Chapter Two
Topside was a huge tropical land. It was beautiful. There were fruit trees, beautiful lakes, and amazing shorelines. Topside was a wonderland for humanity. They designed it to give them everything they could want.
The garden was full of fruits and vegetables. The garden is where they found Venus.
After the battle, she found her way to the gates of the garden. It was no longer protected by angels. They left it abandoned.
She had to find a place to hide. She knew they marked her for death. She wanted to survive for her children. The garden would provide her sanctuary until she could find a way into the underworld to rejoin Lucifer and the children.
The garden was still just as majestic as the day they created it. Venus had been there when the garden was formed. She watched as they put each tree in its place. She knew every rock in the garden. This was not her first or second trip to the garden. She had been here many times.
Koko spotted the garden. He flew in to look for Venus. Venus was easy to spot She was as bright as the sun and the moon. She illuminated everything around her. She was still beautiful even without her wings. She ran to Koko.
“Are they alive?” she cried. Koko grabbed Venus up.
“There is no time Venus we have to get back to the underworld. Your children are waiting.”
Venus held on to Koko tightly. He tried to fly Venus out of the garden, but they trapped her in there. The garden had bound her. She could not leave.
“Koko let's go. What is happening?” Venus knew what was going on. She knew the portals and realms of topside were all spelled to either keep you in or out. They spelled the garden to keep humans in. Venus was no longer an angel. She could not leave.
“I cannot leave Koko. I cannot leave!” She screamed.
KoKo was the only one who could carry her through the portal and Gabriel was the only one who could bring her out of the garden.
“Listen to me, Venus. We will figure out a way to get you out. It might take time. I need to return to the children. We will be back. I promise.“ Koko kissed her on the forehead.
He headed to the portal. He sounded a trumpet to alert the others and down the portal, he went. He did not understand how he would explain this to Lucifer. He knew he would try to go to her. If he tried to leave, it could destroy him. The children needed him. He could not tell him the truth. He had to lie.
When the four landed in the underworld, Lucifer was waiting at the gate. Koko was crying.
“She is no longer with us, Lucifer. Venus is gone.”
“Venus is gone” The words that echoed. The entire underworld believed it. Koko had no choice telling his lie. At least that's what he told himself.
Daniel and Izzy grew in the underworld. They were vibrant children. The underworld was just like any other place.
Families that lived and worked in the underworld were just like families living on the topside or in the golden city. You were born; you grew just not ancient, you lived, you loved, you got into trouble; you were heartbroken; you grew to be the people you were supposed to be.
Everyone had a job. Lucifer became the keeper of the underworld, a ruler the king, the manager so to speak. He was the CEO of the underworld. He handled all the business. He was the judge and the jury. If you had a dispute, you went to him. You want to move you go to him. You wanted to leave, TOUGH!
He was a heart-broken soul raising children and running the underworld. He was constantly being blamed for every wrongdoing on the topside. He was unsure who was causing so much trouble topside but he was busy raising children without their mother and trying to keep his small community happy.
Bowen was his right hand. Bowen had a job he did very well. He was the soul that made sure you paid for all your wrongdoing on the topside. Not every soul landed with Bowen. Some went to other places to other people.
Some just went into the darkness. If you were bad if you murdered or raped you ended up with him. Bowen had a gift for making you wish you could change everything you ever did in life. He was good.
Bowen took Daniel under his wing. Daniel was a good soul. He was tormented at times. He would act out running through other people's torments. He liked to stir things up a bit, a common thing for a teen.
Daniel was over 2000 years old. It was time to grow up a bit. Time is different in the underworld. 2000 years old is like being 20. Bowen had tons of patients with Daniel. He called him by his real name often. Damnation. He would usually give Bowen a side-eye. But then he would smile and return to his work.
He started Daniel off as a jailer and soon moved him into the realm with him.
“Men have great evil in their hearts Damnation and they have to answer for it. It keeps the balance.” Bowen would tell Daniel this almost every single day.
Daniel understood. He knew heartache well. He kept a picture of his mother with him always in a small locket around his neck. It was a beautiful relic shaped like a raven. The necklace was gold the raven was black. It held her hair and a picture of her when she was very young.
He blamed no one for what happened he just dealt with it. He took to the underworld and thrived mischievously but he thrived. He worried about his sister and father constantly. He hid those emotions behind a tough exterior.
Daniel was good. He stayed under Bowen constantly. Bowen was like his father. Bowen loved him. Labith and Bowen had taken it upon themselves to help raise both children.
They flew them in and they stayed with them forever.
Izzy was her baby, her Perdition. Izzy was more of a loner. She loved every one. She learned everything she could from people who landed in the underworld from the topside. She loved them all. She would visit the void. Some people put themselves in the underworld.
They are so lost they cannot cope with their lives or what they did in life and even though they could be granted asylum in the golden city, they choose the void. It’s odd how little we think of ourselves. It was always heartbreaking to her.
She would go to them. Most ignored her at first, but they would eventually open up to her. They all did. Her talents were amazing. Izzy could make anyone laugh even the gatekeeper KOKO. She was so angelic.
She was often asked if she was an angel. “We all are” she would often reply. “We are all angels some fallen, some stolen and some just lost, but we are all angels here.”
The underworld was not hell. Bowen was hell. Among these souls in the underworld, there were angels. Izzy was so right. Everyone was there for different reasons.
Not everyone was a lost soul. Sometimes we punish ourselves more than anyone else ever could. Sometimes we punish ourselves right into an eternal void. Izzy wanted to comfort those people. Help them see who they are.
The ones in the void could be sent back to try again on the topside. Most never forgave enough to leave. Izzy tried so hard with them. It was her mission in life. To help those who felt abandoned. She wanted them to have a second chance on the topside.
She was a ray of light just like her mother. She carried a locket of her mother but it differed from Daniel’s. Her locket was her mother's bracelet. As a child, she would wear it in her hair. As she grew, she fashioned it into a locket. It was solid silver with a small raven indention on the back. She never took it off. She kept her mother close to her heart.
Perdition had little time to get everyone safe. She wasn’t sure how she would handle Sam. She planned to get Angie and Mrs. Bee as far away from New Orleans as possible with the newborns. She also had to deal with Mayhem, Tiffany, JJ, and Chaos. She planned to use Chaos to distract Jaza. She wasn’t sure how much she could depend on him. Jaza had to die. She knew there would be hell to pay, but it had to be done. What was the worst they could do to her? Send her to the void. She wasn’t afraid, and there was no one as powerful as her. Not even her brother could come close to her power. She could feel it growing every day. Now she just had to figure out exactly how to use it to save her friends. Her powers were strong but raw. She still had difficulty focusing on just using her power and not it taking over. She knew she needed to focu
Jaza was no fool. Whatever Perdition was planning, he was prepared. He was on guard. He had sent word to every watcher hiding on earth to be ready. Perdition had contacted Labith and told her to bring Jaza to the inn tonight. Perdition was ready to give up Camilla Dawn in exchange Jaza would leave Sam alone and not interfere with the babies. Labith knew there was no way Perdition would just quietly hand over Camilla Dawn. She knew she was up to something. Labith had raised the once sweet girl. She knew her better than anyone. “What do you think she is up to?” Jaza asked Labith. Labith walked into Jaza’s chamber. It is such a dark and menacing place. Labith did not like being in closed spaces with him. “I honestly cannot say Jaza,” Labith answered him.“She is unique, isn’t she?” Jaza says as he moves closer to Labith
“Because we are from yesterday.” Camilla Dawn says. Key stops what she is doing and runs to her side.“What? What are you saying?” Key says.“Because we are from yesterday and we know nothing because our days on earth are like a shadow.” Camilla Dawn says.“I do not understand,” Key says. Camilla Dawn opens her eyes. She stares into Key’s eyes.“I am scared.” Camilla Dawn says. Camilla Dawn closes her eyes and goes back to sleep.Camilla Dawn slips into a deep sleep. Her mind is reliving her past. It’s slow torture for her. She has tried to pay for her past. There is no way to make it right unless she gives in to the watchers.As vivid images flash before her, she knows what she must do. She must submit to Jaza. She cannot let anyone else get hurt. The image of Sam being stabbed plays for her over and over. “No!” She screams.Key watc
Sam was a little drunk when he entered his room. He knew how Mrs. Bee felt about smoking in the rooms, but he desperately needed one. He almost smoked in the room, then he remembered how mean Bee could be if she felt disrespected. He decided it was best if he stepped outside his room. He turned the radio on to his favorite New Orleans station.“Sweet Jazz.” He said out loud. “Nothing like it.” Sam stood outside his room smoking. As the rain fell in New Orleans, the sweet rain and sounds of Jazz coming out of his radio he could only think of Angie.“I was so stupid.” He said.“Yes, you were and still are idiotic.” A soft voice said.It was Angie. She looked amazing standing there. “I’m sorry I brought her here. I am sorry I hurt you and mostly I am just sorry.” He sa
Perdition wanted to check on Camilla Dawn and the babies. Key was with her.“Is she ok?” Perdition asks. Key shakes her head. “I do not know what is wrong with her. Mrs. Bee thinks it has something to do with the black magic, and honestly, I do too. I think she is drained.” Key says.“I think I can wake her.” Perdition says.“Why did Sam bring her here?” Perdition asks as Sam enters the room with Angie.“I thought she would be safe here.” He says.“Well, I am not so sure about that.” Perdition says. Perdition keeps staring at Sam. “You’re not being truthful, Sam. Why are you really here?” she asks him.Sam looks out the door of Camilla Dawn's room. He sees Mayhem waiting patiently.“Look, this all happened fast. We got word where Camilla Dawn was and where Mayhems kids were and we just … well, we just ended up here.
JJ sat in his room at the B&B contemplating what he should do. He didn’t want to go out into the city and leave the girls without someone close by. He wanted to go look for Perdition, but he felt that could wait at least one more day. Besides, as soon as Perdition and Chaos figured out they were in the city, the two would probably seek them out. He hoped they would anyway. He hoped he could talk to her and maybe reason with her.First, he needed Chaos out of the way. How in the hell would he get him out of the way? He thought about knocking him out cold. He figured it wouldn’t be that hard. The thought brought a smile to his face. The winds were blowing hard, and the rain was coming in. JJ opened his door.Rain in New Orleans was different. It was a spiritual experience. JJ had a deep love for New Orleans. Something he and Sam had in common. Sam would’ve never left New Orleans if Camilla Dawn would’ve just stayed away. He could&r