Seventh Seal - Jacquelyn Faye Page 0,91

stopping short. "Uh… Hi. I'm Josie. Your other daughter…"

Aodh hugged her just as hard as he had hugged me. "I am sorry for not being in your life," he said sadly and pulled back.

"It's okay. I know you were…uh…busy." Josie smiled.

"And who is this?" He leaned around his daughter and smiled at Candace.

"This is Candace. My…fiancé. We're getting married."

He smiled again. "My, how times have changed. I have a lot of catching up to, I see. It is a pleasure to meet you, Candace." He held out his arms for her, too.

Shyly, she hugged him back.

"You smell like," he started.

"Sunshine," Josie and I finished.

"Yes! Welcome to the family, daughter of the light."

"Thank you," Candace managed to whisper.

"Shall we go?" He offered her his arm.

∞ ∞ ∞

We ran into two more groups of angels, but with my father's power, we didn't even slow as we headed for the front door of Mephistopheles's castle. Kicking it open, we stepped out onto the plains of Tartarus and landed onto green grasses under an endless sky of bright blue without a sun.

"Uh. This doesn't look like Tartarus," I stammered and spun in a circle, having a very horrible feeling. "Or earth."

"No. It's not," Aodh agreed and frowned.

"You know where we are, don't you?" I did, too. The sunless sky was a huge hint. I just wanted to hear how much trouble we were in straight from my father's lips.

"Yes. You do, too."

"Shit."

"Double shit," he said and let go of Candace's arm with a soft pat of assurance. "You and your friends get back. It's me she wants." He pushed me behind him with an outstretched hand.

I moved behind him, but stayed close, urging everyone back with my own hand gestures while we waited for the attack to come.

"Come on out, Belenus. You know we're here." He was looking toward the sky, but dropped his gaze to the plains before him as the blue curtain of the sky parted and the goddess Belenus stepped through.

"Well, well. I knew putting that portal on the inside of the door would be a good idea. Beautiful piece of work, don't you think? My angels can come and go as they please and anyone foolish enough to infiltrate the castle would be stuck there for all eternity or dumped in my lap for a proper punishment. Or quick death. You should have stayed in your hole, Aodh. It's where you belong."

"In your hole? That seems like too harsh of a punishment to me," I chided from beside my father. More of behind, but a little off to the side.

Aodh turned his head and shook it, telling me to shut up and leave the banter to him. She was his mirror power. She couldn't be any more powerful than my father. I was confused as to why he was worried. The odds were fourteen to one.

Until the choir of archangels landed behind her, flaming swords at the ready.

"Oh."

My father nodded.

"If keep me you must, I surrender. Let the rest of them return to the mortal realm."

Belenus cackled. "Another human has emerged as a god against the decree of the All. And you wish me to simply let her go?" Belenus took a step closer. "No, Aodh. She will be joining you. Maybe I'll be sweet and give you adjoining cells so you can have company until her mortal coil finally withers away. Then you can spend eternity together as daughter and daddy gods." She chuckled again at her own joke.

"Let her go, Belenus." Daughter. I will fight her. Flee. Circle around her, find her castle, and use the portal inside to go back to your realm. Do not worry, she will not kill me. And this time, leave me be. She is crazed and will not relent until I am broken.

I'm not leaving you.

Go! Use the child of the light to get past the archangels.

How he knew Candace could do that, was beyond me. I was almost prepared to listen. Until my mother and grandmother took up the spaces beside me.

"No, Aodh. Enough is enough," Mother answered. "She is punishing you for leaving her, nothing more. There is nothing righteous about her decree or imprisonment of you. We will fight. The three witches of Blackwell stand beside you."

"Together," Nana added and grabbed my hand. Mother took the other.

"All of us," Yuki and the rest strode closer, witch hands ablaze, fangs bared, and talons at the ready.

Aodh just chuckled. "Well, I had thought to surrender peacefully, but my daughter's family wishes