Sacrifice of the Septimus: Part 1 (Afterlife saga Book 7) (17 page)

“No, I think I’m good.”

“Suit yourself.”

“I swear this glass is so dirty even the water is defying gravity just to get away from it.” Sophia complained and as soon as she said it, something in me clicked…no, not clicked, more like set off a damn firework in my head. I suddenly slammed my hands on the table and shouted,

“I’ve got it!” Pip froze with half an onion ring hanging out of her mouth, resembling a bull and I looked around to see everyone else in the place staring at us. Well, if I thought the waitress regarded me as the ‘normal’ one before, then that ship just sailed.

“Sophia, you are a genius!” I said ignoring the funny looks.

“I would like to point out that yes, this is usually the case, but I still need to ask…why exactly am I a genius this time?” I smiled at her knowing that if I hadn’t brought them here like I planned, I might never have figured it out. Jesus, but even this shitty little diner was woven into the Fates’ plan!

“The water!”

“Yes, vile isn’t it?” I ignored Sophia’s dry comment and shook my head.

“No, don’t you see, the water…gravity defying water…ring any bells, girls?” Sophia’s eyes widened and I looked to Pip, who was still crunching when she stopped and said,

“What? You wanna go to a water park? ‘Cause I don’t think that would help us get back in time.”

“No! It’s impossible, idiotic and might I add, suicidal!” I ignored Pip’s waterpark comment and concentrated on Sophia’s little freak out.

“Okay, so I know that no one actually got what they wanted but…”

“Forget that! Keira, not only did no-one ever get granted what they asked for, but no-one walked away with their life after doing so!” Okay, so I agreed that was a snag in my plan.

“Oh no!” Pip said covering her greasy mouth with her greasy hands in shock, as she finally realised what I was trying to suggest.

“Girl, are you loco?!” Seriously though, if even Pip thought this was crazy then I didn’t hold much luck for getting Sophia on board. 

“Look I know it sounds like a risk.”

“No, it sounds like a
death wish.”
Sophia corrected.

“The Temple of Janus is the only way guys, and what if it was only ever created for this moment…
for this very reason?”
  I whispered, leaning forward and looking back and to between them.

“Think about it and you both know that it makes sense.”

“I beg to differ…you know, as in the type of begging one does for their life.”

“Then why create a gate that no one can ever use?” I counteracted. 

“She’s got a point.”

“Pip!” Sophia shot our friend daggers when she started to agree with me.

“What…she kinda does.” She defended and then took a huge bite of her double cheese burger.

“No, it is a death trap for those selfish enough to believe it will work for them.”

“But that’s just it! We must be the only people willing to walk up to that gate and ask for something none of us really wants.” Sophia frowned at me, which I took as a better sign.

“None of us will be asking anything of it for any other reason than to save the world from…”

“Devastation.”
Pip finished sadly for me and I reached out to give her comfort.

“But it doesn’t have to be like that. We have the power to stop it, we just need to be brave and take it as far as we can,” I said, knowing this was as true as it was ever going to get, because thankfully none of them would need to take it as far as I would…
as far as I possibly could.

“And what makes you think this is the way?” I took a minute to think about what Sophia had said and asked myself the same question. Why was I so sure? I thought back to all I had learnt about the Janus gates and the more I remembered the more convinced I became.

“Alright, let’s forget that I have the strongest feeling about this and say my gut is wrong. Then let’s look at the facts…tell me about him.” I said trying to get them on the same page I was on and knowing that if they only read the same signs, then they too would accept it.

“Who, the God Janus?”

“Yeah, tell me about him.” I nodded to Sophia and gestured with my hand for her to go ahead.

“Well, what’s to be said, he is, of course, the God of time.” I smiled and added,

“Go on.”

“He has two faces, one looking to the past and the other to the future, but Keira that doesn’t mean…” I held up my hand to stop her before she started trying to convince me that the information meant nothing.

“And?”

“The month of January and therefore the start of the New Year, is named after him.”

“And?” I pressed further even though you could see she was getting frustrated.

“And yes, he controls all the doorways into the past, future and…” She trailed off so I finished for her.

“And the end. Which throughout history could have been mistaken as Hell or Heaven at the end of our lives, but what if it wasn’t? Because we both know your beliefs and religion are what plays the biggest part in that and Janus is a Roman God…right?” Sophia frowned as she started to think about what I was saying.

“So what if it didn’t mean that and in fact meant ‘End’ as in the end of the world ‘end’? What if that’s what the doorway really means?”

“A doorway to the end. Oooh, you know I think she is on to something Soph.” Pip said hanging on my every word.

“I grant you it sounds…”

“Right?” I filled in for her but she decided to go with something a little less positive,

“Plausible.” 
Okay, so plausible was good, I could work wit
h
plausible.

“But that’s still a pretty big ‘if’ you’re talking about.”

“Okay, so ask yourself this, why then was the last thing the Oracle told me all about being worthy?” It didn’t take me long looking at both their faces, to realise something about this statement had hit home.

“What were her exact words?” This was when Pip and I both said the same sentence together, word for word,

“At some point everyone’s faith gets judged, that’s when the righteous find a way.”

“At some point everyone’s faith gets judged, that’s when the righteous find a way.”

“…find a way.”
Sophia finished off with the same words Pip and I had been told.

“You see! Now why would she do that if it wasn’t supposed to mean something?” Neither of them had an answer to that one.

“I will tell you why, because she was probably hoping that at least one of us remembered it.”

“But if she knew, then why not just tell us that using the forbidden Janus gate was the only way?” Unfortunately this was a good question and one I didn’t yet have an answer to.

“Maybe she didn’t know and that’s half the point.” Pip said being serious.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, all of this is about timing…right?” Sophia looked as confused as I did but we both said,

“Yeah?”

“Yeah?”
simultaneously.

“So what if we were only ever meant to figure it out now and if we had done so before, we might have rushed into it and messed something up. I don’t know, like killed an endangered bug and then bam, no TV gets invented…that type of shit.”

“I think she has a point…in a weird, ‘I kind of understand it’ way.” I said turning to Sophia and she was at least now looking thoughtful about it all.

“So you’re saying everything, even this conversation, is happening for a reason?” There was only one way for me to answer this and that was by using my trump card,

“Who knows, but we are still forgetting one massive piece of the puzzle here and if this doesn’t convince you, then I don’t know what else will.”

“What?” I looked at both Pip and Sophia and then said what I remembered Draven telling me all that time ago. It was the night before the New Year’s Eve party, the one held in the Temple and just before that glorious night when Draven took my second virginity. What he had told me back then hadn’t mattered to me. It had just been another story told about a history I never fully understood and I had never even dreamed that it would have the level of significance it had today.

“Tell us.” This time it was Pip that was urging me on, so I put them out of their misery and reminded them of the most important thing we knew about the fated God Janus…

“Janus is Pythia’s father.”

Chapter 17

Dying Inside

The next day came and went, along with the next but thankfully the thing these days had in common was planning. After the diner, we not only discovered that Pip had a strange phobia about the onion in her onion rings, and that she could eat her body weight in fried, fatty foods giving no explanation as to where it all went…we also discovered the basics of our plan.

It wasn’t surprising that after I reminded them of Pythia’s family connections, they were both finally in agreement that the only way to travel back in time was by asking for the right to do so from the main Janus gate, the one that powered all the other gates. I remembered back to that day when I was down there and the strange pull it had over me at the time. I wanted to touch it, as though I knew I would have been welcome to do so. It was as if it knew something I didn’t and now, I knew what that was…

It knew my fate.   

It turned out that I hadn’t messed up as badly as I first thought when I had hastily said that I wanted to get married in a week’s time. In the end my slip of the tongue had also been counted on by the Fates as it tied in perfectly with what we were planning. You see, not only did our upcoming nuptials provide the perfect opportunity to construct this crazy plan of ours, but it also gave us the perfect excuse as to why we needed to get back to Witley court.

That’s where we were going to get married.

Now all I needed to do was convince Draven of this and we were all set to go. Well, nearly set, as we still needed Vincent and Ari to come back, but considering it was our wedding, I didn’t think this was something they would miss. I also needed to ask an old friend for a favour and it just so happened that he was currently settled in London, and this was where Pip came into play. It was as genius as it was crazy, but no surprises there as that was Pip all over. But there was a major flaw in Pip’s plan and his name was Dominic Draven.

I knew there was only one way that he would let us celebrate the Hen do at The Devil’s Ring and that was probably over a Hellbeast’s dead body. So this would take yet even more planning or should I say…
lying
.  I tried not to think of what knowing all this would do to Draven if he ever found out, or more like, when he would definitely find out, because one way or another I was coming back from another time in history with his baby to show for it. This was why I was trying not to think about it because no matter how I looked at it, it was starting to look more and more like I was going to be cheating on Draven with…well, with
Draven
.

I hated myself for even thinking of it this way, but I couldn’t seem to get away from it. In that vision I’d had during sex, it hadn’t been my Draven and I was dreading getting to the other side and finding a different man there waiting for me.

“Keira stop.” I scolded myself the same way I had been doing for two days now. I decided to think back to that same night, the one after the diner. It was after we had picked up where we left off in the shower and after Draven had fulfilled my wish about making me dirty again, that we started chatting.

“I’m not complaining, but why so soon?” Draven asked me, smoothing back my damp hair. I looked at him, taking in his gentle eyes and loving gaze and for once, I didn’t need to lie.

“Because there is only one man I have ever loved and he owns the other half of my soul. One I can’t wait to be reunited with and connected to for the rest of our eternity.” After baring my own soul to him he quickly proceeded to show me how much he loved me, which just so happened to make me wonderfully dirty, all over again.

After this, there had been no more questions on why so soon, only Draven giving me any space I needed to plan it all. But there had been a few details that I hadn’t yet discussed with Draven and the time for that was now, especially considering we would soon be on our way to my sister’s house for dinner to break the news about our impromptu wedding plans. 

But this wasn’t all that had happened during the last two days, as RJ had also woken up. I had prepared myself for the worst when seeing her, not really knowing what to expect. However, the only thing I hadn’t prepared for was what met me on the other side of her door…

RJ was smiling.

I was thrilled to see her looking like her old self, but I had to wonder how much of it was being faked? After all I had played this sad game myself and it had taken me a long time to pull myself out of it. It was an understandable and also known, classic coping mechanism, one I could only keep my eye on until the next breakdown which, as happened to me, was inevitable.

Unless of course, the reason for her smile wasn’t what I thought at all and I had to wonder, if Draven had been with me from the beginning, would I have needed to fake my happiness to everyone? It was possible I was wrong and just being paranoid, which I really hoped was the case and her smile right now was down to Seth, who had been looking after her.

Either way, she was happy to see me and for that I was thankful. I didn’t want to lose my friend or see her walk that dark path that I had. In so many ways, looking at her now, I could see that she was so much stronger than I was back then and I had to admire her spirit. But it was hard because talking to her only reminded me of what I had taken away from her. What she had lost because of me and it didn’t seem to matter that I didn’t do anything wrong or couldn’t have prevented it.

It was just all I could see. Jack terrified for his life as his throat was cut and RJ’s pain, terrified for what had become of her brother. And then there I was at the centre, unable to reach the strings that the monsters pulled. I wanted to tell her that I was going to make it right again. That I was giving up my life to take these bastards down and make sure there was never another life they could steal. I wanted to tell her again and again that if Jack was out there, then we would bring him home, just as I had done on that cliff top. But the reality was…

I simply didn’t know.

Because of this I walked away from RJ’s room feeling like my whole life had turned into one big lie at the moment. Even Sophia and Pip didn’t know what I was giving up by doing any of this. They just thought of the prophecy and the joy bringing Draven’s child into their world would bring upon our combined worlds. They knew nothing of the cost I would have to pay and I wasn’t ever going to tell them. So in many ways, I felt like I was on this journey alone. It was my burden to carry, as it was my sacrifice to make.

Now if I could only get it right…starting now.

“You stare into that mirror much longer and it may start talking back to you.” I jumped at Draven’s voice and my erratic heart wasn’t only down to Draven sneaking up on me. No, it was mainly down to how on the mark he had been with that comment.

There had been many times since speaking to the Oracle and learning of my fate that I had searched for the girl in the mirror. I guess knowing she was there didn’t make me feel so alone in all of this. But so far it had all been in vain and I had to wonder if it wasn’t just all in my head. If Katie had just been manifested all along and now I was left trying to fill a void, unable to let her go yet. Or like RJ, was it just another form of coping?

Whichever it was, it still needed to be hidden.

“Maybe I am also hoping she will know a better way to ask you something than I do.” Draven lifted an eyebrow in question.

“What is it, little Dove?” he asked me softly, no doubt trying to ease my fears.

“Come and sit with me.” I told him, taking his hand and pulling him out of the bathroom and into the sitting area of our room.

“One question…does it involve a green haired Imp and should I brace myself?” I laughed and shook my head, thinking to myself, no, that will no doubt come later.

“No, I think you’re safe…
for now.”
  I whispered this last part behind my hand, one he took into his large one before kissing the back of it.

“Then tell me, what is on that busy mind of yours?”

“It’s the venue.”

“Okay,” he said, obviously not expecting this.

“Well you know its late notice and well I am worried about…” He held up his hand to stop me and said what he thought I wanted to hear,

“Sweetheart, pick a place and I will buy it if need be.” I gave him a sheepish smile and said,

“Well I’ve kind of already picked a place and see the thing is…”

“Yes?”

“You already do own it.” He gave me a quizzical look, obviously trying to figure out what I was saying before I said it.

“I gather you don’t mean here at the club, so that only leaves…” I waited and saw the second his eyes flashed purple that he knew what place I was thinking about.

“Witley court?”

“Yeah.”

“May I enquire why?” he asked and I knew it was now or never for my acting skills.

“Most of my family lives in England and I kind of always wanted to get married in my own country.”

“That makes sense but again I ask, why Witley Court? Because you know with mortals there it won’t look as it did for Pip’s party.” I grinned at him and how he wanted to give me this picture perfect wedding.

“I know, but it still holds good memories for me…especially a particular rooftop.” I winked at him, reminding him of how beautiful our reunion was that night but more than that…

“You wish to say our vows at the place I first asked you to marry me.” Draven looked deeply touched by this and I was left wondering why I thought he would even have an issue with it, so I clarified,

“It would mean flying everyone from here, out there…at short notice.”

“Done.” I grinned at how eager he was to give me this.

“And it will mean trying to get in the church there when they might already be fully booked.” I added only now thinking of this problem.

“Leave it to me.”

“And you’re sure you don’t mind?”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea and one close to our hearts, why would I not be sure.” On hearing this, I threw my arms around him, hugged him tight and said,

“Thank you, Dominic.” Knowing that my gratitude would hold its weight even more by calling him by his first name, something I rarely ever did.

“Of course I am not gentlemanly enough not to take advantage of this gratitude and insist you show me…
in bed.”
  He said winking at me, making me blush.

“You’re an incorrigible flirt, you know that.”

“Around you, can you blame me?” I scoffed at this and then warned him, 

“They are going to start calling you the Mad Rampant King!”

“I do hope so, for that would be my favourite so far.”

“Been called many things, have we?” 

“Oh you know, just the usual things, The Conqueror, The Great, The Noble and let’s not forget The Holy.” I burst out laughing when he wagged his eyebrows at me for this last one.

“The Holy! Well certainly not in this bedroom!” We quickly found ourselves carried away in this conversation and it was only when the clock started chiming that I realised we would be late. I jumped off the couch like we were naughty teenagers who had just been caught necking by my parents. Draven made a rumbling protest, trying to pull me back to him to finish what we had started.

“Come on, come on, we have to go or we will be late!” Just then my phone rang and I knew it would be Libby.

“Hey, I’m sorry we are…”

“You haven’t left yet?” my sister asked, sounding stressed out.

“No, sorry but I swear…”

“Oh thank God!” she said interrupting me again from my excuses.

“Libs? What’s up?” I was getting concerned now.

“Can you bring some food with you?” I rolled my lips in to stop from laughing.

“You burned the dinner, didn’t you?”

“Ssshh, don’t say it out loud!” she said, whisper shouting it.

“Why not?”

“Because Dom will hear you.” I laughed at this and reminded her,

“Libs, if you want me to buy food then it’s kind of a given that he will know about it, seeing as he will be with me when we drive to get takeout.”

“Bugger! I didn’t think about that…can’t you just say that I needed some ingredients and then when you get here you help me cook?” Libby’s whiny voice pleaded with me down the phone and I couldn’t help but laugh again knowing that a) when Libby asked me to help her cook, what she was really saying was, could
I
cook and b) Draven could hear this entire conversation anyway.

“Right fine, what were you making?”

“Spaghetti Bolognese.” I had to laugh again.

“Spaghetti Bolognese?”

“And Garlic bread!” She added defensively.

“You mean the frozen type.”

“Well yeah, but it’s still hard to get right.”

“Not if you don’t leave it in the oven too long or set the temp too high.” I told her, wondering how anyone couldn’t just shove something in the oven without burning the crap out of it.

“And what went wrong with the Bolognese?”

“Well I made it just like you used to, but then all this orange fat floated on top and I tried to scrape it off but then half of it fell down the sink when I tried to drain it and…”