Justice sighed and stepped back from Leanne. He needed just a little bit of space.
What she said meant they were both walking into harm’s way. And that was not what he wanted. He knew he couldn’t change who either of them were, but that didn’t mean he wanted her to deliberately walk into harm either. He had never dreamed this was a possibility.
Like anybody in love, he wanted her to be safe. But he was also realistic enough to know that this wasn’t going to happen. She was the dusa skala and that wasn’t going to change. Now he had to deal with the fact it was he who had made her who she was.
“Are you talking to Faith?” Leanne questioned Justice as he closed his eyes, and sighed again. Since he always closed his eyes when he was speaking telepathically, it was a safe bet that was what he was doing. “You need to tell her to stay inside, and to sing her song. It will get through to Spero, she just has to keep trying.”
“Actually no, I wasn’t. I will do that in a minute though. I was just taking a minute to realize the extent in which this was going to be putting everyone in danger. I haven’t been in love before, and now the person I am in love with, has to go rushing headlong into a situation where I might not be able to keep her safe.” Justice looked straight into Leanne’s eyes while he said this. He still wasn’t even sure she believed his words. He wanted her to know that he did mean them and understand that he would keep her safe if he could, and that she really was important to him
“Justice, I am who I am. You wouldn’t love me if I wasn’t the dusa skala, and in fact we wouldn’t even be here if I wasn’t. So while in an ideal world we could just wish this away, this isn’t the case for us. For whatever reason, there is something trying to escape Hell and the Higher gods have decided, at least at this point, that we are the ones who need to deal with it. Right now, we need to be realistic and realize that we need each other, along with Faith and Spero, to continue forward with this. When this part at least is over, we can discuss the rest of our lives.”
Justice pulled Leanne toward him. He was so proud of her for her reasoning and for being who she was. He just wanted to keep her in his arms a little bit longer. Justice brushed her hair back from her face, and leaned down to kiss her forehead.
“You are amazing… I knew there was a reason you were given to me. It was to help me realize that I could love, should love and can be open about the things that have to happen in the worlds. I will let Faith know that she needs to stay inside today, and to keep trying to reach Spero.” With those words Justice closed his eyes.
* * * *
Faith could feel Justice trying to talk with her. She stopped what she was doing in the kitchen, and opened her mind to him.
Leanne says you must stay inside the bakery today no matter what, and to try and keep reaching Spero.
Sighing Faith leaned against the countertop. Does she know how I am going to do that? It is like there is a huge energy block. I can stay inside if she feels it is that important. I know she wouldn’t tell me to unless there was a reason. Justice she is truly remarkable. The best dusa skala we could have found, don’t let anything happen to her.
She knew that Justice could hear the affection in her words for Leanne.
She says to sing your song, that it will open a pathway to him and he will hear you. I know she is remarkable. I want her as safe as you do, perhaps more. Justice said this last bit wryly and Faith smiled. Sending Justice a wave goodbye she gently close the mind link they used to speak with one another.
Faith figured doing what Leanne asked couldn’t hurt. In three hundred years, the girl had only asked for a handful of things, and since she was the dusa skala she was probably right.
Faith continued to work in the kitchen as she hummed the lullaby. As she was wiping down the counters from baking the lunch bread, she could feel a lightening of the energy around her.
She shook her head, what do you know, Leanne was right. Faith didn't know why she had ever thought differently.
She continued to hum louder and even decided to sing the words. At some point, she figured Spero would hear her, and be able to know what she needed. At least she hoped he did, because she wasn’t sure how she was going to tell him, or even know what it was she needed exactly.
Chapter Nine
Leanne moved across the room, while Justice talked with Faith. She occupied herself by polishing the scales. She’d already strapped a long sword onto her back and was getting reading to go out with the scales.
“You know,” she said thoughtfully, “even though I know I won’t need these, I don’t think it would feel right to go out without them.” She finished brushing them down until they gleamed softly in the light. If there had been the sun out there, they would be shining like a gold coin. When she looked up at Justice she knew there were unshed tears in her eyes. “They have become a part of what I do.”
She stayed put as Justice walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. “Leanne, look at me.” When she did what he asked he continued, she felt him tracing the path of a silent tear as it fell unchecked. “You have not changed from yesterday. What we told you, does not effect who or what you are in any way. Just because you have the knowledge, does not mean you can’t go about doing things the way you always have.”
Leanne threw her arms around Justice’s waist and jumped up into his arms. She knew she was being irrational about being the dusa skala, but she didn’t know how to handle this.
“Before we go out,” she said between hiccups, “I want you to understand. Before I died, I was a judge. My entire life was spent deciding whether people were innocent or guilty. I had to choose whether they had followed the law or hadn’t. I also had to decide if that person got life in prison or the death penalty.
“Many years ago, the system gave the decision of imprisonment or death to the defendant’s peers, but that system became blatantly rigged and biased, so they gave the decisions back to the judges. It was my job every day to make the same decisions we do here. Right before I took my life, I realized that never once had I doubted a decision I’d made; even though I couldn’t live with making them anymore. I had been the youngest judge in my county and everyone always said I was too young, but I never doubted that I was doing the right thing. However, the pressure of always having to explain myself, became too much; so at a truly young age, I took my life.”
Leanne could see compassion and understanding in Justice’s eyes. Not sure she could deal with all of the feelings she saw in his look and facial expression, she looked away and continued.
“And now three hundred years later, I have discovered I’m doing the same thing that I was running from. Honestly, for me this is a huge shock. I know you think it doesn’t change me, and fundamentally you are probably right. I just thought you might understand why I am having such a hard time with what you have told me.” Leanne knew that tears fell silently down her cheeks.
She reached up to wipe them away only to have her hand pushed down. Justice’s fingers traced the paths of the tiny droplets across her flesh.
“Thank you.” He whispered only those words.
He leaned in and kissed her. Justice’s lips were gentle as he pushed them up against hers. She parted them slightly, and moaned when he moved his tongue over her bottom lip, nipping lightly with his teeth. He put both arms around her and hugged her close as he pulled back from the kiss. She felt comforted and even loved.
Leanne snuggled into the embrace sniffling a little bit. After a few moments she sighed, let go of him and pushed back. “We have to go out there. The time is now. I can feel that this is when we will gain the most knowledge of what is happening.”
She picked up her scales from the table, stood upright, and walked to the door. She glanced back once her hand was on the knob to see Justice picking up his leather jacket, and heading for her. She sighed to herself over the picture he made. His leather duster fell over his shoulder hanging by one finger. He had his tinted-glasses on, covering his heated expression.
Leanne shook her head, smiled and opened the door. Instantly, an oppressive heat hit them; it was stifling, and made her want to just shut the door and stay inside. When she glanced over at Justice, she could see the shock on his face as he also felt the repressive air.
As they walked down the sidewalk, Leanne could see Faith in the front window of the bakery. She was singing softly to herself. She glanced up as they walked by and stopped singing. Faith blew Leanne a kiss, and she blew one back.
Leanne saw that Justice smiled as he observed the affection they truly had for one another. She figured he was probably congratulating himself on putting both Faith and Leanne women together.
As they continued towards the gates of the town leading to the forest, the oppressive feeling in the air got stronger still. The darkness closed in around them. Justice grabbed Leanne’s hand, not wanting to be separated from her.
“He is so angry. Right now, he can’t get through, even though he is trying very hard. The wards are holding on the portal, this simply angers him more. This is only the first wave, Justice. What we feel now is nothing compared to what will happen if he comes through. It will be the end of the mortal plain. I have no doubt.” Leanne spoke softly, but knew that Justice could hear her.
Leanne looked over and saw that he was feeling out with his senses. He sent a little magick out, trying to figure out if he could sense the angry entity who wanted out so badly. She could see the air around him shimmer in gold as he tried to figure out who was causing this. Usually, those trying to come through had atoned for their sins; they felt they were ready to try and live the way they should’ve the first time. In all of time, never had someone tried to use the portal as a way to come through and take over; this was a portal of redemption, not a weapon.
“I can feel him, and you are right, he is very angry. So angry that I can’t get past it to see who this is. It feels like I should know him. Like it is someone I have come across before.” Tilting his head to the side, Justice stopped to think a bit about who it might be trying to come through.
Justice just shook his head and she could see that he was frustrated with not being able to tell who it was or where it came from, “Let’s stop just outside the gates and see if I can get a better feel for who this might be. I don’t want to walk in unawares, at least not if we don’t have to.”
Leanne nodded that she understood and gave his hand a little squeeze. They had just reached the gate to the city, it made her nervous to bring up the key and open it.
The gate protected those inside and when it was opened, there was a brief moment where they were unprotected. With all of the anger and oppression in the air, she didn’t want to risk having something more happen. Leanne stopped inside the gate; she didn’t reach for the key, but instead looked up at the wall, and then at Justice.
“Talk to me dusa skala, what is the issue?” Justice’s voice was almost formal in his address.
This is what she was created to do, she knew that now. She was to sit in judgment and to evaluate, but mostly she had to protect the portal where the people deserved a second chance. Those souls were hers to guide.
“I think I would like for you to carry us over the wall. I do not feel we should open the gate at this point. As a matter of fact the city needs to be on lockdown until this evil is stopped. I do not think we are going to find any souls waiting for us, except the one we already feel. No one in and no one out until we have dealt with this threat or the city itself will fall.” Leanne spoke as if in a trance.
She knew what this was, she often went into this state when she was weighing souls and speaking. It was as if she was there, but on a different level. Brimstone was important to the souls who were coming out of the portal. For those who had been released recently, too much evil may suck them back in; and for those who had chosen to live in Brimstone, they would be at risk as well.
Souls who helped others make their way into the mortal plain were not always liked and respected by those who felt that there should be no redemption. If whatever was trying to come through was not looking to be redeemed, then those who lived in Brimstone would be destroyed. Leanne was not going to let that happen.
Brimstone’s unique placement next to the portal made it the only transition city, a city where those who were being release could learn new methods; including, the many things that had changed and advanced since they were placed in Hell. Brimstone had to be protected at all costs, for the sake of those who deserved their second chance.
“All right dusa skala, that is what shall happen. Let me tell Faith to lock down the city, and…”
“From inside her bakery. She is not to come out to do it.” Leanne interrupted him frantically.
Justice placed a hand on her shoulder and ran it down her arm to grab her free hand. “Okay, calm yourself. Faith won’t come outside. She can do it from in the bakery. No one in and no one out. I understand.”
Leanne watched as Justice closed his eyes and reached out for Faith once again.
* * * *
Faith paused in her singing as she felt Justice reaching out to her.
Hey Justice is everything okay? You guys left only thirty minutes ago, I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon. Faith hoped that he had good things to say, but she feared otherwise.
We have only made it to the inside of the gate. Leanne says the city needs to go on lockdown; no one in and no one out. She is freaked out though. She doesn’t want you outside the bakery at all, for any reason. Faith could feel Justice’s frown as he pondered that. I told her you could do the lockdown from inside the bakery.
I can. We made it that way when you originally set me up here. What has her so scared? Faith questioned, sensing the urgency through the path they used.
I’m not sure. She went into dusa skala mode and said we needed to lockdown or the city would be lost; so lockdown we will do.
Faith frowned, knowing this wasn’t good. She was going to have to try harder to reach Spero. She certainly didn’t want Leanne worrying about her, when she needed to be focused on the fight.
As she said goodbye to Justice and closed the link, Faith decided to go lie down and see if she couldn’t find a faster way to reach Spero. She had a feeling they were going to need him soon. Before she could lay down, she needed to lock down the town first.
Everyone knew that if she rang the bell from her bakery that they were to stay inside the gates, and it would be better if they stayed inside their homes. Faith reached out, closed her eyes, and rang the bell for the first time in thousands of years.
Chapter Ten
“Leanne, Faith has assured me she can get the town on lockdown from inside. Now, let’s get over the wall.” Justice scooped her around the waist and picked Leanne up.
He gave her a quick kiss, and then imagined them on the other side of the wall. Sometimes being a Lesser god was great! He could travel by thought and speak to others from across the city. While he had responsibilities, big ones, they weren’t as big as the Higher gods who had to rule over everyone. He just delivered justice through his dusa skala. Even though it took longer than usual to materialize, they ended up safe and sound on the outside of the city.
Justice felt Leanne shiver, even though she was still tucked into his body.
“He’s very angry now. Feel the air. We thwarted something he wanted to do by us not unlocking the gate.” Justice watched as with Leanne sigh heavily sigh and step away from him. He read her emotions and was glad to see that she wasn’t blocking him.
He knew that while she was glad they had transported safely to the other side of the wall, she didn’t like the feeling of anger that rent the air when they materialized.
She immediately went into the trance state of the dusa skala. “We need to go through the forest to get to the portal now. This trip out is the first one and it is a fact finding mission only. This is not the big fight, but simply one of the little ones along the way. I don’t know what we are meant to do, but I do know that we
are meant to do it in the next few minutes.”
Justice watched as Leanne came back from her trance when she shook her head to clear it. He could see that she had used a lot of energy and that itself wasn’t right.
“Leanne,” Justice’s voice lowered, full of concern. “You are looking tired already. Is there something wrong? Do we have time for me to try and figure out who this is?
“I feel as if he is draining my energy right out of my body now that we’re on this side of the wall. I could feel him before, but not like this. I think maybe if I eat one of the scones I packed, I’ll get some energy back. I know that it is going to take some time but I think it is necessary for me to be as close to full energy as possible. While I am doing that, maybe you can figure some of this out? Also, if you have anything you can think that will help me shield better, I think I can keep him from taking too much energy.”
Justice frowned and looked at Leanne while she took out the scone and ate it. Her energy was being drained by something other than her own magick.
He could help her reinforce her shields without any trouble at all; this would give her some ways to weave her magick into a better shield. But finding out what was trying to come through would serve better in aiding her.
Justice had an idea. He focused on the portal itself, and not the energy around it and sent his own magick out into the area. He felt what he was looking for; a signature energy he hadn’t felt since the dawn of time.
Mammon.
It wasn’t a soul trying to come out. This was a demon, one who should never be free to walk in the mortal plain. Justice’s concern for everyone involved, just about reached a physical point.
Justice for Leanne Page 6