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Fate smiled tenderly at her daughter’s excitement.
“This one will be a girl. In time, I will have another daughter as well, and my last child will be a son.” Zerina smiled. Her first lesson in life had been to learn of Fate’s power to foresee the future while she could not see her own future Fate would be able to see her children’s. “They each will have new souls except this one.” Fate tightened her fingers around Zerina’s. “This one will have an old soul, one deserving of a second chance at life, and you will guide her soul at birth, Zerina.”
“The little girl. Thatis why you told me that story.” Zerina jumped to her feet, hopping up and down on her bed before falling down next to her mother. “This time, we will make her happy. She’ll get a happy ending—you’ll see to that.”
“I hope so, Zerina. I intend to try with your help.” Zerina, for all her young wisdom, failed to notice the grim determination in her mother’s eyes. If she had, she would have been warned just to what lengths Fate would go to for the child she carried in her womb.
* * *
The courtroom was filled to capacityfor the highly publicized case involving the deaths of a small family. Tension filled the air as the jurors were seated. The anguished father sat among the crowd waiting for the verdict. His absolute stillness and grim vestige should have warned the others, but like all humans, they were lost in their own personal cares.
Fate stood in the back of the courtroom, invisible to all eyes. She already knew the verdict that was about to be read by the foreperson. That was why she was here—several lives were about to be irrevocably changed.
When the not guilty verdict was read, Fate saw Philip Dawson jump up to grab his lawyer, shaking his hand vehemently in thanks. Laughing and crying in relief, he didn’t realize his joy was adding fuel to the flames burning in Thomas Shelton’s body, whose wife and unborn child’s deaths had been the direct result of Dawson’s driving under the influence.
To give him credit, Dawson’s lawyer appeared modest and tried to quiet his client. Others stopped by the table congratulating him on winning a case that many in the legal field had speculated to be unwinnable.
Rhys Michaelswas not only an experienced lawyer, but also an important member of Cincinnati society. He came from an influential family, using those connections and a keen intelligence with regard to the legal system to rise to the top of his profession. Rhys’s career was all about the win; he took great care to avoid those cases that he knew would be impossible to win. Rhys didn’t care about the victims his clients had destroyed as long as they could pay the exorbitant fees he charged and furthered the career that, if not stopped, would lead to the most important position of political power and prestige in the United States.
The courtroom slowly emptied out, leaving only Rhys and his assistant.
“Let’s go celebrate.” Daniel smiled as Rhys shook his head.
“I can’t. Deena had an appointment with her obstetrician today, and she’s fixing a special dinner to tell me if it’s another boy or a girl. She’s left messages with my secretary to tell me to be home early.”
The unusual messages had made Rhys determined to be on time for once. The several messages in themselves spoke volumes as to the importance of Deena’s request. Usually, she was more than understanding of the demands of his job, never calling the office, preferring to leave small notes he would see as he left for work.
“Of course it will be a girl. With a beautiful wife and two perfect sons, the only thing left is for a baby girl to make you one of the luckiest bastards I know.”
“Jealous?” Rhys laughed. He didn’t blame Daniel for his good-natured envy; he had worked long hours to help with this last case, only to see Rhys take all the credit. Rhys remembered what it was like when he had first started out as a young law clerk.
“Damn straight. My life would have been complete with Deena—she’s beautiful, sweet, and absolutely devoted to you—but you’ve also just won the biggest case of your career. The reporters will all be talking about you on television tonight.”
Rhys finished putting his paperwork away in his briefcase. “I can’t take all the credit; I had quite a bit of help. I appreciate all the work you did on the case,” Rhys complimented his assistant.
“That’s what you pay me the big bucks for—to help you win. Of course, I do have the additional benefit of being seen next to you on the news. Think I can snare a woman as perfect as Deena?” Daniel joked.
“Not on your best day. There is only one Deena.”
Rhys had taken one look at Deena in their university English class and chased her relentlessly until she’d agreed to go on a date with him. They had married while still in university, each wanting a family as both sets of their parents had died—Deena’s when she was still in high school and Rhys had lost both of his just a few months before entering college. The marriage was happy and gave them the support that had been missing since their parents’ untimely deaths. These days, Deena was a stay at home mother who flourished in maintaining their luxurious home and caring for their two sons.
AsDaniel and Rhys walked towards the heavy doors of the courtroom, Rhys saw a faint glimmer out of the corner of his eye as they exited. Hesitating, he looked closer and could have sworn he saw an outline of a woman. Blinking his eyes, he stared hard, but the lone figure had disappeared. Thinking the sun’s rays, which shone directly into the courthouse windows, had reflected on an object, Rhys caught up to Daniel who was staring at him in confusion.
Outside, they walked towards the parking garage. When Rhys turned towards the entrance, Daniel once again tried to convince Rhys to keep him company for a drink.
”Come on, we won’t be long. What’s twenty minutes?”
Finally giving in, Rhys shrugged and then turned away from the garage.
“Just a quick one. I owe you for that evidence you pulled out at the last minute.” No sooner had he spoken than a feeling of impending doom came over him, clenching his stomach in fear. Rhys had never felt anything like it in his life. He searched the milling crowd around him yet could see no danger.
Stopping in his tracks, Rhys turned back toward the parking garage to get his car, an intuition telling him to go home, those messages Deena had left him nagging at his mind.
Rhys had only taken a few steps before Daniel and several other lawyers called out to him from the doorway to the bar.The close proximity to the courthouse provided a much needed way for the men to wind down from the ugliness that people could inflict upon each other. Feeling ridiculous at his indecision and deciding a quick drink wouldn’t put him behind more than ten minutes, Rhys moved toward his friends.
Fate stood on the sidewalk, frowning. Someone was trying to interfere. If she had not used her power, he would be headed home to certain death. Whoever it was, they were weak, not even close to the power she wielded. Fate felt the power of the other immortal, but was unable to find the source. They were using an old source of magic with very little power, something that even a human could use if trained correctly.
“Do not dare to interfere. His path has been made.” Waving her hand in a graceful gesture, Fate destroyed the weak spell before disappearing inside the bar.
