It had taken a while for the girl to calm down enough and freshen up her face a bit. That's why they arrived at Maggie's shop more than half an hour later than planned. He tried to push open the door, but it was locked. He knew immediately that something was wrong. His eyes glowed gold for a moment, and a signet ring appeared on his right ring finger, which Elise saw. He spoke a single word, and she heard more than clearly that he would not tolerate any contradiction.
"Stay!"
He put his hand on the door, which immediately jumped out of the lock, and stepped into the shop. In the seats he saw Fay, Hope, and Samantha sitting close together, crying. Maggie had just returned with some cups of hot chocolate. She saw in his eyes that he was in no mood for small talk.
"What the hell is going on, Maggie?"
She asked in turn:
"Where are Elise and Jules?"
"I told them to wait outside."
Maggie nodded and went to get them and locked the door again. Jules didn't hesitate a moment when she saw the crying girls and flew to them and took Sam in a firm hug. Coldly, Jonathan said:
"I asked you a question, Maggie!"
She sighed and said:
"Their father ran off with a woman, but..."
"But what?"
"Jon, he tried to molest Sam. Fay and Hope intervened... There were blows..."
His eyes glowed red. He closed them and had to take a deep breath to get the hellfire out of them. He walked over to the girls, who were sitting with their heads down. Gently, he lifted their heads and saw the damage their father had done. Their faces looked very battered.
"Motherfucker!"
He closed his eyes and said a prayer:
"Raffa, I need you now. If Michael gives you any trouble, just tell him that if he lifts a finger against you, I'll come up and finish the job I started."
He snapped his fingers, and immediately he had his battle gear on. There was no mistaking his face or the look in his eyes. Elise could see that he was ready to go to war at any moment. A few seconds later, everyone heard a pair of large wings, and an Angel appeared out of nowhere. He looked like a young man of African descent and said sternly to Jon:
"That's the stupidest thing you could do right now, brother. In fact, he was waiting for it. He would take it as a declaration of war, and everything you have worked and suffered for would be for nothing. What do you need?"
Jon pointed at the girls and said:
"Scan and heal!"
The Angel nodded and walked over to the girls. He got down on his knees in front of them:
"Hello, I am Raphael the Healer. I'm Jonathan's little brother. I'm going to scan you girls so I can see clearly what I need to heal. It doesn't hurt at all, so don't be afraid."
Elise saw how Jon behaved in this situation and how he addressed the Angel. She knew immediately why Rae Rae had said that he was the leader of this small group of angels. There was no trace of the broken Antichrist; this was a general, the Crown Prince of Hell, as Azrael had described him. She couldn't help but be impressed. She also suddenly realized that the words the Angel had spoken the day before were absolutely true. Jon would do anything to protect the innocent and would be the worst nightmare of anyone who harmed one of his charges. Meanwhile, the girls nodded uncertainly at Raffa. The healer's warm smile reassured them.
"Good, if you all want to give me a hand, then I can start; the pain will be over in no time."
After the girls gave him a hand, his eyes lit up gold, and you could see the wounds on their faces slowly disappear. Five minutes later, nothing was visible, and the girls felt no more pain. Raffa stood up and spoke in a language only angels could understand:
"The superficial wounds are gone, as you can see. You called me just in time, Jon. Hope took a hard blow to the head; her brain was slowly swelling. It wouldn't have taken long for her to feel it. She was bleeding slowly and would not have survived in a human hospital. And you can't forget the trauma. Fortunately, nothing happened except the wounds they received, but the wounds in their souls will take time to heal."
He nodded and said in English:
"Thank you, Raffa. Would you tell Rae Rae I would like to see her? Dinner time would be perfect. I need some answers."
The healer nodded and said:
"Lose the Black, Jon. Think twice before you do anything. Michael is just waiting for the slightest mistake. You have to master your temperament and stay in control!"
Without waiting for an answer, Raffa disappeared. Jon turned to Maggie and asked:
"I take it there is no mother in the picture?"
"The mother has been out of the picture for years, Jon. The same story ran off without looking back."
"How old are they?"
"Hope and Fay are sixteen, and Samantha is eleven."
"So, after this misery with their father, they will now disappear into this fucked-up child protection system."
The woman said nothing, just nodded. He thought for a moment and looked at the four girls sitting close together. He took a deep breath and looked at Elise. She said nothing, just nodded. It was as if she could read his mind and knew what he was thinking. To no one in particular, he said:
"Over my dead fucking body!"
His eyes glowed golden again, and he scanned the city. To his relief, he found a very spacious house on the market. It was either for rent or for sale, and it was fully furnished. A pleasant surprise was that Mrs. Dekker was also the real estate agent for this property. He fished his cell phone out of his pocket and called her. A few minutes later, he hung up and said he had to go to the real estate office for a moment. He snapped his fingers, and the black outfit was gone. Without waiting for a reply, he left. An hour later, he returned to the store and asked:
"Maggie, is your car here?"
"Yes, of course, Jon. What can I do?"
"Fay and Hope will ride with you while you follow me. I don't think Sam and Jules can let go of each other right now."
The woman just nodded. Jon turned to the four girls:
"Okay ladies, you will all get in the cars in a moment. Jules and Sam with Elise and me. Hope and Fay, you ride with Maggie."
They looked at him, not understanding, and Hope asked quietly:
"Where are we going, Jon? Child Protective Services will want to pick us up."
"That's not going to happen, girl. Child Protective Services can go fuck themselves. The where to is simple; we go home."
"Home?"
"Yep, you three are coming to live with Elise, Jules, and me. It's time for all of us to go home..."
They stared at him wide-eyed. But he was already turning to Maggie and Elise:
"Get clothes for the girls for the next few days until we get everything in order. Anything they need."
Before they could leave, he handed Maggie a credit card and said:
"Keep it; I have a sneaking suspicion this will not be the end, and this card has no limit."
Elise and Maggie had quickly selected and packed a pile of clothes for the girls. Then Samantha and Jules had gotten into the back seat of the Demon, and Fay and Hope had gotten in with Maggie. Jon drove in complete silence to the house he had just bought. Almost four million, and he didn't even blink. Why should he? It didn't even scratch the surface of what he called his play account. Elise sensed that he was in no mood to talk. His brain was probably working overtime. She didn't want to know how many balls he was juggling in his head right now. She saw that they were driving towards the house he had bought near the campus, but that he was now driving closer towards the campus. Her eyes got bigger and bigger as she noticed that the closer they got to campus, the bigger the houses got. He pulled into the driveway of a large plantation-style house. He got out and helped the two youngest ones out of the car. Elise, Maggie, and the four girls stood looking at the house with big eyes and open mouths. Jon got his smirk back on his face:
"What? Would you rather live in a shoebox? Come on in; I have work to do, and you have bedrooms to sort out."
He opened the door, and they all entered hesitantly, taking it all in. It was a very spacious house. Six large bedrooms, two with their own large luxurious en-suite bathroom and the other four sharing a large bathroom two by two. There was a very large garden with a pool where even he, at six feet tall, could do a few laps. A patio where you could have a big garden party and a corner where you could cook outside. Downstairs there was a very spacious kitchen and dining area and a living room where it seemed very easy to lose sight of each other. The top floor was rough, but he already had an idea for it. This floor could be divided into a large suite and a private study for him. The basement could serve as a game and multimedia room. Investing in a home theater equipped with luxurious leather seats and a state-of-the-art sound system seemed like an exciting idea. The latest action movies and classics like "Singing' in the Rain" just had to be enjoyed on a big screen. There was also a small office downstairs that could serve temporarily and provide some privacy for what he was going to do and what was to come. The girls and Elise remained standing as if glued to the floor. He laughed for a moment and said:
"Ladies, the rooms are upstairs, and if you don't make a choice, you'll have to sleep in the garden tonight."
With that, they seemed to come out of their trance. Suddenly there was a lot of enthusiasm in the air, and they ran around to explore the house. He said:
"Elise, restrain the girls so they don't tear the place apart in the next five minutes. Maggie with me!"
Without waiting, he turned and headed for the small office. Maggie followed close behind. She, too, had noticed the change in him and instinctively knew that now was not the time to be a wiseass. Inside the office, they took a seat, and Jon asked:
"What the hell is going on in Baton Rouge, Maggie? Are there others in your coven who are having problems with their powers? Suddenly feeling like they are less than they used to be?"
"I really have no idea, Jon. Weird things have been happening lately. But it's never been this bad. Our circle has never experienced anything like today."
He pondered this answer for a moment and then asked:
"Describe the father to me. Not what he looks like; I don't really need that information for my little visit."
Wisely deciding not to respond to his last four words, she replied:
"He's not the most reliable guy. Alcohol, on and off. From job to job, it never lasted long. Probably did some illegal business from time to time because there was always money for booze, pills, and weed. Since Fay and Hope started with me, they were more or less on their own. As soon as he discovered they were earning money, he became disinterested and left them on their own. Their wages go to the basics: food, clothing, and making sure Samantha has the things she needs for campus. One of their main concerns is that Sam never goes to school with an empty lunchbox. The twins sacrifice everything for their little sister Jon, because that jerk doesn't care about anything. They play the role of mother when they themselves desperately need a mother to be children, to save a piece of their childhood. A few years ago I met the twins, felt their powers, and more or less took them under my wing. They are white witches, but somehow their powers are blocked. Sam often comes to the shop with them because there is usually no one to watch her. I try to do what I can for these girls, but because of the Covid situation, I too have taken a huge financial hit. So I can't do as much as I would like. I can only keep Fay and Hope employed part-time. They have been out of school for a few months because of this whole nasty family situation. For this school year, I managed to cover Sam's tuition at St. Bernard's, but for the upcoming school year, I am facing financial difficulties. I won't be able to continue. She is such a smart girl, and she really belongs on campus. Unfortunately, she will have to go to a public school next year."
Jon looked at her:
"Da fuck she will. All three of them and Jules are going to the campus, and that's all there is to it."
He leaned back in his desk chair and closed his eyes for a moment. Elise quietly entered the room and took a seat next to Maggie. The ladies let him think for a few minutes until Elise asked:
"What do you think about Jon?"
He said without opening his eyes:
"Something smells rotten in the state of Louisiana, and it ain't fish."
She got a smile on her face when she heard him quote Shakespeare but with a twist. He sat up, opened his eyes, and said:
"I have a feeling that something is not quite right. Unfortunately, I can't put my finger on it, not yet."
Elise and Maggie were relieved. He had needed a catalyst to break down and a catalyst to become himself again. At least partly because he still had a long way to go. But Elise had no doubt that this was only temporary. Once this misery was over. Once he could relax again, he would slip back. She hoped he would not slide all the way back into the abyss. If that happened, she was determined to get him back on his feet, to put him back together again. She asked:
"What are you going to do to get some clarity, Jon?"
He looked her sternly in the eye:
"A few things. A talk with Rae Rae tonight, and then I'm going to do what I was born to do. A talk with one of my father's guests so these girls can officially live here with us. That's the most important thing right now. After that, I'm going to talk to some assholes, and depending on how angry they make me... well."
She felt the Crown Prince of Hell scratching beneath the surface, and he had to stop himself with all his might. If he didn't stop himself, he would go straight for his revenge. Both women knew that what would follow would be very bad news for some people in the near future. And they couldn't feel any sympathy for the miserable excuses for people on his list. Elise nodded at him:
"What is on the agenda?"
He looked at his watch and said with a grin:
"I feel like driving the girls a little crazy, Red. They need to blow off some steam, all four of them."
Every time he called her Red, she felt butterflies in her stomach. In the past, she would have absolutely hated it if someone had called her that, because so many times, negative emotions were involved. With him, it seemed like it couldn't be any different, that it was just natural for him to call her that. The smirk and the twinkle in his eyes just made it impossible for her to resist this man. He pulled out his cell phone and called a Cadillac dealer. He made it clear that he wanted an Escalade with four seats in the back and that he wanted it delivered yesterday. He immediately transferred the full amount with a generous bonus, after which the manager didn't know how quickly a long-term rental in prime condition should be delivered. He assured Jon that the car would be there within the hour. After hanging up, he asked:
"Maggie, is there a location near your store that houses everything these girls would require for the campus?"
"Yes, not very far, maybe a ten- or fifteen-minute 'drive; there is a pretty big store that specializes in everything kids need for school. From elementary to college."
"Perfect!"
He stood up and said:
"Let's go talk to these girls."
The three of them walked into the living room, and Elise went to get the girls. Jules was almost shaking on her legs, but Hope, Fay, and Samantha were clearly still suffering from what had happened that morning. With a smile, Jonathan said:
"Have a seat; we need to talk, girls."
Then he sat down himself. The three of them suddenly got a frightened look in their eyes, as if he had changed his mind. Elise had noticed immediately and said quietly:
"Don't worry, girls, we haven't changed our minds, and we don't want to send you away. Jon just has to ask you something."
Jules and Sam sat down on a couch together, hugging each other the whole time. These two little ones had been through a miserable experience and were just drawn to each other. The hugs and emotional support they gave each other were something they clearly needed and could work wonders. Both Elise and Jon thought that would be the case for a while. Fay and Hope were also sitting close together on a couch. Jon said:
"Okay to start, what does everyone want to drink?"
He manifested the requested drinks for everyone and then asked his first question:
"Girls, Elise and I would love for you to live with us. That all six of us can start a new family together. But some things will change for you. To keep Child Protective Services away from you, Elise and I will have to become your legal guardians. So I want to ask you if this is something you want. It really has to come from your free will, girls. Do you understand?"
The three of them just nodded without saying a word. He smiled softly and said:
"You are white witches, even though your powers have not come through yet. So you know the rule; you really have to say the words yourself."
Fay looked at Hope and then at Samantha, and after they both nodded, she spoke:
"Yes, Jon, all three of us want this of our own free will."
He got the smirk back on his face that Elise was beginning to know so well, and he said:
"Nice, and with those words, you will be back in school with your cute little butts starting Monday or Tuesday. All four of you will be going to campus. Fay and Hope, you two will have to catch up because you haven't been to school for a few months. I will tutor you myself where possible, and otherwise, I will provide a professional who can do what I can't or don't know anything about. You will find that I am very easy with many things. With others, not so much. This means that all four of you will go to school and do your best to get the best grades possible. Understood?"
The four girls looked at him and nodded in agreement.
"Good, we'll go to Clair's in a moment to get uniforms for you two ladies. Then we'll get the supplies you need on campus."
He looked at Sam and asked:
"Sam honey, you are already going to school there; you and Jules are the same age, so I think you will be in the same class. What will Jules need? And do you have everything you need?"
The girl blushed and was a little embarrassed.
"No, Jon, I don't have everything."
"Okay, then what can you use at school?"
She thought for a moment and said:
"Jules will definitely need a rain jacket, a gym outfit, and a bathing suit. But so will I. Of course, writing utensils, a calculator, and a computer or laptop to look up things. I always got to use Maggie's because D... that man didn't have one."
That last sentence had brought tears to her eyes again. He looked at Fay and Hope:
"You are old enough to know what you need for school, I guess?"
The two nodded.
"Fine, then we'll go shopping later after we're done with Clair."
He looked at Maggie:
"While Fay and Hope are at Clair's getting their uniforms, can you take Sam and Jules to get what Sam listed as clothing?"
"Will do, Jon."
He stood up and said:
"I need to make a few more phone calls. I'll be right back. Red, let me know when the car is delivered. Maybe you can make a list with our girls of what they need to feel at home. Doesn't matter what it is. And this is for you too. New furniture, bathrooms, kitchen, whatever it is."
He manifested a pile of thick magazines:
"Flip through these; if you see something you like, rip out that page, and I can manifest it for you. I would say go nuts."
With that, he disappeared towards the temporary office and fell into the chair. Again he leaned back, sighed, and closed his eyes. The only phone call he had left to make was to the campus and the principal of the elementary school. He was told they could come by the next morning. After that, he didn't need to make any more calls. Hell didn't exactly have a phone number. Without realizing it, he fired off a prayer. Even if he had known, he was pretty sure that his prayers would never reach the vast majority of the inhabitants of Heaven, ever again:
"Grandma, what in Grandpa's name have I gotten myself into?"
Then, in his mind, he began to put his pieces on the board for what he would do in the coming days. The more he thought about what had happened to those girls and Elise, the more certain he became that a bunch of disgusting people were going to be in a lot of pain. That he would inflict that pain on them while they were still alive and make sure that the pain and misery would be a hundred times worse after he delivered them alive to his father's throne. He just didn't know how his father would react if he showed up in Hell's throne room. After all, he had said in that last meeting he didn't think he would get a very warm welcome. In his head, he shouted:
"FUCKING MICHAEL!!! I SHOULDN'T HAVE LISTENED TO GRANDMA FUCK IT!!! I SHOULD HAVE FINISHED HIM!!!"