Forgiven (Book 3, The Watchers Trilogy; Young Adult Paranormal Romance) (26 page)

With that I left the room and saw Lucifer
strolling down the hallway
whistling
l
ike he was on a pleasant
walk
through a field of daisies
instead of inside a hospital where people lay dying all around him.

I phased in front of him bringing him up short
in the empty hallway
.

“What did you do to her?” I demanded, daring him to try to lie to me.

“Nothing time hadn’t already prepared her for,” he said smirking.

I grabbed him by the throat suddenly igniting my power forcing him to feel the Touch.

He grimaced for a moment but then started to laugh.  Angry, I flung him away from me letting the fire of my power ebb.

He held a hand to his throat. 

“Did you really think that was going to hurt me?”  He asked.  “You’re not dealing with some Watcher, Lilly.  You’re only ha
lf
arch angel.  I’m the real deal.  I feel what he thinks of me every day of my existence.”

“How do you live with yourself?” I said.  “Knowing what a disappointment you are to him.”

“Well
,
if he hadn’t disappointed me first,” Lucifer spat, “it might affect me more.”

“You haven’t learned anything while you’ve been on Earth.  You still hate humans as much as you did when you first gave God your ultimatum.”

“If it’s possible I hate you more than I did then.”

“Why?” I asked.  “Why do you hate us so much?”

“Because you have
everything
,
” he stormed
,
“
yet you do nothing with it.  He handed you the universe on a silver platter and still some of you spit in
H
is face
.  He touted your free will in front of us like it was some grand design but all I see
are
your f
laws
.  He should have let us destroy you when we had the chance.  You’re nothing but a virus on this planet, spoiling the gifts
H
e gave you for your own selfish wants.  How can
H
e love you more than
H
is first born?  How can
H
e still love you more than me?”

“How can you think
H
e loves us more?  He showed me the day you gave
H
im your ultimatum
i
n the Hall of Angels.
If you hadn’t been so blinded by your hatred f
or
humanity, maybe you would have seen how much it pained
H
im to exile you here.  For some reason
,
He thought living among us would show you how wrong you were.  He wanted you to share in
H
is joy at his creations but all you wanted to do was destroy
us
and force
H
im to admit
H
e made a mistake when he made humanity.  You let your jealousy get the better of you Lucifer.  Don’t you think it’s time to let go of the pain?  Why can’t you just admit you made a mistake?”

“Because I didn’t,” Lucifer hissed, making me scared for my
s
a
f
e
ty
for the first time around him.  The hatred and anger he felt seemed to be blinding him.  I wasn’t sure if he intended to take it out on me or not.  “I didn’t make a mistake. He’s just too stubborn to admit
H
e shouldn’t have made you
things
at all
.
  But I’ll have the last laugh because I’ll destroy everything
H
e loves
and
H
e’ll be helpless to stop me
.
”

“Faust told us what you have planned,” I said, hoping the little bit of information I had might make Lucifer slip up and tell me more.

Unfortunately, Lucifer didn’t look surprised.  “I know what he told you, but you don’t have the whole truth of it and don’t stand there and think a mere human can out wit me.  I’ve lived longer than this universe has been in existence.  Do you really want to try and have a battle of wits with me?”

“Then tell me how you plan to do it.  If you don’t think we can figure out a way to stop you, what will it hurt to tell me what I want to know
?
”

Lucifer shook his head.  “Do you really believe I’m that stupid?”

“No, I don’t believe you’re stupid at all.  But I think your vanity is begging you to tell me everything just to prove how smart you are.”

Lucifer walked so close to me I could feel his
hot
breath on my face.  “You’ll know soon enough, dear Lilly.  It’s almost time for you to serve the purpose you were born for.”

Lucifer turned away from me intent on continuing to walk down to the cafeteria.

“Stop,” I ordered in a soft voice.

Lucifer stopped dead in his tracks like he’d hit a brick wall.

“Turn to face me,” I said.

Lucifer turned on his
heals
and looked directly at me defiantly.

“Your plan will fail,” I told him.  “Or did you forget I have King
Solomon
’s ring?”

“No, I didn’t forget,” Lucifer said.  “But when the time comes, even that little trinket won’t be able to protect you from me.”

“Tell me what you did to Utha Mae,” I demanded.

Lucifer smiled.  “I showed her what I truly am.”

“A monster?”

“Among other things.  Poor thing just couldn’t take knowing the truth about angels and demons.  Even for all her Bible thumping she wasn’t able to face the truth even when it was standing in front of her.  Such a shame too.  I had planned to make her watch what I do to you but for some reason I just couldn’t control myself.  I guess I wanted to hurt you more than I wanted to hurt her.”

“Leave this hospital and don’t come back
.  Don’t contact my mother.  Don’t even look in her general direction again
.  Now leave
,” I ordered, causing Lucifer to
instantly
phase from the hallway.
  I turned back towards Utha Mae’s room
now knowing
Utha Mae’s final moments had been filled with terror.  I
was filled with a new determination to
find a way to show her peace.

For the next five days, Tara, Will and I took turns watching over Utha Mae.  We only left when we needed to go home and change clothes.  Brand stayed by
me,
never leaving my side for one second.  I forced myself not to cry because all that did was cloud my thoughts and make it more difficult to do what needed to be done.

Malcolm came to the hospital.  He told us not to worry about the anything concerning the Watchers.  He would be our eyes and ears while we spent time with Utha Mae.  Brand and I thanked him.  He gave me a hug and kissed my cheek before he left, telling me to be strong and that if I needed him for anything to just call.

I made several attempts to bring Utha Mae into my dream world but nothing I did worked.  I had almost given up hope until I was finally visited by the one person I knew could help me.

I
dreamt of
s
i
t
ting
on the porch of my
Colorado
home swaying back and forth on my swing when He finally arrived.

“Where have you been?” I asked.

“Watching and waiting,” He answered.

“Waiting for what?”

“Waiting for you to ask for my help.”

“I thought my power was strong enough to bring her here,” I said looking over at
H
im next to me on the swing.  “But I can’t.  Can you do it?”

“Yes.”  He sat there silently looking out at the snow capped mountain. “But maybe you should allow her to show you what she is thinking
instead
.  She
i
s
at
peace with her
coming
death but you
aren
’t”

“How do I do that?
  How do I go into her mind?
”

“You can’t,” God answered, taking my hand.  “But I can.”

I suddenly found myself standing in the trailer park in front of the old trailer my
m
om and I had when we first moved to
Dalton
.  I watched as my mother drove up to it, so young and innocent looking.  When she got out of the old
red and white
Dodge Plymouth, her first car, she opened up the back door behind the driver side and pulled out a crying baby.

“Oh come on Lilly Rayne, don’t cry.  This is our new home.
  It’s a happy day not a sad one.
”

My mother tried her best to sooth my tears but nothing she did seemed to be working.

“Can I hold her?”

My mom looked up and found Utha Mae smiling brightly at her from
the
front porch
of her trailer
.

“I don’t know why she’s so upset,” my mother said, walking up to the porch.  “She’s usually such a quiet baby.”
  My mother held her hand out to Utha Mae.  “Hi, my name is Cora Nightengale.  I guess I’m your new neighbor.”

“
I’m
Utha Mae Jenkins and welcome to
Dalton
,
Cora
Nightengale
.  Now
,
who is this little bit of precious
ness
you have in your
hand
s?”  Utha Mae asked, stretching her arms out to take me.

“Lilly Rayne,” my mother said handing me over to Utha Mae.

Utha Mae held me in the crook of her arm
like it was the most natural thing in the world for her to do
and began
to
rock me.  I instantly
stopped crying as I
star
ed
up at her.

“How did you do that?” my mother asked in amazement.

“Oh, I’ve had a lot of practice with babies,” Utha Mae answered.  “Now, why don’t you just go ahead and get you
r
stuff settled
inside your home
.  Me and Lilly Rayne will be just fine.  I’ll take good care of her.”

“Are you sure?” My mother asked.  “I don’t want to impose on you
r hospitality on
my first day as your new neighbor.”

“Lord, child
, t
his little baby is a gift directly from God.  I can see it in her eyes.  You go on now.  Lilly and I will be just fine.  And come on over when you’re done, I’ll have us a nice lunch prepared and you can tell me what’s brought you here to
Dalton
.
  We don’t get a lot of new people around here.
”

My mother walked off smiling
,
and I could tell she was happy she’d found someone who was willing to help her out when she needed it the most.

“Now,” Utha Mae said, looking down at a now gurgling
baby in her arms
, “let’s me and you go make you
r poor
mom
ma
some lunch.  I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of one another
,
little
M
iss Lilly Rayne Nightengale.”

The scene changed to one I remembered well.  I was
s
even
years old.  Tara and I were chasing each other around Utha Mae’s trailer
when I saw my mother step out of our trailer all dolled up to go out with her latest boyfriend.

“Now you be good for Utha Mae tonight,” my mother called to me as she slipped into the driver side of her car.

I ran up to her window
staring at her until she
lower
ed
it
to speak with me
.

“What Lilly?” my mother asked, clearly agitated at me delaying her.

“I thought you would stay with me tonight,” I said, not understanding why
on this of all nights
she would
decide to
abandon me
again
.

“Lilly
,
I have a date.  I need some alone time every once in a while
you know
.  You’ll be fine with Utha Mae
.
  She always takes good care of you.”

“But…”

“No buts, now move away from the car, sweetie.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I watched as my mother drove away.