The Oath (23 page)
Dad shook his head, but I interrupted before he could say anything. “Daddy, it was Jenny. I couldn’t risk them getting away with this because the Council was bound by stupid laws. If you play with magic, then you should have to answer to the same rules as everyone else. Humans don’t. There was nothing you could do that would be ordained by the Council. I could make them pay for killing her. To me, I was the only one who could. I would have lived with the consequences of that action.”
“Melinda, do you honestly think I would let them get away with murdering my daughter?” Dad’s voice shook slightly. “You’re right, in they aren’t answerable to the Council, but they are answerable to the police.”
“She killed herself, Dad. It was ruled a suicide.”
“Yes, but they are all going to confess to forcing her to do it,” Dad told me. “Right after I bind them from ever doing magic again.”
My eyes widened. I hadn’t thought of that. Why hadn’t I thought of that? It was so simple!
Xavier chuckled. “You weren’t supposed to think of that, Rose. This was one of those events I was telling you about. Certain things have to happen and cannot be changed, no matter how much we try to change them. You had a choice. This happened so you could make that choice. Thankfully, you made the right choice for both our sakes.”
“You’re her Protector?” Dad asked, his eyes narrowing when they noticed how tightly Xavier’s arms were wrapped around me.
“Yes,” Xavier said. “I’m that and a little more.”
“What…?”
“I’ll explain it all to you later, Dad. What are you doing here anyway? How did you find me?”
“Your grandmother told me what was going on, and I rushed over, but it looks like you were able to take on a Fallen One all on your own.”
“I was lucky,” I sighed. “If I hadn’t taken out his vessel, he’d have had me.”
“That’s why you’re my daughter, Melinda.” Dad smiled. “Me and you, we think on our feet. You guys go on home and let me get started on the clean-up. I need to call the Council and let them know what happened so they can help with the cover story.”
“What about me?” Sebastian asked. “I deserve everything they get too. I helped to kill her.”
His whole demeanor was hunched in on itself, like he was in pain. “No, you didn’t, Sebastian,” I told him. “You were under a spell and had no way to fight it. You would never have hurt her. You loved her.”
“How am I supposed to live with that, James?” he asked. “Even if I can’t remember it, I did it. I know I did it. I don’t know what to do, how to feel.”
“What if you could forget?” I asked. “Forget that you did anything? You loved her. That’s all that matters.”
He shook his head. “No. It wouldn’t be right. I did it. I helped.”
Dad placed a hand on his shoulder. “Son, Jenny was my daughter, and I don’t blame you for this. You shouldn’t blame yourself, and I’ll see to it that you don’t. In fact, you’re going to help me with this. Mel, go home and leave Sebastian to me. He’ll be okay. I promise.”
Sebastian didn’t look like he was okay. I wasn’t going to take his memory from him, but my dad? He would in a heartbeat. I could live with that choice. “He needs to remember today, everything that happened with Euriel. I think we’re going to need him. Whatever you do, he can’t forget that, Dad.”
“He won’t.”
I nodded and let Xavier lead me outside. Dad would take care of it.
The cold air felt sharp against my face when we emerged into the night. I knew I was in for a long lecture from my dad, as well as more explanations than I was ready to give right now. The next couple days would be hard. At least those little wannabes were going to get it. My dad would make sure they confessed to the murder, and it would be airtight. If I knew my dad, he’d make sure Sebastian’s memories reinforced the confessions. He may even be the one to find out and report it. Whatever Dad did, Sebastian would walk away feeling better, like he helped, brought the truth out about her murder. He would be okay, and he and I would be friends for as long as we lived. I knew that. He would remember today.
“What now?” I asked. “What do we do now?”
“Now, I take you home, and then tomorrow we worry about everything else.”
It sounded like a plan. Tomorrow we could deal with Euriel, the Coven we were supposed to build, and defeating a Fallen Angel worse than the devil himself.
And I still needed to help sort out the situation between Jeff and CJ. The whole Fallen Angel situation had sidetracked me from my promise to help him win her back. That wasn’t something I could do, not after talking to her, but I could help Jeff, if only to realize she’d never leave the guy the Elements had chosen for her. He was a witch. He knew this even if he didn’t want to admit it. I could help him deal, get past it, and move on. That much I could do for him.
I smiled up at Xavier, and he leaned down to kiss me. I melted into his embrace and then shrieked when we flew up into the night sky. He only laughed and kissed me again.
Tomorrow could wait. Right now, I wanted tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Euriel reveled in the feel of the cold air biting into his skin, in the snow as it landed on his upturned face. It had been so long since he’d felt anything but darkness and pain. He was free for the first time since the Great War, and he was determined to enjoy every moment of it. Soon, he’d need to start putting his plans into place, preparing for his leader, his friend’s return. Together they would make these deformed apes pay for the rift they had caused between the Angels and their Father.
Free will. It all came down to free will. Father had bestowed the humans with that, but denied his first creations that choice. They had to obey, blindly. They had no choice in how they lived, who they loved, and perish the thought any of them could love one of Father’s precious creations.
Anger and despair still burned within Euriel. He’d loved once, a human girl. He’d approached Father to gain his approval, and he’d been denied. Father had destroyed the girl when Euriel argued with him. It had nearly killed Euriel when she died. He’d held her in his arms, crying at the unfairness of it all. That’s when he’d decided that the others were right. The humans had Father’s love, but the Angels no longer had it. They were just pawns, soldiers, to do as they were told.
Euriel had joined Lucifer in the rebellion. He’d met Sammael, one of Father’s personal warriors. Sammael was the one who’d convinced Lucifer of Father’s failing love. Father had turned his back on the Angels, who’d loved him more than anyone. Sammael was right. The two of them had become fast friends, and when the Morning Star had Fallen, Father separated those who could bring him back into power. He’d trapped them, freezing them in a world of pain and loneliness.
No more. Euriel was free, and Sammael soon would be. Together they were going to make the humans pay for turning Father against his first creations, his true children.
Euriel gazed out of cerulean blue eyes and smiled.
They’d never see him coming.
Acknowledgements
This time again…hmm…
Well, as always a huge thank you to my readers. You make this writing gig worthwhile!
Delsheree Gladden and Angela Fristoe – you guys rock. I don’t know where this book would be without your scouring it and pointing out the obvious while steering it back onto the right path.
My street team – awesome sauce! You guys are great and I can’t thank you enough for all you do!
All the wonderful people at Limitless Publishing deserve a huge shout out. Jennifer, Jessica, Dixie…where would I be without your patience and all you do. You guys took a chance on me when no one else would and that matters to me more than you’ll ever know!
Robin Harper, my cover artist, you deserve a medal for working with me to make my covers just right. I wouldn’t put up with me, but you do, and I adore every cover you’ve done for me! Again, awesome sauce!
My wonderful new editor, Lori Witwam. How did I ever get through a book without you? And you didn’t throw the book back at me when you discovered my numerous little uh-ohs. Seriously, best editor ever. You deserve a trophy!
The Coven series is near and dear to my heart. It’s probably my favorite series (or it could just be I have a book boyfriend crush on Jeff!). Believe it or not, I get asked all the time if I’m a witch. The answer is no. People are quite shocked. Though some days I wish I was a witch…lol. When my story takes an unexpected turn and I end up writing something I never planned on that completely messed with the rest of the story line, I wish I could wave a magic wand and magically rewrite all those other parts. Alas, such is not the case.
When I was researching the first book, The Promise, I remember going into my local library. The woman who sat behind the information page was a lovely little woman who was seventy or eighty if she was a day. Very grandmotherly. I asked her if she had any books on Wiccan initiation ceremonies. She looked at me like I’d just grown horns and tail and says in a very shocked tone, No, we don’t carry any such blasphemy. Suffice to say, that was the last time I went looking in the local library. I stuck to what I could find online. I still get funny looks from her when I go into the library.
So what’s my point in sharing this? Well, there are many preconceived ideas about Wiccans, witches, and witchcraft in general. Our history, as a nation, has been very intolerant of them and to me, they’re just people. I hope that by reading The Promise and The Oath, I’ve been able to convey that to you guys. Just because you’re different, it doesn’t make you a bad person. Just unique, just
you
. If we were all the same, then the world would be a really boring place wouldn’t it?
And one final question I get a lot: is you books about Wicca? No, they’re about witchcraft. Big difference! Wicca is a religion and for my purposes, witchcraft is true magic, neither good nor bad, but a culmination of the two. My characters rely upon the Elements around them instead of asking a god or goddess for help. That’s the biggest difference!
Thank you all so much for reading my nonsense and please remember to leave a review if you read and loved either The Promise or The Oath.
~Apryl Baker
About the Author
So who am I? Well, I'm the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friends laugh at me when I scare myself watching them and tell me to stop watching them, but who doesn't love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep.
Growing up in a small town, I learned a lot of values and morals, I also learned parents have spies everywhere and there's always someone to tell your mama you were seen kissing a particular boy on a particular day just a little too long. So when you get grounded, what is there left to do? Read! My Aunt Jo gave me my first real romance novel. It was a romance titled "Lord Margrave's Deception." I remember it fondly. But I also learned I had a deep and abiding love of mysteries and anything paranormal. As I grew up, I started to write just that and would entertain my friends with stories featuring them as main characters.
Now, I live Huntersville, NC where I entertain my niece and nephew and watch the cats get teased by the birds and laugh myself silly when they swoop down and then dive back up just out of reach. The cats start yelling something fierce...lol.
I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories.
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