil pumpkins tacked onto the walls. A series of gauzy ghosts are strung all the way up the staircase. I know for a fact that’s my mother’s contribution to the evening. Marshall was nice enough to hire her less-than-stellar expertise and let her decorate. I know how hurt she was that she didn’t get a chance to chintz up my wedding day, and I wish to God I would have let her. I guess not having my family present on that special day will forever be my biggest regret. Gage pops through my mind, and, for a fleeting moment, I wonder if making up with a Fem will trump that.

A crowd pours through the front door, and I catch Mia and Melissa both stepping in dressed as West High cheerleaders, which they are. My heart sinks a little because that was me just a few months back. I shake my head. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I miss those days with an indescribable ache, despite the fact Chloe constantly had me hogtied—still does.

I speed over and pull both my sisters into a strong hug.

“You look fantastic!” I take a hard sniff of Mia’s perfume—baby powder mixed with lilacs just like my deodorant. Oh, wait. I pluck my face from her armpit and pull back.

“And you, Skyla”—Melissa is quick to detangle herself from my arms—“look ridiculous.” She gives a wave to someone just over my shoulder. “Gotta run. Gabriel Armistead says he’s got something long and hard in his pocket that he’s been dying to show me.” She gives a little giggle at Mia’s expense. “Relax ladies. It’s probably just his lightsaber. Smell ya later, losers.”

We watch as she shakes her hips all the way over to a hairy yet scrawny werewolf, and Mia groans.

God—I hate to point out the obvious, but werewolves don’t traditionally wield lightsabers. It’s pretty clear Mom and Tad are going to have their hands full with Melissa this year. Her hormones, and that of her boy toy, are on fire. Something tells me they’re about to engage in an intergalactic duel that involves more erogenous zones than I’d like to think about.

“Don’t worry.” I wrap an arm around Mia. “I wouldn’t waste my time with hairy, scary boys. There’s a prince out there just for you.” A prince who had better keep all long, hard objects to himself if he knows what’s good for him.

“A prince, huh?” She dips her chin, never taking her eyes off the two of them. “What if I’m more interested in a monster?”

My stomach pinches with heat because it makes me think of Gage. As much as I hate equating him to a hairy, scary beast, I can’t get my head around the fact he’s derived from Demetri—that in some small way, me being with Gage has given the Fems—my father’s
killer
—a victory.

“I guess monsters are fine as long as he’s really a prince in disguise. Come to think of it, I’d better find Gage.” I start heading toward the door, and she pulls me back by the wings.

“Listen
Tink
”—she bears into me as if she’s about to shank me—“tonight’s the New Moon ceremony. Come morning, you’ll have an entire band of angels that have turned against
you
and every other Nephilim on the planet. Forget that
war
you fought Skyla—this is mutiny.”

“So I guess you’ll have to make a decision.” I swallow hard. “What do you think you’re going to do?” I’m heartbroken at the thought of my own sister turning against me.

She glances down. “They said it would be terrible for those left behind. I don’t want to die, Skyla. I don’t want to be tortured or worse.”

“Dear God, is that what they’ve threatened you with?”

She shakes her head, the look of terror locked in her eyes. “That’s what they guaranteed.” Mia takes off into the crowd and leaves me standing there with my heart melting in a puddle at my feet.

Wesley is the monster. His brand of wickedness surpasses all of the infamous Counts that have gone before him. How in the world can he be any relation to my sweet, sweet Gage?

I step out onto the porch just as Mom and Tad head inside.

Tad leans in dressed like a hippie, complete with long braids clipped into his sideburns and a rainbow bandana. “So the linebacker dumped you, huh? It didn’t take long for him to figure out you were accustomed to three solid meals a day—don’t forget snacks, and all those damn water bottles you keep opening and leaving around. The only thing he was really interested in was the gravy train—in other words the Landon refrigerator. And let’s not forget those delectable dinner parties of your mother’s. I bet he’s crying in his gym socks over the fact his invitation has been permanently revoked.”

Delectable dinner parties? What I want to know is how do I get
my
invitation permanently revoked?

I open my mouth to say something, but Mom holds up a finger. She’s got Misty on one hip and Ember on the other—and, of course, Beau has curled himself around her left leg.

“Skyla simply spent the night.” Mom is quick to surmise. “Everything is fine between her and Gage. Isn’t that right?” She makes large crazy eyes at me.

“That
is
right. It was just some weird ferry glitch. And, anyway, I’ll be out of your fake hair from now on.” I hope. I scowl at Tad as he meanders into the party with his tie-dye shirt and flower power bellbottoms. I’m guessing the costume was free.

A car speeds into the driveway blaring its horn as if the brakes went out, and any second now I expect a handful of bodies to go airborne. Instead, the crowd parts like the Red Sea at the obnoxious sight. A bright light illuminates from the vehicle, and it takes a second for it to register that the car itself is glowing.

“Ethan is making a bundle.” Mom touches her fingers to her lips and giggles. “Can you believe it? He’s been taking orders all week. Tad has even let him convert the garage into a paint shop for a twenty percent cut. And, of course, there’s Drake and his
phenomenal
T-shirt business. Did you know he rented a storefront next to the Gas Lab, and in the first three days he made enough to pay the rent? The rest has been sheer profit.” She pulls her shoulders to her ears and gives a happy sigh before catching herself. “I’m sure you and Gage will be the next entrepreneurs—of course, after you’ve completed your education. I have faith in the two of you. By the way, is everything really okay?” Her eyes narrow in on mine.

Gage has always been her favorite. I take a quick breath and hold it. Could she have known about his connection to Demetri all along? God—knowing her, she’s sensed it.

I shake my head in disbelief. “I mean yes. Gage and I are fine.” I blink to attention. “In fact, I was just about to look for him.”

Brielle appears from behind and scoops Beau up in her arms.

“Here’s my baby boy,” she coos into him. “Let’s go find Daddy.” Brielle is dressed as an insane version of Alice
,
and it looks as if she has all of Wonderland glued to her body, with teacups, kettles, cards, and hats all blooming out of her rear at once like a long, psychotic tail. “See you inside!” She gives a little wave before disappearing.

Emily shows up looking every bit her scary self and snatches Ember from my mother. “Thanks Liz. I’ll keep her in my room tonight. I don’t mind the nightshift.”

I give a wistful smile at the sight of babies being stripped from Mom’s body.

“I know what you’re thinking.” She cups her hand to my cheek. “But they’re still in my life—and you—you’ll always be my baby, Skyla. You know that, don’t you?” A glimpse of grief flashes through her as if it pained her to think I didn’t believe she was the real deal.

“I know, Mommy.” I give her a quick kiss on the cheek, and baby Misty presses her hand to my chest. A vision comes to me, clear as a sunny L.A. afternoon. It’s Gage and Wesley walking side by side on a dark fog-riddled night much like this one. They both have the same determined look in their eyes as they head off toward their destination.

I pull back and gasp, just looking at the tiny dark-haired being my mother holds. I don’t know for certain if she’s Demetri’s, but I’m not sure I care to find out so soon in her young life. Her eyes sparkle the same color as the deepest end of the ocean, and she laughs while looking right at me. Besides, I think I already know.

“Hey”—Mom latches onto my arm—“did you hear about those kids that have been popping up all over the world? They just started appearing from thin air at fire stations, hospitals, churches, libraries—you name it.”

Laken’s deal with the devil comes to mind. “I think I did hear something about that.” I stop shy of spilling all the details. I don’t really want to get into it with Mom. I’m just glad those kids are safe unlike the poor souls who comprised Wesley’s tower of terror. Wes is in for a surprise because, ready or not, I’m shutting down Tenebrous. This nightmare is going to end a hell of a lot sooner than Wesley thinks possible. He might think he has all the answers but I happen to have an ace up my sleeve. I give a quick glance around for my handsome ace of a husband, but there’s not a sign of him anywhere.

Mom gives a mean shiver. “Times must be really tough for people to just start abandoning their children like that. Anyway I’m glad they’re safe. Speaking of safe, don’t stay out too late,” she says, swaddling Misty in a blanket. “It’s a school night.”

She heads inside, so I walk over to Emily. She’s waiting patiently for Ethan who’s currently taking down phone numbers from a long line of people willing to turn perfectly good cars into colossal fireflies.

“Hey, Em.” I offer a finger to baby Ember, and she latches on for dear life. No visions, here. I look to Emily a moment. “So, spill, what’s the connection your family has to that dragon in your house? And Host. I know for a fact it’s more than some employment status.” I don’t really, but I’d bet my standing as the overseer that something is up. The morning I married Gage, it was a
dragon
she scribbled out on that fated napkin she handed me. It was representing my beautiful husband who happens to be the farthest thing from a scary mythical creature like that.

Her mouth opens, and she blanks out just staring at the bolts of fog unfurling before us.

“We’ve been waiting for him,” she says in a trance-like state, almost catatonic. “He’s the chosen one.” She snaps her head toward me like a woman possessed. “You know his name. He’s come, hasn’t he?”

I open my mouth, and it almost slips from my lips. I almost said, Gage, but I swallow him back down and hold him hostage in my throat instead.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” It looks like it’s my turn to hold onto the truth for a little while.

“You do.” The whites of her eyes glow as if they were backlit, and a chill prickles up and down my spine. She grips onto my arm, digging her fingers straight through to my bone. “By the time the sun kisses the horizon, everything will have changed. Brace yourself, Skyla—the dragon is about to swallow you and your people, whole.”

Ethan bumps into her and the baby starts in on a loud, hacking cry. Em, scowls at me before they scuttle off inside, but I’m still too stunned to move.

“Evening, Ms. Messenger.” A soothing vibration strums through me simply from the sound of Marshall’s voice, and I’m quick to lean into his chest. I twist around and nearly pass out at the sight of him.

Gah!