Haydn sighed and hung his head. Glancing up at Tabbris, he squared his shoulders and walked toward Marcus to help him pick up a fallen streetlight sitting on top of a car. She hoped that Haydn could find a way to forgive some of the warriors, at least the ones worth forgiving.
“Secure the bodies and move them off the street. The rescue workers need to focus on the living once they get here. Let’s make things a little easier for them,” she said softly to Tristan and Balthazar.
They nodded and walked into the square.
Liam and her other Nachtghuls appeared before her. “I found Viktor in that building. He ran out to join you, but none of us can find him.”
She nodded and looked at the devastation surrounding them. “I’ll search for Viktor. I want you three to help with the cleanup and make sure that the warriors remember that we’re the good guys today. There might be people trapped in their homes and injured so we need to clear the streets. The Predznak will move the bodies of the mortals to a safe place.”
The three of them nodded and joined the warriors in helping to right a number of cars that were flipped over or resting on their sides.
Looking around, she tried to figure out where Viktor would have gone. She assumed that he had sought out shelter, so she was hopeful to see him come out of his hiding place. Instead, she saw someone else standing in an alley across from her. Anjali took a deep breath and walked toward Demyan to speak with him.
Demyan kept to the shadows, presumably to avoid detection by the warriors. When she reached him, Demyan held out his hands to show that he wasn’t armed.
“Why are you here?” she asked. She was careful to keep a few feet between them in the event that it was a trap.
“I came here to apologize. I allowed my anger to warp my judgement. I do not want to be a Rogue. I made a mistake and I’m hoping that you will find a way to forgive me,” he said sincerely.
Anjali was wary of his apology, but couldn’t detect any lie in his words. “Attacking a bound prisoner is a major offense, unless you happen to be interrogating the prisoner in Hell. Attempting to execute a prisoner without orders from the Council is an act punishable by death. The Warriors are supposed to uphold the law, not ignore it when it suits their needs. They are held in the highest regard and Heaven expects them to carry out their mission without bias or so I have been led to believe. Granted, I’m the last person to judge anyone since I practically blew up a town to save it,” she shrugged, pointing to a large crack in the side of the building next to her. “I must believe that you are truly repentant and will never act out again for me to trust you.”
He hung his head in shame. “I have dishonored the Celestial Warriors, this is true, but it certainly isn’t the first time that we have been asked to step outside the law,” he replied.
Anjali gaped at his strange comment. “You said that you knew Farouk had issues. Why was he allowed to stay when Haydn accused him of stabbing him through the back?” she asked.
Demyan folded his arms and squinted up at the setting sun. Even though he had broken the rules of the warriors, he seemed unwilling to divulge the secrets of his comrades.
She took a step forward to prove that she was willing to listen to him. “If one of the warriors or even one of the Council Members, is asking you to ignore another warrior’s misdeeds or if someone ordered you to attack me, then they should be charged, Demyan. You made a mistake and allowed yourself to be led astray because of your hatred, but if this is some kind of conspiracy, it should not go unpunished. I’m willing to speak on your behalf to the Council to reduce whatever punishment you get, but I need to know that justice is being served,” Anjali said, hoping that Demyan would confide in her.
He took a deep breath and looked at her. “First Lieutenant Merrin and the warriors under his command were always given more leeway with their actions. Farouk and Haydn served under him. After Merrin died, Rowan took his place as First Lieutenant. Rowan and his squad tend to work outside the laws, when necessary. The rest of us were quickly dismissed if we complained about their actions or pointed out their indiscretions,” Demyan said quietly.
“Why? Why would there exist a group inside the Warriors that is allowed to break the rules without consequences?” she asked. She stepped closer, eager to hear his explanation.
Demyan hesitated as he looked over her shoulder toward the road. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but he never drew another breath. A blue flame glided past her face and Demyan’s head rolled off his shoulders. She screamed and stepped back, shocked by what had happened. When Demyan’s body slumped to its knees, behind him stood General Tabbris, holding the sword.
She blinked a few times before she could comprehend what Tabbris had done.
“What the fuck?” she yelled. “Why did you kill him?”
“He was a Rogue,” Tabbris declared.
Anjali tried to breathe past the lump in her throat and control her shaking hands. Her scream had alerted everyone to a problem in the alley. As she stared down at Demyan, she could hear the different voices asking what had happened. The warriors were horrified to see one of their own dead at Tabbris’ hands.
Finding her voice, Anjali pointed at Tabbris. “You didn’t interrogate him. You didn’t ask him why he had captured me or attacked my Predznak and werewolf. How could you kill your warrior without any proof of him becoming a Rogue?” She tried to steady her breath to keep from hyperventilating. She was upset with Demyan, but she never would have called for his head. She had told Demyan the truth about wanting to help him, even if he didn’t reveal his secret to her. Most of all, she took issue with the way he was killed.
“I do not answer to you,” he sneered. He gripped his sword and stared straight through her as if she wasn’t there.
“Maraquette was a Rogue and yet you let her live. She was a Council Member once, if you recall,” she snapped.
Again, he ignored her.
Dumbfounded, she tilted her head and took a closer look at him. He had beheaded a loyal warrior that had been in his service for centuries, yet there wasn’t a tremor in his hand, nor sweat upon his brow. He was steady as the ground beneath her quaking legs. His callous expression reminded her of the last time she had seen him take someone’s life. It mirrored his countenance in the Himalayas after he removed Delilah’s head in the cave where the Syankas had been imprisoned inside the Forgotten Angels. He had the same look of accomplishment on his face. Delilah had been trying to tell Anjali something important, but her mind was too fragmented. Tabbris had shut Delilah up by removing her head, though Anjali could never figure out why. She pictured Delilah’s pale face and recalled the second part of Delilah’s scattered message. “Hatred. Evil. Pain. Retaliation. Darkness.” She wasn’t sure why these words felt true here and now, but Tabbris’ arrogance unsettled her all the way to her bones.
“This is the second time you’ve beheaded someone that I was trying to help. Do you truly have no mercy inside of you?” Anjali sneered.
“I have no mercy for those who break our laws,” he replied ominously. “You should be thanking me for saving you.” Without another word, he walked past his warriors and called for Michael.
She found his statement interesting since the General of the Celestial Warriors would undoubtedly know about Rowan’s group of angels who were asked to work outside the law. Unfortunately, without proof, she couldn’t accuse him of anything.
Looking down at Demyan, she wondered if she could have helped him. It was possible that the Council would have condemned him to life in the Hall of Shadows, but there was a slim chance they would have pardoned him and tried to rehabilitate him.
She left the warriors to mourn the loss of Demyan and seek their own answers as to why one of their brothers was dead without a trial. Marcus was hot on Tabbris’ heels questioning his judgement, though Tabbris was ignoring him too.
Liam reached her first and gathered her up in his arms. She held on to him and tried to calm her rage and her fear.
Part of her wondered if Tabbris had thought about extending his sword just a bit more and taking her head along with Demyan’s.
“Are you okay?” Calin asked.
“I need some time to myself. I’ll search for Viktor, while you all get some rest. You’ve earned it. I promise to return to you shortly,” she smiled. She needed to calm her nerves and didn’t want her Predznak and Nachtghuls to see her if she started to cry. Demyan’s death upset her more than she wanted to admit and she needed time to process everything.
The Predznak all took a knee in front of her and bowed their heads before disappearing. Her Nachtghuls hugged her and promised to fill her in on everything that had happened during her time away on the island.
“Are you sure you don’t need help finding Viktor?” Liam asked.
She patted his cheek and winked at him. “As long as he isn’t bound and somewhere close by, he’ll find me. He always does.”
Liam nodded his head and disappeared.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, she waved off Michael and Raphael, who eagerly wanted to discuss Demyan’s beheading.
“Raphael, with all due respect, I will give my statement once I’ve had a shower and some sleep. I’ve just fought a Harpy after being held prisoner in Celestial Bonds for a few days. I’m too tired for an inquisition. Besides, you won’t listen to anything I have to say since Tabbris seems to have convinced everyone of his version of the story, despite not having any facts,” she said, waving her hand toward Tabbris.
Raphael tried to convince to her speak to them, but she walked away, too tired to relive Demyan’s death without some time to put things into perspective.
Walking through the debris-filled streets, she stepped over a fallen tree and tried not to think about how easily she could have obliterated the town. She was happy that the Harpy was dead, but she still had to interrogate Hades and learn why the Harpies had been sent to kill her.
She turned down a small lane that ended in a dead end and found a young man standing with a pleasant smile on his face. He was dressed in simple orange and yellow robes, similar to a monk. She couldn’t help but smile back at the man for some reason.
“You have your father’s eyes,” the man said as she approached.
Her smile fell when she heard him hitting on her. Rolling her eyes, she wanted to punch him, but decided to keep searching for Viktor. She’d had enough marriage proposals this week.
“It has been a long time, Bringer of the Apocalypse,” the man said softly.
She swung around to stare at the man. She had never seen him before that she could recall, yet he was somehow familiar. The scent of water lilies carried across the breeze to her nose. She knew this scent. Closing her eyes, she saw the light shining through a glass dome and filtering down to a beautiful botanical garden. Water gardens were set up in a ring behind a white bench seat carved out of marble. The feeling of happiness and warmth spread through her body. Peaceful was the word that came to mind, except she had never truly felt at peace in the glass atrium. It was there that she learned about her terrifying destiny from her creator.
“My Lord,” she said as she opened her eyes and bowed before the young man. She had no idea why God was hiding in mortal form, but she remembered the stories the locals told her about a prophet. Apparently, God was the one issuing the prophecies.
“I wanted to say that I’m sorry for the burden that you carry. I know there are days when you want to give up and walk away from it all, but you must remain strong,” He said encouragingly.
She was suddenly reminded of one of their earlier conversations when He told her that He expected much from her and said that she must be strong if she were to carry out His will.
“This isn’t the first time you’ve told me to be strong, but it is the first time that I actually understand what you mean,” she replied. During her time on the island, she had been weary to her bones and wanted to drift off to a place without pain, but she had somehow fought her way back to reality.
“Yes, I know that you are starting to remember the past, which is both a blessing and a curse. I will not be offended if you do not remember all our encounters since it has been a long time. I wonder though, do you remember what I said to you before you began this journey?” He asked, curiosity filling His voice.
Looking into His warm brown eyes, she saw a light she hadn’t seen in countless millennia. The light both warmed her insides and terrified her. The light had a way of seeing directly into a person’s soul, through all the lies and the bullshit. It was the light that matched the power lurking somewhere in the pit of her stomach.
“You told me that I had to be strong, not only for myself and for my angels, but for the mortals,” she said, her voice cracking as the memory flooded her mind. “I must carry out what may seem like an impossible task and do what must be done. There may come a time when I question myself, but I must have faith in my angels and my abilities. There will be those who hate me or condemn me, but I must not listen to them, for this is your plan and I was created to carry out your will,” she said as tears sprang to her eyes. It was truly Him.
“I am proud of you, regardless of what you may think,” He said pleasantly.
A million questions burst into her mind and she had trouble choosing which to ask first. “Why me? I didn’t ask for this responsibility, My Lord,” she said, nearly shouting to the sky.
He smiled and shrugged. “Because it is what you were created to do,” He replied simply.
She tapped her foot, annoyed by His obvious answer. She hated that there was no greater plan or scheme to her design. Must she simply accept that this was her fate?
“Why did you allow the Council to keep my Predznak from me?” she asked, trying not to sound snide. She wanted to show Him reverence, but she was too angry about all the terrible things that had happened to her angels without her there to guide them.
He sighed and paused for a moment. “We each have our path, Anjali. We will all face challenges and trials. A life without struggle and hardship is a life unlived. It is our experiences that determine who we are. You were not ready to lead them, as was proven when you tried to unleash your power on multiple occasions despite the mortals still having love in their hearts for me. If the Predznak had joined with you before you could discern the difference between minor and mortal sins, the world would have suffered needlessly. It is true that we should have better prepared you to command the Predznak, but I feared that we would influence your morals too greatly. You needed to learn from the mortals to understand their reasons for committing sins. It is not something that can be taught. I do regret that the Predznak suffered in your absence. We never intended for you to be kept from them for so long. That was a mistake. I am happy to see you commanding your angels and learning what it means to be a leader. You have proven that you are able to work within the confines of Heavenly law, but are able to disregard the laws when you must. This is why you were created. You of all people need to know when it is time to break our laws. Despite what you may think, I am proud of who you have become,” He said.
She shook her head. “I don’t want to be above the law, My Lord, I just want the Council and the Celestial Warriors to stop judging me at every turn. It’s not fair for them to see me as the villain. Why do you allow the Council to harass me and attempt to condemn me?” She hated having to fight her own people at every crossroad.
God smiled at her and took her hand in His. Her anger immediately drained from her body and she felt rested, as if she had slept away all the pain and exhaustion from her injuries and sleepless nights.
“The Council isn’t meant to govern your decisions, but they will be there to stop you if you decide to turn against the mortals and end their existence without cause. They are also meant to protect Heaven, even from you, if need be. They will do what must be done to keep the mortals and the world safe, until it is time to start over. Prove to them that you are not their enemy and they will follow,” He said brightly.
How could she make the Council understand that she wasn’t their enemy when they constantly made her the enemy? She had forgotten how God made everything sound so simple. He rarely allowed His emotions to interfere with His judgement, but He was also able to see years into the future, beyond the petty disputes and hurt feelings, to see the truth of things. It made Him sound like a prophet who spouted random inspirational words until the pieces finally made sense years later.
She nodded and tried to accept His advice and His praise, until she thought about the town square and how much damage had occurred. How could He be proud of that?
“I’m sorry for the death and the destruction that came to this town,” she said sadly. She was afraid that He might be angry with her.
He nodded wisely and patted her hand. “Why do think that I came to this area, Anjali? I knew there was a plague here and I warned the people not to turn a blind eye to it. I told them to stand up for themselves. Their women were disappearing into the night without a reason. I implored them not to live in fear, yet so many of them ignored my warnings. I told them something dire would happen if they did not expel the evil that was terrorizing them. I did not know that Celaeno and Aello were behind the attacks since they are not of Heaven and not under my rule, but I knew that something terrible was happening here. I can only see what I know and understand, just like anyone else. The Harpies were unknown to us, especially with Hades lying about their existence. In the end, it did not matter who or what was harming these people, it only mattered that they did nothing to stop it. Mortals who live in fear and refuse to take action to save their family and friends fall into your domain, which is why you were drawn to this area,” He sighed. She heard the sadness in His voice. He had tried to help the townspeople, but they were unwilling to listen.
“You led me here, didn’t you?” she smirked.
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