Authors: J. F. Jenkins
Vala Eminence (7 page)
Quietly, Denver found a place to hide where he could see everything. A decorative stone wall with candelabras resting on top. The position seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't figure out why.
“I don't know what you're talking about, rose, my husband is nowhere to be found,” Cheyenne said, lounging in a pool chair. She looked elegant and ravishing in her black bikini that was trimmed with gold coins. Over it she wore a sheer black wrap. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun. Something about her didn't seem right, though. She was Cheyenne, but there was another spirit present as well. Every time she moved, Denver saw a subtle fuzz around her body.
Persephone the First?
Cheyenne laughed. “I'm not in the mood to see him.” There was a pause, as if she could hear a reply that was meant only for her ears. It had to have been interesting because her head perked to the side and her brow furrowed. “I'm not sure I understand. My true love? Not the imposter?”
Denver had to resist the urge to step out and make his presence known, to tell her everything. It was a good thing he hadn't, because Lucien entered the garden, walking only a few feet away from where Denver was hiding. He could have sworn he noticed the plants shift on their own, as if to cover him further from view.
So long as they're on my side, I'm not going to complain.
“Imposter? My love, who are you talking to?” Lucien asked. He knelt down next to Cheyenne and put a hand on her shoulder.
Much to Denver's delight, Cheyenne let out a scoff.
“Not you,” she stated.
“Which is why I asked,” Lucien said, his fists clenching at his side for a brief moment.
She adjusted her covering so that it was more over her body. “The roses were sharing some gossip with me. They must have noticed your stench making its way across the castle.”
The demon's slate gray eyes narrowed. “Interesting. Why are you angry with me? I understand your displeasure from before. After all, your host body was traumatized, and for that I don't think I can forgive myself. The fact that you can is a miracle to me, and a true show of your heart. But now I don't see what I am doing wrong. Have I not been attentive enough to you?”
Cheyenne blew a strand of loose hair away from her face. “My gift doesn't want much to do with my host body, nor does my host want much to do with him. It hurts them both and frustrates me.”
“I'm sorry to hear that. Do you want me to do something about it? I'm sure I can make the boy comply.” Lucien smirked.
“No,” she said, her tone stiff. “I do not need you to do anything to him. He's been hurt enough because of all this. You know how I feel about innocent people being brought into our relationship. I'll figure it out on my own.” They had to be talking about Zes. It certainly explained a lot about why Persephone thought she owned him.
“Is that the only reason you're displeased with me?” Lucien asked. He traced the outline of her ear and leaned his lips in to nibble on her lobes. She pulled away from him before he had the chance.
She closed her eyes, and Denver saw how
old
she was then. Or rather, how old Persephone was. Tired, worn, lines crinkled around her eyes, and there was a sense of defeat in the way her shoulders hunched forward. She seemed so sad, and he felt a tightening in his chest that could only be described as heartbreak. His soul mate needed him, and he was currently powerless to stop her pain.
“My lady?” Lucien pressed.
“I don't feel ready,” she said. She faced him, and the two held each other's gaze. “I'm displeased because I don't feel the same way for you that you do, me. I wish I could figure out what was off, so we could move past the problem and be together again. I miss my dear, sweet, Hades so much. This loneliness is unbearable.”
Lucien trailed a few fingers along her jawline, down her neck, and over her shoulder. She shivered, but it was hard to tell if that was because she enjoyed the gesture, or loathed it. The demon brought his lips to her ear once more.
“I can cure your loneliness,” he whispered. “All you have to do is trust me. I can give you the world. Did you know that is my desire? To give you everything from the living realm and place it here in
our
domain? Then we would never have to be apart. You would have more than a garden. You would be surrounded by life and beauty.”
Cheyenne's jaw dropped. “How? That's not possible. The two worlds can't combine. This is spiritual, and the other isâ”
“Not? The realm of the living has plenty of spirits. They inhabit bodies that still function. Then their vessel expires and they move on to here. But physical bodies can be here just as spirits can be there. It's not impossible, just nearly unheard of. Wouldn't it be nice to not have to say goodbye to your loved ones after their bodies die? To live forever on the Earth you so loved and enjoyed?” Lucien kissed her cheek. “That is what I want for you. The ultimate of all gardens.”
Wow, he's crazy. Not like I'm surprised, but this is a whole different kind of crazy than I originally thought.
Denver had only known a few of Lucien's plans. He knew the demon wanted to become one the Divine so he could gain control of the underworld. What he didn't know, until that moment, was why. The thought of the physical, living world combining with the spiritual one made Denver's stomach churn. It sounded an awful lot like the end of the world to him.
Cheyenne closed her eyes, but Persephone kept hers open. A strange sight if ever there was one, because it appeared as though she had two faces. Persephone's black eyes were wide with hope. “It sounds too good to be true. I'm not sure what to think. What made you think of creating such a world?”
“You,” Lucien said. “You're the inspiration for everything.”
A quiet scoff escaped Denver, and he hoped neither of them heard it.
Something tells me the inspiration was endless power and world domination. Because if something like that happened, all of the rules would be reset. I'm pretty sure Lucien would be making the rules up, and that sounds scary.
He frowned.
And I helped him do this. Am I a good guy now if I'm repenting?
Lucien was kissing her, deep and sensual. He moved his hands to her hips, caressing her tenderly like any loving husband would. The gesture made Denver's blood boil. There was no way Lucien
really
loved her. The creature was an excellent liar and Persephone was buying into it, practically eating out of his hand. Cheyenne would have been smart enough to not follow along. She knew exactly what he was capable of. Why couldn't she be more conscious in the underworld?
Persephone let out a soft moan and pulled away from the thing she had been forced to marry. “I'm glad you care enough for me to aspire to greatness. That touches me in ways I can't describe. I'm still not ready to give myself to you fully. There's a lot I don't understand, Hades, and I want to be fully awakened in this body first. It isn't fair to the girl to use her at my convenience. Only one of us should be allowed to have control.”
“Of course, my queen. I understand,” Lucien said. “I will find a way to give you that control. You're right; it really isn't fair. Are you sure there isn't anything you want me to do in regards to your gift? He is
yours
.”
“Release him,” she whispered.
“I'm afraid I can't. Once branded, forever claimed.”
“You could get rid of the brand. You just don't want to.”
“He's a contingency plan,” Lucien said coldly. “When I'm certain I won't need him, then I will put forth more effort to free him from his bond to you.”
She sighed. “Somehow I'll have to manage.”
“Perhaps if you indulge your desires in me, you'll feel less frustrated in your lack of connection to your pet?” The demon moved his hands to caress her bare stomach. Cheyenne flinched, and that was more than enough to make Denver want to charge over and pound the snot out of the monster. Or try to. A growl left Lucien's lips and he pulled away from her roughly. Denver could barely make out the red marks of the scratches left on her skin. What other ways was he hurting her?
The glistening of tears trailing down her cheeks was reflected in the artificial sunlight of the garden. Cheyenne turned her body away from him and curled herself into a small ball.
“I'm going home now,” she whispered.
Lucien returned to his fake, tender self and rubbed her arms in a slow soothing manner. “I'm sorry, darling. I have forgotten that your host is so much more fragile than my own. Please forgive me.”
“Forgiveness I can give, but not my happiness. I'm going home now.” And in the blink of an eye, Cheyenne was gone from sight.
For a while, all the demon did was sit in the chair, his gaze blank and unfocused in front of him. Denver would have given anything to be able to read minds then. Demon or not, Lucien had to have an interesting brain to pick through.
Growling, Lucien got up from the chair and stormed past Denver to leave the garden. Blending in with the shadows, Denver followed.
“I don't know what she wants from me,” Lucien grumbled. “She has a palace, companionship, and kindness. I have yet to be uncivil with her. My duties as a loving husband have been fulfilled. I haven't even taken physical pleasure with a human since our wedding. And still, nothing. She won't have me.”
Probably because you're creepy and gross,
Denver thought.
Or it might have something to do with how she only has eyes for me. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I'm pretty awesome. Once you experience awesome, it's hard to go back to mediocre.
Lucien's eyes narrowed and he peered around him. “I feel unwelcome in my own home.”
Because you don't belong here. This is
my
home.
And as if the castle were in tune with his thoughts, the lights began to dim, and a breeze chilled the hallway.
“I don't know what is going on, but I will find out.”
Yup.
Denver smirked.
You'll know when
I
want you to know.
“You are not focused Mr. Collins,” Mr. Thantos stated and slapped his hand on his desktop. Denver lifted his gaze to the teacher, expecting to see rage or even frustration, but instead saw a certain kind of desperation.
Running a hand over his face, Denver let out a soft whistle. “I'm trying, okay? It's hard to not let my mind wander sometimes. I can't help that I was born with the attention span of a squirrel.”
“You were not born with any such thing,” the angel said. “That is something you are taught or trained into. It is time to get you out of that mindset and teach your brain patience. It will help you harness the darkness around you and not let its whispering sway you. Even more importantly, it will help you in your dealings with Lucien. He has all the time in the world, and he will use that to his advantage.”
Denver grumbled quietly to himself, but nodded. “Whatever.”
Mr. Thantos scratched his chin. “Do you play video games, Mr. Collins?”
“Yes, and can you
please
drop the mister thing? You're making me feel soâ¦
old
.”
“My apologies. If you play video games, then perhaps you will understand this analogy. What is the most common loss of life in a game? A difficult skill, or lack of patience.”
“Lack of patience,” Denver mumbled. “The bosses fight in a pattern where you can only nick them to death over a long period of time, making people frustrated and annoyed so you attack unnecessarily before your time and⦠oh, got it. That's what Lucien wants to do, is that what you're saying?”
“It is what he
will
do, because he knows your strengths and weaknesses. He knows you are passionate and impulsive. There is no doubt in my mind that he will do everything in his power to exploit both of those things to his advantage. He will toy with your head, make you angry, impatient, and then crush you the moment you let your guard down because you have no sense of self control.” Mr. Thantos's words became stronger and more impassioned as he spoke.
For a moment, Denver closed his eyes in an effort to regain some of his center and to practice what the angel was preaching about. Because right then, he wanted to snap off something sarcastic and witty to protect his pride. If anything, he would like to give the guy a lecture of his own. Did Mr. Thantos
really
think he knew Lucien better than Denver? After all, Denver had been working with the monster for as long as he could remember.
Mr. Thantos let out a long, slow breath. His black eyes narrowed, and gloved hands clenched at his side. “I have known that monster, as you called him, for nearly a millennium. We did not drop contact with one another after our respective falls from grace.”
“Got it,” Denver said in a soft voice.
“Either way, if you do not want my help, you know where the door is. No one is making you stay here to listen to me. If you think I do not know what I'm talking about, by all means, go and do things your way,” the angel continued.
Shaking his head, Denver met Mr. Thantos's gaze with his own. “I want to know. This isn't easy for me, you know? In fact, it's super hard to even give you the benefit of the doubt.”
“Residual effects from the curse he put on you as a child. It is good to see it wearing off. The more good you do, the less of a pull his magic will have over you.”
“Good?” Denver scrunched up his nose. “Ew.”
The teacher merely shrugged. “If you would rather not, that is of no concern to me. Your power will be stronger. I believe that is what you want the most, am I correct? Power?”
“Duh.”
“Then let us begin again, and try to focus. Everything in our lessons will tie together. It will be much easier to understand if you do not question me and do as I say.”
With a roll of his eyes, Denver adjusted his position in the room. Rather than sitting in a chair, keeping himself at eye level with the dark angel, he moved to the floor. He sat cross-legged on the ground, placing his hands on his knees. Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths in an effort to release himself from the room.
Feel the energy around me.
The light and the dark.
He repeated those words in his mind, focusing all of his effort on searching for even the smallest amount of power. There was a sensation, like that of floating, beginning to fill his body. His head became light, his body seemed to disappear, and he was almost afraid to open his eyes in case he found himself lifted off the ground and looking down at the room, rather than with his feet on the floor where they should be.
“You are close,”
Mr. Thanthos said, his voice seemingly far away.
“When you can disconnect from the physical world, then you can touch the spiritual one. That is where your power lies. As the heir to the underworld, your task is to keep order amongst the dead spirits and be a gatekeeper for the demons.”
Be nice if I could just get rid of those stupid things all together,
Denver thought. A world without demons would be better than a world with them. Even if he could only eradicate the underworld of the creatures, that would be a pleasant step.
“Agreed, but it is not your place to destroy the demons. Only one may do that, and He is the one true God. The one who the Divine are starting to forget and no longer fear.”
Mr Thantos actually sounded sad, which was odd since he tended to not express much of any kind of emotion. The touch of cold leather came to Denver's forehead, and Mr. Thantos continued to speak.
“Open your eyes.”
He didn't want to open his eyes. If he did, he might lose the weightless, wonderful, floating sensation. For the first time in his life he felt freedom, and that was not something he wanted to let go of. He'd made a promise to the angel, and Denver liked being a man of his word. No matter what he may have wanted to do, he had to obey if he was going to learn anything.
With some hesitation, Denver did as he was told. When he did, his jaw dropped, and hardly anything got such a strong reaction out of him. Instead of seeing the room in shades of color, texture, or even depth, all Denver saw was darkness and light. What was even more amazing about what he was seeing was that the shadows and bright spots he saw in the room had nothing to do with the actual lighting. There was a flat, gray area covering most of the room. It disoriented Denver because it was like a blank wall or canvas.
In two areas on the outside of the gray expanse of nothing he saw a blinding white light. It took him a minute to realize that those areas were the windows and the door. If he remembered correctly, the blinds on the windows had been drawn and the door was closed, so he wasn't quite sure where all of the light was coming from.
“Those are my wards. As I am sure you have guessed, you are seeing spiritual magic. To use a more cliché term, the good and evil in the world,”
Mr. Thantos explained in a soft voice. Denver searched the room for him, curious as to how the teacher would appear.
Turning to look behind him, Denver gasped when he saw the shell of a man. For the first time, he saw layers and dimensions. The man had a glowing white body, touches of gray, and a casing surrounding him that was a static-like black fuzz. On his back was a pair of tattered black wings.
“As you can tell by looking at me, just because something tries to taint you from the outside, that does not mean you have to let it. My heart is still good, though the dark magic I was attacked with still tries to break into the very core of my being.”
The man moved closer to Denver and put a finger to his chest, right over Denver's heart.
“There is still light inside of you.”
When Denver looked down at himself, he saw a lot of darkness. He looked an awful lot like one of Lucien's shadow demons. Yet there was a small glimmer of light about the size of his fist where his heart was.
“It's actually there,” he whispered. The sound of his own voice snapped him out of his trance. Color returned, and soon the world appeared as it should.
He shook his head to get rid of the disorientation that came along with the shift in his vision. “That was a trip.”
“Hmm,” was all Mr. Thantos said.
“So I can see the dark and the light in things?” Denver pressed, trying to get the ball going. He craved knowledge of any kind.
“Essentially, yes. Keep in mind darkness is not always the equivalent to evil. There are times when it can be used for good. After all, while many bad things happen at night, many good things do too. I will explain that further in another lesson.”
Frowning, Denver stood up. “Wait, so that's it? We're done for today?”
Mr. Thantos walked back to his desk and adjusted the black gloves on his hands. “Yes, we are finished until tomorrow.”
“You can't show me something like that and then not offer more of an explanation, man. That's not cool!”
“No, I suppose it is not, but I want you to find some answers on your own.”
Denver groaned. “Homework? Are you kidding me?”
“If you do not wish to learn⦔
“I do, I just think homework is lame since I'm already dedicating all of my free time to being here with you as it is. Now you want me to find even more hours in the day?”
With a casual, and dismissive, wave of his hand Mr. Thantos sat down at his desk. “There are things I can teach you, but that does not mean you understand them. You have seen good and evil. More importantly, you are beginning to feel it. Practice looking into those around you, sense who is good and who is not, see those who can help you and those who cannot, and do more good for others so your own light can grown.”
Sneering slightly, Denver scoffed.
Mr. Thantos shrugged. “Or not. That is also your choice. I understand goodness is uncomfortable for you, but it keeps darkness from consuming you. Your gifts are on a fine line. Walk it carefully. It is okay if goodness, light, scares you.”
“I'm not scared of anything!”
“Your actions will be the deciding factor.”
Denver grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. “Whatever, man. If I'm feeling generous, I might do something to better humanity. Don't expect me to be able to do a million things at the same time, though. I do have a life too.”
Chuckling, Mr. Thantos began to organize a stack of papers on his desk. “Yes, and it is a life I am attempting to preserve. Out of necessity, I assure you. I certainly do not like you.”
“Glad we have a mutual understanding there, at least,” Denver muttered. He stomped through the room, calling back before he walked out, “I'll think about it.”
Stalking through the hallways of Vala, Denver grumbled just about every curse in his vocabulary.
I can't believe him. This whole arrangement must be his way of subtly trying to save my soul or something equally as stupid. Who says I want to be saved to begin with? Maybe he's in on the whole thing with Lucien too and
â¦
who am I kidding? I saw his “heart.” There is no way he could be evil and working with the demons. Still, he annoys me.
He went around a corner and as he turned he noticed Teague was walking next to him. The kid's blue eyes were as wide as saucers.
“What?” Denver snapped.
Teague stumbled over his feet and nearly crashed into the wall. “You say a lot of bad words.”
“So?”
“That's not good.”
“Do you think I care?” Denver stopped and folded his arms in front of him. “Why are you following me?”
Teague's gaze went to the floor and he spun one of his feet in a slow circle in front of him. The whole thing reminded Denver of a five-year-old who just got caught doing something he shouldn't have. An almost hilarious image, coming from a prepubescent teenager who was supposed to be sixteen.
“Well?” Denver tapped his fingers against his forearm.
“I-I-y-you⦔ Teague sighed and then huffed quietly. “I saw you walking and I wanted to say âhi', but then when I got close you were saying all of the bad words. You seemed like you needed to get it out of your system, so I followed you to wait until you were done to say âhi'. But maybe I shouldn't have?”
For whatever reason, the kid always had a way of making Denver feel guilty over the smallest of things. Teague made Denver want to have a conscience more than anyone else he knew â even Cheyenne â and he didn't understand why. It's not like he had any personal attachment to the kid.
Denver was able to push the nagging, sinking sensation in his stomach aside. “It's a little creepy to follow someone around and not say anything. Since you didn't know better, I'll let it slide.”
“Right, of course, following people is creepy.” Teague shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Sorry for snapping,” Denver mumbled. It lifted some of the guilt off of him at least. Much like love, the emotions of guilt and regret were new to him. Love, he liked. What wasn't there to enjoy about floating on a happy cloud and feeling invincible? Guilt, regret, those were not as pleasant for him and he'd do whatever it took to make them go away.
Goodie-two-shoes-ville, here I come.
Teague offered a small smile and a nod. “It's okay.” Had Denver been talking with anyone else, there would no doubt be more suspicion over the fact that he gave an apology for anything. Another reason he didn't mind being around Teague â the kid didn't have any expectations of him.
Silence, and it was a silence that lasted for longer than Denver expected. Usually, Teague asked a million questions. Everything under the sun was fair game. For the most part, Denver entertained Teague's curiosity. There had yet to be a topic to come up that was uncomfortable to talk about. So why was there suddenly so much hesitation and awkward silence between the two of them?
As if Teague could read his mind, he glanced at Denver with large, sad eyes. “They told me it was a bad idea to be friends with you.”