“Yep. Took a page out of your demon’s book.” He winks at me, and I groan, remembering when Colten used that tactic on me in first year. It was a stupid thing for him to do, but ultimately it worked just like it did now.
“You’re Lucifer Morningstar, King of Hell, and you had to steal a taunt from my boyfriend?” I goad him, and he just smiles.
“Hey, why try and fix what’s not broken. It’s already been proven time and again that your emotions are tied to your powers.” I roll my eyes and flop onto the ground. “By the way, those Heavenly powers you don’t seem to think you have?” I look over at him with a raised eyebrow once he’s sitting beside me.
“Yes?” He shakes his head with a smile.
“Your visions are clearer, and more in depth than any of my children have, baby girl. Premonitions may be a gift that I have, but it’s more commonly used with the ‘good’ side.”
I tilt my head as I think about it.
When Addy was missing and I first had my visions triggered, they were so real and intense. Like I was fully in that place and time instead of where my body was planted. The visions were the only things that were real to me in those moments.
“You’re saying that’s a Heavenly power?” I question, and he nods.
“Yep. Where do you think I got it from? The Father happens to be my Dad.”
“Then how did you come to have your own powers away from Heaven?” I ask him for the first time, trying to wrap my head around all of it.
Technically speaking, God The Father, is my great Grandfather. Try wrapping your head around that.
“When I was banished from Heaven for doing some evil shit that I never want to tell you about,” he winks at me, and I laugh. “I was sent here to rule Hell. Who else could run Hell better than the banished angel and son of The Father? Anyway, I was given new abilities. Ones that worked with the fires from Hell instead of the light from Heaven,” he explains.
“But the premonitions?”
“I’m still His son. I was bound to keep a few of their abilities.” He gives me a small smile, and I feel sad.
I feel sad for what happened to Gramps back then. I feel sad about him and Dad losing touch for so long because Dad chose good, and Gramps couldn’t see past that at the time.
Most of all, I’m sad that I think I’ve lost the innocence I once had in believing that anyone can be all good or all bad, when clearly, that’s not the case.
“I’m sorry.” I sniffle, and he looks at me with concern.
“For what?” he asks.
“Everything, I think? For what you went through then, for losing Dad. For me putting you through all of this.”
He scoffs at me and shakes his head with a frown.
“You haven’t done anything, Harleigh. Nothing other than bringing my son back to me, and giving me a love I never knew I could feel until you. Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids, but your soul is special, baby girl. Don’t ever forget it.”
We sit in the grass side by side for a while in a peaceful quiet, and my mind wanders.
Maybe Gramps is right. Maybe someday I will be able to fully accept what I did to Paul and know I am still a good person, but it’s going to take time.
Right now, I feel like I’m somehow tainted, or dirty. Like there’s a dark spot on my once clean soul, and I no longer shine like the Harleigh I was before. Knowing I have control over my emotions enough to not set shit on fire without thinking, seems to be settling a part of me that was living off anxiety and fear. The rest will just take some time.
9
Colten
Day before Junior Year…
We’ve been back from Hell for a couple weeks now, and I’m glad for it.
It wasn’t my first time there, but it wasn’t a fun trip by any means.
When we got there, Harleigh was a shell of herself. She refused to do most of the things she loved. She wouldn’t listen to music or sing, or dance and laugh. She barely even smiled, and it killed all of us to see her like that.
After a couple of weeks, she started to smile a bit more, and let us cuddle her closer while loving her harder. Not that she hadn’t before, but it felt different.
We were getting our girl back a little more every day as she gained control over her powers, so her emotions didn’t set them off anymore.
By the time we made it back to the school, she was happier than she had been in over a month. I know there are still some shadows that haunt her mind the way they will anyone who has a conscience, but that’s not uncommon.
We all have things we feel guilty for, that haunt us throughout life. No one is exempt from those struggles, but somehow Harleigh has gone until now without hitting that life milestone.
“You ready to see Adeline again, babe?” I ask her with a smirk, and she squeals. She actually fucking squeals like she’s a toddler being given a giant bag of candy.
“I’d say that’s a yes.” Brian chuckles from the couch beside her.
“Of course, it’s a yes! I need my Adds,” she says with a giant smile.
While we were in Hell with her, everyone decided Adeline would be better off training with an elder vampire that Lucifer had known for centuries, and trusted to keep her safe.
We know a war is coming, we just don’t know when, and we all need to be on top of our abilities. With Adeline being such a new vampire, Connerton won’t be enough to have her prepared for what is coming our way.
I can’t say I feel overly prepared myself, but I think that’s because of all the unknowns.
