I looked up at him, defeated. He was speaking in riddles as usual, but I was too emotionally overwhelmed to decrypt his divine comfort.
“You have twenty-four hours to say goodbye,” Eli said. He looked me in the eyes. “Your mother can help. Your grandmothers can help.” He appeared next to me, whispering in my ear with a soft voice and compassion in his eyes. “So say your goodbyes.” He disappeared, and the wailing began again.
Chapter Eighteen
Levi
After an hour, the cries subsided, reduced to the occasional whimpers from Allison. The Ryels were in full planning mode, trying to figure out how to reverse the damage we’d done.
Eden was still sitting on the edge of the bed, unable to move, but Lillian and Cynthia had posted themselves on each side of her, holding her hands. She stared at nothing, her eyes rimmed red. “I don’t know how, but I’m going to kill him. I’m going to find a way into Heaven, and I’m going to make Ramiel wish he were back in Hell.”
I kneeled in front of her, but she looked away.
“I can’t do this,” she whispered. “Please don’t make me do this,” she squeaked. She sucked in a quick, staggered breath.
I didn’t answer. It wasn’t me she was begging.
“Well, it explains why I feel like I’ve been run over by the flu,” I said with a half-ass laugh. My grin faded. “Eden, look at me. We’ll figure this out. We always do.”
She shook her head.
“Hey,” I said, using my finger to turn her to meet my gaze. “You giving up on me?”
A single tear overflowed and streamed down her cheek. “I … I don’t know how to fix this. How do I fix this?”
“That’s what we’re doing,” Cynthia said, patting Eden’s hand. “We will all fix it. Together.”
“We could force a tribunal,” Dad said. “We plead our case to every friend we have up there and convince Him that we can satisfy Eden and Levi’s mistake another way. They were betrayed. God has a soft spot for betrayal. He’s experienced it himself.”
“Eli wouldn’t have come here and told Eden how to punish Levi if there were another way,” Claire said. She swallowed down another sob. “But they’re not taking him. They’re not taking our brother, Jared. I’ll fight to the death, and I’ll die for him a hundred times if I have to.”
“No, you won’t,” Bex said, holding Allison. “Levi and I will go, and you’ll keep thinking. We all will. But you’re not getting yourself killed. We’ll be fine until you bring us back.”
Claire shook her head, uncrossing her arms long enough to quickly wipe another tear from her cheek.
“Mom?” Bex said, looking to Lillian. “Tell them it will be okay.” He could barely form the words around the tightening of his throat.
Lillian looked at her family with glossed eyes. She blew out a sigh to steady her voice, and then she lifted her chin. “We haven’t lost yet, my loves, and we’re not starting today. This isn’t over.”
“We have lost,” Nina said. “We’ve lost more than most.”
“Your mother can help,” Allison said quietly. “Your grandmothers.” She looked up at Bex. “What did Eli mean by that?”
Bex’s brows pulled together. “Remember when I told you about Nina’s father, Jack, and Jared’s father, Gabriel, dying? That’s what started all of this.”
“Can you tell me now?” Allison asked.
“A demon named Shax had Nina’s father killed. He was our father’s Taleh. Our father weakened and died soon after. It disturbed The Balance.”
Nina smiled, leaning her head against the door frame of Eden’s bathroom where’d she’d just been to get more tissue. “And so did Jared revealing himself to me. On a bench, in the snow.”
Jared stared at Nina with the deepest love in his eyes. “And I’d do it again.”
Nina’s bottom lip trembled. “Would you?”
He nodded, fighting tears. “A million times over … until we got it right.”
“Until I got it right,” Eden said, her expression crumbling. “I was given all these powers. I was sent to save our family and the world, and for what? Did I really just ruin our lives? Ramiel,” she sniffed, “Ramiel said it would be fine. Abel… I really thought we could trust him. I thought…” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter what I thought now. Morgan, Levi, Petra, and now our entire family. I’ve ruined everything.”
“You’ll come for us soon,” Bex said, struggling to smile. “I believe it. I believe in you.”
“Why?” Eden said, sobbing. “Why would you believe in me? I failed. I’ve failed all of you. I never did what I was born to do, and then I messed up so badly two of the men I love more than my own life are sentenced to Hell.” She took a faltering breath, staring at the floor. “I’d do anything to take it all back.”
“Isn’t that what Eli said?” Allison said, leaving Bex’s side to stand in the center of the room. She looked to Eden. “Bex said your powers are so strong no one understands it. You can do things not even immortals can do. You are an immortal, aren’t you?”
Eden shrugged one shoulder.
“Eli said to take it all back,” Allison said. Her chest caved, and tears instantly filled her eyes. “So take it all back.”
“What do you mean?” Bex asked.
She didn’t take her eyes off Eden. “It was Shax who disturbed The Balance, right?”
Jared stood upright. “Oh my God.” He looked to me, then to his wife, who’s mouth was hanging open.
Bex stood next to Allison. “You think Eli meant she could go back?”
“Maybe that’s been her purpose all along?” Ryan asked. “She goes back, saves Jack, and reverses Bex and Levi’s sentence.”
“Wait,” Jared said. “We need to think about this and what it could mean.”
“Like what?” Claire asked. “Having Dad back? Jared…”
The oldest Ryel shook his head. “His death is what pushed me to talk to Nina for the first time. What if I stay away from Nina? What if it changes everything?”
“What if Eden is never born?” I asked, frowning. “This is insane. No. Even if it were possible, there are too many risks. Bex and I will go, and you can all think of another way.”
“Jared, do you trust Eli?” Claire asked. Her eyes were bright again, excited about a solution.
“I don’t even know if I can do it,” Eden said, standing.
“Claire, what if we…” Ryan said, clearly concerned. “If Jared and Nina don’t end up together, you and I don’t end up together.”
Claire blinked, thought for half a second, and then dismissed it. “No. You’re my Taleh. Nothing will keep Jared and Nina apart, and nothing will keep us apart.”