Chapter 32: Pudding

Don't trust them! Claire wake up! They're coming…

Waking with a jolt, Claire found herself lying on her side. She was covered by a maroon blanket, soft and fluffy, and oddly comforting. Her sight was blurry for a moment, becoming clearer as she blinked and then stared at the ornate bedroom wall. Remaining still, she allowed herself a moment to let the nightmare go. The dreams were plaguing her nightly, and at times she couldn't tell if she was awake or still dreaming. Touching her slightly swollen abdomen, she closed her eyes again, willing away the last echoes of Alex's voice by thinking of her old bedroom in Vega.

The crisp air smelled like ocean and the sizeable room was bathed in sunlight. It was an inviting space, ornately decorated with splashes of gold and maroon, and had ceiling-to-floor French doors that opened out to a terrace. For a prison cell, it wasn't all that terrible.

And yet, this was not her home.

Since arriving in Helena, Claire had felt even more exhausted than before. It was as if she were being drained from the inside out. Being in Helena was strange and overwhelming. The various haikas were beautiful and astounding, and they wore colors that dictated their social standing, something she realized quickly by the way that Laurel treated them. The men were few and far between and she had a feeling that they were tucked away on purpose.

The delicious food was abundant to her, but she had the feeling that there were many that were starving, despite having only seen some parts of the settlement upon their arrival. Since then, she had been secluded inside the house on the hill, overlooking the ocean and removed from the rest of the denizens of Helena.

Lying motionless for a moment more, she attempted to ignore the bizarre creeping sensation that someone else was in the room with her. It was odd and she had felt it before, so she struggled to ignore it. Except it wouldn't go away, and the adrenaline began mounting inside of her.

And then someone moved.

Sitting up quickly and turning to the source, she found an archangel sitting at the table by the open French doors. Her heart hammered in her chest as she glanced at Laurel standing just outside the doors on the terrace, wringing her hands. Her blonde hair was disheveled and she looked as if she had been in a scuffle.

Gabriel had his feet kicked up on another chair and he was using his fingers to eat chocolate pudding out of a small plastic cup. Two more filled cups sat on a silver serving tray next to Claire's cold uneaten breakfast. The archangel relished every moment of his pudding, and barely acknowledged Claire's existence. After a moment, he finished and eyed the empty cup with a sigh.

Claire slowly got out of her bed, hoping to stand tall while facing the archangel. She noticed the blonde behind him shifting her weight. Something definitely happened between the two of them. Perhaps she had displeased him?

"You must know how lucky you are to be here in Helena." Gabriel said, shifting his focus to Claire. "It's such a lovely establishment. Very easy to slip into."

"Yes. Lovely for a prison," she said with a hint of venom. She wasn't sure what was happening or why Gabriel decided to show up in person. She had attempted to give Laurel the slip after seeing her secret meeting with Furiad, only to find herself face down in the dirt with an abnormally strong priestess sitting on her back. She was warned that bodily harm was not above the other woman's capabilities, and Claire decided then that she would rather not risk the possibility of a miscarriage or other harm to herself by attempting to flee. Helena would possibly bring other opportunities for Claire. She hoped.

She had been treated fairly since that moment, as if Laurel was afraid to overstep orders. And she expected that at some point the archangel would tip his hand and show his true purpose for her current situation.

"It does help if you know the queen." Gabriel grinned at her, as if he knew some kind of joke that she was not aware of. "Lovely Uriel here has done well, bringing you to Helena for rest and recuperation in the crisp ocean air. I made sure that my sister would keep you safe."

"Your sister? Safe?" Claire repeated, stalling to give herself time to let his words sink in. She looked at Laurel and realized how wrong she was. The woman was no priestess. The sudden strength in the woman made more sense now. "You're an angel?"

Gabriel laughed. "Claire, really? Were you truly fooled all this time?"

Claire's eyes narrowed as she returned her focus on him. A fire of adrenaline was racing through her. "Safe? I'm actually safe here?"

"Brother, do not mock her." Uriel smoothed her hair, still looking harassed and exasperated.

His chuckling subsided. "No one will harm you here, Claire. You are safe," he said with reassurance. "You are safe… for now."

Claire moved closer. "Why am I here?"

Gabriel moved his legs off the chair and sat forward, the intensity in his eyes increased. "Do you know what is growing inside of you, Claire? Do you understand the severity of your situation?"

"Why am I in Helena, Gabriel?"

"You have no idea, do you," he asked with an exaggerated sigh. Leaning back again, he picked up a second cup and sniffed it. "The child you carry is the Chosen One's child. A very special child. A not-all-together-human child."

Claire held her breath for a moment. She knew that Alex was the Chosen One, but was there something more? Could he be more than human? What did Gabriel know?

"Has Alex ever spoken of his father?" he asked, as he dipped his finger into the pudding.

Claire didn't respond, glancing at Uriel who almost imperceptibly shook her head. For the first time, Claire realized that Uriel was just as afraid as she was.

Gabriel licked his finger and continued, ignoring the quickening of Claire's heart rate. "One could suppose that Alex is special because of the blood that runs through his veins. His father's blood. The blood that is not human, but very much angel." He glanced at Claire finally, studying her as he devoured the pudding cup. "The blood that now runs through your unborn child. Such a child would be quite special, wouldn't you agree? Who knows what latent powers would be imbued upon him. Or her."

Claire stood tall with her chin lifted up in defiance against the archangel. "If you think you have any control-"

"I have all the control here and you've already come to that conclusion. Let's not pretend any differently." Gabriel licked his fingers while staring at her without blinking. "You will stay here, hidden away until it is the right time. Alex will be much more…agreeable if he knows you are in my…care." He grinned at her with that dark twinkle in his eye. "He will bend willingly."

Claire felt like she had been slapped in the face. The gravity of her situation was not lost on her, but if Uriel looked just as afraid as she felt, then clearly this was much worse than she could have imagined. If only she could communicate with Alex and let him know what was happening. Gabriel's plans were indecipherable and she had no way of knowing what was coming their way.

Dropping the second empty cup on the table, Gabriel abruptly stood up. "Enjoy your stay at Chez Helena." Not giving Claire a second glance, he dismissed her existence as he walked over to the French doors. Towering over Uriel, he gently touched a strand of her hair, as she stood frozen in place.

With a menacing tone, he demanded, "Make sure she remains secured." He paused and took one last glance at Claire. "We wouldn't want her wandering off." Uriel nodded and Gabriel pressed past her, moving outside onto the terrace. A second later, his wings emerged and he took off into the air, disappearing into the white clouds above.

Claire focused on the archangel left behind, but Uriel stepped further away from her. She was devoid of emotion as she stared at Claire and reached for the French doors. The only thing that betrayed her inner turmoil was the slight tremor in her hands. With one last glance at her, Uriel silently closed the French doors, muting the sound of the ocean and Claire's sense of freedom.

The blonde archangel turned away, leaving the Lady of Vega alone in her would-be prison, clenching her fists and drowning in her own thoughts of despair. Alex's voice echoed in Claire's mind once more…

...my son…