Ascension (Book 4, The Watcher Chronicles) (20 page)

JoJo looks over at me. “My fashion show is on Monday. Can you come, mon cher?”

I nod. “I’ll be there.”

“So does Tuesday work for everyone?” Mason asks.

Everyone nods and agrees to this plan.

Aiden and Malcolm end up taking everyone home except Gabe who is exiled to the villa until things are over. The video of him disappearing into thin air went viral and even Joshua and his computer genius couldn’t snuff out all the variations of it on the internet.

“Do you want us to stay with you?” I ask Gabe, not feeling right about leaving him alone.

“Nah, you guys go have fun,” Gabe tells me. “I’m just going to go to the kitchen and raid the fridge. Then I’ll be heading on to bed. All that vision stuff wore me out.”

I give him a peck on the cheek. “Ok, sleep tight.”

Gabe tries to smile at me but I see worry in his eyes, and I know he’s worried about me. I can’t lie and say I’m not worried about me too. I don’t know why God purposely blocked what happens between me and Lucifer in the fight, but I feel confident everything will work out in the end.

It has to.

The next day Mason takes me to Chandler’s hotel suite in Los Angeles to get ready for the Grammy ceremonies. I allow Deon and her crew to do my hair and make-up because, well, it’s the Grammy’s. You have to be all hip and rock n’ roll for it, right?

Deon decides she wants to put my hair up. I don’t argue with her because I know Mason won’t mind. Since I’m going to be with Chandler for most of the afternoon and all night anyway, I see no reason not to let her do what she wants.

Mason stays in the background silently observing my transformation as Deon works her magic.

“I hope you didn’t get mad at me for letting it slip to the media that you and Chandler are engaged,” Deon tells me as she twists my hair up on my head making me think of a twist donut. “It’s just that I’ve been waiting forever for that boy to find a nice girl and he finally found one. You guys are such a great match.”

“Thanks,” I manage to say with a half smile.

I see Mason’s glowering face in the mirror.

I wink at him.

The glower subsides, a little.

Mason gets a call on his phone. I watch him answer it and immediately look like he has a headache as he raises his hand to his forehead. When he hangs up, he approaches me.

“I need to go,” he says. “I’ll have Aiden come keep watch over things while I’m gone.”

“Is it anything bad?” I ask.

“No, I just need to go do some hand holding.”

I immediately know Mason is telling me he has to go see the President again. Not exactly his favorite thing to do.

“Ok,” I tell him. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

Mason nods but doesn’t phase immediately. I see his lips part and I know he wants to kiss me before he leaves but can’t in present company.

“Have fun tonight,” he says instead and phases.

Aiden comes not long after to take up Mason’s position as bodyguard for me and Chandler.

Once Chandler and I are dressed and ready to go, Aiden phases us to the Staples Center saving us the hassle of driving there.

“Are you ready?” Chandler asks me, holding a bent arm out to me before we hit the red carpet.

“Not really,” I admit, slipping my arm into his. “But let’s get this over with anyway.”

Chandler and I walk the red carpet and pose for pictures together. The flashes are blinding me, but I try to keep a happy smile plastered on my face for appearance sake. Past the crowd of photographers I see a man staring at me like he knows me. It takes me a minute but I soon put a name to the face: Amon, the prince of wrath.

He’s taller than almost anyone else in the room. He’s wearing a dark blue pair of jeans which are faded white on the thighs. Underneath his dark blue suede jacket, which has a strip of leather around the elbows on each arm and leather lapels, is a faded lighter blue leather vest with diagonally sewn inseams. Below that is a dark blue button down shirt but all I can see of it is the collar. His short, curly light brown hair has a tinge of red in it and the lower part of his face is covered by stubble. His hazel eyes are staring at me so hard I feel like I’m being pinned into place just by his glare.

Amon was the one prince I couldn’t put a name to when I went to Antarctica to stop Lucifer from opening and closing the Tear. He was the smart one who remained silent while Levi shot his mouth off. The only reason I can put a name to the face is because Michael told me who he was while we were watching the fight in the inner realm.

He holds something up in front of him as if he wants to make sure I see it.

It’s my bracelet. The one I placed on Lucifer’s wrist so he could feel how I truly felt about him. I saw myself wearing it in the final battle with the princes and realize this must be how I get it back.

Once the man is sure I’ve seen it, he lowers his arm and walks away. I feel a need to immediately go after him but not having the luxury to do that simple act because there are too many cameras aimed at me. I watch his progress to the side of the large room we’re in and see him walk through a door marked as leading to the stairs.

“Hey,” I hear Chandler say beside me, “are you all right?”

I nod. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Later when Chandler and I are sitting in our designated seats in the auditorium, I tell him I need to go to the ladies room.

“You’ve only got like ten minutes before the show starts,” Chandler warns me.

“I promise I’ll be quick,” I tell him just before I race up the aisle out of the auditorium back to the door that I saw Amon disappear through.

“Where are you going, Jess?”

I’ve just opened the door to the stairwell when I see Aiden standing beside me.

“I need you to stay here for a little while,” I tell him. “There’s something I need to do.”

“I’m not leaving your side,” he tells me. “Mason ordered me to keep an eye on you and that’s what I’m doing.”

“He might not talk to me if you come,” I try to argue.

“He who?”

“Amon. I think Lucifer sent him to speak with me.”

“Then there’s no way in hell I’m letting you anywhere near him!”

“Listen, this might be important,” I say, trying to sound reasonable. “Lucifer wouldn’t have sent someone without them having a message for me. What if he’s going to tell me something that will help us figure out when the battle is supposed to take place?”

“Then I’m coming with you.”

“He might not talk to me if you’re there.”

“Well I’m not letting you go alone, Jess. You can either take me with you, or I can phase you back to the villa. The choice is yours.”

I huff. “Come on then. I’m not sure how long he’ll wait for me.”

I carefully walk up the stairs because to do anything else might lead to disaster in the dress I’m wearing. In between the second and third floor, we find him.

He’s sitting on the steps with his back casually leaned up against the outer wall with his right leg bent up and one arm draped over the knee. He twirls my bracelet in this arm’s hand and just stares at me for a little while. He lets his eyes drift over to look at Aiden.

“Hello, Amon,” Aiden says crossing his arms over his chest. “Long time no see. Been busy wrecking havoc and mayhem?”

Amon grins smugly. “Jealous, Aiden?  Why don’t you come back to our side and see how the winners live?”

“You haven’t won yet,” Aiden says. “And I’m already on the winning side. You’re just not smart enough to understand that.”

Amon lets out a harsh chuckle. “Keep thinking that, little angel.  You’ll soon figure out you chose the wrong side to be on in this fight.”

“Ok, could you guys stop having a pissing contest right now?” I say, looking at Amon and directing my gaze at the bracelet. “Did Lucifer send you to talk to me?”

Amon gets to his feet and I feel Aiden come to stand even closer to me.

Amon holds out a fisted hand with the bracelet dangling from the bottom of it.

“He wanted me to give this back to you. He said it would make you come to me and apparently he was right.”

I reach out and tug the bracelet from Amon’s fist. When Amon opens his fist, I notice something on the palm of his hand. It’s a raised circular brand similar to the one I saw on Lucifer’s arm not so long ago. It also has writing like that found on the crowns embossed across it.

“What does he want?” I ask, looking at the bracelet in my hand before returning my attention to Amon.

“He wants to speak to Michael.”

“Why would I do that?” I ask. “He was pretty adamant about killing me the next time he saw me.”

“Like I said,” Amon says slowly like I’m dim-witted, “he wants to speak with Michael, not you. He seems to think Michael can take over your body when he needs to.”  Amon looks me up and down. “Nice trick if you ask me. I could have some fun in a body like yours.”

Aiden makes to ram his fist into Amon’s leering face, but I place a hand on his arm to stop him.

“No,” I tell Aiden, “don’t give him the satisfaction. He’s purposely baiting you.”

“I guess Lucifer was right,” Amon says as a smile creeps on his face. “You are smart for a monkey.”

“When does he want to meet?” I ask, choosing to ignore Amon’s remark.

“Tomorrow. He said you could pick the time and place.”

“JoJo Armand is having a fashion show tomorrow. Tell him to meet me there.”

Amon bows his head slightly in my direction before he phases.

“I wish you would have let me hit that smug bastard,” Aiden complains.

“No, we need him,” I tell Aiden, even though I know Amon could kill Aiden with just one touch. “According to God, we need all of them in order to close the Tear. They’re important in some way. I’m just not sure how yet.”

With my returned bracelet in my hand, I ask Aiden, “Can you phase me back to my seat without people noticing?”

Aiden takes hold of my arm and I’m standing in the aisle just as the lights begin to dim for the start of the show. Aiden quickly phases but I feel sure he isn’t too far away.

“You almost missed it,” Chandler says to me.

I sit back down next to him. “Sorry, took a little longer than I thought it would.”

“Was there a line?  Seems like there’s always a long line for the ladies room anywhere you go.”

“Always is,” I agree and leave my lie at that.

As the opening act begins the show, I look down at the bracelet in my hands. I instantly wonder how I’m going to keep Mason from wanting to come to the meeting with me and decide I simply can’t tell him about it.  I make a mental note to swear Aiden to secrecy.

I need information and Lucifer might be my only way to get it.

Chandler ends up winning all ten of the categories he was nominated for. That must be why they sat us so close to the stage. I end up having to help him haul his loot away, and I find it easy to smile for the cameras this time while he shows off all his little gold gramophones. Afterwards, Chandler drags me to party after party. Everywhere we go, I’m met with looks of envy from supermodels to actresses to other music artists I sort of recognize.

I have to admit that I like being envied by most of the women in the room. Plus, it gives me a chance to make sure none of them have a chance to dig their gold digging claws into my friend’s back. I make a vow to find Chandler an actual nice girl to hook up with. I definitely don’t want to see him get trapped by one of the divas in the room circling him like sharks waiting for him to jump ship so he can be eaten up by one of them.

I’m not about to let that happen, not to one of my best friends.

While Chandler is holding court with some big wig music producers, I sip on a glass of champagne. Aiden sidles up next to me.