Chapter 87The day came when it was time to leave the island. Selene returned to the Realm to question Ella.“Gabriel, bring Ella to me.” Selene ordered the Arch angel, “I will get to the bottom of this one way or another.”Gabriel bowed, “As you wish, Mother.” He turned and left Selene’s presence. It wasn’t long before he returned with Ella.Selene looked Ella over as she walked toward her. The woman looked as though she had been through the wringer. Her hair was matted and wild on her head and her clothes were torn and soiled.“What fresh hell are you going to rain above my head now, Mother?” Ella spat the words out of her cracked, dry lips.‘I did not bring you here to torture you Ella,” Selene replied, “I want information from you. If you refuse, or try to lie, I will send you to hell so fast you won’t know what hit you. Do you understand me, Ella?”Ella looked at Selene smugly. “So, Mother, you found out about Arabella?” Ella started to laugh until she saw the look on Selene’s fac
Chapter 88Ella grinned to herself as she stood at the cave opening. ‘Selene should have seen it coming.’ Ella whispered to herself. ‘Really Selene, did you think I would not take the first chance I got to get away from the Realm?’Ella felt a warm, fragrant breeze caress her cheek. At last, she had Arabella. In doing this, she did not break the oath Mother forced her to take. Ella wasn’t harming Arabella; just detaining her really.“Why am I in the cave” Arabella said out loud. It was then that she realized she was not alone. Someone else stood by with a wicked grin on their face.“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Arabella Brennan in the flesh. Misus a pound of course.” Laughter echoed around the cave as Ella taunted Arabella.“Why am I here Ella?” Arabella demanded of Ella.“You see Arabella, your Mother made me take an oath to not harm you and I haven’t. There you stand, not a hair on your head have I hurt.”Arabella felt anger rise up but tried to repress it. She knew she would get n
Chapter 89Selene and Lucian stood on the black lava that made up the beach. Neither one knew what to do. Arabella grabbed the shadows and was gone. It had been over an hour ago that she left.“Where is she Selene? Why hasn’t she come back?” Lucian was getting nervous. “She would have come right back; something has happened to her.”“Let’s wait a little longer, Lucian. If she isn’t back soon, I’ll go to the Realm and try to find her that way. I will send out all the free Arch-Angels to search. Don’t worry, we will find her.” Selene didn’t let on to Lucian that she was worried too. Where was Arabella?Arabella lay on the sleeping bag she kept at the cave. Ella had been gone for quite a while and Arabella wondered when she would be back; if she would be back. Everything happened so fast, and she knew that Selene and Lucian must be going out of their minds about now wondering where she was. At least Ella didn’t make her get lost in-between. That would have been a disaster for Arabella.“W
Chapter 90“I can’t get you out Ari. This whole place is a trap. Once you enter you cannot leave. Now we are both stuck here.”Arabella looked at Sybil in horror. If Sybil couldn’t get them out, then it was hopeless. There had to be a way, there just had to be.“Ari, there is only two ways out; one, Ella releases you and two, Lucian finds us.” Sybil continued her musings. “I don’t understand, Sybil. How can Lucian save us?”“He’s human, the trap is only for us from the Realm and you as a half-breed. Lucian is all human, is he not?” Sybil asked patiently. “Any human could walk in here and it would break the spell.”If they had to count on Lucian, they were in deep trouble. Lucian didn’t know where to look. She felt anger boil up inside. It grew stronger the more she thought of what Ella had done to her and now Sybil."The only human around is Jack and he would not think of coming here. Why should he?”Jack looked around the cabin to see if anything had been disturbed. Everything was as
Chapter 91Ella laughed, “You have no idea, Arabella, no idea at all. For you, time is running out.” With those words, Ella was gone.Arabella stared at the place where Ella stood. “Well, Sybil, what do we do now? She is determined to physically harm you.”“Why me? I haven’t done anything to Ella. Matter of fact, I stayed out her way in the Realm. She seem to always be in a bad mood. I saw her kicking an imp once and she glared at me like she wanted to kick me too.” Sybil started to ramble.“Focus, Sybil!! We have to do something. I can’’t just sit here, waiting for the moment when Ella decides to do us in.” Arabella was frustrated, she couldn’t help but think there was something she was overlooking. Something that would free them.Arabella picked a rock up from the fireplace and tossed it up and down in her hand. Turning suddenly, she tossed it toward the entrance of the cave. Arabella and Sybil both cringed when it reached the mouth of the cave; nothing happened. The rock passed the
Chapter 92A dark figure jumped through the entrance making Sybil scream and cover her head with her wings. ‘This is it,’ she thought, ‘I’m going to die in a cave and no one will know where to find me.’Sybil trembled inside of her wings, waiting for something to happen. Nothing happened. Slowly Sybil lowered her wings. Arabella stood right in front of her causing Sybil to jump backward slamming into the wall behind her. Wide-eyed, Sybil looked around the cave. There was only her and Arabella there.“Wow, Ari, I thought you were dead.” Sybil’s nerves were shot. All of it was catching up to her causing Sybil to cry. A lone tear rolled down her cheek onto her wing. “Don’t ever do that again Ari. You almost gave me a heart attack. What did you think you were doing? You could have been killed and I would be all alone here to face Ella. How would I explain that one?”"It would mean that Ella broke her oath, Sib. The heavens would have roared at that one and Ella would not be able to harm y
Chapter 93Suddenly, Ella realized it was not Arabella, but Selene that stood before her. Quickly, she reached for the shadows, but nothing happened. Running to the mouth of the cave, Ella stopped short. Outdide stood Michael, his sword of rightness was drawn. Ella’s shoulders slumped in defeat.“How did you find her?” Ella was curious as to why her spell didn’t work.“Silly woman,” replied Selene, “You forgot one important element.”Ella was getting impatient and almost stomped her foot in anger. “No need to draw this out Selene.”“Please Ella,” Selene smiled, “Let me finish. You forgot she was half human. That rather voided your magic. Why did you do this, Ella? What did Arabella ever do to you?”“Do to me? You want to know what she ever did to me? She exists, Selene. Do you understand that? She exists. I have spent my life having Arabella shoved down my throat. So much so that I never felt good enough for you. What better way to reach than through your ‘daughter’. Your precious Ara
Chapter 94Lucian walked back to the veranda to be close to Arabella while she slept. He was not surprised to find Thorn asleep on the porch beside the lounger where Arabella lay. Smiling to himself, Lucian sat down to wait on Arabella.Arabella’s sleep was long and uneventful. Echaustion keep the nightmares away. Slowly, Arabella started to wake up. She groaned a little at the pain from sleeping in one position for a long period of time. Arabella found herself alone on the veranda and started to panic. Just as she was ready to lose it, Lucian walked onto the veranda with hot coffee and finger sandwiches.“Ah, finally, you are awake?” Lucian said with a smile in his voice. “I was hoping you would soon. You must be starving by now.” Lucian set the tray with the coffee and food on the small table in front of Arabella.“Lucian, you’re here,” Arabella breathed whispered before she could stop herself. “Where is Selene? Oh, by the Gods, where is Ella?”Arabella tried to jump up from her cha