Fallen Academy: Year Four (Fallen Academy #4)(15)

Elodie pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. “Don’t do that. There was no way. My wife is Lucifer’s slave. The only way to release her is in death.”

She leaned away to face me, and I saw such compassion in her eyes that it made my heart squeeze tighter in my chest.

“You’ve given us a new life here, and that’s what Raksha wanted. You fulfilled her one wish for our son.”

The tears flowed harder as I swallowed the lump in my throat. “But maybe I should gather the army and go looking for her. Maybe—”

She shook her head. “Maybe you and the army would die down there, and it would have been a waste. We can’t live our life with maybes.”

She’d given up hope. I guess I should too, but it just wasn’t within me to give up. Still, I didn’t want to upset her any more than I already had. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m going to head back now. It was good to see you both.”

Turning from her, I tried to keep my emotions contained, tried to keep the tears from turning to sobs.

“Wait, Brielle!” she shouted at my retreating back.

“I’ll catch you later.” I just waved behind me and then took off running. I needed to run, to move, or I might explode.

Sera. There was no one to talk to about her. My dagger and I were connected on a level that no one else understood. I could feel a tiny bit better about Elodie’s words regarding Raksha, but what excuse did I have for leaving Sera? When Lucy came for me, would I be able to withstand his mental commands? I’d been working on my fear, working on closing the energy vacuums, or whatever Michael called them, but Sera was my weakness. I loved her like she was a person, because to me, she was. She had a soul, and it was deeply entwined with my own. I missed her sarcastic remarks. I missed her crush on Archangel Michael. I missed everything about her.

I’d run so fast and hard that I hadn’t even realized I’d reached the trailer until I looked up to see my mother standing there.

Her face was lined with worry, but something else looked different about her. She looked… younger? Refreshed? I couldn’t put my finger on it, until I remembered what Emberly told me about my mom and Raphael secretly dating. Something I had yet to talk about with her.

She looked happy. Less tired. More content. Not a look I remembered seeing on her for many years.

“Honey, what happened? Are you okay?” She took in my disheveled appearance, hair wild from my run, and chest still heaving.

Catching my breath, I nodded, and opened the trailer door to invite her in with me. “Just a precaution.” I didn’t want to worry her unnecessarily.

She frowned. “It didn’t look like a precaution.”

I waved her off dismissively. “Mom, I made a pact with the Devil and he’s coming for me. What more do you want me to say?” She knew the deep shit I was in; I didn’t want to rehash it every time something slightly dangerous happened.

She was quiet for a moment, as we both stepped into the trailer and took a seat at the dining nook. I felt bad that I’d snapped at her.

“So, are you dating Raph?” I blurted out, partly to change the subject, and partly because I was dying to know.

Her head whipped up, and she looked at me with wide eyes.

Guilty.

“How did you know?”

I chuckled. “Busted.”

My mom grinned then, and it lit up her whole face. “It was Emberly, wasn’t it? I didn’t want you to find out that way. I’m sorry, hon. We’re just taking it slow, getting to know each other. He’s fully acknowledged that your father is my soul mate. We both just want companionship while we’re here.”

My throat tightened at the mention of my father. All he ever wanted was for my mom to be happy. If Raph made her happy for this short time on Earth, then I supported it wholeheartedly.

“I think it’s great, Mom. I think Dad would too. He’d want you to be happy.”

Her eyes welled with tears as she reached out to squeeze my hand. “Oh, honey, thank you for saying that. You know, when your dad’s cancer was really bad, and we weren’t sure if we could find a healer, he told me the same thing. To move on and be happy, because he wouldn’t stand for a sad Kate on his behalf.”

I laughed, tears spilling out onto my cheeks. “That’s such a Dad thing to say.”

She wiped my tears and smoothed my hair.

“So, you and Raph, huh?” I asked again, getting used to the idea.

She beamed at me, full megawatt. “He’s never dated a human, so it’s awkward, silly, and fun.”

They sounded like teenagers. “Good, just don’t give me details.” I plugged my ears, causing my mom’s grin to widen.

She pulled my hands down, and a seriousness crossed over her face. “What else is bothering you, honey? You can tell me anything.”

My heart slowed to a crawl. “No, I’m fine, Mom.”

My mom gave me that look, the ‘I call bullshit’ look, and I sighed. Lincoln said I needed to talk to someone about my problems. Who better to talk to than my mom? Most moms were secret therapists anyway, weren’t they? Always listening to our problems.

So I unloaded. I told her about Sera and Raksha, and how it killed me to just be living my life up here while they were down there. I let out each repressed thing I hadn’t realized I was carrying, and she just sat there for over an hour, kind and patient, and listened.