Chapter 8: Vega Dreams

Vega sparkled and twinkled under the night sky as its defense system looked dormant, yet ever ready, and trained on the outer world. The city had been in an upheaval since the slaughtered angels were displayed in the public eye, and the almighty Archangel Michael abruptly disappeared. Add Gabriel's appearance and disappearance, the sudden demise of Becca Thorn and the disposal of William Whele, and the whole city felt not only mournful for their leaders, but also a certain undercurrent of turmoil and fear. It was the perfect recipe for the collapse of Vega.

But Claire Riesen wouldn't have any of that. She knew what had transpired in House Thorn. It wasn't surprising that Becca had been working on the deconstruction of angel anatomy, since the wing restraints for Gabriel had to come from somewhere. But it was shocking to find the body of a higher angel and various dissected angel parts. It was clear to her that things had gone awry and that perhaps the archangel had been pushed over the edge. Not so perfect, I guess, she thought as she stood in her bathroom, leaning over the sink. She was feeling sick not for the first time that day.

Looking at her pale reflection in the mirror, she knew that being pregnant was taking its toll on her. She had trouble sleeping and anything she ate usually came back up. Often, she woke up thinking that Alex was right next to her, holding her, telling her that everything would be all right. Claire had already re-read his letter to their unborn child so many times that she worried the paper was starting to look worn. If only circumstances were different.

Closing her eyes, Claire tried to will the bile back down and drown out the nausea. She couldn't stop thinking about that morning. The Senate meeting had not gone as she hoped. She wasn't completely surprised by everyone's reaction to her proposal, but she had hoped she could slowly make some headway after so many weeks. All she had to do was convince them that her father's number system needed to be changed. Give the people more free will and the option to vote on the things that impacted them.

The chaos that ensued from that proposal lasted for the entire meeting. The Senate was imbalanced since House Thorn was no longer represented. Although, it appeared Arika was vying for a place in the Senate and oddly enough David Whele was encouraging their acceptance of it. Luckily, so far, the rest of the Senate was not willing to comply.

Claire sighed and then swallowed again. The politics were driving her crazy. And David wouldn't speak to her about William or anything regarding the acolytes that were found burnt to a crisp in an abandoned warehouse. They were civil and David often talked to her about certain Senate issues, such as Arika's standing. She knew he was maneuvering as usual. Although not openly apparent, she knew that the loss of his son hit him hard and that he was covering it quite well. As always, he was covering his own assets in the process.

"Lady Riesen?" a muffled voice of her Archangel Corps guard, Ethan, called through the bathroom door. "You have visitors. Should I send them away?"

Claire cleared her throat and straightened, taking one last glance in the mirror. "No, that's quite alright. I'll be out in a moment."

"I will bring them to the sitting room." Ethan's footsteps retreated away from the door.

Claire rinsed her mouth and then plastered a fake smile on her face as she left the bathroom.

~~~~**D**~~~~

In the sitting room, Evelyn, still known only as Arika in Vega, sat on the settee with her legs crossed. She was regal as usual with perfect posture. Uriel stood nearby, still posing as her handmaiden. They had been busy lately, pushing and prodding David to do as they wanted. Evelyn couldn't help but smile as she remembered the look he had given her when she suggested that she take the empty seat in the Senate. Incredulous and possibly shocked, David recovered quickly and smiled at her, using a placating tone as he tried to dissuade her from her goal. It took a few weeks to bring him around, making it seem as if it was his idea and in his best interest to support her.

Uriel had been frustrated with the slow progress, seemingly on a different timetable than Evelyn's. It made Evelyn wonder what exactly Uriel's real end game was. Sure, the archangel had told her that she just wanted to end the war, bring about peace. But sometimes her actions differed from that original sentiment. As much as she enjoyed playing with the angel, she knew better than to implicitly trust her. And love was off the table. No matter how much her hearts strings were pulled occasionally by the blonde temptress.

Originally, they had wanted to take Claire and her growing baby to Helena, to lure the Chosen One away from the two warring brothers. But taking the Lady of the City so abruptly would lay waste to Evelyn's original well-laid plans. It took some convincing, but Uriel eventually agreed to stay in Vega for a little bit longer, most likely to keep an eye on their new leverage.

At the moment, they hoped that by attempting to confer with the Lady of the City, that they could gain her backing in Evelyn's entry into the Senate. And in the process, perhaps become trusted allies. It would make taking her to Helena that much easier. It would also be one step closer to securing Vega's nuclear power and Evelyn's eventual control over multiple settlements. She wanted peace, of course, and if Uriel's plan somehow ensured that, then Evelyn would continue to play along with her. But angels were known to be fickle. And dangerous. And the Queen of Helena knew when to be cautious.

Claire walked in a few moments after her guard retreated to the corner to stand post. She looked thinner than usual, and although she was probably only two months pregnant, she was beginning to show. Evelyn wondered if that was because the father was the Chosen One, or if there was something else at play. She pretended not to notice, keeping her eyes on Claire's pale face as she rose to greet her.

"Lady Riesen, how are you?" Evelyn asked as they all sat down together, Claire in an oversized chair and Evelyn back onto the settee. Uriel sat a little further away, her eyes focusing on Claire like a hawk. Evelyn made a mental note to remind Uriel to tone it down a bit.

"I am well. How are you two?" Claire responded without hesitation, a strong front as usual. Evelyn couldn't help but admire the woman.

"We are well," Evelyn responded with a smile. "We've come here to discuss a small matter…"

Claire nodded, "I have a feeling I know exactly why you are here."

Evelyn glanced at Uriel who didn't move, remaining rigid with a smile plastered on her face as she stared at the Lady, almost if she were staring through her. The angel was behaving oddly, actually. A moment of worry flashed through Evelyn, but she quashed it and turned back to Claire. "It is just that we would like to have a voice in the Senate and that can not be done without support. As a strong female leader, you understand the importance of that support."

Claire studied both of them for a moment. The wheels were turning as she distinctly ignored Uriel's strange behavior. Evelyn folded her hands and tried to look amiable. She could be ruthless but Claire needed a light touch these days. She knew that the Senate was in an uproar with all that was going on. Claire wasn't quite popular at the moment, but it was all about power and she still had it in abundance as the Lady of the City.

"Not to be disrespectful, but what makes you think that Helena has any right to be part of the Senate of Vega?" Claire had no qualms about getting straight to the point.

"Do you not agree that the settlements in the Cradle should become a united front against Gabriel and the angels out there? Wouldn't it be in everyone's best interest? Strength in greater numbers? Vega has soldiers and power and Helena has an air force. Why not combine our assets?" Evelyn smiled, but she could tell that Claire was unconvinced.

"Sounds more like it would benefit Helena rather than Vega, Arika." Claire responded, calmly. "And my lack of popularity these days would probably not be helpful to your cause anyway."

Suddenly, Uriel's whole body jerked for a moment, as if she were abruptly awoken. Blinking, her hand strayed to her side as if she were looking for something, as if it were holstered to her waist.

Evelyn gave her a stern look and then returned to smiling at Claire who was now studying Uriel with curiosity and perhaps mild apprehension.

"Are you okay?" Claire asked.

Uriel jerked again, only this time a strange expression crossed her face and suddenly she launched to her feet. "I can hear it! The fluttering!" she exclaimed, and then jolted forward, grabbing Claire's upper arms and grinning maniacally at her.

Startled by her behavior, Claire pulled away from her, pushing Uriel back and putting the chair she was sitting in between them. Alarm was written all over her face.

Evelyn immediately grabbed the angel by the arms and glared at her. "What is wrong with you? You are scaring the Lady of the City."

Uriel blinked and suddenly relaxed and seemed almost like herself. "What?" she responded, swallowing hard. She looked a little disoriented.

Claire was now on her feet and Ethan was standing next to her, rigid with adrenaline, and hand on his gun. Claire took a breath and then strongly said, "I think it is time for you to leave. I'm not sure what's wrong with your maiden, but perhaps the medical wing can help you."

Evelyn turned back to her and said in placating voice, "She is fine. We are so sorry to disturb you. I'm not quite sure what has come over her. Perhaps we can speak at another time."

Claire stepped a few steps behind Ethan as Evelyn steered a non-resistant Uriel away from them. Ethan was careful not to get too close to the two women, making it a point to stand between them and Claire.

Uriel walked stiffly, murmuring lightly, "I'm sorry. I don't know…what happened…"

Evelyn glanced back to see Claire subconsciously touch her lower abdomen and then the sight was obscured by Ethan's body as he quickly closed the doors behind them.

~~~~**D**~~~~

While leaving House Riesen, Evelyn tightly held onto Uriel's arm, almost to the point of causing pain. She could tell that Uriel was wincing, but the anger that Evelyn felt was barely contained. Hissing, she asked, "Why would you say that? What is wrong with you? You could have destroyed everything, Uriel!"

Uriel's broken expression made Evelyn want to hug the angel, but the fury that she felt made her want to slap her instead. She wouldn't dare to, but it was tempting.

The archangel swallowed stiffly, "My brother…my brother has been practicing his new skill…"

Confused, Evelyn let go of her, turning her blonde lover to face her. "What do you mean?"

"He knows, Evelyn. Gabriel knows about the child."