Dair bit back frustration as he brought Serenity’s hand to his lips. He kissed it gently, allowing his lips to linger. “I’m sorry,” he said gently.

“Duty calls?” Serenity asked.

“That is does, my lady, that it does.”

“Knock, knock.” Darla’s voice filled the room as she opened the door, interrupting their conversation.

“Perfect timing,” Dair whispered to Serenity.

“I thought you could use some girl time,” Darla said. Her hands were full of bags. She held them up and shook them a bit. “I brought crafts!”

Serenity laughed. “Sounds fun, aunt Darla.”

“I was just on my way out,” Dair said as he stood from the bed. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Serenity’s lips. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can. Stay awake, alright?”

“I’ll give it my all, coach,” she teased. Dair had noticed she’d been in a little bit better spirits since he’d been staying with her and only leaving when he had an assignment. She smiled more and he was the one putting that smile on her face.

He tapped her nose playfully and then turned to face Darla. “I leave her in your hands. Please don’t let her fall asleep and don’t let in any doctors or nurses. Glory has been giving them the excuse that she’s unclothed, in the bathroom, or my personal favorite, or otherwise occupied with her fiancé. The towel she’d placed on the door was a clue for them not to disturb her.”

Darla shook her head as she laughed. “That girl, she’s a mess.”

“I’d prefer you just tell them that she doesn’t want anyone giving her care unless I am present. She has the right to ask for that.”

“Don’t worry your handsome head about it, Dair. Nobody will get through that door unless they take me out first. And I’ve got a taser in my purse and I’m not afraid to use it…on anyone.”

“Alright then, I’ll see you ladies as soon as I can.” Looking back at Serenity he saw the mirrored fear he knew was in his eyes. She would be okay, he kept telling himself. She would be okay because nothing else was acceptable. “I love you,” he told her just before he closed his eyes and let his power take him.

When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to find himself in Reginal Jones’s house. Why would the Creator lead him there?

* * *

“What happened?” Dair asked as he stared down at the sleeping form of Emma Whitmore. She was curled up in a tiny ball, her face tucked into the blanket. The small part of her face he could see was swollen, and there was a cut next to her eye. His gut clenched at the sight of the abuse she’d endured.

“Mr. Jones attacked her,” Raphael answered, his voice sounding void of emotion.

Dair glanced over at this longtime friend and saw the anger and hurt in his eyes. He was not emotionless as his tone implied. He was barely controlled rage. Dair understood the feeling.

“Why is she still here? Why haven’t you gone to the authorities and had her removed?”

“She wouldn’t let me.”

Dair’s eyes narrowed. “She’s eight years old. What do you mean she wouldn’t let you?”

“She said she believes this is where the Creator wants her,” he explained. “Her argument was compelling. And who I am to question the will of the Creator? We cannot act however we see fit, Dair. Or have you forgotten that you also are the created? Your life is not your own. We are subject to His will, and you know that He sees the whole picture while all we see is this piece right in front of us. I cannot force her to do something she does not want to do.”

Dair huffed and gritted his teeth. “This is ridiculous! How can we just leave her here knowing she is in danger?”

“We will just have to trust the Creator and trust Emma.”

“And what am I supposed to tell Serenity?” Dair snapped. “Do you think she will ever forgive me for leaving Emma here?”

“It is not Serenity’s place to tell you what to do with respect to the girl.”

“I’d like to see you tell Serenity that or, better yet, Darla.”

Raphael’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. “I’m not here to be eaten alive. My charge is Emma, but even I have limits as to what I am allowed to do.”

“What about school?” Dair asked. “If she goes to school looking like that, they will call the social worker.”

“I can do a bit of glamour to help lessen the appearance. I will let Emma decide what she wants to say. But that is as far as I am allowed to interfere.”

“She shouldn’t be going back at all,” he muttered.

“Is Serenity still in the hospital?” Raphael asked, ignoring Dair’s comment.

Dair nodded. “Hopefully, by the end of this week they will send her home. She’s tired of being there.” He felt the familiar tug and saw a name in his mind. Apparently, he’d seen what it was the Creator wanted him to here. Now it was on to his next charge. “I’m being summoned. Let Emma know Serenity has been asking about her, and Darla and Wayne are trying to get her back.”

Raphael gave him a solemn nod.

Dair allowed his power to lead him to his new assignment.

He reappeared in a dark room, lit only by a soft glow coming from a light in the bathroom. Dair glanced around, noticing that whoever lived there was a very neat and tidy person. He walked over to the bed and saw two people sleeping, a man and a woman. The woman turned over in her sleep, and Dair was able to see her face. He frowned as recognition set in. She was Emma’s teacher.

Dair’s head tilted back, and he looked up at the ceiling. He let out a deep breath and then shook his head. “What on earth am I doing in Mrs. Sunders’ house?” It was more of a rhetorical question, since he didn’t expect the Creator to answer him. Dair understood he was not always supposed to know why he was being sent to a particular person. All he needed to know was that they were pivotal in the Creator’s plans.

He leaned over the woman and placed his hand on her forehead. Closing his eyes, Dair let the dream form in his mind and began to push it into Mrs. Sunders’ subconscious. He watched in fascination as the dream played out like a movie. He got the feeling it was imperative that Mrs. Sunders be at school on Friday. He could see her own thoughts mixing in with the dream and felt his power gently pushing at her to ignore the plans she’d been making and choose this other path. Still, her mind would jump back to her own thoughts. Dair watched as she called in to work, explaining she would be late. Then she got in her car and drove across town to another school. She went in and sat in an office across the desk from a man wearing a suit. The nameplate on the edge of the man’s desk read ‘PRINCIPAL.’

The dream shifted, and she was back in her house staring at the phone. Time had reversed and now she was debating whether or not to go to the job interview. Slowly, Dair’s magic wove the dream so that she did not make the phone call, but went to work on time, rather than going to the job interview. He noticed she seemed to relax once she’d made the decision to go into school. But when she’d chosen to go to the job interview, she had been rigid and unsure. He wasn’t allowed to see what happened once she arrived to school on that Friday morning. He hoped his dream would be enough to keep her on the Creator’s path.

Dair started to pull out of her mind when suddenly a dark presence entered. Her dream faded away, and her mind began to fill with an ominous darkness. It was laced with doubt, fear, sorrow, helplessness, and anger. Dair tried to push the presence out of Mrs. Sunders’ mind, but it pushed back and it was strong.

“You are no match for me, Brudair, human lover and failed dream weaver,” a hissing voice said through the black void that had become the woman’s mind.

Dair recognized the voice. If this was here, Mrs. Sunders was very important indeed. She had to be at school Friday morning.

“You’re really getting around these days, Lucifer, fallen one. Are you short on demons?” he asked. Dair was hoping to draw the lord of hell’s attention to himself, so he could use his own powers of night against his enemy. Dair’s darkness was not born of evil; it was simply a product of his nature. The Sandman hoped, like a jar snuffs out a candle, he would be able to snuff out the devil’s influence.

“Humans are falling to me by the hundreds daily. I have no shortage of minions. They are weak and so easily influenced.”

“Then why are you wasting your time here?” Dair asked.

“Let’s just say I have a particular interest in this little pet.” Lucifer hissed. “She plays a special role in the plan I have put in motion.

Dair continued to gather his dark power as Lucifer bragged about his wicked schemes. When Dair thought he’d gathered enough power, he pictured it being released and flowing out of him in a tidal wave. He heard the ruler of hell scream an awful sound, and then he was gone.

Dair let out a shaky sigh and made sure Mrs. Sunders was still sleeping peacefully, leaving her with more feelings of needing to be at school on Friday. Then he pulled out of her mind and stepped back from the bed. He stared at the woman who would somehow play a part in the Creator’s plan. Whatever her role, it was pivotal if Lucifer was making appearances. As the beginning rays of the morning sun began to lighten the sky, he realized he’d been there for quite some time. He silently cursed, knowing Serenity had probably gone to sleep and he hadn’t been with her. With one last glance at Mrs. Sunders, Dair closed his eyes and traveled to the hospital where Serenity still lay in a hospital bed.

When he appeared, he kept himself cloaked even from Serenity. He was still shaken about the confrontation he’d had with Lucifer, and he didn’t want to add that to what she was already dealing with.

He watched her as she looked out the window. She didn’t have the best view from her bed, but she could see the first rays breaking through the waning darkness. She looked exhausted. Maybe she hadn’t slept last night. He glanced around and didn’t see Darla, though he did see the evidence of their craft making, with construction paper, glitter, glue, and various others items on the rolling table used for Serenity’s meals.

“I know you’re here. Quit being a creeper and come tell me good morning. And before you flip your lid, Darla was here all night. She just went to get some coffee and breakfast. So don’t get your shadows in a knot over it.”

Dair chuckled, and it felt good to smile. When he appeared, the next words out of her mouth erased his smile in an instant.

“How’s Emma?”

* * *

Serenity watched as the black centers of his eyes began to swirl and widen. His mouth had dropped from a smile into a severe straight line. His shoulders were tense, and his hands were clenched at his side. Saying he looked angry would be putting it mildly. Very. Mildly.

She pushed herself up into a sitting position and waved him off when he started to move forward to help. “Tell me,” she demanded.

Dair started to speak, but the door swung open and a nurse walked in holding a stack of papers. Apparently, with Darla gone, they felt as though they could simply barge in. The nurse walked around Dair, only shooting him a sharp look as she passed him. Serenity would have said it was odd, but after everything she’d been through in the past month, odd was no longer a word in her vocabulary.

“I have your discharge papers,” the nurse, whose name badge read ‘May,’ said.

“I’m getting to go home?” Serenity asked. She knew she sounded like a kid who’d just been told she was going to Disney World, but she couldn’t help it. She was so very ready to be back in her own room and her own bed.

“Yes,” May answered. “Your tests were all normal, and the wound is healing nicely. I need your signature on a few forms.”

Serenity took the offered ink pen and stack of papers. There were little sticky arrows all over the place showing her where she needed to sign. Five pages later, she was beginning to wonder if the stack of papers were like those trick candles that you can never blow out. Maybe every time she signed a paper, another one appeared on the bottom of the stack. Perhaps that was a ridiculous notion, and she was proven correct when she finally signed the last sheet.

“Is that all?” she asked the nurse. “I can go now?”

May shook her head. “Not just yet. I’m going to remove your IV and then take these papers to the doctor. He has to sign off on it, and then we will let you leave. And I’ll go over your discharge instructions while I’m removing this,” she motioned to her wrist where the IV was located.

She watched and listened to May as she removed the IV and cringed as she removed the tape. When the nurse was finished, she grabbed the stack of papers and headed out of the room. Rubbing her arms where the IV had been placed, she frowned. That stuff was brutal on the wispy hair on her arm. When the door closed, Serenity turned back to Dair. “Now, tell me what’s wrong with Emma.”

* * *

Dair wondered if Serenity had signed away her life, rights, all of her savings, and some other things they weren’t even aware of. How many waivers and disclaimers could there possibly be that required her signature?

He’d tried to pay close attention to what the woman had been saying when she was going over the discharge instructions because he wanted to make sure that Serenity took good care of herself once she got home. However, it was difficult to focus when he was sick over what he was going to have to tell her.

But now the nurse was gone, and he was faced with Serenity’s determined gaze. He walked over to the suitcase that was sitting in a chair. He picked it up and laid it open on her bed. Dair pulled out a pair of shorts, a shirt, underwear, and a bra. It was a testament to how focused she was that she didn’t bother to be embarrassed by him touching her underthings. Finally, he looked at her and sighed.

“I’ll tell you everything once we get to your aunt’s house.”

“Why won’t you tell me now?”

“Because I really don’t want to have to repeat it.”

Her mouth dropped open at the same time one of her hands came up to cover it. “It’s bad?” she asked through her hand.

He wouldn’t lie, no matter how much the truth would hurt. “Yes.”

“She’s alive though?”

“Yes.”

“Will she be alright? I mean, eventually?”

“Yes.”

“Are you purposely acting like a robot, or are you just trying to see how many times you will have to say the word yes until I hit you with that IV pole?”

Dair’s eyes narrowed on her. Her face was flushed, and she was breathing a little too fast considering she was simply sitting on a bed. Her words had been sharp and serious, very out of character.

“Why are you so angry?” Dair asked her.

She gripped the sheets that covered her lap, clenching and unclenching her fingers. After she took several breaths, her shoulders relaxed slightly. “I don’t know,” Serenity finally answered. “I was just getting irritated that you wouldn’t say something other than yes. You wouldn’t elaborate.”

“Do you really want to hit me with something?”

She shook her head. “No, not just hit you. I wanted to hit you with the IV pole, specifically.” A smile tugged at her lips and, just like that, the Serenity he knew was back.

Dair was beginning to wonder if there was another demon about, attempting to cause mischief. He already knew that Lucifer was trying to drive a wedge between them. He could not let that happen. No matter how angry she got at him, he wouldn’t let her push him away.

She reached for her clothes, and he snatched them up before she could get them. Dair walked around to stand in front of her. “I’ll turn my back while you put on your bra and shirt. Then I’ll help you with the other stuff, while you lay down with the sheet covering you. Alright?”

She relented. “Only because I know I can’t bend over to pull my own pants up.”

Dair tapped her on the nose and smiled. “Before long you’ll be back to being Ms. Independent. Enjoy the coddling while you have it.”

She snorted, obviously not impressed by his pampering. He’d have to change her opinion about it.

Three hours later, he was walking beside her wheelchair as the nurse pushed them down to the front entrance of the hospital. He’d hunted down the nurse multiple times in that three hours to find out when they could leave, but the standard answer he’d received was ‘we’re still waiting on the doctor.’ By the end of three hours, Dair wanted to strangle the doctor, though he wasn’t sure who it was that had discharged her. Serenity had called Darla and Wayne, and they agreed to be waiting at the front entrance with the car.

Darla had a huge smile for them as they made their way outside. “You look fantastic! Especially considering I kept you up doing our amazing crafts.” Her aunt grinned and hurried over to help her niece stand.

“And you’re full of cow manure.” Serenity grumbled as she took several slow steps toward the opened car door.

The nurse said her good-bye, and Dair helped Serenity the rest of the way into the vehicle. As he climbed in and Darla returned to the driver seat, she turned and looked at him with a mischievous smile. “Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream. Make him the cutest that I’ve ever seen.” She started to sing.

Dair’s eyes snapped to Serenity. “You told her?”

Serenity bit her bottom lip as her eyes widened. “Did I forget to mention that?”

“Yes, a little warning would have been nice,” he said dryly.

“Now you know. Okay, we’re all here. Tell us about Emma.”

Darla’s eyes looked at him from the rearview mirror while Wayne turned slightly, also looking at him. “What’s wrong with Emma?” Darla asked, sounding every bit as demanding as her niece had been.

“Let’s wait until we get to your house, Darla. Please.” His eyes held hers, and he hoped she could see that he wasn’t trying to be difficult. Rather, he was trying to make sure they were in a safe, comfortable place when they heard his news. She gave a single nod, and then the car was quiet the rest of the ride home.

Dair reached for Serenity’s hand, entwining their fingers, and then brought it up to his lips. He kissed the back of her hand and loved how soft her skin was. He wanted so desperately for things to be different. He wanted to fix everything for her, but he couldn’t.

They pulled into Darla and Wayne’s driveway, and Dair looked at Serenity, pointing a finger at her for emphasis. “Stay put. I will come and get you.”

To his surprise, she didn’t try to crawl out of the car on her own. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips, unsure of when he’d be allowed to kiss her again once he told her about Emma, and then scooped her up into his arms.

Dair stood in the entryway to the kitchen staring into the living room where Serenity and her aunt and uncle now sat. He had been dreading this from the moment he’d realized that he would not be getting Emma out of Mr. Jones’ home. There was a churning in his stomach that he wasn’t used to feeling, a churning that had only begun when Serenity showed up in his life. Dair knew he was going to become very familiar with this anxiety as long as she was a part of his life. And since he wouldn’t give her up for anything, that would be a long time.

“Dair,” Darla’s voice broke the tense silence that had settled over the room. “You seem upset. Can you tell us what’s going on?”

“Something happened to Emma,” he began. He took a deep breath and pushed the duster back from his sides, placing both hands on his hips. His shoulders were tense, and his jaw was threatening to lock itself shut. The earnest and worried look in Serenity’s eyes gave him the courage to continue. “She was attacked by Mr. Jones.” Darla was on her feet, Wayne was cursing up a storm, and Serenity looked like she was going to be sick.

“We need to go and get her,” Darla said. The tone of her voice was one of finality. Unfortunately for her, Dair wouldn’t be able to allow it, even though he wanted nothing more than to go and rescue the girl himself.

He shook his head. “No, we can’t.”

“What?” Serenity gasped. “Of course, we can. She can’t stay in a home that isn’t safe for her. Surely the state will see that she is better off here with us.”

“That’s not the problem,” Dair said, his voice sounding every bit as tired as he felt. And tired was not something an immortal being usually experienced. “Emma is refusing to leave.”

“Why?” Darla asked. Dair could tell she was fighting every mothering instinct she had, and he appreciated her control, even admired her for it.

“She said she believes she’s supposed to be there. She believes the Creator has a purpose for her there.”

“Can His purpose really be for her to be abused?” Serenity practically spat the words at him. She was angry, which was a natural human response to fear.

“We cannot know his purpose, my love,” Dair said gently. “We only see what’s before us. He sees beginning to end and everything in between. I have no idea why this has happened to Emma nor do I understand how He is going to use it, but she believes He will. Emma may only be eight years old, but she has the mind and comprehension of an adult. She knows what she’s saying. She understands the danger of staying where she is. Raphael and I will respect her wishes, and we will do everything in our power to protect her but understand, just like you, we are created. We have only the power bestowed on us by the Creator.”

Darla stared at him with wide eyes. He could see the struggle going on inside of her. She understood how intelligent Emma was. She believed in God and that He had a plan, but she also had the instincts to protect her young at all cost, and she had claimed Emma as her own.

Serenity was having a harder time. She was younger, still slightly impetuous. Her emotions for the girl threatened to overcome her. Then again, she’d almost died for little Emma. Serenity’s protective instincts for Emma were through the roof. Dair imagined it was killing Serenity not to be able to protect the child.

“So we just do nothing?” Serenity asked.

“Until Emma says otherwise, yes,” Dair confirmed. “We do nothing.”

“I don’t like it,” Darla said, but he heard the resignation in her voice. She would respect Emma’s wishes. “Tell me the truth, Dair,” she said looking him directly in the eyes. “How is she?”

“She was asleep when I saw her. Raphael said she was holding it together. She’s tough, and her parents set an excellent foundation for her. She will not be unaffected by this, obviously, but it will not break her.”

Darla nodded. She sat back down, and Wayne reached for her hand. He wrapped it in his larger one, and she seemed to grasp onto it as though it were a lifeline.

“I’m not sure how this is relevant,” he began rubbing his chin with one hand. “My assignment last night was Mrs. Sunders. She is Emma’s teacher. In her dream, my influence was to make sure she goes to work this Friday. I don’t know why it is so imperative that the teacher be there, but it is important enough that Lucifer himself has taken an interest in her. He usually works through minions. But Mrs. Sunder and Serenity have grabbed his attention, and he seems to have made it his personal responsibility to keep both of them from their path.”

“Me?” Serenity asked, her brows drew down low over her confused eyes.

Dair nodded. “Dr. Michaels.”

“Was Lucifer?” She gasped.

“A sheep in wolf’s clothing, Princess.”

“I’ll be a monkey’s uncle,” Wayne said. “Darla said just the other day that the devil had come to Yellville.”

“What?” Dair and Serenity said at the same time.

Darla blew out a breath, causing her cheeks to puff out. “You might want to take a seat for this.” She motioned to the empty chair across from her. Once he was seated, she began. By the time she was finished, Dair was back on his feet, pacing the room. He knew his eyes were pitch black and swirling.

Everything seemed to be crashing in on them, and the only thing he’d been able to find out is that Lucifer had a definite interest in Emma, Serenity, and Mrs. Sunder. He obviously had a huge influence over the school Emma was attending, but what did Wayne and Darla have to do with it?

“Why attack you?” he asked Darla.

“We are the safe place for both girls. The devil doesn’t want anyone safe. Safety means it’s harder for him to influence them. All he has is influence. It’s like you said, Dair. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, weaving his way through the flock. He seeks the weak, wounded, lonely, and angry. What Emma endured could rip away all of her positive emotions, leaving her with only the negative. People who hold onto those negative emotions stop listening to anything else, and all they hear are the lies that he whispers to them. They pull away from everything and everyone until they’re alone, and that is just how the devil wants you—alone.”

“He doesn’t want her to have a safe place to go,” Serenity said quietly, almost as if she was speaking to herself.

“Exactly,” Darla agreed. “Too bad for him that I don’t take too kindly to someone trying to deceive me, push me around, or hurt those who are mine to protect. Lucifer wants a fight? He’s got one.”

“Have you heard anything else from the DHS worker?” Serenity asked.

Darla shook her head. “I’m beginning to wonder if there aren’t some minions being employed in that place. Seems like a good place to put some influence. They have so much control over so many little lives. UGH!” Darla growled. “It just flat out pisses me off!”

“Maybe everything that’s happening with Emma will break his stronghold,” Dair suggested. “Whatever purpose she is to serve, it is something big. The best thing we can do is try to pay attention to where the Creator wants us in His plan. Even if we don’t particularly like the role we are playing.” He glanced at Serenity. “We can’t see the whole picture.”

Her lips tightened, but she eventually nodded at him.

“Now what?” Wayne asked.

“Now we get Serenity settled in and help her continue to heal. Darla, you keep hounding DHS, just so they know we aren’t going away. I will continue to check in with Raphael and Emma and be here with Serenity, especially when you’re sleeping,” he said, looking at her meaningfully.

“And you have to do your job,” she pointed out. “How can you do it all?”

He held up a hand to stop her. “You forget, love, I’m an immortal. I do not require rest. I wasn’t created with such a need. I can and will do all that is required and needed of me.” She looked as if she wanted to say more, but she closed her lips tightly and looked away from him. He wondered what was going through her mind. She looked tired, worried, and a little defeated, which is exactly how Lucifer wanted her to feel. He walked over and picked her up. “You need to rest.

“I’d really like a shower first,” she said. “I want to wash the hospital funk off.”

“To the shower it is then,” he said heading in the direction of their bathroom. When Dair set her on her feet, he cupped her face in both hands and lowered himself down so he could look at her without her having to tilt her head back “Are you okay?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m not. But I’m going to have to suck it up and deal with it. Sometimes, that’s just what you have to do.”

He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. She never ceased to amaze him. “I’m so sorry that I can’t fix it all. I’m so sorry that you’ve been hurt so many times. I just—”

She placed her hand gently over his mouth. “You can’t fix everything, Dair. And it’s necessary for us to go through difficult things. What kind of people would we be if we never endured anything? How would we grow and change? It sucks, pure and simple, it sucks. But the Creator wouldn’t be doing us any favors if he removed every obstacle from our path or protected us from every pain or hardship. It would be crippling to us. Do I want to accept it? No. Do I want to kill the man who hurt Emma? Yes, yes, I do. Is that right? I don’t honestly know. What I do know is that I am not good to anyone if I don’t get better, and I know that Emma is good to her core. If she believes she has a purpose where she is, then I will trust her. I don’t like it, but I will trust her.”

Dair removed her hand from his mouth and kissed her. It was slow and tender. He pulled back just far enough to look into her eyes. “I love you, Serenity Tillman.”

She smiled. “I know. And I love you back.”

Dair stepped backward, giving her room to close the door. “I’ll be waiting for you in your room. Take your time.”