Page 16

JACOB

The sun is shining through the windows of the meeting room. Rosie is sitting next to Adrian, her usually joyful expression gloomy. It feels like unpleasant news will be delivered. I’m starting to despise this room. Whatever it may be, we are amongst friends.

“You healed, I see,” Jona says to Izzy with a proud nod.

I glance at him, impressed that he looks younger than he did when I last saw him.

“I did.” Izzy smiles and inspects her arms.

She is learning her power and abilities quickly. I couldn’t be more proud. She still has a long way to go, but she is determined and smart.

“Victor sent a letter through a messenger.” Adrian places a bloodied paper on the table. Based on Adrian’s satisfied posture, the man who delivered the letter is dead. For once, I am glad that Adrian is the savage asshole that he is. “He wants Esabella in exchange for Sofia.” Adrian gives Izzy a quick side glance, then looks at me.

It is impressive that Victor could find my mother so quickly, but then again, they have known each other for a long time. Victor had to know what Sofia was doing to be able to evade her. I don’t understand why he thinks I care so much about my mother. Unless he knows something about my power that I don’t.

Victor knew enough about the abilities of beings to create Izzy. I’m curious if he knows what is wrong with me as well. It is a long shot, but it’s a possibility. I almost laugh at the fact that the two people who could give me answers are evil parents.

Oh, how cruel fate can be.

“Maybe they will kill each other while they wait for us.” I shrug my shoulders.

There are no options in which Izzy is taking a single step towards that man. He doesn’t even deserve to look at her, let alone have her.

“Maybe.” Rosie glances at me and then around the room. “The problem is that your mother has followers. There is no possible way that she has gotten this far without any, so I think that we should attack and rescue her to find out how deep this goes. If she dies, someone else will take her place, and it will take longer to get to the bottom of this,” Rosie says, her voice calm as she explains, but there is sympathy in them as she looks at me.

We grew up together; she knows how much I longed for my mother. How much I missed her.

“Unfortunately, I agree. This will not end with Sofia’s death. Fortunately, I have already received my punishment, so I can misbehave a little more and help,” Jona adds and crosses his arms over his massive chest, a satisfied smile on his face.

When had Jona become so rebellious? Or maybe he has always been this way, I just did not notice.

This will get messy, but Victor does not stand a chance against a halfling, Lucifer’s second in hand, Lucifer’s daughter, and an angel. I glance over at Izzy, and she has her fingers clasped on her lap as she stares ahead. Doing my best to comfort her, I place my hand on her knee. She jumps and recoils in her seat.

Shit. Something inside of me breaks seeing her like this.

“Sorry,” she mumbles, her smile wavering.

“Izzy, you will not have to see your father,” I say in hopes of calming her.

Afraid to do more damage, I don’t attempt to touch her. As much as I want to lift her into my arms and hold her close, I keep my hands to myself.

She just needs a minute. At least that’s my hope.

Jorgan and Yanuk, two of Adrian’s demons, burst into the room, drawing attention to themselves. They visited Louvide, the town Rosie and I grew up in, last year and the few years prior. Jorgan, even though older, still holds his physique well.

Jorgan and Yanuk hold their hands on their swords as they bow to Rosie and Adrian before walking to take their seats. Yanuk eyes Izzy as he walks past us, his blue eyes scanning her, and I have the urge to rip his eyes out. His gaze is more curious than anything else, but Izzy is barely holding herself together.

“As you suspected, my queen, they set up camp on the flat terrain a mile past our borders,” Jorgan says to Rosie as he sits down.

“How many do you think?” Rosie asks, her gaze intense and focused.

“Hard to say, but maybe a hundred,” Yanuk informs, his body relaxed in the chair.

Last time I saw Yanuk, all Jorgan did was scold him. The kid seems to have matured. I’m still not a fan, but at least he is not an idiot anymore.

“Great. Then we will proceed with the plan. We should go tomorrow before they realize they are not getting Isabella,” Adrian says.

Izzy’s eyes shoot up at him, surprise written all over her face. I sure as hell hope she understands no one is sending her back to Victor.

The meeting finishes with a plan to head out tomorrow morning and attack when it gets dark. We will leave in a group of five – me, Adrian, Jona, Jorgan, and Yanuk. Rosie agreed to stay back in case the castle needs to be defended.

Izzy is silent as we walk through the halls, our steps lightly patting against the colored tiles. It feels like she’s shutting down and creating distance again. She is moving somewhere, her motion even, but it’s obvious that she has no destination. She is nearing a set of two steps that lead to the rose garden patio, but she does not even notice them. Her foot hits the bottom of the first step, and her hands flail. I wrap my arms around her and hold her steady.

“I got you, Izzy.” I do my best to keep my voice calm.

“I’m okay.” She looks up and smiles at me. “I saw some Oenothera lindheimeri in the rose garden earlier. I wanted to go look at them,” she says, keeping her lips stretched wide across her face.

Bringing my brows together, I stare at her. Oeno… what? She spoke of flowers in these difficult and fancy terms when I first met her. It was strange – still is – but it feels like she’s hiding behind her knowledge.

“Are those flowers?” I keep holding her close to me, afraid that if I let go, I will lose her.

“They are. Pretty white, little bells.”She keeps her happy composure, but her eyes shimmer with agony.

My chest tightens because I don’t know what to do.

“Can I come with you?” I run my thumb along her cheek.

“Of course.” Her lips stretch out a little too wide.

It hurts when she pretends like this.

We walk in silence through the white wooden patio, the birds chirping, and the sun providing soothing warmth. She moves energetically, but it’s all for show.

Surrounded by red and pink roses, she kneels in front of a small white flower, four of its petals open and spread out sparsely. Running her finger against it, she plays with the thin spindles at the center of the bloom.

“They are pretty,” she mumbles, her voice breaking.

I get down to sit with her, my gaze never leaving her face, waiting for her to tell me what is on her mind. She doesn’t say anything. A butterfly flutters past her, and she follows its path, her eyes wide in awe. She is so easily distracted when she is pushing away her hurt. I wonder if focusing on something besides the hurt helps make it go away.

I’ll keep you safe. I want her to know that.

“Not as pretty as you,” I whisper and take her hand into mine.

“Did you know that they can survive long periods of drought?” she asks, her voice quiet as she holds the petals between her fingers.

“Izzy…” I call her name.

The distance she’s creating physically hurts.

“I’m okay.” She finally looks at me, her bright green eyes covered with a watery shimmer.

You are not okay .

Plucking the white flower, she tucks it behind my ear, her fingers softly brushing against my skin. I watch her, wishing there was something I could do to make it better.

“We know where your mother is now. You are so close to your answers.” She holds my cheek, her gaze tender.

A lump is stuck in my throat.

“Yes.” I clear my throat.

Taking a shallow breath, I stare at her, fighting the urge to engulf her in my arms.