Divinity: Immolation: Book Three (The Divinity Saga) (30 page)

XXXV: Cam`ael

“
A
re you telling me what I think you’re telling me?” I asked Aon acidly.

“That depends, what do you think I’m telling you?” She replied.

“Enough with the cryptic! You know exactly what I’m asking! And you, you owe me a decoded text!” I said to Aliks.

We had all three popped out into another dimension to quickly converse with each other. There were things I didn’t want my friends, the warriors, and whatever dark beings that were lurking out there to hear and to know. I knew my friends would quickly get the warriors out of there and continue to protect and watch over t
hem in the human realm, especially Starling.

“Starling has been pregnant, Cam`ael, do you really believe that was the cause?” Aon reasoned.

“They why did you make her believe that?”

“I didn’t make her believe anything.”

“Why did you guys allow that to happen? And don’t give me that cause and effect shit! This is exactly why the darkness is winning and you all just stand by and watch!”

I was fuming now.

“Cam`ael, you need to calm down. I’m not finished decoding or gaining permission to reveal yet. I only came on the spur of the moment because Aon asked me to meet her at your place.” Aliks said.

“Have you no faith Cam`ael? After all you’ve been given, you still act as if you know nothing.” Aon said.

I glared at her, not in the mood for any bullshit or placating.

“If
anyone did it, it was you.” She then said.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Now you’re blaming me?!”

“Somehow, their protective force field was weakened considerably enough that it left them vulnerable. You know, when you threw that fit over Starling not long ago?” Aliks reminded me.

How the hell had I managed to weaken an indestructible field of light?

“So you are saying that I’m responsible for all of their deaths? Is that it?” I was both sorrowful and angry at the same time.

“No.” Aon shook her head and she was serious.

“Then what the hell are you two saying?”

“There were no deaths, Cam`ael.”

I was perplexed
. We all saw it.

“How is that possible?”

“Again, ye of little faith.” She then grinned.

There was a momentary silence, one that they allowed for my own benefit as I began to think.

“They got out in time, animals and all—didn’t they?” I finally figured out.

Aon clapped patronizingly, “By George
, he’s a genius.”

Aliks grinned slightly.

“Why? How did they know?”

“The plan was already in place. They we
re given a foretelling message. A meeting was called for and held at the Northern Hall over several day breaks ago. The move was decided then. A simultaneous portal gem breaking, if you will.” Aon smiled.

Why did I feel relief? I could care less. I supposed it was because
Starling and her friends would no longer be devastated and traumatized, once they were told.

“What
was the message?”

“Now that part, is none of your business. Divine warrior confidentiality.” Aon tsked with a wagging finger.

I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily. I was still anxious and getting really impatient about knowing what the texts were talking about, too. It was cruel not to explain this to the hysterical warriors when they both arrived at my place, but I already assumed that they were leaving that part up to me.

“Soon.” I pointed to Aliks as a reminder
, and then I created a portal and ghosted through, back home.

~~~~****~~~~

When I made it to the abandoned warehouse that sat in a field by a small lake in the country, everyone was in the midst of getting their things together and setting up in whichever room that they chose.

Everything inside was made brand new, right down to the paint over
the insulated steel walls. I set up the utilities, all new appliances, furniture, and even cable television. There were a total of seven bedrooms, three bathrooms, a large kitchen and dining room, and an equally large living room. I even threw in a few extras, like a state of the art gaming system, sound system, and a hot tub. The rest was up to them.

No one really spoke and a few people were missing. The only ones here were Lorelei, Gabe, Anthony, Ry, Nay
, and Atiro.

“
Where’s Berith?”
I asked Atiro.

“She’s safe on a tropical planet with a few others
. I thought it would be best for her in light of everything that’s just transpired.”

I nodded, “Good thinking.”

I then turned to the three warriors that remained. “Where are Jamie, Durien, Kaia, and Lira?”

“Jamie, Durien, and Kaia all went with Rahab, Jerilah, and Sinma to check on Spencer, and Lira is at your place with Crystal, Scarlet, and Edanai— unconscious. She went to see what happened at the hall.” Lorelei explained
, melancholy. Her eyes were red.

Great.

“Well, there’s something I need to tell everyone but I’ll wait until they all return so I won’t have to repeat it.” I told her.

“I hope its good news.” Gabe said.

“And Starling is unconscious in that room up there but she’s alright.” Anthony pointed.

“Unconscious?” I was up the metal spiral staircase in a flash.

“I had to do it, man. She was fighting me to stay with you.” Ry informed me, “And I’ve already scoped the place out. It’s clear. I placed a few feathers around and Vinnah placed some protective spells around the windows and doors, and about a mile radius all around. If anything, it might be a really good disguise. Not many would think that warriors were here, if you know what I mean.” Ry went on to explain as he headed back down the stairs in the opposite direction.

He glanced
over his shoulder while throwing a quick peace sign, “I’ll be at Draea’s if you need me.”

“Thanks.” I nodded.

I quietly peered into the room, seeing Starling sleeping peacefully on the bed. I would have woke her up but I wanted her to rest.

She needed it.

Being pregnant, and pregnant with twins wasn’t easy yet she exuded both energy and strength beyond my expectations and even that of her friends. The ring I gave her shimmered softly on her finger. Her hand rested on her stomach and it winked with the slow rise and fall of her rhythmic breathing. It was a symbol of my undying love and loyalty to her.  She was already professing hers to me by virtue of carrying and having my children.

Someone was approaching. I backed out of the doorway and glanced down the short hallway at the landing of the metal, spiral steps.

Devlin stopped, eyeing me carefully. She was apprehensive, taking timid steps. I didn’t even notice her when I got here. She stopped, still several feet from me once we made eye contact.

I
t seemed like she wanted to speak to me but she was afraid. Then she softly cleared her throat.

“Is…Is she really pregnant?” She asked
me in thin, hoarse voice and her eyes shifted to the room where Starling slept.

That wasn’t the question that I was prepared for her to ask me but there was no point in lying about it.

I sighed and nodded.

“How was that possible?”

I didn’t know that I wanted to answer that question, aside from the birds and the bees talk. Then I realized exactly why she was asking it. This was the girl that Starling helped. She had endured and suffered in Morning Star’s capture and I was pretty sure I knew why he let her go. Morning Star never lets his captives and servants go, at least not sane; all in one piece; or alive for that matter, so it made me a little wary of her.

Leaning with her back to the wall behind her, she laughed quietly to herself as if thinking of a private joke, and then slid down to sit, pulling her legs up and hugging her knees. We were probably about four or five feet from each other. I leaned against the opposite wall on my shoulder and crossed my arms.

She inhaled, taking in a deep breath as if she were about to speak and then she paused. We could hear the other four bustling about downstairs and engaged in low conversations about what just happened.

For the most part
, it was pretty quiet.

I needed to tell them the truth
, soon. I wondered what was taking so long to check on that damned seraphim.

“Who took Jamie, Durien, and Kaia to get the seraphim?”
I called out to everyone at once.

“We did. Me, Jerilah, and Sinma are here. The seraphim is gone and I suspect foul play but you know they didn’t kill him. There are lots of lingering dark signatures left behind here. No trace of a struggle but there’s not a body either, which makes me very suspicious.”
Rahab reported back.

No trace of a struggle? That was odd unless he was also broadsided and overpowered, which was very likely.
              Earthbound seraphim were the third in line for most valuable in the Spirit Realm because they were very rare. I know for a fact that whoever took him didn’t kill him, and they don’t plan on it either.

They want him for the light he has and for reproductive purposes. I couldn’t see him choosing darkness, which is exactly what they’re h
oping.

Damn. I groaned. More bad news.

“You must already know what we’re thinking. Jamie is hysterical. She thinks he might have just gone somewhere and she wants to wait for him to possibly come back but I don’t think that’s gonna happen. This place is miles from any town and he has no access to portals. The others are scouting the area with the other warriors right now.”

Great. I hate to say that I already knew what could have happened. Dark armies didn’t believe in ransom and surely wouldn’t have picked him for it either if they were trying to get to me and maybe Starling. This was unfortunate but he w
as just too damned hard-headed.

“Be safe and bring her back anyway. It’s got Morning Star written all over it, though I can’t figure out how they were able to track and find him so quickly. I knew they were watching and I don’t think it was a coincidence on the heels of what just happened at the hall either. I’m pretty sure that the two occurrences are linked. Hurry and return here with the warriors. I’ll send an image and an address of the location.”

Devlin began to speak again, having no idea that I was in my own mental communication.

“I can’t blame them for not trusting me but they didn’t deserve that sucker attack. He set me up to be a mite, hoping that they’d accept me back in and I’d be his eyes and ears.” It seemed like she didn’t want to face me at first, keeping her eyes fixated on the blank wall across from her.

“I know what he did but I had nowhere else to go. I tried to…I wanted to just…” She shook her head and sniffed, her eyes closing briefly to stop her tears.

Sadly, I knew what she was going to say and what she had tried to do. I remained quiet, lending her the ear that she needed.

“He wanted me to try and lure Starling to him. I didn’t know who she was at the time but when she did what she did…I understood exactly why then. She’s gonna have to be really, really careful here too. She has no idea how many he has out to get her for him.”

“I do and that’s all that matters. He won’t so much as see her let alone get his hands on her while I’m around.”

She nodded slowly and then paused again.

“He’s been trying for the lon
gest time. As long as he had me, he’s been trying but he can’t do it, not even with all the magic and servants that do that stuff. He still can’t. None of them can. Evil and hate-filled aren’t even strong enough words to describe him.” She then laughed softly to herself, scratching her chin on her knee in thought.

“All of that power yet the one thing he can’t do is what he wants more than anything.”

“He can impregnate humans. We all can. All of his children are expendable. The dark divines chose darkness, there’s no light left in them anymore so they’re of no use to him except to fight.”

Her brows furrowed. “I know but how? Light and dark can’t exist in the same body.”

She made a good point and it was true.

“I have both.”

Awe brightened her eyes and then she was perplexed.

“I guess that’s why she’s pregnant now.” She glanced at the open door where Starling slept.

“I don’t know if you planned it or not…but I do know that if it wasn’t born of love, it wouldn’t have happened. At least, that’s what I believe. You’d better make sure to keep her protected. If he finds out, he will go above and beyond to kidnap her and your child.” She whispered ominously.

I was nonchalant.

“He’s evil, bold, annoying, insane, and powerful but he’s not stupid, and by that I mean he would never try and attack me directly or anything I hold dear.”