by SJ West
“You know, I owe … the other version of Lucas … a debt of gratitude,” Baal says. “He showed me my death once. It was supposed to be by your hands, Anna.”
“There’s still time for that prophecy to be fulfilled,” I threaten.
“No,” Baal replies with a small shake of his head. “I’m certain I’ve changed my fate. I’m sure you’ve been told that not every vision he has is destined to come to pass. That’s where free will comes into play. There are parts of our destiny that we can alter if we’re willing to change ourselves enough to do it.”
“And you think you’ve changed?” I scoff, not seeing a difference in him yet. “Have you already forgotten that you colluded with Mammon and Levi to kill me not so long ago?”
“No. I haven’t forgotten,” Baal says with a note of regret. “It was a last-ditch effort on my part and one I couldn’t refuse to take a role in at the time. I thought if I could kill you first, that maybe, just maybe, I could save myself that way.”
“And now you believe you’re going to prevent your death by becoming my ally?”
“Yes,” Baal says bluntly. “You’re not someone who kills for joy like Helena does. You actually have a moral code that you live by. Look, I’m not a good person. I freely admit that, but for Bianca’s sake, I’m willing to become the man she needs.”
“Does Bianca know this yet?” I ask apprehensively. The thought of Baal desiring a relationship with one of the few people I call a friend doesn’t sit well with me. Yet he seems so earnest in his feelings for her. Do I have a right to keep them apart if it’s what Bianca wants? Who am I to decide what her fate should be?
“I’ve been writing to her since I took the Cirro throne,” Baal tells me.
“Love letters?” I ask in surprise.
“No. I didn’t want to scare her off. I’ve mostly been asking questions about how she’s implementing your initiative to share cloud city technology with the down-world. It’s a topic she feels as passionately about as you do. We’ve communicated quite a bit over the last few months about the subject.”
“I’m surprised you’ve been so patient with her,” I reply, truly meaning my words. I find it remarkable that a prince of Hell would take the time to woo anyone, much less a human. Considering Baal’s history, it seems strange that he finally found someone to love more than he does himself. “Is Bianca your soul mate?” I have to ask.
Baal shakes his head. “No. She isn’t. And before you ask, I can’t explain why I have these feelings for her. I just do.”
Ethan and Roan phase into the room. From their frantic expressions, I immediately know something is wrong and dread hearing what they have to report.
“It’s … happened,” Ethan tells me in a halting voice, looking shell-shocked. “She’s implemented her plan.”
“What has she done?” Lucifer is quick to ask.
“I think you all need to see it for yourselves in order to believe it,” Ethan replies, coming to stand closer to Malcolm and me.
He pulls up the sleeve of his black War Angel jacket and runs his hand over his wrist to bring up the controls of his holographic display. After pressing a few buttons, a news report begins to play above his palm.
At first, I’m not sure what it is I’m looking at until the newscaster from Nacreous explains.
“The carnage is widespread,” the woman explains in a tearful voice. “From the reports we’re getting in, there are no survivors. The citizens of Virga have been massacred due to the explosion of a weapon most of us thought had been destroyed after the travesty of the Great War. Eyewitnesses on the ground have confirmed that they saw a nuclear device explode inside the cloud city of Virga. Parts of the Virga down-world city of Sydney have also been destroyed due to the debris field created as the cloud city disintegrated in the air. Citizens of Sydney, if you are able to see me, please evacuate the city as quickly as possible. The less exposure you have to the nuclear fallout, the …”
The news broadcast is immediately cut off by another transmission. The face of a handsome young man stares back at us all. His cold, hard stare makes him look deadly even before he speaks.
I hear the scraping of Jered’s chair as he stands. His eyes are fixed on the face in the display as he whispers, “Silas.”
“Greetings,” Silas says to the world watching him, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I have an important message to relay to you all about what just happened in Virga.”
Silas stops talking as another video begins to play. The shot was taken from a high vantage point, and we can all see the cloud city of Virga as it once was. A blinding flash of light erupts from the center of the city. Even though it’s only a video, I instinctively shield my eyes from the glare. Once it’s passed, I lower my hand and watch as the city is filled with gray smoke that can’t escape Virga’s protective force field. Eventually, the force field fails, and the proud city of Virga falls as a pile of rubble to the ground beneath it.
“As you can see,” Silas says rather calmly when he comes back into view, “the cloud city of Virga has been destroyed. I know many of you are asking the same questions: Why has this happened, and who is responsible? I’m here to give you the answers to both of those queries.”
The angle of the video changes as it zooms out to show Silas dressed in a War Angel uniform with four other men similarly dressed standing directly behind him. I gasp in surprise when I see the Cirrus palace in the backdrop of the shot. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Jered phase to Cirrus.
“The Emperor of Virga was a staunch voice against uniting the peoples of the down-world and cloud cities. His unwillingness to join Empress Anna of Cirrus in her cause and blatant disrespect of her and her reign is what doomed him and his citizens to utter annihilation.” Silas takes a menacing step closer to the camera as he stares directly into the lens. “To those of you who still remain on Earth, listen to me very carefully. Anyone who opposes Empress Anna Devereaux will meet the same fate as Virga. Either bow to her will or die. The choice is yours.”
The video feed ends and returns to the original female news broadcaster, who now looks stunned and uncertain as to how to respond to what we all just witnessed.
I look away from the newscast when Jered phases back to the kitchen. He shakes his head at me, silently letting me know that Silas wasn’t in Cirrus. The video we just saw was more than likely pre-recorded.
“Please forgive us for the interruption of that video feed from what looked like the interior of … Cirrus? Is that right?” The newscaster directs her question to someone off camera. We all see her nod as if she’s receiving confirmation. “We will be back with more information on this travesty as soon as it becomes available.” The woman pauses again, and her mouth goes slack with surprise. “This just in. Apparently, the cloud city of Stratus is also under attack.”
A live video feed appears on the display, showing the remnants of what looks like a public transporter terminal within Stratus. There are people stumbling around with gashes all over them, and dead bodies lay strewn across the area like broken dolls. We watch as people dressed in War Angel uniforms begin to fire into the crowd with plasma pistols, a weapon that has been outlawed since the Great War. The screams of those fleeing the area are quickly cut off as one of the attackers shoots directly at the camera filming the footage.
When the newscaster comes back on the display, you can tell that she’s so traumatized by what she just saw that she isn’t able to think of anything to say. The newsfeed ends as tears begin to stream down her face, mirroring the sadness of the world in that moment.
“I don’t understand what’s happening,” she sobs. “Please, someone, help us.”
Ethan closes his hand to end the transmission and lowers his arm.
A weighty silence caused by shock settles over the room as we all try to absorb what we just witnessed.
“I knew she could be cruel,” I finally say, attempting to wrap my mind around what Helena has done, “but I never imagined she woul
d go this far.” I look up at Malcolm. “We have to send people to Stratus to help. Those have to be rebellion angels that Helena is using to masquerade as War Angels.”
“We’ll go immediately to see what we can do to get rid of the rebels,” Ethan offers.
“Take your jackets off,” Malcolm orders. “Otherwise, people will think you’re there to kill them, not help them.”
Both Ethan and Roan quickly strip their jackets off and toss them onto the floor. They’re bare-chested, but that will have to do. Time is of the essence.
“We’ll grab the others from the party,” Ethan tells me. “As soon as things are under control in Stratus, we’ll come back and report what we know.”
Ethan and Roan phase out of the room to gather the other War Angels.
I turn my attention to Jered, who looks completely devastated after seeing his son accuse me of being the one who orchestrated the total annihilation of Virga. When his eyes meet my gaze, I can see the guilt he feels.
“I’ve failed you both,” he says to me remorsefully.
“You haven’t failed me,” I tell him resolutely. “And Silas is simply following Helena’s orders. You know that, Jered. Now is not the time for self-pity. We have to find a way to repair the damage she’s caused.”
“This can’t be fixed,” Lucifer says incredulously. “You don’t have the power to bring five million people back to life, Anna! She murdered them in cold blood and has placed the blame of their extermination squarely on your shoulders. The humans were already wary of you and your War Angels. How do you think they’re going to feel about you now?”
“We’ll just have to explain what’s really going on,” I argue, trying to remain rational.
“The damage has been done!” Lucifer argues, throwing his hands up. “Even if you somehow convince people that you weren’t behind all of this, the image of Silas and those others dressed as your personal guard will always remain in the back of their minds. You’ll never be able to erase what everyone in the world just watched.”
“There has to be a way to prove that Helena was behind all of this,” I say.
“There is no proof,” Lucifer states emphatically. “It’ll just be your word against hers, and right now, the video evidence proves that your War Angels are behind all of this.”
“But they’re not my War Angels.”
“We know that, but the world doesn’t. You have two thousand War Angels under your command. Very few people know what they all look like,” Lucifer reasons.
“Then what are we going to do?” I ask, having a hard time coming up with a solution to solve our problem.
“Anna!” I hear Kyna yell out to me.
I turn around to find her and Olivia Ravensdale, Empress of Nacreous, walking down the hallway to the kitchen.
“Oh, my dear,” Olivia says, giving me a much-needed hug as soon as she reaches me. “What can we do to help? Ethan told us what’s happened to Virga and the chaos transpiring now in Stratus.”
“I think sending help to those who need it should be our first priority,” I say as Olivia pulls away.
“I could kill Lorcan, or Abaddon, whoever he is, for this mess,” Kyna growls. “You and I both know he’s allowing Helena to kill the people in my cloud city just so they can place all the blame on you and your War Angels.”
I nod. “I know. Hopefully Ethan and the others can get them out of Stratus before they do any more harm.”
Olivia lifts her left arm to look at something on her wrist. I presume it’s a message on her personal holographic display. She lets out a heavy sigh after she reads it and then looks up at me.
“The Emperor and Empress of Nimbo have called for an emergency meeting to take place in the Mars pavilion first thing tomorrow morning,” she tells us.
“Well, we knew that was coming,” Malcolm grouses. “Helena’s scheme to force Anna to step down as empress is playing out exactly like she planned.”
“I’m afraid that’s not all Helena can ask for from Anna. She will also be within her rights as a royal to ask for a trial,” Olivia says, placing an even heavier burden on my heart.
“And if they convict me, what would happen?” I ask.
“At most, you would be exiled to an off-world planet to live out the rest of your life. She could ask for your execution, but it would never get that far. Bianca and I would vote against it.”
“For what it’s worth,” Baal chimes in behind me, “so would I.”
“For an execution of a royal to take place,” Olivia explains, “it has to be a unanimous decision.”
“That’s good to know,” I say, “but I can’t be permanently exiled from Earth. If I am, Helena will have free rein here. We can’t let that happen, Olivia.”
“I completely agree,” Olivia says. “Let’s see how the meeting goes tomorrow. Maybe we can convince the others that you’ve been set up by a third party.”
“Would it do any good for me to call Helena out?” I ask.
“And blame her for this?” Olivia questions skeptically. “No. If there’s one thing you absolutely mustn’t do it’s that.”
“But she’s the one responsible for all of this,” I argue.
“I understand that, my dear, but the world will simply view it as you trying to push the blame on a woman who has done nothing but be courteous and benevolent to her people since she married Zuri Solarin and became empress. The people of Nimbo adore her because she seems so down to earth to them. She has played her role as a compassionate empress perfectly. If you try to lay the blame for this on her, everyone will view it as a lame attempt on your part to cast the guilt onto someone else.”
“Can we at least say that the people in the broadcast are a rebel faction?” Malcolm suggests. “That’s true.”
“I think that’s your only option,” Olivia agrees. “You’ll need to convince the others that you have no control over these people and that they are acting of their own accord.”
“But people will still doubt me, won’t they?” I ask, knowing my standing among the other royals has been forever tarnished by acts that were beyond my control. “I was already having a reputation problem with the other cloud cities. This may just put the nail in the coffin of any reform to the down-world I wanted to accomplish.”
“I wish I could find a way to kick Lorcan off the throne,” Kyna says heatedly, placing a hand on her swollen abdomen, as if the action will calm her.
“We’ll figure something out one of these days,” I promise her. “You’re the rightful ruler of Stratus. You always have been.”
Brutus phases into the room, and I immediately see Kyna’s shoulders relax. I’m not even sure she was aware how stressed she was becoming over the situation.
Like a good husband, Brutus immediately walks over to his wife and takes her into his arms.
“Are you all right?” he asks worriedly, slowly rubbing one hand up and down her back in a soothing manner. “I just heard what happened.”
“I want to kill Lorcan,” she states, “but other than that I’m doing fine.”
Brutus rests a cheek on top of Kyna’s head as he continues to hold her close.
“Brutus,” I say, “why don’t you take Kyna home so she can get some rest? All of this stress can’t be good for her or the baby.”
“Are you sure you don’t need me?” Brutus asks.
“We’ve got things handled,” I assure him. It’s not exactly the truth, but it’s not a lie either.
“I’m afraid I need to be leaving as well,” Olivia tells us regrettably. “I’m sure the people of my cloud city are worried they’ll be attacked at any moment. I need to go and reassure them that they’re safe.”
“I understand,” I say, leaning in to kiss Olivia on the cheek. “Thank you for coming today. I know Lucas appreciated you taking time out of your busy schedule to celebrate his birthday with us.”
“It was my pleasure,” she says with a weak smile. “I just wish the day could have ended on a better note than this
.”
“If you don’t mind,” my papa says, walking over to Olivia, “I would like to escort you home.”
Olivia’s smile instantly changes to a pleased one. “I don’t mind at all, Andre. In fact, I would appreciate that a great deal.”
As my papa and Olivia use their personal teleporters to travel to Nacreous, I return my attention to Jered. Of anyone else left in the room, he’s the one I’m most worried about. It has to have been hard on him to see his son play the perfect pawn in Helena’s strategy to disgrace me in front of the world. Lucifer was right in his earlier assessment. Even if I’m able to find a way to prove my innocence, there will always be people in the world who will never fully trust me again. In the back of their minds, they’ll see the destruction of Virga and always believe that I was behind it, no matter what I say or do in the future.
“Jered,” I say, “do you think there’s any way you can find Silas and speak to him? Maybe if we could convince him to renounce Helena and tell the world that she put him up to bombing Virga, it will prove to everyone that I’m innocent.”
“Even if I could find him, he won’t listen to me, Anna,” Jered replies sadly. “He hates me more than anyone else. I’m the last person who could go to him and ask for a favor. Helena has warped his mind to a point where I’m not sure he can ever be saved.”
I sigh, knowing Jered is probably right, but I had to ask.
Silas is now the face of this atrocity against humanity. If he came forward and told the truth, people just might believe him. Then again …
“It might be pointless anyway,” I say, realizing a simple fact. “People would probably assume I asked him to take the fall to save myself and my crown. It’s like I’m damned either way I turn.”
“There’s a way out of this,” Malcolm assures me as he places a comforting hand on the small of my back. “We just have to figure out what it is.”