“Gavin has suffered enough,” he continued. “He just wants her to know him, as he should, since they are betrothed. Besides, by the time she ascends, it will be as if she has known him her entire life. Why we’re even wasting our time having this conversation is beyond me.”
Dad raced to the man’s side, keeping his eyes fiercely focused on Mom. “She’s nine years old, Tyler.” Dad reached for Tyler’s neck just as Gavin entered the room and plopped down on one of the red leather chairs.
Gavin looked in my direction and gave me the smile that makes me weak in the knees. I stood staring at him in complete and utter fool’s love and wondered how in the world he could see me right then, in that vision of something that must have happened eight years earlier.
“You’re watching a vision of something that took place here when you were nine. You don’t need to have been there in order to see what happened. You are like a fly on the wall, so to speak. You can interject yourself into the historical event as a participant if you want to; otherwise, the people in it will just feel your presence as you continue to watch what happened.” Arcturus’s explanation made perfect sense, sort of. I was embarrassed that he had been watching through my mind’s eye, privy to my thoughts.
“But, can I change what happened if I participate? You know, if I interject myself into an event from when I was nine, though I’m seventeen now. How would that work?” I asked for future reference.
“You would be nine, as you were then, but with all the knowledge and experience you’ve amassed since. Since you’re human and you age, your memories or anyone else’s, should you choose to actively participate in them, will reflect your human age at the time the event occurred, not your true age.”
“So, it would be like I was a seventeen-year-old in a nine-year-old’s body?”
Gavin’s voice interrupted my musings. My mind’s eye carried me back to the vision. “I have quite a bit of patience, Gabe, and quite frankly, I don’t care for this situation as it is. A human girl.” Gavin’s tone surprised me. He was talking about me, about my being human as if it disgusted him. He crossed his legs and added with disdain, “As if I haven’t been cursed enough.” I stepped backward and covered my mouth so the gasp couldn’t be heard.
Mom stepped out from between Dad and Tyler. She offered her hand to Gavin for him to kiss. Leave it to Mom to get Gavin to kiss her somehow.
Gavin seemed all too pleased to oblige. He stood up in front of her, slowly took her hand, savoring Dad’s grimace, and smiled slightly as he bent down and let his mouth linger on the skin of her hand longer than was necessary.
“Vivienne, as always, you look divine.”
Mom beamed.
“I’ll keep my distance until she ascends. My only intent is to know her as a human, her desires and interests. I can’t just assume she hasn’t changed since becoming human. I wish to be all she desires. There’ll be no way for her to resist me—well, Gavin Vault, the rock star.”
Then Tyler was there, only not in the vision. He was real, and right beside me.
“Grace, you need to come with me now.” I wanted to ask if he was the angel from Praefatio, but there wasn’t time for chitchat. Tyler grabbed my arm and pulled me up over the ground with him and into a side entrance to the mansion. We rushed down flights of stairs in pitch blackness. The descent and the air blowing past my face ended abruptly at the foot of a large double door. Tyler placed me on the ground, and for a moment, I felt like I’d just gotten off a rollercoaster.
Upon entering the doors I heard breathing coming from multiple sources. I figured there had to be at least twenty people in the room, but I could see no one. Still holding me by the arm, Tyler greeted the sudden appearance of a strange and unexpected old and very creepy face: framed by long blue hair. The ancient-looking man said nothing, only stood about six inches in front of me, stone-faced.
“She came willingly, but with two cherubs. They seem harmless, if you are unwise enough to consider cherubim harmless. I doubt she understands the true