Page 49 of Wicked Savior
“Lucifer’s not immortal; he’s eternal. If his body dies, he can simply return. In the same body or another. When Vargas took the oath, he unknowingly gained the option to return. Although it sounds like he has to find a new body,” he explains to Theron and Fallon.
The tension falls from them. Both glance at me, then get up to follow Arden. Neither of them says goodbye. Their only thought is her.
I stand and look down at my only son. “Would you take the bond with me? Knowing what it could offer you?” My words are even, but the pounding of my heart clearly reveals how much this means to me.
His keen ears pick up on my rapid heartbeat. Daire smiles and places his hand on my chest. “Thank you for the offer, but no. I want to go wherever she goes, not hang around with my old man for eternity.” Knowing his refusal will hurt, he throws his arms around me and squeezes tight.
I hug him tightly in return, knowing one day he will be gone like everyone else. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for Arden. In the meantime, I’ll push Vargas to quickly find a body.” I hesitate for a second. “I love you, Daire.”
He pulls away and heads toward the door. “I love you too. Although you don’t always make it easy on me.”
I chuckle in response, but when I get in the portal to go home alone, my smile disappears.
ChapterTwenty-Seven
EVREN
Time runs differently on Viridian than on Earth. I’ve been here for at least three weeks wallowing in a pit of emotions. While my powers replenished quickly, the rest of me is stuck.
Viridian is cold and sterile. Everyone’s focus is on the science, not emotions or helping others. When I was a child, my mother would bring me here to replenish our powers and teach me what it meant to be a Viridian. I loved it and hated it too. I loved the science. The advancements. Earth was primitive compared to Viridian. It still is.
But I hated the utopia of it all. Everyone has a purpose and a job, and strict rules that must be followed. Emotional outbursts are not tolerated. They are deemed ineffectual and unproductive. With few children, there was no playtime for me. It was lonely. My mother tried her best to show me the positives of our race, but she refused to hide the negatives.
After my father died, we came returned to Viridian, but I think it was too much for her too. So, we traveled across the galaxies to observe and capture the essence of life. After we saw the seer, she jumped at the chance to return to Earth. I’ve been alone ever since.
Now I can see why she wanted to go back. Not only did the thought of helping humans evolve entice her, but she knew the loneliness would go away.
Not once did I feel lonely on Earth. Instead, I felt energized by the life around me. The emotions perfuming the air and the teeming life sustain me in a way science can’t.
A tall blond warrior with a dimpled smile pops into my head. With a sigh, I plop down on the bed. I lied to him. Hid things from him. He had to know. Yet, he asked me to come back. Because if I don’t, he won’t get his revenge? Or is it more?
When I close my eyes, I see him watching me from across the room. His intense blue eyes studying me as if I’m a puzzle he has to solve.
Lucifer’s beautiful and seductive, but it’s the glimpses into his heart and mind that intrigue me. There’s so much depth to him and I can’t help but wish for more time to explore all his facets.
I chew on my bottom lip. If there are no lies between us, what will we find?
It’s not only Lucifer, though. Those mangy beasts and the danger they represent to everyone, not just humans, weigh heavily on my mind. So do the Druids and their near extinction. The race my mother created. Can I let them go extinct?
In Viridian, our sun is closer to our planet and much more vivid. Every morning, I sit on the highest peak and hold my breath, waiting for the first rays to streak across the sky. Sunrise has become my favorite time of day because it reminds me of him. Golden and magnificent, it rises in the sky every morning, ready to defend the world.
Most would look at Lucifer and think only of the darkness he’s capable of wielding, but he’s so much more than the world he lives in. When that last herd headed over the horizon, he could have retreated with his demons and left the world to fend for itself. Instead, he vowed to return with a larger force.
I can only do the same. Return. With a larger force. Not more Viridians, but with more answers. Knowing there is a solution to everything and needing the diversion, I run experiment after experiment.
Viridians are a superior race born of the God, Creatus. We’ve been around for ages, but there are only a few of us… less than a hundred… and it’s been that way since my birth. Unfortunately, our species can only procreate with other races, and even then, we rarely produce offspring. As scientists, we’ve studied every race in every galaxy, hoping to find a way to cure ourselves. We finally came to the conclusion that the answer had been there all along. Our continued existence depends on other races.
This is the theory that drove my hypothesis for the humans, but I looked at it the wrong way. By changing the perspective, I successfully run several tests and arrive at a new conclusion. One I know to be true because it’s based on Druid history.
Turning my focus to the beasts requires me to step out of my comfort zone. During the battle with Aurora, Cormal told me the beast smelled me. Not him or Daire. It was fleeing but stopped because of me. Using that theory as my base, I know I need to return and get rid of the beasts for good.
My mother is responsible for the existence of both the Druids and beasts. As her daughter, it’s up to me to clean up our mess. Then power tripping assholes like Gabriel will have to learn how to fight their own battles and leave humans out of it.
* * *
When I return,the date on my laptop tells me only two days have passed on Earth. It’s a good thing I chose to return here instead of the city. The cave my mother dwelled in is a much safer option. Unlike me, she only has one form, which means the cave’s spell kept her hidden.
Unwilling to risk exposure, I use my power to whisper to the wind. Given this is the birthplace of the Druids, there must be a few who live close to here.
