Chapter Eight
"Any fool can be a Father, but it takes a real man to be a Daddy!!"
~ Philip Whitmore Sr.
~ Philip Whitmore Sr.
Finally back in my world, I looked around and realized that I was again in the room they always put me in. I looked under my covers to make sure I was fully clothed. Realizing that I was fine, I got up and looked at myself in the mirror. I examined myself and became disappointed. I knew my looks didn’t follow me into my world but one could always hope. I realized that I wasn’t alone in my room. I turned to face the thing everyone was calling my father. He was lounging on the couch in front of my bed, a new addition to my room. I continued to stand, wondering if he had been there the whole time. He stood and I realized that I looked nothing like him, except for my height. His green eyes pierced mine and for some reason that brought a flashback of what happened when I was last here. I backed up as far as I could but bumped into the mirror. He ran his hands through his blonde hair and laughed.
“Wow. Is that really a way to greet your father?”
I looked daggers at him. I had so many questions going through my mind but just talking to him wanted to make me hurl. He was extremely tall. He looked about seven feet and if the roof wasn’t so tall he wouldn’t be able to stand up. He had bleach blonde hair that looked almost white (like his skin) and lime green eyes, which I didn’t even know were possible. His muscles were five times the size of any angel’s I had ever seen. I peered at him and truthfully wanted to pick up and run away but I knew I couldn’t. I had to get answers. When I was a little girl my mom told me that I was always stubborn and that I got it from my dad. I always thought she meant Matt but now I started to wonder who she meant. I looked at him, stood tall, and walked over to stand in front of him. I crossed my arms and he looked down on me. I looked up at him and almost fainted. I knew he was all evil and nasty and my “dad” but the way he looked I understood why my mom fell for him. Thinking about him and my mom made me nauseous and I needed to sit down. As if he read my mind he told me to take a seat. He sat and I stayed standing. He bent down to clean something off his shoe and I looked around for a chair.
“Where exactly do you expect me to sit?”
He looked up and nodded to something behind me. I turned around and right there was a chair. I rolled my eyes and walked over and sat in it. He crossed his legs and placed his hands on them.
“So, daughter, how are you?”
He smiled a smile that gave me goose bumps and sent a chill up my spine. His teeth looked liked they belonged to a shark; he had rows and rows of sharp teeth. I inhaled sharply and he seemed to notice. He touched his teeth, closed his mouth, and licked his lips.
“Sorry, I hadn’t realized I was letting my true form reveal itself. I guess that even thousands of years couldn’t perfect it. Does it bother you?”
I shook my head even though it did. I was terrified. Unlike Connor and Mason, I wasn’t a full angel and had not had any angel training. He smiled again but with normal human teeth. I sighed.
“Are you ever going to talk to me? I would assume that you had a lot of questions, especially since the way you left last time. Neil was right; that leaving when people least expect is it quite annoying. I will teach you to control it in due time, my daughter. It feels good to call you that: my daughter. For so long I watched you grow up with that angel that you called dad and it broke my heart, even though you seem to think that I lack one. It is odd that you do not talk. Your mother, now that is a woman that can talk. Actually, it wasn’t hard at all to get her talking and after that, well we-“
I held up a hand for him to stop and, surprisingly, he did. I had to talk to him eventually and now was the time. It disgusted me to even be in the same room as him but I needed to do what I needed to do to get my dad and James back. Who knew what Neil or the Change were doing to him. Just as I was about to speak a familiar face popped in the door. Lily came bouncing in and smiled at me and bowed her head at The Change. Next thing I knew she fell to the ground. She crumpled in a ball and her face looked as if it were being torn apart. Her eyes started to bleed and her ears were twisting the way ears never should. I stared in horror at what was happening to her. She looked like she was in agony and there was no way for me to help. I looked at the Change and he was staring at her with evil eyes, they burned brighter than I had ever seen and almost seemed to be shining.
“Did I not tell you, human, that I would be with my daughter? Did I not tell you not to disturb me? Answer me, now.”
She was writhing in pain and I couldn’t stay silent when she was being tortured.
“STOP! How can she answer you when you are torturing her?”
He did not look away from her, yet he spoke to me.
“Daughter, do not concern yourself with this human. She is disgusting and vile. What I am doing to her will affect her in the real world and hopefully show her how powerful I am and that I am not to be disobeyed.”
Lily let out a scream of pain and I could no longer take it. Seeing my father distracted, I started my imagining. I formed a rock outside of the house and threw it in the window, making sure it hit my father. Due to the fact that he was distracted with torturing poor Lily, he didn’t see it until it was too late. It hit him smack in the skull and he toppled over. Lily gasped for air and I ran to her. I brought her in close and thought of healing water. I brought it in through the broken window and told her to drink. My fa- the Change was getting up and I told Lily to leave. Without hesitation she left. As she departed, I saw her wounds closing and the blood disappearing. As soon as the door closed, I stood to face my father. He had black goo leaking from his forehead. He reached up to touch it. When he realized what it was he looked up at me and smiled.
“I guess you are my daughter.”
I didn’t know what to say and I didn’t care. He snapped and I was strapped in a chair. I felt like a prisoner. I tried moving but he informed me that it would be useless.
“Shall we go back to talking or are you going to try and kill me again.”
I muttered something unintelligible but I knew what I said. He chuckled and sat in a seat right across from me.
“What was that?”
I shook my head and closed my lips shut. He pinched his fingers and then expanded them. My mouth flew open and I had no control. The one place I had always gone, the one place that I was in control of my own life, was now being tainted by the Change.
“I could make you talk and say things that you would never say such as ‘I love you, Daddy.’ And ‘I hate the High Helkers.’, but I won’t. Now, are you going to talk to me or what?”
I glared at him and nodded. He released my mouth and I gasped for air. I looked up at him and he smiled.
“Time?”
I said. Confused, he looked at his watch.
“You want to know the time?”
I nodded.
“I need to know how much longer I have to be in this shithole with a piece of shit like you.”
I spit in his direction but it never reached him. Instead, it stopped inches from his face and he chuckled.
“You really don’t get it? Maybe this will teach you to respect your elders.”
He twirled his fingers and the spit turned into a red ball of fire. He flicked his fingers and the ball flew right towards me. It fell on my mark and burned my cheek. I moaned but wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of my scream, even though it hurt like hell. I looked up at him, smiled, and shrugged.
“Had worse. Now can you tell me what time it is? I was having fun in real life.”
He laughed.
“So Neil told me. Perhaps I should invite Connor in this dream world of yours. Make you watch while I torture your boyfriend.”
He closed his eyes and inhaled. When he opened them they were black all around. He looked sad.
“Unfortunately, my sweet daughter, he seems to be awake. I would be too if I had to guard you.”
“May I please have the time, Change.”
He looked at me confused and then realization swept across his face. He smacked his forehead, making the sound of thunder.
“Ah, yes. I forgot that it was Neil calls me. Well my name is actually Apollyon, Abaddon, or Don. Whatever you prefer. I am sure you have heard of me.”
I scanned my brain for any trace of Greek literature I have read and suddenly I remembered.
“You are the angel-prince of the infernal regions, the minister of death and author of havoc on earth.”
I had photographic memory and specifically remember reading this in an old Greek book. He nodded. I looked at his watch and wondered if he had remembered what I asked him. He followed my gaze and laughed.
“Daughter, do not worry about popping back into your world. When I am ready for you to leave, you will. I would assume you have questions for me.”
I looked him straight in the eye and spoke.
“Where is he?”
“Who?”
“My father.”
He almost looked hurt for a second.
“In front of you, daughter. Are you blind?”
“You know what I mean.”
He sighed and waved his hand.
“Yes, you mean that angel that you call Matt. He is safe and secure and you can have him as soon as I am done.”
What was he talking about?
“Done?”
He nodded.
“Done with persuading you to join me.”
I rolled my eyes. He was losing it if he thought that he could persuade me to join him.
“In your dreams.”
He laughed.
“Actually, in your dreams.”
I rolled my eyes and held back laughter. I couldn’t laugh in front of this thing.
“Whatever, next question.”
He chuckled again and I wanted to slap that grin off his face.
“You are so much like your mother.”
I pointed a finger at him, even though my arms were strapped down.
“Rule number one: DO NOT EVER TALK ABOUT HER!”
He stopped smiling and glared at me. I felt a slap and knew that Don did it. He looked at me and smiled that evil smile. He raised an eyebrow as if asking if I got his message. I nodded and so did he.
“Why now? You said that you have been watching me and you choose now to come to me?”
He laughed. I was actually tired of him laughing and grinning all the time. I mean, weren’t demons supposed to be angry and conniving all the time? I looked at him and realized something he had just told me.
“You’re not a demon.”
He stopped smiling and glared at me. He snapped his fingers and I was released from my bonds and the chair was dragged forward. He got so close to my ear that I felt his hot breath when he talked to me.
“Watch your words, daughter.”
I back my head up and scooted a little farther away from him.
“You aren’t, are you? I can’t believe this. You have all this power and you live forever but you’re not a demon. You are an angel!”
I was practically screaming, now. If he was an angel then I was half angel, not just a third. I almost leaped for joy, but thought better of it. I wanted to run and hug him. He looked at me and I decided not to go that far. I smiled at him, but he didn’t return the favor.
“Keep your voice down if you want your father to survive. Listen, I am not an angel. I am a demon, but a different one.”
I looked at him and raised my eyebrows. What he was saying didn’t make any sense at all. You were either a demon or an angel. You couldn’t be something in between.
“Ask you Connor what I mean or those High Helkers you guys look up to all the time.”
I shrugged. He could deny it all he wanted but he himself confirmed that he was the half-prince angel that I read about.
“Now, can we move on?”
I nodded. I still needed a lot of answers.
“You still didn’t answer my question.”
He smirked.
“I came for you because you are now of age to be my successor. We DEMONS do not die but we do wither away. I am not what I used to be a thousand years ago and I am growing weak. I have my cohorts but I only trust three people in this world; Exapataó, Neil, and you. You have met Neil and you will shortly meet the other. They are my right hand men and they have always done what I asked them to do, but you are my blood. In all my years, I have never had a child, mostly because most women cannot bear to carry a demi-demon in them. Your mother had been tainted with angel when we, uhm….”
He was speechless and I thought I would help him out.
“… reproduced.”
He nodded.
“Yes, so she was strong enough. I had never lost control like that before her. I think that I might have loved her more than anything.”
“Demons can’t love; another reason that you are an angel.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Anyway, I have two reasons to come now. One is that I hope you will join me for one last hoora. I am planning something that not even the High Helkers can dream of and won’t be able to stop, until it is too late.”
I looked at him like he was crazy. There is nothing that he could do that would stump the High Helkers. They could see everything. They heard everything and felt everyone in the world. They always checked on the Underworld and made sure that no demon got out of control. They could tell the future and read minds. I, of course, didn’t tell him this. If he wanted to try and stump them, he could. For me, it would only mean him being captured and never to see me again.
“And two?”
“Two you will have to ask Connor.”
“You know, for someone who hates angels, you sure are telling me to ask one a lot of questions.”
He smiled.
“Because I want you to hear how evil the High Helkers really are and see that I am not the bad guy in this situation.”
I nodded. I would try to ask Connor but I was pretty sure that he wouldn’t tell me.
“Whatever.”
We sat in silence for awhile and I was glad. I had time to gather my thoughts. All I could think of was Mason freaking out looking for me and my dad freaking out and being tortured. Finally, he talked.
“If that is all I would like for you to meet someone.”
I shook my head.
“I have a couple of more questions.”
“So, Neil was right; you do ask a lot of questions.”
I nodded.
“What is it going to take for you to let James go?”
“Who said he is a prisoner of mine?”
I rolled my eyes. I hated when people avoided questions asked to them.
“You pretended to be him last time I was here, remember?”
“I didn’t pretend to be anyone.”
“Oh, so are you telling me that these whole seven years you have been disguised as a guy named James?”
He looked at me and smiled. I searched through my brain for proof that what he was suggesting wasn’t true. James couldn’t be fake. Then again, James wasn’t asked in here and my father had the power to do that.
“ I never said that but maybe things aren’t always what they seem.”
“What exactly are you saying?”
He dismissed my question with a wave of his hand and I rolled my eyes.
“So, daughter, there is someone I want you to meet.”
I nodded.
“Fine but hold on.”
I got up and went to my dresser. I was looking for something to change. I was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. Even though I despised Don, he was still my semi-father, maybe. I didn’t feel comfortable meeting someone in my shorts. I heard the door open and rolled my eyes. I stayed turned around while my father spoke. I wasn’t looking forward to meeting anyone my Don knew.
“Daughter, this is Exapataó. He is my number one man. He has worked for me for longer than you were born. I trust him completely and I thought you should meet him. You might actually know him.”
I turned around and the man was covered head to toe in armor and covered it with a hooded sweatshirt. He took off the hood and I almost fainted. He had jet black hair and sea blue eyes. I would recognize those eyes anywhere. They were the eyes that I looked into and told I loved. They were the eyes that I saw every time I came back into my world. They were the eyes that I wished to see one day in real life. They were the eyes of the man I loved. He smiled at me and all I could do was stare. Don’s number one man? Someone he trusted completely?
“James?”………………………..
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