Consequences

by Liz Schulte

  She’s lying, Olivia. They don’t have her. I promise you she is safe.

  I dismissed my fear. I trusted Holden. “Who were you working with, Juliet? Who gave you the names and locations of the guardians?”

  She leaned forward as if she wanted to tell me a secret, her grin taunting, daring me closer. I inched closer despite Holden’s adamant thoughts against it. She grabbed the back of my neck, holding my face to hers. “When you open doors, do you still expect to see my feet dangling before you?” she whispered then ran her tongue up my check.

  There was a snap and I was hauled to my feet. Juliet rocked back and forth laughing and cradling her broken wrist, unfazed. Holden was livid. Waves of fury poured off of him. He was going to kill her. He flung me toward Baker and went for Juliet.

  “Poor little Holden. You never could protect anyone you loved. Not Thomas, not Olivia. They’ll always leave you and you’ll always come crawling back to us.” She continued talking even when he lifted her off the floor by her throat. “Olivia will be ours.”

  “Take her out of here, Baker,” he growled.

  There was something wrong with what she said, but the flurry of motion kept me from grasping it. Baker wrapped his arm around my shoulder and tried to lead me out, but I broke free and threw myself on Juliet, tearing her from Holden’s grasp. I released my light to its full wattage. Juliet screamed beneath me like she was dying, but I held on and pushed as much light into her as I could. Holden’s hands pried my arms free. “No. Holden—”

  He ignored my protest and once again gave me to Baker with an oath about not letting me escape again. Juliet’s eyes rolled back until I could only see white. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Screeching, she pushed off the wall with her legs and came at me, spitting blood, fingernails lashing out in front of her.

  “God damn it, Baker. Get her out of here now!” Holden roared, taking the brunt of her attack.

  Baker tossed me over his shoulder and walked out the door.

  “Put me down now!” I sputtered. “You can’t leave him in there.”

  “Holden can handle himself.” He shut the door, but didn’t put me down.

  “I can fix her.”

  “Olivia—” he said patiently, but light surrounded me and his voice faded away.

  I was in front of a lake. Its surface gleamed and reflected the bright, red leaved trees surrounding it. Not even a ripple marred the peaceful water. The absolute stillness took me by surprise and I basked in the glory of its beauty for a breath.

  When I turned around, I was unsurprised to find the old man with piercing blue eyes standing behind me. “I have to go back.”

  He shook his head. “We are out of time and you have much to remember.”

  “No. I have to go back. Holden needs me.”

  “The jinni will be fine. Have a seat.” He motioned to a bench along the waterfront that wasn’t there a second before.

  I sighed impatiently. “I get it. I’m a fallen angel. We’ve already figured it out. I need to go back.”

  “Sit.”

  I perched on the edge and tapped my foot.

  “There’s no going back. Your time here is complete.”

  It wasn’t possible for my eyebrows to move any further up my forehead. What the hell was he talking about? He couldn’t bring me here and expect me to stay. I was going back. “Pardon?”

  He smiled sympathetically. I glared. “I gave you as much time as I could.”

  I didn’t need sympathy. I needed him to get out of my way. “Look, I will talk to you all you want once I’ve sorted everything out. Holden’s with Juliet and she isn’t herself. He’ll kill her if I don’t get back.”

  “I am sorry, but you do have to stay.”

  I’d never in my life wanted to hit an old person before. Now I clenched my fist. How dare he drag me here ignoring that I have my own problems and situations to deal with?

  “Olivia, you were sent for a reason.”

  “Well maybe someone should have let me in on whatever it was earlier, because I’m trying to live my life here, and at every turn someone else is telling me I have a new destiny to fulfill. I’m sick of destinies. I hate destiny.”

  His laughter sounded like water tumbling over rocks. It was as alien as it was alluring. “You are still remarkably human.” He shook his head. “The soul you were paired with is very strong.”

  “I don’t understand any of this. I want to go back.”

  “If you will allow me, I will explain.”

  I nodded and bit my lip.

  “You were a Dominion, a second tier leader in the angel hierarchy. The area you specialized in falls under my province.” he smiled. “Destiny.”

  “And what are you?”

  “I am the Archangel, Uriel. We had been monitoring the lesser brethren who were sent to lead the guardians. Several volunteers were sent before you to investigate corruption, but they all failed. You were determined it was there and I agreed. You devised a plan—”

  I made a face. “I guess some traits carried over.”

  He laughed again. “Indeed. You believed the only way to know for certain would be to fall. However, in order to place you as a high elder you had to be born a human and forfeit your memories. I tried to talk you out it. As a fallen angel, especially one of your rank and ability, you would be targeted, tempted, sought after, but you were certain it was only way. So you fell and joined a human soul.”

  I thought about what he said. “That’s why hell was after me?”

  “Yes.”

  “How did they know what I was when the elders didn’t?”

  “Their leader is more familiar with fallen angels. He has a radar for them, so to speak. The guardians didn’t question what we told them.”

  I stared out at the water. “Why am I here?”

  “You came with a mission. One that cannot be ignored any longer. You must go to your trial and see it through.”

  “What am I supposed to do?”

  “Let your heart guide you.”

  I struggled not to roll my eyes. Fear crept into my spine. “What will happen if I’m found guilty?”

  “They will strip your powers and execute you.”

  His tone was so easy, so matter of fact. It was only my life we were talking about.

  “You chose a life of sacrifice, my dear.” He patted my knee. “You knew the consequences from the start.”

  “Of course I did,” I mumbled more to myself than anyone. “And what if I don’t see this through?”

  “You will.” His confidence was much greater than my own.

  “How do you know?”

  “It is in your nature. You will finish. The leadership here has been lacking, has it not?”

  “I didn’t agree with all of their policies, but that doesn’t make them wrong. I can’t prove they have anything to do with the missing guardians.”

  “Are guardians missing?” He tilted his head, somewhat interested.

  “Isn’t that why I came?”

  He shook his head. “We do not watch that closely. There are far too many to observe.”

  I sighed. “It appears guardians have been given to the jinn who were in turn selling them to demons. But we found an animaphagist in jinn possession. Their powers were sent somewhere before they were given to the demons—I think. Is that even possible? Wouldn’t taking their powers kill them?”

  He made a contemplative noise in his chest. “That is troubling. If a guardian was in an animaphagist long enough, he would die, yes, but if a portion of the guardian’s power was transferred, the guardian could live. It would be a matter of timing.” He frowned. “It would be very painful. You believe the elders have a hand in this?”

  “I think so. That’s what I was working on when you took me.”

  “Your trial starts within the hour. There is no more time.”

  “What about Holden?”

  “What about him?”

  “How does he factor in?”

 
“We thought, to begin with, that he was sent as a temptation to lure you away from your course, but he proved very effective at keeping you on track.”

  “He knows about this?”

  “Of course not. When I saw he was not working for hell, I guided him to better help you in your journey. The two of you have worked well together.”

  “Is he my jinni?”

  Uriel shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “He could very well be the match for the human soul.”

  “What happens to him when I leave?”

  “That is not our concern. He has been useful and rewarded for that use. I cannot say I approve of you returning his soul, but what is done is done. I hope he will do good with it.”

  It was hard to breathe. The air in my lungs felt thin. “When? When do I have to go? Can I say goodbye?”

  “He may not come to your trial. The guardians would not take kindly to his invasion, and you cannot get involved.”

  “So I can’t say goodbye?”

  “I am not unsympathetic. I will leave and you can bring him. I will call for you when it is time to go. The guardians know nothing of what and who you are. They cannot know until judgment has passed.”

  He disappeared before I remembered to ask how I could bring Holden to me.

  Twenty Nine

  The last rune was buried so deep within me my skin had begun to mend itself over the top of it while I struggled to get the other ones out. Sweat soaked me and my breath was shallow. My fingers felt weak and thick as I tried to break through the new skin.

  Oh God. I can’t do it. I can’t do it.

  A single tear mixed with the sweat running down my face and my hand flattened on my chest. Even if I warned her there was nothing that could be done. She was lost. We were all lost. I shut my eyes. Hopelessness had taken root and I hurt too much to fight against it. I had walked this earth for over two thousand years and this girl managed to destroy my career, reputation, and life in a week. Despite this I couldn’t find it in me to hate her.

  She was the person who volunteered to face the demon hunting her because she wanted retribution for her friend. She was the person who came after me when I was taken. Olivia might have been impulsive and stubborn, but she was loyal and would fight to the death for anyone she was aligned with, whether it was a jinni, sekhmet, shifter or guardian. It struck me like lightning. Why had she found an animaphagist? If she left us for Holden, why was she still poking around in the disappearances? There was no reason for her or Holden to continue looking into what the jinn were doing. They had shut down the operation on the jinn side. The only reason to keep looking into it, when they should have been focusing on the homicidal jinni, was because she hadn’t given up on us at all. Femi said Holden had too much on his plate right now to help her, but I hadn’t asked what he was busy with.

  I took a deep breath and made a knife. One. Two. Three—

  I plunged the knife into my chest above the rune then let the blade fall from my hand and dug around for the last symbol. I flung it across the room and rose to my knees, pressing my head to the floor, coughing. The room spun while the last wave of agony washed away. I pushed myself to my feet and transported to Holden’s apartment. Leaning heavily against the door, I struggled to raise my arm and knock. I closed my eyes and waited for someone to answer, but no one came. I knocked again. Nothing.

  I contemplated sitting against the door and waiting for them. It would give me time to heal, but we didn’t have time. Jace wouldn’t have restrained me if the trial wasn’t soon, very soon. I had no idea where to find anyone and I lacked the energy to look too many places. I considered going to the Office and checking for Femi, but I didn’t know if I could manage another transport. Yet it was my only option. I closed my eyes and concentrated, but when I opened my eyes again I was still in the hallway of Holden’s building. I slid down the door and rested my head against it. I didn’t have a choice. I had to heal.

  They would be back soon. They had to be.

  I don’t know how long I sat, but when I felt the faint pull of Femi’s prayer I was moving a lot easier. I took a deep breath and didn’t feel any stabbing pains. I let the call carry me to her.

  Thirty

  Juliet fought with more strength than was possible. She also knew about Thomas. How did she know about Thomas?

  “Who are you?” I slammed her against the wall, pinning her with my forearm.

  “We are Legion,” she said with a cackling laugh then continued to chuckle in a lower register she should’ve been able to. Fuck.

  It wasn’t possible for jinn to be possessed. But everything that happened said otherwise. She screamed when Olivia tried to touch her. If she was a demon, Olivia’s light would have been like razor blades. Maybe when Olivia requisitioned my soul she opened a door for something else. Hopefully the other jinn in the warehouse hadn’t gone fucking insane. I was comforted by the fact that the slaughters in the newspapers could be attributed to Juliet. If we had twenty crazy, blood-thirsty, demon carrying jinn in Chicago the damage would have been much worse. But I still couldn’t grasp how they’d done it. When demons touched jinn, we went to hell. That’s why they couldn’t possess us; they had to possess humans.

  Banging from the cell door diverted my attention from her briefly. Couldn’t Baker handle Olivia for five minutes? I threw Juliet across the room and went for the door. Flipping all the locks into place on the outside, I made sure my expression was blank before I turned around. I didn’t know how Olivia would take the news that the last hope for Juliet was gone. Then I realized I was seeing Baker, Femi, Phoenix… no Olivia.

  “God damn it, Baker. How did she get away from you in two minutes?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t think she could transport in here. I had a hold of her, never even sat her down. She disappeared from my arms.”

  She couldn’t transport in here and Juliet couldn’t be possessed, yet Olivia was gone and Juliet was crazier than normal. Today just kept getting better. I closed my eyes against the worry that settled in my stomach. “Shit.” The angels had her again. We didn’t have time for this. “Never mind, she’s fine—I hope. We have to deal with crazy, who, by the way, seems to be possessed.”

  “What do you mean possessed?” Phoenix asked.

  “She said ‘We are Legion.’ So either she’s been reading her Bible or Juliet’s gone and her vessel’s a boarding house for hell.”

  “Why would demons let me catch them?” Femi glanced over at the room.

  “I’m not sure, but if I had to guess I would say it has to do with Liv. Maybe that’s why the angels took her.” I mumbled the last part, hoping more than believing it was true. “They aren’t normal demons. I don’t know how they managed to possess her. Either they were placed in her months ago, or when Olivia returned my soul from Hell, she let them out accidentally and they latched onto the closest being. None of this makes any fucking sense.”

  “So there might be more people like her?” Femi grimaced.

  I shrugged.

  “So what do we do with a possessed jinni?” Baker looked as annoyed as I felt.

  “I have no idea.”

  “Do you think they know who Juliet was working with?”

  “Maybe, but we’ll never get them to talk.”

  “Can we beat it out of her?” Femi asked, glancing at the door.

  “Don’t tempt me.” It would be so much easier if we could—and even if we couldn’t, it would feel good to kick the living shit out of her for all the problems she caused, but the easy way was not always the correct way. Olivia would be proud. “I think she’s useless now. You can go, Phoenix. I’ll let you know if we need you back.”

  “You aren’t going to… I mean if something happens to her, you know it wasn’t me.”

  “I’m not going to kill you, yet.”

  He left shaking his head.

  “We can’t let her go,” Femi said when the door shut. “Maybe I can get her a spot in a sanctuary.”

  I liked Fe
mi’s plan. It made sense, but Olivia would want to try to cure her. I doubted whether she could, but once Juliet was sent to a sanctuary, there would be no coming back. “Why don’t we hold off on that for a little while. Liv will want to try again once she knows what the problem is.”

  Femi’s lips curled in a knowing manner. “So I guess we wait.”

  Baker plopped back down in the chair and eyed Femi. “So, how do you feel about shifters?” He waggled his eyebrows, and her belly laugh filled the room.

  “Like you could handle me, Romeo.”

  I paced the warehouse, raking my mind for any clue of what we missed, of where we could find a new lead. I came to a stop in front of the brass doors of the animaphagist and stared at the intricate carvings. Perhaps there was a clue in them, a signature of some sort—anything to point me to who was on the receiving end of their power. My eyelids got heavy and my blinks slowed to the point that I couldn’t lift them. I put a hand on the wall to steady myself before everything went white.

  When I opened my eyes Olivia sat on a bench staring out at a lake. Her elbows rested on her knees and her shoulders were hunched. I headed for her immediately, relieved to see her.

  “So you disappear and now you’re dreaming?” I asked, smiling.

  As soon as she turned her face to mine, I knew something was wrong. She didn’t smile and her eyes flickered away too quickly. I sat down and waited for her to tell me what was happening.

  “So yes, I’m an angel.” Her voice cracked and she continued to stare at the water.

  “We figured as much.”

  She nodded then took several deep breaths before she spoke again. “I have to go to my trial.”

  My face hardened. “That wasn’t part of our agreement.”

  “I know.” She knocked away an errant tear with the side of her fist. “But I have to.”

  “Why?”

  She shook her head, swallowing hard.

  “What does that mean?”

  “I don’t have a lot of time, Holden.” She took my hand and threaded her fingers through mine. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a pain in the ass. Had I known how much I would hurt you and how much I would put you through, I would’ve broken our connection after the first dream. I never wanted—” She shook her head and had to clear her throat before she could continue. “I’ve loved every moment with you. There’s nowhere I’d rather have been.”