Distant Fires of Heaven (The Malevolent Sacrifices #1)

One Week and 5 Days

There was emptiness in Juliet's heart when she stepped through the portal back to Los Angeles. There were no tears shed, because Juliet invited everyone in the New York Institute over to Los Angeles for her birthday in the upcoming days.
One week and five days. Juliet told herself. One week and five days until I can be with Rosemary and Stephen.
That morning she'd gone to Rosemary's room to explain why she was leaving.
Rose had been in one of Mason's shirts and a pair of leggings. Her blonde hair knotty, so she threw it into a messy bun. She looked refreshed since she had waken up from her coma, and Juliet could feel how much better she was physically and mentally.
Juliet had been staring at the ground for what felt like ages. The only words she managed to speak where, "I'm leaving in a few hours."
Rose had given her the chance to take deep breaths to speak this thing out, because Raziel knows Juliet hasn't done so in the past.
"I'm just, I'm going through so much. It seems cowardice, and you just woke up, and I'm so sorry, but there's a pain in my heart Rose. A terrible, aching pain that doesn't seem to go away-" Juliet had started crying, and Rose pulled her into the tightest hug.
"This is going to sound so hypocritical, but don't force yourself to tell me." She murmured. "Before I didn't see how much this bothered you, but I see it now." She pulled Juliet's face into her hands. Her green iris's reflecting compassion and love into Juliet's. "You are the most strongest person that has ever come into my life. Whatever happened to you in your past, whether it be from Riley or something else, what's most important is that you are still here. Here, on this earth. With me, and with Stephen, and your family. Nothing can possibly rip you from that. Remember that, and you'll be okay." Rosemary smiled.
But Juliet had been ready to tell her. Rose's words touched her heart, choked the living hell out of heart, reminded her of her own heart being ripped from her chest, because she wanted someone to hold it.
Understand my pain, she had thought. Please.
"Oh, Rose." Juliet said softly. She couldn't help but smile. "You have such a huge heart, it's hard to believe you have only one."
Rosemary only smiled. She ran her fingers along the chain of Juliet's necklace, the little cello charm now being held in Rosemary's palm. She closed her hand around the charm, and closed her eyes, acting as if she was concentrating.
Juliet gave Rose a puzzled expression when she opened her eyes again. "What did you do?" She asked softly.
Rose hugged Juliet again. "I'll see you for your birthday, okay?"
Then that was the end of their conversation.

Now Juliet had finished unpacking her things. It was 9am when she portaled out of New York, but since there is a 3 hour time difference, it was 6am in Los Angeles.
Juliet closed her eyes slowly, listened to the sound of the ocean outside her bedroom window. It wasn't like the sound of New York traffic, which ultimately made her think of Stephen, the way she'd listen to the humming of NYC as she laid in his arms.
One week and 5 days. She reminded herself.
Octavian had portaled back with Juliet and her parents, and took the room Julian's kept for him over the the years. Uncle Tavvy has had that room since he was a toddler, and whenever Juliet was in there she could see little markings against the door frame of height measures.
One said Tavvy, one said Dru, one said Ty, and the other one said Livvy.
Juliet's eyes quickly went to the frame resting on her nightstand, which was a gift from Emma given to Juliet so long ago.

It was of a girl, Emma said she was 15 in that photo, and Juliet had thought at first it was a candid of herself, until Emma explained it was Livia Blackthorn, Juliet's aunt.
She remembered when Emma had been pregnant with Liv, she had just started her third trimester. Juliet was 12, the twins were 10.
Julian and Emma had sat their 3 kids down in the lounge room, and Juliet never forgot the look Julian wore. It was a look worn with time, something Julian had never wiped from his face when thinking about his younger sister.
Emma had been nervous to talk, but she also seemed to be glowing in a positive way, and that was because they had found out what to name the newest Blackthorn.
Juliet, Andrew, and Calvin listened as Emma talked to them about Livia. Julian not being able to find his voice when he had first tried to tell it.
Juliet could still remember it all. Emma had to keep herself from crying herself, which baffled Juliet because she's never known her Mom for being weak. Emma's a strong woman, a goddess of battle. Juliet's always looked up to Emma that way, always wanting to have the same skill with a sword. Always wanting to be as great of a fighter as Emma, and always wanting to have that intense bravery. So when she saw Emma's face pale, and her voice straining for the smallest bit of strength, it made Juliet want to stop her Mom from speaking. But the story was important, so she sat still and listened.
Julian and taken Emma's hand, his eyes scanning the ring she bore on her finger. Emma wore a ring on each hand. One was for the Carstairs family, and one was for the Blackthorns.
His was looking at her Carstairs ring, his jaw sharply defined as Emma drew a deep breath and she had started to speak.
"We wanted to tell you guys about your aunt, Livia Blackthorn. We called her Livvy, it's what she liked to be called." Emma spoke fondly of Livvy, a soft smile playing at her mouth.
Andrew being himself, had scrunched his face. "Why?" He asked tilting his head. His blonde curls falling in front of his face.
"Because-" Emma looked at Julian. "We're naming your little sister after her." Her brown eyes sparkled with a glint of happiness.
"So her name is going to be Livia?" Calvin asked now. His voice was soft and quiet, but then again, Calvin was always soft and quiet.
Where as Andrew was not.
"Yes." Julian smiled at him. "Her name is going to be Livia."
"Oooo." Andrew said now. Juliet didn't say anything, but she did want to hit Andrew for being annoying, like the little brother he is.
Emma smiled again and she started to speak again. "Aunt Livvy had been such a great girl. You guys would have loved her so much." She said softly.
"How did she die?" Andrew asked. Juliet's eyes widened and she looked at him and flicked him on his arm.
"Andy you don't ask someone that!" She hissed. Andrew just shrugged.
"I wanna know." He said subtly.
"It's okay, it's okay." Emma said. "She- she was stabbed. I won't go into detail as to why, that's for something we can talk about when you guys are older, and we aren't naming your sister after her because she died, but because Livia was someone who could light up the room just by being there. She deserves to have her light continue to shine, and Daddy and I know your little sister will do that."
After Andrew asked more annoying questions, followed by Juliet pulling his hair, then the two of them bickering and Julian telling them to stop.
Andrew had crossed his arms and glared at Juliet, but she didn't really care. She was more concerned about the way her parents looked.
They looked so happy with the name for the new baby but they looked so sad.
After Emma and Julian let the three kids go, Juliet had followed them back to their bedroom, where she spied on them talking to one another. Juliet had just learned how to draw a hearing rune on herself, so she grabbed her stele and drew one on the side of her arm, and listened to them.
Julian had been speaking about Andrew and his questions, joking about how frustrating he could be sometimes. Emma had chuckled slightly, and then had asked Julian if they were doing the right thing by Livia, then it grew quiet.
She heard little sniffles and what sounded like low murmurs and cries, and she moved away from the door, not baring the idea that her own mother was crying. Juliet had stumbled back and knocked over the vacuum in the hallway, falling onto her back. She pulled herself up onto her elbows by the time Julian opened the door.
He noticed the hearing rune on her arm, and he rose his eyebrows suspiciously and crossed his arms across his chest. "Juliet Cordelia-"
"I'm sorry! Please don't ground me!" She said instantly. "I- I- I just wanted to see why you both look so sad." She said softly and Julian lowered his arms.
His parental figure expression had completely vanished from his face, and now he was that kind man that Juliet had always loved about her father. He nurtured and comforted her unlike any other father.
He held his hand out for her to grab so he could pull her up, and she took it letting him help her stand. She hasn't grown much yet, her head reached just against Julian's heart when she stood up straight.
"You could have just knocked." He said and pulled her into a gentle hug.
"Oh." Juliet said then followed Julian into her parent's bedroom.
Emma had been sitting on the ottoman in front of their bed, wiping her eyes with tissues. Juliet knew how much Emma hated to cry.
Julian escorted her to sit next to her mother, and then knelt down onto the floor, his face now eye level with her.
"You both are sad about Aunt Livia, aren't you?" Juliet observed.
She watched Emma and Julian share a quick glance and then they each took one of her hands to hold.
"Of course we're sad about Aunt Livia, Juju. It's okay to be sad about her. One day we'll be able to smile when we talk about her." Julian said gently.
"Also it's why we want to name your little sister after her, because we want happiness when we think about her." Emma added on.
Emma pulled her hand away and stood up slowly, Juliet reminded herself that Emma is a little more sluggish now since she is pregnant.
She walked out of the room and then Julian had spoke again.
"You look so much like her." He said to her.
"Like who? I thought I looked like you." Juliet said and tilted her head to the side.
"Like Livvy. You look a lot like Livvy, babygirl." Julian smiled. Juliet smiled too.
"I'm guessing Aunt Livvy looked like you then?" She grinned.
Julian laughed. "We all look the same, Juju. You look like your aunts and uncles as much as you look like me, but I see Livvy's features in you more than I see my own." He smiled again and then ruffled her hair as Emma came back in holding a little picture frame.
She sat back down, and then handed the frame to Juliet, who took it between her two hands, looking st the girl in the photo.
"Is this me?" She asked. She didn't notice the boy next to the girl in the photo until Emma pointed him out.
"No Juliet. This is Aunt Livia with Uncle Ty. She was 15 in this picture, well they both were." Emma said softly. Juliet looked at the 15 year old girl laughing with who Juliet knew now as Uncle Ty.
She studied the way Livvy looked, the little locket around her throat, the way her blue eyes shined with exhilaration and love at her brother. Julian was right, Juliet did look like Livia.
Juliet wasn't sure if it was just familial love or if Juliet was stunned by the death of such a happy girl. But whatever had happened to Aunt Livia, she didn't deserve her death.
She ran her hand over the photo, not even realizing how mesmerized she looked.
"Can I keep this?" She asked Emma, not taking her eyes from the photo.
Emma put her hand on Juliet's shoulder, Julian moving so he could see the photo for himself.
She heard sniffles again, and looked to see him shedding tears.
She set the frame down and hugged him, resting her head gently on his shoulder.
She didn't expect Julian to hug her back so tightly, but she didn't protest as his arms squeezed her small body. She knew her father needed this. She had thought to herself if maybe she could fill that spot for him, fill that hole that Livia's death left in his heart, he wouldn't need to be sad anymore.