by Susan Illene
Lucas moved to stand next to me. “Annoying, isn’t it?”
“Are you kidding? It feels amazing,” I said, spinning around with my arms held out wide. I felt like a kid again, full of wonder and happiness. Even the sky above us was a perfect shade of blue that made me want to burst into song and dance.
That’s rather unlike me, I thought. I wasn’t the musical type.
“It must be my parentage that allows me to block the sensations.” He stared down at me, his gaze somewhat amused. “I should let you revel in that, but I believe in fair play. You must push the peaceful feelings aside if you are to make your arguments to the council. It will not be as bad inside the courthouse, but it would be best to clear your head now.”
Oh, right. I’d forgotten all about my purpose for coming to this place. I wasn’t here to get high off of some kind of heavenly mojo, no matter how good it felt. I gritted my teeth and made myself think about Yerik and Ariel, their faces appearing in my mind. It helped that the air here had a surprisingly high oxygen content so I could breathe deeply and regain my proper focus. After a few moments, I’d formed a shield against the peaceful waves flowing around me.
I glanced over to my left and found the female angel kneeling over Lorna, who lay on a puffy bit of cloud. The older sensor’s skin was bright red, and she gasped for air. From portal to portal, the trip had taken about five or six minutes. I’d been so distracted by the new sensations around me I’d forgotten all about Lorna. Guilt rushed through me, and I hurried over.
“How is she?” I asked, kneeling next to her.
“She will need a few minutes, but I believe she will recover with no lasting effects,” the angel answered.
“Maybe it will help if I give her another dose of my blood,” I said, hating to see Lorna suffer. Her eyes were closed and she clutched at her chest as if it pained her.
Remiel hovered over us. “Such an act would be a desecration to this holy place.”
“We are not actually in Heaven here.” Lucas glared at the archangel. “We are outside the gates. Is it truly necessary to let her suffer?”
“Nevertheless, we are close enough that I cannot allow it. She will recover soon enough, as you can see.” Remiel gestured toward Lorna.
I returned my gaze to her and discovered she did seem to be breathing easier. Even her sunburn was beginning to fade. I could only guess that she’d needed to get enough oxygen in her first before her enhanced immune system could kick into gear. With every breath, her body relaxed, and after a few more moments she opened her eyes.
“My, this was not how I expected my first experience in Heaven to go, but the part about being surrounded by angels is about right,” she said, her voice weak but clear.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
She braced her hands next to her and sat up slowly. “Better than before. Is it me or is it rather peaceful here?”
“Do not allow it to cloud your judgment,” Lucas warned.
The female angel took Lorna’s hand, kindness in her eyes. “I am sorry for any discomfort our travels may have caused you.”
“I knew what I risked, and you did all you could for me. Do not apologize.” She squeezed the angel’s hand.
“You’re a better person than me,” I said, taking Lorna from the other side so we could help her stand. “Do you think you can walk yet?”
She leaned against me. “I need a moment. This place is a lot to take in at once.”
“Why is there such a rich amount of oxygen here?” I asked Remiel. That was bugging me since usually only angels and human souls would reside here, neither of which needed it.
He gave me an amused look. “It helps to promote purity and peace among our kind. We may not need it, but it does give us strength of spirit.”
“And yet you don’t bother with it in Purgatory—because that makes so much sense. No wonder the guardians are always in such a foul mood.” I wagged my finger at him.
His expression turned stoic. “There is a reason for everything, even if you do not understand it. The guardians have a different mission from the one we have here.”
“I almost want to feel sorry for them—almost.”
Lorna cleared her throat. “I’m ready.”
We stood by and watched as she took her first steps with the angel’s help. She was slow but surefooted. We followed behind her across the cloudy plain until a large building appeared up ahead. It was pearly white with tall columns surrounding it similar to ancient Roman architecture.
The courthouse Lucas rarely spoke about had a sense of importance as one might expect. It wasn’t very large, but butterflies fluttered in my stomach as we got closer. What had I gotten myself into this time? Could I really convince the archangel council to do as I asked, and was it worth it to drag Lorna into this?
Chapter Twenty-three
Melena
Remiel took the lead up a short set of stairs. Once we stepped inside, my eyes rounded. The place was disproportionately larger than what I’d seen from the outside. Despite my abilities, I couldn’t make any sense of how that worked.
We passed through a wide corridor running the length of the building, through a set of open double doors, and into a cavernous room. The walls and floors were carved from Carrara marble, and the ceiling must have been three stories high. The place lacked any hint of color—only white and a faint blue-gray mix. Whatever peace I felt before fled in the face of such intimidating brightness. It was almost as if the room was designed to make insignificant people like me feel small.
Remiel pointed to a stone bench at the center of the room. It was the only place to sit, except for a wide marble table twenty feet across from it where several archangels waited. They didn’t move or show any signs of emotion on their faces. Two of them were men and one a woman. Now that I’d gotten here, I wasn’t certain whether all the pleading in the world would win them over. They sure didn’t look all that sympathetic, and my senses didn’t detect any feelings coming from them. I was tempted to tap my head like a microphone to see if my abilities still worked.
Lucas, Lorna, and I took a seat on the bench with me in the middle. I’d expected it to be cold, but the marble was surprisingly warm. Lorna and I cast nervous glances at each other. The archangels might not have had any emotions coming from them, but ours came through just fine. Except Lucas, who sat stiff as a board and stared dead ahead.
“I shall introduce the other members of the council who will be hearing your petition today.” Remiel gestured at the three archangels, starting with the one on the far left. “The first is Zadkiel. The female next to him is Azrael, and the member on the right is Gabriel. Along with myself, they will be deciding whether the sentence for Yerik of Mesopotamia should be commuted.”
Each of the archangels dipped their chins in acknowledgment. As with all of their kind, they had an overwhelming presence, and a soft light glowed around them. Zadkiel had long blond hair down to his shoulders and fair skin with golden undertones. There was a hint of kindness in his eyes when our gazes met. Azrael had black hair she’d pulled back in a bun and beautiful ebony skin. She folded her hands in front of her on the table in a gesture I hoped meant she was open to my cause. Gabriel sat completely stoic. He had medium-length brown hair and golden-tan skin. His gaze stared straight ahead with no indication of what he thought of our presence. Maybe I should have brought some cookies to help perk them up.
I leaned toward Lucas and whispered, “Why did they say Yerik of Mesopotamia? Don’t they usually give you old folks a town for your designation?”
He frowned at me. “Old folks?”
“You know what I mean.” Yerik had been born about five thousand years ago, which counted as really old to me.
Lucas let out a sigh. “Neither of Yerik’s parents were human. Even he is uncertain of his true place of birth, but the man and woman who raised him were farmers in what was once known as Mesopotamia. It was decided long ago that he would use a general location for his place of
origin.”
I tried to imagine Yerik growing up. His adopted parents must have had an exciting time raising a half-demon, half-angel child on a farm. One had to wonder if his magical talents developed at an early age or if they’d been suppressed the way Lucas’ and Micah’s had until they got older.
“Have you met them before?” I nodded toward the archangel council.
“All except Gabriel.” Lucas stiffened. “From what I understand, he usually doesn’t bother with dealings of this nature. I am rather surprised he is here today.”
The archangel in question turned his head and lifted a brow. “For you, Lucas of Pistiros, I would not have come. It is your mate and the reputation she has developed among our brethren that brings me.”
If he’d come out of the woodwork for my petition, that had to be a good sign. I bumped Lucas in the arm. “You’re so gonna lose this battle.”
“We shall see, sensor.”
It might have been my imagination, but I could have sworn Azrael’s lips twitched. That gave me hope. Maybe I just needed to be myself and pull at their emotions to get them to listen to my arguments. I’d had worse plans.
“I assume each of you wish to speak today?” Remiel asked.
“Yes,” Lucas and I both said at the same time.
Lorna cleared her throat. “I do as well, though I’d prefer to go last.”
She was doing better, but she probably wanted a little more time to collect herself. Since I was the one who’d pushed for the petition in the first place, it was up to me to begin. Not to mention Lucas wasn’t exactly jumping up to speak. He probably wanted to hear my arguments first and then use them against me. Damn the man.
“I’ll go first,” I said.
Remiel dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “Very well.”
I waited until he’d taken his seat at the table before getting up and moving toward the council. It was more than a little nerve-wracking, having four archangels staring at me. The closer I walked toward them, the more their ethereal presences bombarded my senses. I pushed through the pressure in my head and gathered my thoughts. If I was going to make this happen, I needed to give the best speech of my life. Too bad my oratory skills didn’t match my ability to shoot bad guys.
I stopped five feet from the table and lifted my chin. “I’m not going to pretend Yerik of Mesopotamia is going to win best man of the year anytime soon. He can be rather eccentric and domineering, which is no surprise given his heritage, but the one thing I can say about him is that everything he does is with his whole heart. The way he loves this woman,” I paused and gestured at Lorna, “and his willingness to stay by her side no matter what is a prime example.”
When I’d met Lorna, she’d been an elderly lady in her seventies who expected to die soon. Neither her aging appearance nor the fact she wasn’t long for this world, had made Yerik leave. I’d sensed his total love and devotion toward her. If nothing else, that earned my respect.
“There is also the matter of his son—known as Tormod—who Yerik rescued because of his dying mate’s wish. I cannot begin to imagine why the nerou were taken from their families.” I took a deep breath and reminded myself not to antagonize the people I needed to win over. “But I think the noblest act any supernatural has made in modern history is to do whatever it took to free those innocent children.”
Gabriel leaned forward in his seat. “This includes breaking the mandate that supernaturals must not reveal themselves to the mortal world?”
“Yes,” I said, voice resolute. “With all of your resources, I am sure you know humans were catching on anyway and that the ruse could not continue. The modern world has few places to hide with cameras and satellites watching everything now.” From what I understood, the angels had been working overtime to cover up various incidents worldwide. There was a certain point where it wasn’t worth the trouble anymore.
Gabriel’s eyes hardened. “Be that as it may, it was not their decision to make.”
“No offense, but time probably doesn’t pass the same way for you. My entire life is a mere blink in your long existence.” Even my senses couldn’t determine the age of an archangel—only that it was too long to calculate. “Those of us born into this era have a better understanding of how it works and how modern people think.”
“That is rather presumptuous of you. We have watched humanity evolve from the beginning,” Gabriel replied sternly.
I stiffened. To hell with not antagonizing the council, the only way to make them see was to make my point abundantly clear. I grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket and turned it on. There was no signal, of course, but it would still serve its purpose. I walked toward the council table and set it in front of Gabriel.
“If you know the modern world so well, find a song on my phone and play it.”
Gabriel picked it up, angling it to the left and right. My senses detected confusion and curiosity coming from him. “There are many devices on Earth,” he said, setting it back down. “Even I cannot know how they all work.”
I took the cell phone back. “Nice try, but if you’ve truly been watching the world, you know almost every human on the planet uses a cell phone. Narrow it down to any particular teenager and you’re more than likely going to find them using one at this moment. How is it you can judge what humans are ready for or not if you don’t even understand the basic technology they use on a daily basis? Even the oldest nephilim and vampires have cell phones now, which tells me they’re more in touch with what is happening on Earth than you are.”
“Give the device to me,” Remiel said, holding out his hand.
I set it in his palm. He tapped at the screen with his index finger and appeared to be scrolling through a list. A moment later the song “Angel” performed by Sarah McLachlan filled the vast room, echoing off the marble walls. Behind me, Lucas grunted, and Lorna muttered something about of course that would be the song an archangel would choose to play. Remiel let it continue for a few moments before shutting my phone off and handing it back to me. I swallowed and tried not to let my disappointment show. He’d beaten me at my game—this time.
He lifted a brow. “It is not so difficult.”
“Can you work a computer, too?” I asked, hoping to nail him on something.
His lips thinned. “I am certain I could figure it out.”
“But that’s the point. Humans are using technology every day as part of their lives. They have access to more information than ever and it has changed how the world works. Yerik understood this. He chose to bring supernaturals out at a time when they could no longer hide, even if you all refused to acknowledge the problem. Were you not working non-stop before trying to keep humans in the dark?”
Remiel’s jaw hardened. “My job has not become easier in the aftermath of their public reveal, I assure you.”
“It will, though, with time.” I stuffed my phone back in my pocket. “Humans will eventually get over it, and the world will be no more violent than before. We just have to get through the transition period.”
“There is also the matter of the daimoun killing one of our brethren,” Azrael said, her voice the epitome of feminine strength. “This is not something we can overlook, even if we disregard Yerik of Mesopotamia’s other offenses.”
I knew this would be the biggest sticking point, and I’d prepared myself for it. “As I understand it, there have been only three daimouns in the history of the world. Tell me, how many of them are left?”
Her expression shuttered. “He is the only one remaining.”
“What happened to the other two?”
She hesitated. “They were executed.”
“So let’s think about this for a minute.” I tapped my chin. “You’re Yerik, and you’re the last of a rare breed who has been hunted to near extinction. The only crime you’ve committed is that you chose your parents badly. But wait—we don’t choose our parents or our race before we’re born, do we? Not even archangels were asked before their creation if that’s wh
at they wanted to be.”
“She has a point.” This came from Zadkiel.
I smiled at him. “Thank you.”
“Execution orders are not given out lightly,” Azrael said, annoyance now coloring her tone. “He was seen as too dangerous to live.”
I clasped my hands together. “And what, pray tell, did Yerik ever do that was such a threat aside from defending himself against an archangel? Was he worse than Hitler or any of the other countless human dictators and barbarians that have run amok across Earth?”
All four members of the council exchanged looks, but only Zadkiel answered. “No. While his behavior has never been…normal, he did not show the signs of derangement the other two of his kind exhibited.”
I was beginning to like this guy. Finally, an archangel with common sense.
“In other words, marking him for execution was a preemptive strike,” I said, shaking my head. “That hardly seems fair.”
“He proved he was too dangerous by killing one of our own,” Gabriel argued.
I met the archangel’s gaze. “And if one of you came at me with the intent to end my existence, I would fight to the bitter end as well, using every resource at my disposal. Human or immortal, we all have a burning desire to live. Defending oneself is not a crime. At least Ariel had the decency to see that and the heart to forgive him for it.”
Remiel stood. “We will take all you’ve said into consideration. You may take your seat.”
Damn him. He knew very well I had a point and wanted to stop me before I made my case even stronger. I gave him an annoyed look, but I didn’t argue. They got the gist of it and saying anything more probably wouldn’t make that much of a difference. I’d have to hope despite being a bit antagonistic that I’d gotten the job done.