"Fine. I don't care about that anymore." Jaylen clenched his fists as he stared at the magic flowing across his ethereal left hand. "Just answer me a question. Where is this little alliance of craziness going to get us, huh? Siding with Carvael? Have you lost your mind?"
"Have I lost your mind?"
Jaylen sighed. "What?"
"This is my mind and your mind. If either us us has been losing it, we both have."
"Ugh, just stop. I hate you."
"So you hate yourself?" Finalis asked, being unbearably snarky. "That's not healthy."
Jaylen scoffed and ran his hand over the black X on his chest. "How can you agree to help Eternal Eclipse? Don't you know what they've done to people?"
"Don't you know what we've done to people? Now think about who the victim truly is. You heard Carvael's story."
"So what? Are you seriously stupid enough to believe him?"
Finalis snickered. "It's cute when you insult yourself."
"Even angels lie. I learned that the hard way with Zeriel."
"I know. I was there, remember? I've been here the entire time. I've seen everything you have. Why bother stating obvious facts?"
"And how dare you throw Kato's amulet away?" Jaylen asked, his face turning pink with anger. "Her soul was in that thing!"
"She was only weighing you down. You needed to move on, and that was the easiest way to do that. You know you couldn't keep holding onto that thing and hoping that she would speak to you again. Now you can start over with all the support and love of Carvael."
Jaylen slammed his fist into the soft bed. "Support and love? You call torturing, starving, and killing love?"
"If it's done in the right mindset."
"What? I can't believe you."
"You thought it first. Actually, we thought it at the same time. How do you excuse war?" Finalis asked.
"It is honorable if done for the right reasons. Oh. I see what you did there. Stop that."
"Logic has never truly been your friend, has it?"
Jaylen clasped his hands over his ears in a futile attempt to block out Finalis's voice. "I'm done talking to you. I'm just going to lie down and get some sleep."
"Good luck with that."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Maybe. What are you going to do about it?" Finalis asked mockingly. "Arguing with yourself is a bit pathetic, don't you think?"
"I'm not pathetic. You're insane."
"As are you by that logic."
Jaylen fell back on the bed and grabbed the sides of the mattress. "Why wouldn't you let me say no to Carvael? Why do you think you get to take control all of a sudden?"
"Because you're not actually trying to stop me anymore. All you do is complain after the fact. If you wanted to stop it, you could have. You have all the power I do. We are equal halves, like Carvael and Gavin. You know that already."
"But I . . .I tried."
"No, you didn't. Do you even know how to try to do anything anymore? Are you losing that much control over your life? Are we falling apart?"
"Maybe we are, Finalis. Maybe we are. What do we do about it?" Jaylen asked, giving up.
"Well, you've already started down this treasonous path. If you continue, you gain power, fame, and an unstoppable force that will destroy the world then rebuild it to hopefully be better than it is now."
"And if I run? What happens if I escape and go back to Jeremiah, Nimiel, and the others?"
"Why would we have to run or escape?" Finalis asked. "We're not a slave here. We chose this. We begged Carvael to bring us home. This is home now. If we do go back to leading Vilyron, then we'll have to face everyone. They know what we've done by now. Do you think they are going to just smile and accept us back as king after we went to join Carvael?"
"I suppose not."
"Then we have to make the best of what we have."
Jaylen groaned and tore at his hair. "But Carvael wants to start this war soon. What happens if we meet our friends on the battlefield?"
"Then we do what we have to do. Remember what our ultimate goal is, Jaylen. We want peace."
"And sometimes we have to kill to get it."
Finalis sounded pleased. "Precisely."
"But they're our friends, Finalis."
"Are they? Are they truly our friends?"
Jaylen stared up at the ceiling as his magic finally faded away, leaving him exhausted. Just as he let go of his anger and began to fall asleep, a voice entered his ears again.
"Jaylen, get your things packed up. We don't have much time."
"Go away, Finalis!"
A purple-haired succubus with orange eyes in stark contrast to her smooth pale skin stood over him with her hands on her hips. Her black leather armor hid the skin she normally showed, but her curvy form was still visible underneath it. "Jaylen, I am not Finalis. Hell's flames, you are deteriorating faster than Jeremiah said."
Jaylen rolled his head over and squinted his eyes at her. "Liaxa? What are you doing here? Come to join Eternal Eclipse as well?"
"Over my father's dead body. Get up. I'm saving you."
He laughed as he sat up and ran his fingers through his sweat-slicked blond hair. "Saving me? What in Aldexa would I possibly need saving from?"
"Are you blind? You're in Carvael's palace."
"Congratulations. I'm so proud of you for figuring that little detail out on your own. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I made this choice?"
The succubus shook her head. "You are losing your mind. Put some pants on so I can take you back to Jeremiah. Oviel will help you get stable again and-"
"I don't want anything to do with Oviel. Oviel is the one causing all of this. He's a monster parading around as an angel."
"What are you babbling about?" Liaxa asked. "Jaylen, that's not true and you know it. Has Carvael been feeding you these lies? This isn't funny. Zeriel is distracting Carvael so we can get a head start before anyone notices that you're gone. Jeremiah let me out of that cell just so I could come help you. He knows I love you, Jaylen."
"No, you don't. The only people who love me are Zeriel and Carvael. I have all the love I need right here. Nothing else matters. Eternal Eclipse will rule Aldexa."
"Eternal Eclipse will destroy Aldexa!" Liaxa grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Get up!"
He slapped her hands away then curled up in the blankets. "Go away. I didn't ask for a rescue because I don't need one. This is where I belong."
Liaxa was silent for a moment before sighing. "Jeremiah said that your mind might be already too far gone for anyone but Finalis to get through to you. He told me if that was the case, then I would need to . . . eliminate you immediately. You are a bomb waiting to explode. We do not need that kind of power in Carvael's hands."
"You would kill me, Liaxa? I thought you loved me."
Liaxa drew one of her father's long thin daggers from her back then held it up in the darkness. Only a sliver of light entered the room around the edge of the velvet curtain over the window. It danced on the razor-sharp tip. "I do love you, Jay. I always have. It broke my heart when I saw you with Kato, but I smiled anyway because I knew you were happy. That was all that mattered to me. As long as you were happy, I would stay out of your life and allow you to live it as you wanted."
"Then let me live this life here, with Carvael."
"If you don't come back, Jeremiah will declare you an enemy of Vilyron. You will be accused of treason. Even if you are captured on the battlefield or surrender, you will be killed for that crime."
Jaylen scoffed. "So what?"
"This isn't you. Jaylen, this isn't you! Stop listening to that voice in your head. Fine. If you won't care about your own life, then at least care about your angel. He lied to you."
"Zeriel?"
"Yes."
Jaylen laughed darkly. "Oh, that's a shocker."
"Stop being sarcastic. This isn't going to solve anything. Be serious for a minute, please. Jaylen, Zeriel broke his bond with you an hour ago."
Jaylen sat up, letting the blankets fall from his shoulders. "W-what?"
"Yes."
"That's when I woke up."
"How many times do you think a bond between a man and an angel can be broken then repaired?" Liaxa asked. "Every time, the bond gets weaker. Eventually, it stops working altogether. Angels have souls as well, while not the same kind or caliber as those of humans. But they have them nonetheless. Every time you put Zeriel through this kind of abuse, you are weakening him and deteriorating his power. Eventually, even the strongest angels will die from it."
"Abuse? I have never abused Zeriel in my life."
"Abuse takes many forms, Jaylen. All that angel does for you is sacrifice himself. Zeriel didn't want to join Eternal Eclipse, but he came here to protect you. He has given up his life to serve you in any way you command him, but what have you given back to him in return? Nothing. Zeriel loves you more than anything else in his life, but he is falling apart. He can't be around you. Why do you think he had me come get you instead of me providing a distraction? Because he hates being near you. It reminds him of what he is going to lose soon."
"What are you talking about?" Jaylen asked. "What is Zeriel going to lose?"
"You, you idiot. You are dying. Finalis is killing you! You will live long enough to carry out Carvael's wishes then Finalis will kill you as well. You think you're in charge here, Jaylen? You're not. You're just a pawn in Carvael's game. A pretty and polished pawn, but a pawn nonetheless. Open your eyes and see this for what it is. Carvael is lying to you!"
"Tell her to leave, Jaylen." Finalis said. "I am the only one you need to listen to. We are friends, remember? We are the same."
"Leave me now before I call the guards in here."
Liaxa replaced her dagger in its sheath. "Fine. I won't kill you because I can't bring myself to do it. I know this isn't you. Farewell, Jaylen. Just know this. This war is starting whether you are ready for it or not. I will be fighting on Jeremiah's side and I will defeat my enemies. Pray you do not meet me on the battlefield."
Chapter 11
Nimiel raced into the tent, scattering black rose petals in his path. "Did you feel it? Jeremiah, did you feel it?"
Jeremiah smiled warmly at his seraph brother. "I see it wasn't just me."
"Our new seraph brother is among us now, isn't he? That's what I felt?"
"It appears that way."
"Well?" Nimiel asked impatiently. He glanced around the tent. "Where is he?"
"Not here yet, but he is on his way. He has been awakened. Due to some recent reports, I think I know who it might be."
"Are you saying that because the body is missing-"
Jeremiah placed a purple marker on the map near the camp. "That's exactly what I'm saying."
"But if he was going to be reborn as an angel, it would take a year and he would be an infant. Sola said the new seraph was going to be fully grown."
"No one said he was going to be an angel. He's going to be a seraph. You're a seraph in an angel's body, remember?"
"Can people even be reborn as seraphs?" Nimiel asked. "That doesn't make sense."
"It doesn't, but stranger things have happened, haven't they?"
Nimiel went around to the other side of the table and looked at the map more closely. "I can't accept this."
"Why not? Does race really have that much influence on your judgment, Nim?"
"No, it's not that. A soul that has been so tormented and leashed with demons cannot possibly be an angel."
Jeremiah continued placing markers on the map. "I don't know why you keep repeating that. No one ever said that seraphs have to be angels. I'm not a common angel."
"You are still considered an angel, Jeremiah."
"Fine. Maybe I'm wrong, but I have hope. And I believe I'm right about this one."
"So . . . do I need to go to Ka'tayl?" Nimiel asked with a grin on his young face.
"Why would you do that?"
"To get ingredients for a traditional meal."
Jeremiah turned to the table behind him then poured a cup of tea. "Only if you can find the recipes as well. I'm sure he will be glad to have a taste of his homeland, after all."
"All right, then."
"Be quick and come straight back. I'll take care of your research while you're gone. I am excited to meet him. I wonder what he'll be like."
"Different, you think?" Nimiel asked.
"Much different. He will not even be the same person after this, if it is who I believe it is."
"I hope it is him."
Jeremiah sipped his tea then placed his hand comfortingly on Nimiel's wing. "As do I, Nim. As do I."
* * *
"Ah! It itches, Karix. Make it stop. Just make it stop! I hate it."
Karix's purple eyes softened as he watched the boy squirming on the blanket in the corner of the tent. "Stop scratching at it, or it won't heal properly."
Liam whined as he scratched his head. "But it's itchin'! I didn't ask for this."
"I know, but you did agree to be my mate. This is part of the mating process, Liam. Those scales will help protect your sensitive areas and-"
"No, no, no. Look at it, Karix. Somethin' is comin' outta my head!"
Karix rolled his eyes then went to the blanket and knelt in front of Liam. He parted the boy's messy brown hair to see two very short dark green horns poking through his broken scalp. "Well . . . this is an unexpected development."
"What is it? What are those things?"
Karix poked the tips of the protruding horns with is fingertips and frowned. "Horns. Dragon horns. It would seem that your transformation is speeding up. In addition to the scale growth around your hips and thighs, you are now growing horns." He ran his hand down Liam's back. "No wings yet, so that is a good sign. Those will be one of the final signs of death."
"I don't wanna die! Not for real this time." Liam lunged at Karix and wrapped his arms around him as he sobbed. "Don't kill me, Karix! You promised I wouldn't die yet. You promised."
"I know. I will do what I can to slow this. Let me speak with Jaycob. As much as I cannot stand the man, he does know quite a bit about dragons. Will you go fetch that crazy bard for me, Liam?"
"I guess." Liam left then returned a few minutes later. "He's angry at you, I think."
Jaycob, dressed colorfully as always, stepped into the tent. "You called for me, dragon?"
"Do you care for children, bard?"
"Of course I do. I love children. Making them smile is why I chose to become a bard."
Karix led Liam back to the blanket. "You and I both know that's a lie. You were forced by those slavers, so don't glorify your humiliation."
Jaycob gave a slight gasp. "How did you know-"
"Because I research the strange people who come to stay at this camp. I know why you wear that hat as well. It hides the gold identification ring in your left ear. Couldn't get it off even years later?"
"Shut up, dragon."
"Astrin did the right thing in trying to kill you. I don't blame him at all. You were a poor choice for a Dragon Knight anyway, weren't you?" Karix asked. "The only reason you decided to dedicate your mind, body, and soul to a dragon was because you knew you could never have a family of your own. You had one child and he was taken from you. Those slavers didn't like Hillmen, did they, Jaycob? Poor breeding. So, they took that from you. Unfruitful, eh? You are nothing but a pretty gelding."
Jaycob bit his lip to push back the onslaught of tears rushing into his eyes. "What did you need me for? If you only wanted to insult me and dredge up the past, then you could have done it not in front of your mate."
Liam's large green eyes widened as he scanned down Jaycob's body. "Did it hurt?"
"What? Oh, that. No. It was painless. They did it with magic. And that happened long after Astrin abandoned me. I was still plenty fruitful when I gave myself to my dragon. I wasn't a slave until about eighty years ago. You need to learn how to do math, dragon. Liam's father was only forty-t
wo when he was killed. The woman who gave birth to Liam's father died then I was left there as a slave with no rights to watch my child be taken from me and sold. They found out I had broken the rules and fathered a child, so they had to make sure I couldn't do it again. It wasn't just me. They did it to all the male Hillmen. That's one way to eliminate an entire race of people." Jaycob rubbed his eyes then crossed his arms defensively on his chest. "Can we change the subject, please? This is not something my grandson needs to be hear."
The golem that was perched on Jaycob's shoulder gently patted the bard's face and wiped the tear from his eye.
"Thanks, Dusty. I'm fine. I didn't come here to be insulted, Karix. You have a strange way of asking for a favor."
Karix hissed under his breath as he circled around Jaycob, eyeing him closely. "Do you have any scales?"
"Any what? Scales? No. What kind of question is that? Why in Aldexa would I have scales? Wait. You're not saying . . . what have you done?"
"Too much, apparently." Karix motioned to Liam. "Take your clothes off and show Jaycob your scales."
The boy began to protest. "But you said-"
"I don't care what I said, Liam. This is gravely important. Do whatever Jaycob tells you to do, okay?"
Liam closed his eyes as he undressed then spread out on the blanket.
Jaycob pulled up a wooden chair then ran his fingers over the black and green scales that had spread around Liam's waist. "These aren't just scales. You know that, right?"
Karix studied them closely. "I'm aware."
"Have you told Liam?"
"Told me what?" Liam asked, his worry sounding in his tiny voice.
"Your scales have runes on them now. Ancient Ka'taylin runes." Jaycob leaned back in the chair. "Karix, where did you meet Liam?"
"In one of Carvael's underground palaces. He was a prisoner and he was thrown into my pit to be fed to me as punishment. I spared him."
"Huh. Liam, have you ever been in contact with an ancient book that had gold on the bindings?" Jaycob asked. "There were runes on it?"
"Yep. I stole it. Then the paladins drowned me."
"Drowned you?"
"I already had two brands on my face for stealin' stuff. That book was the third time I got caught. Third time means gettin' killed for it. So they dragged me to the river then shoved my head under the water and pulled me out over and over to beat me. Then they left me in the water too long and I died."
Angel of Darkness Books 6-10 Page 47