Chapter 37

Grace

I could feel the buzz of electricity from the members of my family as they equipped for the final battle against Lucifer. One by one, my children's abilities were thrumming to life, creating a pulse-like beacon that I could easily trace as they moved through their preparations. Everett was by himself in his room, practicing his Gate, though he probably needed the least amount, considering he had been operating his for the longest amount of time. Gently, I pushed his door open wider and cleared my throat.

Everett didn't turn around. He allowed his Gate to close once more and sighed heavily, staring out the Plexiglas window. "I don't want to die," he whispered, still not facing me.

I knew better than to immediately argue with him. Saying something typical was not the answer that Everett was looking for—we were too cosmically talented for that. I automatically took a different approach, "Do you think you're going to die?"

"Yes."

"Do you think I wouldn't come get you?" I moved into his room, standing quietly as he mulled over my words.

Slowly, he turned to face me, his steel blue eyes watching my reactions carefully. "You're more than our mom now," he ventured. "You might have something better to do than come to get us."

Taking a deep breath, I stepped closer to my son; the only other man that completely held my heart. "Love," I began quietly, "there is no force in this universe that would be able to stop me from coming to get any of you after this is over." I reached up with both my hands, cupping his face, "You are all a part of me. This battle," I shook my head, "this battle is for the humans. For Earth and her civilians. We are not sacrificing ourselves for nothing. If the worst should happen, just know that when it's over, we will all be together, one way or another."

"Are you really the new god?"

I could feel the weight of my wings and the pulse of the newest grace as it pounded through my veins. Slowly, I took a breath in and held it, debating the easiest way of explaining myself to my son. "I am the being with the most power and ability," I began. "That much I know for certain. I know how to get Uncle Sammy back and I know how to kill Lucifer. Chuck will die and the remaining bits of his grace will come to me."

"That's not answering my question, Mom," Everett whispered.

I took a slow breath as I wrapped my arms around my son, "Yes," I breathed. "I am."

…

Liberty

Mom asked Glory and I to get Auntie's Weapons' Stone from its hiding spot before the action got started. She gave us specific instructions on how to find it, though the location was easy enough. It was getting through the spell work and warding that made it more difficult. We bounced back to the ranch and I took a deep breath as I opened my eyes, staring back at our old house.

"This is the second time I've been here today," I muttered to my sister as we began walking towards the middle of the field between our houses.

Glory glanced my way, her blue eyes bright in the late afternoon sun. "Is this where you fucked Sawyer?"

"Oh my god," I sighed. "Don't let Dad ever hear you say that."

"He had himself a nice little tantrum, didn't he?" she giggled. "The look on his face when Charlie said, 'say sex again'," Glory covered her face. "I don't think he'll ever see us as grown."

"Of course, he won't," I answered, slowing my steps and watching where I placed my feet. The marker was close, I just had to line up our points of reference. I glanced up towards the Big House and then out towards the barn, trying to get the edges of the doors to match up like I knew they should. "I'm gonna leave my car here for now," I continued, gesturing towards my Nova, parked on the long gravel driveway. "Keep it out of the fight. Maybe it'll survive."

Agreeing, Glory turned to see it parked next to the house. "It looks good there," she commented. "Imagine all three of the Chevys lined up on the driveway. They'd look so killer."

"Here," I almost tripped, finally finding the marker we were looking for. "It's here."

Glory turned and took a deep, slow breath. "It always breaks my heart to see this," she murmured. "He was such a good boy."

"It's a fitting place to hide Auntie's Stone," I agreed. "Johnny did a good job protecting it."

I bent towards the small grave marker and without warning, the sting of tears bit at the corners of my eyes. I wiped them away before they had a chance to fall, but not before one escaped, landing with a spatter over Johnny's name, etched into the stone.

Johnny had been my aunt's loyal-to-a-fault black Lab, a dog she had during our time here at the ranch. He had lived a good long life, dying a few years after the world fell. He accompanied us to the warehouse where he took up residency as our guard, alerting us from his bed every time someone walked in or out of the warehouse. It hadn't occurred to me until now how much his absence had affected all of us.

"We miss you, boy," I stifled a sob, remembering how he had been my first real friend, always close by with a wag of his tail or a big, sloppy kiss. "We miss you so much."

Glory sniffled loudly and I glanced up in time to see her wipe her face with the edge of her shirt. "It's a good thing Auntie's not here," she mumbled. "She'd be all pissy that we have to move the marker."

"I know," I agreed, reaching down to the edge of the stone. "I'm sorry, Johnny," I continued. "I'll put it back, I promise."

Glory and I closed our eyes in tandem, reciting the Latin spell that released the grave marker from its warding. I pulled occasionally, testing to see if the spell had worked. Finally, on my third tug, the grave marker broke free and I lifted it from the dirt. "Next," I whispered. "You're up, Glore."

My sister bent down, kneeling next to the dirt rectangle. She whispered another spell and cut the tip of her finger, dripping blood onto the exposed roots of grass. As soon as her voice ceased, mine took over, saying my own part of the spell, and dripping my own drop of blood onto the dirt-covered roots. As soon as my blood made contact with the dirt, the ground split open, exposing a wooden case where the grave marker had been.

I took a deep breath, wiping another tear from my face as I picked the wooden box out of the earth. "I'll put you back in a minute," I whispered to Johnny's remains. I set him down carefully and bent over the exposed hole, sniffling slightly. "There," I pointed. "Grab it."

Reaching low into the hole, Glory pulled out a dirty, dark blue velvet pull string bag. "It's here," she whispered. "It's safe."

"Open it to be sure."

Glory nodded and pulled open the velvet bag. There, inside, just like it should be, was Auntie Serra's Weapons' Stone. It pulsed slightly when Glory pulled back the bag, exposing it to the late afternoon sun. It shone brightly, the Enochian letters glinting blue in the fading light.

Very gently, I lifted Johnny's remains back into the hole and together, Glory and I used our hands to push the soil back into the open space. Together, we chanted the reverse of the spell, ensuring the ground closed itself together, stitching closed the gap that exposed Johnny to the elements. Gingerly, Glory picked up the grave marker and we stood, staring at the dog's plot.

I took a shaky breath, wondering why this trip had affected us the way it had. Glory took my hand and squeezed it and I smiled weakly. "We'll be back soon, Johnny," I whispered. "We're gonna go save the world."