9. Rueben

Rueben

M y family has always meant everything to me, especially Camila. She became my favorite person the moment she was born, and I loved being her brother. I was the one who taught her to ride a bike and showed her how to spell her name. No matter how many years pass, I’ll never get over her death. Nor will I forgive myself for how I treated Olivia.

Deep down, I wanted her to have killed Camila in cold blood because I never wanted to admit that I failed everyone. Especially Olivia, who did everything in her power to protect Camila while I was busy hating the world for not getting the girl I wanted. When my parents called me to tell me about Camila, I felt like I finally had a reason to hate Olivia, and I latched onto it. I pushed my demon to the edge of sanity so I could hear the whispers of darkness. For years, I lived with one foot in the grave, while with the other, I tripped at every step, my heart being filled with so much anger and resentment, that all I could think about was the day I would make things right and make Olivia pay for what she did to my family.

In my mind, there was no other reason, no other explanation as to why Olivia shot Camila. Except for her being a whore who pretended to be innocent to fool people into liking her so she could later destroy their lives. But the only thing she destroyed was her life so Tyson, Ansel, and I could live our pathetic lives without a fucking clue or memory of the time we spent in Azael’s facility, hating her with every fiber of our beings. At least Tyson and I did, however, Ansel never said he had ill feelings toward her. Sure, his words dripped in venom every time she came up, but he never said anything bad about her. He seemed indifferent, which pissed me off even more because why wasn’t he as angry as I was? Even Tyson cursed the day he met her and wished Camila had never befriended Olivia.

If anyone is responsible for what happened to Camila, it’s me. Olivia being a pornai for years is also my fault. My parents’ death is also on me.

Because I failed to protect them.

“So let me get this right,” Jasper says, “while you were busy hating Olivia for things she didn’t do, she was selling her soul to the devil to keep you three assholes safe. I would have let you rot in that facility, no matter how good Tyson’s cock looks.”

Tyson throws Jasper a glance before focusing back on the TV.

Ansel tries to explain Olivia’s true nature. “Olivia is not like that. She might seem like a fragile butterfly, but she will do anything to protect those she loves. Losing someone she cares about is very traumatic for her. We all saw how Camila’s death affected her for years, and she keeps blaming herself for what happened back then when it is clear it was an accident.” He pauses for a bit before adding, “No wonder she needs a guardian. Not to protect her from enemies but from herself. My role is not to slay anyone who tries to harm her, but to guard her soul and heart from being pulled into darkness.” He frowns. “Or at least that’s what my mentor, Ladybug, was trying to tell me, but only now am I starting to understand what she really meant. She is lightness and darkness at the same time.”

I frown because I have no fucking clue what he’s rambling about. If circumstances were different, I’d ask him about it but something else is bugging me.

Who is this mentor he mentioned? He has never talked about Ladybug before.

There are many things I want to know, but I end up asking Ansel, “Are there videos of the facility you aren’t showing us?” because Olivia sounds so scared of me in the footage we just saw and it makes no sense. Now that I think about it, she’s been careful around me since we brought her here. Almost as if she was terrified of something I might do to her. Not just killing her, but something worse.

But what?

Ansel puts on another video, making Tyson angry. “If we are wasting time, we might as well know all of the shit that happened, everything we did to her in the facility while we were drugged, no matter how terrible it is.”

“Olivia wanted the videos to be seen in a certain way,” Ansel tries to calm Tyson down.

“Why?” my dumb ass asks.

Ansel, who has always had patience with me, finally snaps, “Because we owe her that much! Because, despite everything that has happened and what we did to her, she still protects us. She might say she doesn’t want us, but the truth is, she has so much love for us she doesn’t even realize it. Because she is better than any of us, and we don’t fucking deserve her. Because!” He changes the video. “I know you won’t let it go because you never do, so here,” new images start to play on the TV, “I hope you’re fucking happy now.”

Olivia is in the same room as in the last video, except there is no trace of bruising around her neck, nor is her eye swollen. She is alone but not for long as the door opens and…I enter. My eyes glow red, no trace of emotion in them. The door closes behind me, and Olivia clutches the blanket around her.

“I finally found you,” I snarl, my voice guttural.

Tears run down her face. “I didn’t mean to harm Camila. …it happened so fast, I had no time to think.”

I move closer to her, and she tries to make herself as small as possible. “You not only harmed her; you killed her. I’ll do the same to you, but not before I make you suffer for a long, long time.”

“I don’t know why I did it.” Her voice cracks.

I reach the bed. “Criminals always say the same thing,” I say before I drag her out of the bed and slam her onto the floor. And I start beating her. There’s so much rage inside me that I break her bones. Her screams only seem to encourage me to be more vicious, and I inflict even more pain. When I break her sternum, her body glows, any trace of my brutal attack disappearing.

Is she healing herself? How? If Ansel is right about her being a hellstar, it still doesn’t explain what I’m seeing. So many questions rise inside my head, but all I can think about is that I hurt a hellstar, drugged or not. Why didn’t my demon stop me?

Ansel fast forwards through hours of footage of me brutally beating her while she keeps healing herself. I don’t think she realizes what she’s doing because she is confused and shocked.

“Why do I keep clinging to life when you keep killing me?” she keeps asking.

The beating she received from Jason is nothing compared to what I did to her. I stop only when I’m dragged out of there. The glow returns to her body. Her neck is covered in bruises, and her left eye is black and swollen.

No one says anything.

What the fuck is there to say?

You keep killing me.

No wonder Olivia is scared of me. She probably thinks that something she’ll do or say might trigger me into beating her again. Fuck. That was the first thing I did in the forest when I saw her face. I drag a hand down my face. How do I make her feel safe around me again?

“Before anyone asks, Olivia has healing powers, which kept her alive even when Rueben tried to kill her, which proved to be a curse to her, her words not mine, but I see it as a blessing,” Ansel explains. “When I talked to her about that day, she told me she had no memory of healing herself, but she does remember her soul being pulled into the realm of the dead while something prevented her from dying. It was agonizing, and the pain she felt was like nothing she has experienced since. Except for when…she lost people she loved. But that was another type of agony; that’s how she described it.”

Tyson rubs his temples with the tips of his fingers while telling me, “The only reason I’m not chopping you to pieces right now is because I don’t have the luxury of enduring the link breaking while I have to find Olivia. But when she is back….”

He doesn’t finish his threat, but there’s no need, as I understand perfectly what he means.

Weeks ago, I would not have cared if I died or lived, but now that I have a new purpose in life—kill Senator Deymar and make it up to Olivia—I’ll have to disappoint Tyson, as I plan to live for many years.

Maybe he is not referring to killing me. Jasper looks at me with hatred in his eyes and adds, “After we bring Olivia home, I’m taking over the leadership of the group. I don’t care if you were drugged or what the fuck was wrong with you, but after what you did to her, I don’t trust you around her. There’s no way in fucking hell you’ll ever be alone with her in the same room.”

I don’t blame him. Right now, I don’t like myself either, but I wasn’t lying when I said I was in for the long run with Olivia. Harming her is the opposite of what I want to do to her right now.

Jasper keeps talking. “I should kick you off of my land, but you’ll make a good watchdog with how unhinged you can get. I’ll build you a kennel because what fool lets a rabid animal inside the house?”

I don’t argue because he is right. I might as well be compared to a rabid animal. Jasper’s attention turns to Ansel, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I have the feeling that Olivia didn’t know she had powers.”

Ansel sighs. “No, she didn’t. Olivia is still deep in her grief, and she can’t see herself for who she is. She is no longer drowning but fighting to get above the surface after all that has happened to her. I don’t know about all hellstars, but those like Olivia have special powers.”

I shift on the sofa so I can take a better look at Ansel. My back is a little stiff from what Mose was forced to do to me, but I have been healing so fast that there was no reason for me to go to the hospital. It should have freaked me out, but finding Olivia kept me busy, and I barely had time to think, let alone wonder what was happening. “Explain this thing about hellstars,” I ask.

Ansel leans his head on the sofa. “There are things hellstars hide from men. It is their right, so I’m not about to reveal their secrets, nor do I claim to know shit about them. I only know about the ones I learned about by mistake when I was a child. What I can say is that just like demons or angels, hellstars also have ranks. As for how they work, that’s not something I know, but what I do know is that Olivia can do extraordinary things—from bringing back the dead to facing a horde of angry demons and saving my ass. Or the second pair of wings from being ripped off my back.”

Second pair of wings?

I want to ask about it, but Ansel claiming that Olivia can bring back the dead gets Rin and Steven’s attention. “No one can bring back the dead. That’s impossible. Only God has such power,” Steven says, but there is hope in his voice. I don’t blame him. Losing his twin must have fucked him up beyond belief. Not just Isak but Gavin as well.

Rin’s eyes turn black. If Olivia were here, he would have already dragged her out of the house all the way to where Levi was put to rest for eternity and demanded she bring him back.

“It has to do with Olivia’s heritage,” Ansel says. “She is the descendant of a very powerful Archangel. Her name was Pandora. She is the original owner of the twin daggers. At least, that’s what I learned when I was researching her. More than that, Pandora is also the one who put Ophyr and the Nephilims inside the box. Lucifer is the one who made the Dybbuk box in the bowels of Hell. Ophyr is the being that attacked Camila.”

Pandora is not someone I have heard about before. Not the name, but an Archangel with that name. And why don’t I know anything about Ophyr? Is it because the Elders don’t know about him or because they are hiding things from us? It wouldn’t surprise me if it were the latter since they keep a lot of information about the Dukes to themselves, maybe thinking they are protecting the rest of us, but all they are doing is putting more people in danger.

“Isn’t there a legend about Pandora?” says Tyson. “And who is Ophyr?”

The story of Pandora is one of the first ones my mother told Camila and me when we were children. According to Greek mythology, she was the first woman on Earth and the one who opened the box which contained all the evil of this world. When the box was closed, the only thing remaining inside was hope.

“Myths and legends are based on real events. Pandora’s box was a reference to the Dybbuk Box, but it was more like a prophecy of what was to happen, than a tale of the past. As for the hope that remained in the box, I think it’s a reference to Pandora’s descendants and how they will fight against evil.” Ansel’s eyes glow a strange shade of red. “From what I gathered, Pandora had only daughters, and so on. Olivia is a Pandora hellstar, referring to her lineage. The powers Olivia has are a fraction of what Pandora was capable of wielding.

“As for Ophyr, there is little to no information about who and what he is. All I know is that he hates everything God created and wants to destroy the entire Universe with the help of the Nephilims, who are his creation. Well, more or less his creation, but it is something he…altered,” Ansel explains.

As much as I want to know more about Ophyr, there’s something I don’t understand. Didn’t Wasp say the hellstars born now were originally from other worlds? “Do you know what happened to Pandora after she defeated Ophyr?” I ask.

Ansel rubs his chin. “Not all the Nephilims were locked inside the Dybbuk box. Some of them were sent to the end of the many worlds God created, scattered all over the Universe so they wouldn’t find each other again. Pandora left this world to ensure what happened here wasn’t happening in other worlds. At least that’s what was written in records. Ladybug thought that during the battle between Ophyr and Pandora, she got mortally injured. Since she put most of her divine power into the daggers she used to defeat Ophyr, she couldn’t heal herself and ultimately died. For all I know, it might be something between the two. What I do know is that Pandora is not in this world anymore.”

“So how do we know Pandora only had daughters?” Jasper raises a valid point.

After a loud sigh, Ansel mutters, “It’s unbelievable how much of the history of Creation is hidden not only from humans but from Lords and Dukes as well. Lucifer and Pandora were in love, and Lilith was born from their union. To protect Lilith from Michael, who hated the humans more than Ophyr hated the Universe, Pandora asked Dabriel and Ariel, the first demon-angel pair, to raise Lilith in the Garden of Eden. Despite Lucifer and Pandora’s efforts to keep Lilith safe, she disappeared without a trace. Lucifer blamed Michael, while Pandora suspected Ophyr to be the blame. Despite the great love Lucifer and Pandora had, the loss of their beloved daughter drove a big wedge between them, and unfortunately, they stopped speaking to each other.

“Lucifer continued to visit the Garden of Eden in the hopes that Lilith would return. Pandora retreated to her home within Heaven, and some time later, she had another daughter, Runa, who’s name means secret, because Pandora kept Runa a secret for a long time. More than that, Pandora never told Lucifer about Runa, as she was scared her second daughter would disappear, just like her sister. As Runa grew happily but hidden in her mother’s home, Lucifer grew closer to Aya, the daughter of Adam and Eve, who tragically died when Azael attacked the Garden of Eden.

“Lucifer, despite being the King of Hell, took each death personally. But what hurt him most was Azael’s betrayal. After having his wings cut off and being stabbed in the chest with his own sword, Lucifer, full of grief, retreated deep within his realm to mourn not only the loss of his dear friend but everyone who perished because of Azael and Michael. He also regretted the loss of Pandora.

“The first clash between Pandora and Ophyr was soon after the attack on the Garden of Eden. By then, Lucifer had already locked the gates of Hell and didn’t know Pandora had taken it upon herself to stop Ophyr from destroying even more of what God created.

“It started not long after Pandora descended on Earth, which was God’s latest creation and not yet ready for humans to live on. This is why Pandora is called the first woman on Earth, because she was the first to step on it. Anyway, Ophyr—who had nothing to do with Azael or Michael—and his army of Nephilims tried to destroy Earth. Pandora, who was preparing Earth to be suitable for humans to live on, faced Ophyr. Without any help, Pandora was defeated but not killed. She escaped Ophyr and engulfed the Earth with her protection until she was able to return with help, so Ophyr could not destroy it. With the help of angels who took a liking to the humans, Pandora chased Ophyr and the Nephilim army far away from Earth. But they returned time and time again.

“The battle between Pandora and Ophyr endured for a long time. Earth became populated with humans, and the fight between the two kept raging.”

Tyson interrupts Ansel and asks, “If God loved his creation so much, why didn’t he stop Ophyr? Or help Pandora defeat him and the Nephilims? And more importantly—how the fuck do you know all this?”

Ansel lets out a long sigh. “I don’t know why God never stopped Ophyr, but I can explain how I came to learn all of this. Before Francesca and Reid took me in, I lived in a…very secluded place. There were no other children to play with or adults to talk to except my…teacher. While she was a lovely woman, I often felt lonely. Since Ladybug was preparing me for my…role, she had plenty of old books. I read them when I got bored of playing alone. That’s how I learned about Pandora. Ladybug confirmed it was all true. She was a direct descendant of Pandora, but she wasn’t like Olivia. She was a historian; her family had many books about the past. Her power was to ‘see’ who would put an end to evil. Ladybug referred to that person as the heiress of Pandora.”

No wonder Ansel was so evasive whenever Tyson or I asked him about his former foster parents. The only thing he said was that he moved around a lot. I finally understand why everything seemed so new to him and why he was eager to make a fool out of himself to impress girls—he had no experience with how to interact with them.

Ansel seems to fall deep in thought. “The day Olivia was born, my suffering started. Not that I blame her. Never that. Adjusting to my…demon wasn’t easy. I was too young to handle him, only five years old at the time, but he was the only one who agreed to protect Olivia against everything, and since I was born to guard her, he was…put inside me despite my protests. To become one with him has been excruciatingly painful, and it took years because I keep fighting him. It was necessary for us to be fused together before I was sent out to be her Guardian so I wouldn’t be in danger of losing my mind when I started to hear the dark whisper of Hell. But what Ladybug didn’t plan was for my demon and me to fall in love with Olivia. Despite her many warnings and all her talk about duty and responsibility, all my thoughts were consumed by Olivia. This wonderful being who would make everything right in this world. Yet, when I met the object of my obsession, I wasn’t mature enough to handle my role. Nor did Olivia look like this wonder woman that Ladybug portrayed her to be. In other words, I was disappointed. Knowing that Ophyr was locked in the Dybbuk Box, I started making a life for myself. For the first time in my life, I was free. It was amazing. I started meeting girls and soon enough, any thought of me protecting Olivia was forgotten, pushed to the side. Ladybug was wrong—I wasn’t ready. I lacked the understanding of things I have now.” He looks at Tyson. “But I am ready now.”

What the actual fuck?

Tyson shoots to his feet. “You knew about this?”

I think the most important question here is—how the hell did he get a demon at only five years old?

Ansel denies it with a shake of his head. “The only thing I knew was that I had to protect Olivia. To be her bodyguard. I didn’t even know her name, only what she looked like. Ladybug drew a portrait of Olivia for me each year with the help of her powers. Don’t ask, I don’t know how it worked. When Camila first brought Olivia home, I was so shocked it didn’t even cross my mind I should start my watch. Being four years older than her was enough to keep me away from her. I didn’t want people to think I was a creep. Or worse. So I kept my distance and my mouth closed. All I knew was that the enemy was locked in the Dybbuk Box therefore, Olivia was safe, and I was free to do as I wanted. If I had known about Jason or her father mistreating her, I would have stepped in. And how could I have guessed that Olivia’s family had the Daggers of Power? For centuries, the hellstars looked for them, but no clue about their location was ever found.”

Tyson might want to blame Ansel for what happened to Olivia, but Jasper is not wrong when he says, “If I had been isolated from society, forced to be a vessel for a demon starting at the age of five, and listen to a woman blabber daily about some girl I never met and how I have to protect her, I would have done the same as you. But, at the same time, I would have taken my mission as a Guardian seriously.”

“Usually, a Guardian has more time to prepare himself.” Ansel lets out a bitter chuckle. “A lifetime, since one of his duties is to wait for the birth of the one who can wield the twin daggers. The Guardian before me was killed hours before I was born. He was my father. From what Ladybug told me, he died protecting my mother from her abusive husband—a Duke. After killing my father and beating my mother badly, the Duke disappeared into the night, probably thinking she was dead as well. With her last bit of strength, my mother called for help. Hours later, she died in childbirth. No wonder it is forbidden for Guardians to fall in love; it distracts them from their purpose. Too late for that, I guess. Olivia is my bonded.”

“Your mother called Ladybug, right?” Jasper asks, and Ansel nods his acknowledgement. “But how did she know you were the next Guardian?”

Ansel rubs the back of his right ear. “I was born with the mark of the Guardian—a spear. It’s not visible, as I was taught from a young age to hide it with the help of my demon.

“Why haven’t you told us anything about this?” Tyson asks.

Ansel presses his lips into a thin line before replying. “Ladybug drilled into my head that I wasn’t allowed to say a word about what I am because I risk being found by the Bringers of Doom. It’s a cult that wants Armageddon to happen and Ophyr to take the place of God. That’s all I know about them. Without me, Olivia would fall into the hands of the enemy. It almost happened, but by some twist of fate, Camila was also present when Ophyr was released from the Dybbuk Box.”

Bringers of Doom? Who the fuck are they? My head starts to spin.

“What about Camila?” I ask.

Ansel ponders for a moment before replying, “Since I saw the video of how Camila died, I wondered why Ophyr never came back for Olivia. While I was in the Catacombs, the demons said something about Camila. Her power was to mirror the powers of other hellstars. I’m certain that Camila’s presence somehow shielded Olivia’s identity from Ophyr. Else, I can’t explain why he hasn’t returned to finish what he started—kill the heir of Pandora.”

There’s so much information I can’t keep up with it. “How can we be sure Olivia is the heir of Pandora?”

“The twin daggers responded to her touch. Anyone can use them, but only Olivia can unlock their full power.”

“This is so fucked up. And I thought the Dukes were a problem,” I groan.

Ansel frowns. “The Dukes are still a problem.”

Tyson speaks next, probably thinking out loud, as he’s mostly rambling, “If Olivia is a descendant of Pandora, and the latter was the one who sealed Ophyr in the Dybbuk Box, it could be that he is afraid Olivia will imprison him again. She is in more danger than I originally thought.”

“Tyson isn’t wrong. Jason is the least of our problems,” Ansel confirms Tyson’s theory. “Ophyr is our real target. Olivia doesn’t have the Dybbuk Box. She is sure Azael got hold of it.”

Fuck. “Not only do we have to deal with the Dukes and Azael, but now we have to think of a way to stop Ophyr and his army of Nephilims while looking for the Dybbuk Box?” I huff. “Keeping our woman safe won’t be easy.”

“Don’t forget the Blight, the other half of Ophyr’s army,” Ansel adds. “Olivia is not the only hellstar in danger. All of them are.”

“We are pretty much screwed,” Jasper voices his concern.

Ophyr, whatever he might be, might want to destroy God’s creation and kill my woman, but I won’t make it easy for him.

“Olivia is working on a plan, but she hasn’t given me any details about it. And ,” Ansel emphasizes, “even if she had disclosed anything to me, it’s not my place to talk about it.”

Rin shifts his weight from one leg to another. “For years, we have been fighting against the Dukes. Many of our own have died. There’s no way a woman will find a way to deal with the enemy.”

I glare at Rin, but it is Ansel who puts him in his place. “Olivia’s role is not to defeat the Dukes but to lead the other hellstars into battle when Armageddon begins and to stop Ophyr from destroying the world. I’m afraid Armageddon is near. Days before her disappearance, Ladybug told me that the Four Horsemen were already on Earth. One for each type of being of this world—demons, angels, humans, and Heartless.” Ansel says the last word so quickly I barely hear it.

A frown appears on Tyson’s face. “What are the Heartless? And what is the role of the Four Horsemen?”

“The Heartless are…different,” Ansel’s tone makes it clear that he doesn’t want to talk about this subject. “Ladybug disappeared before she could explain about the Four Horsemen. She left to buy groceries but never returned home. The next day, a man I had never seen before came to get me. He told me Ladybug was going to be out of the city for a while. Meanwhile, I’ll be living with a family of Lords who promised to keep me safe from the Bringers of Doom. That’s how I ended up at the Carr’s house,”

Ansel finally tells the whole truth about how he came to live with my family. My parents were involved in all of this? And who was that man and what was his connection with my parents? Not thatI’ll find out, as Ansel says, “That was the only time I saw him. I never asked Francesca or Reid about him because I was afraid that if I did, he’d come to take me back to Ladybug. For the first time in my life, I had a family. Brothers and a sister, friends too. Reid and Francesca were keeping me safe. I didn’t want to be the Guardian. I was going to public school, and truth be told, I was having a blast.”

He was? He was always so serious, I could have sworn he hated his life, since he was an orphan. “Do you have questions, or should I continue with the videos?” Ansel asks.

I have so many questions I don’t even know where to start.

“Finish the story about Pandora. I want to know how she trapped Ophyr with the help of Lucifer when he had already confined himself in Hell,” Steven says.

Ansel takes out a cigarette and lights it. After a few drags, he says, “The Catacombs beneath the Blood Lodge are Pandora’s doing. When she couldn’t contact Lucifer, she used her powers to create a tunnel that led directly into the heart of Hell. To avoid humans getting inside and ending up in Hell, Pandora later added more tunnels that led to nowhere. Ultimately, the Blood Lodge was built on top of it to keep the Catacombs hidden from the Dukes. Once inside Hell, Pandora asked Lucifer for help with stopping Ophyr. He made the Dybbuk Box, which Pandora used as a prison for Ophyr and half of his army.”

Jasper makes a small summary for us. “God created the Universe and everything in it. Then, Ophyr appeared and wanted to destroy it with the help of Nephilims. Meanwhile, more drama unfolded as demons and angels started to fall in love, which led to them having children, who were called humans because they lacked divine power. Lucifer smashed with Pandora; they had a daughter who disappeared under mysterious circumstances and was never found again. Lucifer and Pandora split up.

“More shit happened when Azael, together with other traitors, attacked the Garden of Eden and almost killed Lucifer. Pandora had a secret baby. After many battles over the course of a long period of time, Pandora finds a way to stop Ophyr once and for all.”

“Back to the present. Olivia, who has suffered more than enough, has to fight against Ophyr and his Nephilims when the last war starts. Is there more, or am I missing something?”

“What about Runa?” I ask, curious about the fate of Pandora’s second daughter.

Ansel takes a drag from his cigarette before replying, “She had many daughters before she died of old age, years before Pandora and Ophyr faced each other in what would be their last battle.”

Tyson starts smoking as well. “This is some serious shit. Why is there so much hidden from us?” he wonders.

Ansel finishes his cigarette. “It might have to do with the fact that hellstars don’t want the Lords and the Dukes to know they are more powerful than anyone thinks. Some hellstars are warriors, meant to face the Nephilims in battle during Armageddon.

“If that is true, my theory is that the hellstars are the ones who made the story of Pandora and the Dybbuk Box into a myth and altered many details. After that, they hid their divine powers from their husbands and only let them believe their only purpose as hellstars was to be soulmates to both human and his demon or angel. As for why, I don’t know. Maybe men forced the hellstars to use their powers to hurt others. Again, this is a theory. Things could be very different.” His eyes suddenly go wide. “Mose is in great danger.”