United. (Book 5 of the Lupus Antiqua Series)

Cadee

She’s seen pictures of this place before but has never actually come here. It's beautiful and well maintained. It seems like everyone here is healthy and has something fulfilling to do. She almost envies them in a way.

She’s met many supernatural creatures in her life but never before has she seen so many different kinds getting along so well, or humans acting like being around them is normal.

Cadee looks up at her father as they walk. He’s always been the strong silent type. He's rarely around because he's always off on assignment, but she knows he loves her. He never fails to make time for her or come when she needs him. He’s taught her so many things.

“Dad...” He stops and looks down at her. He has red eyes like the man in her dreams, but she isn't afraid of her father. “What if I don’t wake him?”

“That choice is your own to make daughter. Either you will be moved to help him, or you will not be. You are my daughter, and I will stand by you, no matter what your choice is.

If you choose to stand with Ramaah, I will stand with you. If you want to stand against him, I will stand with you. No matter what choice you make you will not lose your family.” She hugs him as hard as she can, wishing she’d inherited some of that vampire strength so that she can hug him harder.

He hugs her back and kisses the top of her head.

“Even though you’ve hunted Nephilim down before?”

“Even so.”

“And no one here will try and stop me?” She asks. She doesn't want to be attacked or anything.

“No. They think you are here to visit with Aunt Joy and Uncle Derrik.”

“Are we stopping to see them?”

“Afterward, perhaps. The night is falling, and the longer the night grows, the more powerful Ramaah grows. You must see him now, or wait another night.” Cadee looks behind her at the Nephilim Asmodeus. He’s cloaked himself; that is evident. But she can still see him. He nods at her before she turns around again.

Her father leads her inside the main society building and to the doors leading into the dungeons, where he stops and turns towards her. He kisses her on the head again. “Your mother is with Joy, but I’m sure you know how she loves you.”

“She feels like she forced this on me.” Her father nods.

“Yes. That’s why she cannot watch you go down there. Do you understand?” Cadee nods. She knows her mother better than she knows anyone.

“I get it. Tell her I love her. I love you too Dad.”

“You have my love, Bron.” He says, making her smile. He’d wanted to name her Bronwyn, and her Mom had wanted to call her Cadee. They’d compromised, but her father always called her Bron.

He watches as she takes the stairway down. When she's alone, Asmodeus reveals himself fully, walking just behind her. He doesn't say anything, but his presence beside her makes her feel like she isn't alone. She's grateful for that.

The further down they go, the darker and colder it becomes. She shivers, but not because of the cold. She can feel Ramaah, like a darkness lying below everything.

“He doesn’t know I’m coming?” She asks. Asmodeus looks at her.

“He knows you exist. But no, he does not know you are coming.”

“You didn’t tell him?”

“None of us have been able to communicate with him. The enchantments that hold him are very powerful. The only reason he can reach out to you is that of your bond with him.” She nods, very aware that the path she's taking is exactly like the one she walks in her dreams every night. Her feet find the way without hesitation until they come to the door, where two fallen stand guard.

She takes a deep breath as they question what she's doing there and closes her eyes, accessing the powers she never uses. The power thrums through her, natural and stable and when she opens her eyes, she's instantly in the minds of the two fallen in front of her; a gift inherited from her father. They both fall silent and walk away, moving up the staircase. Asmodeus looks at her in some surprise.

“What did you do?”

“I told them that they had a critical appointment they needed to get to in Spain.”

“I’m impressed, my Queen.”

“It’s just Cadee.” He smiles at her.

“Cadee.” He snaps his fingers and the door, as well as an inner door, open on their own. The sheer power of the darkness within makes her tremble in fear. “I cannot go in with you.” She nods.

“This is something I need to do on my own.” He steps aside for her and she walks into the darkness. At first, she can't see anything, but her eyes adjust fast, thanks to the abilities her father has given her.

He's chained, and filthy. His agony is apparent, and she can feel her heart breaking for him. His great wings are chained and tattered. He's skeletal. It's evident to her that he doesn't know she's there.

She walks forward quietly until she's only a foot from him. A vicious growl escapes him, and he pulls on his chains. He’s been blindfolded.

She can't stand it. He's chained here in pitch darkness, and they’d added a blindfold to it? She reaches up and around, untying the blindfold as he freezes like he expects pain. She removes the blindfold and finds herself facing the eyes that have haunted her dreams since she can remember.

They are narrowed in hatred, staring her down. That's when she realizes he doesn't know who she is. She steps forward, cups his face in her hands. There's something completely overwhelming about finally being able to put a face to the name, to the dark specter she’s dreamed of. The moment her skin touches his, his eyes widen, focusing on her so completely she feels like nothing else matters to him, but her.

“My name is Cadee Bronwyn Conway.” She murmurs. “I’ve been told I’m supposed to release you, but that if I do you might destroy the world.” He cocks his head at her slightly, eyes angry as if to say of course he would. She can feel tears welling up inside of her. Cadee can feel his agony, and she wants desperately to free him from it. “I can’t be responsible for you destroying everything.” She whispers, a tear falling. She’s been made fun of growing up for being a softy. She can't help it.

With a monumental struggle, he pulls his arm forward, reaching for her face. She worries that he will try to hurt her, but he doesn't. He uses his thumb to wipe her tear away, looking confused and surprised by its presence.

She isn't sure if he can understand her so she brushes against his mind with her own, as gently as she can. It's the equivalent of asking for permission to speak that way. She feels the barrier around his mind give way as he lets her in, but only so far.

-Do you understand me?-

-Yes-

His voice is deep in her mind, convincing and drugging in her system. He’s taken her face in his hand the way she had his, and his eyes are boring into hers. The moment is intimate in a way she’s never experienced before.

-I’m so sorry.-

-Cadee let me free.-

-I can’t.-

-You can.-

-You know why I can’t.-

-You love the humans?-

-No. But they don’t all deserve to be destroyed for the actions of a few of them.-

-Did I deserve this torment? Do I deserve to stay this way?-

-No one does.-

-Set me free Cadee.-

-I...-

-Set me free Cadee and you will have everything you have ever dreamed of having.-

-Peace, love, harmony, no war, an end to homelessness and suffering? You can grant all of that?-

-An end to humanity will solve the problems you mention.-

-No. You’re wrong. Humanity can learn, they can grow.-

-You want nothing for yourself?-

-Of course, I do.-

-I will grant those desires.-

-I can grant them for myself.-

-If you are so concerned with what is right, is it right to keep me here this way for the good of everyone else? Why must I suffer for them? Your tears are useless if you do nothing.-

-If I set you free, will you swear not to destroy humanity? Will you swear not to take revenge on people who have done you no harm?-

Suddenly she's booted from his mind. It isn't overly forceful, but it hurts enough that she stumbles back some, gasping. He moves his thumb, slick with her tears, to the central chain.

It's the thickest one and had been added first. When he wipes his thumb on that, there is a great rending noise, of metal tearing from metal, and the chain releases, sliding off of him.

She gasps. How? And then she freezes when it dawns on her. He’d wiped her tear away. Tears have DNA in them. The answer must have been her blood.

She watches in horror as he stands for the first time in who knows how long, the chains that are still attached rattling. One by one he starts to rip them away, his eyes never leaving hers. That had been the foundation chain.

She turns and runs from the room, terrified at what she’s enabled. She runs past a shocked looking Asmodeus and up to where her father waits.

“Dad...” She gasps, fear in her gaze.

“You released him?”

“No. He tricked me...he...” She's interrupted by the sound of the roof caving as Ramaah flies through it, his great wings spread for the first time in centuries.

He perches on top of the building, his eyes unerringly finding her. The sky fills with the sound of wings, and she feels them, every last one. He’s called the Nephilim to him, and they are responding. She can feel every last one of them like she’d been the one to call them.

The next thing she knows they're in a castle with her mother and a very surprised looking prince Vairos. She stumbles, fighting back the nausea that teleportation causes. She's only just barely aware of her parents and the Prince talking to each other as she makes her way towards the window, trying to catch her breath.

She feels dread fill her at what she sees. All manner of Nephilim are landing on the grounds in front of the castle, staring right up at the window. There's no way that they can see her, but they are looking unerringly in her direction. These must have been Nephilim hiding in the area.

They'd sensed her and come, or Ramaah had known where she was going. Her mother joins her, looking out the window in concern. She meets the older woman’s blue eyes so like her own.

“Everything’s going to change now isn’t it?”