Synching With the Devil's Son

Chapter 92

Bella's P.O.V.

Okay, this is a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I know Lucien and his Dad are not allowed to kill these two assholes, but they sure can terrify and toy with them. I can hear them crying, screaming for mercy before they're dumped unceremoniously in front of me from the air, landing in an undignified heap at my feet. They're given chance after chance to escape, but the futility of their situation doesn't hit them right away. John Henry is the first to realize it, and I almost feel sorry for him. He's accepted his fate with a sort of child-like dignity, crying and slobbering while trying to apologize to me. Skylar, on the other hand, seems to think he's above censure. His attitude doesn't seem to bother Lucien or his father, I guess they are accustomed to his kind of behavior...probably have seen a lot of it now that I think about it. They punish the truly terrible and yet both of them have a gentle optimism, a belief in humanity even though they interact with the worst of the worst. I don't know how they manage to keep their conviction that people are worth saving. After my attack, I turned inward and hid myself away from everyone for three years. I guess I didn't have faith in my fellow mankind anymore. Holy shit! My epiphany hits me with the subtleness of an earthquake. It's all about faith! Faith my father and brother love me unconditionally, faith my friends have my best interest at heart, faith in myself, in an internal belief I can rise above any situation. That's what Lucien and his father have given me. I am strong, I am a survivor, I have faith in God and in the Devil to reward and punish as needed. I have faith people will find their paths, whether they need redemption, forgiveness or acceptance because there is a harmonious balance that keeps us all grounded in our mortal existence. Good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people, its what we do with our experiences that make us who we are.

The final trip into the woods brings our captives to their proverbial knees. John Henry has reverted back to a time when his life made more sense, where lack of money and responsibility didn't drive his actions. Skylar Schmidt is quieter, less fearful than John but seemingly more introspective, almost penitent. Lucien's father gives them direct orders and they nod in resignation. I don't see them as broken or evil anymore. They are just lost individuals, flailing around without having a purpose, and desperately looking for cohesiveness and something to believe in. Now they too have faith. They've see what awaits them unless they become more caring, more responsible, more...human. Lucien's father asks if I'm satisfied, and I am. I feel completely vindicated. I have never felt so serene and confident in my entire life. The time I've spent thinking while they were out hunting has given me a unique perspective, and I nod my head, smiling broadly at who I now know will be my future father-in-law.

He closes his eyes and nods briefly, with a small smile on his face. Does he understand I've had a life changing epiphany? Can he read minds? I'm going to test if he can. I concentrate while I recite in my head, "I love Lucien, Mr. Amon, and I love you too. You two freed me from the black roots that perforated my bedrock, suffocating me and separating me from my humanity." I see him glance at me sharply. Oh shit, he can read minds! But then I notice he's not staring at me, he's staring at something behind me. I feel an electricity in the air, and suddenly a bright all-encompassing light fills the area. Lucien is beside me in a millisecond, tucking my head against his shoulder and asking me to keep my eyes shut until he tells me I can open them again.