Accepting Fate - (Slums to Riches, Book one)

Chapter 42

Angelique had said her very first and hopefully her last lie. She always knew Thomas had more brains than Patricia. He proved it when he left after hearing she regained her powers. However, he could not have known how strong she would become, or he would have convinced his sister to find a different way to open the portal. She was also convinced they did not work alone. Neither of them could have come up with the idea for the orphanage.

Now, holding the crystal out towards Patricia, the sun cast rainbows around them. Patricia made the mistake of staring directly at it. She could not look away again. Hypnotized, she moved her head to follow the crystal as Angelique moved it side to side.

Satisfied she had Patricia's full attention, she hummed a long, dull note. No one ever accused her of having the voice of a nightingale. The crystal glowed and sent the rainbows out further along the ground, almost touching Patricia feet. She quickly changed it to her mother's song. It resembled an Irish folk-song, but more upbeat.

The words became clearer in her mind and then the mothers translated into English for her. Suddenly she could understand why they wanted her to use it. The words read like an exorcism prayer and would have saved the soul of a recently possessed person.

She sang the words in her tenor voice:

Serpent can't you see,

This world is not for thee.

Let this woman free,

To look upon the world once more.

Serpent, you can go free,

But not as one of us.

Leave this place,

Be gone and let us be,

Or forever you will see,

We live happily ever more,

While you stare through the door,

Of the prison I hold before you.

What choice will you make today?

Will you leave, or will you stay?

Either way, she will go free.

Which will it be?

Angelique stepped onto the steps, passing the shield, and breaking the hypnosis on Patricia. The crystal rested in the palm of her hand, so she brought it level with her stomach, cupping her hand with the other.

Angelique never met her cousin before their possession, but from what she remembered of their younger selves, Patricia had delicate feminine features. Now, a gleeful sneer marred those features. Black teeth showed behind curled lips, and spittle dripped from her chin. She took a step forward. Two more and she would reach the bottom of the stairs.

Clearly disregarding the start of the song, she said, "I chose to stay."

Angelique nodded, raised her arms to chest level, then said, "Let it be!"

Patricia's chest jerked and she stumbled forward as the spell pulled the demon from her body. Angelique squinted against the bright glow of the crystal before it turned black, absorbing the demon's essence.

Cook appeared with her usual flutter of material. She opened the lid of a glass box, containing a red, velvet pillow.  "Drop it inside. Hurry, before she gets free."

Angelique opened her hands over the box and dropped the crystal. Cook closed the lid and held it out to her. She cast a locking spell and then Cook disappeared with the box. Already drained from the 'exorcism', she had barely enough energy to unlock the door. Logan let go and Ty burst through, heading straight for her.

"Hey, hope you guys didn't--"

Grabbing her shoulder, Ty glared at her. "What the fuck was that? Has all this queen-business gone to your head? She's your sister!"

Angelique had never felt that much hate coming from Ty. Anger, yes, but never directed at her. It ignited her own pent-up fury. She shoved his chest, but he stepped right back into her space. Calling to her wolf, she shoved him again. This time he stumbled over his feet and landed on his rear.

"Before you went inside, I said not to believe what you hear." Pointing in the vicinity of the fire-pits, she said, "I can understand why they would believe I was offering up my sister, but you know me better. YOU of all people know me better than anyone. Michael tried to tell you it was all a hoax, but you NEVER listen. I have a responsibility, not only to the five of you, but to those people. I did what I had to do to save Jamie's life. I couldn't tell anyone I helped Jamie shift yesterday, because I'm already a freak in your eyes."

She turned to Jamie for help, but she had gone back into the manor with Ben. The hate coming from Ty and Andrew did not dissipate.

Shaking her head, she stumbled down the steps. "I don't know why I'm even trying to explain. You have already made up your minds. I'm the monster. I'm not the docile, slaving sister you all expect me to be, so I must be as evil as those demons. Don't worry though. It is easy for me to take myself somewhere far away from all of you. Go ahead and have your party. It's all paid for. And while you at it, take that emotionless statue with you when it's all over. Find a better place to hide from Thomas, because he will be back and I won't be here to save your sorry asses."

She held out her arms and caught Jenny as she threw herself into her arms. Whispering so only she could hear, she said, "Watch over Mickey. If you need me, tell him to call me. I'll hear. I'm not really leaving."

She nodded and then ran back to Michael. When he looked at her, she tapped her temple. He nodded. She thought of the waterfall and then took a step back, right over the bank of the river.