chapter Thirty-Four
Bliss stumbled into the crowd blindly, blinking back tears, not caring where she was going, not knowing what to do, or what to think. She had trusted him to accept her as she was, and he had rejected her. She could still see the hate that had been in his eyes when she'd told him - but what did she expect? Of course he would react that way - her father had cursed his people, turned them into beasts, made them slaves. How could he see past that? She barreled through the crowd, unseeing, until by accident she bumped into Rafe.
"Bliss!" he cried.
"What's wrong? What happened?" she asked. "Why aren't you at the oculus?"
"Ahramin sent me to find you. The oculus does not respond. We cannot change the order. She thinks the masters have locked it off somehow, to keep anyone from tampering with it. Where's Lawson?"
Bliss shook her head. "We don't need Lawson right now." Lawson might have dismissed her, but Bliss knew what she had to do. Lawson had sent the wrong person to the oculus. She was of the same blood as the masters, and because she was Lucifer's daughter, the hounds would follow her every command. Only she could stop the massacre. "Take me to the oculus, quickly."
The oculus was housed in the great Temple of Mars, and when Bliss arrived, Ahramin and the boys had managed to clear the area; the hellhound guards were dead or subdued, bound with silver chains. There was no time to explain, and Bliss stepped directly into the light of the oculus in the center of the room.
It was like being in the passages; it was all connected, she realized, the oculi, the dark roads, all part of the great network of space and time. Bliss stepped inside the abyss and sent out the message, seeing each hound in the light, their souls as dark stars in the firmament.
You shall not harm the Sabine women but take them as wives. The Dark Prince himself wishes this so.
One by one the light of each hound brightened in response. The message was being received and transmitted to the hive mind.
Bliss hesitated - she realized the oculus could help her in another way. "Show me the Watcher," she ordered.
The images whirred and flew, and finally she saw her aunt. Jane Murray was wearing a raincoat and walking purposefully through a gray, foggy city. She was alive and unharmed. Bliss called to her through the vortex of space and time.
When Bliss stepped out of the oculus, Ahramin was waiting. "We saw the light flash, it meant the message went out. You are one of them," the dark girl said. "Lucifer's kin."
Bliss did not argue. She looked at the boys, worried about their reaction. "I am sorry that I did not tell you sooner, but while I am my father's daughter, I am my own person. He is as much my enemy as yours."
"You don't need to explain," Malcolm said, and hugged her. "You saved the timeline."
"Where is Lawson? Does he know about you?" Ahramin asked.
She nodded. "Yes," she said, not wanting to share any more information for now.
They heard footsteps from the entrance to the temple. Ahramin turned to the boys. "Guard this place. Make sure no one else uses the oculus. Bliss and I will go to Lawson. Come," she said to Bliss, moving her away from the brothers.
"Look, Lawson doesn't want me around, I'll stay here," Bliss said.
Ahramin shook her head. "There is no time to be bashful. Listen, Lawson thinks he can kill Romulus with the archangel's sword."
Bliss nodded.
"He can't."
"Why not?"
"Because I stole it," Ahramin said, trembling. "When I shook his hand, when he released me." She showed Bliss the velvet pouch that contained Michael's sword. "I've had it ever since."
Bliss stared at her. "You sent him to his death! Romulus will destroy him! What were you thinking!" Then she realized. "You lied to us. You are still a Hound of Hell."
Ahramin's body was wracked with spasms. "I tried to fight it - Romulus left me in the house as bait - he hoped that somehow Lawson would find out - and come back for me. I was supposed to deliver them all to him - but I fought it, as long as I could."
Bliss stared at the shaking girl, seeing the broken patient from the hospital again. "Your cough. Your body was fighting your will."
"Yes."
"But hallowed ground - how did you manage it? I thought hounds weren't allowed to be in those places."
"St. Bernadette's was not holy. It was once run by an order, but it is a public hospital now. I made sure before they took me there."
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"I have fought the collar as much as I could, but it is killing me. With every step I take to help the wolves, it takes another piece of my soul. I am going to die now," Ahramin said. "But I don't want ... I don't want them to die." She motioned to the temple, where the boys were fighting the hounds. "Edon doesn't know. I don't want him to know I was ever false. Please, let him still love me, even when I am gone."
"Why should I believe anything you say?"
"Because you love Lawson and you want to help him. I love him too. Will you help me?"