"Are you sure you want to do this?" Brinx asked.
"No, but I don't exactly have a choice in the matter." Jaylen winced as the angels roughly cinched the shackles down and locked his wrists together behind his back. "The one person here who could help me has already voiced his opposition to that idea. Thank you for your betrayal, Jeremiah."
The blond seraph opened his mouth to speak. "I-"
"No. I don't want to hear it. I don't take being stabbed in the back lightly. If I get out of here, I will have my vengeance. Fly away to Purgatory and never come back, or I swear that I will skin you alive and wear your skin as a new cloak and a badge of honor."
"Damn, Jaylen. What is wrong with you?" Brinx asked.
Jeremiah's eyes narrowed. "Divinus, come out of the boy and show yourself."
"Divinus isn't inside me anymore, seraph. This is all me now."
"He's right. His eyes aren't turning orange." Zeriel held his hand out towards the angels. "Can I . . . can I give Jaylen one last hug?"
"Make it quick."
Zeriel embraced him. "I love you, Jaybird. I do. I hope that the angels show you mercy. If there was anything I could do to help you, I would do it in a heartbeat, but I am out of ideas."
"I know."
Zeriel dug his fingernails into Jaylen's arm as he pressed his lips against his ear and whispered to him extremely quietly. "Let Finalis take over once you get into that cell. You'll find a way out. Don't die on me, boy."
Jaylen closed his eyes as he felt his angel step away and the Guardian Angels grabbed his arms. All of a sudden, he was being carried through the air by the angels towards the courthouse. He had no way of knowing what the next few hours or days would hold for him, but he did know one thing. He couldn't let Zeriel down. Even if it meant letting the Angel of Darkness take over for a while, Jaylen made a silent vow to Zeriel that he would find a way to survive.
Chapter 5
The white and black marble was cold under Jaylen's bare knees as he knelt, completely unclothed, where the angels had placed him after they had thoroughly searched him. The great stained glass depictions of holy battles from the ancient past let in the odd grey light of The Veil. Jaylen stared up at the lifeless yet colorful angels etched into the glass panels. Their eyes all seemed to be focused on him, condemning him, judging him, and damning him for being such an unholy man in the presence of so many Holy Angels. Even though the courtroom was in The Veil, it reeked of Heaven.
Jaylen needed to distract his thoughts away from his predicament. His leather collar had been exchanged for golden shackles and chains binding his wrists and ankles together with little slack between them to ensure he couldn't run or fight. The angels wanted to break him down by humiliating him, but the only emotion Jaylen felt was anger. That fiery anger sparked to life deep inside his chest and continued to grow as the angels openly and unabashedly mocked him.
All of the angels had their pure wings of various colors, except for the black of the Fallen who were absent, of course. As Jaylen made eye contact with each of them, he could sense that darkness flowing inside their souls. He wanted nothing more than to let Finalis take over his body fully and use him to destroy all the lying hypocrites in this courtroom, but he had no idea how to do that. Even if Finalis was a being existing in his soul, Jaylen couldn't feel him. But Zeriel's last words to him seemed to imply that Jaylen could somehow control it. That would be impossible without the topaz amulet and his left hand. Trying to cast his magic without both hands was like a wingless bird trying to fly. It wouldn't work.
A sickening sweet cloud of perfume tickled Jaylen's nose as the sound of high heels clicked on the polished marble floor and specks of glitter fell around him. Tarael. Jaylen's eyes narrowed as he glared coldly at the effeminate yet brutal angel in the pink frilly dress with large silver hoops in his ears. "Tarael? I thought you were on Purgatory duty."
"How dare you ask me questions?"
Jaylen smirked. "Well, I'm just making sure that everyone is doing their job. Sola knows you all can't even keep each other in line, much less all of Heaven and the souls in Purgatory. Is being the Speaker of the Court and doing Jeremiah's job too much for you, Tarael? You look a bit flustered. Not getting enough beauty rest?"
The smooth-skinned angel clenched his fists and his glitter-dusted white wings rose a bit as his anger flared up momentarily, but he let out a shaky breath and combed through his long brown locks with manicured fingernails. "You should be more concerned about your own fate, Finalis!"
The angels in attendance perked up and moved to the edges of their chairs just at the mention of the name.
Tarael fed upon the energy in the room and began pacing authoritatively in front of Jaylen like a commander of an army. "That's right, my fellow Holy Angels. This man is no longer human. That black X on his chest marks him as an apostate, but not simply any apostate. No. This man is Finalis, the Angel of Darkness."
Normally, Jaylen would have remained silent and allowed this to go without protest, but what did he actually have to lose? "If I was truly this Angel of Darkness, don't you think I would have the power to break out of these chains? Can simple enchanted shackles actually hold Finalis? If that's the case, then I don't see the urgency here. Why is everyone so terrified of something that can be controlled just like any other angel or demon?"
Tarael wasn't going to let anything be said without twisting it to fit his own will. "You certainly seem to know quite a bit about Finalis, Jaylen Corrifus. Holy Angels of the Court, why do you think that is? Let me tell you. Because Jaylen Corrifus is Finalis! He is holding back and not using his powers so he can wait for the ideal time to strike. We must act now and ensure that Finalis cannot fully manifest. If that happens, we will all be in danger."
The angels cheered in unanimous agreement, their angelic voices sounding more and more like warped demonic cries. A sinking feeling filled Jaylen's chest. This wasn't going anywhere good.
Once the angels had a chance to voice their radical approval, Tarael slammed his wooden gavel on the pulpit. "Very well. Then the fate of this apostate has been decided. Jaylen Amalas Corrifus, also known as Finalis, as punishment for your grievous crimes against Heaven and His Holiness Archangel Carvael, you are hereby sentenced to death by magic draining."
Magic draining? Was that even a thing?
Tarael chuckled dryly. "Speechless, I see. You do know about this procedure, do you not? I'm gathering from your complete lack of terror that you weren't taught as much in the Holy Order as you should have been. Well, don't take my word for it. Let's consult the Book of Holy Scriptures, shall we?"
Jaylen watched intently as the ancient book was opened. He had read the entire thing from cover to cover multiple times. There was nothing written there about magic draining.
Tarael picked up an ancient leather-bound book from his pulpit and flipped through it until he placed his finger on a page and read directly from it. "Upon capture, Finalis shall be subjected to the most effective and devastating quelling possible, including the fine art of magic draining. This shall render the Angel of Darkness vulnerable and unable to use his world-threatening abilities. Upon removal, the harvested magic is to be divided between the Holy Angels responsible for the brave task of finding and subduing such a threat. Only in this way will Finalis truly become dormant enough for the human aspect to be mortal. Kill the human aspect as soon as is possible. It is recommended to let the magic draining take the life of the human vessel as well. This will be possible due to the merging of the human's life force with the demonic magic of Finalis. Proceed with haste and extreme caution."
Something about that passage didn't fit. It wasn't like the others in the rest of the scriptures. And it certainly wasn't any passage Jaylen had read before. What was it the passage said about the procedure? Effective and devastating? Something told Jaylen that things were about to get a lot more painful.
* * *
Oviel gritted his teeth as his fellow angels who used to be his friends
stripped his robe from him. They ran their hands over every intimate place on his body to search him for weapons or contraband. Once they were satisfied with the invasive humiliation they put him though, Oviel was pushed to his knees in the middle of the room where Jaylen had been minutes before. The only difference between their two trials were the accusations and the presence of the Council of Demons attending Oviel's trial.
To try to ignore his nakedness and the judgmental glares, Oviel watched the rows of diverse demons who were busy laughing, drinking foul-smelling wine, and spreading nasty rumors about all manner of subjects. Some of them were common varieties of demons that looked similar to humans, like the incubi and succubi. Others had alternate forms: a ball of glowing ice, a dryad with the skin of a tree and leaves for hair, a giant snake coiled on the chair, a woman whose body was on fire, and a few black butterflies. Dyvaes. Oviel hated Dyvaes more than any of them. Those hoards of black butterflies could possess an entire village of children in less than five minutes if left unchallenged.
They were the ones who should have been on trial, not Oviel. How could the angels even stand being in the same room as all those demons? It slowly began to dawn on him that this entire setup was never intended for Liaxa. It was for him. That hunch was only confirmed when the large golden doors were thrown open and Archangel Carvael flew gracefully inside, his regal appearance reflected off of the polished columns.
Carvael, in his flowing white robes with the golden stole around his shoulders, stepped in front of Oviel and grinned facetiously. "I know what you're thinking, Oviel. Why involve these demons in your trial? Well, because we used to be so close, I will let you in on a tiny secret. Actually, it's not that tiny of a secret. Everyone in the courtroom except for you is a member of Eternal Eclipse. We believe in the cooperation of angels and demons alike for the brightest future possible. And it just so happens that these demon members each have a problem with you for things you've done to them in the past. I'm certain you remember the War of The Veil four hundred and thirty years ago. These demons had family and friends who were slaughtered by you during the fighting. Now they want to watch you suffer and receive a part of your soul once you are executed for your crimes."
So they've already determined his guilt. But that wasn't the most concerning part of all this. Angel and demons working together could never achieve anything resembling peace. They were different and separated by The Veil for a reason. Xair's demons and Gavin the incubus were exceptions. Though he still didn't trust either one of those two. That didn't matter at this point. Whatever massive plan Carvael had in the works was much more daunting that anything else.
Where did Oviel go so wrong while raising Carvael? He had been such a happy and obedient cherub. Even after Carvael's awakening, he had only goodness in his actions. The day Zeriel was born, Carvael was so excited to be a father. They both spent many night playing with the baby and there had been no signs manifest from Carvael that he hated his son. All of that changed after Zeriel started going through his awakening. What could have happened in those few years that altered the dynamics of their relationship? That was also when Carvael started ignoring Oviel's guidance.
"Answer the question for the court, Oviel."
Oviel's thoughts collided with the harshness of Carvael's gravelly voice, bringing him back into reality. He looked up at the elderly-looking angel with the gold wings. "I, uh . . . I didn't hear the question, Carvael."
"Typical. It matters little. Tarael, I hand control of the courtroom over to you. Let us get this procedure over with quickly. I have better things to do than to waste time on this pathetic fallen angel."
Tarael cracked his knuckles. "Fallen Angel Oviel, you have been brought before the Angelic Court and the Council of Demons to face judgment for the crime you have been accused of committing. You have now been formally charged with raping a fourteen-year-old boy who has already been mated with an Elder Dragon. Do you acknowledge that an angel having sexual contact with anyone is a serious crime against Heaven?"
"Yes, I do."
"This is your second offense of this kind, is it not?"
"No. What happened between me and Gawain was completely consensual and loving. We-"
Tarael interrupted him. "Are you stating that your actions with Liam Ulverin were not consensual?"
"What? No. I'm just saying that these are two completely different situations. First off, I didn't do anything inappropriate with Liam. I would never do anything of that nature with a child. Just the thought of it is sickening. Second, Gawain and I were both adults who wanted to be involved with each other in the way we were. While it was against the scriptures, we were happy and not harming anyone. Besides, I know that most you have current relationships with male and female humans as well as your fellow angels!"
The Angelic Court erupted in shouting as the Council of Demons surged with mocking laughter and hissing. The demons were jumping out of their chairs and pointing their clawed fingers at the obviously embarrassed angels.
Tarael slammed his gavel on the top of his pulpit so hard that the wood could have cracked. "Silence! Enough of this madness. Demon Speaker, I suggest that you control your council immediately before I am forced to do it for you."
The Council Speaker, a heavy-set incubus with silver chains criss-crossing his entire body, snapped his fingers, causing an instantaneous hush to fall over the crowd of demons. "There. Please continue with your trial, angel. We are merely here to watch the show and to reap our share of the angel's soul."
"Very well." Tarael turned back to the angel on his knees in the middle of the courtroom. "There will be no further outbursts from you, Oviel. Do not make me have you gagged and unable to give your side of the story."
"Like you would give me a chance to speak." Oviel scoffed. "No one here is interested in the truth. All you want is to humiliate me."
Tarael motioned to the angelic guards who grabbed Oviel and secured a thick metal gag into his mouth. Once Oviel was rendered speechless, Tarael continued. "There. That's better. Now, Oviel, you have waived your right to defend yourself in this courtroom. with your uncontrolled outbursts. Being that this is your second offense, the death penalty is not only on the table for consideration, but it is recommended. However, just to humor everyone involved, we will state the specifics of your case and judge your guilt by your reactions."
What did Tarael mean by that? Oviel locked eyes with him and grunted from behind the gag. It was just as well, though. Anything he would have managed to say without the gag would have either fallen on deaf ears or it would have been twisted to incriminate himself. He didn't even care enough to listen to them continue to berate him for things they would never understand. Whatever punishment they had devised would be fittingly cruel, he knew. Oviel was resigned to his fate at the hands of his colleagues for a crime he didn't commit.
Chapter 6
Jaylen awoke in the brightly-lit room with a pounding headache throbbing behind his eyes that felt like they were on fire. Moving was futile. His arms, legs, waist, chest, and neck were held securely to the metal table by steel shackles that bit cruelly into his tender skin. He would normally have been shivering from being pressed against the cold metal without his clothes, but the searing heat from the intense balls of mage-glow drew beads of sweat from his forehead and rivulets of it trickled down his sides.
A familiar and unwelcome face appeared over him. Tarael held up one hand where a number of tiny balls of mage-glow danced, each one giving off a heat that was at least ten times the normal heat for their minuscule size. "I'm thrilled to see that you're awake now, Finalis. I would have hated to do this while you were unconscious and have you miss all the fun. Look around this empty room as best as you can. It's just you and me now. No one else can see you or hear you in here, so feel free to writhe and scream for me. Show me your appreciation for riding the universe of your pure evilness."
Jaylen started to feel the first tendrils of fear reaching deep into his soul and taking root. He wa
sn't gagged, yet his voice escaped him . . . not that there was anything he could have said to get himself out of this now.
Tarael's voice scraped across his ears like sandpaper. "Now, because I'm a gracious host, I will take a minute to explain to you what is going to happen. This is a very delicate and precise procedure, requiring finesse and a delicate yet steady hand. One by one, these supercharged balls of mage-glow will be inserted under your skin in strategically-selected areas. As the heat and magical energies intensify in your body, you will involuntarily begin casting your magic to destroy the painful intruders. Think of it like triggering your own magical immune system. But here's where this gets even more entertaining. The more magic your body casts, the deeper the mage-glow embeds itself. You will be fighting a losing battle, one that you will never be able to win, no matter how much magic you cast. My precious mage-glow will absorb your magic until your body and Finalis perish. First, your body will feel like it's burning. Every inch of your skin will be in sheer agony. Straining against it will only make it worse. After some time, your muscles will atrophy, your brain functions will cease, and your heart will give out."
"You sick bastard."
"Ah. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to let me hear that pretty voice of yours. We are nearly ready to begin. There's one more necessary component." Tarael held up Jaylen's sky blue topaz amulet then slipped it over his head. "There. We want to make sure that you cast all of your beautiful magic, don't we?"
The first incision made Jaylen groan as the scalpel sliced open a tiny cut on his left pectoral. But that pain was soon replaced with blinding white agony when the ball of mage-glow was shoved inside. Despite his fortitude, Jaylen let out a tortured whimper. The next one entered above his right hip. It wasn't until three more were inserted into his arm, thigh, and foot that he felt the magic stirring to life inside of his body. It called to him, gently at first with a coaxing sensation. It tingled and was a welcomed respite from the raw burning of the mage-glow. But as more balls were added, the need grew stronger, more and more dire. He was grunting and straining against the chains, trying to focus on anything else. The sensation only grew until Jaylen was screaming. The twisted thing that he hated was the fact that he wasn't screaming from the pain. He was screaming from the overwhelming need to cast his magic. He struggled to hold it back, to not let his body be pushed over the edge. Then it happened.
Angel of Darkness Books 6-10 Page 16