Nemesis (War Angel Academy Book 2), page 1
Contents
Books by S.J. West
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Next from S.J. West
About the Author
COPYRIGHTS
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
© 2021 by S.J. West. All rights reserved.
Proof Reader: Janelle Leonard.
Cover Design: Coversbyjuan.com
Interior Design & Formatting: Stephany Wallace @ S.W. Creative Publishing co, all rights reserved.
Published by Watchers Publishing January, 2021.
www.Sjwest.com
BOOKS IN THE WATCHER SERIES
The Watchers Trilogy
Cursed
Blessed
Forgiven
The Watcher Chronicles
Broken
Kindred
Oblivion
Ascension
Caylin’s Story
Timeless
Devoted
Aiden’s Story
The Alternate Earth Series
Cataclysm
Uprising
Judgment
The Redemption Series
Malcolm
Anna
Lucifer
Redemption
The Dominion Series
Awakening
Reckoning
Enduring
The Everlasting Fire Series
War Angel
Between Worlds
Shattered Souls
Lucifer and Amalie's Story
Surrendering the Dark
Descending into the Abyss
Guardians of the Void
Restoration
Atonement
Exodus
War Angel Academy
Harbinger
Nemesis
OTHER BOOKS BY S.J. WEST
The Harvester of Light Trilogy
Harvester
Hope
Dawn
The Vankara Saga
Vankara
Dragon Alliance
War of Atonement
Vampire Conclave Series
Moonshade
Sentinel
Conclave
Requiem
Circle of the Rose Chronicles
Cin D’Rella and the Water of Life
Cin D’Rella and the Golden Apple
Cin D’Rella and the Lonely Tower.
Cin d'Rella and the Messengers of Death.
MULTI-AUTHOR ANTHOLOGIES
The Monster Ball Year 3:
A Paranormal Romance Anthology
Second Chances
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to express my gratitude to the many people who were with me throughout this creative process; to all those who provided support, talked things over, read, wrote, offered comments, allowed me to quote their remarks and assisted in the editing, proofreading and design.
I would like to thank Lisa Fejeran, Erica Croyle, and Barb Todaro, my beta readers, for helping me in the process with invaluable feedback.
Thanks to Janelle Leonard, my editor for helping me find typos, correct commas and tweak the little details that have help this book become my perfect vision.
Thank you to Stephany Wallace for creating the beautiful Interior Design for my books and formatting them.
Last but not least, I want to thank my family, who supported and encouraged me in this journey.
I apologize to those who have been with me over the course of the years and whose names I have failed to mention.
(KAI/CALEB’S POINT OF VIEW)
The passage of time has never bothered me before now. In fact, knowing my life would eventually come to an end has always brought me a strange sort of comfort. I’ve had little to live for in the past few years, but after returning from the living world, all I want to do is find a way to go back to it. Time has become my nemesis, and every second my sister and I remain in the Void drives us farther and farther away from the people we’ve come to care about. Our mission at the academy was a success, but the cost of our achievements there were far greater than either of us ever imagined we would have to pay.
As I stare out the window at the silver and gold skyscrapers dotting the skyline of Zion, I have to wonder how many of the people who live here understand that their home is simply a flashy façade meant to conceal the evil deeds taking place within its walls. From the shiny monuments Levi has built of himself to the architectural marvels built along the streets, everything about the city reeks of false prosperity and peace. Zion is built within a broad, verdant valley surrounded by mountains that are perpetually snowcapped no matter what the season. The positioning of Levi’s capital city always seemed odd to me since it’s basically a fishbowl. Strategically, we’re vulnerable because there’s nowhere to escape if we’re ever attacked, but I guess when you’re a false god in a doomed world, you don’t worry about such things.
For the most part, the people who live in the Void are clueless of the evil lurking behind Levi’s show of kindness. From what I was told by my mother, the more content the people living inside the Void are, the more powerful Levi becomes. She said it was the opposite way power worked inside Hell when it existed. The more pain and misery damned souls suffered through there, the more powerful Hell became.
Never in my wildest nightmares did I imagine I would end up coming face to face with the embodiment of Hell itself, but when Helena showed up at the academy pretending to be Lora’s mother, I was thrown for a loop. She wasn’t what I expected at all. Helena actually seemed to care about Lora in a way that can only be described as motherly. My own mother has never shown me or my sister such kindness, but then again, having children was the last thing she wanted to do. Levi trapped my mother’s soul inside her body, forcing her to give birth to Nephilim until he amassed an army of them. None of her children were born from love, only servitude. Lora was lucky to escape this place when she did. I only wish I could have found a way to save her from my mother’s cruelty.
Lora . . .
She was an unexpected but welcomed complication in my life. I’ve spent the last three years in sporadic periods of deep depression since the death of the girl who stole my heart when I was only five-years-old. Penelope’s passing shredded my soul. I never imagined I would find happiness again, but meeting Lora was like having a warm ray of hope light my days, showing me I could have a different future.
When Penelope died, we were days away from risking everything to find a place where we could live out the remainder of our lives in the Void together. But that day never came. Her death was as unexpected as it was cruel, and I never thought I would find someone who could make me feel alive again. Lora was able to work that miracle, but I’m not sure she would welcome me back into her life after learning who I really am.
“I may not be a mind reader,” my sister says in a hoarse, weak voice, “but I would bet everything I have that you’re thinking about Lora right about now.”
I let the sheer curtain in my hand slip through my fingers. Reluctantly, I turn away from the window to look at my sister resting against a pile of pillows on her bed. Her pale skin accentuates her delicate condition and how Levi is pushing her closer and closer to death. A fine sheen of sweat dots her brow, and the tiredness in her eyes rips my heart to pieces.
“I thought you were sleeping,” I say as I stroll over to the gold embossed nightstand by her bed. I dip my hand into the bowl of cool water, grab the white washcloth, and wring out its excess water. After folding it longways in thirds, I sit on the edge of her bed and gently lay the cool rag across her forehead. She sighs in relief.
“I was.” Her lips tremble as tears stream from the corners of her eyes. “I had the most beautiful dream, Caleb. I dreamt we were back at the academy sitting in the common room while Lora tutored us in math. Cal hugged me so tightly. I swear . . .” she says as she begins to sob. “I swear I could feel his touch.”
I reach out and clasp my sister’s limp hand, hoping it brings her a small bit of strength.
“We’ll get back there, Rose. I promise you we will.” I raise her hand to my lips and kiss the back of it. She feels so cold to the touch. I fear my promise to her is an empty one. I’m not sure she’ll survive her pregnancy much less live long enough to return to Laed-i.
“I wish we could have been Beatrice and Kai Valeri forever.” She stares at me as if I can make her wish come true, but I’m not a djinn. I can’t cast a spell that will make everything wrong in our lives right again. I may not even be able to find a way to get us out of Zion before it’s too late.
“I do too,” I tell her, squeezing her hand. “But for now, we’re Caleb and Rose.”
“I don’t want to have my baby here.” Rose lifts her other hand and lays it on top of her distended belly. “I don’t want him to ever set eyes on the Void. He should be born in the land of the living, not the dead.” Rose tightens her grip on my hand. “Promise me my son won’t be born here, Caleb. If you tell me it won’t happen, maybe I can make it a little while longer.”
I know I can’t make such a promise and keep it, but Rose is hanging onto life by a very thin thread, and I refuse to be the one who breaks it.
“I’m doing everything I can to get us out of this place.” At least that part isn’t a lie. “I’m so close, Rose. I just need you to believe in that and stay with us a little while longer.”
Rose rubs her belly because she knows the “us” I’m referring to includes her unborn child.
“Have you thought of a name for him yet?” I chance a glance at her unnaturally large baby bump. We’ve only been back in the Void for a month and a half, but whatever Levi does to my sister during his bi-weekly visits has caused her to look like she’s full-term. I haven’t said anything to Rose, but I’m dreading the moment the child is born. I fear Levi’s meddling in her pregnancy may be creating a monster inside her womb.
“Not yet,” she says, continuing to lovingly rub the top of her stomach. “I want to wait until we’re with Cal again. He might have a name already picked out.”
“Rose, look at me.” Reluctantly, my sister pulls her gaze away from her belly to meet mine. “Cal may not even know he exists. Lora might . . .” I swallow hard because the full force of what I’m about to say is almost too hard for me to admit, even to myself. “She might not have survived what our mother did to her.”
Rose vehemently shakes her head. “I refuse to believe that and you shouldn’t either. Lora is strong. She’s one of the toughest people I’ve ever met. I know she’s alive, and I know Cal is going to come here to take us back to Laed-i. You have to have faith, Caleb. We’ll all be together again soon. You always think of time as your enemy, but it’s actually our salvation. We’ve been here for a month and a half, but only 30 minutes have passed by in the living world. Someone has probably already found Lora by now, and Cal knows we’re here. He’ll come for us. I have faith that he will. Even if he’s mad at me about lying to him, I know he loves me enough to come here for me and his baby. I know it!”
Rose winces and clutches the sides of her belly. Pain contorts her face into a grimace. Like a scene from a horror movie, I watch as her child pushes its body against the walls of her womb as if it wants to rip its way out from underneath her skin. As soon as the movement stops, my sister begins to relax again, but I can tell she’s still in pain. With half closed eyes and an even paler appearance, she turns her gaze back in my direction.
“He’s strong,” she whispers, closing her eyes briefly before opening them again, “exactly like his father. Do you think Cal will be able to forgive me for lying to him?”
“Of course, he’ll forgive you.” Possibly another lie but it’s what she needs to hear. “He fell in love with your kind heart, not your name. He knows what a wonderful person you are, and he’ll understand why you did what you did.”
“I didn’t only sleep with him because our mother ordered me to.” Rose takes in a shaky breath before continuing. “I truly did fall in love with him. He has to know that, right?”
“I have no doubt that he does. Everyone could see how much the two of you cared about one another. I’m glad you were able to experience love—” I stop myself short before revealing my inner worry.
“Before I die?” Rose asks, knowing the train of my thoughts without me even having to say them. “I’ve had the same thoughts too, so don’t feel guilty for thinking them. Death is a part of life. No one can escape it. We’re not meant to live forever. Besides, death isn’t the end. Even if I die before he finds us, I know I’ll see Cal again one day.”
I wait for her to continue but she doesn’t. Rose gives me a meaningful look, prodding me into asking her why she’s so confident she’ll see Cal again even if she dies before he finds us.
“Why do you think that?” I find myself holding my breath as I wait for her answer.
“When I was with Cal, he told me that all anyone has to do to earn God’s forgiveness is ask Him for it. I did that.”
“Wait,” I say, taken aback by her answer. “You met God and didn’t tell me?”
“No, silly,” she says with a small smile and shake of her head. “I simply prayed to Him.”
“How do you know it worked?” I ask skeptically. “Mother said He couldn’t hear anyone’s prayers in the Void.”
“That was a lie,” Rose says so vehemently her cheeks momentarily show a small bit of color. “God can hear your prayers no matter where you are. All you have to do is open your heart and speak to Him.”
“Even if He did hear your prayer, how do you know He forgives you for what we did to Cal, Lora, and the others?” I desperately want to hear her answer, but I keep my voice level and steady so she doesn’t become upset again. The last thing I need to do is cause her any more stress in her condition.
Rose closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath. “I could feel it here,” she says, placing her other hand over her heart. “There was a calmness that overcame me and . . . well . . . I just knew.” Rose opens her eyes to look back at me. “When I die, I’ll go to Heaven, and I’ll be there waiting for Cal when it’s his time to join me. I’m not afraid to die. The only thing I’m afraid of is Levi using my son to hurt Cal in some way. I know that’s what he’s planning, but he won’t tell me exactly what he intends to do with the baby after it’s born.”
“Mother doesn’t seem to know either, or she’s not willing to trust me with the information. I’m not sure which is true.”
“Protect my son.” Rose’s grip on my hand is so tight it starts to go numb from the loss of blood. “My life doesn’t matter but his life means everything to me. Promise me, Caleb. Promise me you’ll do whatever it takes to keep my baby safe.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to protect him. You have my word.”
Rose loosens her grip and closes her eyes again. We sit in mutual silence. When you’re with someone you love, words filling the air between you isn’t always necessary. They can even be cumbersome sometimes.
The double doors to my sister’s suite suddenly bang open drawing both of our attentions.
Levi and then our mother stroll into the room without the courtesy of announcing their arrival.
“And how is our expectant mother-to-be doing this morning?” Levi asks. He saunters over to the other side of Rose’s bed with his head held high. The ever-present arrogant expression on his face makes me want to reach over and scratch it off.
“Can’t you see how she’s doing, you bastard?” The venom in my voice would make anyone else cringe, but Levi simply laughs it off.
“Feeling a tad on the rebellious side today, Caleb?” Levi snickers. With a look of amusement still on his face, he slides his sinister gaze away from me to Rose. “How is my son doing this morning?”
“He’s not your son!” Rose attempts to sit up straighter against the mound of pillows propping her up, but she’s too weak to put up much of a fight. “He’s my son, and you can’t have him!”
“Huh . . .” Levi smiles. “The two of you are so adorable when your righteous indignation kicks in. It’s so ridiculously pathetic. It would be funny if it weren’t so annoying.” With a roll of his eyes, Levi returns his attention to me. “Now, why don’t you be a good little minion and scuttle off for a little while, Caleb? I need to check on the progress of the baby.”
