"I had a vision when I was in a coma. A demon disguised himself as Agrat. He arrested me and took me to the king. He wore a helmet and the same armor that Agrat wears now, but he was cold, so evil, so unlike the prince."
"Father, it was Snarcus who framed you," Daniel said.
"The prince is innocent," Cassiel said.
"Snarcus?" Shock resonated across Agrat's face. The dagger waivered. "Snarcus pretended to be me?"
Rachael broke free of Cassiel and Daniel's support and stepped forward. "The man who arrested me wore a helmet, but his hands were claw-like. His blade twisted. It wasn't you. I saw it in the dreams I've had all my life, but I never made the connection until I dreamed the scene again in my coma."
The angel's crystal-blue gaze moved to the decapitated head of his mother lying near him on the ground. "My mother and the prince were the only ones who knew about Rachael. I told the queen of my love for Rachael. I begged her to intercede with our father, the king."
"So now you see who betrayed you," Agrat said, his voice dark and low.
"I am sorry," Galaden said, looking up at Agrat. "All these years, I've hated you. Wrong. So wrong."
Agrat knelt, dug his fingers into Galaden's hair, gripped it and placed the blade across the angel's throat. "So you offer me an apology? Too little. Too late. I suffered because of you, angel. You scorned my love because of your treacherous mother's lies, leaving me alone. When I found Phoebe, you took my kingdom and my woman. I became stone for three thousand years."
"Father, don't kill your brother," Daniel pleaded.
"Agrat, no! You will never heal if you cannot forgive," Cassiel said.
"Agrat, stop. Galaden's mother manipulated him. Please forgive him his mistakes," Rachael cried.
"This must be done, Healer," Agrat said, the lines of his face stern, his eyes glowing with righteous anger. "You have cleared my name but not Galaden's. He says he fights the vow, but in truth, Phoebe will never be safe while he lives."
"I believe Galaden won't harm me," Phoebe said, walking forward. "Please put the dagger down, Agrat. Don't wear the blood of your brother on your hands. I know you. When your anger has cooled you won't be able to live with yourself."
The lines and planes of Agrat's face hardened until he looked savage. The blade of his dagger dug into Galaden's skin so a line of crimson opened up on the angel's throat. "It is too late," he growled. "I must have vengeance."
When his eyes changed from glowing red orbs to flames, Phoebe knew his anger had reached fever pitch. Would he stop? Could he stop himself from killing Galaden? Phoebe didn't know. She wanted to run over to him and pull him off Galaden, but the man in front of her with the dagger was more demon than human in his fury. He wouldn't hurt her, but he would slice that blade across Galaden's throat in a heartbeat and they would both be sprayed with the angel's blood.
There had to be a better way to stop this feud.
"Rachael. Leave!" Galaden cried, his face wretched, grimacing with pain as his hand clutched his throat in a futile effort to protect himself. "Take her away, Cassiel. I beg you. Do not let her see my death."
Cassiel shook his head. "No. Rachael will not leave you any more than I will. You must forgive my father."
"Please," Rachael said to Agrat, stepping forward. "I beg you. I love Galaden."
"Stay back, Healer," Agrat growled. His voice had become deeper, unearthly. "Daniel? Take Rachael and your mother away. Galaden must die."
Phoebe quavered. The prince was wild with killing lust. His body was smeared with Galaden's blood and from the look on his face, he would readily bathe in it. Uncanny fire, white hot, burned in his eye sockets, sparks flew off his body. Marauding and dark, he seemed barely human. A fierce trembling took over her body. Real terror made the spit dry in her throat. "I love you, Agrat. I would risk my life for you but I must live free of fear. If we have any future together, I need you to show me the man in you. I'm begging you to find forgiveness. If you cannot do it for yourself, do it for me."
Agrat's head moved toward Phoebe’s voice. “Princess, you would reject me?” he asked, clearly cut to the heart that the woman he would give his very soul for was challenging him.
“I want the gentle, protective man I love back, not the terrifying demon,” Phoebe cried. She could feel tears welling at her eyes. "Come back to me, please. I miss that man. I love him so much."
"I must kill him," Agrat said.
"No. You do this for revenge. You spent three thousand years trapped in a statue. You do this for yourself and I can't be with you like this. I can't love the warring elemental demon so full of hatred he can't forgive a brother he once loved for a terrible error of judgment. I must have the man back, the one who loves and listens to me."
"It is too hard," Agrat roared, the veins strained in his temple and neck.
A desperate grief sent Phoebe's heart to her throat. "You suffered but I suffered too. I lost you, but you came back to me and made me love you again. I don't want to be afraid of what you might do when enraged. I have to know you can resist killing. I want to marry you. I want to have children with you, but I need to know our future children won't see you like this. I don't want you to kill Galaden. You loved him once. Choose, Agrat. Vengeance or me."
Agrat stood, flung the dagger away from him, so hard that it imbedded itself in the wall. He threw his head back and bellowed, a raw keening sound of pain, of tragedy, of suffering. The fire in his eyes grew larger until his face disintegrated and the flames consumed his neck, his torso, his arms and legs.
Phoebe stood before him, her whole body trembling. Shock resonated through her. She couldn't move, though the heat seared her skin.
"Oh shit." Daniel raced forward and grabbed Phoebe by the arm, pulling her back against the studio wall.
Galaden rolled away from the demon, but his movement had become slow and awkward as his skin greyed, the texture and color of concrete.
Cassiel raced forward and dragged his father from Agrat's reach. "What's happening, Dan?" he asked.
"The prince is pissed off," Daniel said, his eyes wide with awe.
"I think I got that," Cassiel said.
"This is an elemental on a bad day. A really bad day. He's losing it and everything in his path is going to fry. We gotta get outta here fast," Daniel said. "You think I've got a fiery temper when I'm pissed? You ain't seen nothing like an elemental lose it. Not that I have, but I've heard fables."
"I didn't think Agrat could do the full fire thing," Cassiel said. He bent and hoisted Galaden to his feet, but the angel's body had turned putty colored and stiff so that he could not walk.
"I thought only full elemental demons could," Dan said, edging toward the studio doorway, his arm tucked protectively around Phoebe.
"I suggest you don't take that conversation up with him right now," Cassiel said, pulling Rachael behind him with his other arm, while he dragged Galaden toward the studio doorway.
"It's rage. Sheer, hideous fury," Rachael said.
Flames consumed Agrat's body until he stood over six feet tall, a wall of fire so fierce that Phoebe had to back out of the studio until she reached the opened doorway, to the small hallway which led to the street. The air in the studio in front of her seemed to be sucked up by the heat. Her mouth dried and she could barely breathe.
Daniel stayed with her, his arms draped protectively over her, clearly trying to shield Phoebe from the heat. He didn't seem to be affected by the fire. "Cass, get out of here before your wings catch alight."
"’Bout time you looked out for my wings," Phoebe heard Cassiel mutter.
The wall of fire that was Agrat staggered toward Galaden.
Cassiel dragged his father out of the studio, out of Agrat's line of sight, taking Rachael with him.
Daniel turned to Cassiel. "Maybe you should teleport Galaden outta here."
"This must be resolved here. You know that," Cassiel said.
"Agrat. No!" Phoebe cried, refusing the leave the studio. Tears rol
led from her eyes and instantly dried on her face. Her cheeks burned and she thought the clothes would melt on her body but she didn't want to reject Agrat. The others, except Daniel, stood in the small corridor which led to the street, where the breeze blew in fresh cooling air.
Agrat stopped, roared again until the concrete under his flaming feet blackened and began to melt. He altered his direction and ambled like a blind man back toward the statue of Galaden's fallen angel mother. He snarled, a sound so furious the walls of the studio shook. He opened his fiery arms and wrapped them around the statue until it dissolved under him and then he fell forward and the flames went out. What was left was the naked body of the prince, splayed out on his face, his eyes closed. Not a burn mark touched his skin.
"Agrat!" Phoebe raced toward him.
"Phoebe, stop!" Daniel cried, following her into the studio. "His body will still be too hot for a human to touch. You'll burn yourself."
Phoebe stopped but the air was so scorching, she could barely breathe.
Daniel followed her into the room, pointed his index finger and opened each of the windows in the studio. Fresh air from the freezing winter day outside rushed in cooling the temperature and Phoebe could breathe again. The concrete floor under her feet burned through the thick soles of her boots. She shifted from foot to foot. She spied the bottle of healing water in the corner of the studio on the telephone table, raced over and grabbed it. The bottle was hot to touch, but bearable.
She knelt by Agrat, but the heat of the concrete floor burned through her jeans, so she shifted into a squat. "You chose not to kill Galaden. You did it for me. I know that was almost impossible for you. Please come back to me. Please open your eyes." She undid the bottle of Cassiel's healing water and dribbled it onto the side of his face. Steam rose off his skin. She couldn't bear to lose him, not after everything she'd been through.
Daniel squatted and turned Agrat over. He put his hand on Agrat's heart. "It's beating." He opened Agrat's lips. "Try easing a little water in. He'll be parched."
"Will he survive?" Phoebe asked, her nerves on a razor's edge.
Daniel grinned his familiar smile. "Yeah, sure. Elementals love fire. This is the first time I've witnessed one turn full feral though. Awesome, wasn't it? I mean, Father had everyone shit scared. He's pretty cool, isn't he?"
Phoebe shook her head, wondering how Daniel could live his life in such a light-hearted manner. Maybe if she could shift into other dimensions like heaven she'd feel that way too. "That's not how I'd describe it. Try terrifying and unpredictable."
"I don't think so. Father listened to you. He turned and fried the statue instead of Galaden. His human side must have steadied his temper. Legend tells it that if the elemental demons on Mount Har Karkom declared war on a tribe, whoever went up there to battle with them never came back."
"That doesn't surprise me," Phoebe said dryly. Still, she found Daniel's words reassuring. She had managed to get through to Agrat and her prince wasn't going to die. She stroked Agrat's cheek, willing him to open his eyes.
Daniel stood. "Don't worry. Keep him quiet for a few days. He'll need to sleep off the bad mood."
Phoebe couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You call turning into a wall of flame a bad mood?"
"Actually, I'm talking about the one he'll be in when he wakes up," Daniel said.
Phoebe took a great gulp of healing water before dripping it into Agrat's open lips. "Great," she said wearily.
"Daniel? I need your help," Cassiel called.
Phoebe watched Daniel race over to where Cassiel was standing at the doorway. In his arms he held Galaden's upright body. The angel was rigid, his limbs already stone, his chest rising up and down as he struggled to take in breath. His normally crystal-blue eyes had turned to ice and his face was masked with dread as death approached.
"Is it too late?" Daniel asked Cassiel.
"I don't know," Cassiel said, hugging Galaden, supporting his father with the whole of his body.
"Phoebe, we need you," Rachael said. She stood next to Galaden and her arms went around the angel, too. "Galaden did you a terrible wrong when he ordered Envy to kidnap you. I know Galaden terrorized you. You thought he was going to kill you, but I'm going to ask you to do something, because I love him so much and I know you love me."
Phoebe saw the pleading look on the face of her best friend, the desperation in Cassiel's eyes, and the horror in Galaden's. "What can I do?"
"I want you to save Galaden," Rachael said.
Chapter 17
Phoebe looked back at Agrat. His eyes had opened and she breathed in a deep sigh of relief. She didn't want to leave his side, not when she should be giving him the healing water to drink. "My darling. You're awake. Can you hear me?"
His gaze fixed onto her. Gone was the look of fury in his face. He seemed calm and somewhat subdued. "Not even a wall of flames could block you when you want something," Agrat said, his voice rasping. "I heard every word you said."
"Good." She bent and put the bottle to his lips. "Drink this."
Agrat's hands closed over hers as he drank.
"I thought I'd lost you to the demon side. I was frightened and scared and lost without you. Thank you."
Agrat drained the bottle dry in a few gulps. He pushed himself into a sitting position, wincing as if in pain, yet his gaze bloomed with love for her. "You said you want marriage and children."
A wave of love rushed through her. "I do."
Agrat's face softened as he stared at her.
"Phoebe, please," Rachael said, rushing over to her. "I need your help. There's no time. I'm desperate."
"Help the Healer," Agrat said.
Phoebe turned from the prince, relieved that he seemed stable. Rachael needed her and Rachael, who gave so much, rarely asked anything of her. "What do you need?"
"Galaden is turning to stone. I want you to order him to stop." Rachael turned, waved her hand at Cassiel who stood at the doorway to the studio. The young angel picked up his father and carried him into the middle of the room. The older angel's torso, arms and legs had turned to stone. He no longer seemed to breathe, but terror stayed in his eyes as if he could feel every inch of the hideous creeping death.
Confusion hit Phoebe. "But how will it stop the curse?"
"You are Galaden's maker," Rachael said.
"The maker is his father, the king," Agrat said.
"Not in this lifetime," Daniel said.
"No matter, the maker must be male," Agrat said.
"The maker can be female too," Phoebe said. At least she hoped it could.
"That appears to have changed in this time. I find my princess hot-headed and demanding," Agrat said.
Phoebe smiled. "You'd better believe it."
"In this lifetime you created Galaden from stone. You are his maker," Cassiel said.
"Please. There's no time," Rachael said.
Phoebe strode over to Galaden. "I forbid you to turn to stone. I carved you. I made you. You are to follow my orders. You are to return to flesh and you are to love your brother."
Agrat stood and put his arm around Phoebe. "Tell him I will find the love I once had for him if he is good to you."
"You are never to harm me," Phoebe ordered.
A final gasp of breath left Galaden's lips and the ice in his eyes died leaving only stone.
"It hasn't worked," Rachael cried, flinging her arms around Galaden. "My love, my husband. I can't bear to lose you." Huge sobs overtook her and her shoulders heaved as she cried.
"It should have worked," Daniel said, distressed.
"Rachael tried it with me," Cassiel said. "Rachael, as my mother, was my maker too, in her past life. Galaden ordered me to take Rachael home from the hospital, but she wanted to come here. Her order overrode his. I could obey her."
"You’re Rachael's flesh and blood," Daniel said to Cassiel, staring sadly at Galaden. "Perhaps that’s why it worked."
Phoebe turned to Agrat. "I want to thank you. You did
n't kill Galaden. You found forgiveness. You don't have his blood on your hands."
The prince bent and kissed her. "Only for you could I do it. Always for you. You, who I love, have taught me so much about love. You bring me great joy."
She kissed him back, so glad to have him close, but Rachel's cries ripped through her joy. "I must look after Rachael."
Phoebe moved closer to Rachael and Galaden. The angel's expression resonated with misery as he stared down at her. She rubbed her friend's back. Rachael would never recover from loving Galaden, not if she felt for Galaden what Phoebe felt for Agrat.
She put her other hand to Galaden's cheek. "His face is still warm." She touched over the rest of his body. Cool. Like the stone she worked with. She looked up again at the angel's face. A pinprick of light entered Galaden's eyes. Phoebe stood on tiptoes to check she wasn't imagining it. The pinprick grew to a spot. There was blue under the color. "Rachael. Look. He's coming back to you."
Rachael pulled her face back from the chest of the sculpture. "Galaden?"
Cassiel and Daniel stood behind the women. "It's true. Color is returning to Galaden's eyes. Father, can you hear me?" Cassiel cried.
Rachel threw herself at the statue, crying, touching, stroking his face. "His skin is softening."
The angel drew in a deep shuddering breath as his life-force returned. With stiff limbs, he hugged Rachael to him.
Tears rolled down Rachael's face and her mouth wobbled as if she couldn't speak.
"Thank you," Galaden rasped to Phoebe. "I do not deserve your gift of life."
"You're welcome. Look after my best friend," she said. "I did it for her."
Phoebe felt Agrat's arms encircle her from behind.
Galaden looked at the prince. "I have done you a great wrong. You are a good man. Forgive me, brother?"
Agrat's face was stern and serious, his frown clamped on his brow. "You have given me great heartache for centuries, but Phoebe is right. I do not want your blood on my hands. You protected Phoebe when I was turned to stone and now you know what it is to lose the ones you love and become stone. You have suffered too. I forgive you, brother," Agrat said.
Her Demon Prince (Forbidden Fantasy) Page 24