A little later, they stopped in front of the shop he had chosen. Not only because of what it had to offer but especially because of the name "Lumiere". He laughed softly but sadly at the same time because of the name. His father might be the Devil, but he was an Archangel first. He was one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, the Lightbringer. He himself carried the light and the power of the Lightbringer, which was one of the elements that made him so powerful. Jon walked in with Elise and Jules. They were immediately greeted by an enthusiastic, pretty young girl who he guessed was still in high school and had a part-time job.
"Welcome to Lumiere, my name is Hope. What can I do for you?"
Almost instantly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he felt a supernatural presence at his back. He turned quickly and looked into the brown eyes of a beautiful woman who was somewhere in her mid-forties. She said to Hope:
"Hope, you can go home; I'm closing up for the day. This is your sale, so I'll put it in your name for your commission."
"OK Maggie, see you tomorrow."
The girl said happily. Jon looked the woman dead in the eyes. He wanted to look stern, but he was surprised to find that he was not able to do so. This woman was remarkable; she radiated warmth and light. As the teenager left the shop and the door fell into the lock, he said quietly:
"You are a witch. I hope for your health that you do not practice black magic, for I hate that with a passion."
"Don't worry, whiter magic than ours will be hard to find."
The smile remained on her face. He did not sense the slightest hint of dishonesty.
"Then why close your shop?"
"It's not every day that a prince comes into my shop, let alone the Prince of Light. That's why I wanted to give you a little more privacy. My name is Maggie, Margaretta Dubois. What can I do for you?"
Jon looked at her for a moment and then dropped his suspicion. He didn't know why. There were too many questions in his head that he hadn't been able to answer in the last few days, and it irritated him. Normally, he would have avoided someone like her very quickly.
"These ladies desperately need a whole new wardrobe. Due to lack of time, only the basics at the moment. Socks, shoes, underwear, some jeans, skirts, and dresses. Two suitcases full each. More in-depth shopping can be done tomorrow or so. Well, you get the idea."
She nodded and turned to Elise and Jules. She addressed the girl:
"I think it's a good thing I closed the shop. You'll get a little overenthusiastic, and then the fitting room will definitely be too small."
The girl moved slightly behind and against Jon. It was immediately obvious that his entire being had become tense as the child sought protection from him. Although he tried not to show it, Elise and Maggie had noticed. Maggie lowered herself a little so that she could look the girl in the eyes on her level.
"No need to be afraid or embarrassed, little one. You are safe here. There's a fairly large room near the fitting room that's private for you and your mom. No one will bother you there.
"Really?"
"Really, the prince is so incredibly powerful that he can protect you anytime and anywhere, so those few feet are no problem for him. He will wait there on that seat. He'll get a nice drink from me, and he'll stay close by. Why don't you two have a look around, and I'll come and help you in a minute."
Jules looked questioningly at Jon, who nodded:
"Go ahead, Bwitch. I'm here; you'll be safe."
And off they went.
"What will you drink, my lord?"
"If you have vodka, that would be welcome."
"Please sit down; I'll bring it right over."
His original suspicion vanished like snow in the sun; he didn't know why, so he just fell into the seat. A few minutes later she returned with a bottle and two glasses. She placed them on the small table and sat down. She poured generously into the two glasses. Jon took his glass, took a big swig, and said:
"You know who and what I am, and yet you kindly invite me in and offer me a drink. My father's side and yours are not exactly friends and never have been. Certainly not a Paschal like these two ladies. My father himself has no problem with it; on the contrary, but many of his minions are quite allergic to the name."
He could feel Elise more or less silently trying to listen in on his conversation with Maggie. Normally, he did not like it at all when people tried to eavesdrop on a conversation. In this case, he didn't care. Maggie looked him right in the eye:
"Jon, may I call you Jon or Jonathan, or do you insist on your title?"
"I don't care about the damn title, so yes, Jon, please. May I call you Maggie?"
"Of course, Jon, I always judge people by their actions and not by vague stories. The Antichrist has done nothing as far as I know, so you are innocent as far as I am concerned. You are a Prince of Heaven and Hell, so that must mean something. If you were evil, I think that God would not have given you that title. As a follower of your grandmother, I trust her and her husband's choice to name you Prince of Heaven. I believe they have good reasons for that. The fact that Earth still exists also plays a big role, of course, and offering you a drink is the least I can do to save us all."
He looked at her uncomprehendingly. Where did she get this information from? She said, amused:
"Some of us white witches are in contact with heaven; black witches, of course, with hell. You have been the topic of conversation for the last five days or so. The hotline for both sides is on fire. Both sides seem to be dumbfounded. What are you? The prince of Heaven or the Prince of Hell, the literal Antichrist. The Crown Prince of Hell, the Antichrist, refuses to unleash the Apocalypse. Who has single-handedly threatened to destroy Heaven and Hell if either side comes near him."
He laughed softly:
"Yep, sounds like something I would say when I get pissed."
He said, as amused as she was, and raised his glass:
"Maggie, you're welcome, and thanks for the drink."
She bumped her glass against his and took a sip.
"I'm going to see if I can help the princesses."
He got a completely confused look on his face and looked at her totally uncomprehending. She laughed softly:
"Typical, those who do the greatest deeds forget the little things. My Lord, you are primary through your father, the Crown Prince of Hell, and you have claimed these two as your own; your mark is clear; that makes them Princesses of Hell."
The look in his eyes became steely, and he said:
"Fuck no! I put a mark on them to protect them from black magic and the idiots who hang around in those circles. Nothing more!"
"So what's your plan for them?"
"I will make sure that they can build a new future in complete safety and never have to be afraid again. Then I will pay a visit to the bastard who treated them like this. I know one particular demon that I like very much. He deserves a new squeaky toy!"
Elise had gotten everything, and he thought that was good; it cleared up the relationship. Maggie nodded silently and made her way to the girl and her mother. When she got to the girl's side, she saw that she was looking around in confusion.
"What's wrong, little one?"
Tears shot into her eyes.
"This is all so expensive. Da... Jon said everything I wanted, but I don't dare..."
"You know what, why don't we just ask him, hmmm?"
She took Jules by the hand, and they walked back to Jon, followed by Elise. He saw that she was about to cry. He had absolutely no experience with a little girl being so emotional, except once, and he absolutely did not want to think about that episode; he could not think about it without being shattered. He was startled and asked:
"What's wrong, Jules?"
Instead of answering, she really started to cry. Without thinking, he jumped up and took her in his arms.
"Little Bwitch, please tell me what is wrong."
She hid her little face against him and said almost inaudibly:
"Everything is so expensive, I'm afraid..."
"My little girl, I've told you everything you and your mother need or want. I've already told you that I always tell the truth and that I mean what I say."
"But first this expensive hotel, then this very big, very expensive house, and now these expensive clothes..."
"Money is not a problem. It's just money, and I have more than enough of it. I want you to be happy, my little baby witch."
"Really?"
"Really, Jules."
He put her down on the floor and handed her some tissues from the box on the table.
"And hup, go away, both of you, and go crazy."
He gave her a gentle pat on the bottom, and off she went. Maggie sat for a moment and took a sip from her glass.
"You could make an excellent father to her, Jonathan, once you get over the panic reaction you have."
She said with a sly smile.
"But you have to talk to them. Telling their story is the only way to unburden their souls."
"Stop it, Maggie. It will never happen. I have absolutely no interest in that kind of relationship. Not now, not ever. They are white witches; do you want to enlighten their souls? Then talk to them. As soon as they get back on their feet, I have to leave and stay very far away from them. There is no other choice, no other way. If I stay, I could cause them more harm and more misery. And I don't want to be responsible for that! I'm the Antichrist, and my curse is to be alone, always, forever."
Maggie nodded that she understood.
In no time, Jules and Elise had collected a few piles of clothes. Dresses, skirts, jeans, t-shirts, sweatshirts, pajamas, and whatever else had piled up. It was pleasing to him that he could see from their behavior and appearance that they were quickly regaining their zest for life. The next moment, he pushed that feeling away with all his strength. He couldn't do that; he couldn't open up to them; he couldn't get used to them. Maggie came back to sit next to him, and he asked:
"Do you often serve clients behind closed doors?"
"No, never. But your two ladies are very special. Elise and Jules would be very much at home in our coven and would feel safe because they would be surrounded by sisters. We are very critical about who we allow into the coven or who we associate with. Men don't get in, and neither do women who would force someone to do something against their will. I don't know if it's coincidence or Mother Nature, but so far all the wives and mothers I've met are white witches.
"Who is your high priestess?"
"I am. I am the one with the most power in our coven, and I took on that role after my mother died a few years ago."
"I'm sorry to hear about your mother's death."
"Thank you, Jon."
Jules came back with another pile of clothes. Her small hands and arms struggled to carry the pile. A sight that made Jon smile broadly.
"Look, Da... Jon, what I found and like."
Every near slip of the girl's tongue caused his heart to beat faster. His stress level shot up to unprecedented levels. He just felt that he had to solve this problem as soon as possible. He had to put as much distance as possible between himself and the mother and daughter. On the other hand, Jules reminded him of Cas and his feelings for her. He was a Nephilim, could not possibly have children, and Casiel was the closest thing he had. Now that he was almost certain he would never see her again, he could not let the girl get any closer. He could not let her slip into his heart as Casiel. He was convinced that he would break down if he could not keep himself hermetically sealed. Maggie and Elise had heard Jules' slip all too well and had seen his reaction. Every muscle in his body and face tensed, and for a moment there was an incredible look of pain in his eyes before he pushed it away. Quickly he said:
"Now that you know who I am, Maggie, I won't need any transportation to get this back to the hotel."
He handed her one of his credit cards.
"Don't you even want to know what the total is?"
"No, being greeted by someone like you is priceless to me. It doesn't happen often."
His eyes got that sad look again for a split second as he said:
"No, let me correct that; it never happened."
A pang went through Elise's heart, and she wondered how lonely he must be. Maggie got up to go to the register. He said:
"This sale is in the name of the young lady who just left; just add a thousand-dollar tip. Young people can always use a little extra. Tell her to enjoy it."
She looked at him wide-eyed, but his attention was already on the pile of clothes. With a snap of his fingers, they were off to the suite. When Maggie returned with his credit card, she said:
"Give me your cell phone."
He looked at her, conflicted. But since he had to be here with Elise and Jules at least once more anyway, he reluctantly did as she asked. He could always throw away his current number and get a new one. It was not like he had hundreds of contacts stored in there. His contact list had exactly zero contacts. She typed something and said:
"Now I have your number; I'll call you. And you have mine.