by R C Knight
He stared back at her, his face blank of any emotion. “I understand your concern,” he muttered as he stood up from the table. “And I will keep it under advisement.” He nodded wearily as he made his way towards the door.
“Liam,” Anne spoke softly as she watched him move away from her. “Just make sure Cyrus’s men know what the fuck they are doing. I would hate for us all to be dead when you get back.”
“I will,” Liam muttered hastily as he opened the door. “Nothing will happen while we are gone. You have my word.” With that he quickly left the house, closing the door softly behind him.
“Yea right,” Anne muttered to herself as she watched the door close. I just hope you know what you’re doing, she thought as her own thoughts of revenge swirled through her mind.
Chapter Twenty
Heaven
Gabriel sighed wearily as he followed the marble path towards the gold French doors. His eyes scanned the various warrior statues that lined the path. His eyes lingered on the statue of Aria’s father, Kailon. His face was permanently frozen in anger, but his eyes, his once green eyes were soft and filled with kindness. Gabriel chuckled to himself as his eyes fell on the daggers that Kailon’s statue held tightly. “You always were fearless. Just like your daughter.” He sighed as he ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair. “You would be proud of her. I just wish you were still here to help guide her to the right path.” Gabriel gently laid his hand on the base of the statue. “Hell, I could use your guidance right now as well,” he sighed sadly as he removed his hand and quickly straightened his robes. With one last glance at the fearless warrior, Gabriel continued down the path to the French doors. He opened them and walked quickly inside.
“Michael, we need to talk,” he announced as he entered the chamber, his voice echoing around the room.
“About what?” Michael asked calmly as he turned away from Uriel, his green eyes focusing in on Gabriel’s weary face.
“Eliza,” Gabriel responded quickly as his gaze roamed through the other Counsel members. “She has once again requested to leave the prison.”
“And?” Michael responded; his voice filled with frustration.
“And I think she is ready to be re-integrated into society. I believe it might help her remember what happened. And that she will be more willing to help us if we help her first. The prison is making her go crazy and she is filled with fear.”
“I see.” Michael looked to his left and right, his eyes searching the faces of the other Counsel members. “What does everyone here think?”
“She should be left in that cell until she rots.” Raguel responded quickly, his voice filled with hate. “She turned on a fellow angel, one that was meant to protect her. How could we ever trust her again?”
“But she was afraid for her life,” Barachiel responded, his light blue eyes locked onto Raguel. “Surely, she deserves a second chance. What would you have done if you were in her shoes?”
“I never would have been in her shoes to begin with!” Raguel responded angrily. “No one could ever force me to do their bidding.”
Barachiel scoffed as he looked at the other Counsel members. “I agree with Gabriel. Eliza should be re-integrated into society.” His voice echoed throughout the chamber. “If we want to strive for peace, we must be willing to show forgiveness to those who have earned it. For forgiveness is the path to peace.”
“I agree with Gabriel and Barachiel,” Jegudiel responded as Raguel chuckled in disbelief. Jegudiel glared at Raguel as he spoke. “Our creator has always believed in merciful love. I have strived to follow this belief system. It is my responsibility to help all angels practice merciful love. That includes you, Raguel.”
“Merciful love is a joke, after all, didn’t God flood the entire Earth?” Raguel responded dryly. “I analyze all situations and see them realistically. And in this case, Eliza is, and forever will be, a traitor. Therefore, she should be treated as such.”
“That’s enough,” Michael interrupted, “we can’t bicker about this all day. Uriel and Selaphiel, what do you think?”
“I could care less what happens to her,” Selaphiel responded. “She made her choice and should live with the consequences, whatever they may be.”
Michael sighed wearily as he turned to Uriel. “And you?”
Uriel took a deep breath as his dark blue eyes stared off into space. “I cannot determine how this will end,” he responded quietly. “If it is the Counsel’s wish to re-integrate her, then we should have a guard with her at all times. We cannot afford to let her roam freely yet.”
Michael grunted with irritation as he examined the Counsel members. “Very well,” he responded wearily. “The majority of the Counsel is in favor of her re-integration, since some of you…” His eyes fell on Selaphiel and Uriel. “Don’t want to pick a side.” He took a deep breath as he looked at Gabriel. “Your request has been approved. Eliza will be re-integrated.”
Raguel growled with disapproval, his blue eyes glaring at Michael. “However,” Michael continued as he nodded solemnly at Raguel. “She will be required to have a guard with her at all times. We will return her to her quarters, but she will only be allowed to leave for three hours a day. After a few weeks, if she behaves, we will revisit and consider allowing her more time out of her quarters.”
“Thank you,” Gabriel responded; his face filled with relief. “You won’t regret this.”
“I haven’t finished.” Michael responded firmly. “If, for any reason, anyone on the Counsel still sees Eliza as a threat.” Michael looked over at Raguel. “I will hand her over to Raguel and let him choose her punishment.” A small smile formed on Raguel’s face as he looked over at Gabriel.
“Trust me when I say, she will not like what I have in store for her.” Raguel chuckled darkly as Gabriel looked towards Michael in shock.
“Very well,” Gabriel responded quietly as he bowed his head to Michael. “I will inform Eliza of the news and prepare her quarters. I assume you will want to pick the guards that will be on rotation?”
“Of course,” Michael replied. “Give me two days, then we will schedule her release from the prison cells.”
“As you wish,” Gabriel responded, he made eye contact with each of the Counsel members then quickly turned towards the door. “You won’t regret this Michael. She will tell us what we want to know once she is back in her quarters, I guarantee it.” He spoke loudly as he left the chamber, his words echoing behind him.
“I hope you are right,” Michael muttered as he turned back to Uriel and the other Counsel members. “Now, back to Aria and her team. What has everyone decided?”
Chapter Twenty-One
Earth
Aria’s mind filled with anger as she stared into Kai’s dark blue eyes. She could see the worry and fear that filled his soul as Dominick’s screams echoed around them. Aria took a deep breath as she turned her head to look at Zane, his body held over Dominick as he meticulously cut off each finger. Shivers ran down her spine as she gently pulled away from Kai and sheathed her daggers. She took one step forward, her mind running in a million directions. Calm yourself, just calm yourself, she thought as she took a deep breath. Silence filled the air around her as Dominick’s screams faded away. He had lost consciousness as Zane moved on to his left hand.
Aria could feel everyone’s eyes on her as she approached Zane. Her breath caught in her throat as she gently reached forward, placing her hand on his shoulder. “That’s enough.” Even though she spoke softly, her voice seemed to echo through the silent village. Zane paused, his chest rising heavily with each breath. He turned his head, his black eyes staring up at her face. “You’ve proven your point,” she sighed as she locked her green eyes onto his black ones.
Zane’s face filled with frustration as he stared into her green eyes. He knew he should stop; he could tell by the disapproval on her face that he had gone too far. But something deep inside him told him to keep going. A low growl escaped from his lips as he tri
ed to make sense of what was going on.
“Just calm down,” Aria said softly, her voice echoing through his mind as she gently squeezed his shoulder. He narrowed his eyes with frustration as his hand released the dagger. A sigh of relief broke the tense silence as the dagger hit the ground with a dull thud. Zane blinked rapidly, the confusion clearing from his face. He looked up at Aria, his heart breaking with the disapproval on her face. He lowered his eyes as he took a deep, calming breath. With a sigh, he shrugged her hand from his shoulder and stood up, his eyes scanning the villagers around them.
“I am your leader now,” he stated confidently as he picked up his dagger and sheathed it. His eyes lingered on Dominick’s unconscious form; a flicker of guilt flashed across his face. “Take Dominick to your healer,” he muttered reluctantly, watching as a few men came forward and picked up Dominick, quickly carrying him into the hut. “As for the rest of us.” Zane paused as he made eye contact with the rest of the villagers surrounding them. “We have a lot of planning to do.” His blue-hazel eyes landed on Aria, watching as she nodded slightly with approval.
“Kai.” Zane looked over Aria’s shoulder towards him. Kai’s face was filled with relief as he sighed wearily.
“Yea,” he muttered, his voice a little shaky.
“Get the others, let them know what happened.”
“Of course,” Kai responded quickly. “Bishop’s gonna be pissed he missed this.” He chuckled to himself as he turned and headed back into the wood line.
Aria scanned Zane’s face, her eyes lingering on his full lips. She cleared her throat as she forced herself to look away. “We need to talk.”
“Yea,” Zane sighed as he looked around the village. “Meet me tonight in the wood line behind the hut.” He nodded towards the large, wooden hut with the thatch roof. “I’ve got work to do now.”
“Sure,” she responded quietly, her eyes lingering on the wooden hut. “I’m going to take Ryder and check on Dominick. He might need more help than their healer can provide.” She turned away from Zane and greeted the rest of the group as they walked into the village, carrying the scouts with them. Aria walked straight to Ryder and whispered hurriedly into his ear. Zane’s soul felt like it was on fire as he watched Aria’s lips brush against Ryder’s ear as she talked.
~~~~
The inside of the hut was dark and damp, the light of the small fire flickering on the wooden walls. The village healer knelt next to Dominick, his eyes examining the severed hand. A small bowl filled with a green paste sat on the ground next to him. The healer glanced at Ryder and Aria as they stepped inside the hut, the door closing softly behind them. He lowered his head as he dipped his hand into the paste and spread it along the bloody stubs on Dominick’s right hand.
“This is getting out of hand,” Ryder hissed as he stared down at Dominick’s unconscious form, his voice filled with disapproval.
“I know,” Aria replied softly, her green eyes filled with sorrow. “I’ll take care of it.”
“How do you plan to do that?” He stepped forward, closing the space between them and the healer.
“I don’t know,” she responded wearily as she knelt across from the healer.
“You know what needs to be done if he continues down this path, right?” Ryder’s voice was filled with disapproval as he knelt next to the healer. “May I take a look?” he asked the healer softly as he gently grabbed Dominick’s hand. The healer lowered his head, his eyes wide with shock as Ryder’s hands began to glow.
“Don’t worry Ryder. I know what needs to be done.” Aria snapped as the silver glow around Ryder’s hands grew brighter. “Hopefully it won’t come to that,” she muttered under her breath, watching quietly as Ryder worked his magick.
~~~~
“Why the fuck, do you get to have all the fun?” Bishop shouted angrily as he walked up to Zane. “You’re not the only one who has a score to settle with these fuckers.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll get your chance.” Zane sighed wearily as he stared at the hut that Aria and Ryder had disappeared into. “But for now, we need to plan our attack on the Red Horseman.” He turned toward Bishop, staring into his sunken hazel eyes. “You’ll avenge Mikayla. You have my word.” Bishop nodded wearily as he turned away from Zane.
“Come on you fuckers. Let’s get to planning so I can do some killing,” he growled loudly as he stared at the villagers. “I have a score to settle.”
“You heard the man!” Zane shouted. “I need everyone who knows about these battles to meet me in the hut in an hour. Until then, take care of your scouts.” Zane smiled as the villagers dispersed, some going back into their tents while others grabbed some food and water and brought it to the scouts. He walked over to Keira, who had been standing silently off to the side.
“I heard you had some fun,” she muttered; her blue eyes filled with worry.
“Only a little.” Zane smiled slyly as he pulled her in for a kiss. “It won’t happen again. I promise.” Keira stared up at him, her eyes searching his.
“You’ve said that before,” she sighed wearily. “What makes this time any different?”
“I only needed to prove a point.” He smiled darkly as he stared into her blue eyes. “Now that they know not to fuck with us, I won’t need to do it again.” He kissed her passionately as he tried to clear Aria from his mind, his soul still burning.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Earth
Darkness had settled over the village. The red light of the moon filtered through the slits of the wooden hut. Aria sat quietly across from Myra, her green eyes examining her closely. She watched as Myra pulled a blanket from her pack and meticulously unrolled it, smoothing out every wrinkle. A soft knock sounded as Ryder let himself in.
“You going to turn in for the night?” He asked as his eyes landed on Myra smoothing out her blanket.
“Yea,” Myra said softly as she continued to smooth her blanket, her eyes glued to her work. Ryder looked over at Aria, confusion in his eyes.
“She’s just really tired,” Aria muttered wearily as she avoided his eyes. “Did you need something?”
“Uh… yea.” He sighed as he focused on Aria. “Have you heard anything from Zane on how the meeting went?”
“Not yet. But I’m going to be meeting up with him soon to talk about it.”
“Have you thought about what we discussed earlier?”
“Yes, I have, Ryder,” she responded; her voice filled with irritation.
“And?”
“And I will assess the situation and make a decision after that,” she snapped. Myra looked up from her blanket, her eyes scanning between Ryder and Aria.
“What’s going on now?” she asked wearily, her voice weak and strained.
“Just some more Nephilim problems.” Ryder responded as he ran a hand through his dishwater blonde hair.
“Oh,” Myra replied as she went to her bag and pulled out a small pillow, “is it a real problem or a personal one?” Her blue eyes narrowed in on Ryder as her lips formed a tight line. Aria stifled a laugh as she looked over at Ryder. Fury flashed through his light blue eyes.
“What, exactly, do you mean by that?”
“Oh, you know,” Myra responded matter-of-factly. “If it wasn’t for Zane you would have made a move on Aria by now. We all see it.” Aria fell silent as shock filled Ryder’s face. Myra glanced over at Aria, a look of surprise in her eyes. “You didn’t know?” She sighed wearily as Aria looked up at Ryder.
“Is that why you have such an issue with Zane?” Aria’s voice was soft as her eyes met his.
“No,” he said firmly, his face drawn tight. “I have an issue with him because he can’t control his damn temper. He does whatever the hell he wants whenever he wants to, and no one here seems to care.” His eyes searched Aria’s, looking for some sign of affection. “And Myra doesn’t know what the fuck she’s talking about.” Ryder turned quickly and stormed out the door, letting it slam shut behind him.
&nb
sp; “What the hell was that about Myra?” Aria turned towards her; her face filled with confusion.
Myra shrugged wearily. “I assumed you knew. It’s kind of obvious. At least to the rest of us.” Aria stared off into space, her mind trying to comprehend what had just happened. Myra pulled another blanket out of her pack and slowly lowered herself onto her makeshift bed. She sighed wearily as she glanced over at Aria. “Look, Aria. Ryder is a good guy and he would do anything for you. Don’t take that for granted.”
Aria sighed wearily. “When did you become so wise and full of advice,” she chuckled as she scanned Myra’s physique.
“Being faced with your impending death changes a person I guess.” Myra sighed as she laid her head down on her pillow.
“I guess so,” she responded quietly; her eyes filled with sadness. “How far has it spread?”
“My entire left arm and it’s starting to go onto my chest,” she sighed as she closed her eyes. “But everything happens for a reason, Aria. I’m sure something good will come of this.” She smiled wearily. “Now, shouldn’t you be leaving to deal with our Nephilim problems?” She giggled softly, causing a small smile to spread on Aria’s face.
“Yea, I guess I should.” Aria stood up and quietly made her way to the door.
“Aria,” Myra’s voice was soft and relaxed.
“Yea.”
“Don’t break his heart.”
“Whose?”
“You know,” Myra responded confidently as she rolled onto her side. “Deep down in your heart you know. There is only one person you can have an actual future with.” Aria sighed wearily as she shook her head. She opened the door and walked out into the cool, night air.
