Page 65 of Claiming Demons
“Will you allow me to take her?” Shiva asked, indicating Erini. “It’s my hope that with time and instruction, she can mend her ways and ease her troubled mind.”
I looked to Grey since he was Erini’s brother. “What do you think?”
He shrugged. “Hades hasn’t worked for her, so it’s worth a shot.”
Turning back to Shiva, I said, “She’s all yours.”
He stepped in and lifted Erini carefully. “I bid you all a pleasant evening… though, for you it is far from over.” Then he smiled and vanished in a swirl of blue smoke.
“Far from over?” I asked. “Anyone know what that means?”
“I believe I do,” Raphael said as he landed nearby, folding his wings in behind him.
Oh fuck! I’d completely forgotten about Raphael… my father.
“Anais,” he said softly as he came to me. “I think it’s time you know the truth.”
ANAIS
“Who are you?”Ramsey growled as he stepped protectively in front of me. “Other than one of Yahweh’s little helpers.”
“He’s my father,” I said softly.
All three of my guys turned to stare at me.
“Your father is a daemon prince? An archangel?” Grey breathed. “That explains a lot.”
“And ah… I should probably mention now that Harmonia believes, my mother was… Inanna.”
“That’s correct,” Raphael said with a smile and a dreamy, far-away look in his eyes.
Grey, Ramsey, and Fen all gaped at me. Grey recovered first.
“Of course…” he said as if everything suddenly made sense to him. “Your aspects match hers, except for healing and peace which—” he turned to Raphael, “—are yours, correct?”
Raphael nodded sagely.
“Why is that such a big deal?” I asked. I didn’t quite understand why they were all so dumbstruck.
“Shall I explain?” Raphael answered.
“Yes, please do,” I replied, then remembered I was wearing armor for clothes. “Though, can we do it elsewhere? I could use a change of clothes, as could most of these others.” Then I realized I was being extremely selfish, remembering all the others who’d suffered this night. “Actually no, we should help the wounded and see if there are others in that mess of a building who need help.”
Raphael held up a hand to stop me. “I wouldn’t have come to find you if that hadn’t been taken care of. Everyone has been brought out from the hotel, and those who could be healed, have been.”
I caught on that wording. “Those whocouldbe healed?” I asked.
“Some died. Mortals only, not that that minimizes it. I do have the power to return them to life, but not the authority to do so. Others, true gods, are handling that. Some were meant to die this night. Others will make a miraculous recovery.”
“Oh… that’s… horrid,” I said softly. “Not people recovering, but that people were meant to die so that I could become who I am.”
“Don’t think of things that way,” Raphael said as he approached. “I’ve been around for some time and have learned that not everyone can be saved. On this night, you were meant to become who you are… and some people were meant to die. It wasn’t the one that caused the other, merely a mutual confluence of events.”
That sounded less ugly, but I still felt awful.
“I need a bath,” I whispered.
“If you wish to, you can transport us all to a place you feel is safe,” Raphael said, his words slow, fatherly, instructive. “It is within your power to do so.”