Elysian (11 page)

He wiggles my hand without losing his steely gaze.

“I’ll take you to see your mother. I have an appointment with her soon. I’ll bring you with me.”

“Excellent! What’s the appointment for?”

“I’ve been convicted of the charges brought against me.” He narrows in on me. “The Justice Alliance held court and found me guilty.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you may never see me again.”

***

In the late hours of the night, I wait in the butterfly room for Logan to lock up the bowling alley. He apologized profusely, but mentioned Gage called and said he wouldn’t be able to work his shift, so it left him shorthanded. Gage knew Logan and I were going out tonight, and I can’t help but feel I’m the reason he called in.

I don’t know when this madness will end. I suppose once I decide who to be with then the other two will just have to live with the aftereffects. But I know there’s no way I can logically make that decision. I’d have more luck pulling a name out of a hat, and I might just have to resort to that.

A low rumble comes from the other side of the attic, followed by footsteps. The tiny door opens, and Logan squeezes through.

“I would have let you through the front.” I pull him in and dot his lips with a kiss, startling myself from the spontaneity of the act. It feels natural kissing Logan when I see him, when I’m with him, and when we’re about to part ways. I’m going to make a lousy girlfriend to either Gage or Marshall if I continue to be so liberal with my lips.

“That’s exactly why you should pick me.” He breaks out in a killer grin.

“You know it drives me nuts when you read my mind like that.”

“I know.” He gives a quick peck over my cheek. “Sorry about that. How did it go with Dudley? Is Ellis OK?”

“Oh shoot.” My shoulders droop. “I completely forgot to bring him up.”

Logan is just as worried about Ellis as I am.

He blinks back in surprise. His amber orbs examine me, and I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks. I can’t help but glow like a lantern with Logan watching over me.

“What did you talk about?”
I hope you talked.
He pulls his lips to the side, no smile.

I shake my head at the physical implications of it all. “We discussed his poor taste in art. Michelangelo, you know, stuff like that.” True story. Although, I don’t know why I feel the need to convince Logan that Dudley and I had a cultured conversation. “OK we looked at lewd art. But they were wedding gifts from his cohorts.”

Logan pushes his head back, and a dry laugh rattles from him. “You can’t be married to Dudley.” He blows a slow breath from his lips like a tire expiring. “I don’t know what that’s about, but I heard rumblings. For the record, I don’t like it.”

“Rumblings?”

“From your mother.” He gives a look of discontent, and I’m not sure if it has to do with Marshall or my mother—probably both. “She mentioned it in passing.”

“Figures. Anyway that was my sole purpose in seeing him. I demanded to see my dear old Mom and let her in on a few things.”

“Such as?” His brows peak. Logan is beyond gorgeous when he’s curious. Hell, he’s gorgeous when he’s not curious.

Thank you
.

“You’re welcome. And back to my mother I want to talk to her about the war, the future, and why the hell she found Marshall guilty when he was brought to Justice Alliance, which, by the way, I’m a little pissed off at you about. Do you know how much that man helps me?”

“I know, and I know you’re pissed.” He lets a grin slide up the side of his face before growing all together serious. “But I beg of you, Skyla, if you decide not to choose me to spend your life with, choose Gage, not Dudley—never Dudley.”

“Logan.” I wrap my arms around him so tight and bury my face in his chest. I can’t stand the thought of not choosing Logan. I pull back and swallow hard. “I want to say something, and I’m not saying this in a flippant way or as some meaningless sentiment.” I soak him in with his passive smile, his eyes an entire kaleidoscope of citrine sunshine. “I love you, Logan Oliver. I’m so crazy in love with you, I can’t breathe when I think of not having you around.”

He closes his eyes and pulls me in. Logan buries a kiss over the top of my head and sniffs as though he’s holding back tears.

“I love you, too, Skyla. It’s killing me how much I want to be with you, to have the future paved with your smile, each and every day. Don’t forget that. Don’t you ever forget how much I love you.”

I pull back and nod. “I could never forget it.” Every cell in my body wants to live out a future with him—just Logan and me by one another’s side all the days of our lives.

“I think we’ll get to that.” He gives my hand a squeeze. “I really believe we will.” He leans in close until our lips are just a breath away. “You ready to do this? You ready to meet my grandmother?”

“Ready and willing.” Truth is I’d go anywhere with Logan, meet anyone
,
but meeting his
grandmother
, this feels as though we’re taking our relationship to the next level. This feels big, something akin to an engagement.

The room warbles, the molecules around us shift and bend until a new scene emerges, a garden, a sunny day, the scent of fresh lemons and spring grass infiltrates our senses.

“Did you forget something?” A women’s voice warbles from behind.

We turn and find an older woman, robust in her beauty, dark crimson lipstick and an elegant smile with a large white hat planted on top of her head. She wears a cream sundress with Battenberg lace cutouts over her shoulders while holding a pair of pruning shears.

“I’m traveling.” Logan goes over and offers a solid embrace. “Grandma, there’s someone I’m dying for you to meet.” He extends a hand in my direction. “This is the love of my life, Skyla. Skyla, this is my grandmother, Jean.” Logan beams when he says it. His entire face scopes me out with wonder.

“So nice to meet you.” I walk over and offer a quick shake.

“Likewise.” She gives a gentle nod. “So this is the young lady you gave the pendant to.” Her entire person glows with delight.

I take a breath and dart a glance over at Logan. I had no idea we were going to burst her bubble today.

“Not exactly.” Logan returns to my side. “I gave it to someone else, someone who I thought I loved but didn’t. She’s a Celestra, and I assumed that was the girl I was meant to protect. It’s been something I’ve regretted ever since.”

“Oh, Logan.” Her face crumbles.

He heads into a long, drawn out story that involves Chloe and her wickedness, how she came back to life with the purchase of my blood and has been wreaking unholy hell in our lives ever since.

“This is disastrous.” She pulls off her wide-brimmed hat, revealing a full head of auburn curls. “Come, let’s have a seat.”  She leads us over to a picnic bench situated under a row of towering eucalyptus trees. “First, how is the rest of the family?”

Logan draws me into him before relaxing his arm over my waist. “The family is great, and Skyla knows about Liam, about me taking his place in the future.”

“Logan is special,” she directs it to me with a nod. “The Decision Council has amazing things planned for him. Liam wanted to sacrifice for his baby brother. I’ve petitioned a higher court to revisit his case and offer him a treble if possible. It would mean everything to me if he could taste the fruit of life just once more. I’d love to see all of my grandchildren happy, and great grandchildren as well.” She freezes her gaze over me with the slight look of a threat. I’m pretty sure she’s referring to Gage.

“What higher court?” Logan presses her for answers.

“The Decision Council.”

“Oh, I know all about the Decision Council,” I volunteer. “My mother’s on it. And I agree”—I give Logan’s waist a squeeze—“Logan is most definitely special.”

“Your mother?” She squints, sprouting a dozen different crow’s feet around her eyes.

“Her name is Candace. She’s a Caelestis. I’m her only spawn—her favorite
pawn
.” I’ve never spoken truer words.

“Interesting.” Her brows narrow as she examines me under these new circumstances. “I have a supervising spirit,” she announces. “A man I once considered the love of my life, but I chose another path,” she says it dry as if she were speaking between the lines. “His name is Rothello.” She tilts her head.

I take in a giant breath.

“Rothello?” I glance over at Logan who seems slower to digest this bit of explosive news. “He’s a Sector isn’t he?”

“You
do
know him.” Her lips curve as if she were happy I finally caught on.

“Yes, I know him,” I say it incredulous. “He’s the one who started the faction war in my name.”

“Your name.” She pulls her shoulders back. “Then it is you.”

“What’s me?” I’m panicked over this.

“You’re the one Celestra has been waiting for. It was long prophesied that desperation would breed resolution. Were you able to prevail? Did you win the war?”

“We don’t know.” Logan goes on to explain the details. “Skyla says that her mother let her touch the sword, but she was returned to Earth, and now it’s a waiting game.”

What’s this “Skyla says” business? It’s as if he wasn’t even present. Maybe seeing his grandmother has thrown him for a loop. He never was a big fan of light driving.

His grandmother reaches from across the table and picks up his hands. She looks dead-on into his eyes for a prolonged period of time.

“Oh dear,” she whispers. “Oh dear, God in heaven.” Her features dissolve in a state of panic.

I’m starting to feel a little left out of the extraterrestrial communication methods.

She shakes her head as if she’s answering him, and they both look over at me with guilt-ridden expressions.

“The pendant must be retrieved right away,” she says it sharp as if reprimanding the two of us for losing it to begin with. “This Chloe girl obviously understands the relevance. And if she’s pledged over to Countenance, make no mistake, she won’t give it willingly.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I say, trying to defuse the situation. “Logan is so protective, and so is Gage. I feel like I have my own security force around me twenty-four seven. Plus, I’ve taken down a Count or two on my own before.” I leave Marshall out of the equation for now. No use in bonding with her over our secret love of Sectors while wrenching Logan’s heart.

“It does matter,” she corrects. “It very much matters. And did you mention my sweet Gage?” She gives a peaceable smile.

I’m not sure how old Gage is in this juncture in time or if he even exists yet, but she seems well apprised as to who he is.

“Skyla here is trying to decide between the two of us.” Logan’s jaw pops as his discomfort increases.

“That will never work.” She winces into him.

“It will,” he bullets the words out like a challenge.

“It’s an impossibility. You and I both know that,” she says it slow, drawn out as if this were a simple truth, and it is. “Should you choose Logan”—she nods into him before reverting her attention my way—“it’s imperative you retrieve this pendant.”

“It’s imperative regardless.” His mouth opens then closes quickly as they exchange a knowing glance.

“Well then.” She sharpens her gaze over me. “You must retrieve the pendant before she gifts it to another Celestra. Even if it’s in the hands of wickedness, she still must gift it to you for it to remain in your custody, or it will make its way back to her.”

“That’s happened before.” It comes from my lips, numb and stilted. “Besides, she would never gift it to anybody,” I say it as a fact. “Chloe doesn’t have a kind bone in her body. Except with Gage. She’s beyond obsessed with him.”

“Gage?” She draws her head back. “Then he’s your key. Somewhere in that black heart of hers she wants to please him. A person always desires to please those they love.”

“Chloe doesn’t understand love,” I whisper. “She tried to hack Gage’s head off in the war—but he’s fine now.”

“Find her weakness and use it,” she asserts. “You must have this pendant, Skyla. I see how much Logan loves you. It was truly meant for you.”

Logan tightens his grip around my waist and brushes a tender kiss over my cheek.

“What good will it really do? I’ve already been taken by the Counts. I think I’ve won the war, and Gage said both Logan and I would live to a ripe old age.” Maybe all is not lost just because we don’t have this little piece of jewelry dangling from my neck.

“If Chloe perishes”—she begins low, controlling herself on some level to get the message across—“if she’s bound, it will be of no use to anybody else. The pendant must be gifted while the person who owns it is still alive. I gave it to Logan myself just this year.” Her eyes glitter with a smile all their own. She returns her attention to me. “I’ll speak to Rothello and see what I can glean. I’ll get back to you if I find anything of interest. Be good to one another.” She rises and so do we.

Logan and his grandmother exchange a long, heartfelt hug. I go to shake her hand, but she pulls me into a warm embrace instead.

“You, Skyla Messenger, are already family.”

I press out a forced smile and take a step back until we’re no longer touching.

I know for a fact Logan didn’t tell her my last name.

I glance over at him. And why in the hell is Logan’s memory of the war so damn whitewashed? What was up with that secret conversation they were having?

I’ve got a feeling granny, here, knows more than she’s letting on.

And so does Logan.

Logan and I return to the butterfly room, post our inter-dimensional jaunt across the time continuum. All of those nagging doubts, those red flags going off inside my stomach about something being amiss have spoiled my mood.

“You want to drive down to Devil’s Peak?” Logan dips a kiss just under my ear. I take in the warm scent of his cologne and rub his cheek. The rough texture of his five o’clock shadow, prickles against my fingers.

The muffled sound of music streams in from the closet below, and the floorboards vibrate beneath our feet in rhythm to the bass.